Tag: Obama Administration

Decision Time in America – Which Future do You Want?

G’Day!

On November 6 we will face an election that will decide our nation’s course for many years. This election will be the most important election in our lives and will decide not only our immediate future but also the future for our children and grandchildren. After 3 ½ years of the Obama Administration, the Senate Democrats, and over a year of campaigning, our choices have never been more clear. At stake is the success or failure of our economy, the relationship between our government and ourselves, federal fiscal and debt solvency, taxation levels, America’s role in the world, and the legacy we are endowing to future generations.

The key issue we must face is which Presidential Candidate and political party offers the best opportunity for economic & job growth, wealth creation, supportable social safety nets & entitlements, sustainable National Debt, and a higher standard of living for the American people. It is vital that each of us take the time and make the effort to understand the potential consequences for our culture, our freedoms, and the potential survival of our country from these two widely different visions of government’s role in our society and vote accordingly.

Choice 1

Fundamentally, Romney/Ryan and the Republican Party support smaller government, free market capitalism, a strong national security, and individual liberty. They believe in the Constitution as written by the Founding Fathers, individual & business freedoms, private property rights, sound fiscal and monetary policies, lower taxes for business and individuals, a government limited to the powers granted in the Constitution, and equality of opportunities for all citizens.

Specifically in this election, Romney/Ryan and Republicans support overturning government run Obamacare, which significantly increases healthcare costs, adds central bureaucratic control over healthcare, and erodes our freedom of choice in the doctor/patient relationship. They support overturning the Dodd-Frank financial legislation, which has stagnated our financial industry and economic growth and adds layers of still to be written rules and regulations and additional costs over banking. As protection from mounting problems in the Middle East, Romney/Ryan and Republicans support the construction of the Keystone Pipeline and the opening of public lands and offshore exploration for expanding and achieving North American energy independence.

Republicans further believe in a clear and resolute Foreign Policy supported by a strong economy and military and free trade with other nations. They believe that a reasonable but not unlimited social safety net is desirable for those truly in need and welfare as a temporary situation with the objective of being a transition to independence. Romney/Ryan advocate major tax reform by lowering the rates and broadening the base for individuals and businesses in order to promote economic growth. They further advocate major entitlement reform to bring the Federal Budget into balance, while insuring that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid will be sustainable for future generations.

Regarding the economy, Republicans believe that prosperity and job growth is derived from entrepreneurial business activity free from excessive government interference and is advanced by minimizing regulations, having lower taxes, and maximizing freedoms and opportunities. Individual and business success is praised, honored, and rewarded. Free markets determine winners and losers and wealth is distributed based on objective “achievement” through persistence, intelligence, and hard work.

Choice 2

Primarily, Obama/Biden and the Democrat Party support bigger (unlimited?) government, centrally planned European-style neo-socialism, reduced national defense, and bureaucratic control of individual and business freedoms. They believe in a “living” Constitution to be interpreted and modified by the judicial system as desired, control over private property use, and unsustainable fiscal policy and National Debt. They advocate open-ended entitlements, welfare, and government spending, higher taxes on businesses and individuals but especially the successful “rich”, and forced wealth transfer to achieve “fairness”. Opportunities for success (or failure) will be largely determined by central government administrators.

Specifically in this election, Obama/Biden and Democrats approve of and are committed to retaining government run Obamacare and Dodd-Frank financial legislation. They have no practical national energy plan and are against the Keystone Pipeline, offshore exploration, and expansion of fossil fuel development on public land. As is well documented, Obama currently favors “Green Energy” as the alternative to fossil fuels and, through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Energy (DOE), has used billions of taxpayer money to subsidize and support his belief. Through the EPA and DOE, The Obama Administration is waging a “War on Coal”, which is preventing the country from exploiting a cheap and plentiful fuel source and will result in the loss of thousands of jobs in the Coal Industry. All of this makes America weaker and more dependent on foreign energy from the troubled Middle East Area.

For nearly four years Obama has followed a Foreign Policy of appeasement, apology, and withdrawal emphasized by planned reductions in the military and controlled trade with other nations. Obama and Democrats believe in regulated and even hostile control over businesses and the use of Administrative Executive Power (especially EPA, DOE, Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), and Department of Labor (DOL)) as desired to accomplish this. They believe in and have encouraged entitlement expansion and welfare dependency supported by a $6 Trillion increase in the National Debt in four years.

