Friday – July 29, 2011
It’s time!
Time is relative. Time goes by fast and time can delay the inevitable.
I don’t worry about time being relative or even time going by fast, but what I do mind is when time is used to delay the inevitable. Time has been used to get a bad debt bill that originated from a good debt bill in order to stop a worse debt bill. As a result, both debt bills sponsored by the Speaker and the Senate
are just not enough. Both have come short in saving our economic liberty, our economic freedom and our economic independence. But then again, that’s the great compromise that we are forced to accept, because of a president who has sunk the world’s greatest economy!
The president still says he will veto a bill, if the debt ceiling is not raised enough to get him through the next election. The president is now using time for his own benefit. The president has wasted time and the president has squandered his time, because through this process he still has no plan!
After all is said and done, there will probably be a combination of the Boehner bill and a Reid bill. The president will have to sign the compromise just to settle the dust that has been raised by his lack of leadership and his innate ability to waste the people’s time while playing the politics for the sake of the people.
In one month the government issues over 211 million checks to individuals. This covers Medicare, Social Security, Food Stamps, Disability SSI, and checks for Active & Retired Defense Personnel. I wrote something two weeks ago that really put a perspective on what time and government can do to rob our wealth. What I wrote was in 69 out of the last 80 years the government spent more money than it took in.
In all the time that has been spent over the debt crisis in rebuttal efforts by both parties and in posturing by the president we still haven’t addressed a solution to the spending problem. I wrote about what a solution is versus a deal in Yesterdays FORUM. In all the time that has been spent in this month of July our National debt has risen, some 211 million checks have once again been written, the nations wealth has not increased, our dollar has decreased in its stature and in its trust. Our GDP is also at an all time low 1.8%. This has all happened in the time the President has been in office.
I view the month of July, all 744 hours of it, as Liberty time. I view the month of July as a time when our forefathers decided on a course and acted on that decision. I view the 744 hours that are always in the month of July as a time to review how our liberty our independence and our freedom came to be.
I view what has happened in the 696 hours so far in this month of July as how much liberty and Independence we have lost because of those who want to decide on just how much liberty, independence and freedom we deserve and are now allowed to have. Time does strange things when you start to account for it.
235 years ago John Adams wrote, in a letter to Abigail Adams, in July of 1776: “The second day of July, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore.” We started this month with a bit more of the liberty, freedom and Independence that Adams wanted to celebrate forevermore. But as the month is closing we are being told that August 2, is the day of financial Armageddon if a debt deal isn’t done. You notice no one in Washington is using the word solution.
224 years ago James Madison wrote, in the Federalist Papers, No.14, on November 30, 1787: “They accomplished a revolution which has no parallel in the annals of human society. They reared the fabrics of governments which have no model on the face of the globe. They formed the design of a great Confederacy, which it is incumbent on their successors to improve and perpetuate.” I believe in these words and I believe that when a government spends more than it takes in to perpetuate a model opposite of what Madison intended, we have not perpetuated and improved upon the model the revolution was fought over.
223 years ago James Madison said, in an address to the Virginia Convention in June of 1788: “I believe there are more instances of the abridgement of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations.” If you take this quote at face value and consider that it took 223 years to accomplish what Madison warned against, then I guess our time has been used very well.
In 1834, Madison also wrote, in “Advice to My Country”: The advice nearest to my heart and deepest in my convictions is that the Union of the States be cherished and perpetuated.” Today, I cannot think of one leader that holds this thought in mind when a vote as critical as the debt debate is being tallied for political, ideological and personal victory. This, unfortunately, is more dangerous than the foreign enemies of our country represents.
It’s time to consider what Ronald Reagan quoted, in The Political Chameleon, by Edmund G. Brown: “One thing our Founding Fathers could not foresee-they were farmers, professional men, businessmen giving of their time and effort to an idea that became a country-was a nation governed by professional politicians who had a vested interest in getting re-elected. They probably envisioned a fellow serving a couple of hitches and then looking early to getting back to the farm.”
For the sake of our liberty, it’s time to do the people’s work, by people who come from the ranks of the people. You can quote me on that!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: It’s time!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
A deal or a solution:
Thursday – July 28, 2011:
A deal or a solution:
Webster’s defines the word deal as: Part or Portion, to distribute playing cards to players in a game. To sell or distribute something as a business. To take action with regard to someone or something. An arrangement for mutual advantage. To engage in bargaining. In Britain, a deal is a board of fir or yellow pine lumber nine inches or wider and three, four or five inches thick.
So be careful who you use the word deal in front of.
The word solution is defined as: an action or process of solving a problem. An answer to a problem. A set of values of the variables that satisfies an equation.
These are two distinctly different words that seem to make their way through our lives depending on what we desire in any given conflict. We make a deal when we buy a car or a house. We come up with a solution when our expenses are more than we take in. We come up with a solution when we can’t afford to pay the electric bill, because we spent the money for that new jacket. I think you know where I am going with this.
It dawned on me today that in Washington the word deal is used a lot. The president wants a debt deal by August 2nd. The Speaker won’t make a debt deal until 3 trillion dollars are cut from the budget. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, says the deal that the Speaker wants is DOA in the Senate. The word balanced budget is only being kept alive by the members of the Tea Party in the Republican caucus.
Do you see the confusion in all of this? In the meantime the citizens, the tax payer in this case, will have to take what ever is decided in the back rooms as the best deal that could be made. The best deal is seldom the solution especially when the people we elect give us a 14 trillion dollar deficit and we still will borrow 9 trillion more over the next decade. This is no solution, but it’s a deal when we can borrow more on the credit card.
The part of the solution to the deficit problem is, as I wrote about two weeks ago, is the base line budgeting approach that was put into place in 1974. The baseline approach gives a constant number every budget year. It guarantees a sum of money that is tied to the debt ceiling increases that allows us to borrow more. If this base line approach is not there then we can start at zero dollars each budget year and work up the numbers that we need to satisfy a balanced budget. In other words, apply the same accounting principles that a company has to do to establish their budget to operate the business with.
Though this sounds simplistic it does work. It dawned on me today that this magic date of August the 2nd, the day of financial Armageddon that the president has been talking about, might be moved back by three weeks, because there was an unexpected tax windfall of funds coming into the treasury from taxes. I wrote two weeks ago that the government doesn’t really know how much money is coming in and what the expenses really are. It’s a floating number on any given day.
When the president said that unemployment would go no higher than 8%, if his stimulus package went through, we believed him. Trillions of dollars later it’s at 9.2% and growing, because the economy is now shrinking again. When the president gave the military the order to bomb Libya the president said it would be days, not weeks, to oust Qadaffi. It has now been months and the Libyan leader is still there. When the president said it would be Armageddon, if we didn’t have a resolve to the debt deal, we are now again finding out another story. Part of the solution that we do not insist on is being told the truth. I believe that Congressman Ryan, who put together the original and only budget proposal, was the only one telling the truth and who was demonized in the process.
The solution to revamp the government policy on spending and to reform all entitlements is not to deal, but to initiate an action or a process of solving the problem. The solution is to eliminate discretionary spending and put a freeze on earmarks is to eliminate dealing and forget about mutual advantages and stop the bargaining process. The solution is to pay the debt and don’t borrow in the process. The solution to all of this is to establish a set of values to identify the variables that satisfies an equation to solve the debt.
Our form of government works with compromise, but I fear the days of compromise are over. We must find the solutions that will enable the great people in the future who serve to once again do the people’s work. We must insist on truthfulness and trust and when a deal is struck it must be one that satisfies a solution rather than who got the best deal.
I usually quote a founding father, but today I am quoting President Calvin Coolidge. In a remark to Stanley King in 1930 he said: “If our institutions and our cities and states and nation only spent the money they had in hand, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in today.” It’s a funny thing a few politician’s are saying this today. I think they call themselves the Tea Party.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: I pick the word solution and not the deal. With a deal you cannot be assured you will get the best deal, if you can’t do it yourself. This is also the solution, because we cannot trust government to make the best deal, especially when a date is picked for our financial Armageddon.
A deal or a solution:
Webster’s defines the word deal as: Part or Portion, to distribute playing cards to players in a game. To sell or distribute something as a business. To take action with regard to someone or something. An arrangement for mutual advantage. To engage in bargaining. In Britain, a deal is a board of fir or yellow pine lumber nine inches or wider and three, four or five inches thick.
So be careful who you use the word deal in front of.
The word solution is defined as: an action or process of solving a problem. An answer to a problem. A set of values of the variables that satisfies an equation.
These are two distinctly different words that seem to make their way through our lives depending on what we desire in any given conflict. We make a deal when we buy a car or a house. We come up with a solution when our expenses are more than we take in. We come up with a solution when we can’t afford to pay the electric bill, because we spent the money for that new jacket. I think you know where I am going with this.
It dawned on me today that in Washington the word deal is used a lot. The president wants a debt deal by August 2nd. The Speaker won’t make a debt deal until 3 trillion dollars are cut from the budget. Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, says the deal that the Speaker wants is DOA in the Senate. The word balanced budget is only being kept alive by the members of the Tea Party in the Republican caucus.
Do you see the confusion in all of this? In the meantime the citizens, the tax payer in this case, will have to take what ever is decided in the back rooms as the best deal that could be made. The best deal is seldom the solution especially when the people we elect give us a 14 trillion dollar deficit and we still will borrow 9 trillion more over the next decade. This is no solution, but it’s a deal when we can borrow more on the credit card.
The part of the solution to the deficit problem is, as I wrote about two weeks ago, is the base line budgeting approach that was put into place in 1974. The baseline approach gives a constant number every budget year. It guarantees a sum of money that is tied to the debt ceiling increases that allows us to borrow more. If this base line approach is not there then we can start at zero dollars each budget year and work up the numbers that we need to satisfy a balanced budget. In other words, apply the same accounting principles that a company has to do to establish their budget to operate the business with.
Though this sounds simplistic it does work. It dawned on me today that this magic date of August the 2nd, the day of financial Armageddon that the president has been talking about, might be moved back by three weeks, because there was an unexpected tax windfall of funds coming into the treasury from taxes. I wrote two weeks ago that the government doesn’t really know how much money is coming in and what the expenses really are. It’s a floating number on any given day.
When the president said that unemployment would go no higher than 8%, if his stimulus package went through, we believed him. Trillions of dollars later it’s at 9.2% and growing, because the economy is now shrinking again. When the president gave the military the order to bomb Libya the president said it would be days, not weeks, to oust Qadaffi. It has now been months and the Libyan leader is still there. When the president said it would be Armageddon, if we didn’t have a resolve to the debt deal, we are now again finding out another story. Part of the solution that we do not insist on is being told the truth. I believe that Congressman Ryan, who put together the original and only budget proposal, was the only one telling the truth and who was demonized in the process.
The solution to revamp the government policy on spending and to reform all entitlements is not to deal, but to initiate an action or a process of solving the problem. The solution is to eliminate discretionary spending and put a freeze on earmarks is to eliminate dealing and forget about mutual advantages and stop the bargaining process. The solution is to pay the debt and don’t borrow in the process. The solution to all of this is to establish a set of values to identify the variables that satisfies an equation to solve the debt.
Our form of government works with compromise, but I fear the days of compromise are over. We must find the solutions that will enable the great people in the future who serve to once again do the people’s work. We must insist on truthfulness and trust and when a deal is struck it must be one that satisfies a solution rather than who got the best deal.
I usually quote a founding father, but today I am quoting President Calvin Coolidge. In a remark to Stanley King in 1930 he said: “If our institutions and our cities and states and nation only spent the money they had in hand, we wouldn’t be in the mess we are in today.” It’s a funny thing a few politician’s are saying this today. I think they call themselves the Tea Party.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: I pick the word solution and not the deal. With a deal you cannot be assured you will get the best deal, if you can’t do it yourself. This is also the solution, because we cannot trust government to make the best deal, especially when a date is picked for our financial Armageddon.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Just think!
Wednesday – July 27, 2011
Just think!
In July of 1775, Maryland issued currency depicting King George III trampling the Magna Carta. This one event in American History is but a footnote to the Revolution today. However, just think of what the symbolism was meant to depict. In those days the States issued their own currency and the States had their own laws. Maryland was concerned that the colonies were going to be taxed, because of the debt incurred by the King.
In July of 2011, 236 years later, we are still looking for the symbolism that depicts what this president has done and is now doing to the country. Just think 236 years ago there was a king, today we have a president who would like to be King. There is no difference between trampling the Magna Carta or the Constitution.
King George III misread the American population as this president, who would like to be King, is doing now.
Just think about all that this President, who would like to be King, has done to violate States rights and the Constitution with his healthcare bill and now denying a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Just think about the impact that this president, who would like to be King, will have on future generations of Americans, if this president, who would like to be King, has his way.
