We Have More in Common Than You Think

We Have More in Common Than You Think

The 2012 election is over and the winners and losers are already squabbling, which tells all of us that the next 4 years will be no different than the last 12 years.  Yes, it's always the same...nothing substantial is accomplished by Congress.  Why?

It's because 'We the People', keep re-electing the same idiots over and over again.  These so-called representatives of the American population have no fear of losing their positions, when statistics prove the 96% of incumbents are re-elected.  Therefore, instead of working for their constituents, these elected officials do whatever is necessary to keep them in office.  This includes using any type of scare tactics necessary to rile up the general population.

These scare tactics work...that's why our country is so polarized.  Every time either a Democrat or Republican uses a scare tactic, we fall for it, become enraged at whatever is being shoved down our throats and start developing resentment, anger and hatred for targeted people, regions or income brackets.

According to the media, the differences dividing our country are so vast, we have become a nation with 2 distinct philosophies on how to run the country.  I heartily disagree.  

Both camps of political philosophy, at the individual American level, actually agree on most matters affecting our great nation.  The trick is to find common ground and develop a working and suitable solution.  This can only be done at the grass-roots level because no political party will do what is right for America...they are only concerned about getting re-elected.

For example, a large majority of Americans believe term limits should be imposed on all elected officials.  There is no plausible way, we will get politicians to write legislation to kick themselves from office.  

Since the majority of Americans agree on term limits, then grass-root activists must develop and present a solution to this obstacle that prevents term limits.  This is easy...vote anyone, and I mean everyone, out of office if they have been there for more than a prescribed time.

Senators should only serve 2 full terms (12 years), then vote them out.  Congress representatives should be in office no more than 10 years, then vote them out.  Once politicians understand they will be gone after a specified time, you will be amazed at the difference in their actions while in elected office.

The large majority of Americans agree that our elected officials are "pampered", while in office...and they are.  From low level elected officials to the top of the Federal government, our politicians are the "upper crust" of American society.  This must stop.

I spent 20 years serving our country in the United States Air Force and only received a pension worth 50% of my pay at the time of my retirement.  For Congress, you are eligible for a pension after only 5 years in office and the maximum percentage can reach over 200% of their pay, after serving 30 or more years.  After serving 20 years, a member of Congress can receive a pension over 100% of their pay.  This is absurd, unfair and too costly.

If you want to learn more about the Congressional retirement plan, please go to:

http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30631.pdf

Why should there be a pension plan for members of Congress (or any other elected official) that equals or exceeds their pay while in office? 

If you read the Congressional retirement plan, it starts out at a minimum of 80% of the last 3 years of pay...after only 5 years!!!

I'm 100% positive that the majority of Americans are against this pension plan for Congress.  Of course the only people who can make a change to this system is Congress...never going to happen.

Again, by voting out everyone not later than 10 years, this problem is reduced; therefore cutting costs and eventually ridding ourselves of the entire pension plan and associated costs.

I believe there are numerous topics that affect each American that the majority of voters agree on...but we don't organize around these common ground topics, instead we take sides as dictated by political parties that always have an agenda that does not take into concern the opinions of most Americans.

It is now the time to begin organizing, gathering support and making choices that will benefit America; not continually hurting us.

Not for lemmings: Another 2 Years of Stalemate - It's All About Penis Size

Not for lemmings: Another 2 Years of Stalemate - It's All About Penis Size

Another 2 Years of Stalemate - It's All About Penis Size

Here we go again!  The elections are over and for 24 hours, the talk in Washington DC was about "working together to solve the problems of the Nation".  What a crock!

Now it's been 10 days since the election and everyone is drawing a line in the sand about what they (any and all elected officials) are willing to do and not going to do to fix the country.  It's not about doing "right from wrong", it's about who has the bigger ego (penis size).

Just like the perception that many men drive fancy cars as a part of "penis compensation", the back and forth crap in Washington DC and all other political levels should be considered the same as when some egotistical person drives a fancy car.

Now it's all about the "fiscal cliff".  This fiscal doomsday came about because Congress placed 12 people in a room for 8 weeks to determine a path to get out of the financial mess of our country.  The so-called fiscal cliff was put in place as a last resort, believing that none of the 12 Congress members would allow this fiscal cliff to occur and would work to map out a workable solution.  It didn't work, and now what we used as a last resort will occur in less than 6 weeks.