Obama/Biden and Democrats believe that economic and job growth is derived from central government planning not free markets, high taxes on successful individuals & companies, and taxpayer funding through grants and subsidies to bureaucratically selected companies and industries. Individual and business success is envied, derided, and penalized through regulations and wealth transfer. The government determines winners and losers based on administrative subjectivity and wealth is redistributed based on an arbitrary determination of “fairness”.

For months we have heard impressive speeches from our President promising more of the same “Hope and Change” supported by increasing government restrictions (Obamacare, Dodd-Frank, the EPA, the DOE, etc.), unsustainable entitlements, higher taxes on the “Rich”, and ballooning National Debt. But no volume of skillful oratory by the President can disguise the fact that Obama and the Democrats have no new ideas for the next four years and Romney/Ryan and the Republicans do. Romney has articulated clearly his 5-Point Plan to get America back on track to a prosperous growing economy with job opportunities for those who want to work: 1) Energy Independence, 2) Free Trade, 3) a Balanced Budget, 4) Improved Education, and 5) Tax Reform to support Small Businesses. While no one party or individual is perfect or will solve all problems we must select the alternative that provides our best opportunity to save our country from financial disaster and economic chaos that uncontrolled government deficits represent. The survival of our great nation depends on making the right choice.

OK, it’s decision time! Which future do you want? Please take the time and make the effort to study the alternatives, the potential outcomes from each, consider what is at stake for yourself, your children, and our great country, and vote wisely. The choice will be yours on November 6th.

The Old Guy PhD

Benghazi Disaster – Who is Telling the Truth?

G’Day!

Four brave and courageous Americans were brutally murdered in Benghazi in what we now know to be a preplanned terrorist attack carried out by Islamic militants with probable ties to Al-Qaeda. The American people deserve truthful answers regarding this disaster from our President and his Administration and not the politically motivated cover-up they have been providing. However, Obama & Democrats appear to be deliberately communicating misinformation, possibly lying, and attempting to rewrite the history of the incident. As usual, they are blaming the Republicans for even raising questions about the catastrophe. Besides Obama, many leading Democrats have actively participated in this campaign of misinformation including Hillary Clinton, David Axelrod, Senator Dick Durbin, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and UN Ambassador Susan Rice. This is deplorable and disingenuous.

We should recall history in the 20th Century when Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in the Third Reich in Germany said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Is the Obama Administration following this philosophy?

Regarding Benghazi, the American people deserve honest and complete answers from our President to the following 5 questions:

1)    Why were the repeated requests for security denied and who denied them?

2)    What was the important purpose for Ambassador Stevens to be in Benghazi without proper security?

3)    Given that our government knew within minutes that the Benghazi Consulate was under a planned terrorist attack with significant weapons, which lasted for approximately 7 hours, why was NO MILITARY OR OTHER SUPPORT ordered or provided?

4)    Given the verified information above, why did our government continue to misinform & mislead the American people for approximately two weeks by blaming the unfavorable video as the cause for the preplanned terrorist attack?

5)    Who originated the incorrect information stating that the cause for the Benghazi attack was a video unfavorable to Muslims?

As stated above, four brave and courageous Americans were brutally murdered in a preplanned attack by Islamic terrorists in Benghazi on September 11, while faithfully serving our country. They and the American people deserve an honest and straight answer to the above questions from our President. I hope Obama provides one at tonight’s Presidential Debate.

The Old Guy PhD

Yes, We CAN Grow the Economy and Create Jobs – Redux

G’Day!

On June 10 I posted the below article on the above subject. To date the Obama Administration and Congress have failed to act on any of the issues and suggested solutions presented. The article is still essentially accurate after three (3) months of non-action and is repeated below for those who missed it. We must get our government working for the people and not for themselves. I hope you join with me in advocating responsible government that supports individual freedom, free markets, sound fiscal and monetary policy, economic growth, and limited government! Let’s get to work!

Obama and the Democrats have tried and failed with virtually every centrally controlled socialist alternative to stimulate the economy and create jobs. The only jobs they have really created are in government. The so-called recovery is the weakest in decades and may be about to “double dip”. Big collectivist government solutions have failed miserably (see “Big Government IS Our Problem!”). Obama and the Democrats only answer to this failure has been to blame it all on Bush. They claim that without their $4 trillion dollar taxpayer & debt funded stimulus, nationalization of businesses, increased healthcare regulations and spending, increased financial regulations, and extreme monetary easing by the Federal Reserve, it could be worse. The only thing that worked has been TARP and that was enacted under President Bush! It is time for government to stop regulating, remove the uncertainties facing business, get out of the way, and let the free market and capitalism work. You do not create jobs by taking wealth from those that generate it, siphon off government administration and oversight, and redistribute less of it back into the economy.