Future generations will be no different than the serfs and servants to the crown were 236 years ago. Just think about that!
Yesterday, I started the FORUM with some figures. It was the National debt figure. Yesterday the National debt yesterday was $14,539,336,700,785 today over 24 hours later, at the writing of this FORUM, it is $14,542,185,909,146. You can do the math on how much it has increased more than 24 hours later. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate just how much of your money this president, who would like to be King, is spending. Spending gives the politician power, it gives them clout and it gives them votes.
Just think about the right and the wrong of how this president’s policies have destroyed this economy. The president wants to punish those that work and create wealth and reward those that don’t work to create wealth.
I said two weeks ago that the Congress should pass a bill that only cuts and caps the spending. The president and the Senate could have been forced to sign it into law just on that principle. I also said that, following that bill, a separate bill which proposes a balanced budget amendment with nothing else attached to it should be passed in the Congress. After its passage, with over 68% of the people’s support, it would then be sent to the Senate and then the president to sign it into law. In today’s environment it would have been difficult to say no to a separate bill like a balanced budget amendment. Just think if that had happened. We would not be pressed against the wall today. Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D), supported a balanced budget amendment in 1997. Senator Durbin (D) supported a balanced budget amendment in 1995. The list goes on. These senator’s words would come to haunt them today, if the Congress had pushed it. Just think two separate bills, two separate issues, two separate votes, which would be supported by the people, might have prevented the stalemate today. Just think about how this would have changed the minds of the S&P and Moody’s.
Just think of how the Republicans, who control 1/3 of the government, might have changed the structural problems of our budgeting and spending.
The president does not like those who disagree with his policy initiatives. The president, who would like to be King, would have been forced to change his ideology, because of the people’s wishes. The president, who would like to be king, could not have garnered the support from his party with an approach that was designed to force the issue and consequent passage of two bills that would have put the president’s policies on permanent hold.
Just think how the country would prosper, if the president’s policies were put on permanent hold.
Just think of what passing the right bill, for the right reasons, would mean for the country.
Thomas Jefferson said, in his first Inaugural address, on March 4, 1801: “A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.”
Just think if someone early on had uttered these words in the debate over the debt today, what the out come of the debate could have been. Guess what someone just did!
Just think if our laws were written and better yet, if the thought behind them appealed to our higher senses, we would not have the moral deficit that created the immoral deficits that we face today.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Just think of the things that should be happening and the words that should be said and then ask why they haven’t been said!
Just think!
In July of 1775, Maryland issued currency depicting King George III trampling the Magna Carta. This one event in American History is but a footnote to the Revolution today. However, just think of what the symbolism was meant to depict. In those days the States issued their own currency and the States had their own laws. Maryland was concerned that the colonies were going to be taxed, because of the debt incurred by the King.
In July of 2011, 236 years later, we are still looking for the symbolism that depicts what this president has done and is now doing to the country. Just think 236 years ago there was a king, today we have a president who would like to be King. There is no difference between trampling the Magna Carta or the Constitution.
King George III misread the American population as this president, who would like to be King, is doing now.
Just think about all that this President, who would like to be King, has done to violate States rights and the Constitution with his healthcare bill and now denying a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Just think about the impact that this president, who would like to be King, will have on future generations of Americans, if this president, who would like to be King, has his way.
Future generations will be no different than the serfs and servants to the crown were 236 years ago. Just think about that!
Yesterday, I started the FORUM with some figures. It was the National debt figure. Yesterday the National debt yesterday was $14,539,336,700,785 today over 24 hours later, at the writing of this FORUM, it is $14,542,185,909,146. You can do the math on how much it has increased more than 24 hours later. The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate just how much of your money this president, who would like to be King, is spending. Spending gives the politician power, it gives them clout and it gives them votes.
Just think about the right and the wrong of how this president’s policies have destroyed this economy. The president wants to punish those that work and create wealth and reward those that don’t work to create wealth.
I said two weeks ago that the Congress should pass a bill that only cuts and caps the spending. The president and the Senate could have been forced to sign it into law just on that principle. I also said that, following that bill, a separate bill which proposes a balanced budget amendment with nothing else attached to it should be passed in the Congress. After its passage, with over 68% of the people’s support, it would then be sent to the Senate and then the president to sign it into law. In today’s environment it would have been difficult to say no to a separate bill like a balanced budget amendment. Just think if that had happened. We would not be pressed against the wall today. Senate majority leader, Harry Reid (D), supported a balanced budget amendment in 1997. Senator Durbin (D) supported a balanced budget amendment in 1995. The list goes on. These senator’s words would come to haunt them today, if the Congress had pushed it. Just think two separate bills, two separate issues, two separate votes, which would be supported by the people, might have prevented the stalemate today. Just think about how this would have changed the minds of the S&P and Moody’s.
Just think of how the Republicans, who control 1/3 of the government, might have changed the structural problems of our budgeting and spending.
The president does not like those who disagree with his policy initiatives. The president, who would like to be King, would have been forced to change his ideology, because of the people’s wishes. The president, who would like to be king, could not have garnered the support from his party with an approach that was designed to force the issue and consequent passage of two bills that would have put the president’s policies on permanent hold.
Just think how the country would prosper, if the president’s policies were put on permanent hold.
Just think of what passing the right bill, for the right reasons, would mean for the country.
Thomas Jefferson said, in his first Inaugural address, on March 4, 1801: “A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government.”
Just think if someone early on had uttered these words in the debate over the debt today, what the out come of the debate could have been. Guess what someone just did!
Just think if our laws were written and better yet, if the thought behind them appealed to our higher senses, we would not have the moral deficit that created the immoral deficits that we face today.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Just think of the things that should be happening and the words that should be said and then ask why they haven’t been said!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
What's the main stumbling block?
Tuesday - July 26, 2011
What’s the main stumbling block?
Well, we’re still a country and our economy is still here though sour, at best. We still have a triple A debt rating. The U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate are still in business. And there is yet another sex scandal on the hill. David Wu, a Democrat Congressman, is the center of today’s controversy. All is well and the State of the Union is strong.
At the writing of this FORUM, at 8:00 pm EST on July 25th 2011, our national debt was $14,536,336,700,785.If you check http://usdebtclock.org this morning you will see what approximately 12 hours can do when there is no balanced budget amendment and the government is free to spend at our expense. All is well and the State of the Union is strong.
The question is: how do we really measure the strength of our union? This is why our debt rating is so important and why we must maintain the triple A debt rating we have now. I am just as confused as you might be as to what debt plan is the best and what debt plan should be favored. The House has one and they are willing to bend. The Senate has yet another plan, but it’s not as good as the House plan. The president still doesn’t have a plan, except the one that gets him past the next election.
The president will not sign on to a plan that doesn’t include a debt ceiling hike that won’t let him get past his re-election in November. The House wants to have two hikes between now and the election. The Senate wants to have one after the election and promises, with no specificity, that there will be cuts, but doesn’t say how deep they are willing to cut. What we do know is that cuts in entitlements are not included in the Senate plan.
So, you tell me. What is the main stumbling block in all of this? I will give you a hint: his initials are BHO, the president.
The latest Gallup poll for July 18 thru 24 showed that the polled 3,577 adults had gave the president an approval rating of only 43%. This is the lowest it has been since he became president. In the same poll, his disapproval number of 48% is now a consistent number. This number must have the president and his men in a deep quandary as to how they can get an acceptable outcome to the situation they have caused.
But if the president is only concerned about one thing, that being his re-election, why must we suffer for his antics and his self centered, narcissistic, troubled personality? We have no choice, because he is president. Bill Daly, the president’s Chief of Staff, said Sunday, “The reason they question (the S&P and Moody’s) our economy right now and the reason we may get downgraded is the present political system can’t deal in a serious way with our deficit.” He is right, but I think he is describing his boss.
If we get downgraded, it will be the president’s fault. He has done nothing except to call commissions and not follow their recommendations. He has done nothing to reduce the spending or to reduce the tension between the two parties. So, if you ask me who the stumbling block is, I say the president. But then again, that’s just me with another opinion.
When our leaders look at themselves as being more important than the cause they represent, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act. When a president looks at himself as being more important than the country he has sworn to protect and defend, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act. Many of our forefathers knew that this approach is the only approach that will protect and keep the state of the union strong. When a president purposely tries to manipulate the House and the Senate to protect himself, it becomes incumbent upon the citizen to act. When the president becomes the stumbling block, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act.
It’s no longer about the president’s ideology, it is about his survivability. To Obama, it’s about his legacy and nothing else! In the meantime, the citizen can either become weak or strong. It’s the difference between the citizen being dependent or the citizen exercising their individual independence. When a president takes away the ability of the citizen to remain strong and the ability to live independently of government, then the accomplished goal of making the citizen weak and dependent can be accomplished. This is why the president wants all the hard decisions to be made after the election. We cannot trust that the hard decisions will be made, because he has no intention on making the needed, hard decisions that will keep the union strong.
The president spoke last night. He blamed Bush and made himself out to be the Liberal version of Ronald Reagan. He did this, because he knows he is in trouble with his base, his party and with the Republicans. He knows that Reagan took his case to the American people on many occasions. He knows that Independents gave Reagan the presidency. He acted like he was the balance and his program is the balance that will bring the country back from crisis. His speech was disgraceful, because it exhibited what the rest of the world fears; a leader that has no rudder to steer the ship of state and a leader that has lost his credibility. This cannot be blamed on George Bush.
Thomas Jefferson said, in his first annual message to Congress, which is now termed in today’s parlance The State of the Union. He said on December 8, 1801, “Agriculture, manufacturers, commerce and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are the most thriving when left to individual enterprise.”
I didn’t hear anything like this in last night’s speech. I haven’t heard anything like this during President Obama’s first term. The lack of these four pillars is the stumbling block that Obama has created.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: The stumbling block that we have today is not our political system. It is the head of the political system. It is the president that is now stumbling, because of the blocks that his ideology has constructed.
What’s the main stumbling block?
Well, we’re still a country and our economy is still here though sour, at best. We still have a triple A debt rating. The U.S. Congress and the U.S. Senate are still in business. And there is yet another sex scandal on the hill. David Wu, a Democrat Congressman, is the center of today’s controversy. All is well and the State of the Union is strong.
At the writing of this FORUM, at 8:00 pm EST on July 25th 2011, our national debt was $14,536,336,700,785.If you check http://usdebtclock.org this morning you will see what approximately 12 hours can do when there is no balanced budget amendment and the government is free to spend at our expense. All is well and the State of the Union is strong.
The question is: how do we really measure the strength of our union? This is why our debt rating is so important and why we must maintain the triple A debt rating we have now. I am just as confused as you might be as to what debt plan is the best and what debt plan should be favored. The House has one and they are willing to bend. The Senate has yet another plan, but it’s not as good as the House plan. The president still doesn’t have a plan, except the one that gets him past the next election.
The president will not sign on to a plan that doesn’t include a debt ceiling hike that won’t let him get past his re-election in November. The House wants to have two hikes between now and the election. The Senate wants to have one after the election and promises, with no specificity, that there will be cuts, but doesn’t say how deep they are willing to cut. What we do know is that cuts in entitlements are not included in the Senate plan.
So, you tell me. What is the main stumbling block in all of this? I will give you a hint: his initials are BHO, the president.
The latest Gallup poll for July 18 thru 24 showed that the polled 3,577 adults had gave the president an approval rating of only 43%. This is the lowest it has been since he became president. In the same poll, his disapproval number of 48% is now a consistent number. This number must have the president and his men in a deep quandary as to how they can get an acceptable outcome to the situation they have caused.
But if the president is only concerned about one thing, that being his re-election, why must we suffer for his antics and his self centered, narcissistic, troubled personality? We have no choice, because he is president. Bill Daly, the president’s Chief of Staff, said Sunday, “The reason they question (the S&P and Moody’s) our economy right now and the reason we may get downgraded is the present political system can’t deal in a serious way with our deficit.” He is right, but I think he is describing his boss.
If we get downgraded, it will be the president’s fault. He has done nothing except to call commissions and not follow their recommendations. He has done nothing to reduce the spending or to reduce the tension between the two parties. So, if you ask me who the stumbling block is, I say the president. But then again, that’s just me with another opinion.
When our leaders look at themselves as being more important than the cause they represent, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act. When a president looks at himself as being more important than the country he has sworn to protect and defend, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act. Many of our forefathers knew that this approach is the only approach that will protect and keep the state of the union strong. When a president purposely tries to manipulate the House and the Senate to protect himself, it becomes incumbent upon the citizen to act. When the president becomes the stumbling block, it becomes incumbent upon the people to act.
