Big T's Pic of the Day

Worth A Thousand Words

It is said that a picture or photo is worth a thousand words, and this one may be worth even more than that. I truly can’t believe the White House PR team allowed this photo to be released onto the official White House Blog, and it is public domain. President Barrack Obama’s true colors of character are showing. It’s amazing to me no one at the White House was able to see the arrogance in body language from Obama in this photo.

Police Sgt. James Crowley is the only one to show any compassion to help the elderly Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. down the White House steps into the Rose Garden. Obama walks to steps ahead unaware of the needs of his guest, lost in his own arrogance and ignoring them.

Through my journey in life I have learned two valuable ways to judge a man’s character. Watch how they act when things are not going their way, and watch how they treat people who can’t do anything for them or are less powerful than them. Especially when they think no one is looking.

The current president could take a lesson from the former president on how to treat his elders...

Hold On to Your Wallets Middle Class!

I couldn’t help but notice Sec. of Treasury Timothy Geithner and White House advisor Larry Summers were making their rounds on the Sunday morning talk show circuit yesterday. There seemed to be a new theme coming from President Barrack Obama’s White House.

All during the campaign we heard Obama promise tax cuts for 95% of Americans, even though less than 95% of Americans pay taxes, but that is a whole different story I already covered. Anyways, now they won’t commit to uphold the tax only the rich pledge and the new theme is “We can’t rule out taxes on the middle class.”

Geithner told George Stephanopoulos deficit reduction is going to be the key to economic recovery, but when asked if the president will have to break his pledge to 95% of Americans he said this:

“We’re going to have to do what’s necessary. We have to bring these deficits down dramatically, and that is going to require some real hard choices.”

Yeah…real hard choices, not like Geinther is paying his taxes anyway.

Then we have Summers who was on CBS Face the Nation and NBC Meet the Press who admitted he cannot rule out tax increases on the middle class in order to pay for Obama’s healthcare reform plans.

“It’s never a good idea to absolutely rule things out no matter what, but what the president has been completely clear on is this:

That he is not going to pursue any of his priorities, not health care, not energy – nothing – in ways that are primarily burdening to middle-class families.”

Did you catch the key phrase that tells all? “Primarily burdening…” In plain English he is basically saying the middle-class is going to be burdened, but not burdened as much as the rich.

Hold on to your wallets middle class! They are coming for your money next.

Hawaii Residents Now Taxed On Vegas Winnings Even If They Lose!

State governments are scrambling to reform their tax codes in order to bring in more tax revenue. Are they lowering taxes to bring in more businesses, create more jobs, which generates more tax revenue? Well some states are, but the majority are finding every way they can to raise taxes.

Hawaii has recently increased its top marginal tax rate to 11 percent making it tied with Oregon for the highest in the country. Hawaii is also going to tax its residents on gross winnings from Las Vegas trips not just the net winnings.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle signed the bill this month that will no longer allow gamblers to offset their winnings with their losses. So, what exactly does that mean?

Well, lets say you sit down at the roulette table and win $10,000 then you go and play black jack and lose it all. You then try your luck at the craps table, but you crap out there too and lose $5,000. So now you are down lets say $5,000. That is a net loss of $5,000, but your gross winnings were $10,000. You as a Hawaii resident would now owe taxes on $10,000. Your gross winnings!

Don’t you just love government and taxes?

I Thank God My Parents Drugged Me!

This came in my e-mail today. It is so true!

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question.

"Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?"

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young:

I was drug to church on Sunday morning.

I was drug to church, weddings and funerals.

I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.

I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity.

I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and cockleburs out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends, and neighbors to help out some poor soul, who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say, or think.

They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Big T's News and Views From Around the Web

If there is only one thing you read today I hope it is this column by Charles Krauthammer on the evolution of Obama’s health care reform.

Here is a summary of House Republican’s healthcare bill they released the other day. It is not flawless, but I like it a lot better than the Democrat’s bill already on the table.

Patients in Great Britain can’t seem to get painkilling meds because the National Health Service has rationed them…I am sure that would never happen once we get national health care here!

Check out the type of health insurance and benefits Congress enjoys. Now ask, do you think they are going to drop this for the plan they are trying to give us?

Blue Dog Democrats have cut a deal. There will not be a vote on healthcare reform before the August recess.

Home schooling is already illegal in many other countries. Now the question: “Do parents or the State own the rights to educate your children?” Is being asked here. Will we outlaw home schooling as well? Power hungry politicians and teachers unions would like nothing less.

Charlie Rangel is pushing for a 5.4% tax hike, because it is “the moral thing to do.” He must think it is moral to raise them, but not to pay them. Since he didn’t pay his.

Amazing! Even the New York Times admits that Barack Obama’s pledge to only increase taxes on the rich is unsustainable.

John Stossel points out something I have been saying for years… Minimum wage equals minimum jobs. Of course he lays it out a lot better than I ever could. Good read.

There is some common sense left in DC! Liberal and Conservative Senators are uniting on a bill to reinstate the DC School Voucher program.

Imagine this…you are driving in a 30 mph zone, when you see drag racing teenagers traveling right toward you. They hit you head on at 81mph. Now one of the teenagers is suing you!!! How does this make sense? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

A bank teller in Seattle chases a robber down and detains him until police arrive…They should have gave him a medal, but instead he was fired.

Big T’s Pic of the Day

Here is a nice little Bible bag with the "Messiah" I mean President Obama...Now for those of you who think there is no way this can possibly be real, here is a link where you can order your own!

Big T is Back…unleashed and holding nothing back!

After a long break from the blogosphere, I am back, unleashed and holding nothing back! I have bit my tongue long enough…There is so much going on. Lots of stuff to blog about out there; bailouts, universal healthcare, cap and spend. I am just not sure where to start…So let’s just jump in…

Lets start with some Random Thoughts.

*If PETA thinks they are upset with President Obama for swatting a fly during an interview, they should hang out with me for a week during deer season!

*I don’t understand the backlash towards President Obama. More and more people say they regret voting for him, because this is not what they voted for…I have to ask them; What were they voting for? Obama is doing everything he said he was going to do during the campaign. This is the change you voted for. Hope you all enjoy it.

*If I haven’t offended you or made you mad yet with my insensitive approach to the world, keep reading eventually I will. If you find I can’t offend or upset you, then you just may be the type of person I would like to get a drink with…But I will just keep trying anyway!

*I have been told at least four times in the last two days that I am insane, nuts or crazy for one of my hobbies of racing go-karts…yeah maybe. Truth is I am an adrenaline junkie with a need for speed.

*It is said you learn twice as much from your mistakes than you do when you do it right. If this is true, I must be a genius…if you wrote all the mistakes I have made in my life down on paper it would require cutting down a small forest.

*I am really not seeing the difference between gambling on sports and playing the stock market right now, other than my gambling portfolio is looking a lot better than my stock market portfolio.

*I really cannot stand the idiot from the Dos Equis commercials. He is not interesting and Chuck Norris could kick his ass!

*Former President Bush can criticize big bailouts and government spending all he wants, but lets not forget he is the one that opened the door for the bailouts and spending grew to all time highs under his administration…Mr. Conservative he was not!