Economic growth and job creation is about free markets, minimum regulations, incentives, and opportunities in the private sector. Government doesn’t create jobs; the private sector creates jobs. Government also doesn’t create opportunities but it can discourage or prevent them (think energy policy) and it can and does distort the market through politically motivated subsidies or tax deductions for selected industries. If taxation and regulations are minimized to the level necessary to support the essential role of government as defined in our Constitution, business will take advantage of whatever opportunities are available in the marketplace and the economy will grow. Unfortunately, the Obama administration and the Democrats in Congress do not understand this. They apparently believe that a few “elites” (themselves) in government are smarter than the millions of consumers and business managers throughout the global economy. They have imposed on American business a climate of increasing regulatory restrictions, increasing healthcare costs, high business taxes, and increasing uncertainty as to what they will do next. In this centrally controlled environment, it is no surprise that American businesses are not currently hiring or investing in our country. The regulations and costs just in Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations Act are particularly harmful and businesses are wisely waiting to see what the government will force on them next.

So what needs to be done to create jobs and get our economy back on track? At least six actions could and should to be taken: 1) Stop/Minimize non-essential regulations, 2) Have a business-friendly government, 3) Reduce tax rates, especially on business, through tax reform, 4) Enact an energy policy that encourages rather than discourages development of domestic sources of traditional energy, 5) Fix the fiscal and debt crises by cutting government spending, revising entitlements, and increasing tax revenues through tax reform, 6) Pass the three pending Free Trade bills and expand them to include other trading partners.

First, a moratorium on new regulations should be declared and all regulations associated with Obamacare and Dodd-Frank (especially the Consumer Protection Agency) halted until after the next election in 2012. The uncertainty overhang from these two bills alone is stifling hiring and investment by business. Ultimately, all regulations, both existing and new, should have a “sunset clause” that requires our government to formally reaffirm their need at pre-set intervals, perhaps every ten years. This would insure that outdated or unnecessary laws do not become permanent.

Second, President Obama needs to realize that his collectivist socialist policies don’t work and become truly business-friendly. It is no secret that the current administration is pro-union, pro-environmentalist, and anti-business as evidenced by numerous actions by himself and the Administration’s Departments and Agencies. The pro-union/anti-Constitution actions by the NLRB against Boeing in South Carolina (see “Attack on American Business by Obama “packed” NLRB!”) and the many actions of environmentalists against any form of energy development (drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, Shell Oil off the coast of Alaska (see “Obama Administration Attacks American Business Again!”) are not conducive to economic growth and job creation. This week the issue of an energy pipeline from Canada to Texas has also come under attack by environmentalists. These and other obviously pro-union and environmentally biased activities against businesses (and some States) should be halted and free markets given an opportunity to function.

Third, tax reform is essential to both economic growth and reduction in the deficit (see “Fiscal & Debt Crises – Tax Reform essential!”). As the referenced article indicates, there are several excellent proposals available and Republican presidential candidate, Tim Pawlenty, just added another this week. All are pro-growth and pro-job creation and all will work by providing incentives for private sector investment IN THIS COUNTRY, not abroad. Naturally, the Democrats, who believe in centralist government solutions and not in free markets, are generally opposed to all of them. Perhaps the easiest, most immediate, and most beneficial tax reform is to reduce (or eliminate) corporate tax rates to a level equal to or less than the major nations with whom we compete and simultaneously eliminate the politically motivated subsidies and deductions that distort the market. Currently US corporate taxes at 35% are highest in the developed world and actually represent double taxation on income, first at corporate level and again at personal level, when distributed as dividends. Additionally, the high US corporate tax rates discourage US based international companies from repatriating foreign profits back into the US because, if returned, they are taxed at the higher US tax rate. Our current tax policy encourages investment abroad and discourages repatriation of profits back into America. This is a job killer, not a job creator. Is our government crazy?

Fourth, enact a domestic energy policy that encourages rather than attacks development of domestic sources for traditional energy. This will create thousands of good jobs in our economy and reduce our dependence on foreign energy supply. For far too long we have allowed the environmentalists to dictate policy and stagnate domestic energy growth. Every rational person knows America will be dependent on fossil fuels for decades. Yes, development of alternative energy forms and technology is important but there is no chance “green energy” is going to be a replacement for traditional energy sources, including nuclear power, any time soon. It is madness to exclude active development of domestic fossil fuel sources and nuclear power from our alternatives just to satisfy a few environmentalists with unproven science and questionable computer projections. If “green energy” was a viable economic solution, we would not need a policy or subsidies to support it. Also, independent of the longer-term cost benefits from domestic production, the extremely high and increasing risk of supply from the foreign sources is a very dangerous national security concern. The Middle East is in turmoil and no one knows how it will turn out. Without domestic alternatives, American could find itself with an energy disaster, which could seriously endanger our economy. We must actively develop domestic energy to create jobs in America, sustain our economy, and reduce our global supply risk.

