Wednesday, May 31, 2006

A database to search on how Federal Dollars are spent

Captain's Quarters has a great post on a database that is being proposed to allow taxpayers to search and see how our money is spent. It can be found here

Now, the question is...

WILL YOU USE IT?

Is the average American just too apathetic to pay attention? Is that why 'pork hawks' like McCain, Coburn, and freshman Senator Obama are supporting it? Are they just betting that 'we the people' won't use it?

Check it out.

-End of Ramble

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Article in Wired 14.06: Don't Try This at Home

Here is a classic example of "too much government"...

Wired 14.06: Don't Try This at Home

At what point do we occlude our freedom to the point where we are, in fact, living in Orwell's 1984?

-End of Ramble.

Monday, May 29, 2006

Memorial Day and other Ramblings...

Thank you to all of our Vets. Do I need to say any more than that? Is there any more I can say?

Thank you for the freedom you have given me to post this blog. Thank you to all of those who have laid down their lives for all Americans.

Last night CBS was showing "We Were Soldiers...". I have had the profiled and honor to meet General Hal Moore (Ret.) his wife Julie, and Joe Galloway. I have read the book (We Were Soldiers Once... And Young) and have seen the movie a couple of times. The most moving section of the book and the movie (which you cannot get a true feel for in the movie, only a taste) is the very end, when Mel Gibson is standing in front of the wall... and at the end of the book with stories of / from several of the family members who survive Gen. Moore's fallen Troopers.

When Gen. Moore states that "he can never forgive himself... Because he did not die and his troopers did." I truly, honestly believe that is the way he feels. This is a man of incredible courage, impeccable honor, and in every way a true hero (although he, in his modesty, will tell you it his men who are the true hero's.) Gen. Moore is a man who inspires men. A leader who does not ask to be followed, but men follow because he is who he is... True blue, real, modest.

If the world had more men like Gen. Moore and Joe Galloway there would be less war, not more, for they know the true cost of war, one of which I can only speculate.

Please remember that no matter what you believe in your heart about the reasons for war or politics... These BRAVE men and women, who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces... they are standing watch for our freedoms. They deserve your thanks whenever you see them.

Thank you again from one rambling ordinary guy.

-End of Ramble.

Friday, May 26, 2006

News of the day -- 26 May 2006

Okay... Several things to comment on...

First: The Senate wants to give Amenesty to Illegals... Great! Yea! WRONG! What is going on with our politicians? Why do they feel the need to bypass our laws at every turn? From hitting cops to letting illegals in the country free and clear. We are on a spiral of decline that only WE THE PEOPLE (where have I heard those words before?) can fix. Time to change up the Government.

Second: I heard today that Florida just approved thier new budget... addtional 1.8 Billion (Yes Billion) dollars for Education. That comes out to a total of $7,000 PER STUDENT that is now being spent for public education. Simple math... Class size of 30, that $210,000 per classrom. Assume that the teacher gets $80k after benefits, taxes, and overhead (Principle, etc.) ... that leaves $130,000 for what? Supplies? Books? Does anyone else see something wrong here?

-End of Ramble.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Article in the WSJ - Opinion

Granted, this is written by one of the Presidents people, but it is about laying out the facts, not just present a thought because you think it will get people enraged...

OpinionJournal - Featured Article

A good article. Many who carry the drum beat (unfortunately as we march toward the mid-term elections it is getting louder) that the President mislead the country into war negate the facts that President Clinton, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton all claimed the same thing prior to going to war with Iraq. If this shows nothing else... Let it show you how two faced our politicians are. Agree with Bush or not is not the question... The question is... How much longer are we going to let these career politicians continue to manipulate us?

-End of Ramble

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Mr. President - I disagree

Amnesty is amnesty. No matter how many years or conditions separate the act of breaking the law and the condition of being "legal" or absolved of the crime, that's amnesty and I oppose it. Mr. President, you say you oppose amnesty, but your plan to deal with the illegals currently in our country says something different. The law is the law. Enforce it or change it, but don't pander to political presure. You have less than 1,000 days remaining in your last political office, so if nothing else, do the right thing.

##That's my opinion##

Monday, May 15, 2006

Michael Yon : Online Magazine » Blog Archive » Gates of Fire

Michael Yon : Online Magazine » Blog Archive » Gates of Fire: "“That’s the difference between the terrorists and us,” Chaplain Wilson kept saying. “Don’t you understand? That’s the difference.”"

Read this article. Then read the rest of the Blog. Then come back and comment.

-End of Ramble

"Until Then"... Remember our troops

A Friend of mine sent this to me. I am not sure how long it will be operational so check it out. So often we get caught up in the rhetoric and forget that we are the "Home of the free", protected by "the Brave". Today, and every day, I urge you to say a prayer for our Troops. They are doing a job for which we can never repay them... At the least they deserve your respect... Which starts with remembering what they do for you.

Until Then

Dear Lord we ask that you would be with and protect our troops. Keep them safe from harm. Be with their families during there separation and bring them home safely and quickly.

-End of Ramble

Sunday, May 14, 2006

Senator Hagel said what?

"...And what in the world are we talking about here, sending a National Guard that we may not have any capacity to send up to or down to protect borders? That's not their role."