It’s no longer about the president’s ideology, it is about his survivability. To Obama, it’s about his legacy and nothing else! In the meantime, the citizen can either become weak or strong. It’s the difference between the citizen being dependent or the citizen exercising their individual independence. When a president takes away the ability of the citizen to remain strong and the ability to live independently of government, then the accomplished goal of making the citizen weak and dependent can be accomplished. This is why the president wants all the hard decisions to be made after the election. We cannot trust that the hard decisions will be made, because he has no intention on making the needed, hard decisions that will keep the union strong.
The president spoke last night. He blamed Bush and made himself out to be the Liberal version of Ronald Reagan. He did this, because he knows he is in trouble with his base, his party and with the Republicans. He knows that Reagan took his case to the American people on many occasions. He knows that Independents gave Reagan the presidency. He acted like he was the balance and his program is the balance that will bring the country back from crisis. His speech was disgraceful, because it exhibited what the rest of the world fears; a leader that has no rudder to steer the ship of state and a leader that has lost his credibility. This cannot be blamed on George Bush.
Thomas Jefferson said, in his first annual message to Congress, which is now termed in today’s parlance The State of the Union. He said on December 8, 1801, “Agriculture, manufacturers, commerce and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are the most thriving when left to individual enterprise.”
I didn’t hear anything like this in last night’s speech. I haven’t heard anything like this during President Obama’s first term. The lack of these four pillars is the stumbling block that Obama has created.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: The stumbling block that we have today is not our political system. It is the head of the political system. It is the president that is now stumbling, because of the blocks that his ideology has constructed.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Time and again!
Monday – July 25, 2011
Time and again!
What does this title mean, time and again? It says a little bit about what time is and it says a little bit about how time repeats itself.
When you apply this old saying to your personal life, you might see how month after month things don’t change much. You have your bills to pay, you have the scrapes and bruises that your children come home with, you have the visits to the grocery store and the visits to the vet, if you have a dog or cat. Your 401(k) goes up and it goes down. And lastly, every week we ask the $64,000 question: am I going to be employed next week?
While time can repeat itself in our daily lives, the one thing that’s for sure is we can’t make up for lost time. The only things we can’t repeat are the days that we lose, because of indecision and bad decisions. The same can be said for Washington.
The current debt crisis is now being blamed on Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Speaker Boehner walked out of the meeting with the President last Friday, because the President “moved the goal post”, according to the Speaker. According to the President, Speaker Boehner wouldn’t sign on to additional revenue enhancers.
Time and again we see the President and the Democrats use a play on words that sounds great. My gosh - to be able to enhance revenue must be a good thing, because who wouldn’t want to enhance their own revenue? This sounds like it could be an investment opportunity! It sounds like someone else might pick up the tab! But what it really means is that the president proposed an additional tax on the rich, something that the Speaker just couldn’t live with.
The president also wanted to raise the debt ceiling until after the 2012 elections. Who wouldn’t want to put off another debt crisis until after his re-election? Time and again, it is just politics as usual.
A year ago, the president and the Democrats knew that we would be having this debate now. The problem is that they thought they would still control the House and still control the entire government. Fast forward a year and we have the stalemate we have today. Democrats control 2/3 of the government and the Republicans control 1/3, with over 68% of the people agreeing with them and their plan.
The Republicans presented a proposal. It was called Cut, Cap and Balance. They passed it in the House, only to be voted down in the democratically controlled Senate, at the behest of the democratically controlled White House. Another plan was submitted by the Senate, which favored the Liberal view of how to run a country and a government. Where has that gotten us in the last four- six years? As an example of where it has this gotten us is; the President announced on Friday that Chrysler has paid off their loan. In the bail out process, Chrysler was given to a foreign based auto maker FIAT with tax payer dollars buying it for them. We were told that in the end there would be a return on the investment. However, in the end, when the math was done, the tax payer came up short by 1.3 billion dollars. Why, because the U.S. government sold their shares in Chrysler at a loss to the Italian auto maker. Who profited? The Italian auto maker and the Italian government - the American tax payer picked up the tab! Have you heard the old adage “pretty good for government work?” This one story alone should be enough to explain why government is not a good steward of the nation’s wealth.
The president wants to raise the debt ceiling by another 2.4 trillion dollars, because he wants to spend more. The tax payer cannot afford this and the credit rating agencies who put a rating on our debt know it.
The president has once again failed in his duty to lead and to make the right decisions for the country. He knew a year ago that something had to be done to prevent this debate from occurring today. Time and again he has failed to come up with a plan and the Senate has failed, because they could have negotiated when the House came up with their proposal after all it is their responsibility to do so.
As we anxiously await the results of the Asian Market today, we also are waiting to see the results of what our markets do. This is of course related to the debt deal that Washington can’t seem to agree on, because of indecision and mostly because of the bad decisions that comes out of Washington.
Bad decisions are the result of the kind of decisions we are facing today. 16 years ago the country had an opportunity to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Time and again we visit the same questions, with the same outcome.
The president asked on Friday “where is the leadership?” My response is if there was true leadership coming from the White House, instead of the child’s play we have seen, the job would have been done right, before the desperate decisions that have to be made today.
So where do we stand this morning? You still have your bills to pay, but chances are the interest on those bills will rise. Your kids will still come home with their scrapes and bruises, but chances are the doctor bill will go up, because his expenses will rise, because his cost of doing business is rising. You will still visit the grocery store, but you will pay more at the check out line, because of inflation which simply means: an increase in the supply of currency or credit relative to the availability of goods and services, resulting in higher prices and a decrease in the purchasing power of your money. Your dog or cat will still need to see the vet, but the vet is just another doctor for the family with rising costs himself. Your 401(k) will take the hit next month, because of the sell off that might take place because of the “no deal or bad deal situation in Washington.” But what I fear most is; you will still be asking the $64,000 question: am I going to have my job next week?
Just as the S&P and Moody’s are losing faith in our credit and ability to pay our bills, business will lose faith and pull back as well. As a result, of all of this our financial rating will be down graded, because there will be no full faith and credit in the dollar and the United States any longer.
Time and again we have seen this, but not to the degree of a lowered credit rating. You can blame Congress, you can blame the Senate. You can blame the S&P and Moody’s. Blame China and the European Union. Blame George Bush. But the smart money will go to the source and that is the President of the United States. We will be better off when he is booted out of town. This is what elections are all about. The presidential election in 2012 should be about nothing else except for what happened in July of 2011.
Mr. President, per your instructions, Congress came up with a proposal, it was the first and only proposal to be passed and that is what should be negotiated. Quit moving the goal post and find your place on the field.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Time and again we see the same stuff it never changes. Time and again we see the same characters that never change. Time and again we wish for a change. The system works; it’s the leaders who don’t work within the system. John Adams said to Horatio Gates in a letter on March 23, 1776: “I agree with you that in politics the middle way is none at all.”
Time and again!
What does this title mean, time and again? It says a little bit about what time is and it says a little bit about how time repeats itself.
When you apply this old saying to your personal life, you might see how month after month things don’t change much. You have your bills to pay, you have the scrapes and bruises that your children come home with, you have the visits to the grocery store and the visits to the vet, if you have a dog or cat. Your 401(k) goes up and it goes down. And lastly, every week we ask the $64,000 question: am I going to be employed next week?
While time can repeat itself in our daily lives, the one thing that’s for sure is we can’t make up for lost time. The only things we can’t repeat are the days that we lose, because of indecision and bad decisions. The same can be said for Washington.
The current debt crisis is now being blamed on Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Speaker Boehner walked out of the meeting with the President last Friday, because the President “moved the goal post”, according to the Speaker. According to the President, Speaker Boehner wouldn’t sign on to additional revenue enhancers.
Time and again we see the President and the Democrats use a play on words that sounds great. My gosh - to be able to enhance revenue must be a good thing, because who wouldn’t want to enhance their own revenue? This sounds like it could be an investment opportunity! It sounds like someone else might pick up the tab! But what it really means is that the president proposed an additional tax on the rich, something that the Speaker just couldn’t live with.
The president also wanted to raise the debt ceiling until after the 2012 elections. Who wouldn’t want to put off another debt crisis until after his re-election? Time and again, it is just politics as usual.
A year ago, the president and the Democrats knew that we would be having this debate now. The problem is that they thought they would still control the House and still control the entire government. Fast forward a year and we have the stalemate we have today. Democrats control 2/3 of the government and the Republicans control 1/3, with over 68% of the people agreeing with them and their plan.
The Republicans presented a proposal. It was called Cut, Cap and Balance. They passed it in the House, only to be voted down in the democratically controlled Senate, at the behest of the democratically controlled White House. Another plan was submitted by the Senate, which favored the Liberal view of how to run a country and a government. Where has that gotten us in the last four- six years? As an example of where it has this gotten us is; the President announced on Friday that Chrysler has paid off their loan. In the bail out process, Chrysler was given to a foreign based auto maker FIAT with tax payer dollars buying it for them. We were told that in the end there would be a return on the investment. However, in the end, when the math was done, the tax payer came up short by 1.3 billion dollars. Why, because the U.S. government sold their shares in Chrysler at a loss to the Italian auto maker. Who profited? The Italian auto maker and the Italian government - the American tax payer picked up the tab! Have you heard the old adage “pretty good for government work?” This one story alone should be enough to explain why government is not a good steward of the nation’s wealth.
The president wants to raise the debt ceiling by another 2.4 trillion dollars, because he wants to spend more. The tax payer cannot afford this and the credit rating agencies who put a rating on our debt know it.
The president has once again failed in his duty to lead and to make the right decisions for the country. He knew a year ago that something had to be done to prevent this debate from occurring today. Time and again he has failed to come up with a plan and the Senate has failed, because they could have negotiated when the House came up with their proposal after all it is their responsibility to do so.
As we anxiously await the results of the Asian Market today, we also are waiting to see the results of what our markets do. This is of course related to the debt deal that Washington can’t seem to agree on, because of indecision and mostly because of the bad decisions that comes out of Washington.
Bad decisions are the result of the kind of decisions we are facing today. 16 years ago the country had an opportunity to pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. Time and again we visit the same questions, with the same outcome.
The president asked on Friday “where is the leadership?” My response is if there was true leadership coming from the White House, instead of the child’s play we have seen, the job would have been done right, before the desperate decisions that have to be made today.
So where do we stand this morning? You still have your bills to pay, but chances are the interest on those bills will rise. Your kids will still come home with their scrapes and bruises, but chances are the doctor bill will go up, because his expenses will rise, because his cost of doing business is rising. You will still visit the grocery store, but you will pay more at the check out line, because of inflation which simply means: an increase in the supply of currency or credit relative to the availability of goods and services, resulting in higher prices and a decrease in the purchasing power of your money. Your dog or cat will still need to see the vet, but the vet is just another doctor for the family with rising costs himself. Your 401(k) will take the hit next month, because of the sell off that might take place because of the “no deal or bad deal situation in Washington.” But what I fear most is; you will still be asking the $64,000 question: am I going to have my job next week?
Just as the S&P and Moody’s are losing faith in our credit and ability to pay our bills, business will lose faith and pull back as well. As a result, of all of this our financial rating will be down graded, because there will be no full faith and credit in the dollar and the United States any longer.
Time and again we have seen this, but not to the degree of a lowered credit rating. You can blame Congress, you can blame the Senate. You can blame the S&P and Moody’s. Blame China and the European Union. Blame George Bush. But the smart money will go to the source and that is the President of the United States. We will be better off when he is booted out of town. This is what elections are all about. The presidential election in 2012 should be about nothing else except for what happened in July of 2011.
Mr. President, per your instructions, Congress came up with a proposal, it was the first and only proposal to be passed and that is what should be negotiated. Quit moving the goal post and find your place on the field.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Time and again we see the same stuff it never changes. Time and again we see the same characters that never change. Time and again we wish for a change. The system works; it’s the leaders who don’t work within the system. John Adams said to Horatio Gates in a letter on March 23, 1776: “I agree with you that in politics the middle way is none at all.”
Friday, July 22, 2011
It's a position you can feel comfortable with!
Friday – July 22, 2011
It’s a position you can feel comfortable with!
Over the course of the last two weeks, I have had fun with the word position. Webster’s defines the word as: an act of placing or arranging: The laying down of a proposition or a thesis: A point of view adopted and held.
In the political arena a position is often held, regardless of the effects and regardless of the possible outcomes to decisions made, because of the position that is held.
This becomes a problem when tax payer money is involved and when the blank check is given to irresponsible people.
The taken position or the view adopted by the conservative is that big government, big spending, big tax and big entitlement government has produced enormous cost and uncertainty on the part of small and big business owners. The left is now calling anyone who takes a position like this an anarchist!
The taken position or the view adopted by the liberal is that big government, big spending, big tax and big entitlement government will produce the growth needed to provide certain outcomes. It is the certain outcome that is the result of the position of the liberal that concerns me.