If 12 Congress members couldn't work out a solution in 8 weeks, what makes anyone, from the President to the lowest elected official, think this problem will be solved in less than 6 weeks.  Let us not forget that Congress granted itself 10 days off for Thanksgiving, plus 3 weeks for Christmas and New Years...so much for having time to work together.

We must also remember that over 96% of incumbents were re-elected by us....'we the people' that have the power to make change, but we gave up our rights to these elected idiots.

Yes, 'we the people', could have sent a powerful message to Congress by ridding ourselves of the folks that created this calamity.  Instead we developed the same attitude and ego of our elected idiots.  Even at the individual voter level, it was all about penis size.

The fiscal cliff will happen, no matter what Washington DC does for the problem.  Most likely it will be a short term fix, as it has been for the past umpteen years, and the problem will worsen.

So what do 'we the people' have to do?  We must rid ourselves of these idiots that just worry about penis size!  All they care about is re-election and we are like lemmings by falling for their crap every 2 years. 

If we rid ourselves of every Congress member (including Senators) that have been in office 10 years or more, you would see some fantastic cooperation among the new members of Congress.  

It's not about Democrat or Republican...it's about ego.  Does anyone honestly believe that raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans will create more jobs?  Every member of Congress would be affected by this plan and how many new jobs would each of these idiots create for America?  

If John Boehner is correct, by not raising taxes on wealthy Americans, more jobs will be created.  Hey John, how many jobs have you created by having lower taxes?  the same goes for Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Eric Cantor.  Nothing but hypocrites. 

Does anyone really believe that raising the minimum age to retire to 66 or 67 is going to kill the country?  Come on, most people know already plan to work beyond 65 because they have to continue to have a better income than Social Security.  So why the stiff resistance to this change by politicians?  You guessed it...penis size.

If we have a stated age requirement for people to retire, shouldn't that also apply to politicians? We do not need politicians in office for 20 or more years and being over 70 years old.  How can these people understand what is affecting the country, when they are more concerned about staying in office, building up their retirement accounts and dragging their oxygen tanks through the halls of Congress.

If my thinking is correct and individual Americans, including you and me, are more concerned about "drawing a line in the sand" wouldn't it be logical to vote these idiots out of office?  By telling Congress and all other elected officials that 'we the people' aren't going to follow their crap any more, doesn't that give us the biggest penis?

We don't need to drive sports cars, or have "bling" dripping off our bodies, or flash around a lot of cash to prove ourselves...all we have to do is rid ourselves of any elected official that has been in office more than 10 years.  That is what it will take to have the biggest penis.

President Obama is a "communist". Really?

It's only been a week since the election and instead of seeing a surge within the country to work together, there are large sections of the country that are doing everything they can, not to acknowledge the majority.

Even some "defeated" elected officials will not concede and allow the country and their constituents to move on.  Are the perks and privileges of power so strong that these defeated officials refuse to accept reality?

This is a good example of why our country is being torn apart, why we continue to have problems and will keep ourselves in a mindset of decline for the coming years.  There are members of my community that have gone so far as to call President Obama a "communist".  How does this help the country?

Granted, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but ask this...doesn't this opinion cause continued division within the country?  Let's stop generating personal hatred towards our leaders and work together to find ways to resolve our problems.

If you want to call President Obama a communist that's fine by me, but what are you willing to do to cut health care costs?  What are your thoughts on reducing the deficit?  

One more thing...why is Congress considering cuts to programs that assist the low income folks, but not cut programs that provide tax breaks to the rich?

The Republicans say that by giving tax breaks to the rich, the additional money will create jobs for all Americans.  How many extra positions will the millionaire politicians create?

The majority of elected officials at the Federal level are millionaires in their own right.  how many of these millionaire politicians stay awake at night thinking..."Hey, the government just saved me an extra $100,000 a year, I'm going to create jobs."

Do you think Kobe Bryant, Drew Brees, Jennifer Anniston, Denzel Washington, Tom Petty, Taylor Swift and others are worried about being taxed 2% more than they are now?

I think it's time for all Americans move together to find ways to fix the problems facing our country and name calling isn't doing a damn thing.

We Are the Only Ones Who Can Make Changes

We Are the Only Ones Who Can Make Changes

Everyone complains about all the problems in our great country, but we are also allowing these problems to continue by re-electing the same officials time and time again to offices at every level of government.

There are politicians that have been in elected office for 10, 20, 30 years or more and will stay in office as long as possible to amass their post-politician fortunes.  There are entire families that are either elected to, or appointed to government positions and stay there forever, yet are the same people that block any real reform at all levels.  Why?  Because necessary reform would mean an end to their draining of our country.