Fifth, resolve our short and long term deficit and debt crises. We must get government spending and the dual debt and deficit crises under control (see “Bowles & Simpson Have it Right!”, “Obama Ignores Bowles-Simpson Debt Reduction Commission – Again!”, “Is Obama Really Serious about Debt Reduction?”). Our Government is too big, too oppressive, and exercises too much control over the American people and business. The current policies are sucking money from business and taxpayers, adding more public sector union layers of government control, stifling business growth, and reducing America’s ability to grow and prosper. As stated above, in a free market economy with protection for the freedom of individuals and businesses, the private sector creates jobs. Since his election, Obama has expanded the size and scope of government control far beyond the level any freedom-minded citizen would have imagined possible. Simultaneously, Obama has also increased our federal deficit by $4 trillion and increased our national Debt by approximately 40% to $14.3 trillion. Relative to GDP the size of government has increased from approximately 20% of GDP to over 25.5% of GDP, a 5% increase in the size of government relative to our economy in less than three years. Without correction, our deficit next year is expected to be another $1.6 trillion and in ten years our national debt will grow to a staggering $22 trillion! Does anyone think this makes sense? My article last week, “Is Our Government Broken? – Redux!”, provides more information on this critical issue.

Sixth, pass the Free Trade Agreements for South Korea, Columbia, and Panama. These proposals go back to the Bush Administration and should be easy to pass. I believe nearly everyone including the President and many Democrats support them. As usual, politics is holding them up. Free trade works and provides value through additional products and services at lower costs to all American consumers. Only unions are opposed to free trade because, in the short term, it may reduce union jobs in non-competitive industries. Over 200 years ago, Adam Smith established the unchallenged principle that the wealth of a nation was based on the goods and services available to its citizens. Free trade allows this to work for the benefit of all consumers. It’s time for the unions to realize this and support what’s good for the nation over what’s good for the union.

Yes, we CAN solve our problems, if we have the political will to do so. This country was founded and prospered on the principles of individual freedom, free markets, sound fiscal and monetary policy, and limited government. Let’s get back to our foundations and demand that our elected representatives in government get to work.

The Old Guy PhD

The Tea Party – Patriots or Terrorists?

G’Day!

Members of The Tea Party ARE true American “Patriots” and definitely NOT “Terrorists” or “Racists” or “Crazies” or “Fanatics” as accused by liberal politicians! I am not a Tea Party member but am appalled by the inaccurate, unfounded, and demonstratively biased political attacks on them by the Obama Administration, Congressional Democrats, and segments of the Liberal Media. The ONLY reason for these attacks is that the Congressional members of the Tea Party movement are willing to stand up for our nation’s long-term constitutional principals of individual freedoms, free markets, sound fiscal and monetary policy, economic growth, and limited government. Congressional Tea Party members have NOT been willing to make the short-term compromises of these principles typically characteristic of our political representatives. GOOD FOR THEM! We need more elected members of Congress who are willing to take a stand for what is right for our country not for what is convenient for reelection or supportive of bigger and bigger federal bureaucracy and spending. Political compromise is not necessarily progress and, given our current fiscal and debt crises, is not in the long-term interests of the American people. OUR GOVERNMENT GROWTH IS OUT OF CONTROL, UNSUSTAINABLE, AND MUST BE STOPPED AND REVERSED! The Tea Party is trying to accomplish this.

So what is “The Tea Party” and why are Obama and the Democrats so terrified of them that they are aggressively engaging in political demagoguery in an attempt to discredit their positions and influence? First of all “The Tea Party” is not a political party (yet). The Tea Party is a “movement” by ordinary Americans of all parties who are fed up with the encroachment by federal government into our personal lives, our business commerce, and the inexorable increase in the magnitude of our government spending and debt. The Tea Party is trying to correct this, which is the primary reason the Obama Administration and Democrats with their tax and spend big government socialist policies are attacking them.

