STARVE THE FEDS

The madness continues as the days go by, there’s no doubt. The hatred flies in all directions, while reason just wants to slip quietly underneath the fracas, say their piece, and let common sense be implemented in their own representative government.

Thus far, I don’t think the 9/12 march had any real short-term effect. Our government is still the government, which is no big surprise. The hateful liberals seem to always remain so; with their attempts at discrediting us (meaning Tea Partier types), accusing us of hating and inciting violence. That’s no surprise either. Liberals that aren’t so hateful and just want the world to be a better place still remain clueless to the workings of our economy.

The fringes on all sides continue the political violence, although in very small quantities. An anti-abortionist was shot to death a couple weeks ago in Michigan. A census worker was lynched in southeast Kentucky a few days ago. Two thousand anti-capitalist protesters create violence and disaster in Pittsburgh (more than a  protest of 1.5 million in Washington that had no arrests – no rock throwing, no human waste squirt guns, and very little trash left on city grounds).

We’re heading this direction. People have stopped listening. Many of us have shut down emotionally and have become numb to all this, myself included. It’s all become a noise; a din common to the bar scene where many of us shout loudly just to be heard by the person next to us. Political discussion, while rampant, is also becoming just as ignored as annoying advertising.

I haven’t killed anyone. I haven’t harmed anyone. I haven’t thrown rocks at the police. I don’t force my beliefs down people’s throats. I don’t even discuss politics at my own home when we have company unless I’m asked about it first. I don’t force people to come to this site. People are free to block me all they want on social networking sites. The days I take a sneak peek into political discourse in the vein of online political news forums, I find that I may as well be lumped in with the right-wing, nut-job, hate-mongering, tinfoil-hat-wearing, racist, bigot, paranoid, uninformed, “teabagger” hack that doesn’t want health care for everyone, wants to cut everyone’s Social Security, lays in bed with the evil capitalist corporation CEOs that bank bonuses in nine figures courtesy of the taxpayer, who lives in a rural area where men are men and sheep are nervous.

I’m not whining. When I run for political office, I’ll be sure to hear all of the above and much more. Some may come up with new insults that may be clever enough to make me laugh a little. Many more won’t be so clever. Such is life, and it comes with the territory.

Rather, the above is a bookmark of who we are; or better yet, who we’ve become.

Many on the right are no better. As much as I love conservative talk radio, there are examples where a caller has no chance to make a point because they’re interrupted by political name calling by the radio host. It’s disappointing because the radio host is right most of the time, so the whole charade is really unnecessary. But the talk shows aren’t mine to run, so what can you do?

It’s becoming apparent that there’s a line about to be crossed. It’s not coming up anytime soon, but it is approaching. It’s not written anyplace in particular; it’s more of an instinctive line. It’s the line that separates the passive calm from the breaking point. It’s all coming closer. I don’t want civil war by any means, but it’s not a far-fetched idea anymore. We must be in troubled times – who knew we’d see a time when the words “civil war” are spoken, that the typical American would entertain the possiblity of an upcoming one occuring, rather than think back to the one fought from 1861-1865.

In this Age of Distrust, I don’t know what to make of the whole Swine Flu Extravaganza. A libertarian organization that I receive email newsletters from daily warns of the upcoming H1N1 martial law/government takeover initiative that’s anticipated to take place this fall or winter. Step #1 of this plan says that a pandemic will occur and will be hyped by the media. Done. Step #2 says that a vaccine will be hurried through the testing process, disregarding the Food and Drug Administration’s hefty requirements. Sounds believeable and may be fairly reasonable in carefully audited cases. Step #3 is to mandatory vaccination by law. Step #4 would be to arrest, isolate, or quarantine those who refuse to be vaccinated. Step #5: FEMA camps that mark the beginning of our own Auschwitz.

Now, I have respect for this organization’s opinions, but these are the same guys who believe 9/11/01 was “an inside job” designed to allow the government to take our freedoms away. I don’t believe that. I also didn’t believe the FEMA camp theory since they were debunked on Glenn Beck’s show earlier this year. I felt safe in wiping away that situation from my brain and concentrating on other issues.

Steps #1 and #2 are already underway. There are conflicting reports that state that Step #3 just started as well. Is this all going to be really happening?

