Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Conservatives Betrayed

I recently read ‘Conservatives Betrayed’, a book written by Richard Vigeurie. In the book, Mr. Vigeurie states “When you look at third party efforts on the Right, whether of the Libertarian Party or Constitution Party variety, you can perhaps agree with their platforms and principles more than with those of the Republican Party – but as minority parties they have next to zero influence on national policy”. I agree with this statement and think we must correct this.
The majority of Americans are conservative in nature, and believe in the traditional values which make America great, whether they acknowledge it or not. The majority are patriotic, believe in God and country, are individualistic and prefer limited government. For most that embrace these values, the Republican Party has been their choice for representation. Unfortunately, the current Republican Party no longer represents these values and the minority parties truly have no influence.

Conservative Americans must understand that they are a block without a party. Since the administration of Richard Nixon, EVERY Republican president has expanded the federal government and increased the national debt, Reagan included. In fact every administration since Kennedy has expanded the Federal bureaucracy and every president has increased the Federal Debt. This is not the representation we seek, but is the representation we allow. We, the majority of Americans, regardless of party affiliation, must unite as one compelling force in order to stop this continuing slide into debt and see America regain the greatness it has lost in recent years.

We who believe in the American way of life have got to find amid our ranks, people capable of bringing all Americans of conservative nature together. We must appeal to the conservative minded majority, to join with us in ONE strong party, to not only regain America but to rid this country of big government, tax and spend professional politicians. The Tea Party movement is the beginning, but we must keep it going and make our voices heard starting with the election in November and all future elections until the entrenched representatives get the message -- You can’t continue to act with impunity and a sense of entitlement. You can’t continue to saddle the American citizen with debt and burdensome laws which do nothing but increase your shield of entitlement.

We must create new beginning to signal that we intend to make government smaller, leaner and stronger. We have to unite to end expanding taxes and outrageous irresponsible spending. We must return to limited government which provides for the necessary protection of all Americans with a strong military, but is limited to the protection of our shores and operates within the limits of our constitution. We must stop the heavy handed promotion of democracy throughout the world it is neither our right nor our responsibility.

We must send the message that we are a free society, and believe in free market capitalism. We must p[resent the case that we are able to succed through our efforts, but when we fail, it is our responsibility. We have to let businesses fail when they are not able to operate efficiently, but we must eliminate regulation which forces private companies to operate inefficiently. We must stop the government from taking control of and operating banks and businesses. We need a fair and flat tax to eliminate the legislators ability to use the tax code to manipulate the population. Most importantly, we must put an end to the entrenched professional politicians and return to the citizen legislator who comes, serves out of a sense of duty to country then returns to the private sector. We do not need or want our politicians to make a career of representation.

We must find and nominate candidates who can uphold these standards of governance and personal conduct. We must go out into our communities and locate these leaders. The leaders will stand out and make themselves known. They will most likely be reluctant to participate, but we have to push them out of a sense of duty.

When the majority realize the political leadership of both the Republican and Democratic parties will not allow this, that this will threaten their power base, conservative Americans need to sit down with members of the Republican, Libertarian and Constitution parties and Blue Dog Democrats, and other serious Americans, determine that we are all in basic agreement, then unite as one strong party for the good of the country. The time is right and the groundswell is occurring. America must return to greatness and only by working together and promoting constitutional values can it be done. We need to get something going soon before the elite politicians in charge of the current parties drown us all in a sea of debt.

Conservatives from all parties, including Dem Blue Dogs will accept a new party with a new name and a new beginning easier than fighting to remove the traditional Republican power structure. The true American conservative -- the majority of Americans -- will embrace an inclusive party which consolidates the ideals and objectives of limited government that our founders imagined as they debated the Bill of rights and Constitution.

We the people, the truly patriotic American majority, need to reclaim our country from sure disaster at the hands of professional politicians who are more interested in securing their power base than promoting the American way of life. We must make known our desires for a new beginning.
A new party with all new leaders offers a chance to accomplish this. The staus quo does not. We need to get something going soon before the leadership in charge of the Republican and Democratic parties drown us all in a sea of indebtedness.

