Category Archives: My America

Declaration of Liberty, 2011

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At certain times and in response to particular circumstances it is incumbent on those who cherish Freedom and Liberty to stand against encroaching tyranny in all of its forms. There can be no excuse for men of conscience and personal integrity to sit idly and silently by while the insatiable lust for power and the hunger for control by those charged with the business of representing and defending the will of the people routinely interdict the ability of Free Men to govern themselves. To remain silent would be an act of assent which can no longer be granted.

The inalienable rights of Mankind, rights not granted by governments but inherent in the very basis of that which makes us human — that all men are created equal before the Law, that personal Liberty is the pinnacle indicative of a Free People, that individual pursuit of Happiness, generously granting respect to the same rights for others, is the epitome of Freedom — these, we assert, must be the only framework within which any form of government for such a people must be constrained to operate. When government ignores the boundaries, when it exceeds those constraints necessarily imposed on it by the people whom it serves, the heirs of Freedom and Liberty must, in order to preserve those freedoms, restrain that government and vacate the authority by which it attempts to overthrow those bindings.

Wherein, President Barack Obama willingly and knowingly on multiple occasions exceeds the authority granted to his office by the Document he has sworn to uphold and protect, wherein he seeks to circumvent the Laws of the Land in order that he might further his own personal agenda, and wherein he repeatedly denigrates this nation and heaps ridicule and slanderous charges on those who disagree with him or his policies, he can no longer be entrusted with the leadership of this nation and this Free People.

As to these assertions, we offer this partial iteration of historical events, the extent of which should convince reasonable people of his lack of ability to fulfill the duties of his office and his unwillingness to abide by the contract to which he was elected:

He instigated the creation of additional burdensome regulatory agencies, some of which have complete and autonomous authority to make regulations with the force of law without oversight and above the redress of grievances.

He instigated the empowerment of other agencies to make such restrictions and determinations as they see fit, regardless of the public will or of evidence contrary to support of such edicts.

He approved of and shepherded the Federal Government usurpation of certain manufacturing entities and the illegal redistribution of the private property of legitimate shareholders to favored political supporters, completely ignoring extant property and bankruptcy laws.

He secreted relevant information regarding his history prior to being elected President of these United States of America despite assertions of an open and transparent administration.

He associates with and maintains close ties with known and convicted terrorists against these United States, some of whom are placed in positions of advisement for his presidency.

He dispatched armed forces of the United States and commanded that they be engaged in hostilities in sovereign nation states that hold no vital American interests, nor do they pose an imminent threat to the peace, sovereignty or people of this nation.

He, without the consent of Congress, abridges the legal restrictions placed on his ability to engage the armed forces of the United States in hostilities and regularly and repeatedly disregards congressional calls for accountability on these matters.

He cedes the sovereignty of this country to the oversight authority of the United Nations on matters of human rights, elevating those lesser, mutable, government sponsored rights to a stature above the natural, inalienable and immutable rights possessed by all men without the expressed consent of the American people.

He bypasses Congressional oversight of his cabinet level appointments by resorting to recess appointments on numerous occasions, thus subverting a provision intended to be used in cases of emergency, and perverting it to his own purpose and denying those charged with confirming such appointments the ability to perform their duty under the law.

He repeatedly denigrates those who do not agree with him, resorting to slander and vulgar tactics beneath the loftiness of his office.

Most recently, he expressed sympathy for, and tacit agreement with, the illicit squatters and subversive occupiers of public property in cities throughout the land who seek to wrest private holdings from the rightful owners and those legally entitled to those holdings.

He instigated the tripling of the national debt to an unsustainable and unseemly $15 trillion dollars. He also increased the annual spending deficit of the government of the United States to $1.5 trillion dollars.

His policies and his forceful refusals to curtail government spending despite all warnings of looming financial disaster damage the heretofore stellar credit rating of the government of the United States, thus transferring the bulk of the burden for repayment onto the backs of many future generations of Americans.

He maintains a constant and steady berating of affluent and wealthy Americans, threatening to confiscate an ever growing share of their personal wealth and property without respect for the concept of equality before the law.