I was shocked to see that the most popular post on one of my social networking sites by far was the one asking about mandatory vaccination. Either unsubstantiated paranoia is at an all-time high, or something very sinister and real is underway.

I don’t believe this is going to happen, but it is harmless to keep alert and vigilant over this particular issue. I’m almost tempted to call the local MedCentral Office to find out if it’s true that their physicians are required to be vaccinated by the swine flu vaccine or risk being fired. I’m waiting for the day that the government enforces this, or more likely, if we’ll face being fired by our politically-pressured employers if we refuse the shots.

Just because I’m against government health care doesn’t mean I trust the drug industry.

Another case in point – who knows what the 2010 U.S. Census is really up to? Apparently, ACORN is out of the picture due to the heroic journalism of two young folks in their twenties who totally showed the mainstream national media how to do their jobs properly. However, the Executive Branch of the U.S. Government still heads the census. Do they still ask intrusive questions? Do they still install GPS devices without consent of the homeowner? Do they still threaten to fine us $5,000 for not answering census questions beyond “How many live in your residence”? I don’t know. I’m going to find out when they come to my house. I’ll be waiting for them, and NOT with a rope. Census workers should live. The Age of Distrust should die.

There’s a simple reason why I don’t cite poll numbers or various statistics for the most part in general. It’s because I don’t trust them; any of them. As part of many people’s justifications for any side of any argument, they’ll be quick to link you to some YouTube video, or rehash Quinnipiac poll numbers even though it may contradict Associated Press polls and Rasumussen Reports. People also have a tendency to exaggerate statistics to promote their cause and to put down the opposing cause. It’s all become politicized, therefore it cannot be trusted. That’s why I use my own hypothetical examples based on what I do know (like income taxes), and make my own reports and estimates based on what I see for myself (like the 9/12 march). The attendance number will be debated for quite a period of time, I’m sure. But I know what I saw.

I also distrust science as it practiced today. You can fling thousand-page scientific journals at me all you want, but if the experiment shows total disregard for the scientific method – the basis of all science which I learned about in the fifth grade – then you have nothing. And when there’s more than one bad apple in the bunch, you may as well discredit all of them. Therefore, no global warming for me. No genetic dispositions for homosexuality, no evolution, no favorite food of the week causing cancer and kidney stones, and no swine flu vaccination. I’ll do my own research based on what I see and know, thank you very much.

In the “game” of politics, I’ve become more well versed to the techniques used to manipulate people. It’s bad enough that we have manipulators who are in office. I’m learning that those manipulators each have their own set of minion manipulators to do their bidding; to muddy the waters of information, and make any clear water truth cloudy. I’m up to my ears in the game playing, but it all makes sense now. This takes place not only in politics, but in the music industry that I used to hold dear to my heart. Politics, in every horrible sense of the word, is everywhere.

Let’s take an example – are there “death panels” in the House version of the health care bill (HR 3200)? Sarah Palin said there were. The bill itself doesn’t explicitly state that there are. FactCheck.org says absolutely not. Well, which is it? In this Age of Distrust, I submit that there were. The bill is so vaguely worded with the Lawyerese-Gobbledegook language that it can be interpreted either way. In the Age of Distrust, many of us assume the worst and claim that the bill’s interpretation, coupled with Ezekiel Emanuel’s writings, fully allow the government ”death panels” to occur. Sarah’s allegation goes public (hell, even if Sarah picked her nose today, you know Levi Johnston will appear on Oprah next week to tell the tale!). But anyway, she voices her concern and government and national media immediately dismiss the claim. It may very well end up that if some version of health care passes, there will be nothing close to the “death panel” idea on it, and then the government can rightly claim that Sarah was just up to her fearmongering silliness again. Who really knows what it was? None of us do. But many of us know what we suspect.

A solution to all this political B.S.? First, no bill over 20 pages should ever be passed. I know, I know, I’ve said “50 pages” in the past. Whatever. The Constitution of the United States – our Supreme Law of the Land – started at 6 pages long. So 20 pages is more than enough for some lousy bill. Therefore, clear language will clear up all the mud that the politicians like so much. In fact, if the liberals cared so much about allowing everyone health care, then why not just relax the Medicare and Medicaid limits to include everyone? Problem solved (for them, not for me, it’s that bankruptcy thing you know). So why the 1,000-page bill? None of us really know, but many of us know what we suspect.

