You know, I bet former presidential candidate John McCain has been thanking his lucky stars everyday since losing to Barak Obama. It seems things are worse…far worse than we were led to believe. If Obama succeeds in revitalizing the economy, stabilizing global relations, and securing our borders, he will go down as one of the greatest presidents ever in American history. If he fails on any of these points, both he and Democratic Party will be rode out of Washington in the back of a garbage truck. Frankly, it wouldn’t have mattered if McCain and the Republicans had won. They would get the same treatment. As it now stands, Americans are sick to death of what they see as both an economic failure brought on by corporate greed and a lack of governmental oversight. The Republican Party, after a long run, has demonstrated a complete and utter failure to protect the American household when they had the chance. Now, it’s the Democrats turn. The election itself, I think, was not Americans coming out in mass to elect our first bi-racial president (in fact, among the vast majority of non-black voters, I don’t race was even a factor), but was instead a vote against Bush's economic and foreign policies.
So, what are we looking at as Americans? Well, for starters, we’re looking at one of the longest and deepest recessions (some are already calling it a depression) since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The unemployment rate for October was 6.5%, which was double what most economists were expecting. The first couple weeks in December saw near record numbers of Americans being laid off; just fewer than 600,000. Since January 2008, there are over 1.2 million unemployed Americans, and that’s not including those who are underemployed, temporary, or part time seeking full time, or those who have simple given up and dropped below the radar. The unemployment rate is now expected to tip near 7.5% over the next three to six months. While the figures for Christmas, which can count for as much as a third to half of total annual sales aren’t in yet, many economists are forecasting a stocking full of coal for most retailers.
Personal consumption dropped 0.3%, or about $33.6 billion dollars. Disposable personal income decreased by $25.7 billion dollars, or about 0.2% while personal income increased 0.2% to $24.5 billion dollars. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell 0.5% in the third quarter according to the US Department of Commerce. During the same period, corporate profits were declined 1.2%. Non-financial corporate profits increased 6.7%. Yet, overall financial profits have dropped 20%. Industrial production, which includes factories and mines, has dropped 2.8% in September and a whopping 6.0% in the third quarter.
One of the few bright signs is the price of oil has continued to drop despite attempts by OPEC to boost the price by cutting oil production. Most Americans are now paying in the neighborhood of $1.68 a gallon, which is a far cry from the near $5.00 we were facing just a few months ago. However, the decline in gas prices hasn’t translated into cheaper heating bills. The US Department of Energy reported that Americans will pay an average of $2644 to heat our homes this winter; an increase of 33% over last year. Folks who use natural gas will pay an average of $1059 this winter to stay warm, which represents an increase of 23.8% over 2007. Combined, that’s $22 billion dollars more we’ll pay over last year. Oil companies meanwhile continue to rack up record profits while you and I turn down the thermostat and grab another blanket. Just in case you were wondering, Exxon posted a second quarter profit of $11.68 billion; the largest ever by any company. Or to put it another way, the profits of the top five oil companies was $1.5 trillion dollars in 2007, which was larger than the GDP of Canada.
Congress rushed through a massive bailout of the very people who caused our economic meltdown to the tune of $700 billion dollars. So what did these banks and other financial institutions do with the money? Good question. It seems many sent their corporate executives on some rather expensive junkets right after getting the money and many have simply told Congress it was none of their business what they were doing with our money. Yeah, seriously. It appears that in their hurry to appease Wallstreet, and over the very vocal objections of Main Street I should add, Congress failed to include language that would require some type of oversight or monitoring of how the money would be spent. Now, in my humble opinion, that was either intentional or a huge oversight bordering on incompetence.
Speaking of incompetence, what did you think by the heads of America’s automakers flying in on their private jets asking for a handout? These “gentlemen” have known of years where the auto industry was headed and did nothing. The second time around, the heads of “Big Three” at least had the decency to come by commercial carrier though none have gotten rid of their private jets or other diamond clustered perks (did you know that the average US chief executive earns 8.8 million dollars a year? Senior executives earn on average 364 times more than the average US worker). Auto industry leaders blame unions and unions blame management. The end result may be both standing in the unemployment line if they don’t learn to work together and quickly.
By the way, that $700 billion dollar bail out that the American People objected to and Congress ignored, increased the Federal Reserve's balance sheet from $900 billion dollars to $1.8 trillion dollars. To put it another way, that’s 13% of the GDP. The Treasury Department said it may have to float approximately $550 billion dollars in debt in the fourth quarter and anticipates floating another $368 billion in the first quarter of 2009. I’m no accountant, but in my opinion, you can’t run up those kinds of numbers and expect to stay afloat for long.
Meanwhile on the home front, state and local governments have been cutting every service that can, including sending employees on extended unpaid furloughs. Key programs, and by that I mean those which assist the elderly, children, and handicapped have been deeply impacted. State and local governments have passed on rates hike after rate hike on the very people who are hanging on by their by fingernails, namely the middle class. Quasigovernment government agencies responsible for water, gas and electric, and sewers have been trying to get rate increases through, and with some success. Local school systems, fire departments, the police, and EMS have been pressing for rate hikes too. Frankly, I’d like to know where they think this money is going to come from. The American People have been tapped dry.
I don’t envy president-elect Obama one bit. He’s got to hit the ground running and running hard. If he fails, the outcome may be more horrific than anyone can imagine.
Things I’d Like to See
What would I like to see President Obama do? I would like to see him get Wallstreet under control. That means eliminating financial derivatives, which led, in part, to our economic meltdown. I would like to see stronger monitoring of financial transactions. I would like to caps placed on executive compensation similar to Europe and Asia. I would like to see the US dollar tied to the gold standard again.
I would like to see a serious effort to get off imported domestic oil and gas. This means a major investment in alternative fuels. I would like it mandatory that any money the auto industry receives be in conjunction with the development new fuel efficient cars and trucks. No extension after extension like they did with emission control. A fixed firm date with specific criteria or they repay the loan in full and lump sum. I would like to see the airline industry nationalized like most every other nation. I think a single national airline may be the only way to save jobs, reduce costs, and maintain airline safety. I would like to oil and gas treated as a strategic resource, and that means government monitoring of production and distribution. While I think profits are wonderful, I think the level of profits being earned by the likes of Exxon and Shell is obscene. I would like to see a portion of those profits go to research and development of alternative fuels and energy as well as protecting the environment. I know many companies claim to do it already, but let’s just say I don’t believe their…huh…”hearts” are into it. Frankly, I don’t trust big business to look out for the interests of the common working man and woman.