He coordinated and then signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which grants the government unlimited authority to regulate all activity, including the concept of inactivity, of the American people, far exceeding those bounds set by the United States Constitution.

Relevant data used to procure the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care act has since been rescinded by the President, demonstrating his wholesale willingness to fabricate information for the sole purpose of achieving his personal agenda.

He publicly calls for the removal from office of multiple heads of sovereign nation states, exerting the powerful influence of his office to assist in the overthrow of stable governments, some of which had been long standing allies of this nation.

He espouses in a multitude of instances, beliefs and sentiments that are at direct odds with the charter of American liberties and, from his position of prominence, he has actively promoted the idea that certain classes of people should be exempted from protection from confiscation of personal property, and that such property should be redistributed to others who have no legal claim nor legitimate right to it and is in direct contraindication of the concept of equality before the law.

In light of these and other offenses against the American people, now is the time for all who cherish Liberty, all who wish to live their lives and for their children to live as Free Men, all who hold dear the Freedoms long cherished in this nation, and to which principles this nation and its people have ever subscribed, now is the moment to tell this President and all who seek unceasingly to rip Freedom from its moorings, that we will not allow such malfeasance to continue.

No longer will the usurpation of Freedom and Liberty be tolerated. No more shall the laws of the land be ignored or subverted. No further infringement on our inalienable rights shall be permitted to endure. From this day forward, in order to preserve our Liberties and that we, as one People, may continue to live as Free Men, It is our rightful duty as Americans, embodied with the spirit and the principles ensconced in this People from the very beginning, to declare an immediate halt to this unbearable march toward tyranny.

We call upon all Americans to vigorously oppose the reelection of this President to a second term and to seek election of those officials who actively support and promote the rule of law, the sanctity of private property and individual freedom and concept of equality of before the law.

– Hat tip, Richard Browne. Random Thoughts

Tea Party defeats jobs bill!!??

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The President’s jobs bill was defeated in the Senate last night. According to some, the Tea Party is to blame.

The vote last night — we were very pleased with it. I was surprised with some newspapers saying ‘setback,’” Schumer said. “This is one more step as part of our plan, which is basically, first to focus on jobs and the economy like a laser — we’re in complete coordination with the White House on that — and to show that we want to change the dynamic on jobs and the economy and Republicans are blocking it.

— Sen. Charles Schumer (D- NY), quote on Roll Call’s website

When Senator Schumer says the word Republican lately, what he really means is Tea Party.

“The republic has a whiff, after the debt ceiling debate, that the Republican Party has become quite extreme because it’s been sort of run by tea party Congressmen and Senators, even though they’re not a majority in either house,” Schumer said. “They’re standing in the way — on every issue. … “

ibid.

So, obviously, the Republicans, I mean, the Tea Party is to blame for the President’s jobs bill not passing.

Ummm… Senator Schumer, by your own admission the Tea Party does not have a majority in either House, and your party currently enjoys the majority in the side of the House that you work in. There were two defectors from your own party on this bill. So just exactly how did the Tea Party defeat it?

Of even more concern than this particular distortion of the truth is the proposed extortion of the intelligence of the American people in Schumer’s words as he continues to discuss what he calls “Tea Party Economics:

“They’re standing in the way — on every issue. … We’ve got to get some money pumped into the economy in the next year or two to avoid the tea party double-dip recession.”

Now we know why the economy is so sluggish. Those damn Tea Partiers, all of which have only been in office less than a year, and at no time comprise a majority of votes in either House are simply standing in the way of growth and progress. And they must want to see the economy fail. We have to blame somebody, right?

Unemployment has been at over 9% for far longer than the Tea Party representatives have been in office, mortgage foreclosures topped 1 million in 2010 for the first time in history due to Fed interference and mishandling of the mortgage industry (under laws all forced on the banking industry by Schumer’s party), the Federal Registry has been appended by 80,000 pages of regulations since the current administration came into power, and new pending legislation (such as Obamacare, passed by … hint: not the Tea Party) cast future viability for businesses in doubt. None of these issues are the result of Tea Party candidates now holding office in the House and Senate. They are all results from the failed “major transformation of America”, to use our current President’s words. They are a result of government over-reach, government over-interference, and government over-regulation.

