My Response to Mr. Faris

Agreed, Mr. Faris,

I, being a Texan by birth and a citizen of the greatest state in the union, would totally welcome the opportunity, if given, to leave the Union. Here's why:

1. We don't want the bailout money cause we can overcome this "depression" on our own. There is no such thing as free money, there are always strings attached. People have become obsessed about free money without any regard to the consequences. I prefer to earn mine and do with it what I please.

2. Contrary to popular belief, most Texans love the United States and what it and its Constitution stand for, else I doubt we'd have joined the union in 1845. Gov. Perry reaffirmed his belief, along with the vast majority of Texas Senators and Legislature in the United States Constitution's 10 amendment.

3. Also if you believe for one second that Texas leaving the Union is good for the country, let me remind you that Texas is the second largest state in the Union. Not to mention the second largest population, meaning a lot of the beloved federal government's tax dollars would disappear. We have no income tax, and the seventh lowest per capita in the United States. Which means the majority of our money stays where it belongs, in the hands of the people who earned it. I would also like to point out that Texas is a tax donor state meaning that for every dollar a Texan paid to the federal income tax the state receives approximately .94 cents in tax dollars. Can Pennsylvania say that?

4. Texas alone has a gross state product of around 1.09 trillion, which happens to be the second highest in the nation. We also happen to have the most fortune 500 companies in the country headquartered in Texas.

5. Our universities are some of the best in the country. University of Texas and Texas A & M, just to name a few of the best known.

6. Texas also happens to be the nation's leader in having the most farms and highest acreage of farms, as well as the leading livestock producer in the country. Cattle being the most valuable livestock, but we also lead the nation in sheep and goat products. We also grow the most cotton in the country, and vast quantities of both cereals and various produce. Texas also leads in creating cement, crushed stone, lime, salt, sand and gravel. Without raw materal it will be difficult to build buildings and roads.

7. Unlike most states, Texas has its own alternating current power grid, not to mention our electric services are deregulated allowing for power companies to compete with each other. Another example of free market economy which probably disgusts you.

8. Texas has petroleum deposits of around 5 billion barrels, which is roughly a quarter of the entire United States reserves. I think you'd miss that when you can't drive to school when you get ready to start the 28th grade at the University of Pennsylvania.

9. As far as "green" energy, Texas is a leader in renewable energy by producing the most wind power in the country. So you'd be missing all that wonder green energy, you blue folks talk about all the time.

10. Our technology sector and well as commerce, airports, highways, railroads, culture, arts, sports are some of the best in the country.

So yes sir, I'd believe we'd be just fine without "Blue" America, most of which isn't blue to begin with. Oh yes, our president has promised change, but as far as I can see he is continuing the practices of the Bush administration by spending money the government doesn't have. He wants to have a civilian defence force to protect us from terrorist? I think our FBI and first responders do a heck of a job. He wants to triple the size of Americorps through the "GIVE" act? Why? Americans give more money to charitable organizations and volunteer more then any other nation on earth. That's tax payer money that can go to the deficit. I don't even remember what his budget is supposed to run except that its the largest in our nation's history, so he tries to convince Americans that if he cuts 100 million of a several trillion dollar budget, that he's actually trying to save money? We aren't stupid, well most of us aren't. I see it right through him as do most Texans. I also saw through the Bush administrations decisions as well, just so I can prove to you this isn't about President Obama.

I also believe you need to check your geography because Alabama is not a bordering state. But hey, if you and your buddies don't want Alabama either we'd be more then welcome them to join us. I think you'd be surprised most of the south feels the way Texans do about whats happening in our country. We just happen to be a little more vocal, and we believe in free speech. I suppose you didn't notice the tens of thousands of tea party gatherers all around the country, even in your blue states. You didn't notice because you "blue" people think the tea party concept is anti - Obama. The concept is based on uncontrolled government spending, misuse of tax dollars, and the slow erosion of freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

If you want big brother Obama to hold your hand all your life that's fine with me. Here in Texas we take care of ourselves, and if forced, we'll show that we can.


Mr. Faris' article can be found here.

*all information was taken from wikipedia and its sources.

100 Days, Opposing Viewpoints

100 days.

Almost seems longer. To some though, it would seem that everything is fine in our country. The stock market has made some gains. While to others, it seems as if enough has not been done pointing to an 8.5% unemployment rate, not too mention homes are still being lost and lives are being changed.

We have some, through works of art, who want to paint a picture of the leader of our current administration as the messiah. While others feel the very opposite and horrified at the idea of proclaiming a simple man the 2nd coming of our Lord.

While the above picture offends my sensibilities as a born again christian. (Speaking of offense, it's quite alright to for me to be offended by leftist propaganda, but not alright for me to offend the left, because if I do I am either a racist, or a nazi, neither of which is true.) It makes me wonder a few things. Are we as a people lost enough to set up a man, who really hasn't accomplished anything in office? Granted his election to the office of president, was a long time coming. It honored me, as a former military service member, to see Americans get over the object of race in an election such as this. It honored me because it gave me proof that the sacrifices that some of my Brothers in Arms made, some even paying with their lives, that America is still free and that freedom and equality are worth fighting for.