Another case in point – the Obama speech in public schools debacle. The White House announces the speech will take place, and school superintendents have the option to show it (or not show it) to the schoolchildren as they wish. Some said this was Obama’s lesson plan to the children about how they can help serve the President, others said this was no different than your typical “stay in school and apply yourself” speech that bores kids to death anyway. In this Age of Distrust, I fully suspect Obama had at least 2 speeches prepared. Had the parents stayed quiet about their reservations, the sinister “Serve The President” speech would have gone forward. Now that the parents spoke up, let’s turn to Speech Plan B and give the generic Apply Yourself Children speech and make the parents look like paranoid fools. Who really knows how it happened? None of us do. But many of us know what we suspect.

Obama has fostered this distrust in him on his own, with plenty of help from the Congress. Many still take the man at his word, but there are plenty more who do not. He knows this. Apparently, this was why he took off in his helicopter the morning all of us started to overtake Washington on 9/12. Maybe he had his trip to Minnesota planned all along, who knows? None of us do. But many of us know what we suspect.

I do know that if a parent doesn’t trust their child, there’s usually a reason. If a homeschooling parent doesn’t trust government school systems, there usually is a reason. If an American citizen cannot even trust their President to the point to where they see the absolute worst in every action he takes, then there is usually a reason, and that is government’s track record. A track record that includes an unwillingness to fix broken systems such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, VA Benefits, overregulation of banks and businesses, and the tax code. It’s also a track record that shows that our government would rather create more broken systems (like government health care) and overregulation (like Crap and Trade) than fix the broken ones they already have in existence. I like Herman Cain’s proposal – fix all these first, and then we’ll talk about health care.

It’s also the reason that whenever Obama likes to slam home the idea that illegal immigrants won’t be covered by the health bill, I’ll bet it’s because he’ll grant the illegals amnesty first before handing them health care, so he can childishly go, “See? I didn’t cover illegal immigrants. They’re legal now!” It probably won’t happen, because I (and many others before me) have brought it out into the open. I understand that. My point is, why have we gotten to the point to where we fear our government so much that they’ll try to pull stunts like this in the first place?

Local reporter Courtney Albon gave me a brief interview over a small breakfast at the Gateway restuarant at Breezewood, Pennsylvania. We had a good discussion, and I wanted to post the resulting article here:

http://www.times-gazette.com/news/article/4667493

How powerful was this march?

After our bus stopped in Breezewood, Pennsylvania for a food break; 7-10 more buses pulled in as we were leaving. Estimates from other Tea Partiers were that there were 450 buses in all that went to Washington.

All fifty states had people that attended this march. Yes, even from Hawaii and Alaska. And don’t forget, there were Tea Parties held across the nation in all fifty states in addition to the march on DC.

Rumor had it that the city of Washington planned for 25,000 people. Not sure if that was true, but there were hardly any police forces there. There were enough to block and direct traffic, but I counted only 10-15 at the Capitol lawn. The entire city had to be shut down temporarily – freeways, the Metro, and all.

And “tens of thousands”? Are you kidding me? My personal estimate was between 1 to 1.5 MILLION people. I’ve been getting plenty of practice at crowd estimations, and many of you know how I was as a math student. I’ll stand behind my estimate, even if the press won’t. Like I said, there will come a time where every American will have to make a conscious choice whether to believe us or believe the press. The press is making every effort to postpone that decision for every American by burying the story, and claiming only “tens of thousands”. But you all know it is coming.

At 8:00am, by the Federal Triangle Metro Stop at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the streets were chocked full of people in every direction, as far as the eye could see. We had “tens of thousands” of people TWO HOURS before the march officially started.

The march went down all 14 blocks to the Capitol Building past 1st Street. Each block was about the size of a normal city block, give or take. The map I looked at afterward estimates that was a two mile walk one way. It seemed shorter, but that may be because my adrenaline was higher.