Today, the new jobless numbers are out, 418,000 people filed for new unemployment benefits last week. This number of new claims has stayed in the 400,000 plus level for two months running. It took a dip in the spring, but has now risen again at a steady pace. Our growth rate is now 1.2% to 2%. When our economy is performing at 4% to 5% growth the number of new time claims should be at the 320.000 level not the level that was reported this week. China will have a 9% growth rate this year.
The unyielding position taken by the White House, early on in its tenure, has now resulted in what many economists have feared a double dip recession. This position was not mentioned by me, though I agree with the position.
Bernie Marcus, Co-Founder of Home Depot, said yesterday: “His – the presidents – output is absolutely, incredibly bad… Even brain dead economists understand that when you raise taxes, you cost jobs… he - the president - doesn’t understand the problems businesses face.” Mr. Marcus went onto say, “If Home Depot was started today he doubts if it would last in this kind of environment.” This position was not mentioned by me, though I agree with the position. The CEO’s of Coke and Pepsi also had similar positions yesterday.
It is now becoming the position of the business community that the policies of this president have caused anemic growth and have ruined the economy of the world’s richest nation. My position on this is: where have these business leaders been for the past three years? Where have the normally outspoken leaders been and why are they now just coming out of the closet with critical opinions and positions about this president.
It is my position that bigger government creates bigger waste. Bigger government employs more bureaucrats that are unelected and who are unaccountable to Congress and the citizens of the United States. These bureaucrats make decisions based on their positions. The decisions made affect every American. It has been discovered by a Senate panel that the EPA has given away 27 million dollars in grants to foreign countries to promote the climate change agenda in 2009. This was not a Bush era position. A partial list of the breakdown is: $718,000 went to China to assist with control of air emissions. $700,000 went to Thailand to collect methane from pig farms. $150,000 to Interpol for Climate change programs and $15,000 went to Indonesia’s “Breath Easy”, Jakarta campaign.
Another waste of tax payer money by the unaccountable bureaucrat has cost the SEC and the tax payer 557 million dollars. Yes, 557 million. The SEC signed a ten year lease for office space in downtown Washington D.C., only to find out it didn’t need it. The contracts and the paper work that normally makes its way through the bureaucracy were distorted. The figures and many of the details of the lease agreements were covered over by white out and, as a result, these pertinent figures were not reviewed. No reason has been given as to why the figures were hidden from the review panel. No reason has been given as to why the review panel didn’t ask the obvious questions. The tax payer is on the hook, once again, by the bureaucrats in Washington D.C., who are unaccountable. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
Another wasted program of a big government is two Navy ships that were built and never set out to sea will be scraped at a cost of 300 million dollars each. The ships were built, outfitted and sent to a dock never to see the sea. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
Yesterday, we saw the United States surrender its position in space. Our foot print that could never be overstepped in scope and accomplishment is now gone with the landing of the last Shuttle flight Atlantis. Gone are the imagination of the creators, gone are the imagination of the explorer, gone is the imagination of a generation of Americans who will not witness another launch of an American Space Ship that carries Americans into space for a generation. With all the waste that has been identified in today’s FORUM an argument should be made that all that money could have gone to fund NASA and prevent the layoffs of thousands of employees at NASA and its supplier base, which will now be reported in next weeks jobless numbers. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
I know someone who has a great wit. Lori said to me yesterday, when we were discussing some of the problems of big government, “You know they are lying, when you see their lips move.”
This comment is so true. We have seen this act out this week in the budget debate alone. We have now seen the waste that big government causes. In all of these examples, decisions were made based on positions and based on what people in government say when they move their lips.
It’s not the position of being on the right or being on the left. It’s the position of what is right and what is wrong that is missing from today’s political debate. Adults know the difference; business leaders know the difference; many children by the age of five know the difference from right and wrong. But when it comes to the politician their wrong position usually overrides the citizen’s right position. But then again, that’s just me with yet another position!
On today’s date, in 1775, George Washington took command of the U.S. troops who would fight the Revolutionary War. These troops gave us the freedoms we have today. These freedoms created the world’s most powerful economy, it has also given the world its many advancements. General Washington, as he was known then, acted and commanded in a way that men worshipped and men would follow. The positions in Washington today do not come close to what Washington held in his heart when he took command.
I always end the week with a quote. Today I want to share the words of Washington. Not the city, but the man: “There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.”
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: To insist upon the truth is a duty that each American owes to every other American. A position that is not truthful reduces the capacity of Americans to have trust in their leaders. It may also negatively affect the positions in away that might not help their fellow citizens. That’s a position every American should feel comfortable with. But then again that’s how I roll!
It’s a position you can feel comfortable with!
Over the course of the last two weeks, I have had fun with the word position. Webster’s defines the word as: an act of placing or arranging: The laying down of a proposition or a thesis: A point of view adopted and held.
In the political arena a position is often held, regardless of the effects and regardless of the possible outcomes to decisions made, because of the position that is held.
This becomes a problem when tax payer money is involved and when the blank check is given to irresponsible people.
The taken position or the view adopted by the conservative is that big government, big spending, big tax and big entitlement government has produced enormous cost and uncertainty on the part of small and big business owners. The left is now calling anyone who takes a position like this an anarchist!
The taken position or the view adopted by the liberal is that big government, big spending, big tax and big entitlement government will produce the growth needed to provide certain outcomes. It is the certain outcome that is the result of the position of the liberal that concerns me.
Today, the new jobless numbers are out, 418,000 people filed for new unemployment benefits last week. This number of new claims has stayed in the 400,000 plus level for two months running. It took a dip in the spring, but has now risen again at a steady pace. Our growth rate is now 1.2% to 2%. When our economy is performing at 4% to 5% growth the number of new time claims should be at the 320.000 level not the level that was reported this week. China will have a 9% growth rate this year.
The unyielding position taken by the White House, early on in its tenure, has now resulted in what many economists have feared a double dip recession. This position was not mentioned by me, though I agree with the position.
Bernie Marcus, Co-Founder of Home Depot, said yesterday: “His – the presidents – output is absolutely, incredibly bad… Even brain dead economists understand that when you raise taxes, you cost jobs… he - the president - doesn’t understand the problems businesses face.” Mr. Marcus went onto say, “If Home Depot was started today he doubts if it would last in this kind of environment.” This position was not mentioned by me, though I agree with the position. The CEO’s of Coke and Pepsi also had similar positions yesterday.
It is now becoming the position of the business community that the policies of this president have caused anemic growth and have ruined the economy of the world’s richest nation. My position on this is: where have these business leaders been for the past three years? Where have the normally outspoken leaders been and why are they now just coming out of the closet with critical opinions and positions about this president.
It is my position that bigger government creates bigger waste. Bigger government employs more bureaucrats that are unelected and who are unaccountable to Congress and the citizens of the United States. These bureaucrats make decisions based on their positions. The decisions made affect every American. It has been discovered by a Senate panel that the EPA has given away 27 million dollars in grants to foreign countries to promote the climate change agenda in 2009. This was not a Bush era position. A partial list of the breakdown is: $718,000 went to China to assist with control of air emissions. $700,000 went to Thailand to collect methane from pig farms. $150,000 to Interpol for Climate change programs and $15,000 went to Indonesia’s “Breath Easy”, Jakarta campaign.
Another waste of tax payer money by the unaccountable bureaucrat has cost the SEC and the tax payer 557 million dollars. Yes, 557 million. The SEC signed a ten year lease for office space in downtown Washington D.C., only to find out it didn’t need it. The contracts and the paper work that normally makes its way through the bureaucracy were distorted. The figures and many of the details of the lease agreements were covered over by white out and, as a result, these pertinent figures were not reviewed. No reason has been given as to why the figures were hidden from the review panel. No reason has been given as to why the review panel didn’t ask the obvious questions. The tax payer is on the hook, once again, by the bureaucrats in Washington D.C., who are unaccountable. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
Another wasted program of a big government is two Navy ships that were built and never set out to sea will be scraped at a cost of 300 million dollars each. The ships were built, outfitted and sent to a dock never to see the sea. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
Yesterday, we saw the United States surrender its position in space. Our foot print that could never be overstepped in scope and accomplishment is now gone with the landing of the last Shuttle flight Atlantis. Gone are the imagination of the creators, gone are the imagination of the explorer, gone is the imagination of a generation of Americans who will not witness another launch of an American Space Ship that carries Americans into space for a generation. With all the waste that has been identified in today’s FORUM an argument should be made that all that money could have gone to fund NASA and prevent the layoffs of thousands of employees at NASA and its supplier base, which will now be reported in next weeks jobless numbers. My position, once again, is bigger government causes bigger waste. But then again, that’s just me!
I know someone who has a great wit. Lori said to me yesterday, when we were discussing some of the problems of big government, “You know they are lying, when you see their lips move.”
This comment is so true. We have seen this act out this week in the budget debate alone. We have now seen the waste that big government causes. In all of these examples, decisions were made based on positions and based on what people in government say when they move their lips.
It’s not the position of being on the right or being on the left. It’s the position of what is right and what is wrong that is missing from today’s political debate. Adults know the difference; business leaders know the difference; many children by the age of five know the difference from right and wrong. But when it comes to the politician their wrong position usually overrides the citizen’s right position. But then again, that’s just me with yet another position!
On today’s date, in 1775, George Washington took command of the U.S. troops who would fight the Revolutionary War. These troops gave us the freedoms we have today. These freedoms created the world’s most powerful economy, it has also given the world its many advancements. General Washington, as he was known then, acted and commanded in a way that men worshipped and men would follow. The positions in Washington today do not come close to what Washington held in his heart when he took command.
I always end the week with a quote. Today I want to share the words of Washington. Not the city, but the man: “There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily.”
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: To insist upon the truth is a duty that each American owes to every other American. A position that is not truthful reduces the capacity of Americans to have trust in their leaders. It may also negatively affect the positions in away that might not help their fellow citizens. That’s a position every American should feel comfortable with. But then again that’s how I roll!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
It's the position that others are now taking:
Thursday – July 21, 2011
It’s the position that others are now taking:
The world is watching the debate that is taking place in Washington today. I don’t believe that the world is watching what we are doing on the job front, because we are not talking about that this week, but they are looking to see how we control our spending and our debt because that is what we are talking about now.
It seems that this administration is hell bent on not doing what is necessary to create jobs, so it might be a moot point to talk about that today.
But what shouldn’t be moot is how we go about solving and curing our spending habits which have now affected our long term debt and debt rating. In 69 out of the last 80 years, since we have had a debt ceiling, the federal government has spent more than it has taken in. If we analyze the headlines, during every administration, in that time frame, we will see that the arguments have been the same whenever we have had the debt ceiling debate. The only thing that has changed is the players and the dates. However, what has changed now, in 2011, is that we have fewer tax payers, bigger entitlements and we will now hit the dead end on the road that we have been kicking the can down for 80 years.
There has always been wiggle room and room for compromise in this debate, but now the reality of a D-day is settling in. The latest proposal from the Senate does not lower spending; it cuts spending against the baseline and does not provide cuts in actual spending. For instance, the Senate proposal calls for raising the baseline by 9 trillion dollars. If they cut 3 trillion from that baseline, they will still add 6 trillion to the national debt. At this rate we will be at 100% of our GDP in a few short years. This is not serious planning; it is the old Washington shell game. They will take symbolic cuts in some areas, only to add more funding in other symbolic areas. This is the position that others are now taking.
If we raise the debt ceiling and make serious cuts with a long term plan that shows we are serious about lowering the debt and controlling our spending habits then the S&P and Moody’s will feel comfortable in keeping our triple A rating, especially if a balanced budget amendment is part of the deal. However, if we have a weak plan, with small numbers over a short term, then our debt rating will be lowered. They have told us as much! This is the position others are taking.
If the debt rating is lowered our economy will take the hit. It’s all about controlling our debt and coming up with a serious long term plan, instead of one that is for the short term and that symbolically shows bipartisanship. The world doesn’t care about our politics. The world cares about America’s dollar and its credit. We, as citizens, should also be concerned about what the world is seeing and what they are observing when a final decision is made.
At this point it’s all about politics and not economics that is the position that others are also taking. This is why we shouldn’t trust the six page overview from the gang of six. The gang of 6’s proposal, put forward in the Senate yesterday, is based on the recommendations of the Simpson and Bowles plan. This is fine, but it doesn’t go as deep. The gang of 6’s proposal calls for slashing 3.7 trillion over ten years, why not the larger number that the House plan called for. The gang of 6’s proposal is to reduce the public debt by 70% by 2021 why not by 2018 and aim higher. The gang of 6’s proposal calls for a reduction in the marginal tax rates while abolishing the AMT. This is also good, but the rich will be taxed more; and what about the 50% of Americans who don’t pay tax? They still get a free pass and someone has to pay for that shortfall. In addition, the Senate proposal calls for discretionary spending caps through 2015 why not make it through 2021 with larger caps. Lastly, the Senate plan does not include a balanced budget amendment. I said yesterday that this is the single most important thing that we can do for the viability of the economy, our spending levels and our debt. More important than that it’s our country’s financial viability and credit worthiness. Until this is done, nothing will significantly improve.