I would like to see a complete overhaul of the tax code. Perhaps a flat or consumption tax. There’s really no reason the tax code should be any thicker than a sheet of notebook paper. And the beauty of this would be the elimination of the IRS. I would like to see personal savings account become tax exempt in order to encourage savings (Americans have the lowest savings rate of most developed nations). This in turn would provide banks with more money to lend. I would like to see the elimination of “corporate taxes” in the form of fees, service and late charges (or at least, allow them to be written off). Since when did we give corporations the right to tax us?
I believe we need a basic national health care system in the country. There is simply no reason our poor, handicapped, elderly or our children should be denied basic healthcare. Folks who can’t afford healthcare end up in the emergency rooms, which in turn clogs up an already overstrained medical situation and you and I end up paying for anyway in the form of higher rates. I think we need a basic coverage for all US citizens. Companies who can’t afford to offer their employees insurance will be in a better position to try and attract employees since they aren’t losing out to companies who can. Employers can offer supplemental packages as employment incentives. I think we should allow individuals to shop around for the best prescription rates, and if that includes buying from licensed companies in Canada or Mexico, so be it. If US pharmaceutical companies don’t like it, get competitive. I don’t think any non-US citizens should be entitled to any taxpayer based service or program.
I would like to see the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. Management acts in unison when making decisions for the betterment of the company and its stockholders. I see no reason why employees should not have that same opportunity. However, employees should not be intimidated by either management or Labor. If the employees want to bring in a union, that’s great. If not, then that’s fine too. If management wants to avoid unionization, don’t wait until employees start doing card counts. Start by treating your employees like human beings. Pay them a decent wage. Treat them with respect. Keep the work facilities safe.
I would like to see a major emphasis on education. There is no reason that our kids should test lower than kids in some second and third world countries. If some students don’t want to learn, get them out of the ways of those who do. I think we should test kids to see where their academic skills are. Some may need to be directed to college and others into trades. We need to stop “teaching to tests” and get back to teaching critical thinking skills. We need to cut back on sports programs and put more emphasis on math, science, technology, as well as history, English, and the arts. They have the weekend and all summer for sports.
We need to stop acting as the world’s policeman. Obama needs to bring our troops home from Europe and Asia. We need to get out of the nation building business. Sure, people may elect governments we don’t like, but that’s their decision (let’s not forget too that we’ve been ousting governments we didn’t like since the 1950s, including supporting some brutal military juntas). We need to secure our borders, and this means more than walls, barded wire, and guards. We need to increase trade with our neighbors south of the border to help develop their domestic economies. If their economies are strong, there will be less interest in coming here illegally. Speaking of which, we need serious financial fines imposed on those who aid illegal workers. That includes for-profit and non-profit companies as well as religious institutions. Obama also needs to realize that a nation is bound together by a common culture and set of values. These are communicated by common language. In our case, that is English. Failure to develop this bond will result in the balkanization of America.
While this list is by no means conclusive, it would be a great start to any presidency. Obama has his work cut out for him. I wish him well with efforts.
Poll Results
We asked in our last poll how to deal with terrorists. 46% of you said you would respond in kind. While the remainder, almost equally split, thought you should either try to reason with terrorists or talk and fight back. Personally, I like the Israeli approach. You hit me, I’m going to hit back fast and harder. Then maybe, just maybe, you might like to talk instead
Thanks!
I would like to take a moment to you, the reader, for a great year here at AO. W'eve had some great articles, terrific feedback, and some amazing numbers in terms of readership. On behalf of AO, I would like to thank every one of you for reading AO. I wish you a happy, healthy, and successful 2009.
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John McCain. Show all posts
Friday, December 26, 2008
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Sarah Palin Interview
Did you see the ABC interview of Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin by Charlie Gibson? Wow, what a feisty gal she is! ABC’s Charlie Gibson did his best to set up questions to cast doubt in mind of viewers. Each time, Palin pounced back (it seems her “Sarah Barracuda” nickname was well earned). I know its Gibson’s job to trip up candidates (it’s good for the ratings), but I think Charlie was taken back by just how prepared she was and the directness of her answers to the point where her responses (and tone) were phrased in such a way as to let Gibson (and the viewers) know she was on to him. Like her or hate her, she was giving at least as good as Gibson was dishing out, and I think that took him and a lot of others by surprise. Check out the interview at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNPGnZurs1k&feature=iv
Cluster Bombs and Cluttered Lives
Everyone knows war is Man at his worse (although there have been countless examples of incredible bravery and compassion). We do the unthinkable to each other in the name of some cause or another. Scars, both personal and national often run deep and are slow to heal. “War is hell” as General Sherman once said, but it’s often hell that those who have little or no stake in the combat have to pay, especially the children. There’s a site I suggest you check out. It’s called Survivor Corps. This organization is about helping survivors learn to cope, adapt, and go on with life. You can find out more about them at: http://my.survivorcorps.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=295
Book Review
"The Myth of the Oil Crisis" by Robin M. Mills
Much has been written about the pending peak of oil and gas production, and the subsequent decline of civilization as we fall back into a pre-industrialized society. Oil has been blamed on everything from triggering global climate change to being the catalyst of geopolitical wars. The result of which has led to calls for developing alternative energy sources such a nuclear, solar and wind, as well as creating more efficient vehicles. Now comes along Robin M. Mills who, in his book entitled “The Myth of the Oil Crisis”, to dispel notions that neither oil nor gas has reached peak production.
Mr. Mills discusses in a concise and easy understandable manner the various viewpoints concerning oil production, such as the Geologists, the Economists, the Militarists, the Environmentalists, and the Neo-Luddites. To help the reader appreciate the topic better, Mr. Mills provides a brief history explaining how we’ve reached our current economic situation along with a “who’s who” among oil producers. Mr. Mills goes on to discuss the pros and cons of “near-oil” alternatives such as oil shale, coal, biofuels, gas liquids, and potential alternatives such as wind, solar, and nuclear. Of course no discussion of oil would be complete without discussing the dangerous would of geopolitics and climate change.
“The Myth of the Oil Crisis” is an excellent book for those seeking a better understanding of our dependence on oil, how we got that way, and what we can do about.
Poll Results
In our first poll, you were asked how important religion as to you. 40% of you said religion was very important, while 30% said it wasn’t important at all. The balance of you said it was somewhat important. According to a 2001 census report, 24.5% of Americans describe themselves as Catholic while 16.3% are Baptists (with the Southern Baptist making up the largest segment). Methodists made up 6.8% and fourth were the Lutherans at 4.6% (the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America are the largest group). Judaism made up 1.8% of the US population. What’s the fastest growing religion in America? It’s Wicca! (http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html)
The second poll asked you if you thought Senator Obama was getting to much media coverage. Interesting, we had an equal 50/50 split! Personally, I think the media has been titling coverage toward the Obama camp.