*So motor sport’s best known woman driver Danica Patrick wants to make the move from open wheel racing in the Indy League to stock car racing in NASCAR…hope she doesn’t get her feelings hurt when she fails to qualify and make the starting field like so many other open wheel drivers before her…

*And here is something for my baseball fans to chew on. I know many will not agree, but I think the NL Central is the best division in Major League Baseball. They have four teams above .500, and I predict the winner of this division will win the World Series…Unless it is the Cubs…It will be a cold day in hell before they win it all.

A Republican Resurgence? Not with this party!

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele vowed a few months ago that the GOP was going to go after President Barrack Obama more aggressively regardless of his popularity and claimed the Party has turned the corner predicting a Republican resurgence. A Republican Resurgence he says? Uh…not with the clowns in the Party now…

Now, apparently a lot of people within the Party do not think it is such a good idea to attack the most popular Democrat and would go after less popular Democrats to show their muscle. This next quote is actually a decent line from Steele.

"They suggest that instead we should go after Nancy Pelosi, whom nobody likes. Or Harry Reid, whom nobody knows. Or this Tim Geithner fellow, whom nobody believes. Or maybe even Barney Frank, whom nobody understands," said Steele.

After traveling around the country, Steele claims he has seen a stronger party than the one portrayed in Washington and credited last month’s “Tea Party” protests with providing a boost to the party’s grassroots. “This change comes in a tea bag,” Steele declared. Oh…what a yawner…sorry, but I just can’t get energized by this…

First off, if Steele thinks the Tea Parties is a reflection of the grass roots of the Republican Party he is more out of touch with Americans than I previously thought….unless he thinks Libertarians are grass root Republicans.

The “Tea Parties” from my experience was largely bi-partisan. I know several people who attended and out of that group there were Democrats, Independents, Libertarians and Republicans with Independents and Libertarians making up the majority. There were even people who voted for Obama that was not happy with their change!

Anyways, Steele also had this to say.

“Our success will not be found in dusting off old campaign manuals from the 70’s and 80’s,” he said. “Our success will be found in speaking directly to the American people about a rebirth of the American Dream for this generation and generations to come.”

Well Mr. Steele, perhaps you should dust off those old manuals from the 70’s and 80’s and learn the principles of Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan since this was the last time the Party actually had a platform worth standing on…

Here is an idea for the Republican Party…Instead of worrying about which Democrats to point your fingers at and attack, how about coming up with some issues to run on that matter! You could start with the FairTax.

Oh yes…and while I am on the RNC. Please quit calling me and asking…no begging is a better word… for donations and support! I believe both Parties have things so messed up we may never get it right again!

It’s Those Damn Southerners… They’re ruining the Republican Party!

The latest polls show that more and more Americans now consider themselves conservative, so why is it the Republican Party’s popularity is not on the rise and they continue losing voters? Ohio Republican Senator George Voinovich has the answer.

According to him, it is because of all those damn Southerners in the party. That’s right, Southerners are to blame for the Republican’s problems. Voinovich told the Columbus Dispatch the party is being taken over by Southerners like South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint and Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn.

Isn’t that just like a good Republican, if you are not pointing fingers at Democrats just point them at each other. It has to be someone else’s fault. It couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the fact the Republican Party has lost its way, has no real platform to stand on and lacks any original ideas. I mean lets face it; the only thing the Republicans have to offer is they are not Democrats, while they then try to act more like Democrats!

It looks like quite the resurgence to me!

War Hero Deserves National Memorial Service....We should never forget that!

I did not write this and do not know who did. I do not know if the writer actually met Shifty, but that fact is irrelevant to the point of the story that hit close to home for me. I thought I should share it with all of you...

We're hearing a lot today about big splashy memorial services. I want a nationwide memorial service for Darrell "Shifty" Powers. Shifty volunteered for the airborne in WWII and served with Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, partof the 101st Airborne Infantry. If you've seen Band of Brothers on HBO or the History Channel, you know Shifty. His character appears in all 10 episodes, and Shifty himself is interviewed in several of them.

I met Shifty in the Philadelphia airport several years ago. I didn't know who he was at the time. I just saw an elderly gentleman having trouble reading his ticket. I offered to help, assured him that he was at the right gate, and noticed the "Screaming Eagle", the symbol of the 101st Airborne, on his hat.

Making conversation, I asked him if he'd been in the 101st Airborne or if his son was serving. He said quietly that he had been in the 101st. I thanked him for his service, then asked himwhen he served, and how many jumps he made.

Quietly and humbly, he said "Well, I guess I signed up in 1941 or so, and was in until sometime in 1945 . . . " at which point myheart skipped.

At that point, again, very humbly, he said "I made the 5 training jumps at Toccoa, and then jumped into Normandy . . . do you knowwhere Normandy is?" At this point my heart stopped.

I told him yes, I know exactly where Normandy was, and I know what D- Day was. At that point he said "I also made asecond jump into Holland, into Arnhem." I was standing with a genuine war hero . . . and then I realized that it was June, just after the anniversary of D-Day.

I asked Shifty if he was on his way back from France, and he said "Yes. And it's real sad because these days so few of the guys are left, and those that are, lots of them can't make the trip." My heart was in my throat and I didn't know what to say.

I helped Shifty get onto the plane and then realized he was back in Coach, while I was in First Class. I sent the flight attendant back to get him and said that I wanted to switch seats. When Shifty came forward, I got up out of the seat and told him I wanted him to have it, that I'd take his in coach. He said "No, son, you enjoy that seat. Just knowing that there are still some who remember what we did and still care is enough to make an old man very happy." His eyes were filling up as he said it. And mine are brimming up now as I write this.

Shifty died on June 17 after fighting cancer. There was no parade. No big event in Staples Center. No wall-to-wall, back-to-back ,24/7 news coverage. No weeping fans on television. And that's not right.

Let's give Shifty his own Memorial Service, online, in our own quiet way. Please forward this email to everyone you know. Especially to the veterans.

Rest in peace, Shifty.

Big T's News and Views From Around the Web

According to a new Rasmussen poll only 23% of Americans believe healthcare reform will lower cost. I guess all that campaigning is not working.

Politicians are trying so hard to convince us this economic stimulus plan is working that they will count a job created even if it only amounts to 35 hours worth of work.

The Government Accountability Office is expected to add the US Postal Service to its list of “high risk” government operations.

Looks like the Cash for Clunkers program is already having problems…Government ran program…gee whodathunk that?

Are you buying Barack Obama's (very expensive) plan for cleaner, more fuel efficient cars? Here's a concept…why not let the free market decide if it wants more fuel efficient cars? Oh silly me, I forgot government knows best. Almost forgot. How unpatriotic of me I am sure.

Average temperature in Chicago for July was 68.9 degrees. It was the coldest July in more than 65 years. It must have been global warming.

Here is an interesting read…This author says that Obama's proposed mileage standards may kill more Americans at a faster rate than the Iraq War. Hey, I didn’t write it…

Here is a nice piece on Flat Tax vs. FairTax. There are a few inaccuracies in the Fair Tax analysis, but the general concept is there.

President Barrack Obama doesn’t think school choice is a solution to fixing the education system in this country. Unions are against the idea too. Interestingly, Obama used school choice in deciding where to send his kids. They go to a private school by the way.

Climate change is the terrorist America should be fighting, says Muslim leader. Riiight, climate change will be wearing a suicide bomb vest onto a crowded bus any day now.

A Politician in another country is accused of giving out gifts for votes from the public assets. Wow…seriously…we have a whole two party system that does that here! One party may be guiltier than the other, but they both do it…

Big T's Pic of the Day

This kid is definately going to be alright...

