Monday, February 25, 2008

Canadian's view of the political canidates in the US

Someone forwarded this post to me which was written by Canadian Theo Caldwell of the National Post. I find it quite telling for several reasons...

1. Someone from Canada, the closest socialist health care nation to us is actually making disparaging remarks about the Democrats.
2. The comments are right on by Mr. Caldwell... I recommend the read

Unfortunately the article was written when others were still in the race (12/26/2007). It's a good article, one that all American voters should read... and it comes from a Canadian!

-End of Ramble

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Illegal Immigration Is No Problem: "We all look alike" - Geraldo Rivera

I was unfortunate enough to catch some of Geraldo on Fox & Friends a couple of days ago. As usual, Geraldo was pontificating on illegal immigration as if it is really not against the law but rather some kind of American hatred of Mexicans. Geraldo, you have to give us a break on this mis-characterization of a seriously dangerous issue. It is illegal immigration - not immigration.

If you didn't follow the Fox & Friends link, Geraldo's main boast was that he had questioned then Republican candidate Mitt Romney on his stance on "immigration". He said that Mitt was using "anti-immigration rhetoric" to which Mitt responded that he always made it clear that he as talking about illegal immigration. Geraldo warned him that since "we all look alike" the Spanish community was not going to vote for him, but would instead vote for McCain. "All look alike", give me a break. It's not about looks or being Mexican Geraldo. It's about someone walking or swimming a nuclear weapon across the southern border. And Geraldo, it's not rhetroic when it's true. Your romantizing of Mexican social and economic conditions to explain away the breaking of federal law and placing our country at risk is rhetoric.

Michelle Malkin has posted some very insightful information on McCain's illegal immigration position, which Geraldo seems to prefer. She also describers Geraldo very effectively as "the ethnocentric cable TV host who can’t string a sentence about immigration together without drowning in emotional demagoguery". Well done Michelle.

Anyone elected to be President of the United States will have to take an oath that swears them to, amoung other things, protect the Republic from invasion and to uphold the rule of law. Both of these charges are being completely ignored by all branches of our government (both parties) concerning illegal immigration. It's time we wake up and do something about this extreme threat to our culture, our freedom, and our country before it's too late - and I pray we are not already too late.

I'm a devoted Fox News viewer and I would prefer that they allow Geraldo to find alternative employment.

##That's my opinion##

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Whatever Doesn't Kill Mike Huckabee Makes Him Stronger

That's the quote from ABC's The Note and clearly indicates that what the press reports on the Primary race may not necessarily be the real opinion of the people. I am a Huckabee supporter based upon his position on the Fair Tax, Immigration, and Alternative Fuel sources - but I'm also a realist. Mike's chance's of achieving the Republican nomination are slim, but as long as he keeps getting back up off the mat, I'm sticking with him as my choice.

And speaking of nominations and choice, I've become even more aware of the inadequacies of our Presidential candidate selection process. Even after Super Tuesday, how many states have had an opportunity to voice their opinion? Exactly 32. Even before Super Tuesday when only 8 states had made their opinions known, many of the candidates had already made their decisions to either continue or to drop out of the race - like Rudy. How is that possible? If you live in any state that holds it's primary after Super Tuesday, what's the point in even going to the poll?

I believe that we should hold a national primary with all states voting on the same day. Why should anyone that does not live in Iowa or New Hampshire be swayed by their opinion? This should not be a popularity contest and we should accept "group think" as a legitimate selection criteria. It's difficult enough to get Americans to the polls without creating a bias from early primary states.

##That's my opinion##

Monday, February 04, 2008

Taxation - A Real Life Example

So, I'm an avid Fair Tax supporter and really enjoy this real life example of our tax system, which was shared with me via email. Take the time to read it. It's both entertaining and educational.

Best explanation to share with your congressman, who clearly does not understand this complex principle. Our Tax System Explained: Bar Stool Economics.

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with thearrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers, I'm going to reduce thecost of your daily beer by $20."

Drinks for the ten now cost just $8 0.The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each endup being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so: The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free.

But once outside the restaurant, the men began to comparetheir savings. "I only got a dollar out of the $20", declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, "but he got $10!'' "Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I"! ''That's true!", shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!" ''Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!" The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers withouthim. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is howour tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might startdrinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of EconomicsUniversity of Georgia. For those who understand, no explanation is needed.For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Amen Dr. Kamerschen! This is not a difficult concept to understand. Becoming financially secure or even independently wealty is part of the American dream, but our current tax system is setup to punish achievement and success. If you think that a tax system that forces investment and factories to other countries is a good idea, then we have the right tax system for you. If you believe that the United States should be the leading economic power and the world's greatest tax haven, then the Fair Tax is right for you.

I believe in the Fair Tax. And by the way, in the drinking scenario above, under the Fair Tax, each patron would pay the exact same amount in tax on their beer - which is the way it should be when buying beer.

##That's my opinion##