Liberty Tree
The Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree which stood near Boston Commons and was the scene of many of America’s first stirrings of independence from England, beginning with the Stamp Act. As many of you may know, I’m an advocate of small government and the concept of individual sovereignty. In short, I don’t like government sticking its nose in my personal life. I believe the role of government should be confined mainly to providing a level playing field and doing only those things that either individuals can’t. In my opinion, we’ve come far from the original intent of our Founding Fathers. As a result, I’ve add a “Liberty Tree” to the left hand side of my blog. This will feature links to organizations who share the idea of limited government, individualism, protecting American jobs, and protecting our national sovereignty. There aren’t partisan sites since I believe the issues cross all lines. So, please feel to check them out, and let me know if you come any others.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNPGnZurs1k&feature=iv
Cluster Bombs and Cluttered Lives
Everyone knows war is Man at his worse (although there have been countless examples of incredible bravery and compassion). We do the unthinkable to each other in the name of some cause or another. Scars, both personal and national often run deep and are slow to heal. “War is hell” as General Sherman once said, but it’s often hell that those who have little or no stake in the combat have to pay, especially the children. There’s a site I suggest you check out. It’s called Survivor Corps. This organization is about helping survivors learn to cope, adapt, and go on with life. You can find out more about them at: http://my.survivorcorps.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=295
Book Review
"The Myth of the Oil Crisis" by Robin M. Mills
Much has been written about the pending peak of oil and gas production, and the subsequent decline of civilization as we fall back into a pre-industrialized society. Oil has been blamed on everything from triggering global climate change to being the catalyst of geopolitical wars. The result of which has led to calls for developing alternative energy sources such a nuclear, solar and wind, as well as creating more efficient vehicles. Now comes along Robin M. Mills who, in his book entitled “The Myth of the Oil Crisis”, to dispel notions that neither oil nor gas has reached peak production.
Mr. Mills discusses in a concise and easy understandable manner the various viewpoints concerning oil production, such as the Geologists, the Economists, the Militarists, the Environmentalists, and the Neo-Luddites. To help the reader appreciate the topic better, Mr. Mills provides a brief history explaining how we’ve reached our current economic situation along with a “who’s who” among oil producers. Mr. Mills goes on to discuss the pros and cons of “near-oil” alternatives such as oil shale, coal, biofuels, gas liquids, and potential alternatives such as wind, solar, and nuclear. Of course no discussion of oil would be complete without discussing the dangerous would of geopolitics and climate change.
“The Myth of the Oil Crisis” is an excellent book for those seeking a better understanding of our dependence on oil, how we got that way, and what we can do about.
Poll Results
In our first poll, you were asked how important religion as to you. 40% of you said religion was very important, while 30% said it wasn’t important at all. The balance of you said it was somewhat important. According to a 2001 census report, 24.5% of Americans describe themselves as Catholic while 16.3% are Baptists (with the Southern Baptist making up the largest segment). Methodists made up 6.8% and fourth were the Lutherans at 4.6% (the Evangelical Lutheran Churches of America are the largest group). Judaism made up 1.8% of the US population. What’s the fastest growing religion in America? It’s Wicca! (http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html)
The second poll asked you if you thought Senator Obama was getting to much media coverage. Interesting, we had an equal 50/50 split! Personally, I think the media has been titling coverage toward the Obama camp.
Liberty Tree
The Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree which stood near Boston Commons and was the scene of many of America’s first stirrings of independence from England, beginning with the Stamp Act. As many of you may know, I’m an advocate of small government and the concept of individual sovereignty. In short, I don’t like government sticking its nose in my personal life. I believe the role of government should be confined mainly to providing a level playing field and doing only those things that either individuals can’t. In my opinion, we’ve come far from the original intent of our Founding Fathers. As a result, I’ve add a “Liberty Tree” to the left hand side of my blog. This will feature links to organizations who share the idea of limited government, individualism, protecting American jobs, and protecting our national sovereignty. There aren’t partisan sites since I believe the issues cross all lines. So, please feel to check them out, and let me know if you come any others.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sarah Palin Makes GOP History
Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin is Senator John McCain’s choice for Vice President. While his choice may have caught the pundits and talking heads off guard, his choice was perfectly logical and expected. Why did he pick Governor Palin? His decision was simple as you'll read. In fact, in many ways it was made for him.
First, the Republican hard core right; that is the Christian Right and the Rush Limbaugh’s of the GOP made it crystal clear that McCain wasn’t their choice and the only thing that would keep them from bolting from the party was basically selecting one of their own. Palin fits the bill. She is a very solid social conservative. Governor Palin reportedly belongs to the Assemblies of God, which is the largest group within the Pentecostal denominations. She is strictly anti-abortion, even in case of incest or rape. She opposes same-sex marriage and supports a non-binding constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. She supports teaching creationism along side evolution in public schools.
Governor Palin is an active member of the NRA (she hunts and fishes) as well as the Feminist for Life. She is pro-death penalty. On the environment, Governor Palin does not believe people are the cause of climate change (it’s a natural occurring phenomena), though she has proposed supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. She has proven to be a strong proponent of developing oil and natural gas resources through Alaska, especially along the North Slope. However, she has opposed efforts to add polar bears to the endangered species list out of fear that it would impact oil and natural gas exploration. On the money front, Governor Palin has a reputation for balancing budgets and leans in favor small government being the best government.
On health, Governor Palin believes healthcare should be market driven and flexible enough to maximize competition (that means minimum government interference but no national heathcare program). She also supports repealing so-called “nuisance taxes” and backs the Seniors Longevity Bonus Program. On education, she wants to fully fund K-12 and backs early funding of education programs. I found nothing on her positions on illegal immigration or making English the official language.
When Senator Obama threw away his campaign’s moniker of “Change” by nominating a Washington insider, Joe Biden, McCain seized on the opening. And who can blame him? Obama could have selected a woman (but not necessarily Hillary Clinton) or some other minority like Asian or Native American but didn’t. He could have picked someone from outside the Beltway but didn’t. Palin is a Washington outsider. She’s the first woman on the national Republican ticket. Like Senator Obama, Governor Palin has no appreciable foreign affairs experience though she reputedly opposes a long drawn war in Iraq. McCain and Biden are their respective party's foreign affairs experts.
As for her personal life, Sarah Louise Heath was born on February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint Idaho (Louise? Hum, come to think of it, she does look a bit like Tina Louise who played “Ginger” on Gilligan’s Island. I guess that would make McCain the “Skipper”). She holds a BA in Communications/Journalism with a minor in Political Science from the University of Idaho. Her nickname is high school was “Sarah Barracuda” because of her highly competitive nature. She has been married to Tom Palin since 1988 and the mother of five children. She is the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska.