Perhaps the most accurate and concise summary of what The Tea Party stands for is on TheTeaParty.net website, which describes supporters as follows:

“The Tea Party movement is a grassroots movement of millions of like-minded Americans from all backgrounds and political parties. Tea Party members share similar core principles supporting the United States Constitution as the Founders intended, such as:
•  Limited federal government•  Individual freedoms•  Personal responsibility•  Free markets

•  Returning political power to the states and the people
As a movement, The Tea Party is not a political party nor is looking to form a third political party any time soon. The Tea Party movement, is instead, about reforming all political parties and government so that the core principles of our Founding Fathers become, once again, the foundation upon which America stands.” 

So what’s not to like? Who among true hard-working Americans willing to challenge forced dependency on government could object to these core principles? It is no wonder that Obama and the Democrats object to and attack them because The Tea Party’s core principles are diametrically opposed to those of Liberal Democrats. The Liberals are leading us down a path of less support for our Constitution, bigger federal government, greater government control over our lives, more regulation of what’s left of our free markets, more central power for the federal government and less freedoms for the states and the people. Contrary to the “Blame Game” against The Tea Party, the real “obstructionists” in government are Obama and the Congressional Democrats, who refuse to address the fundamental causes of our fiscal and debt crises, such as government growth and entitlement spending.

Let’s review a few of the activities Obama and Democrats have initiated in just the last two and one-half years. Since Obama was elected, Federal Government ANNUAL spending has increased “relatively” from 20% to 25% of GDP and “absolutely” from $2.9 trillion to $3.8 trillion, the ANNUAL deficit increased from $500 billion to 1.7 trillion, and our total National Debt has increased by 40% from $10 trillion to over $14 trillion (and an additional $2 trillion increase has just been authorized)! The Democrats in Congress have not passed a Federal Budget for over 800 days and have so far this year rejected all attempts by the Republicans to pass one for next year! The budget proposed by President Obama earlier this year continued his excessive government spending and added another $10 trillion in deficits and debt over ten years, (fortunately, both parties in Congress overwhelmingly rejected the President’s budget). Over the objections of a majority of the American people, they passed Obamacare and the Dodd-Frank Financial Regulations legislation, both of which add additional costs, additional regulations, and additional central control to our federal government. During a Congressional Recess without Senate approval, Obama appointed union activists to the National Labor Relations Board who have attacked Boeing’s implementation of a new non-union factory in Charleston, SC, (see “Attack on American Business by Obama “packed” NLRB!” and “Obama “packed” NLRB Continues Attack on Boeing & Free Markets!”) and the EPA under Lisa Jackson has stopped a Department of the Interior’s previously approved Shell Oil request to development a large oil reserve off the Alaskan coast, (see “Obama Administration Attacks American Business Again!”). They have allotted $27 billion for “Green Jobs”, which have not worked out well and have virtually shutdown oil and natural gas development (at a loss of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of good jobs). In summary, the obstructionist policies of Obama and the Democrats have produced a Congressional stalemate, hurt our economy, are stifling job growth, are hostile to business operations, and have increased our deficit and debt crises. What part of reckless and unsustainable spending, destructive regulations, and excessive government control of free markets and personal liberties don’t Liberal Democrats understand? It is no surprise that they feel threatened by The Tea Party.

Regarding taking responsibility and showing leadership, Obama has been demonstratively invisible. During his recent “Black Bus Tour” (in a bus made in Canada), Obama has blamed Bush, The Tea Party, Republicans, Congress in general, the earthquake in Japan, the Arab Spring, and the European Debt Crisis for our current economic problems. Never once did he admit or even suggest that his policies of irresponsible spending, uncontrolled borrowing, and increased federal regulation were part of the problem (see “Government Imposed Uncertainties Hurt Economic Growth!”). Other than the President’s outrageous budget proposal noted above and his endless generic campaign speeches, Obama has offered NO SPECIFIC PLAN to solve our economic problems and create jobs. Like Democrats in Congress he has been content to “kick-the-can-down-the-road”. Astounding behavior for the so-called leader of the free world! Again, it is no surprise that the President is afraid of the patriots in The Tea Party, who actually have a plan to get America back on track and are willing to take responsibility for it.

So, can we resolve our problems? In a previous article I outlined, six (6) specific suggestions, which I believe would improve our situation (see “Yes, We CAN Grow the Economy and Create Jobs!”). If our President and Congress are serious about solving our problems and restoring our economy, all of these suggestions could be accomplished quickly and all are consistent with the goals of The Tea Party. Overall, the message is to reverse the socialist movement toward a “nanny state”, get government off our backs, and return our country to the American people. Because most of my suggestions require reversal of Obama’s policies, it is unlikely that they can be pursued before the next election in 2012. Therefore, the 2012 election will be critical to our future as a great nation. Think about it and act accordingly!!

The Old Guy PhD