A large portion of our country, workers do not have automatic pensions, where you can earn more in retirement than when working on-the-job, yet most "public" employees have generous pension plans that are the envy of anyone.  While Americans have to live-and-die with stock market gyrations affecting their 401k retirement plans, "public" employees are guaranteed specific cost-of-living raises, pension contributions and other perks that are paid by taxpayers.  Enough!

For example, if a military member serves 20 years in service to our country, went to war several times and endured horrible situations, that person will receive a 50% pension, based upon the last 3 years of military pay.  Once retired, any cost-of-living allowances (COLA) must be voted and approved by Congress.

If a US Senator serves 20 years in the Senate, they receive will receive as a minimum, 80% of their pay when they leave the Senate.  The percentage may go as high as 200% of their pay as they remain in the Senate more than 20 years.  The COLAs for these "retirees" is automatic.

A member of Congress is eligible for a retirement pension after only 5 years in office.  This is a fact.  Go to:  http://www.senate.gov/reference/resources/pdf/RL30631.pdf  to read this yourselves.

This means that after only 5 years of doing nothing, a member of Congress receives a pension that someone in the military has to work 20 years.  Enough!

On of the main problems is that we continue to re-elect the same people to power positions over and over again.  These people make the rules that provide themselves with the luxuries only a few of the American public can achieve by working all their lives.  Enough!

Do I have all the answers?  Of course not, but I believe there are millions of Americans that have ideas, commitment and courage to make their voices heard and help steer our country in a different direction.

I am suggesting that a citizen groups around the country be formed and dedicated to correcting some of these problems that inevitably weaken our country.

My first suggestion...vote out any elected official, at any level of government, after serving 10 years in that office.  There are some situations where this can't be done, such as US Senators...but they can be dumped after 2 terms (12 years).

If you believe this idea has merit, please send me feedback by using the Feedback button at the bottom of this page.  nothing will ever change in this country, unless we initiate the change.

I will continue to use this forum to make my voice as loud as possible because it seems only the loudest are heard and achieve any change.

Thank you for listening.

Ways to cut the Deficit

With everyone shouting about the national deficit, I would think that all these folks would be entusiastic about any method that would pare down the deficit. sure they are...as long as it doesn't raise texes, affect that person specifically or cut obligated programs. Easy right?

How about this...in 2003 President Bush and the Republican congress passed a new prescription plan for senior citizens that amounts to $100 million per year. The problem is that this new obligation was never funded by Congress, meaning that each year we add $100 million to the deficit. There is a small co-pay for senior citizens that participate in the program, about 50 million people.

Instead of cutting the program, increase the co-pay by just $1. The new program pays for over 300 million prescriptions per year. By raising the co-pay $1, the program will pay for itself and produce a surplus of $200 million per year that could be applied to the deficit. Over a 10 year period that amounts to $2 billion placed on the deficit.

Each year, Americans are allowed to deduct interests paid on all types of loans (cars, homes, education, etc). We are the only country that collects taxes and allows this type of deduction. A typical year finds Americans claiming over $30 billion of interest on their annual income taxes. If we only permitted 50% of loan interest to be claimed on annual income taxes, we would have an additional $15 billion per year to service our national deficit. Over 10 years, that's another $150 billion.

Raise the retirement agr for Social Security from 65 to 70. Most Americans in this age bracket are counting solely on Social Security for their golden years, yet the money is running out fast. By raising the minimum retirement age, Social Security wold remain solvent for another 75 years, saving the government almost $50 billion per year.

Though people will bitch and scream about any change to a government program, we have to be realistic about the future of our country and real fixes. My suggestions will not cost the government more, won't cause any tax increases and will pare down the deficit in a manageable fashion with the least amount of damages to the populace.

fiscal restraint - yeah right!

For the past several months, allAmericans have heard how we much cut back on our budgets and save money. The members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, have been clamoring at the President for more fiscal restraint. Many politicians claim President Obama is going to drive the United States into bankruptcy.

If our worthy US Senators, who claim to fight for the average American, are so damn worried about fiscal responsibility, why did they give themselves $297 million to renovate their offices? That means each US Senator will have approximately $6 million to fix up their offices, buy new curtains, rugs and perhaps a good looking secretary that can't type.

Again will someone will please explain to me why we continue to re-elect incumbents at a greater than 90% return rate? By the way, not one Senator objected to this "perk".

Wake up America...we are doing this to ourselves.