That is the position that others are now taking.
On the political side, the Tea Party members are being demonized, the conservatives are being called extremists and the Republicans are being set up for the hit. Is this what should be happening? The administration has not offered any proposal for over two years. Isn’t it time that someone gets serious and demonstrates extreme measures to get the job done?
Both Obama and Biden were strongly opposed to raising the debt ceiling whenever the question was debated, when they were Senators. Why is there a change in their opinion now? It’s because they have control and they want to fundamentally change America! This is the position they have taken!
In today’s debate there should be two questions that haven’t been asked. How to move this country forward in a financially responsible way? And how do we secure the necessary resources, so that the people who really need those resources get it?
We also need to answer some other fundamental questions. Just what kind of a country do we want? Is it in our best interest to expand the nanny state? Or is it in our best interest to provide the resources to expand our liberty our freedom and our independence.
In days gone by, we relied on the writings of Dickenson, Paine, Adams, Franklin and Jefferson to give us light and provide us with the direction that gave us our liberty our freedom and our independence. Today, the list of pundits, journalists, talk show hosts, entertainers, news reporters, press secretaries and the lists goes on, will shape and will distort whatever the message is for the day. Go back and read some of the earlier writings that gave us a platform that we relied on up to 80 years ago.
Go back and read about the importance of paying our debts. Read about the dangers of big government and read about why the country had a revolution. If you do you might have a position that others are not taking.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: No matter what the position is it will always be debated. However, there are certain fundamental rights and certain fundamental principals that should not be ignored. It is the position that incorporates those elements that will be the most successful for the country!
It’s the position that others are now taking:
The world is watching the debate that is taking place in Washington today. I don’t believe that the world is watching what we are doing on the job front, because we are not talking about that this week, but they are looking to see how we control our spending and our debt because that is what we are talking about now.
It seems that this administration is hell bent on not doing what is necessary to create jobs, so it might be a moot point to talk about that today.
But what shouldn’t be moot is how we go about solving and curing our spending habits which have now affected our long term debt and debt rating. In 69 out of the last 80 years, since we have had a debt ceiling, the federal government has spent more than it has taken in. If we analyze the headlines, during every administration, in that time frame, we will see that the arguments have been the same whenever we have had the debt ceiling debate. The only thing that has changed is the players and the dates. However, what has changed now, in 2011, is that we have fewer tax payers, bigger entitlements and we will now hit the dead end on the road that we have been kicking the can down for 80 years.
There has always been wiggle room and room for compromise in this debate, but now the reality of a D-day is settling in. The latest proposal from the Senate does not lower spending; it cuts spending against the baseline and does not provide cuts in actual spending. For instance, the Senate proposal calls for raising the baseline by 9 trillion dollars. If they cut 3 trillion from that baseline, they will still add 6 trillion to the national debt. At this rate we will be at 100% of our GDP in a few short years. This is not serious planning; it is the old Washington shell game. They will take symbolic cuts in some areas, only to add more funding in other symbolic areas. This is the position that others are now taking.
If we raise the debt ceiling and make serious cuts with a long term plan that shows we are serious about lowering the debt and controlling our spending habits then the S&P and Moody’s will feel comfortable in keeping our triple A rating, especially if a balanced budget amendment is part of the deal. However, if we have a weak plan, with small numbers over a short term, then our debt rating will be lowered. They have told us as much! This is the position others are taking.
If the debt rating is lowered our economy will take the hit. It’s all about controlling our debt and coming up with a serious long term plan, instead of one that is for the short term and that symbolically shows bipartisanship. The world doesn’t care about our politics. The world cares about America’s dollar and its credit. We, as citizens, should also be concerned about what the world is seeing and what they are observing when a final decision is made.
At this point it’s all about politics and not economics that is the position that others are also taking. This is why we shouldn’t trust the six page overview from the gang of six. The gang of 6’s proposal, put forward in the Senate yesterday, is based on the recommendations of the Simpson and Bowles plan. This is fine, but it doesn’t go as deep. The gang of 6’s proposal calls for slashing 3.7 trillion over ten years, why not the larger number that the House plan called for. The gang of 6’s proposal is to reduce the public debt by 70% by 2021 why not by 2018 and aim higher. The gang of 6’s proposal calls for a reduction in the marginal tax rates while abolishing the AMT. This is also good, but the rich will be taxed more; and what about the 50% of Americans who don’t pay tax? They still get a free pass and someone has to pay for that shortfall. In addition, the Senate proposal calls for discretionary spending caps through 2015 why not make it through 2021 with larger caps. Lastly, the Senate plan does not include a balanced budget amendment. I said yesterday that this is the single most important thing that we can do for the viability of the economy, our spending levels and our debt. More important than that it’s our country’s financial viability and credit worthiness. Until this is done, nothing will significantly improve.
That is the position that others are now taking.
On the political side, the Tea Party members are being demonized, the conservatives are being called extremists and the Republicans are being set up for the hit. Is this what should be happening? The administration has not offered any proposal for over two years. Isn’t it time that someone gets serious and demonstrates extreme measures to get the job done?
Both Obama and Biden were strongly opposed to raising the debt ceiling whenever the question was debated, when they were Senators. Why is there a change in their opinion now? It’s because they have control and they want to fundamentally change America! This is the position they have taken!
In today’s debate there should be two questions that haven’t been asked. How to move this country forward in a financially responsible way? And how do we secure the necessary resources, so that the people who really need those resources get it?
We also need to answer some other fundamental questions. Just what kind of a country do we want? Is it in our best interest to expand the nanny state? Or is it in our best interest to provide the resources to expand our liberty our freedom and our independence.
In days gone by, we relied on the writings of Dickenson, Paine, Adams, Franklin and Jefferson to give us light and provide us with the direction that gave us our liberty our freedom and our independence. Today, the list of pundits, journalists, talk show hosts, entertainers, news reporters, press secretaries and the lists goes on, will shape and will distort whatever the message is for the day. Go back and read some of the earlier writings that gave us a platform that we relied on up to 80 years ago.
Go back and read about the importance of paying our debts. Read about the dangers of big government and read about why the country had a revolution. If you do you might have a position that others are not taking.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: No matter what the position is it will always be debated. However, there are certain fundamental rights and certain fundamental principals that should not be ignored. It is the position that incorporates those elements that will be the most successful for the country!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A new position that is becoming clearer:
Wednesday-July 20, 2011
A new position that is becoming clearer:
What a difference a day can make. While the Republicans passed their cut, cap and balance bill in the House, a new bill in the Senate was proposed.
I said last week that the next two weeks we would hear about many more positions. But the one position that we haven’t heard about is the president’s. He has not given any real direction on the debt ceiling debate and the budget debate, because he still doesn’t have one. This might be old news, but what is happening now is serious business.
I think the reason the president hasn’t offered a plan is that he can’t. All of America now knows that his original plan didn’t work out so well. So he will support another plan in order to save his you know what, if that one doesn’t work. He will never support a Republican plan, because he knows that one will work but more importantly it is a Republican plan. So he will compromise and support the gang of 6’s new plan. He does this because he can say that it is the Senate who acted in a bipartisan way and not the republicans regardless if their plan is the best plan for America.
The new plan that was proposed in the Senate is designed to take away the steam that the Republicans in Congress had. I think that the Republican Senators who broke in support of the cut cap and balance plan were premature and did harm to their own party. They will tell you they followed their conscience. They will find out very soon that when you sell your soul to the Democrats you lose. It’s my position that the band of six should be deep sixed.
The new proposal will likely increase taxes, it does not seriously cut spending where it is needed the most, more importantly though, it doesn’t include a balanced budget amendment like the Republican plan does. This is now a battle of wits between the Senate and the Congress. Both houses are now fighting for a position. And what is the president doing - nothing. He is staying out of the fray, he is not getting involved and his fingerprints are not on any thing. In other words, he has created the diversion away from the economy, he has put blame on the Republican House and things are as confused as ever. It’s just the way he likes things to be. At some point he will make himself the victor.
I wrote about the bully pulpit some weeks ago. I said the Republicans have to use it for their advantage, so the president can’t. Well, no one listened and predictably the president will use it very soon.
What bothers me most is that the new plan proposed by the gang of six does not have the details attached to it. It is like the health care bill, when Former Speaker of the House Pelosi said, “we will have to pass it, so we can find out what is in it.” My position on that is the same today as it was then. Is this any way to run a government?
To prove my point, Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia said about the gang of 6’s plan: “Virtually half the United States Senate came in a bipartisan way and said. Hey it ain’t perfect, but this makes sense as a way to move forward.” It only seems that if something isn’t perfect then why introduce it? If it ain’t perfect why sign onto it? This is the reason why we find ourselves in the position we are in today. Is this new position becoming clearer? All this is – is a 6 page overview that says trust me.
Another way forward is a position taken by Steve Wynn. He isn’t a politician he is a business man who creates jobs. From building the buildings that people visit and that servers make tips in he has successfully brought the new face to Las Vegas. He said yesterday: “Well, my customers, and the companies that provide the vitality for the hospitality and restaurant industries in the United States of America, they are frightened of this administration. And it makes you slow down and not invest your money.
Everybody complains about how much money is on the side in America. You bet. And until we change the tempo and the conversation from Washington, it is not going to change. And those of us who have business opportunities and the capital to do it are going to sit in fear of the President.
And a lot of people don’t want to say that. They say, oh God, don’t be attacking Obama.
Well, this is Obama’s deal. And it is Obama that is responsible for this fear in America. The guy keeps making speeches about redistribution and maybe we ought to do something to businesses that don’t invest, they are holding too much money.
You know, we haven’t heard that kind of talk except from pure socialists. Everybody is afraid of the government and there is no need soft-pedaling it. It is the truth. It is the truth.
And that is true of Democratic businessmen, and Republican businessmen, and I am a Democratic businessman, and a Republican — I support Harry Reid, I support Democrats and Republicans, and I am telling you that the business community in this country is frightened to death of the weird political philosophy of the President of the United States. And until he is gone, everybody is going to be sitting on their thumbs.”
I couldn’t have said it better. This is a position I can live with, but then again that just me!
The basic plan that is needed in America today is one that will cut spending, that will provide sustainable caps in spending and force a balanced budget amendment any thing else is just window dressing. My position is if these crucial steps are taken now then we can focus on taxes.
I might add one more thing: jobs, there is still nothing coming out of the White House that will create the jobs so we can create more tax payers, but I think Steve Wynn has said all there needs to be said on that subject in today’s FORUM!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: If some of this stuff isn’t becoming clearer by the day I don’t know what else to tell you. If it is becoming clearer, organize with your friends, ask me how to do it and then let’s just do it. Now that’s a position you can live with!
A new position that is becoming clearer:
What a difference a day can make. While the Republicans passed their cut, cap and balance bill in the House, a new bill in the Senate was proposed.
I said last week that the next two weeks we would hear about many more positions. But the one position that we haven’t heard about is the president’s. He has not given any real direction on the debt ceiling debate and the budget debate, because he still doesn’t have one. This might be old news, but what is happening now is serious business.
I think the reason the president hasn’t offered a plan is that he can’t. All of America now knows that his original plan didn’t work out so well. So he will support another plan in order to save his you know what, if that one doesn’t work. He will never support a Republican plan, because he knows that one will work but more importantly it is a Republican plan. So he will compromise and support the gang of 6’s new plan. He does this because he can say that it is the Senate who acted in a bipartisan way and not the republicans regardless if their plan is the best plan for America.
The new plan that was proposed in the Senate is designed to take away the steam that the Republicans in Congress had. I think that the Republican Senators who broke in support of the cut cap and balance plan were premature and did harm to their own party. They will tell you they followed their conscience. They will find out very soon that when you sell your soul to the Democrats you lose. It’s my position that the band of six should be deep sixed.
The new proposal will likely increase taxes, it does not seriously cut spending where it is needed the most, more importantly though, it doesn’t include a balanced budget amendment like the Republican plan does. This is now a battle of wits between the Senate and the Congress. Both houses are now fighting for a position. And what is the president doing - nothing. He is staying out of the fray, he is not getting involved and his fingerprints are not on any thing. In other words, he has created the diversion away from the economy, he has put blame on the Republican House and things are as confused as ever. It’s just the way he likes things to be. At some point he will make himself the victor.
I wrote about the bully pulpit some weeks ago. I said the Republicans have to use it for their advantage, so the president can’t. Well, no one listened and predictably the president will use it very soon.