That's not their role? That is EXACTLY their role. In fact, the National Guard is the only branch of the armed services that is called for in the Constitution. Senator, maybe you should read the Constitution - specifically Article I Section 8. And just a hint, militia means National Guard.

##That's my opinion##

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Where do you stand politically?

Take a short quiz to find out. It takes about one minute to take.

World's Smallest Political Quiz

Thursday, May 11, 2006

A great post on the Fair Tax

In one of the many online forums that I look at I recently joined "fairtaxgroups" (been lurking there for some time) and ran across this post "Reasons I continue to support the Fair Tax".

Not only did I find this post interesting and well written, but I felt I needed to share it with everyone here. I asked the author and he agreed, so here it is:

It's been an interesting week, and I'd like to tell you about two items I've learned. It could make a difference to your support of the Fair Tax also.

Most importantly, there are some larger, privately owned companies involved in making this change to the federal revenue collection method. (Recall, we are advocating replacement of all income, payroll, estate, and death taxes and replacing them with one, National Retail Sales Tax).

My research this week lead to me learning about a man who is the second generation in his construction company. His company was started in 1941 by his dad, and this man continues to produce jobs and fuel the economy in his city through his company's contracts. He has put his professional reputation on the line to support HR 25 and S 25 (House and Senate bills in Congress that describe the requirements the government will have to follow when passed into law.)

The man's name is Leo Linbeck, and his company is Linbeck Construction, Houston Texas. His company's average annual gross business volume is $150 million, or as stated in the information I read, $1.5 billion over the last ten years. That's a lot to put on the line to support a change in the way we tell our government to do business.

Another proponent of the Fair Tax? Look at the website for the Houston Texans, the NFL football team. Look at the name of the owner, and you'll be looking at another proponent of the Fair Tax bills.

If you would like to check out more names and business support for the Fair Tax, write me. I now have a whole list of them to share.

My point here is that this is not an academic idea, its not just a political proposal. This is an idea started by business people, for all of us to have some advantage in. Those are the best kinds of ideas to build our country on, or to make changes to how our government does business.

The second idea I want to ask you to consider is this; the IRS released information this last week stating that 32% of all people required to file for income tax end up paying none. That's fully 1/3rd of our citizen population that does not help pay the way for the goods and services provided by our government (no, don't anyone point at 'the rich' because they don't make up a third of the required filings). Add to this number, the number of people in our country who still can take advantage of our social services without paying tax, and you'll get a pretty good idea of why we need the Fair Tax to become law.

Here's the key, though. This is not a 'rich vs. poor' issue (though it has been portrayed that way since income taxes were initiated). It is not an 'us vs. them' issue (which we must prevent anyone from co-opting it in this way).

The Fair Tax is about an equitable way for every person in our country to help support and pay the bills for our country, according to their own abilities to do so as well as their own choice as to how much to do so.


I hope you'll take some time this week to look more closely at www.FairTax.org. If you'd like more detailed information, I have a couple more sites you can check out. Drop me a note.

Dad/John/Z
mzoll@cfl.rr.com

"Let the word go forth from this time and place,... ...that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans,..." JFK
IT's OUR TURN!


BTW... A plug for the "fairtaxgroups"... Go become part of the debate!

-End of Ramble

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Checking my gmail

This morning I was checking my gmail (Google Mail) and this was the advertisement tag line across the top:



Well now... Seeing as most of my e-mail, this blog, and other 'google' related entities that I frequent I tend to be very Pro-Republican, Pro-Conservative, and even (at times) Pro-Bush I find it intersting that Google's engine would make such a "mistake". Hmmm... I wonder who coded that search algorithm?

P.S. Never have I seen a "Support President Bush" tag line... Go figure.

-End of Ramble

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Would I be arrested?

So, I'm driving my car in Washington D.C. and just happen to crash into a security baricade. What happens next? I bet I don't get a ride home. I bet that I at least get a sobriety test administered at the scene. What the heck is going on here? My take away from this event is that if you just don't remember doing it, then it's OK.

The Crash of a Kennedy

##That's my Opinion##

Conan scolds White House

Arnold blames the White House and Congress for not securring the border. He's right, but I guess he forgot that as the governor of California he could put the National Guard on the Cal / Mex border with the stroke of a pen. All talk and no action Mr. Governor. Check it out

##That's my Opinion##

Friday, May 05, 2006

Thomas Joscelyn Blog -- Check it out!

Thomas Joscelyn

Terrorism Researcher and writer. Great insite.

-End of Ramble

Monday, May 01, 2006

FOXNews.com - The Immigrant in All of Us

Susan Estrich makes the point but misses the juicy part. Check out her article here:

FOXNews.com - The Immigrant in All of Us

Susan, we are not talking about Immigration as a bad thing. We are talking about the fact that people come into the country illegally and then want all the rights. What does that do to the people wo do come in through the process? It cheapens it for them. You have missed the whole point.

BTW... Keep track of what's going on courtesy of Michelle Malkin here:

May Day: El Gran Boicot

-End of Ramble

Marine Corps Times - SpecOps unit nearly nabs Zarqawi

If you have time to read only one thing today check out this:

Marine Corps Times - SpecOps unit nearly nabs Zarqawi

Some good news on the front. This is our special forces at work, doing the job that needs to be done. Keep them in your prayers.

-End of Ramble