Queen Pelosi’s Personal Airline: the U.S. Air Force

Democrats have consistently ridiculed and condemned Fortune 500 Companies and CEOs for use of their private jets and wasteful spending in hard economic times, but what about Nancy Pelosi?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s business of running the U.S. House of Representatives not only gives her access to one jet, but a whole fleet of jets operated and ran by the Pentagon and the U.S. Air Force.

According to a report from Judicial Watch, Pelosi has repeatedly requested military aircraft to shuttle her, her colleagues and family around the country, and has been notorious for making special demands for high-end aircraft, lodging last-minute cancellations and racking up additional expenses for the military, all on the taxpayer’s dollar.

In one case Pelosi wanted to bring her husband along to a trip to Iraq . Pentagon officials had to remind Queen Pelosi that spouses are not allowed to go along on military trips.

In an email recovered with the help of a Freedom of Information Act request, Queen Pelosi’s aid Kay King writes: “It is my understanding there are NO G5s available for the House during the Memorial Day recess. This is totally unacceptable…The Speaker will want to know where the planes are.”

Let me translate: The Queen demands to know why there are NO G5s available for the Memorial Day recess. She wants to know where her G5s are at, and who is using them so she can decide whether or not their use is more important than her request.

Is she a public servant? Hardly… I used Queen Pelosi because that is the growing mindset of the political class in D.C. These people are our RULERS, elected yes, but still rulers. In their mindset we are here to provide for them ...to provide a basis for their power.

Agreeing with Obama on Teacher Pay and Charter Schools

I don’t think Hell has frozen over or pigs are flying, but someone better check just to make sure…President Barack Obama and I actually agree on something.

Obama gave a speech on education yesterday that has the teacher’s unions breaking pencils. Personally, I thought there were some good things and some bad things about the speech, but there were definitely two ideas I support.

First is merit pay for teachers. I know seems like a common sense concept, pay people based on performance, but this is something the teachers unions have been fighting for years. In general unions hate the idea of performance-based paychecks. They believe once you have a job you are entitled to keep it and pay is based on seniority. In fact unions generally try to isolate and de-motivate anyone who tries to excel or out perform others. Everyone is equal and does equal work in a union.

The second idea I support; charter schools. Obama spoke highly of charter schools. Now he won’t go all out and support school choice, but he will acknowledge charter schools work. This also is bad news for teachers unions. Why? Competition. The teachers unions hate competing for students and tax dollars.

Big T’s Letter to the IRS

I haven’t mailed yet, but…

Dear Internal Revenue Service,

I fully regret to inform you I will more than likely not be able to pay my federal income taxes owed on April 15 for I am all taxed out!

In the hard economic times that have fallen upon us, I ran out of money paying other taxes. I renovated some rental properties to help improve the look of the buildings and had to pay a building permit tax. This raised the assessed value of my properties which increased my property taxes. I also have corporate income taxes and capitol gains tax. The stress of this led me to start drinking and smoking again, and I was hit with a cigarette and liquor tax. I needed a friend and got a dog and was hit with a pet license tax.

There were also unemployment taxes, gasoline taxes, hunting license taxes, fishing license taxes, inheritance taxes, inventory taxes, luxury taxes, Medicare taxes, social security taxes, commercial real estate taxes, toll road taxes, sales taxes, telephone federal excise tax…and other taxes I can’t think of at the moment.

So please note, when you do not receive my payment on April 15, it is an honest mistake.

I also request that I receive the same treatment as Congressmen Charlie Rangel, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, former Congressman Tom Daschle and your new boss Timothy Geithner; penalty free with no interest.

I will start payments just as soon as I get my stimulus check, or will pay in full once nominated for a cabinet position by the president.

Thanks,

Big T

Some how I don't think this is going to work out in my favor...

Big T's News and Views From Around the Web

Here are two charter schools doing wonders with some of the poorest students from one of the worst school systems in LA County.

Taxpayers for Common Sense have a list of the top 20 biggest pork spenders in Congress. They love the bacon in Alaska…

53 percent of Americans now believe America is headed for another great depression within the next few years. That is depressing… Where is all the hope??? Obama…we need hope! Where is it?

Here comes stimulus bill number two! Queen Pelosi says we may need a second stimulus bill.

According to Forbes Magazine there has never been a period in U.S. history where tax rates and the size of government both increased, and the real GDP growth accelerated as sharply as the Obama team forecasts…

Democrats have introduced the card check bill and are working on passing it ASAP.
But what will happen immediately after the card check bill? Analysts say time to get rid of your Wal-Mart stock…got rid of mine when I dumped my whole portfolio last week.

Bernard Madoff will plead guilty to 11 criminal counts and faces life in prison for his investment ponzi scheme… Ponzi schemes like Social Security are OK when the government runs it.

A West Virginia woman has had brain surgery to try and lose weight. Now that is what I call a fat head!

A driver of an SUV in Dillsburg, Pa., fell asleep at a red light with his foot on the brake and a beer in the cup holder. He slept through six green lights before the cops showed up to give him a DUI.

I’m not a fan of the show, but I guess to vote you dial 1-866-idols-01 through 12 depending on the contestant you are voting for… Guess what happens if you dial 1-866-idols-13??? “Hey there sexy guy…”

Big T's Pic of the Day

Paul Harvey

1918-2009

R.I.P.

Paul Harvey was a genuine childhood memory for me. I can remember riding with my dad in his pick-up truck and Harvey would come on with his "The Rest of the Story."

I always enjoyed listening to Harvey and can still here him sign off: "Paul Harvey.....Good Day."

Good Night Paul Harvey... you will be missed.

My First CPAC

I was able to attend my first Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday, and I must say my experience at CPAC 2009 was unforgettable to put it lightly.

I was only able to attend on Saturday, but was glad to be able to be a part of the most attended CPAC in its 36-year history. I met some amazing people and seeing Rush Limbaugh in person was a perfect way to end the day and the conference.

CPAC 2009: Can Libertarians re-shape the GOP?

I left CPAC 2009 with a feeling that the conservative movement is stronger than ever, but the Republican Party may no longer hold the monopoly on the grass roots effort of the movement. Which is something that I suspected to be true for several years as more and more conservatives like myself left the party that abandoned their core base principles of smaller government, less spending and less government interference.

There seemed to be a huge Libertarian influence at the convention, with several Libertarian organizations such as the Cato Institute, Young Americans for Liberty, Campaign for Liberty and Ron Paul who gave a speech at the conference. One attendee told me the speech was powerful and the atmosphere inside the ballroom was electrifying. Paul had an impromptu book signing in the exhibit hall following the speech that was also well attended.
Saturday Afternoon I met and spoke with a volunteer for the Campaign for Liberty. She told me they were very happy with the impact they were making at CPAC. They held a “Tea Party” at Lafayette Park Friday afternoon with an estimated crowd of 200-300 people, which was pretty high for purely Internet activism.

On Friday night CPAC attendees squeezed into a crowded Hampton Room to see the Liberty Forum and others watched the forum on a screen in the hallway. The panel was made up of Ron Paul, Judge Napolitano, Tom Woods Bruce Fein, Mark Mix and Larry Pratt. The group defended free markets, civil liberties and non-interventionist foreign policy, with each speaker giving his unique perspective on limited constitutional government and individual rights.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Libertarian influence to me was the fact that Ron Paul finished third with 14 percent in the straw poll asking: Who would you vote for as the next republican nominee for president behind Mitt Romney with 20 percent and La. Gov. Bobby Jindal with 14 percent.