What bothers me most is that the new plan proposed by the gang of six does not have the details attached to it. It is like the health care bill, when Former Speaker of the House Pelosi said, “we will have to pass it, so we can find out what is in it.” My position on that is the same today as it was then. Is this any way to run a government?
To prove my point, Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia said about the gang of 6’s plan: “Virtually half the United States Senate came in a bipartisan way and said. Hey it ain’t perfect, but this makes sense as a way to move forward.” It only seems that if something isn’t perfect then why introduce it? If it ain’t perfect why sign onto it? This is the reason why we find ourselves in the position we are in today. Is this new position becoming clearer? All this is – is a 6 page overview that says trust me.
Another way forward is a position taken by Steve Wynn. He isn’t a politician he is a business man who creates jobs. From building the buildings that people visit and that servers make tips in he has successfully brought the new face to Las Vegas. He said yesterday: “Well, my customers, and the companies that provide the vitality for the hospitality and restaurant industries in the United States of America, they are frightened of this administration. And it makes you slow down and not invest your money.
Everybody complains about how much money is on the side in America. You bet. And until we change the tempo and the conversation from Washington, it is not going to change. And those of us who have business opportunities and the capital to do it are going to sit in fear of the President.
And a lot of people don’t want to say that. They say, oh God, don’t be attacking Obama.
Well, this is Obama’s deal. And it is Obama that is responsible for this fear in America. The guy keeps making speeches about redistribution and maybe we ought to do something to businesses that don’t invest, they are holding too much money.
You know, we haven’t heard that kind of talk except from pure socialists. Everybody is afraid of the government and there is no need soft-pedaling it. It is the truth. It is the truth.
And that is true of Democratic businessmen, and Republican businessmen, and I am a Democratic businessman, and a Republican — I support Harry Reid, I support Democrats and Republicans, and I am telling you that the business community in this country is frightened to death of the weird political philosophy of the President of the United States. And until he is gone, everybody is going to be sitting on their thumbs.”
I couldn’t have said it better. This is a position I can live with, but then again that just me!
The basic plan that is needed in America today is one that will cut spending, that will provide sustainable caps in spending and force a balanced budget amendment any thing else is just window dressing. My position is if these crucial steps are taken now then we can focus on taxes.
I might add one more thing: jobs, there is still nothing coming out of the White House that will create the jobs so we can create more tax payers, but I think Steve Wynn has said all there needs to be said on that subject in today’s FORUM!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: If some of this stuff isn’t becoming clearer by the day I don’t know what else to tell you. If it is becoming clearer, organize with your friends, ask me how to do it and then let’s just do it. Now that’s a position you can live with!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The president's position and mine:
Tuesday – July 19, 2011
The president’s position and mine:
Last week, I wrote that the next few weeks will be loaded with various positions. My actual words were: “In the next few weeks it will be all about position. It will be all about one party taking advantage of the other parties’ hard line positions. It will be all about who can demonize those positions most. It will be all about a president, who is hanging on by a thread. It will be about his position and his policies.”
There are many proposals that are being knocked around Washington today regarding the debt ceiling debate. One of them is the Cut, Cap and Balance approach, so that the debt ceiling can be raised. The Republicans offered this so that the President can have some breathing room. It’s okay that they would offer a proposal like this. It makes sense, but don’t let the president get away from taking any responsibility. I wouldn’t, but then again, that’s just me!
There was another offer by the Republican Senate Minority leader that would have given Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling himself. Whether it would have solely given the president the approval or some kind of joint approval process with Congress is still somewhat unclear.
My position on this approach is this: why give in or cede this president or any president that kind of power with that kind of authority? Congress constitutionally is the only branch of Government that can approve any expenditures of the people’s money, so why give it up? Why even suggest that through crafty wording that we can violate any thing in the Constitution or the 14th amendment is beyond me? But then again, that’s just me!
My position is that the Cut, Cap and Balance approach is fine, if it is exclusive of any White House interference, if the President doesn’t offer any direction. He hasn’t up to this point - he has been AWOL with any real plan. It’s just the same as not voting. If you don’t vote or get involved and you hate the way things are going you shouldn’t complain. But then again, that’s just me!
The President said yesterday that he “would veto” any bill that has any balanced budget wording or a balanced budget amendment attached to it. The president can’t have it both ways. The American people can’t afford it if the president, if the congress and if the Senate cannot work within a balanced budget. 49 States have a balanced budget amendment in their Constitution; so why shouldn’t the Federal Government?
With a balanced budget amendment the Federal Government would be forced to live within their means. For instance, there is approximately 200 billion dollars coming into the federal coffers every month. That 200 Billion would be the budget that they would be allowed to spend. If they can’t live on that, then there certainly is something wrong.
The reason the president and many members of Congress and the Senate have always been shy of passing a balanced budget amendment is that they will loose power. Think about it. If they can’t spend, then they can’t secure the votes which insures them a job for life, while the tax payers pay them to do it. A balanced budget may be the only thing we need to cure the country’s financial ills.
Unfortunately, that would take time. So why not pass a Cut and Cap bill now and exclude a balanced budget amendment to the same bill. Force the Senate to pass it and force the president to sign it. This approach simply cuts spending and caps it now. Congress could then leave the balanced budget amendment for another separate bill to follow with nothing attached to that. I can guarantee that any Congressman, any Senator who would vote against a balanced budget amendment, would be in serious trouble back home.
If the president vetoed a separate bill like a balanced budget amendment he would sure have to answer for it. It is close to the election now the timing is right so let’s use the timing at hand for the benefit of the tax payer and to also call the presidents bluff. Remember, last week his position caused him to say “don’t call my bluff.” But then again, that’s just what I would do.
It’s ridiculous that every American and every American family and every American business has to live within their budget ; why shouldn’t the Federal Government?
What I fear is that history will repeat itself. Sixteen years ago, while Bill Clinton was President and the Republicans owned both Houses, there was a similar debate. The debate centered on out of control spending and raising the debt ceiling. It’s the same argument we are having today. The threat then, as it is today, was that the government would shut down, if the debt ceiling wasn’t raised. The Republicans passed a temporary spending bill that would have kept the government going. President Clinton vetoed it and the government shut down anyway. The Republicans were blamed for the shut down and Clinton came out of it smelling like a rose, even though his signature on the veto shut the government down.
I fear this president today will play the same trick and the same kind of game, even though he says he deplores those games, because the American people deserve better from the people who were elected to serve them. I think he doesn’t believe the words that he speaks, because his actions do not follow along the same path. But then again, that’s just my observation.
The question I have of you is this: are you willing to go along with the president and his position or are you willing to demand that the government cuts the spending and caps the spending? Are you willing to demand a balanced budget amendment and demand that your representatives do what they were elected to do? Maybe you have forgotten what a Representative’s job is. They are elected to vote your conscience, within the law and within all ethical standards. The way I see it, it’s not the conscience part that bothers me, because many of them don’t have one and we know the law doesn’t necessarily apply to them, but the ethical part is something they can’t run from nor should they be permitted to get a pass on. Something I read some time ago made a lot of sense: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”
I feel that many of these thoughts all of these directions and certainly the regard for the intent of these words have become a fading memory to many that we have elected! We are seeing the results of when that happens.
The President’s position is that of a bigger government. He believes that government should ultimately control everything we eat, everything we buy and every thing we produce through the type of jobs we are permitted to have. And lastly, he would have the government control the amount of money we can keep for everything we do. I would only hope that your position is just the opposite of that. Remember, there is no law or amendment yet that gives the Federal Government or a president that kind of control over you.
That is the difference between the President’s position and mine!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: The president will only get control of our money through taxes and through who he taxes, if he is permitted to do so. Once the wealth of a nation is taken away, the liberty of the posterity that we were told to bless will no longer be able to promote its own general welfare.
The president’s position and mine:
Last week, I wrote that the next few weeks will be loaded with various positions. My actual words were: “In the next few weeks it will be all about position. It will be all about one party taking advantage of the other parties’ hard line positions. It will be all about who can demonize those positions most. It will be all about a president, who is hanging on by a thread. It will be about his position and his policies.”
There are many proposals that are being knocked around Washington today regarding the debt ceiling debate. One of them is the Cut, Cap and Balance approach, so that the debt ceiling can be raised. The Republicans offered this so that the President can have some breathing room. It’s okay that they would offer a proposal like this. It makes sense, but don’t let the president get away from taking any responsibility. I wouldn’t, but then again, that’s just me!
There was another offer by the Republican Senate Minority leader that would have given Obama the authority to raise the debt ceiling himself. Whether it would have solely given the president the approval or some kind of joint approval process with Congress is still somewhat unclear.
My position on this approach is this: why give in or cede this president or any president that kind of power with that kind of authority? Congress constitutionally is the only branch of Government that can approve any expenditures of the people’s money, so why give it up? Why even suggest that through crafty wording that we can violate any thing in the Constitution or the 14th amendment is beyond me? But then again, that’s just me!
My position is that the Cut, Cap and Balance approach is fine, if it is exclusive of any White House interference, if the President doesn’t offer any direction. He hasn’t up to this point - he has been AWOL with any real plan. It’s just the same as not voting. If you don’t vote or get involved and you hate the way things are going you shouldn’t complain. But then again, that’s just me!
The President said yesterday that he “would veto” any bill that has any balanced budget wording or a balanced budget amendment attached to it. The president can’t have it both ways. The American people can’t afford it if the president, if the congress and if the Senate cannot work within a balanced budget. 49 States have a balanced budget amendment in their Constitution; so why shouldn’t the Federal Government?
With a balanced budget amendment the Federal Government would be forced to live within their means. For instance, there is approximately 200 billion dollars coming into the federal coffers every month. That 200 Billion would be the budget that they would be allowed to spend. If they can’t live on that, then there certainly is something wrong.
The reason the president and many members of Congress and the Senate have always been shy of passing a balanced budget amendment is that they will loose power. Think about it. If they can’t spend, then they can’t secure the votes which insures them a job for life, while the tax payers pay them to do it. A balanced budget may be the only thing we need to cure the country’s financial ills.
Unfortunately, that would take time. So why not pass a Cut and Cap bill now and exclude a balanced budget amendment to the same bill. Force the Senate to pass it and force the president to sign it. This approach simply cuts spending and caps it now. Congress could then leave the balanced budget amendment for another separate bill to follow with nothing attached to that. I can guarantee that any Congressman, any Senator who would vote against a balanced budget amendment, would be in serious trouble back home.
If the president vetoed a separate bill like a balanced budget amendment he would sure have to answer for it. It is close to the election now the timing is right so let’s use the timing at hand for the benefit of the tax payer and to also call the presidents bluff. Remember, last week his position caused him to say “don’t call my bluff.” But then again, that’s just what I would do.
It’s ridiculous that every American and every American family and every American business has to live within their budget ; why shouldn’t the Federal Government?
What I fear is that history will repeat itself. Sixteen years ago, while Bill Clinton was President and the Republicans owned both Houses, there was a similar debate. The debate centered on out of control spending and raising the debt ceiling. It’s the same argument we are having today. The threat then, as it is today, was that the government would shut down, if the debt ceiling wasn’t raised. The Republicans passed a temporary spending bill that would have kept the government going. President Clinton vetoed it and the government shut down anyway. The Republicans were blamed for the shut down and Clinton came out of it smelling like a rose, even though his signature on the veto shut the government down.
I fear this president today will play the same trick and the same kind of game, even though he says he deplores those games, because the American people deserve better from the people who were elected to serve them. I think he doesn’t believe the words that he speaks, because his actions do not follow along the same path. But then again, that’s just my observation.
The question I have of you is this: are you willing to go along with the president and his position or are you willing to demand that the government cuts the spending and caps the spending? Are you willing to demand a balanced budget amendment and demand that your representatives do what they were elected to do? Maybe you have forgotten what a Representative’s job is. They are elected to vote your conscience, within the law and within all ethical standards. The way I see it, it’s not the conscience part that bothers me, because many of them don’t have one and we know the law doesn’t necessarily apply to them, but the ethical part is something they can’t run from nor should they be permitted to get a pass on. Something I read some time ago made a lot of sense: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.”
I feel that many of these thoughts all of these directions and certainly the regard for the intent of these words have become a fading memory to many that we have elected! We are seeing the results of when that happens.
The President’s position is that of a bigger government. He believes that government should ultimately control everything we eat, everything we buy and every thing we produce through the type of jobs we are permitted to have. And lastly, he would have the government control the amount of money we can keep for everything we do. I would only hope that your position is just the opposite of that. Remember, there is no law or amendment yet that gives the Federal Government or a president that kind of control over you.
That is the difference between the President’s position and mine!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: The president will only get control of our money through taxes and through who he taxes, if he is permitted to do so. Once the wealth of a nation is taken away, the liberty of the posterity that we were told to bless will no longer be able to promote its own general welfare.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Just another position!
Monday – July 18, 2011
Just another position!