As an aside, this is the first time I can remember where both party’s nominees come from the same side of the nation. Obama and Biden are both from the east of the Mississippi while McCain and Palin are from the west of the Mississippi. Perhaps this is symbolic of just how divided America has become.
First, the Republican hard core right; that is the Christian Right and the Rush Limbaugh’s of the GOP made it crystal clear that McCain wasn’t their choice and the only thing that would keep them from bolting from the party was basically selecting one of their own. Palin fits the bill. She is a very solid social conservative. Governor Palin reportedly belongs to the Assemblies of God, which is the largest group within the Pentecostal denominations. She is strictly anti-abortion, even in case of incest or rape. She opposes same-sex marriage and supports a non-binding constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. She supports teaching creationism along side evolution in public schools.
Governor Palin is an active member of the NRA (she hunts and fishes) as well as the Feminist for Life. She is pro-death penalty. On the environment, Governor Palin does not believe people are the cause of climate change (it’s a natural occurring phenomena), though she has proposed supporting efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. She has proven to be a strong proponent of developing oil and natural gas resources through Alaska, especially along the North Slope. However, she has opposed efforts to add polar bears to the endangered species list out of fear that it would impact oil and natural gas exploration. On the money front, Governor Palin has a reputation for balancing budgets and leans in favor small government being the best government.
On health, Governor Palin believes healthcare should be market driven and flexible enough to maximize competition (that means minimum government interference but no national heathcare program). She also supports repealing so-called “nuisance taxes” and backs the Seniors Longevity Bonus Program. On education, she wants to fully fund K-12 and backs early funding of education programs. I found nothing on her positions on illegal immigration or making English the official language.
When Senator Obama threw away his campaign’s moniker of “Change” by nominating a Washington insider, Joe Biden, McCain seized on the opening. And who can blame him? Obama could have selected a woman (but not necessarily Hillary Clinton) or some other minority like Asian or Native American but didn’t. He could have picked someone from outside the Beltway but didn’t. Palin is a Washington outsider. She’s the first woman on the national Republican ticket. Like Senator Obama, Governor Palin has no appreciable foreign affairs experience though she reputedly opposes a long drawn war in Iraq. McCain and Biden are their respective party's foreign affairs experts.
As for her personal life, Sarah Louise Heath was born on February 11, 1964 in Sandpoint Idaho (Louise? Hum, come to think of it, she does look a bit like Tina Louise who played “Ginger” on Gilligan’s Island. I guess that would make McCain the “Skipper”). She holds a BA in Communications/Journalism with a minor in Political Science from the University of Idaho. Her nickname is high school was “Sarah Barracuda” because of her highly competitive nature. She has been married to Tom Palin since 1988 and the mother of five children. She is the first woman to be elected Governor of Alaska.
As an aside, this is the first time I can remember where both party’s nominees come from the same side of the nation. Obama and Biden are both from the east of the Mississippi while McCain and Palin are from the west of the Mississippi. Perhaps this is symbolic of just how divided America has become.
Friday, March 14, 2008
English Language--The Candidate's Position
There are a lot of serious issues facing America these days. It like we’re coming apart at our seams. However, as in most crises, there’s safety and strength in numbers. Every time America has been threatened, we’ve pulled together, rolled up our sleeves and got busy. These days, however, the threat is a much internal as it is external. Chief among the key threats is illegal immigration as I’ve so often written about, and our unsecured borders. Despite an overwhelming majority of Americans who demand that our government put an end to open borders and stem the invasion of illegals, our so-called leaders in Washington choose to either give their usual lip service or outright ignore us; both at their political peril I should add.
Closely tied to illegal immigration is the steep decline of English being spoken immigrants. How many times have you called a service provider and was either greeted with a message in Spanish or had to “push 1 for English”? Heck, I even had one service provided in Indiana ask me to “press 2 for English”—it wasn’t even a first choice! How often have you’ve gone to a store (like Wal-Mart) at night and except for the cashier, not heard a word of English?
The failure of a nation to adopt a common language will lead to the failure of the nation. As I’ve often said, language is the thread that binds the fabric of a nation together. It allows us to develop common values and integrate our cultures into this grand melting pot that we call home. It creates strength out of diversity. However, in the name of politically correct “multiculturalism” immigrants are encouraged to “preserve” their heritage by opting out of society. The children of immigrants in many school systems across the nation aren’t even require to take their taxpayer based classes in English. Instead, taxpayers have to pay for them to have in class translators. Driver’s license tests and other public services and documents are now provided in languages other than English. How do we survive as a county and not run the risk of devolving into a balkanized nation if everyone is allowed to opt out of this most basic of requirements? The short and direct answer is we don’t.
With this in mind, and having examined in the last issue where the candidates stand on illegal immigration, I thought I’d see where they stood on English. None of the candidate’s camps would agree to answer my question “Where does your candidate stand on making English the national language of America”. So, I was left with researching their position online.
First up was Hillary Clinton (D). Her comment was the making English the national language would have “negative consequences”. She went on to state “That means in a place like New York City you can’t print ballots in any other language. That means you can’t have government pay for translators in hospitals so when somebody comes in with some sort of emergency there’s nobody there to help translate what their problem is for the doctor.” http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/immigration/entries/2007/06/04/democratic_hopefuls_reject_off.html
Next was the Junior Senator from Illinois, Barak Obama. During the New Hampshire Presidential debate in June of 2007, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked each of the candidates about making English our national language. Senator Obama’s commented with “this is the kind of question that is designed precisely to divide us. You know, you're right. Everybody is going to learn to speak English if they live in this country. The issue is not whether or not future generations of immigrants are going to learn English. The question is: How can we come up with both a legal, sensible immigration policy?” (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/03/se.01.html)
Republican Senator John McCain responded to the issue by stating, “I think the most practical value is to make English used by all Americans and all citizens, and all who come here. The only way we move up the economic ladder from the bottom rung is to know English. And I would emphasize the importance of every person who comes to this country to become a citizen and enjoy its liberties & beauty is to learn English. And I will do everything I can to help them do that." (2007 Republican primary debate on Dec 9, 2007)
It should be pointed out that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama did not support a resolution to make English our official language while Senator McCain voted “yea”. You can see their vote, along with that of the other Senators by visiting US Senate Roll Call Votes 109 Congress—2nd Session site at: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00131
Finally, I found it interesting that, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll taken in June of 2006, Eighty-five percent of Americans believed English should be our official language (www.rasmussenreports.com). With that said, the obvious question is why are our elected officials so blatant in ignoring the will of the American People?