There is no doubt the Libertarian influence was one of the big stories of CPAC, even though the mainstream press didn't and will never mention it.

The Republican Party no longer holds the monopoly on conservatism. If the so-called leaders of the party elite are smart enough to recognize this, they will welcome Libertarians in just like they did with the Christian right in the 1980’s.

Rush Limbaugh Rocks CPAC and Emerges as a Leader of Conservative Movement, but not the Party.

CPAC attendees started lining up 2 hours before Rush Limbaugh was to give the keynote speech at the convention. Within half an hour the line stretched all the way through the Omni Shoreham hotel and out into the street. Rush was in such demand crowds were placed into two large over-flow rooms with giant projector screens and some were even turned away. It was by far the largest audience ever for a speaker at CPAC shattering the record audiences set by Ronald Reagan.

As Limbaugh was introduced the room instantly sprung alive and filled with energy. In fact it was so energetic, Limbaugh was scheduled to speak for half an hour; but convention organizers told him to keep going. He ended up speaking for an hour and a half, and it was the re-awakening of a sleeping giant that is ready to rumble. It is American Conservatism, and I was thrilled to be there to see it, witness it and be a part of it.

Two things I want to harp on from the speech. Limbaugh discussed and defined conservatism in the words I have been searching for, but could never quite find.

Limbaugh told the crowd most Americans think they know what conservatism, but they know it the way it is packaged by the media and Hollywood in movies and such. We conservative know what conservatism is, but we make the mistake and assume everyone else does too. We need to do a better job of telling people who we are.

Limbaugh: “Let me tell you who we conservatives are: We love people. (applause) When we look out over the United States of America, when we are anywhere -- when we see a group of people, such as this or anywhere -- we see Americans. We see human beings. We don't see groups. We don't see victims. We don't see people we want to exploit. What we see -- (applause) what we see is potential. We do not look out across the country and see the average American -- the person that makes this country work -- we do not see that person with contempt. We don't think that person doesn't have what it takes. We believe that person can be the best he or she wants to be if certain things are just removed from their path like onerous taxes, regulations and too much government. (applause)

We want every American to be the best he or she chooses to be. We recognize that we are all individuals. We love and revere our founding documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. (applause) We believe that the preamble to the Constitution [sic] contains an inarguable truth that we are all endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, among them life, (applause) liberty, freedom, (applause) and the pursuit of happiness. (applause) Now, those of you watching at home may wonder why this is being applauded….. We conservatives think all three are under assault.”

Yes, Limbaugh misspoke, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are from the Declaration of Independence not the constitution, but that is not the point. Limbaugh is exactly right; these things are under assault straight from DC. Never in our history has there been an attack on our way of life so strong from within, but let’s also make one thing clear. The attack has not been limited to the current political party in power.

Republicans have done a nice job of growing government and destroying individual freedom as well.

Limbaugh addresses some of the Party’s problems as well, stuff I have been saying for years.

”Now let’s talk about the conservative movement as it were. We, ladies and gentlemen, have challenges that are part and parcel of a movement that feels it has just suffered a humiliating defeat when it’s not humiliating. This wasn’t a landslide victory, 52 to, what, 46. 58 million people voted against Obama. There would have been more if we would have had a conservative nominee. [Applause] I don’t mean that — I mean that in an instructive way, as a lead-in to what I’m talking about here. No humiliating defeat here. I can’t — sometimes I get livid and angry.

We do have an organizational problem. We have a challenge. We’ve got factions now within our own movement seeking power to dominate it, and worst of all to redefine it. Well, the Constitution doesn’t need to be redefined. Conservative intellectuals, the Declaration of Independence does not need to be redefined and neither does conservativism. Conservativism is what it is and it is forever. It’s not something you can bend and shape and flake and form. [Applause] Thank you. Thank you.

For the purposes of this occasion, I’m not going to mention any names, I bet with you I won’t have to. People watching my first address to the nation might be curious what I’m talking about. They’ll find out in due course, trust me on this. I cringed — it might have been 2007, late 2007 or sometime during 2008, but a couple of prominent conservative but beltway establishment media types began to write on the concept that the era of Reagan is over. [Crowd Booing]
And that we needed to adapt our appeal, because, after all, what’s important in politics is winning elections.

And so we have to understand that the American people, they want big government. We just have to find a way to tell them we’re no longer opposed to that. We will come up with our own version of it that is wiser and smarter, but we’ve got to go get the WalMart voter, and we’ve got to get the Hispanic voter, and we’ve got to get the recalcitrant independent women. And I’m listening to this and I am just apoplectic: The era of Reagan is over? When the hell do you hear a Democrat say the era of FDR is over? You never hear it. Not only that, the President of the United States today thinks he’s FDR, thinks he’s Abraham Lincoln, and sometimes, Tuesday night, thinks he’s Ronald Reagan. Our own movement has members trying to throw Reagan out while the Democrats know they can’t accomplish what they want unless they appeal to Reagan voters. We have got to stamp this out within this movement, because it will tear us apart. It will guarantee we lose elections.” [Applause]

What Limbaugh is describing is a lack of leadership. There is a lack of leadership in the Republican Party across the board, from the Republican National Committee, the Senate and the House. The leadership to stand up on conservative principles and stand up to the opposition, not trying to compromise or reach out has been missing from the party for a long time.

Millions of conservatives and republicans are sitting on the sidelines waiting to be led, but they won’t have anything to do with the RNC. When the RNC calls them for donations they get hung up on. They are sick of the opportunist elitists who can’t see past the DC beltway that have hijacked the Republican Party. The RNC is so far out of touch with whom their base is. They think they can win elections by selling big government better, by ignoring the base and appealing to moderates and independents. We all saw how well that worked out in the midterm election and the presidential election with John McCain.

It seems Limbaugh is the only one on the national level that realizes this, or is the only one with the guts to address it. Limbaugh may have emerged as one of the leaders of the conservative movement, and has sparked the real leaders of the movement, us, but he is not the leader of the Party. It will have to be the grass roots of this movement that will lead the elitist of the RNC back to the party’s core principles and values.

News and Views from Around the Web

Pat Buchanan has an excellent column about the cost of President Obama’s new budget and the taxes you are about to see to pay for it.

Interesting study “Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom” lists New Hampshire, South Dakota and Colorado in a three way tie for the freest states, New York is the least free…on personal freedom alone Alaska tops the chart, while Maryland brings up the rear.

Need cheap affordable housing? The median price for a house in Detroit is $7,500…

New study finds Muslims in the United States are happier than Muslims in other countries…they needed a study for this?

President Obama has nominated yet another with tax issues. Ron Kirk, nominee for US Trade Representative owes nearly $10,000 in back taxes. Is it a requirement to be a tax cheat to be nominated?

Stuart Rothenberg wonders if it’s possible for the GOP to loose even more seats in Congress…well, judging by their continuous betrayal of the base I would say the answer is an astounding yes!

Impeached Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is getting a six-figure deal to right a book…Amazing!

We've lost $3 trillion in American wealth since the election. Investors are walking away. Capital is on strike. Why? According to Investor's Business Daily, the people with the money just have no confidence in the person with the power. This is not good…

Big T's Pic of the Day

I told you it was a relifious following!!!