On today’s date, in 1768, The Boston Gazette published “The Liberty Song”. This is the first patriotic song ever published in America. The song went like this:
Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all, And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call; No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim, Or stain with dishonor America's name.
In Freedom we're born and in Freedom we'll live .Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady; Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we'll give.
Our worthy forefathers, let's give them a cheer, To climates unknown did courageously steer; Thro' oceans to deserts for Freedom they came, And dying, bequeath'dus their freedom and fame.
The tree their own hands had to Liberty rear'd, They lived to behold growing strong and revered; With transport they cried, Now our wishes we gain, For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain.
Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all, By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall; In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed, For heaven approves of each generous deed.
“The Liberty Song” was written when John Dickinson set out to reflect on the political strife caused by the Townshend Acts of 1767. These were the latest in a series of British crown taxes levied in the Colonies. The song reflected his position. He wrote the words to fit the famous music of the anthem of the British Royal Navy which is the “Heart of Oak.” Dickinson adapted the lyrics from David Garrick who wrote the music to celebrate the three great victories of the Seven Year’s War.
When Dickenson wrote the lyrics, he knew about John Hancock’s ship, the Liberty, which had been seized by the authorities for smuggling. This seizure, along with anger over the acts, precipitated riots and led to the declaration of suspension of English imports by the Boston merchants in August of 1768 which were to begin on December 31.
“The Liberty Song” was sung throughout the colonies at political meetings, dinners and celebrations; it is likely that it was the first song to express American patriotism. The most famous passage in the song is the source of a phrase known to many Americans today: “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” Loyalty withstanding, Dickenson still worried about his conservative form and that the lyrics were to “fiery.”
Every day, when I sit down to put my position out there, I give great thought to the words I write. I give great thought as to if I’m right or if I am wrong. I give great thought as to what people are thinking all the time. I give great thought and wonder if I am touching a nerve or if people are just sloughing off what I write. None the less, I still take a position, because I believe if you have one you should let it be known. I make my positions known, because I can - but more importantly, because I care about the positions that others take. If you have a position and don’t let it be known you shouldn’t complain. But then again that just me, writing another position!
I believe John Dickenson believed in that, as well. He was an American lawyer and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He was a militia officer during the American Revolution. He was a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware. He was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was considered to be one of the wealthiest men in the colonies at the time. He realized that when government or even a King taxes the wealth then wealth ceases to exist.
He is known as the “penman of the Revolution” for writing his “letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania”; upon receiving news of his death on February 14, 1808 President Jefferson recognized his as being “among the first of the advocates for the rights of his country when assailed by Great Britain” whose “name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.” He is the namesake of Dickenson College and Penn State University’s Dickenson School of Law.
John Dickenson knew that his positions would be known through his writings and through song. I am not comparing myself to the greatness he achieved, but there is a similarity. We both put pen to paper. His, of course, was recognized as being great. Unfortunately, that sometimes comes with death. So I am not too anxious to achieve greatness, if that is when it is measured. However, the positions that I take are based on beliefs that haven’t changed from the time of Jefferson and Dickenson. That is a position!
The President said over the weekend when asked about the debt dilemma: “We are asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.” This is also a position, but this position is also one that caused a revolution. That revolution was started by a song and through letters that took an opposing position.
The President said over the weekend when asked about the debt dilemma: “The problem is members of Congress are dug in ideologically, because they have boxed themselves into various positions.” What does this mean? As I see it, it is just another way the President can blame someone else for his failures. This is my position.
We have a president that has done nothing but blame or divert blame and plan parties around his golf game. You could make a song out of that, but I’m not going there. Or you could write a letter or write a FORUM that states a position and that is read by hundreds, thousands and possibly millions and that is where I am willing to go to get my position across!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: I hope that my positions are taking hold. I hope my positions aren’t too “fiery” or considered just another position, if they are just bear with me, because it is all for a purpose! That’s all I am going to say on that position.
Just another position!
On today’s date, in 1768, The Boston Gazette published “The Liberty Song”. This is the first patriotic song ever published in America. The song went like this:
Come, join hand in hand, brave Americans all, And rouse your bold hearts at fair Liberty's call; No tyrannous acts shall suppress your just claim, Or stain with dishonor America's name.
In Freedom we're born and in Freedom we'll live .Our purses are ready. Steady, friends, steady; Not as slaves, but as Freemen our money we'll give.
Our worthy forefathers, let's give them a cheer, To climates unknown did courageously steer; Thro' oceans to deserts for Freedom they came, And dying, bequeath'dus their freedom and fame.
The tree their own hands had to Liberty rear'd, They lived to behold growing strong and revered; With transport they cried, Now our wishes we gain, For our children shall gather the fruits of our pain.
Then join hand in hand, brave Americans all, By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall; In so righteous a cause let us hope to succeed, For heaven approves of each generous deed.
“The Liberty Song” was written when John Dickinson set out to reflect on the political strife caused by the Townshend Acts of 1767. These were the latest in a series of British crown taxes levied in the Colonies. The song reflected his position. He wrote the words to fit the famous music of the anthem of the British Royal Navy which is the “Heart of Oak.” Dickinson adapted the lyrics from David Garrick who wrote the music to celebrate the three great victories of the Seven Year’s War.
When Dickenson wrote the lyrics, he knew about John Hancock’s ship, the Liberty, which had been seized by the authorities for smuggling. This seizure, along with anger over the acts, precipitated riots and led to the declaration of suspension of English imports by the Boston merchants in August of 1768 which were to begin on December 31.
“The Liberty Song” was sung throughout the colonies at political meetings, dinners and celebrations; it is likely that it was the first song to express American patriotism. The most famous passage in the song is the source of a phrase known to many Americans today: “By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall.” Loyalty withstanding, Dickenson still worried about his conservative form and that the lyrics were to “fiery.”
Every day, when I sit down to put my position out there, I give great thought to the words I write. I give great thought as to if I’m right or if I am wrong. I give great thought as to what people are thinking all the time. I give great thought and wonder if I am touching a nerve or if people are just sloughing off what I write. None the less, I still take a position, because I believe if you have one you should let it be known. I make my positions known, because I can - but more importantly, because I care about the positions that others take. If you have a position and don’t let it be known you shouldn’t complain. But then again that just me, writing another position!
I believe John Dickenson believed in that, as well. He was an American lawyer and politician from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Wilmington, Delaware. He was a militia officer during the American Revolution. He was a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware. He was a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was considered to be one of the wealthiest men in the colonies at the time. He realized that when government or even a King taxes the wealth then wealth ceases to exist.
He is known as the “penman of the Revolution” for writing his “letters from a farmer in Pennsylvania”; upon receiving news of his death on February 14, 1808 President Jefferson recognized his as being “among the first of the advocates for the rights of his country when assailed by Great Britain” whose “name will be consecrated in history as one of the great worthies of the revolution.” He is the namesake of Dickenson College and Penn State University’s Dickenson School of Law.
John Dickenson knew that his positions would be known through his writings and through song. I am not comparing myself to the greatness he achieved, but there is a similarity. We both put pen to paper. His, of course, was recognized as being great. Unfortunately, that sometimes comes with death. So I am not too anxious to achieve greatness, if that is when it is measured. However, the positions that I take are based on beliefs that haven’t changed from the time of Jefferson and Dickenson. That is a position!
The President said over the weekend when asked about the debt dilemma: “We are asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.” This is also a position, but this position is also one that caused a revolution. That revolution was started by a song and through letters that took an opposing position.
The President said over the weekend when asked about the debt dilemma: “The problem is members of Congress are dug in ideologically, because they have boxed themselves into various positions.” What does this mean? As I see it, it is just another way the President can blame someone else for his failures. This is my position.
We have a president that has done nothing but blame or divert blame and plan parties around his golf game. You could make a song out of that, but I’m not going there. Or you could write a letter or write a FORUM that states a position and that is read by hundreds, thousands and possibly millions and that is where I am willing to go to get my position across!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: I hope that my positions are taking hold. I hope my positions aren’t too “fiery” or considered just another position, if they are just bear with me, because it is all for a purpose! That’s all I am going to say on that position.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
It's all about position!
Friday – July 15, 2011
It’s all about position!
So far this week, I have written 7,454 words describing various topics. I have written about some of the history of The Declaration of Independence, what I would do in office and who is doing what to whom. I have also written about the common folk.
As they would say in the old days, the ink I have put on paper, today it’s a word document, were meant to mean something. With today’s FORUM I will have written 9,266 words describing liberty, freedom and independence in my terms. Though most of which is my view, I believe that I do come close to what many Americans now believe. The Gallop pole has 58% of the people on the side of the Republicans regarding the debt ceiling debate and in a generic test pole a Republican candidate would now beat the president by 8 percentage points, if the election were held today.
The president is playing on the fears of everyone without doing a thing to contribute to the nation’s health. He is saying social security checks will not be mailed out to seniors if the Republicans don’t come up with a deal. The fact of the matter is that the Republicans have presented a plan to the Democrats, including the president, the democrats haven’t in return. It’s easy to demonize a plan when you don’t have any ideas or a plan yourself. The president says we must be fiscally responsible we must pay our bills. The president also said we must cut costs but the president won’t say how and for what. The president refuses to listen to those that give him the specifics that he is asking for. But the press still says the president is the only adult in the room. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The government takes in 200 billion dollars a month in revenue. One side says this amount can pay the interest on the debt and it can pay for every social security check paid in a month’s time. It can cover the pay to the military and our veteran’s. It can pay the Medicaid and Medicare payments. With all these payments that can be covered why does the president say he can’t guarantee that social security checks will be paid? Why two stories, this should be a black and white issue either you have the money or you don’t. You either have the tax revenue or you don’t. What I think is that no one knows how much money there is and no one for sure knows what can be paid or what should be paid. The president is the only one in the room that can make the decision not to print the social security checks. If the checks aren’t printed it shouldn’t be the republicans fault. But they will take the fall for it if the press has their way. Is there something wrong with this picture?
There was a rumor that the president wanted to have the speaker of the House come visit him at Camp David this weekend to see if they can strike a deal over the debt ceiling issue and spending. The Speaker said even if there is a rumor of this kind of visit, I will say if you want to talk, we can do it here in Washington we don’t have to travel to Camp David. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The President’s birthday is on August third, a day after the mandated date of financial Armageddon August 2nd. He is having a birthday bash in Chicago on the third with an elaborate fundraiser honoring him. He has already raised 86 million dollars well on his way to a billion. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The president steamed out a budget meeting after Congressman Cantor said no to what was on the table. The president got up and as he exited the room he said even Ronald Reagan wouldn’t sit around for this, or words to that effect. He also said “don’t call my bluff.” Is there something wrong with this picture?
The President’s Press Secretary told reporters prior to another briefing given by the President, before he spoke, that the president was going to speak and that they, the press, could not ask any questions. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The words that I have inked on paper this week have meaning, just as these examples of the President’s behavior do. I have been writing about liberty, freedom and independence all week and what has the president done. The president has offered a day at Camp. The President seemed more interested in creating the draw for his birthday party and another elaborate fundraiser so he can be the first candidate in history to raise a billion dollars a lofty accomplishment. Remember the president said we need to do big things. In my opinion the president still hasn’t gotten serious about his job and this situation. The president stormed out of the room and lost his temper, because he couldn’t get his way, because someone else in the room said his way is unacceptable. The President refused to take questions from reporters about the situation of the debt. Is this what we elect presidents for? Do we elect Presidents who want to put fear into the hearts of social security recipients? Do we elect Presidents who distort the truth for political gain and for purposes of demonizing the other guys?
Remember one thing it has been the republicans who have been doing the heavy lifting. They have presented plan after plan and they have even offered last minute concessions as recent as yesterday to get a debt deal done. It is not about just cutting a deal. It is about the long term viability of the countries economic stability. It is about meeting a challenge or kicking the can down the road again.
This all might seem like a game to some but there are structural problems that need to be fixed. It is also about government coming into your home and dictating the kind of light bulbs you will buy. It’s all about government taking away your child because they might be obese. Its all about the First Family saying do as I say but don’t do as I do, and its ok for me to eat lobster but you shouldn’t because of all that butter. It is all about government growing or government shrinking. It is about entrepreneurial endeavors or government sponsored endeavors. This game that some call showmanship is serious business. The decisions made today will affect generations to come. This is no laughing matter when the media continues to mock the republicans and support the guy that has created the mess that we are now trying to clean up. It’s all about the positions you take!
In the next few weeks it will be all about position. It will be all about one party taking advantage of the other parties’ hard line positions. It will be all about who can demonize those positions most. It will be all about a president who is hanging on by a thread. It will be about his position and his policies. It is about liberalism and the two brothers that I wrote about yesterday. It’s about the two brothers serving in the halls of congress for years and who have contributed via their votes to the mess we are in today. It’s about the positions they have taken for a combined time served of 61 years. We now know their positions and their votes over that time have been the wrong votes. It will be all about the members of the democratically controlled Senate rejecting anything the house puts forth.