Parkland Hospital
Speaking of illegal immigration and language issues, a friend of mine sent me this article about Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas. For those of you old enough to remember, Parkland is where President Kennedy was taken when he was shot. It was later where his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was taken. I’ve check the story out on Snopes.com. It’s true. I’ve also include the address at the bottom article for Snopes.com so you can check it out too.
Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas is a fairly famous institution and for a variety of reasons:
1. John F. Kennedy died there in 1963
2. Lee Harvey Oswald died there shortly after
3. Jack Ruby-who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, died there a few years later by coincidence.
On the flip side, Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year. (That's almost 44 per day---every day).
A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants. That's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas.
According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.
The average patient in Parkland 'S maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child.
She is also an illegal immigrant.
By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay. OK, fine. That doesn't mean they should receive better care than everyday, middle-class American citizens. But at Parkland Hospital, they do. Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics. That's right- NINE.
The Dallas Morning News article followed a Hispanic woman who was a patient at one of the clinics and pregnant with her third child---her previous two were also born at Parkland. Her first two deliveries were free and the Mexican native was grateful because it would have cost $200 to have them in Mexico. This time, the hospital wants her to pay $10 per visit and $100 for the delivery but she was unsure if she could come up with the money. Not that it matters, the hospital won't turn her away. (I wonder why they even bother asking at this point.). How long has this been going on? What are the long-term affects?
Well, another subject of the article was born at Parkland in 1986 shortly after mother entered the US illegally - now she is having her own child there as well. That’s right; she's technically a US citizen.
These women receive free prenatal care including medication, nutrition, birthing classes and child care classes. They also get freebies such as car seats, bottles, diapers and formula. Most of these things are available to American citizens as well but only for low-income applicants and even then, the red tape involved is almost insurmountable.
Because these women are illegal immigrants, they do not have to provide any sort of legitimate identification - no proof of income. An American citizen would have to provide a social security number which would reveal their annual income - an illegal immigrant need only claim to be poor and the hospital must take them at their word.
Parkland Hospital offers indigent care to Dallas County residents who earn less than $40,000 per year. (They also have to prove that they did not re fuse health coverage at their current job. Yeah, the 'free' care is not so easy for Americans).
There are about 140 patients who received roughly $4 million dollars for un-reimbursed medical care. As it turns out, they did not qualify for free treatment because they resided outside of Dallas County so the hospital is going to sue them! Illegals get it all free! But U. S citizens who live outside of Dallas County get sued! How stupid is this?
As if that isn't annoying enough, the illegal immigrant patients are actually complaining about hospital staff not speaking Spanish. In this AP story, the author speaks with a woman who is upset that she had to translate comments from the hospital staff into Spanish for her husband. The doctor was trying to explain the situation to the family and the mother was forced to translate for her husband who only spoke Spanish. This was apparently a great injustice to her.
In an attempt to create a Spanish-speaking staff, Parkland Hospital is now providing incentives in the form of extra pay for applicants who speak Spanish. Additionally, medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern for which Parkland Hospital is the training facility will now have a Spanish language requirement added to their already jammed-packed curriculum. No other school in the country boasts such a ridiculous multi-semester (multi-cultural) requirement. (Sorry for the length, but this needs wide circulation particularly to our 'employees' in Congress.)
Remember that this is only ONE hospital is Dallas, Texas. There are many more hospitals across our country that also has to deal with this.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp
Closely tied to illegal immigration is the steep decline of English being spoken immigrants. How many times have you called a service provider and was either greeted with a message in Spanish or had to “push 1 for English”? Heck, I even had one service provided in Indiana ask me to “press 2 for English”—it wasn’t even a first choice! How often have you’ve gone to a store (like Wal-Mart) at night and except for the cashier, not heard a word of English?
The failure of a nation to adopt a common language will lead to the failure of the nation. As I’ve often said, language is the thread that binds the fabric of a nation together. It allows us to develop common values and integrate our cultures into this grand melting pot that we call home. It creates strength out of diversity. However, in the name of politically correct “multiculturalism” immigrants are encouraged to “preserve” their heritage by opting out of society. The children of immigrants in many school systems across the nation aren’t even require to take their taxpayer based classes in English. Instead, taxpayers have to pay for them to have in class translators. Driver’s license tests and other public services and documents are now provided in languages other than English. How do we survive as a county and not run the risk of devolving into a balkanized nation if everyone is allowed to opt out of this most basic of requirements? The short and direct answer is we don’t.
With this in mind, and having examined in the last issue where the candidates stand on illegal immigration, I thought I’d see where they stood on English. None of the candidate’s camps would agree to answer my question “Where does your candidate stand on making English the national language of America”. So, I was left with researching their position online.
First up was Hillary Clinton (D). Her comment was the making English the national language would have “negative consequences”. She went on to state “That means in a place like New York City you can’t print ballots in any other language. That means you can’t have government pay for translators in hospitals so when somebody comes in with some sort of emergency there’s nobody there to help translate what their problem is for the doctor.” http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/immigration/entries/2007/06/04/democratic_hopefuls_reject_off.html
Next was the Junior Senator from Illinois, Barak Obama. During the New Hampshire Presidential debate in June of 2007, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer asked each of the candidates about making English our national language. Senator Obama’s commented with “this is the kind of question that is designed precisely to divide us. You know, you're right. Everybody is going to learn to speak English if they live in this country. The issue is not whether or not future generations of immigrants are going to learn English. The question is: How can we come up with both a legal, sensible immigration policy?” (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/03/se.01.html)
Republican Senator John McCain responded to the issue by stating, “I think the most practical value is to make English used by all Americans and all citizens, and all who come here. The only way we move up the economic ladder from the bottom rung is to know English. And I would emphasize the importance of every person who comes to this country to become a citizen and enjoy its liberties & beauty is to learn English. And I will do everything I can to help them do that." (2007 Republican primary debate on Dec 9, 2007)
It should be pointed out that both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama did not support a resolution to make English our official language while Senator McCain voted “yea”. You can see their vote, along with that of the other Senators by visiting US Senate Roll Call Votes 109 Congress—2nd Session site at: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=2&vote=00131
Finally, I found it interesting that, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll taken in June of 2006, Eighty-five percent of Americans believed English should be our official language (www.rasmussenreports.com). With that said, the obvious question is why are our elected officials so blatant in ignoring the will of the American People?
Parkland Hospital
Speaking of illegal immigration and language issues, a friend of mine sent me this article about Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas. For those of you old enough to remember, Parkland is where President Kennedy was taken when he was shot. It was later where his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald was taken. I’ve check the story out on Snopes.com. It’s true. I’ve also include the address at the bottom article for Snopes.com so you can check it out too.
Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, Texas is a fairly famous institution and for a variety of reasons:
1. John F. Kennedy died there in 1963
2. Lee Harvey Oswald died there shortly after
3. Jack Ruby-who killed Lee Harvey Oswald, died there a few years later by coincidence.
On the flip side, Parkland is also home to the second busiest maternity ward in the country with almost 16,000 new babies arriving each year. (That's almost 44 per day---every day).
A recent patient survey indicated that 70 percent of the women who gave birth at Parkland in the first three months of 2006 were illegal immigrants. That's 11,200 anchor babies born every year just in Dallas.
According to the article, the hospital spent $70.7 million delivering 15,938 babies in 2004 but managed to end up with almost $8 million dollars in surplus funding. Medicaid kicked in $34.5 million, Dallas County taxpayers kicked in $31.3 million and the feds tossed in another $9.5 million.
The average patient in Parkland 'S maternity wards is 25 years old, married and giving birth to her second child.
She is also an illegal immigrant.
By law, pregnant women cannot be denied medical care based on their immigration status or ability to pay. OK, fine. That doesn't mean they should receive better care than everyday, middle-class American citizens. But at Parkland Hospital, they do. Parkland Memorial Hospital has nine prenatal clinics. That's right- NINE.
The Dallas Morning News article followed a Hispanic woman who was a patient at one of the clinics and pregnant with her third child---her previous two were also born at Parkland. Her first two deliveries were free and the Mexican native was grateful because it would have cost $200 to have them in Mexico. This time, the hospital wants her to pay $10 per visit and $100 for the delivery but she was unsure if she could come up with the money. Not that it matters, the hospital won't turn her away. (I wonder why they even bother asking at this point.). How long has this been going on? What are the long-term affects?
Well, another subject of the article was born at Parkland in 1986 shortly after mother entered the US illegally - now she is having her own child there as well. That’s right; she's technically a US citizen.
These women receive free prenatal care including medication, nutrition, birthing classes and child care classes. They also get freebies such as car seats, bottles, diapers and formula. Most of these things are available to American citizens as well but only for low-income applicants and even then, the red tape involved is almost insurmountable.
Because these women are illegal immigrants, they do not have to provide any sort of legitimate identification - no proof of income. An American citizen would have to provide a social security number which would reveal their annual income - an illegal immigrant need only claim to be poor and the hospital must take them at their word.
Parkland Hospital offers indigent care to Dallas County residents who earn less than $40,000 per year. (They also have to prove that they did not re fuse health coverage at their current job. Yeah, the 'free' care is not so easy for Americans).
There are about 140 patients who received roughly $4 million dollars for un-reimbursed medical care. As it turns out, they did not qualify for free treatment because they resided outside of Dallas County so the hospital is going to sue them! Illegals get it all free! But U. S citizens who live outside of Dallas County get sued! How stupid is this?
As if that isn't annoying enough, the illegal immigrant patients are actually complaining about hospital staff not speaking Spanish. In this AP story, the author speaks with a woman who is upset that she had to translate comments from the hospital staff into Spanish for her husband. The doctor was trying to explain the situation to the family and the mother was forced to translate for her husband who only spoke Spanish. This was apparently a great injustice to her.
In an attempt to create a Spanish-speaking staff, Parkland Hospital is now providing incentives in the form of extra pay for applicants who speak Spanish. Additionally, medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern for which Parkland Hospital is the training facility will now have a Spanish language requirement added to their already jammed-packed curriculum. No other school in the country boasts such a ridiculous multi-semester (multi-cultural) requirement. (Sorry for the length, but this needs wide circulation particularly to our 'employees' in Congress.)
Remember that this is only ONE hospital is Dallas, Texas. There are many more hospitals across our country that also has to deal with this.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/parkland.asp
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Illegal Immigration: The Candidate's Positions
First is the Republican, Governor Mike Huckabee:
On January 16, 2008 Governor Huckabee signed the Numbers USA: No Amnesty Pledge.
Governor Huckabee believes:
Securing our borders must be our top priority and has reached the level of a national emergency.
I support the $3 billion the Senate has voted for border security. This money will train and deploy 23,000 more agents, add four drone planes, build 700 miles of fence and 300 miles of vehicle barriers, and put up 105 radar and camera towers. This money will turn "catch and release" into "catch and detain" of those entering illegally, and crack down on those who overstay their visas.
In this age of terror, immigration is not only an economic issue, but also a national security issue. Those caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported. As Governor, I ordered my state troopers to work with the Department of Homeland Security to arrest illegals and enforce federal immigration law.
I oppose and will never allow amnesty. I opposed the amnesty President Bush and Senator McCain tried to ram through Congress this summer, and opposed the misnamed DREAM Act, which would have put us on the slippery slope to amnesty for all.
I oppose and will not tolerate sanctuaries for illegals. The federal government must crack down on rogue cities that willfully undermine our economy and national security.
I oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals and supports legislation to prevent states from doing so. In 2005, I signed legislation that prevents illegals in Arkansas from getting driver's licenses.
I will stop punishing cities which try to enforce our laws and protect the economic well-being, physical safety, and quality of life of their citizens.
I oppose and will not tolerate employers who hire illegals. They must be punished with fines and penalties so large that they will see it is not worth the risk.
I oppose the economic integration of North America that would create open borders among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. I will never yield one iota or one inch of our sovereignty.
I will take our country back for those who belong here. No open borders, no amnesty, no sanctuary, no false Social Security numbers, no driver's licenses for illegals.
I know that securing our borders must be our top priority and has reached the level of a national emergency. I am as sick and tired as you are that it is harder for us to get on an airplane in our home town than it is for all these illegals to cross our international border unchallenged.
We cannot stem the tide of illegals until we turn the tide. Before you fix the damage to your house caused by a leaking roof, you have to stop the leak, which I am determined to do.
I supported the $3 billion Congress passed this summer for border security. This desperately-needed money will train and deploy 23,000 more agents, add four drone planes, build 700 miles of fence and 300 miles of vehicle barriers, and put up 105 radar and camera towers. This money will turn "catch and release" into "catch and detain" of those entering illegally and crack down on those who overstay their visas.
But where is this $3 billion? The President threatened to veto the bill it was part of! Now the Senate has again voted for this money as part of the Defense Bill. I will continue to fight until we get these funds.
In this age of terror, immigration is not only an economic issue, but also a national security issue. We must know who is coming into our country, where they are going, and why they are here. All those who are caught trying to enter illegally must be detained, processed, and deported. As Governor, I ordered my state troopers to work with the Department of Homeland Security to arrest illegals and enforce federal immigration law.