This photo was taken at a Borders Bookstore in the north east.

If you oppose the stimulus, don’t take the money?

Liberal commentator and Clinton buddy, Paul Begala, is criticizing S.C. Governor Mark Sanford over his opposition to the stimulus bill. He says if you oppose the bail out don’t take the money.

If I was Sanford I would respond back: “I won’t take the money if constituents and business in my state doesn’t have to pay federal income tax.


Then watch business and new jobs flock to S.C to avoid taxes….You know, the FairTax would do the same thing for all those jobs that have been taxed out of the country overseas.

Let’s Call It What It Is…

It’s all in the name…politicians love names, especially the left. If what you call something has a negative context just change the name. Liberal become progressive, because who doesn’t like progress. Welfare checks are now “handouts.” Government spending has become “re-investing.” And that takes us to the economic stimulus plan, which will now be called the “Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.”

It was never a stimulus plan anyways, but it is not much of a recovery plan either. Why don’t we just call it what it is? “The Government spending, growth, expansion and Democrat job insurance plan.”

Socialist Republic of Illinois trying to make it harder for gun owners

The Socialist Republic of Illinois (My home state) is doing everything they can to make it harder to be a gun owner. The Illinois legislator would like nothing more than to disarm its citizens, but they know they can’t pass laws to do it. There is this little old outdated piece of paper called the Constitution with the Bill of Rights that contains the Second Amendment. However, what they do know is with enough government regulation they will eventually cripple and destroy the industry.

So Lawmakers in the state have put forth a bill that will require gun owners to maintain a liability insurance policy of at least 1 million dollars in coverage.

You can see this bill here: HB0687, the Firearm Owners ID-Insurance bill:

"Amends the Firearm Owners Identification Card Act. Provides that any person who owns a firearm in this State shall maintain a policy of liability insurance in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Provides that a person shall be deemed the owner of a firearm after the firearm is lost or stolen until such loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff of the jurisdiction in which the owner resides. Provides that the Department of State Police shall revoke and seize a Firearm Owner's Identification Card previously issued under this Act if the Department finds that the person to whom such card was issued possesses or acquires a firearm and does not submit evidence to the Department of State Police that he or she has been issued in his or her name a liability insurance policy in the amount of at least $1,000,000 specifically covering any damages resulting from negligent or willful acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Effective January 1, 2010."

Politicians are aware that law abiding gun owners are not the problem, but when you are in the business of absolute control over a group of citizens or a population controlling access to weapons is crucial.

Here is one thing to keep in mind. Government has one power that the rest of us do not. The government can use force to accomplish their goals. It has happened time and time again throughout history. We should be very concerned and untrusting of any politician who fears the thought of private citizens retaining the ability to defend themselves.

Nearly 60% of U.S. voters fear too much government spending

A new Rasmussen poll shows fifty-nine percent of U.S. voters are worried that the Democratic controlled Congress and President Barrack Obama will increase government spending too much over the next year or two.

Well golly…what the hell did you expect when you voted these jack asses into office? It is just a little bit late to be worried about that now. Elections have consequences folks.

However, it is not like a Republican majority would have been any better. Spending increased faster in the last eight years than any other time in history, and that is after you subtract spending on the war.

New Jersey schools to teach Finance 101 classes for high school seniors.

A bill has passed the state legislator in New Jersey that will require high school seniors be taught how to write a check, manage credit card debt, and obtain a mortgage.

It’s amazing they were not already being taught this stuff. I remember learning this stuff when I was in 8th grade and a freshman.

Of course leave it to a Democrat to express concerns about the added requirement.

Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Absecon, is worried about adding requirements to the curriculum without extending the length of the school day.

Of course what Whelan is really worried about is the idea of people actually being able to take care of themselves without the help of government. See that would be a loss of power.

Mistresses Feeling Economical Crunch

The economy must be worse than I thought! More than 80 percent of multi-millionaires are cutting back spending on their mistress, 12 percent say they are going to dump them up all together.

See folks, it’s not just the working poor and middle-class hurting out there. Those poor mistresses are feeling the economical impact too!

No more free plane rides, lavish restaurants and diamonds…oh the misery out there.

News and Views from Around the Web

How to be a good republican? Well, that is easy. You strongly oppose the stimulus package, vote against it and then praise it after it passes for all the money it is bringing to your state. This is why I left the party…

Gary Younge writes for the Guardian in the UK . He says President Obama is popular, and his stimulus bill is being hailed as a victory, but no one really believes it will work.

This is real bad news…China is trying to figure out ways to diversify and dump the U.S. dollar…Yeah, I would too. Especially after the passing of this stimulus bill, China is not stupid…but if China isn’t going to buy all this debt we keep racking up then who will? It should be a question of great concern.

Kansas has a serious cash-flow problem. The state is virtually out of money…They may put a delay of state tax refunds and state worker paychecks. If you don’t pay your taxes the state takes your stuff, if the state doesn’t pay you can you take their stuff?

A Miami banker gave $60 million of his own money to employs as bonuses…What’s he doing? Doesn’t he know you can’t give out bonuses, only the government can give out things! Bad socialist…

I hope you are not in the brewery industry in Oregon . Oregon state lawmakers want to impose a 1,900 percent tax on each barrel of beer produced in the state. Ever get the feeling beer produced in Oregon will now be produced in Washington or California . Way to tax people out of jobs Oregon .

Richland County S.C. Sherriff has decided not to charge swimmer Michael Phelps with smoking the pot…

Big T's Pic of the Day

A Small Glimpse of the Spending in the Stimuls Bill

Since actual journalist won’t do their job and break down what is in this outrageous economical spending—oops--I mean stimulus bill, I have done it for them.

The legislation was released to the public at 11pm on Thursday, and because I have no life and am a geek and nerd, I have spent hours upon hours into the wee hours of the morning going through parts of the stimulus bill looking for where our tax dollars are going. This is by no means a full list of spending projects in the final economic stimulus bill, but it represents a good cross section of what I found.

This piece of legislation is well over 1000 pages long. I find it extremely hard to believe that any member of Congress read it before voting to pass it on Friday.

If you want to take a look for yourself, follow the links below:

As I mentioned, it is not a small document, one reason it was broken into four different parts for your downloading and reading enjoyment. I recommend several cups of coffee or red bulls to help you along the way.

http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/hr1_legtext_cr.pdf - Division A - 31.9 MB

http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/hr1_legtext_crb.pdf - Division B - 876 kb

http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/hr1_cr_jes.pdf - Statment Div A - 13.9 MB

http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/hr1_cr_jesb.pdf - Statement Div B - 32.4 MB

Here is just a few of the things that I found:

$24 million for construction and repairs to US Department of Agriculture facilities

$22.5 million for the USDA Inspector General for oversight on the stimulus bill

$176 million for deferred maintenance on US Agricultural Research Service facilities

$50 million to modernize and maintain the IT system of the Farm Service Agency

$290 million for "Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations"

$50 million for "Wastershed Rehabiliation Program"

$1 billion for rural housing direct loans

$10.4 billion for rural housing guaranteed loans

$2.5 billion for rural distance learning, telemedicine and broadband

$100 million in grants for National School Lunch Program equipment assistance

$150 million in agricultural commodity assistance

$1 billion for the Census Bureau

$4.7 billion for "Broadband Technology Opportunities Program" which includes $350 million for the development of a "broadband inventory map"