They are an attempt to divert blame from where it truly belongs. Schumer, the President and others in the Democratic party all appear to want us to believe that the $800B+ of stimulus money that went to crony capitalists and special interest groups wasn’t enough to spur the economy, so we need another $400B + to help push things along. Can you say Solyndra?

Senator Schumer appears to be unconcerned with the ever expanding national debt, as witnessed by his words to, in effect, throw more money at the problem, and he has an odd notion of where blame should fall when his party, in the majority, remember, fails to pass a bill in his section of Our House.

Time for some House cleaning.

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Links

Mouth With Sharp Teeth Bites Taxpayers Again

This man fits in perfectly with the Because You’re Not Smart crowd discussed earlier here at The Unofficial View

#OWS-PHX

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I’m running late this morning. I’m in a hurry to make it downtown to the Occupy Phoenix protest before the day really gets going. First, I had to wait to make sure my direct deposit had cleared—I hate to carry cash when there’s so many people around, you know? Headed out the the door of my tract home (they’re all tract homes in Phoenix), climbed into my General Motors hybrid and headed off down the road.

I had to turn around, though, because I forgot my iPhone to stay in touch with and to tweet all of the day’s events to those waiting on updates. Must need a cup of coffee to get the ol’ brain to wake up. Better hit the Starbuck’s drive through.

What is it with all these service trucks today? Air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, painters. Man, they’re all over the road; poor stiffs having nothing better to do than go to work each day, slave away for only those low wages their unions have been able to negotiate with those greedy owners and share holders. Man, I wish I had it as easy as they do. Own my own business, be my own boss, tell everybody else what to do.

Damn. I gotta stop by Walgreen’s to get some aspirin and probably need more band-aids in case one of the little kids gets hurt. More delay.

Tweet before exiting car: #OWSPHX M coming tweeps. Dont strt w/o me!!!

Better call work, too. Let ‘em know I’m sick today. I am, too. Sick and tired of every day, going to work, doing my job, going to work, doing my job… What a rut!

OK, back on the road.

Gotta call my wife.

“Hi honey, it’s me. Can you pay the cable bill today? Gotta see that movie that we’ve been waiting for tonight. Better pay the electric bill, too.

“Yeah, it’s going to be a great day, shoutin’ down the man, makin’ our voices heard. All them bankers and rich, fat cats gonna be shakin’ in their boots when we get done today. You should be able to get a live feed on your iBook. I’m pretty sure all of the news organizations are going to be there covering this. They wouldn’t miss it.

“Bye. Love you.”

Yep. This is all about corporate greed and us little folk just wanting someone to give us our fair share. I’m with you, Mr. President. Down with the banks! Down with corporations!

Now, let’s see. When lunch rolls around, Olive Garden or Hooter’s?

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

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18 months ago, the political representatives of the American people passed an odious piece of legislation magnanimously titled The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Prior to its passage, we were told by then Speaker of Our House, Nancy Pelosi that we would have to wait until the bill was passed to see what was in it. This statement alone should be enough to have the bill declared unconstitutional, regardless of its contents. It should cause all freedom loving Americans to rise up and demand that it be repealed. Any politician making such a statement should be immediately subjected to a Congressional investigation for ethics and questioned on their subversive tendencies. One would hope that the constituents of the offending politician’s jurisdiction would arise and call for the resignation and subsequent special election for the replacement of that departing mis-representative.

Unfortunately, thus far, none of this has been the case. We rush ever forward to full implementation of this invasive, intrusive, inquisitorial attempt to legislate every aspect of the lives of Americans.

If this bill, now law, is allowed to stand, the Federal Government’s creep into the private affairs of the lives of every American will be metamorphosed into a headlong rush to cessation of the rights of individuals.

Apart from the individual mandate that requires every American able to do so to purchase health care—a case of Congress grossly misappropriating powers through willing and eager circumvention of the Commerce Clause, and thus unconstitutional—this law will allow the government to control virtually every aspect of our lives.

Take, for instance, the 30 million or more people currently unwilling, or unable to obtain health insurance on their own. Most, if not all of these individuals will be placed into one of the government subsidized medical coverage plans, most likely medicaid. As with all government entitlements, this program is funded by the tax payers which translates to another reduction in personal income.

