Why should government employment be at 100%?

I saw a short clip of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood grousing about the potential of 70,000 US Department of Transportation workers being sent home if Congress doesn’t pass a bill that the President will sign to increase the debt limit.  That brings to light a couple of questions:

Why the hell are we paying for 70,000 transportation workers?  The Army probably doesn’t have that many infantry soldiers. 

What in the hell do they plan to do with the $79 BILLION they asked for in 2011?  I’m seeing a huge opportunity for savings here. 

What the hell did they do with the $742.5 Million dollars in bogus Stimulus they got?  No doubt it all used up buying a bunch of highway signs proclaiming that work wasn’t actually being done.  Shovel Ready – remember?

Did it escape the notice of the Secretary of Transportation that 318,000 Americans filed for unemployment the same week?  I think that it would probably do everybody in the entire Department of Transportation some good to sit at home and contemplate how 14,100,000 of their fellow Americans who are out of work feel. 

Does your television set get Fox News Mr. Secretary or just the Communist News Network (CNN)?  If you were paying attention you would have noticed new unemployment claims that have been averaging more than 400,000 a week now that Barack the wonder Socialist has been running the show. 

Why pray tell should the Department of Transportation be staffed at 100% when 9.2% of Americans are out of work?   I think that the Department of Transportation – in fact staffing in all non-Defense departments of the United States government should immediately be reduced to 91.8% of their authorized strength (except the ATF that should be reduced to 0% of their authorized strength). 

This doesn’t have anything to do with Ray LaHood and only remotely deals with Transportation, but President Obama should cut his vacation time by 9.2% as well.  Given what he, Michelle, and the girls are spending in Spain, Hawaii, South Africa, Chicago, Martha’s Vineyard, Brazil, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon --- shaving 9.2% should be a tidy sum.  

 

Consider it Done Mr. President

The Honorable Jim Webb, Mark Warner, and Rob Wittman,

In accordance with the direction of my President I am contacting you to tell you my desires about this debt ceiling issue. 

I do not want a solution that balances government spending cuts with increased taxes.  Cut spending – end of story.  Taxing us more is off the table. 

I do not want a compromise that melds Keynesian principles which have been proven wrong with Free Market Capitalist principles that work.  Let freedom reign and turn American businesses loose.    

I do not want some grand bargain that takes the pressure off you and your colleagues for any appreciable period of time.   I think that any increase in the debt ceiling should be on a diminishing scale such that eventually the ceiling really becomes a hard ceiling on spending.  Your immediate goal should be to reverse the trend and start paying down our debt.    

I don’t want you to aim at cutting spending in the future.  I want spending cuts now. 

Sincerely Yours,
Common Sense

     

Doorbell

What we are up against

Monday I had the luxury of being at my desk doing paperwork and I had Rush Limbaugh’s program going in the background.  He had a 24 year old caller who had taken the Liberal (Leftist, Democrat, Progressive, Socialist, whatever) bait hook, line, and sinker as they say.  He had called in to make the case that a tax cut equated to government spending.  That reducing the tax burden on American corporations was tantamount to welfare for corporations.  Now Barack Obama pulls that crap (“Tax cuts that we didn’t pay for”) I just never thought anyone with half a brain would buy that line. 

Limbaugh picked this young man up at the end of a segment, asked him to hold on through the commercial, and continued to work with him.  Limbaugh failed to make a dent in this guy’s thought process that everything he made, everything you make, and everything Ford Motor Corporation makes, somehow belongs to the government.  I didn’t hear every word and every argument but it was stunning.  No doubt the caller was a product of the public school system.  What is scarier – he may have been voting for three election cycles! 

I can kind of understand why a Professor of Environmental Studies at a University supported by taxpayer funds, working on a grant from government largess, and expecting to retire on a sweet pension would vote Democrat.  It’s in his self-interest.  But how on earth can someone believe after the record of catastrophe accumulated by government that the fruits of your labor are better handled and dispensed by the government?  I mean exactly how many bridges to nowhere do we need?  How many things can we build in West Virginia and name after Ku Klux Klansman Robert Byrd? 

      

Why do we need to Default on our debt?

When I was a brand new lieutenant one of my Marines came to me a week before payday and told me that he was out of money and that the Navy Relief Society wouldn’t help him.  I marched right over to Navy Relief ready to do battle.  The lady volunteer told me that they couldn’t help my Marine until he prepared a budget.  I failed to understand why that would help, but she was firm.  No budget – no assistance. 