$650 million for Digital TV converter box program

$220 million for Scientific research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology

$360 million for Construction of scientific research facilities

$230 million in extra budget money for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

$600 million for NOAA "Procurement, Acquisition and Construction"

$225 million in grants for programs to combat violence against women

$2 billion in state and local law enforcement assistance grants

$225 million in grants to improve the criminal justice system

$225 million in law enforcement assistance to Indian Tribes

$100 million for the "office for Victims of Crime"

$125 million in law enforcement assistance for rural areas

$50 million in state and local grants to combat internet crime against kids

$1 billion for the COPS program

$400 million in operations budget money for NASA

$150 million for "Aeronautics" at NASA

$400 million for "Exploration" at NASA

$2.5 billion for research at the National Science Foundation

$100 million for NSF "Education and Human Resources"

$400 million for NSF "Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction"

$1.4 billion in Army "Operation and Maintenance"

$657 million in Navy "Operation and Maintenance"

$113 million in Marine Corps "Operation and Maintenance"

$1.09 billion for Air Force "Operation and Maintenance"

$98 million for Army Reserve "Operation and Maintenance"

$55 million for Navy Reserve "Operation and Maintenance"

$39 million in Marine Corps Reserve "Operation and Maintenance"

$13 million for Air Force Reserve "Operation and Maintenance"

$266 million for Army National Guard "Operation and Maintenance"

$25 million for Air National Guard "Operation and Maintenance"

$75 million each for Army, Navy, Air Force "Research, Development, Test and Evaluation"

$400 million for "Defense Health Program"

$2 billion for Army Corps of Engineers construction

$375 million for Army Corps projects on the Mississippi and tributaries

$2.07 billion for Army Corps of Engineers "Operation and Maintenance"

$100 million for "Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program"

$1 billion for Interior Department "Water and Related Resources"

$50 million for Central Utah Project Completion Act

$50 million for California Bay-Delta Restoration Act

$10 million to inspect canals in urban areas

$16.8 billion for Energy Department, "Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy"

$5 billion of that goes for "Weatherization Assistance"

$4.5 billion to improve the nation's electricity grid

$3.4 billion for "Fossil Energy Research and Development"

$483 million for "Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup"

$390 million for "Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund"

$1.6 billion for "Science"

$6 billion "Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program"

$5.12 billion for "Defense Environmental Cleanup"

$7 million for oversight of "Making Work Pay" tax credits and payments in this bill

$80 million to implement health insurance tax credit plan

$5.5 billion for the "Federal Buildings Fund"

$300 million to buy energy efficient vehicles for the federal government

$200 million to consolidate the Department of Homeland Security Headquarters

$100 million for hi tech border security technology along the Mexican border

$420 million for construction of US Customs land border ports of entry

$20 million for tactical communications equipment for immigration enforcement

$1 billion for Aviation Security (explosive detection equipment)

$98 million for improvements to Coast Guard shore facilities

$142 million for "Alteration of Bridges"

$150 million in FEMA Public Transportation Security Assistance grants

$150 million for Port Security Grants

$210 million in grants to upgrade non-Federal fire stations

$125 million for Bureau of Land Management activities

$180 million for Bureau of Land Management construction

$15 million for Wildland Fire Management

$165 million for Fish and Wildlife Service deferred maintenance

$115 million for Fish and Wildlife Service construction projects

$15 million for preservation at Historically Black Colleges

$589 million for National Park System construction

$140 million for repair and restoration of US Geological Survey facilities

$450 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs construction

$600 million for EPA Superfund program

$200 million for Leaking Underground Storage Tank program

$4 billion in Clean Water grants

$2 billion for safe drinking water projects

$300 million for "Diesel Emission Reduction Act grants"

$650 million in US Forest Service "Capital Improvement and Maintenance"

$500 million for Wildland Fire Management

$85 million for Indian Health Services

$415 million for Indian Health Facilities construction projects

$25 million for repairs on Smithsonian Institution facilities

$50 million for National Endowment for the Arts to help preserve jobs in the non-profit arts

sector

$3.95 billion in worker training and employment services

$400 million in state unemployment insurance funding

$80 million for enforcement of worker protection laws

$250 million for construction of Job Corps Centers

$500 million in grants to health care centers

$1.5 billion for health information technology systems

$500 million to address health professions workforce shortages

$1.3 billion for National Institutes of Health research resource

$7.4 billion for Office of the Director, NIH

$500 million for high priority construction at NIH

$700 million for comparative effectiveness research

$2 billion in low-income child care assistance

$1 billion in funding for Head Start

$1.1 billion for expansion of Early Head Start

$1 billion for Community Services Block Grant Act

$2 billion for Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology

$300 million for CDC childhood immunization programs

$650 million for community-based prevention and wellness strategies

$50 million in grants to states for infections reduction strategies

$13 billion in Title I education funding

$720 million in school improvement grants

$200 million in "Innovation and Improvement" education grants

$12.2 billion in Special Education funding

$15.8 billion in student financial assistance money

$89 million in AmeriCorps awards money

$500 million to replace the National Computer Center for Social Security

$500 million to process disability and retirement claims

$180 million in Army Military Construction

$280 million in Navy and Marine Corps Military Construction

$180 million in Air Force Military Construction funds

$1.33 billion to build military hospitals

$120 million for military energy conservation programs

$50 million for Army National Guard Military Construction

$50 million for Air National Guard Military Construction

$34 million for Army family housing construction

$80 million for Air Force family housing construction

$555 million for "Homeowners Assistance Fund"

$1 billion for Veterans Affairs medical facilities

$50 million for National Cemetery Administration

$150 million to hire temporary VA claims processors

$50 million for VA Information Technology Systems

$150 million in grants to build state extended care facilities

$90 million for passport and training functions facilities

$290 million for State Department IT security upgrades

$1.5 billion in surface transportation infrastructure

$200 million for FAA infrastructure projects

$1.1 billion in airport grants

$27.5 billion in railroad and port infrastructure investments

$105 million for Puerto Rico highway program

$60 million in competitive transportation grants to states

$550 million for transportation on Indian reservations

$8 billion for high-speed rail

$1.3 billion for Amtrak

$6.9 billion in mass transit capital assistance

$100 million in discretionary grants to public transit agencies

$750 million for mass transit rail improvements

$4 billion in "Public Housing Capital Fund"

$510 million in Native American Housing Block Grants

$1 billion in Community Development Grants

$2 billion in emergency aid for the redevelopment of foreclosed homes

$2.25 billion for low-income housing tax credit projects$1.5 billion in a homelessness prevention fund

What does the stimulus bill have to do with healthcare? Apparently a lot!

As republicans and critics argued over the right mix of tax cuts and whether money was going to the right places to jump-start the economy, no one was objecting to the healthcare provisions that were slipped in to the bill without debate or discussion.

Senators should have read over this stimulus bill with more scrutiny before blindly voting for it. They should have paid extra attention to the provisions lined out in H.R. 1 EH (page numbers mentioned refer to this pdf version) and voted against it, because it is dangerous to your health, and I am not talking about the aneurysm you put yourself at risk of from reading this mess.
The stimulus bill will affect every aspect of the healthcare industry, from medical and nursing education, to how patients are treated and how much money hospitals will get paid.