Having said that, I believe to put the mantle of Jesus on a man is simply blasphemous. Because if the Lord had come again, I wouldn't be here writing this post. I'd be with the Lord in Heaven.

I'd like to present two articles, one presented by the associated press writers, Ron Fournier and Trevor Thompson, and another article coming from the New York Post, I apologize but I cannot locate the author's name at this time. The article is named 100 Days, 100 mistakes.

Mr. Fournier's and Thompson's article is here.

The Opinion piece from the New York Post can be found here.

So after having read both of those articles, I had to ask myself, what's the answer? Are we good? Have the issues been resolved? If they have, at what cost? If they haven't, what needs to be done?

The answer is, as far as I can see it, that the country is no better off then what it was 100 days ago. We have government involved in the private sector. The Tea Parties that are occurring across the country have been dubbed "rightist," "anti-Obama," and "racist," by the main stream media. In truth they are the exact opposite. They are made up of both democrats and republican who are fed up with government spending, and who want to see a return to the basics of what are United States Constitution delineates.

We have bailouts that go to banks that don't want them. They are told they will take them, and then told they may not pay them back. We have government treading where it shouldn't and it is up to the people of the country to take a stand and throw out via election, or at worst impeachment, those in office who do not want to follow the constitution.

We have the government involved with unions and other organizations that are demonizing companies like AIG, who by contract, paid their executives bonuses they were do. A contract is a contract is a contract. If there are bonus clauses in those executives contracts and they fulfill those obligations then they deserve their bonus. It is not government's place to tax them 90% of that bonus. Especially when there is evidence that links a senator to receiving money from the said company, who had received a bailout from the government. Where's the integrity in that? Since when do we let someone, who has received money from a company, preside over a bailout giving to that company? Madness, is what that is.

100 days have come and gone. We are no better off, due to government spending, and allocating money to project with no plan in place. That amounts to paying a construction contractor up front for the full amount and not telling him what you want. People just don't do that, they want a plan when dealing with a contractor and some even a time line. But our federal government, throws money at an idea with no plan and no itinerary. So much for responsible government.

That being said, You and I both put these people in office, and come mid term elections if we are not happy with their performance, it will be time to vote them out. Hopefully, more constitutionally minded people will be put in office.

Left vs. Right or is it Something Else?

Image via Wikipedia

The Left vs. The Right.

Our teachers in high school government class taught us this basic information through teaching us the political spectrum. Due to Tax Day Tea Parties and other modes of expression, I have found myself wondering if that old adage is what this is all about. Or is it something else?

I have recently re-read the Constitution as well as the Declaration of Independence. Our founding fathers were concerned about the abuses of tyrannical government. What does this mean to us today? Are we seeing abuses from our federal government? I believe wasteful and out of control spending is going to send us down a road that we wont be able to recover from.

To dispel any thought that this is an attack on president Obama, let me do so now. George Bush Sr. (#41), was a republican and his spending record was atrocious, and apparently wasteful spending is genetic seeing as how his son, George W. Bush (#43), doubled the size of the deficit in eight years. Now we have a big spender in office (President Obama) who is going to double W's deficit in half the time. I suppose now we see the problem.

The government is spending money it doesn't have thanks to a federal reserve that isn't actually federal at all. In the last eight years, individual freedom's have suffered due to the Patriot Act, which wasn't even read before the vote took place. Now the time has come for Big Government on steroids, to take care of everyone, because some where along the way, we as Americans, have forgotten how to be responsible for ourselves.

What does this have to do with the political spectrum? How is this a war between the left and right? I am here to tell you both the democratic and republican parties DO NOT have our best interest in mind. The republicans forgot who they are and became big spenders just like there brethren across the aisle. So if the political spectrum we all have been taught is made moot, there has to be another force at work.

So what are the forces that are at war with each other in our country? Let me introduce TOTAL government vs. NO government. I think its pretty self explanatory. One side of the political spectrum says the government is responsible for all and will provide everything for all. The only problem with this view is that there is a serious lack of freedom. TOTAL government will regulate what time you go to work, what job you'll hold, how long you'll be there, how many children you'll have, what they will learn in school, what they won't learn in school. TOTAL government will burden citizens with extraordinary taxes, because after all who is going to pay for all the wonderful social programs? TOTAL government will disarm the American public, because if Total government has control of everyone, what is the need for an individual citizen to be able to defend himself? After all there will be rewards for people turning each other in and cops going from house to house to ensure enforcement of laws. As one might expect, none of this sounds good.