Michael Moore is a catastrophe

Everyone needs to get the word out -- This guy is a menace. He honestly doesn't understand that the "people" are us and "we the people" don't want government run health care. Accessibilty to market based, portable Health INSURANCE is what is needed. Do we want or need cradle to grave, universal single payer Health CARE, as envisioned and administered by the current administration, at a cost of hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars. Absolutely not!

He doesn't understand the individualistic nature of the American people any more than he understands capitalism. He is a mockery of the responsible citizen he claims to be. Though he has become notroious with his warped view of American values, he is just plain wrong. "We" the American majority don't agree with him and we need to counter his attempts at intimidation with similar action of our own. Find the smart and independent Americans who can lead the charge to a smaller government and support them loudly! Let Mr. Moore know that "we" are not going to put up with his foolish rabble rousing.

Below are his comments:

Controversial liberal filmmaker Michael Moore on Tuesday issued a warning to Democrats who have been cool to President Barack Obama’s call for meaningful health care reform: Get on board or prepare to lose your seat.

“To the Democrats in Congress who don’t quite get it: I want to offer a personal pledge. I – and a lot of other people – have every intention of removing you from Congress in the next election if you stand in the way of health care legislation that the people want,” Moore told supporters of women’s groups and unions gathered at the headquarters of the government watchdog group Public Citizen. “That is not a hollow or idle threat. We will come to your district and we will work against you, first in the primary and, if we have to, in the general election.”

“You think that we’re just going to go along with you because you’re Democrats? You should think again,” he told the Tuesday crowd in a speech that was carried to members of the media dialed into a conference call. “Because we’ll find Republicans who are smart enough to realize that the majority of Americans want universal healthcare. That’s right. That’s absolutely right. Don’t take this for granted.”


Federal Taxes

I was planning a post on another subject, but heard a report on Federal Taxes and got sidetracked.




In fact, roughly 47% of households, or 71 million, will not owe any federal income tax, according to estimates by the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center. This is because our progressive tax system levies higher taxes on higer earners and lower taxes on those who make less. Is this right? I don't agree with it, but the decision is not mine to make.

One obeservation I will make though, is that taxes are used by politicians to direct public policy and as a method to generate votes through class warfare. This is just plain wrong.

The simple answer in my mind -- Cut the cost of government, pass a balanced budget amendment and install a flat tax with the following conditions:

5% of all earned income above 35K per wage earner to the Federal Treasury. This will be used to operate the federal government and if government has to grow smaller and programs dissolved as a result, so much the better. I think we will more faithfully follow the constitution if we leave it up to the individual states to manage the day to day activities of government. The states will still have the ability to levy taxes in any amount and manner their citizens allow. Those who are not comfortable with the taxes levied in their state of residence will have the option of moving to a state with a tax they deem more acceptable. I ask, why should the Federal Government, operating under the limitations placed by the founding fathers, require more than 5% of the American peroples wages?

5% of all earned income per wage earner to be set aside for entitlement programs. This will cover Social Security, medicare, medicaid and any other entitlement programs agreeable to "We the people". This should have a 10 year grandfather clause requiring no reduction in current benefit levels. Thereafter, if this set aside requires a reduction in current benefits those affected will have time to make other arrangements. Why should the American people give more than 5% of their income for entitlement programs?

5% of all earned income used to pay off the Federal Debt. This is self explanatory. I beleive that those who are most responsible for the cost of government have to help repay the debt they help to create. In this way, all will be less willing to allow the government to grow. At the point in time that the debt is repaid, the tax should be extinguished. This will give the taxpayer incentive to make sure the debt is repaid.

This seems both fair and progressive to me. Progressive because the highest wage earners will still carry the greatest tax burden and fair because it takes away our politicians ability to use the tax code for social engineering.