These new provisions are clearly a reflection of the ideas of Tom Daschle as they are virtually identical to what he proposed in his 2008 book, “Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis.” (A book I just recently finished reading. Coincidence? I think not.) In the book Daschle suggests doctors give up their autonomy and “learn to operate less like solo practitioners. Daschle was the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department, until recently.

If you read pages 445, 454 and 479 it is clear new health rules in this bill will affect “every individual in the United States.” A federal system is now going to electronically track every medical treatment you receive.

Having electronic medical records instantly available for easy transfer to other hospitals is no doubt beneficial, but the bill goes further. It will create a brand new government bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, to monitor treatments and make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and “guide” your doctor’s decisions. (Pages 442, 446)

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want my doctor to work for the federal government and their interests, but rather work for me and mine.

There is also a summary of penalties in the bill you can read about on pages 511, 518 and 540-541. Under this bill Hospitals and doctors that are determined to not be “meaningful users” of the new system will face penalties. “Meaningful user” or the penalties is not clearly defined or stated in the bill. The new HHS secretary, who will be empowered to impose “more stringent measures of meaningful use over time”, will determine that. Whatever that means?

And what exactly are the penalties? Will they deter your doctor from going beyond the electronically delivered protocol if you have a special condition or you need an experimental treatment?

There is no doubt in my mind the vagueness of this was done intentionally. If we go back to Daschle’s book, he proposes an appointed body with vast powers to make the “tough” decisions others won’t make. The stimulus bill does just that and covers it on pages 190-192. It is called the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research.

Daschle also explains in his book the goal is to slow the development and use of new medications and technologies because they are driving up costs. He goes on to praise European systems for their willingness to accept “hopeless diagnoses” and “forego experimental treatments.” Daschle criticizes Americans for expecting too much from the healthcare system. He explains the reform “will not be pain free,” and seniors should be more accepting of conditions that come with age instead of treating them.

Interestingly this goal is accomplished in the bill as well. Medicare currently pays for treatments deemed safe and effective, but the stimulus bill would change that. According to the bill on page 464 there will now be cost-effectiveness standard set by the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research.

Daschle also tells us in his book the blue print for this council is modeled after a board in the U.K. named the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence that approves or rejects treatments using a formula that divides the cost of treatment by the number of years the patient is likely to benefit. Treatments for younger patients are more often approved than treatments for diseases that affect the elderly.

In 2006, the U.K. health board, NICE, denied treatment and a costly new drug to elderly patients with macular degeneration until they went blind in one eye. It took almost three years of public protest to reverse the decision.

Hiding the groundwork for universal or socialized healthcare in a stimulus bill was intentional. Daschle and supporters of the Clinton administration’s universal health care plans in 1994 learned an important lesson. They cannot pass universal healthcare with a debate and delay on the issue. In fact Daschle noted last year the next president should act quickly before critics mount an opposition. “If that means attaching a healthcare plan to the federal budget, so be it,” he said. “The issue is too important to be stalled by Senate protocol.”

The newly elected administration and Congress are following the script. All last week, President Obama was out pushing the stimulus bill calling it “inexcusable and irresponsible” for senators to delay passing the stimulus bill. In truth, the bill needed more scrutiny. Scrutiny they new would destroy their road to socialized medicine.

Universal Healthcare and the Uninsured

We know the groundwork has been laid for universal healthcare in the stimulus bill, but how long will it be before it is a reality? It looks like universal or national healthcare may be here sooner than you think. Congress plans to address the issue very soon, perhaps in the first 100 days of the Obama Presidency.




The democrats are wasting no time either. They are well underway to getting the process started. Montana Senator Democrat Max Baucus, senate finance committee chairman, has unveiled his own healthcare plan. It is very similar to President Barack Obama’s plan from the campaign trail, but there is one little exception. Under Baucus' plan Americans would be required to have health insurance. In other words, it would be illegal for you to be without health insurance.

They claim the goal of the new proposal is to provide insurance for the so-called 47 million uninsured Americans we keep hearing about, but who are the 47 million uninsured?

Many of them are illegal immigrants, others can actually afford to pay medical costs out of pocket and some are too lazy to sign up for government health care benefits they are eligible for.

Here are some numbers from the Current Population Survey (CPS) and the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC) conducted in 2007 by the US Census Bureau.





· 9.7 million of the uninsured are non-citizens or illegal immigrants

· 7 million live in households with incomes between $50,000 and $75,000

· 7.6 million live in households with incomes more than $100,000

So that leaves 22.7 million uninsured or about 8% of the population, of which 7-10 million are eligible for government healthcare programs but fail to sign up according to the Congressional Budget report. This means the number of hardship and chronically uninsured Americans is closer to 12-15 million or approximately 4-5% of the population. This is hardly a healthcare crisis.



Under the government solution employers will be forced to provide health insurance to employees. Those who do not provide health insurance will have to pay into a fund to cover the uninsured. In other words, healthcare will no longer be an employer benefit, but a government mandate. This is just another hidden tax on business.





An analysis of Barack Obama's healthcare plan by a consulting firm estimates that his plan, which is similar to Baucus' proposal, would cost the taxpayers $75 billion in the first year. By 2018, we will have spent over $1 trillion to fund this government insurance scheme.





The analysis also found that Obama's plan might worsen some problems like shortages of primary care doctors. The report also said, "Unless costs are cut, growing health care costs will increase the costs of Obama's plan dramatically over time and reduce the effectiveness of mandates. This could make the federal costs unsustainably high."

This leaves the question is 4-5% of uninsured Americans enough reason to destroy one of the best healthcare providers in the world by turning it into a socialist system?

If you still think it is, I suggest you take the time to read this well researched article comparing the different healthcare systems outside the United States by Michael Tanner, health policy expert at the Cato Institute.

You might find it interesting how many people escape their countries’ socialized medical systems for care in the United States to include former Prime Minister of Italy Silvio Burlusconi. Tens of thousands of foreigners seek treatment in the US every year and one out of three Canadian physicians sends a patient to the US every year. The Canadian healthcare system pays 1 billion a year for care in the US.



Although it is definitely not perfect, no system is, one could argue that there is no system better than the US. Universal or national healthcare is not only bad for Americans, but also bad for the world.

News and Views from Around the Web

It’s nice to know our government is not alone when it comes to wasteful spending, China has spent earthquake donation funds on luxury vehicles.

It seems a lot of Americans are turning to the golden arches in these hard economical times. McDonalds reports 80% rise in profits for 2008.

Here is some good news; retail sales were up last month after a six-months of decline. Another sign the economy may be improving without the help of the stimulus bill.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) warns that America is heading towards a looming entitlement crisis… Gee, I wonder what his first clue was?

Almost 70% of Americans feel that they could do a better job on the economy than Congress…Well, they couldn’t do any worse.

When Michael Moore wants to make a film about the financial crisis, where does he turn to for expert advice? How about the The Daily Kos! I guess economist were too hard to find.

Times are tough for government budgets. So tough that Berkeley's public arts program is going to pay an artist $196,000 to create dog statues.

Arkansas is considering a bill that would allow people to carry concealed handguns into churches. No problems here. I think law-abiding citizens should be able to carry handguns wherever they want.

Mark Cuban has come up with his own version of an economic stimulus that relies on entrepreneurs, hard work and ingenuity, rather than government. What a concept! Genius!

How many jobs will the stimulus bill have to create to be successful? Seems like a fair question, but no one seems to be able to answer it.