I oppose and will never allow amnesty. I passionately rejected the amnesty bill that President Bush and Sen. McCain tried to ram through Congress this summer after secret meetings of an under-the-radar cabal of amnesty-loving senators.
I opposed the misnamed DREAM Act, which was a nightmare because it would have put us on the slippery slope to amnesty for all. Because once we open that door even a crack, we'll never get it closed again.
I oppose and will not tolerate sanctuaries for illegals. The federal government must enforce our existing laws by cracking down on rogue cities and towns that willfully undermine our economy and our homeland security by giving benefits and protection to illegals. The consequences for illegal entry must be swift, certain, and uniform throughout our country.
I oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals, such as Governor Spitzer tried to do in New York. I support legislation that would prevent the states from granting this privilege to illegals. In 2005, I signed legislation that prevents illegals in Arkansas from getting driver's licenses.
I will stop punishing cities which are trying to enforce our laws. I will appoint judges who will uphold the law, not side with the ACLU against cities like Hazelton, Pennsylvania, which are trying to protect the economic well-being, physical safety, and quality of life of their citizens.
I will not tolerate employers who hire illegals - they must be punished by fines and penalties so large that they will understand it is not worth the risk. Once again, as with Hazelton, liberal judges are gumming up the works. Right now, a court in San Francisco -- Pelosiland - has delayed enforcement of the "no match" letters for Social Security numbers that the Department of Homeland Security will use to crack down on those who hire illegals. If illegals cannot find work, they will go back where they belong. I will do everything I can to hasten their trip home by denying them employment.
I strongly oppose the economic integration of North America that would have open borders among the United States, Canada, and Mexico. I know we must have closed and secure borders. I will never yield either one inch or one iota of our sovereignty. I will recognize no authority but our Constitution.
I will take our country back for those who belong here and those who are willing to play by the rules for the privilege to come here. No open borders, no amnesty, no sanctuary, no false Social Security numbers, no driver's licenses for illegals.
I will implement a broad-based strategy that commits the resources of the federal government to the enforcement of our immigration laws and results in the attrition of the illegal immigrant population. http://www.mikehuckabee.com/
Now, here’s Republican Senator John McCain’s position on illegal immigration:
Immigration is one of those challenging issues that touch on many aspects of American life.
I have always believed that our border must be secure and that the federal government has utterly failed in its responsibility to ensure that it is secure. If we have learned anything from the recent immigration debate, it is that Americans have little trust that their government will honor a pledge to do the things necessary to make the border secure.
As president, I will secure the border. I will restore the trust Americans should have in the basic competency of their government. A secure border is an essential element of our national security. Tight border security includes not just the entry and exit of people, but also the effective screening of cargo at our ports and other points of entry.
But a secure border will contribute to addressing our immigration problem most effectively if we also:
Recognize the importance of building strong allies in Mexico and Latin America who reject the siren call of authoritarians like Hugo Chavez, support freedom and democracy, and seek strong domestic economies with abundant economic opportunities for their citizens.
Recognize the importance of pro-growth policies -- keeping government spending in check, holding down taxes, and cutting unnecessary regulatory burdens -- so American businesses can hire and pay the best.
Recognize the importance of a flexible labor market to keep employers in business and our economy on top. It should provide skilled Americans and immigrants with opportunity. Our education system should ensure skills for our younger workers, and our retraining and assistance programs for displaced workers must be modernized so they can pursue those opportunities
Recognize the importance of assimilation of our immigrant population, which includes learning English, American history and civics, and respecting the values of a democratic society.
Recognize that America will always be that "shining city upon a hill," a beacon of hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life built on hard work and optimism.
Border security and our failed immigration system are more examples of an ailing Washington culture in need of reform to regain the trust of Americans. In too many areas -- from immigration and pork barrel spending to Social Security, health care, energy security and tax relief -- business-as-usual politics prevents addressing the important challenges facing our nation. http://www.johnmccain.com/
This is what Democrat Senator Hillary Clinton has to say:
Our immigration system is in crisis. The laws we currently have on the books are inadequate and no longer serve our best interests. As a nation, we place a premium on compassion, respect, and policies that help families, but our immigration laws don't reflect that.
Hillary has consistently called for comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. She believes comprehensive reform must have as essential ingredients a strengthening of our borders, greater cross-cooperation with our neighbors, strict but fair enforcement of our laws, federal assistance to our state and local governments, strict penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, and a path to earned legal status for those who are here, working hard, paying taxes, respecting the law, and willing to meet a high bar.
Hillary strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and abuse by employers.
Along with these changes, Hillary believes we need to repair those broken portions of our immigration system that irrevocably damage families and force citizens and lawful immigrants to choose between their newly adopted country and living with their spouse or children. We have a national interest in fostering strong families. This is why she introduced an amendment during consideration of the immigration reform bill that would have taken steps to protect the sanctity of families. Our American values demand no less.
And Hillary understands that our immigration policies have a direct impact on American workers. She opposes a guest worker program that exploits workers and creates a supply of cheap labor that undermines the wages of U.S. workers. Hillary believes all workers deserve safe conditions and decent wages. She supports an Ag Jobs program, which will keep our agricultural industry vibrant while enabling agricultural workers to receive the fair wages and labor protections they ought to receive.
When Hillary is president, comprehensive immigration reform will be a top priority.
Hillary has advocated for policies to help smooth the transition of legal immigrants once they arrive in the U.S. so that they can add to our economy and culture.
• She championed the Legal Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act, which would give states the option to provide federally funded Medicaid and SCHIP benefits to low-income legal immigrant children and pregnant women.
• She wrote the Access to Employment and English Acquisition Act to meet the growing demand for English language courses and other job skills.
• She strongly supports the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship through military service or higher education for children who were brought to the U.S. by their parents.
• She offered an amendment to make family reunification the guiding principle of our immigration system. http://www.hillaryclinton.com/
Finally, Senator Barack Obama weighs in with his comments on illegal immigration:
Undocumented population is exploding: The number of undocumented immigrants in the country has increased more than 40 percent since 2000. Every year, more than a half-million people come illegally or illegally overstay their visas.
Immigration bureaucracy is broken: The immigration bureaucracy is broken and overwhelmed, forcing legal immigrants to wait years for applications.
Immigration raids are ineffective: Despite a sevenfold increase in recent years, immigration raids only netted 3,600 arrests in 2006 and have placed all the burdens of a broken system onto immigrant families.
Barack Obama's Plan:
Create Secure Borders: Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.
Improve Our Immigration System: Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.
Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally: Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.
Bring People Out of the Shadows: Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.
Work with Mexico: Obama believes we need to do more to promote economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration.