I returned to the barracks and sat down with my Marine to fill out the stupid budget so we could get him a few bucks to feed his family (he was married and they had a baby).   I knew exactly what he made so we started with that figure.  On payday he had cashed his check and went home to pick up his wife and baby.  On the way out of the trailer park he paid a portion of his rent – very responsible.  He stopped at a gas station and filled his tank – no argument there.  Then they went to a restaurant and had dinner.  Well – they had to eat I suppose, but there are less expensive ways to get nourishment.  They followed dinner by swinging by the record store and picking up the latest records that they were dying to get – hmmmm - they’re free on the radio I thought.  Then they swung by the grocery store for the essentials of life including cigarettes, beer, and some staples.  Now a week later they were 7 days from payday and they needed baby formula (I wondered how many cans of formula you could have bought for the price of that “Boston” or “Who” album).  I instantly recognized why the nice lady at Navy Relief made me do a budget.  She gave my Marine money for baby formula, but I gave him a pretty stern lecture on financial priorities. 

I don’t know what happened to this Marine after he left my platoon – but I’m pretty sure that he’s a Democrat Congressman now. 

This is how Democrats spend our money.  You see it locally with gold plated offices, ever-rising salaries for an increasing army of bureaucrats, gifts, grants, absurd benefits packages, and other assorted perks.  But the minute the budget comes into crisis they tell us they have to lay off firemen and policemen. 

Most of us recognize the bait and switch.  The mystery is why Congress can’t.  Certainly this is exactly why Democrats (Progressives, Liberals, Socialists, whatever) don’t want to pass a damn budget.  It is also why Republicans did pass a budget.  This is also why we need a Balanced Budget Amendment.

I don’t know where you are now dear Navy Relief lady, but will you please go to Washington, DC and kick some serious budget ass?

     

Don't let this crisis go to waste

The Honorable Rob Wittman,

I was pleasantly surprised to get the call for your tele-town forum in my home-office today.  I don’t know where all the lefties came from.  I guess I wasn’t quick enough on the *-3 trigger to voice my concern.  Here is my comment.  We have been raising the debt ceiling all my life.  Each and every time the debt ceiling has been raised the government spends its way up to the new limit.  It completely invalidates the purpose of calling it a “limit.”  President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner gambled that you would have to raise the debt limit – that you and the rest of the Republicans won’t stand up to the potential heat.  Don’t give in.

Because the “debt limit” is meaningless in Washington, DC I do not support any grand bargain to increase the debt substantially.  I think that any debt increase should be gradual and be used to force Congress to eliminate the spending problem in Washington.  I don’t mind having a debt ceiling “crisis” every 6-8 weeks if Republicans gradually bend the curve of spending under control while ultimately seeking a balanced budget.  The only leverage you have right now is the threat of “Armageddon,” remove it and the Democrats walk away from the table.

Lastly, this talk of “balance” and “compromise” is for suckers and dummies.  That is pabulum for the naive masses.  Mixing spending cuts with tax hikes would have the effect of canceling good policies with bad policies.  It would be analogous to trying to save a sinking ship by bailing water out of the bow and pouring it into the stern.  You have good ideas.  Democrats wouldn’t know a good idea if it hit them between the eyes.  We have to win this one. It is the last great opportunity to bring this budget monster under control.

You are the right man - in the right place - at the right time.  Don’t let the spineless ones throw this opportunity away.

God Bless you Rob Wittman and God Bless the United States of America.  

Sincerely,

 

A Balanced Approach

As the American debt Armageddon approaches the Left (Democrats, Progressives, Liberals, Socialists, whatever) lead by our President are harping about a “balanced approach.”  Americans seem to be vulnerable to arguments about “compromise” and “balance” and the Left is attempting to capitalize on that naiveté. 

What exactly does “balanced” mean to the rest of us?  The simple answer is that the President and his Party want to mix solutions that absolutely do not work with solutions that Speaker Boehner and his Party are proposing that do work.  After reading that statement if you brand me a “partisan” then consider for a moment what liberal inspired program ever worked.  Can you name one?

The way Liberals flip this around is by demanding to be judged on their intent rather than by the results of their programs.  Social Security, Welfare, Medicaid, Income Taxes, Unemployment, and all Government employee retirement plans are all spectacular failures.  We are broke and our situation can be directly tied to the misuse of power by Democrats.  What is “balanced” about listening to the children who got us into this problem in the first place?  It’s absurd.  