The march took all the way past 2:00pm before we stopped seeing an inflow of people coming from where we came from. FOUR HOURS. They kept coming and coming and coming. If you peeled your eyes off of one protest sign picture the press revealed, and looked at web photos from all the people in attendance, maybe 1.5 MILLION is too low of an estimation. But like I said, I’ll stand behind that estimate, even if the press won’t. We had “tens of thousands” in the Capitol lawn alone. We overran Washington and shut the city down. We know that because we were there. I’ll be more than happy to pass along the story because the mainstream press refuses to uphold their responsibility to do so.

If Barack Obama wanted to “call us out”, as he said during his Congressional speech a few days earlier, he certainly (and deliberately) missed his opportunity. He conveniently was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to endorse his health care plan even further. And I just can’t believe for a moment that the White House never saw us coming. As adept as the Obama Administration and their supporters were on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter during the 2008 Election Campaign, they suddenly just missed one this time? Downgrade us all you want, but you know we were there, and we know you went running. “Calling us out”, my ass.

We have made history, even knowing that this very possibly won’t be put in history books any time soon. By most estimates, we BEAT the attendance figures for Obama’s Inauguration. By all estimates, we BEAT the Million Man March. How’s that for perspective?

The march and subsequent rally was one of the most inspiring events I have ever witnessed in my life. There may just be more of us than there are more of you. By virtue of our attendance numbers, you cannot call us “extremists” anymore, unless you want to call the people who attended the Inauguration and the Million Man March extremists as well.

I was personally hoping for 500,000 people. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever vision us getting 1,500,000.

This 9/12 March On Washington proves that the race card is OUT. Several black speakers not only denounced, but also ripped to shreds those people who make the whole movement about race. “You don’t see any red on MY neck!” snapped black speaker Deneen Borelli. Fools that you are, all those who try to attribute our discontent to racism. That argument is long gone.

Another argument that is long gone is the idea that this is solely a Republican deal. It isn’t, and by the numbers, it can’t be. There were plenty of discontented Obama voters who felt fooled by the difference between the way Obama walked and the way he talked. Besides, since when are Republicans motivated to protest?

By this march, I pledge to myself not to be apologetic for my views. I regularly try to listen to all other sides of every issue, and come up with solutions to benefit all at least somewhat. However, there is no compromise between right and wrong.

History was made, no question about it. The Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress are running away like the cowards they are. They won’t come to address us, or even to “call us out”. They can’t take their beatings like men (politically speaking). The Second Revolution is brewing, and I saw it happen with my own eyes.

This is the day I woke up.

Everything I have done and am about to accomplish in my life is in deference and in debt to that day. I don’t think I could forget that day even if I wanted to.

I wasn’t there to see it happen. But I did drive to NYC and Shanksville not too long afterward, just to see if it was all real. It’s definitely real. Too real.

I don’t think we forgot 9/11. I think many of us forgot the unity afterward; the sense that we were all Americans. What happened to us?

Some power out there is trying to keep us separated. The religious may point to the devil. Others may point to politics and politicians. And there are others who believe that 9/11 was an inside job (not me).

Today, I disagree with my favorite talk radio hosts. Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin say that it wasn’t the American people who have changed, it’s the politicians whom we let divide us. I don’t see it that way. I think we really have changed. We have most certainly shifted backward to the passive and unintentional arrogance that comes out of laziness. We take things for granted again, like we did before 9/11. Politically, we’re talking budget cuts for the military again like we did back then. We’re back to the fingerpointing and infighting that had plagued us during the Bill Clinton years. Except this time, it’s much worse, I believe, because there are those who DO remember 9/11; and those who see an imminent danger to our country set forth by our own leaders.

On a personal level, generally, we take each other for granted again. We still pick fights and we still hold grudges over petty arguments. We waste time because we can. We as a country take for granted the idea that politics is optional and not mandatory. We take for granted that we trust those who we put into office, thinking they’ll be the new answer to our social problems.

The one main thing I have said about my visit to Colombia, South America, I will continue to say and stand behind. That is, Colombia is a country that knows its faults, yet unites together under the pride they feel. They take care of each other, day in and day out. When I took my only business trip there, I was asked to give a presentation on my first day there. I started discussing my presentation plans with the receptionist in Bogota, talking about my projects here in Ohio and in Oklahoma, when she interrupted me, telling me that they didn’t want a presentation about my work, they wanted a presentation about me. When is the last time an entire company sat down in a meeting to talk about you as an individual?