On the other hand, we have NO government. NO government says, who needs laws, who needs regulations, let everyone do what they want. For obvious reasons this is an exceptionally bad idea. There must be laws and there must be order. They must be so that citizens aren't robbing, killing or maiming each other to get the things they want or need.

Now it comes to the important part. What's the answer? I have one. Read our constitution. Our founding fathers, the geniuses that they were, gave us a document that provides a perfect blend of Federal government with state and local government. The check and balances that are there protect one branch from abusing the domains of the other branches of government. Everyone of our founding fathers deserve a Nobel award for that document. That document has all the answers we need. Congress has the right to coin money, not a private cartel of banks called the Federal Reserve. The Judicial system needs to stick to strict interpretation of the law instead of legislating it. The Executive needs stop issuing executive orders and committing our military to war, with out an official declaration from the will of the people also know as Congress. Our constitution as it is written is the solution to our problems. The constitution and some common sense that is.

I found this link that does a really good job of describing what I have tried to share with you. I am just a little peeved, because I thought I came up with something original. But I have since discovered that several people share this view as well. Jonah Goldberg and Glenn beck have both spoken and written on this topic.

Here is the video.

In the coming weeks I am going to attempt to get some long time friends of mine to make some post as contributors, I hope you'll enjoy them. This means also that I'll be updating maybe more then once a week. Until next time, stay safe.

Spending Money

Image via Wikipedia

I have bills.

Most Americans pay bills on a regular basis, and pay them on time. If we don't we get late fees, and sometimes the repo-man shows up and takes what doesn't belong to us. A lot of us tend to seriously focus on paying bills so we can keep all the things that we end up buying on credit, because if we don't there will be consequences to pay.

This lesson is a lesson forgotten or never learned by our leaders in Washington. Every fiscal year here of late the Federal Government has started with exactly $0.00 in the bank. From rampant spending in 2 "wars," to massive "bailouts", passed by two different administrations, our federal government spends money it simply doesn't have.

You and I receive late charges, repossessions, liens, garnishments and all types of penalties for not meeting our financial obligations, and at the same time our credit drops from "great" to "horrible." Pretty soon after all this occurs we find that banks and businesses do not want to business with us, because we have proven ourselves unreliable and incapable of tending our responsibilities.

However, the federal government does not experience this series of events. Due to the excessive printing of money by our "Federal Reserve," (which isn't federal at all) our currency has suffered tremendously since the Great Depression. For instance, that dollar in your pocket is only worth a whopping 3 cents when compared to what the dollar was worth around the 1930's and 1940's.

And since our federal government is continuing to spend at an outrageous rate, I would guess that our dollar will be worth even less in the coming years. Inflation will ensure that goods and services will be tougher to get.

If we return to the gold standard I believe we can have a fighting chance of fixing our economy. It would cause us to live within our means and to not overextend ourselves financially. I think it's time for our federal government to do the same. It needs to live within its means. It can't afford to bailout these corporations that "Are too big to fail."

There is the system we used to practice here in the United States. Businesses supplied goods and services to the population for a price that was determined by supply and demand. When those businesses made bad decisions or made bad errors in judgement, they failed, went bankrupt or reorganized at great cost, to meet the new consumer trends. If companies failed and went bankrupt, other companies quickly absorbed the vacuum left by that failed business. That system is called a free market economy. If your a socialist or communist you call it capitalism and says that it prays on the hard work of honest people. There is nothing from stopping anyone of us "normal folks" from becoming the next big thing in business. We all have that potential. Race doesn't matter, neither does sex or what area of the country you are from. If you have an idea, sell it. You want to run a company? Go to college and get that degree, start working for a company and work your way up or better yet start your own. Worried about getting the money to start up? Find a partner or series of partners. We all have the ability, but as Americans we don't have the desire anymore. We want "Big Brother's" help because we made bad decisions and only he can make it better (so he keeps telling us).

Our system works and it always has, if government interference is kept to a minimum. We have fallen into complacency and "self-entitlement" (I deserve this or that), and think that somebody, somewhere owes us something. My grandparents made themselves, they weren't extraordinarily rich, but they worked hard for all they had and owned a small business. We need to stop depending on "Big Brother" for all our needs. Right now, I am almost with out work, how am I going to feed myself and my family? I am going to get a newspaper come Monday morning and find a job. Will it be something I enjoy? Probably not. Will it pay what I normally make? Probably not? Will it cause me to have to evaluate what we spend money on? You bet it will. Will I have to give up some luxuries I enjoy? Most Likely. Will I survive? Darn, right I will. One way or another, and I am going to do it myself.

We need to all live within our means, so does our government. We all have the spark to do whatever we desire. Our lives are to live as we please. So, from now on say no to excessive spending personally and write your representatives, or better yet invite them to the tea parties happening all over the country, or go to them in Washington D. C. If we take care of our selves, we do not need "Big Brother" telling us what to do. Personally, I find it quite liberating, I bet our grandparents and the founding fathers felt the same.