Most businesses with 50 or more employees will be forced to pay out additional capital to help fund coverage for these people. Or at least to help defer the costs of the additional bureaucracies created to oversee compliance, eligibility, treatment, record keeping, disbursement and favored political standing. Regardless of the final distribution of these funds, the end result is a reduction of operating capital for these affected businesses. Less capital equals less innovation, less expansion, less employment, less business. Basic economics in action.

In the future, as additional efforts to control costs become necessary, those that represent us in government will find it an easy step to pass new laws regarding every aspect of our lives, all conveniently wrapped in justifying reducing health care costs, both real and potential. Cars will need to be safer. Food will need to be healthier. Air will need to be cleaner. Compliance will need to be policed. In short, government interference across the entire spectrum of individual choice.

I for one do not care to have unbridled reform and rampant regulation become the norm. Yet, if the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is allowed to become a permanent fixture in the law of the land, that is exactly where we are headed.

Dark Age (reprise)

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Though the last post I made, Dark Age was a near-term tale of speculative fiction, the following information is straight from the source, presented here for you to draw your own conclusions. Maybe we can put together an anthology of speculative fiction.

The following table is an excerpt from the Social Security Administration’s own website.

The numbers listed here are in thousands, meaning 222 is 222,000, and 43,498 is actually 43,498,000.

Year Employed Beneficiaries Ratio
1996 143,909 43,498 3.3
1997 146,736 43,792 3.3
1998 149,692 44,075 3.4
1999 152,453 44,366 3.4
2000 155,295 45,166 3.4
2001 155,546 45,668 3.4
2002 154,894 46,176 3.3
2003 154,954 46,752 3.3
2004 156,900 47,367 3.3
2005 159,081 48,133 3.3
2006 161,852 48,863 3.3
2007 163,057 49,603 3.3
2008 162,485 50,420 3.2
2009 156,021 51,860 3
2010 156,725 53,398 2.9

As of last year, every two people paying into the system are paying the benefits for 9 other people. For contrast, here are the same numbers from three of the ten years between 1940 and 1950:

Year Employed Beneficiaries Ratio
1940 35,390 222 159.4
1945 46,390 1,106 41.9
1950 48,280 2,930 16.5

Obviously, the ratio of workers to beneficiaries has been in free fall mode since then, hitting 3:3 in 2009. If I remember my junior high school math correctly, a ratio of 3:3 can also be expressed as 1:1, meaning every person currently employed and paying into Social Security is paying to support someone else who is receiving benefits. The 2010 ratio of 2:9 is clear indication that this system is not only broken, but utterly unsustainable.

The trustees of the Social Security Administration have also acknowledged this in their recent report. This acknowledgement is not buried hundreds of pages in, as if expecting it to be missed or glossed over. Rather, it is in the opening paragraphs of the overview, on the first page of text in their report. You can read it for yourself at http://www.ssa.gov/oact/tr/2011/tr2011.pdf. Their recommendation is for an increase of the mandatory withholding taken from every paycheck. Their proposed increase is greater than 2% and is listed as a short term fix. Small band-aid might be a better term.

Dark Age Anthology submissions can be made here at Unofficial View.

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Just for fun, to see how much you could sock away for your retirement, here are two calculators to help. I used the amount mandatorily deducted from my paycheck for my current contribution to Social Security. The numbers were … surprising is probably a mild term.

Compound Interest Calculator

Roth 401k

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Dark Age

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It was bound to happen. Sooner or later, the hammer comes crashing down and even the most stubborn nail is driven into submission, or bent so badly as to be completely marginalized in its purpose. I too, have been marginalized. By my reckoning, I have only a short time to live, but in this brief timespan, I hope to share with you my story, or at least some of the pertinent aspects of it. Hopefully, in a few dozen years, or a few hundred, whenever the gathering winds of freedom have attained hurricane force once again, my story can provide some comfort, some solace or some inspiration to those trying desperately to obliterate the colossal structures of tyranny.