Dick Morris has some useful information on our “culture of debt” and how dangerous it is. I have been telling you this stuff for years!

It looks like Meg Whitman, former CEO of E-bay, is going to put her name in the hat to run for Governor of California. Perhaps she can take the liquidity out of that mess and sell it on E-bay!

One of the brilliant senator’s from Massachusetts John Kerry is concerned about tax cuts because people would be "free to invest anywhere that they want if they choose to invest." Yeah John, I know this is hard for you to grasp, but it is called freedom!

Big T's Pic of the Day

Bambi II

now out on DVD...definately looks better

than the first one!

Happy New Year

Well, I have survived another year and another New Years Eve bash. I am in recovery mode today, but here is some reading for you…Happy New Year!

Strange Christmas Play Station 3 Offer...

This came in my e-mail yesterday. Apparently this was a Christmas posting for a Play Station 3 on Craigslist. I am not sure if it was real or not, but wouldn’t be all that surprised I guess if it were real. Here is the posting:

PlayStation 3 (the city)
Reply to: XXXXXXXXX@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-12-07, 10:54AM EST

I have a Brand new in-box PlayStation 3 gaming system that you can obtain for a special price. It is the 80gb model and includes 2 brand new dualshock 3 wireless controllers.

I do not want your money or thanks. To obtain this top of line gaming system, you must let me punch you in the face three times and your child must be present. If you have multiple children, I would prefer you bring your youngest child.

This is not a joke. If you want to be your children's hero on Christmas, we will meet at a location that I will specify to you, and I will proceed to punch you in the face in front of your child. You may brace yourself if you want before I begin to punch you, for I am a man of large stature (6'6, 275lbs) In between each punch, I want you to instruct your child not cry. If your child so much as whimpers, the deal is off.

Don't think I am a man to be trifled with or that you and a friend can ambush me. I am a former NAVY SEAL and a veteran of the Irag War.

This is the best deal you will ever find on a PlayStation 3. A truly unique offer. You are welcome to inspect the product for authenticity before the deal is done.

Email me for more specific details and we can arrange a rendevous.

Merry Christmas.

I do not believe this guy to be a NAVY SEAL; the Internet is filled with fake 6’6”, 275-pound former Seals. My guess is this guy is either 5’8” or a 6’6” tub of waste living in his mom’s basement playing “Call of Duty 4” which is the closest thing he will ever see to becoming a Seal or a veteran of the Iraq war.

My response to his add: I am not an inch over 6’ and weigh about 180-pounds. I am an Army paratrooper and former member of the 82nd Airborne Division and a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan. I would like to meet you to discuss and deal with your attempt to give Seals and Iraq war veterans a bad name. You won’t hit me, unless your lucky, I don’t have a son and I will be giving your Play Station 3 to some unfortunate kids who lost their father in Iraq.

Merry Christmas A*! Hole…and a Happy New Year

News and Views from Around the Web

More like entertainment and useless knowledge from around the web. Hey you didn’t expect anything serious this week did you?

This was strangely interesting and disturbing…Dan Akroyd has webbed toes! Gotta love You Tube.

Age catches up with all of us, even the Hollywood stars. Some of them have not aged so gracefully.

Here is a great photo list of the 50 hottest Victoria's Secret models of all time. Probably not safe for the office, if anyone is actually there besides you today, or home, if your wife is there. There is no nude shots, but use your discretion.

Here is something to look at during these rough economical times, 65 famous people who lost it all and went bankrupt.

Try an all-new and refreshing Tentacle Grape soda. Available now…watch out you gonna get graped!

Are you unhappy with your Christmas presents? Check out what Dave got for Christmas, that last gift is pretty nice though.

Big T's Pic of the Day

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my faithful readers…

I am enjoying Christmas with my family on the farm in Illinois. My parents and two brothers are here and we are just having a great time. It is the first time we have all been together for Christmas in several years.

What I am not enjoying is those frigid cold temperatures, snow and ice, but I am making the best of it!

I have been slacking big time this month on the blog. My apologies…I won’t be blogging much until the first of the year, I will try to throw in some news and views between now and then, but how about we get caught up with some random thoughts.

Big T's Random Thoughts of Wisdom

*It has been pretty cold in Illinois this week…Maybe we could get Al Gore up here to talk about global warming. I am sure his hot air could warm things up a degree or two.

*The majority of the problems facing America today are not nearly as bad as the so-called “solutions” politicians come up with…especially during an election year.

*Instead of a 750 billion bailout to banks and more money for the auto industry, why not a 350-400 million dollar bailout for everyone. The U.S. population is 350-400 million. Everyone gets a million dollars with the stipulation they must pay off debt. Mortgages are paid off with money left over for to buy cars. I call it the bail everyone out bill. Hey, it may not work, but it is a hell of a lot cheaper than the current bailout that has not worked.

*Last time I checked the qualifications to be a U.S. Senator is outlined in Article 1, Section 3, of the United States Constitution. It states a person must be at least 30 years old, a U.S. citizen of 9 years and a resident of the state at the time of election…that is it…there is nothing about experience. This makes Caroline Kennedy completely qualified for the Senate seat in New York, and if that is whom the governor wants to appoint to the seat, then so be it.

Republicans should back off, because they are really starting to look like the Jack Asses on this one. Oh, by the way, Barack Obama is completely qualified to be president and Sarah Palin vice president as determined by the constitution.

*Why is it sports analyst and weathermen can be wrong everyday and people still tune in to listen to their wisdom? And football players can throw interceptions, drop catches, fumble the ball, miss tackles and miss field goals, but still make millions…

*President George W. Bush has some great reflexes when it comes to dodging shoes. I haven’t seen moves like that since Keanu Reeves in the movie “The Matrix.” I wonder if Bush has any experience in the dodging shoes department. Laura Bush seems to be the type of gal that would probably throw some shoes if you made her mad enough.

In fact I had flashbacks to the time shoes were thrown at me. They were not thrown by an Iraqi and definitely not a size 10, but she did call me a dog with some other choice words as she threw her 2inch stiletto high heels at me!

*It was not surprising to me to see the governor of Illinois indicted on charges of corruption. This is the same thug style Chicago politics that have ruled the Socialist Republic of Illinois for more than 60 years!

*As expected, Time magazine has named Barrak Obama Person of the Year in 2008. Other finalist on the list included U.S. Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

I personally think that is a weak list. I haven’t decided who should be Person of the Year, but my short list looks a bit different. My nominees for Person of the Year go to: Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps, General David Patraeus, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Kamel al Maliki.

*A severe winter storm swept through Nevada last week dumping the most snow Las Vegas has seen in nearly 30 years! 40-degree temperatures plagued Texas and Tampa Bay, Fla. saw temperatures 20 degrees below normal. This global warming mess looks more and more like the hoax that it is everyday. Of course the warmers claim the cold weather pattern is the proof of global warming…say what? But then all the little warmer followers nod their heads and say, “yeah, that’s right…told you global warming is a problem.”

*After thinking about this for a while, I understand why all these CEOs keep running to the government for a bailout. Government schools educated most of these CEOs, and one of the first things they were taught was government can solve your problems. So, now they have a huge problem, so they turn to the government for the solution.

*Fox News anchor Brit Hume has left Special Report. Last night, Christmas Eve was his last show. This is unfortunate…there was not a better news program on the air. It will be interesting to see who takes his place.