 

I don’t want politics in the church

Virginia is engaged in elections again for city, county, and commonwealth offices.  Though not officially on the ballot, the specter of Obama is present in each and every race.  For that reason alone, if you don’t live in Virginia, you might want to cock an ear in our direction come November 8^th  2011.

I am focused on these “smaller” elections as I believe that if the people of Illinois had properly vetted Barack Obama he would still be a two-bit ambulance chaser married to an angry woman in Chicago.  In that vein I invited one of our local candidates to attend our church this morning.  More than one woman told me “I don’t want politics in the church.”  I tell them I don’t either. 

We have a local Democrat politician who attends most Sundays.  He wears his county nametag and drives a car with a “Christian and Democrat” bumper sticker on it.  I notice that he usually arrives late now.  I think it might be because if he beats me to church I park one of my cars next to his as all of mine have “Don’t blame me; I voted Republican” stickers on them.  My wife says it’s childish – but I don’t care.  Interestingly enough – I’m the only one who gets accused of bringing “politics” into the church.  But I digress. 

I don’t’ want “politics” in the church, I want Christians to stop voting like freaking heathens.  How on earth can you leave church on Sunday and then on Tuesday pull the lever for homosexual “rights,” abortion, and an unrelenting attack on the very church and religion that you subscribe to?  The first two are easy to see – Democrats (Liberals, Progressives, Socialists, whatever) are beholden to radical homosexual activists and radical feminists.  A vote for any Democrat is a vote for homosexual marriage and murder in the womb.  That goes without saying.  But an attack on the church? 

Recently a minor official in the Veteran Administration forbid the use of “God” or “Jesus” in burial ceremonies in a VA administered cemetery in Houston, TX.  Think about that.  In the 235 years of our history veterans have been buried in mostly Christian ceremonies.  Can you ever remember this being an issue?  The VA recognizes a variety of religions with headstones.  Has anyone heard any complaints of Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Muslims, or Eckankarians (yeah I didn’t know what they are either) being buried with appropriate ceremonies?  No – only Christians. 

But the Anti-American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) leads the assault against Christianity you might say.   True – but think about it – can you imagine some minor bureaucrat in the VA pulling this crap under President George W. Bush?  Hell no!  Having a Democrat dominated administration green lights every heathen, pervert, and half-wit to move the evil agenda forward.  In every race in Virginia this year, just as Obama is on the ballot subliminally, so is God.  The difference is that Obama is represented by the (D) and God is represented by the (R). 

That’s why being a “Christian and Democrat” as my fellow parishioner’s bumper sticker declares is impossible.   You don’t have to talk politics to get to that conclusion; you just have to evaluate your Christian values.  

      

Bad Surprise for Congressman Allen West

The Press is making much of retired Lieutenant Colonel and newly minted Congressman Allan West’s (R-FL) response to Congresswoman Debbie Wassermann-Shultz (Moron-FL) recently.  I think that you should at least consider West’s position before you jump to conclusions about whether he was justified or not.  . 

I think that West may be suffering from Post Traumatic Revelation Syndrome (TRS)*.  This hasn’t anything to do with his honorable service in war, but rather the shock of arriving in Congress to find someone like Debbie Wassermann-Schultz was there.  I mean who in their right mind would have thought that someone could actually vote for a person that contemptible?  To find the United States Congress populated by so many Democrats may have triggered TRS.  Have you ever seen so many liars, cheats, and scumbags in one place before? 

Consider for a moment that West arrived in the House chamber populated with vermin like Barney “The Pimp” Frank (Pervert- MA), Antony “Tony the Pole” Weiner (Pervert-NY), and Charlie “Catch me if you can” Rangel (Tax Cheat-NY).  You can rest assured that the American Army doesn’t coddle disgusting human beings like these or Wassermann-Schultz.  Again – consider that West had to arrive in Washington, DC with several gallons of Lysol to clean his seat and office of the filth left behind by the Democrat he replaced. 

Consider that the last time West met anyone as vile and disgusting as Wassermann-Schultz they were (as Wassermann-Schultz is) an enemy of the United States of America.    West is used to fighting people like well known liberal Saddam Hussein who at least admitted that he hated America. 

Personally I chalk this up to the same reaction that Congressman Joe “You Lie” Wilson (R-SC) had when the President stood in front of the US Congress.  Joe knew the President was lying, hell everyone with half a brain knew the President was lying – but no one was doing anything – well Joe did.  In the fallout that followed – the press never considered that the President was indeed lying – they just mercilessly attacked Joe Wilson who told the truth.  Similarly Debbie Wassermann-Schultz is everything that West’s words painted her to be – yet West is attacked for pointing it out. 