I have been in hiding or on the run for the last twenty years. There have been a few close calls, but an opportunity for escape always presented itself. Not this time. The road has reached its end in a cul-de-sac and there will be no more running possible.

As it turned out, World War III, though devastatingly brutal, was not Armageddon. That came a bit later. After Social Security was finally declared defunct in 2021, massive changes swept the world, paralleling the worst case scenarios of the gloomiest doomsayers of old. Following a third downgrade of its credit rating, the US defaulted on its sovereign debt—an incomprehensible $24T. That number is roughly equivalent to $63,000 per citizen, regardless of age. Needless to say, the dollar collapsed and destroyed most of the rest of the developed world’s currencies in the process. Chaos reigned supreme.

Unemployment, at the time hovering around 14% in the US, soared, doubling and then tripling that within two years. Martial Law was declared early in 2024 as a feeble attempt to regain control of the downward spiraling double-helix of humanity and the economy. Through misapplication of the Commerce Clause in the US Constitution, the Federal Government annexed all of the nation’s business and then virtually erased the Constitution and all the protections it sought to offer the citizens of the country. Individualism and initiative died.

With the government setting prices for goods and services of all descriptions, skyrocketing prices on food and most other necessities of life stabilized, but only briefly. The smoke and mirrors of government control of supply and distribution fell prey quickly to the realities of shortages, cost overruns and bureaucratic morass. The manufacturing sector was the first to go, followed almost immediately by the few remaining entities in the financial sector. The cost of living began its upward surge again. Higher prices generally meant even less business and brought a new round of workforce-wide layoffs. It became a vicious, self-sustaining, perpetual motion machine of slow, all consuming destruction. The lights went out, most of them anyway, in 2026. The world had entered another dark age.

There were pockets of resistance to the revocation of freedom and evisceration of liberties, many at first, but continually dwindling under constant government assault through lengthy prohibitions and increased regulations and when those did not work to circumscribe the behaviors of the offending groups, frequent use of military intervention and deadly force. I sojourned among the inhabitants of these castaway outposts for years, spending as much time as I could with each of them, moving to the next when expedient. Together, we fought the oppressor’s hand, driving him back and gaining a brief respite on occasion. All too often, though, we were driven from our stake, forced again into hiding or retreating just to survive; stragglers running to the next safe haven.

As far as I am aware, this is the last enclave. It is here, today, that we will make our final stand. It has been a long war, but I fear, that this day will be my last battle. I have been their primary target since this war began. The forces arrayed against me and those here that stand with me have become too powerful, all permeating, unrelenting. Though I have been hounded for years and called despicable, scathing names by those that fear me.and branded as evil by those that seek to destroy me, to my friends, I am known as Liberty.

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Notes:

Short-Range Results
The assets of the OASI Trust Fund and of the combined OASI and DI Trust Funds are projected to be adequate over the next 10 years under the intermediate assumptions. However, the assets of the DI Trust Fund are projected to steadily decline under the intermediate assumptions, and would fall below 100 percent of annual cost by the beginning of 2013 and continue to decline until the trust fund is exhausted in 2018. The DI Trust Fund does not satisfy the short-range test of financial adequacy, which requires that the trust fund remain above 100 percent of annual cost throughout the short-range period.

Source: Social Security Trustees Report, Overview Section

Also in the Overview are some interesting recommendations from the Trustees to “fix” the very real issues with the Social Security Ponzi scheme. Such as a greater than 2% increase in withholdings and a reduction in benefits. Sounds to me like “What we’re doing isn’t working, so let’s do it some more and see it that changes anything.”

TSA + DOJ = SOL

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Government thuggery rears its ugly head once again. This time in collusion between the TSA and the Obama DOJ.

In Texas, in an effort to protect citizens traveling through airports in that state, the Texas State Legislature attempted to pass a bill outlawing the touching or groping of a person’s private parts without probable cause. In other words, a restatement of the IV Amendment to the U.S. Constitution:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

But, since the Obama administration cares not a whit about the Constitution, the Department of Justice was quick to the cause for the TSA. Coercion and malfeasance rule the day with this administration and their minions.