Barack Obama's Record
• Crack Down on Employers: Obama championed a proposal to create a system so employers can verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S..
• Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks.
• Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together. www.barackobama.com/
I just finished reading a terrific book written by Mr. Douglas E. Schoen entitled “Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two Party System”. Here’s the review I wrote for the book. I strongly urge you to buy it, read it, share it, and most of all, implement his suggestions.
"Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two Party System" by Douglas E Schoen: A Review
Douglas Schoen has seen the political future of America, and it’s centrist. Americans are sick and tired of being sick and tired of partisan politics which has done nothing but produce gridlock and inefficient government while refusing to address the serious issues which affects average working Americans. If you think the Taliban is a threat to the average American household, take a look at Washington or our local legislatures.
Mr. Schoen, a campaign consultant, not only presents well documented arguments, augmented with compelling examples, for the rise of (and indeed, the urgent need for) Independents and third parties in his book, “Declaring Independence”, but has also given us a roadmap in how to carry out nothing short of revolt by Common American.
If you’re as tired of “do-nothing” politicians, special interests groups, and the decline of America, I urge you to read and share Mr. Schoen’s book “Declaring Independence: The Beginning of the End of the Two Party System”. This is the best book yet about how “We the People” can reclaim America. Thank you Mr. Schoen!
Our occasional guest writer, “Moderate Man” wants to talk about our public library system. See what you think:
Another Way
Let’s talk about the future of our library system in Louisville Metro. Louisville finds itself in a situation that is shared with many urban library systems-how to meet customer demands for access and materials with a shrinking budget that does not match rising costs and expectations. Louisville’s main building is 100 years old and has 16 branches plus two bookmobiles. I’ve been in many libraries around the country and several towns have impressive ones. Chicago has the new $144 million dollar, 10 floor Harold T. Washington Memorial main library building, that has plenty of shelve space, new books, computers everywhere and even a winter garden on the 9th floor. This is in addition to 79 satellite branches around the community. The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. has over 130 million items in its collection and is one of the largest libraries in the world. The Detroit Library has an aging 87 year old main building with 23 branches and a heavily used bookmobile service. This, in a town with a decreasing tax base. I’ve been in towns that have small privately funded libraries that charge for admittance and have a non circulation policy.
Our town and our children deserve a better library than we now have. With the expansion of merger, there is now a greater customer need for those citizens in the non urban service district. However, the voters of Louisville Metro have spoken on 3 different occasions, stating that they don’t want to pay for library expansion. The last time was to turn down a referendum to implement a 0.2% increase in the cities occupation tax rate for the $200 million master plan by a vote of 67% against and 33% for. Councilman Hal Heiner believed that merging of city and county government over 3 years age meant that no new taxes would ever be needed. Yes, efficiencies were met, personnel were reduced, and savings were achieved. But the councilman had other ideas, believing that bond money would be available after a couple project bonds were paid off. What’s the difference? Mr. Heiner claims that the tax would be permanent.
Well a council strong enough to increase a tax rate can be strong enough to remove it once the need is gone. This has happened several times before. Folks said times were bad and the economy is sinking. Just how much do we value our children’s education? It should be the primary priority in Louisville’s budget. The mayor says that other priorities will have to come first in the 08-09 budget. The children of this town have lost this battle. No wonder the youth leave to move to other towns, leaving Louisville Metro with only a 2% population growth in 25 out of the last 30 years. The mayor and the council must be held accountable. I suggest another way to increase library funding. It can be only accomplished with local and state political will, corporate pressure and another referendum by the voters.
In 1871, Louisville’s library raised money for the Free Public Library so books could be borrowed without charge, by creating a lottery at which the lucky ticket holders would win a portion of the funds, some as high as $35,000 which was awarded. Louisville needs a City Lottery for the sole purpose of raising funds for implementing the original $200 million Library Master plan and providing operating costs for it. This, along with an increased corporate participation in the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, could realize Louisville Metro a 21st century library system that our leaders and children will be proud of, thus increasing the region's population and attracting employers.
Our occasional guest writer, “Moderate Man” wants to talk about our public library system. See what you think:
Another Way
Let’s talk about the future of our library system in Louisville Metro. Louisville finds itself in a situation that is shared with many urban library systems-how to meet customer demands for access and materials with a shrinking budget that does not match rising costs and expectations. Louisville’s main building is 100 years old and has 16 branches plus two bookmobiles. I’ve been in many libraries around the country and several towns have impressive ones. Chicago has the new $144 million dollar, 10 floor Harold T. Washington Memorial main library building, that has plenty of shelve space, new books, computers everywhere and even a winter garden on the 9th floor. This is in addition to 79 satellite branches around the community. The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. has over 130 million items in its collection and is one of the largest libraries in the world. The Detroit Library has an aging 87 year old main building with 23 branches and a heavily used bookmobile service. This, in a town with a decreasing tax base. I’ve been in towns that have small privately funded libraries that charge for admittance and have a non circulation policy.
Our town and our children deserve a better library than we now have. With the expansion of merger, there is now a greater customer need for those citizens in the non urban service district. However, the voters of Louisville Metro have spoken on 3 different occasions, stating that they don’t want to pay for library expansion. The last time was to turn down a referendum to implement a 0.2% increase in the cities occupation tax rate for the $200 million master plan by a vote of 67% against and 33% for. Councilman Hal Heiner believed that merging of city and county government over 3 years age meant that no new taxes would ever be needed. Yes, efficiencies were met, personnel were reduced, and savings were achieved. But the councilman had other ideas, believing that bond money would be available after a couple project bonds were paid off. What’s the difference? Mr. Heiner claims that the tax would be permanent.
Well a council strong enough to increase a tax rate can be strong enough to remove it once the need is gone. This has happened several times before. Folks said times were bad and the economy is sinking. Just how much do we value our children’s education? It should be the primary priority in Louisville’s budget. The mayor says that other priorities will have to come first in the 08-09 budget. The children of this town have lost this battle. No wonder the youth leave to move to other towns, leaving Louisville Metro with only a 2% population growth in 25 out of the last 30 years. The mayor and the council must be held accountable. I suggest another way to increase library funding. It can be only accomplished with local and state political will, corporate pressure and another referendum by the voters.
In 1871, Louisville’s library raised money for the Free Public Library so books could be borrowed without charge, by creating a lottery at which the lucky ticket holders would win a portion of the funds, some as high as $35,000 which was awarded. Louisville needs a City Lottery for the sole purpose of raising funds for implementing the original $200 million Library Master plan and providing operating costs for it. This, along with an increased corporate participation in the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, could realize Louisville Metro a 21st century library system that our leaders and children will be proud of, thus increasing the region's population and attracting employers.
____________________________
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