As I did at the time with Congressman Wilson – I’m going to head over to Allen West for Congress and make a contribution to West.  I recommend that you do the same. 

*Note:  That is satire; I made up Traumatic Revelation Syndrome (TRS).  I know that conservatives picked that up but Liberals have no sense of humor or irony.  

       

Undermining what is good for us

I never stop marveling at the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.  They created Senators who would be appointed by the several States.  This relationship was important in that it tied their allegiance to that State and not the whims of the electorate or the Federal government.  The 17th amendment changed that for the worse.  Senators were also put in office for six years to shield them from the passionate whims of the people.  The thought was that they would be courageous and intelligent statesmen - but the Founders didn’t envision Harry Reid. 

We are seeing exactly how badly we have undermined our Constitution through the 17^th Amendment with this obstructionist, do nothing Senate.  Now Senators are nothing more than super-Congressmen who we can’t get rid of for six years. 

Now the United States Senate stands right in the way of a solution to many of our current problems.  There are a couple of outfits that are proposing a repeal of the 17^th amendment.  I’m on board. 

 

Cut, Cap, and Balance

The Honorable James Webb and Mark Warner,

I anticipate that Congress will pass and forward to the US Senate the bill referred to as “Cut, Cap, and Balance.”  I consider it your specific duty to Virginians to push this legislation forward and vote in favor of passage through the Senate.  Don’t get lost in arguments about whether or not the President will sign it – he should and he must.  Don’t get lost in the hysteria about lost programs and reduced government services – that must happen and it must start immediately. 

Our Nation is at a crossroads.  Burdened by phenomenal levels of debt, we must reverse course now.  You both are in the right place and now is the right time to balance the Federal budget.  It is the right thing to do. 

Just look at how much pleasure Democrats get now from taking credit for when Speaker Newt Gingrich pushed through Representative John Kasich’s balanced budget.  You two could be sitting around over a beer in a few decades reminiscing on how you helped balance the budget.  Conversely, you could be painted as one of the chumps who when the opportunity to be courageous presented itself voted for political expediency settling an ever increasing mantle of debt on subsequent generations.  I recommend you try being brave. 

Do the right thing – that is what Senators are paid to do.  Support, champion, and vote for “Cut, Cap, and Balance.”  

Sincerely Yours, 

 

It’s only a Billion dollars

I continue to watch the various pundits, elected officials, and commentators discuss issues related to our Federal debt.  I know – I can’t help it.  But I am tired of hearing people say “That’s only XX billion dollars” like it is an insignificant amount of money. 

Sunday some talking head pointed out that eliminating the accelerated depreciation that purchasers of corporate jets enjoy thanks to the Obama “stimulus package” would only save $3 billion over the next few years.  Personally I don’t think that anyone should get special tax breaks at all – but $3 billion is not trivial.  Hell – it might be a great place to start. 

Ethanol subsidies only cost taxpayers $6 billion every year but let’s whack that out of the budget while we’re at it. 

We only waste half a billion on Public Broadcasting each year – let’s kick that in too.  No one I know watches that crap anyway.  Further taxpayer funds are funneled from a wide variety of sources such that the $422 million you see is the tip of the proverbial iceberg.  Shutting down the Corporation for Public Broadcasting would result in a wave of saved costs throughout the Nation. 

I don’t want to hear the word “only” anymore in regard to the debt.

 “That will only save us $2 Billion” is banished from the argument.  It’s a good start – throw it in.  Now go find another $1.63 TRILLION.  

 

History Will Treat Bush Well

President G.W. Bush survived the greatest assault on the truth by a conspiratorial media who sought to destroy his reputation and the record of his administration.  The seething hate for George Bush in liberals (democrats, socialists, progressives, leftists, whatever) was so demented that it always said more about the Bush haters than it ever said about GW.  Similarly President Bush’s activities after leaving office say much about him as well.  If you watch this video and still hate GW – you have a clinically diagnosable psychiatric problem – go get help: 

God Bless you President George W. Bush and thank you for your service to this country.  

 

Be Partisan Republicans – It will be our salvation

The newest tactic from the left (liberals, progressives, democrats, socialists, whatever) is to accuse Republicans of being “partisan.”  It isn’t new really, but they are whipping it out now because they don’t have anything else.  Essentially the argument is to leave “partisanship at the door” in order to achieve an agreement – in this case to resolve the debt “crisis.”  This is the Rodney King solution applied to an argument – “Can’t we all just get along?” they say. 