A letter threatening to cancel all flights into and out of Texas was issued by the DOJ if TSA agents (or TSO according to the DOJ missive) were not allowed to continue to grope — feel up — fondle — “perform the security screening that he or she is authorized and required by federal law to perform.”

Just to be clear, in the letter referenced in the link above, a US District Attorney who works for the DOJ has just stated publicly that the TSA is authorized by the Federal Government to grope and fondle you as you pass through their screening checkpoints.

The TSA, they of recent child groping video fame, have the full backing of the United States Department of Justice to perform these abusive, invasive, security screenings. So much for no unreasonable searches and seizures. Pun intended.

The 9th and 10th Amendments have been gutted for years and that truth is further reinforced by this blackmail and coercion. Now, the 4th Amendment has been overturned with the blessing of the Obama Justice Department. The First Amendment is under continuous attack and the 2nd Amendment is so wrapped up with red tape, it’s damn near impossible to say it’s still valid.

TSA and the DOJ collaboration means that Texas lawmakers are SOL.

You can read the full story here: http://www.infowars.com/financial-terrorism-tsa-holds-texas-flights-hostage/

More Reading
Reason Blog

At Ramparts360

the Unofficialview Weekly Updates for 2011-05-22

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To my kids

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Let me start off by apologizing. I apologize that as of right now in this first quarter of 2011, each one of you, from the 20 year old to the 6 year old is already $45,000 in debt. I know that amount means in effect, the first 5-8 years of your working careers will be spent to pay off this debt incurred through no fault of your own. And, if these halcyon days of profligate spending are not curtailed, the burden placed on you will be even greater and you may never get free of it.

Somehow, we lost sight of the future in our mad dash to remake the present into something more palatable for our tired, weary eyes. We allowed those whom we elected to office to run amok, unchecked and unchallenged for far too long. We, through inaction, inattention and inherent trust in our elected representatives permitted them unrestricted access to our property, your livelihoods, and your freedoms. They have rewarded us for our lack of oversight by sacrificing your futures on the altar of social justice–equality of outcomes, regardless of personal talent, ambition or work ethic.

A warning: social justice is not justice–respect for the rule of laws and is wholly incompatible with liberty. You, unlike us, must never forget this. Equality of outcomes can never be achieved in perpetuation by legislation or government fiat. People all have varying levels of talent, determination, knowledge, even luck. Do these always pay off as they should? No. Sorry.

Allow me to provide an illustration or two. Your class has a test scheduled that you choose not to study for. The person sitting next to you spent the night before studying, preparing. At the end of the test, you have answered less than half of the questions, most likely providing several wrong answers. Your classmate answered all of the questions, possibly missing a few. Who gets the better grade? Under an equality of outcome scenario, the grades don’t matter. You are both rewarded, simply because you were present to participate.

Lest you think the above little sidebar is an excuse to skip studying for future tests, let me remind you that in our household, as I believe it should be in life, choices bear consequences both good and bad. I’m certain that most of your teachers feel the same way.

One other example. In 2009, the House of mis-Representatives passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known most notably as ObamaCare. The passage of this bill was a complete rape of the U.S. Constitution. The majority of Americans did not and still do not want this bill passed. A major portion of the bill requires the purchase of health insurance, a mandate not authorized by the Constitution to any of the branches of our government. When asked about the Constitutional authority of the government to impose such a mandate, then Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi responded to the inquiry with “Are you serious? Are you serious?” Justification through arrogance and intimidation. Thug politics at its best.

This bill, if allowed to stand, is another attempt at legislating equality of outcomes. The government bureaucracy, rather than you and your doctor, will decide what care options are best for you. This is only the first step. With the government in the health care business, the intrusiveness will not stop. Every aspect of your life, from what you choose to eat, to what you choose to drive could come under the scrutiny of “public health” interests, and thus further regulation and control. There is much more in this bill and its subsequent beginnings of implementation that bode dire consequences if it is not repealed or declared unconstitutional, but all of that is for another discussion.

In addition to our blind approach to the future, we have also lost sight of the past. We have forgotten that our Constitution sets forth the total extent of powers attributed to each branch of the Federal Government, and that it explicitly confers everything else to the people and the states. The Constitution weighs in heavily on the side of personal governance and the responsibilities that that entails. We have allowed the Federal Government to become leviathan. George Washington said “Government is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” We are witnessing the truth of this statement now because we failed to heed the warnings and for that I apologize as well.