This is just one example. I saw the welcoming nature of the Colombian people. I even considered living there for a time, learning Spanish and integrating myself with their culture.

I don’t want to go on and on about Colombia. My main point is, I was sad as hell coming back because I knew I was leaving a welcoming area and coming back to a country that is capable of being the same way, yet would rather keep to themselves, ignore you, and fight about parking spots.

This is not who we are.

My theory is that the reason Colombian people treat each other with care so much is because they witness terrorism daily, in the form of the FARC bombings and kidnappings that occur day in and day out. I will never forget the day a Bogota police station was bombed not far from the hotel where I was staying the week. Four people died and eleven were injured. It never made the international news.

Is this what it takes for us? Will it really take more terrorism to make us realize how stupid we are being?

Not all of us are that way. I would like to think I am beyond this. I risk taking on an arrogance because I feel like I know the secret to life, and that others have yet to find out. The truth is, all of you really do know. You saw it on 9/11, and on 9/12, and for weeks afterward.

The 9/12 Project was designed to recapture that glorious time that arose from one of the worst events in American history. Combined with the Tea Party idea of the Silent Majority finally waking up, educating ourselves and others, and sounding alarm bells warning everyone that our country is in danger of collapsing upon itself – we are going to be one hell of a force come 9/12 in Washington, D.C.

I am leaving for the bus in 15 minutes. I’m meeting my mother at the parking lot, and am taking her to the first protest/march she has ever been to in her life. This day is destined to be the perfect day, and the idea brings tears to my eyes. To take the groundswell of 9/11, and all the raw emotion and hurt that has never healed but only reawakened, and bottle all of that up as a force of hundreds of thousands meeting in our nation’s capital, will be truly something special. Sure, there is the risk that nothing may come of this, but this is what I thought about the first Tea Party in Chicago back in February when I went. I think we stand a much greater chance of creating a new, more powerful momentum, driven by whoever created us, carried along by our sense of duty that militarymen have known about all along, and not knowing the end result. We are fighting for our country. We are fighting against big government, because of the high inherent risk of tyranny. We risk becoming England and King George ourselves.

As much as 9/11 should never be forgotten, so shouldn’t 9/12. And 9/12 starts now.

Sometimes I forget how much of a “bean counter” reputation that many of us accountants have. I was reminded of that last month when a volunteer group director stopped by the accounting office to talk about her conference trip, and how she was touched by a particular speech whose point was generally along the lines of “Why do we need accounting anyway? Why can’t we just do what we want to do, make it happen, and forget all the tracking and the paperwork?”

I found it humorous that she forgot who she was telling this to, and she slipped away awkwardly after I gave her a hard time in good fun. But it does bother me that some people believe that train of thought, because they don’t understand the need for accounting or tracking.

I was unpleasantly surprised when I got promoted to my first accounting job, only to find out that most of my job was documentation. Everything needed to be tracked, verified, and initialed by the Accounting Manager or Controller. The concept of internal controls makes much more sense to me now, but at the time I thought my job was around 25% doing my actual job, and 75% covering my you-know-what.

So what does a world without accounting look like? Well, a lack of responsible accounting got us Enron and WorldCom. “Cooking the books” was what allowed the corporate executives to raid the company’s pension funds without the general public noticing. A lack of fiduciary duty on the part of auditors Arthur Andersen put a multi-billion dollar business, out of business. It’s what also led the federal government to rush the Sarbanes-Oxley bill through Congress just so they can show they’re on top of things, which just about every business can attest in hindsight that is a great example of over-regulation.

A lack of responsible accounting is also what got our federal government in the cesspool they are in. Unmistakably, liberals are united around a cause they strongly believe in, and they seem to believe the quickest path to achieving their cause is to bypass all the tracking and paperwork. Pass the stimulus bill, and don’t worry about how we’re going to spend the $787 billion. Chip in several hundred billion as a “down payment” on government health care, and don’t plan on where the money is going. I’d be willing to bet many of the same people complained about George W. Bush’s wars lacking an “exit strategy”. Whereas Bush had to manage soldiers’ lives as Commander-in-Chief, the federal government does the same with our money.