Well – in a word “No” apparently we can’t.  This anti-partisan line of argument ignores the fact that there are completely valid and rational reasons why there are political parties.  The people who are sitting in opposition to President Obama belong to the Republican Party and have reasoned thoughtful opinions that steer them to be Republicans.  In Virginia we couch those beliefs in a Republican Creed that outlines what we believe: 

We Believe:

That the free enterprise system is the most productive supplier of human needs and economic justice,

That all individuals are entitled to equal rights, justice, and opportunities and should assume their responsibilities as citizens in a free society,

That fiscal responsibility and budgetary restraints must be exercised at all levels of government,

That the Federal Government must preserve individual liberty by observing Constitutional limitations,

That peace is best preserved through a strong national defense,

That faith in God, as recognized by our Founding Fathers is essential to the moral fiber of the Nation.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to read those bullets and understand why Representative Eric Cantor is on the opposite side of each and every issue from the President.  President Obama, Representative Nancy Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid don’t believe any of those things.  Yet those core beliefs are what make a Republican a Republican.  Each one of those core values impacts every potential solution to the current debt crisis.  Therefore it is no more possible for Eric Cantor to leave “partisanship” at the door than it would be for him to leave his intellect, reason, or common sense. 

Perhaps Eric Cantor should ask the President to leave his socialist ideology at the door?  

     

Another episode of you didn’t ask but . . . .

I am annoyed to be restacking the Republican declared field of Presidential candidates for Congressman Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan’s 11^th District.  I’m not at all sure what makes “Thad” think that he is ready for a run at National office, but I will humor him and rack him and stack him with the rest of the gang. 

1.  Governor Tim Pawlenty – fading fast.  Tim just isn’t getting any traction with the American people.  I remain convinced that the best candidate will come from the ranks of our governors and of the declared governor candidates I assess Tim to be the most capable.  However he can’t seem to light a fire under his campaign. 

2.  Congresswoman Michele Bachmann – I wish she would run for governor of Minnesota first, but my only concern for her executive experience prevents her from moving up.  She has handled herself well with the variety of goofy questions that she gets from the ignorant press and she has the right position on all of the issues.  My biggest fear of anyone so closely aligned with the TEA movement is the “Sharon Angle effect.”  Essentially she will split the vote of more electable candidates as Angle did in the 2010 Nevada Senate race and then get blown away in the general election. 

3.  Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain – Cain won the recent Conservative Leadership Conference straw poll with 24% of the vote.  Those folks obviously see something that is not readily apparent to me. 

4.  Senator Rick Santorum – Hello, are you out there?  If you’re out there say something exciting to get in the news 

5.  Congressman Taddeus McCotter – Thad debuts at number five.  I don’t like the lawyer-legislator combination but he seems to be in the right area on the issues.  His anti-tax and anti-TARP votes paint him as a fiscal conservative.  He has supported the Iraqi and Afghan wars even against intense pressure at home.  He’s got guts, let’s see him in the arena. 

6.  Governor Mitt Romney – I caught part of Romney’s interview with Sean Hannity – not lighting me up Mitt. 

7.  Governor Jon Huntsman – It appears that his campaign lasted about as long as it took to get off Liberty Island.  Good riddance. 

8.  Speaker Newt Gingrich – Newt is coming dangerously close to falling into the ranks of the preposterous candidates like Congressman Ron Paul and Governor Gary Johnson. 

Warning – when Governor Perry throws his hat in the ring, you all move down a spot.  

      

What would Jesus say?

Congressman Charlie Rangel in a stunningly out of character speech invoked the name of Jesus recently.  “What would Jesus do?” said Charlie.  Indeed.   As Charlie doesn’t have a clue as to what Jesus would say he more or less left it for us to decide.  His objective was to try and propel debt ceiling negotiators to do something stupid.  While I don’t pretend to know exactly what Jesus would say about Charlie and our current predicament, I think I have an educated opinion. 

Well Charlie, the first thing that he might tell you is to stop being such a damn liar.  Jesus would probably tell you to pay your taxes.  Jesus would probably tell you to work on defeating homosexual marriage in New York.   You live in that cesspool – you should help clean it up.  Jesus would probably ask you how you could support abortion that has murdered 50 million babies in America.  No doubt Jesus would ask you why you are in the tank for the party of evil.