Our current president has no respect for the rule of law. When informed that his ban on oil drilling had no legal grounds to be continued and that said drilling should therefore be allowed to resume, our president ignored the ruling, forcing the judge to issue a “Contempt of Court” against the administration. When another judge declared the mandatory insurance provision unconstitutional, our president ignored him as well. He is on the record as stating “I don’t think the American people want us to waste our time re-legislating something that we have already legislated.” And “I will not compromise on anything that puts the future health care of 30,000,000 people that until recently could not afford health care in jeopardy.”

In other words, “I’m right. The laws don’t matter.”

Allow me another sidebar if you will. Those 30,000,000 people that couldn’t afford health care before still cannot afford health care. But they will have access to it because it will be paid for by others through higher taxes, insurance premiums, and fines for failure to participate.

Again, I apologize for the state of affairs we’ve left this country in for you. We had hoped for better, but hope it seems, is not enough. It requires active participation in the government of this country. It requires voting out the crooks and the elites and the political class and the power hungry individuals and replacing them with citizen representatives who still remember all three portions of government in this country: “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” All too often, our elected officials are more concerned with “of the people” than with the rest of it.

SOTU – In Retrospect

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I have not yet read through my notes taken during the President’s State of the Union address last night. They are somewhere in state between chaotic and unprintable, so this is nothing more than an overview and a bit of editorial.

I am concerned about several things in the President’s SOTU address last night. First and foremost is his intransigence on the health care bill, recently repealed by vote of the people’s representatives in the House. More of “just wait… you’ll love it.” And the bashing of insurance companies. “I will not allow insurance companies to go back to declining coverage for pre-existing conditions…” Belief does not an expert make. Yet, the President appears to believe that just by wishing to have every person covered for whatever reason should make it so. Obviously, no concern for costs, increased coverage premiums for those that pay. He seems to believe that by wishing those costs to not exist, they will simply disappear.

His emphasis on green jobs is scary. Like many more trillions of dollars scary: 80% of our energy from clean sources by 2035? That means coercion through regulation and fines and forcing higher priced energy on the American public. More shared sacrifice. It is also another case of government attempting to pick winners and losers and set the rules of the game to benefit a few at the expense of the American public.

He wants to take the “billions of dollars we give to the oil companies” and give them to researchers for work in developing better, more efficient means of producing these clean energy sources. This idea raises several questions to my mind. First of all, where did he arrive at that number of billions? Is that from tax breaks provided to oil companies? If so, that does not constitute money we have available to, in effect, transfer from one account to another. Removing those tax breaks will inevitably result in higher prices for those energy sources. The American consumer will foot the bill for those higher prices while at the same time fund those additional billions of dollars for new research and technologies.

The tax breaks are the same type of tax breaks offered to other businesses and include depreciation and other costs of doing business.

We should allow the free market to encourage those companies and other innovators to do their own research into alternatives and find ways to bring those products to the court of public opinion to potentially live or die on their own merits, and not with government endorsement and backing and rigging the game.

The trouble with “potentially” is just that: meaning possible. It also incorporates the possibility of not reaching its full potential, giving it a landing place anywhere on the scale between imminent and impossible. We can only hope that that landing spot is closer to the former and not the latter, but that is impossible to predict without the aid of billions of dollars in tax payer money.

I thought it was very clever—as in sly clever, bordering on willful deception—to repeatedly use the term “invest” as opposed to “spend”. Government investment of any kind is spending. Government has no money to invest that it did not first confiscate from someone else. Usually, that’s you and me, and the companies we choose to do business with. So, rather than spending any more, which in today’s political climate is anathema even to all but the densest Keynesians, we’re going to invest. That’s just a feel good word if I’ve ever heard one, and a word used intentionally to hide the true meaning behind his statements.

So, in effect, what we got was more “hope and change”, a vision of a brighter future, regardless of the costs, a new term for government spending and business as usual from a President that acknowledged a shellacking in the midterm elections. Election season for 2012 has begun.