The states are forced to be held somewhat accountable because they operate on a balanced budget. The federal government has no such restriction. Like any shopping addict can tell you, free money becomes spent money in a hurry.

I’ll say it again: Many who want the government to solve our problems, including health care, may have honorable intentions but simply do not understand the economy at all. Emotional appealing does not pay the bills, otherwise we’d all be crying to our landlords or mortgage banks. It’s not going to pay for health care either.

It’s easy for those who disregard finances at home to disregard finances from our government.

It’s easy for those who don’t understand the economy to just pass along the cost to the “rich”, since it seems so much easier for them to pay our bills better than we can.

It’s also easier for the irresponsible to blame other people more than themselves.

If you’re having problems with the chicken coop, you don’t turn over management to a bunch of foxes.

Even if we tax the rich at 100%, it would still not be enough to pay the national debt. And if you were taxed at 100%, you’d move out. So there would be less rich to tax, so the middle class would be next. If we’re not at this point already, we’re approaching it quickly.

We bean counters have to count the beans. We have to track revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and cash flow. Any failure on any of these subjects makes the person, the company, or government at risk of not being able to pay their bills.

You can plead on Facebook all you want about how nobody should die because of of inability to pay for health care, but the fact is, someone has to pay for it. Will you? Or will you make the other guy pay for it? What does that say about you?

All of us know people in tough situations through no fault of their own. We all can’t help that. But I also would like to keep a zillion pets at my house. I can’t afford that, so I don’t.

You don’t pay for my food or my housing, so I don’t expect you to pay for my health care. In fact, I don’t want you to.

A local organizational leader submitted this question to me last night:

“Would you like to tell us about yourself and your positions on topics like the Constitution, 2nd Amendment, abortion, states rights, home schooling, taxes, etc….you know, all the hot button issues?”

Yes, I would.

I replied by sending her a link to this site, which covers most of what was asked above, but not everything. I figure I will address each subject one by one.

The Constitution

I consider this document the Supreme Law of the Land, and my main guiding principle. The Constitution takes priority over any law, foreign or domestic, that acts in direct conflict with it.

The document is not a perfect one; as evidenced by the 21st Amendment whose sole purpose was to repeal the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). There are changes I would propose; but keep in mind my intent is to have any change made lawfully by the Constitution, and not circumvent the Constitution like Mr. Obama does with his “czars”.

What changes would I make?

- The 5th Amendment’s Eminent Domain clause would be redefined in order to nullify the Supreme Court decision on Kelo vs. New London. Government shall never take private property away from anyone to give to another private owner for the sole purpose of increasing tax revenue.

- The Interstate Commerce clause would be restated to nullify the Supreme Court decision on Wickard vs. Filburn. Any product you make yourself for your own household’s consumption should never be touched by the federal government.

- I would “press the reset button” on the 10th Amendment in order to give states the power  not delegated to the federal government as originally intended, in my view.

- The 16th Amendment would be repealed so it can die the quick death it deserves. No income taxes!

-The 17th Amendment can go too. The Senators should be appointed by the states.

The 2nd Amendment

What part of “shall not be abridged” do people not understand? All weapons are fair game, even the ones considered “assault” weapons. Anyone disputing the assault weapons argument, I can guarantee, has never feared their government. That should tell plenty.

Abortion

This decision should be left to the states, so the states that want it can have it, and those who don’t should as well. Personally, I believe firmly in the right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” as long as we don’t infringe on others’ lives, and I consider an unborn baby to be a life. However, I would never pursue this issue on a federal level, except to clear a path for the states to adopt their own laws.

States Rights

This is what “Starve The Feds” is definitely all about. Killing income taxes is the method to get there.

Home Schooling

This should be its own Constitutional Amendment, phrased as strongly as the 2nd Amendment. An education funded by taxes should be optional, and never mandatory. The education of a child always begins with the parent, and never the school superintendent. My lady and I plan to home school our children whenever we have any.

Taxes

Any tax but income tax is all right with me so long as there is sufficient representation. That means no paying school district taxes when you don’t send any children to school. Taxes should be left up to the states. The federal government should be able to get by without income taxes; no one needs all that power.