Plato said: "This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector." Early on the president positioned him self as the protector and now we are closer to true tyranny than we were 235 years ago.
Thomas Jefferson said: "Those who wish to be ignorant and free, believe in something that never was and never shall be." He also said: "What country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that its people preserve the spirit of resistance." What is happening now is that America is standing up and America is watching the debt ceiling debate in ways they have never watched before.
James Madison said "If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within." Today the nation has been taken over by those who don’t believe in the greatness of a nation that was conceived in liberty. The president has led in this effort his entire life!
Lincoln said: “a house divided against it self cannot stand.” Today I fear that the house is divided by purposeful positions of a president that wants it that way. The question is why?
Mark Twain said: "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." I could have not said it better.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, President and 5-Star General said: "If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom. "Some people want it this way. However, government ultimately will have it that way if given the chance.
According to the press the only adult in the room is Barack H. Obama he said on October 30th, 2008: "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." This was the position that a lot of us warned many of you about. This position is the result of what we have today!
Thomas Jefferson said: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent" I cannot remain silent any longer. We all have the fundamental right to stand up and say no to tyranny. We all have the fundamental right to stand up and say to our government and our president enough is enough, just restore my liberty, give me my freedom and let me be independent of government regulation its controls and the dependency it creates.
I guess this is my position. But then again that’s how I roll!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: It’s ok to have a position, its even better when people agree, but when people disagree then someone must listen. The job of a president is to listen and to lead it is not to transform and not to bring fear to people who are defenseless because they need the government. You see if dependency was not the goal of government then we wouldn’t be having the discussion today about our position.
It’s all about position!
So far this week, I have written 7,454 words describing various topics. I have written about some of the history of The Declaration of Independence, what I would do in office and who is doing what to whom. I have also written about the common folk.
As they would say in the old days, the ink I have put on paper, today it’s a word document, were meant to mean something. With today’s FORUM I will have written 9,266 words describing liberty, freedom and independence in my terms. Though most of which is my view, I believe that I do come close to what many Americans now believe. The Gallop pole has 58% of the people on the side of the Republicans regarding the debt ceiling debate and in a generic test pole a Republican candidate would now beat the president by 8 percentage points, if the election were held today.
The president is playing on the fears of everyone without doing a thing to contribute to the nation’s health. He is saying social security checks will not be mailed out to seniors if the Republicans don’t come up with a deal. The fact of the matter is that the Republicans have presented a plan to the Democrats, including the president, the democrats haven’t in return. It’s easy to demonize a plan when you don’t have any ideas or a plan yourself. The president says we must be fiscally responsible we must pay our bills. The president also said we must cut costs but the president won’t say how and for what. The president refuses to listen to those that give him the specifics that he is asking for. But the press still says the president is the only adult in the room. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The government takes in 200 billion dollars a month in revenue. One side says this amount can pay the interest on the debt and it can pay for every social security check paid in a month’s time. It can cover the pay to the military and our veteran’s. It can pay the Medicaid and Medicare payments. With all these payments that can be covered why does the president say he can’t guarantee that social security checks will be paid? Why two stories, this should be a black and white issue either you have the money or you don’t. You either have the tax revenue or you don’t. What I think is that no one knows how much money there is and no one for sure knows what can be paid or what should be paid. The president is the only one in the room that can make the decision not to print the social security checks. If the checks aren’t printed it shouldn’t be the republicans fault. But they will take the fall for it if the press has their way. Is there something wrong with this picture?
There was a rumor that the president wanted to have the speaker of the House come visit him at Camp David this weekend to see if they can strike a deal over the debt ceiling issue and spending. The Speaker said even if there is a rumor of this kind of visit, I will say if you want to talk, we can do it here in Washington we don’t have to travel to Camp David. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The President’s birthday is on August third, a day after the mandated date of financial Armageddon August 2nd. He is having a birthday bash in Chicago on the third with an elaborate fundraiser honoring him. He has already raised 86 million dollars well on his way to a billion. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The president steamed out a budget meeting after Congressman Cantor said no to what was on the table. The president got up and as he exited the room he said even Ronald Reagan wouldn’t sit around for this, or words to that effect. He also said “don’t call my bluff.” Is there something wrong with this picture?
The President’s Press Secretary told reporters prior to another briefing given by the President, before he spoke, that the president was going to speak and that they, the press, could not ask any questions. Is there something wrong with this picture?
The words that I have inked on paper this week have meaning, just as these examples of the President’s behavior do. I have been writing about liberty, freedom and independence all week and what has the president done. The president has offered a day at Camp. The President seemed more interested in creating the draw for his birthday party and another elaborate fundraiser so he can be the first candidate in history to raise a billion dollars a lofty accomplishment. Remember the president said we need to do big things. In my opinion the president still hasn’t gotten serious about his job and this situation. The president stormed out of the room and lost his temper, because he couldn’t get his way, because someone else in the room said his way is unacceptable. The President refused to take questions from reporters about the situation of the debt. Is this what we elect presidents for? Do we elect Presidents who want to put fear into the hearts of social security recipients? Do we elect Presidents who distort the truth for political gain and for purposes of demonizing the other guys?
Remember one thing it has been the republicans who have been doing the heavy lifting. They have presented plan after plan and they have even offered last minute concessions as recent as yesterday to get a debt deal done. It is not about just cutting a deal. It is about the long term viability of the countries economic stability. It is about meeting a challenge or kicking the can down the road again.
This all might seem like a game to some but there are structural problems that need to be fixed. It is also about government coming into your home and dictating the kind of light bulbs you will buy. It’s all about government taking away your child because they might be obese. Its all about the First Family saying do as I say but don’t do as I do, and its ok for me to eat lobster but you shouldn’t because of all that butter. It is all about government growing or government shrinking. It is about entrepreneurial endeavors or government sponsored endeavors. This game that some call showmanship is serious business. The decisions made today will affect generations to come. This is no laughing matter when the media continues to mock the republicans and support the guy that has created the mess that we are now trying to clean up. It’s all about the positions you take!
In the next few weeks it will be all about position. It will be all about one party taking advantage of the other parties’ hard line positions. It will be all about who can demonize those positions most. It will be all about a president who is hanging on by a thread. It will be about his position and his policies. It is about liberalism and the two brothers that I wrote about yesterday. It’s about the two brothers serving in the halls of congress for years and who have contributed via their votes to the mess we are in today. It’s about the positions they have taken for a combined time served of 61 years. We now know their positions and their votes over that time have been the wrong votes. It will be all about the members of the democratically controlled Senate rejecting anything the house puts forth.
Plato said: "This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector." Early on the president positioned him self as the protector and now we are closer to true tyranny than we were 235 years ago.
Thomas Jefferson said: "Those who wish to be ignorant and free, believe in something that never was and never shall be." He also said: "What country can preserve its liberties, if its rulers are not warned from time to time that its people preserve the spirit of resistance." What is happening now is that America is standing up and America is watching the debt ceiling debate in ways they have never watched before.
James Madison said "If our nation is ever taken over, it will be taken over from within." Today the nation has been taken over by those who don’t believe in the greatness of a nation that was conceived in liberty. The president has led in this effort his entire life!
Lincoln said: “a house divided against it self cannot stand.” Today I fear that the house is divided by purposeful positions of a president that wants it that way. The question is why?
Mark Twain said: "Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." I could have not said it better.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, President and 5-Star General said: "If you want total security, go to prison. There you're fed, clothed, given medical care and so on. The only thing lacking... is freedom. "Some people want it this way. However, government ultimately will have it that way if given the chance.
According to the press the only adult in the room is Barack H. Obama he said on October 30th, 2008: "We are five days away from fundamentally transforming the United States of America." This was the position that a lot of us warned many of you about. This position is the result of what we have today!
Thomas Jefferson said: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent" I cannot remain silent any longer. We all have the fundamental right to stand up and say no to tyranny. We all have the fundamental right to stand up and say to our government and our president enough is enough, just restore my liberty, give me my freedom and let me be independent of government regulation its controls and the dependency it creates.
I guess this is my position. But then again that’s how I roll!
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: It’s ok to have a position, its even better when people agree, but when people disagree then someone must listen. The job of a president is to listen and to lead it is not to transform and not to bring fear to people who are defenseless because they need the government. You see if dependency was not the goal of government then we wouldn’t be having the discussion today about our position.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The common folk:
Thursday – July 14, 2011
The common folk:
When The Declaration of Independence was written it was the common folk who sent the big thinkers to do the job they couldn’t do. Later when the Constitution was passed and our government was a formal governing body it was the common folk who sent legislators to represent them in the halls of their new government.
In those days those that served were also considered the common folk. They went to serve their newly formed country and their new constituents a few weeks out of the year and when they were done they went back home to tend their farms, work on the docks, run their stores or produce the trade that would be sent west or exported abroad.
In those days the government provided for the general welfare and the defense of the nation; they also worked to secure the happiness of the common folk. There were no entitlements no special interests and no wasted funding on silly pet projects. It seemed that the common folk were quite happy with their circumstances and they wanted their liberty, their freedom and their independence. This is what they fought for a few short years earlier.
In those days the common folk participated in the process. If their representative didn’t serve them they were united in finding someone else that would. In those days the representatives served a term or two and no longer. It was that simple. We didn’t have a true party system in those days and those that fought for their idea’s ended up compromising to pass needed legislation, that’s how things worked in those days.
Moving ahead 223 years later we should be asking the question who are the common folk today? The answer might come in many forms. However, one thing would be consistent in the answer and that would be not many in Washington D.C. especially our elected officials.
For instance in my State our U.S. Senator and his brother a U.S. Congressional Representative both democrats from my district has served since I was able to vote. I am now 57 years of age. These two brothers are far from being considered the common folk although their roots were born from the common folk.
Each Memorial Day both brothers march in our small towns typical Big American Parade that goes down our typical tree lined American Main Street. Each year they are lauded with great applause along with the even amount of groans; I have to admit I am one of the groaners, but that’s just me. Unfortunately those two brothers will never have to leave until the common folk votes them out. They will never leave on their own accord.
I believe I represent who the common folk are in my town. I have never voted for the two brothers because I have a certain perspective about things. I know their history and now I know the result of their voting history. Their history, like many others who have served for years and who are responsible for the conditions we have today, must be revealed in an understandable way so that the other common folk who vote will vote them out. The problem is these two brothers give a lot of tax payer money out to fund many of the programs that some of the common folk want. However, the programs and now the process have bankrupted the country.
The two brothers have never looked down the road far enough or even worried about the affects that their liberal spending habits have had on America. The two brothers have consistently espoused the liberal line of equalizing the results. They believe that there is never enough money when it comes to evening out the playing field for all. In short, it is the ability to give the wealth away that makes it possible for them to remain in office. Take that away and the two brothers won’t know what to do in office.
223 years ago elected members of congress weren’t kept around long enough to do the damage that these two brothers’ have done today. Because of the power we give to them today they are able to create the personal fiefdoms that they enjoy today. This is something that Jefferson wanted to avoid when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
In my July 8 FORUM I wrote about how I would approach holding office if I were fortunate enough to have a position like the two brothers have. I consider myself to be the common folk because I am to set in my ways not to be considered anything else.
The culture in Washington today is to rule and not to serve. The culture in Washington today provides all the opportunities so that the rulers can take away our liberties our freedoms and our independence by mere virtue of the power that is vested in the offices they occupy sometimes for life. The problem today is that most common folk don’t realize that their tax dollars are being used to take their liberties, their freedoms and their independence away. This is what the politician knows but their constituency doesn’t realize.
Today we are having a debate about the financial future of the country and the future liberties, freedoms and independence of the common folk. One plan that was introduced by the Republican Minority Leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell would give the President the authority to raise the debt ceiling a total of three times before the next election. Never before in American history has any president ever had that kind of control over the common folk like this plan would give to him. I was stunned when I heard the basics of this plan. I was stunned that a member of the senate would ever consider giving this type of power to this president.
In July of 1776 we declared independence from a king that ruled over the colonies and that taxed the colonies to pay for the huge debt that the British Empire had incurred. It was the common folk like Sam Adams that raised a revolt that started our journey towards independence 235 years ago.
Getting back to the plan, one school of thought about McConnell’s proposal is that the Republicans are setting the president up to take the fall. I believe they are taking the position of: if you think things are bad now just wait and see how bad things can really get.
My problem with this plan is that this president cannot be trusted with this kind of power; it would in essence make him KING.
I say this because it is his lack of experience in these matters that has ruined our economy. Why let him further ruin it? China a communist nation will have a 9% economic growth rate this year, the economic growth rate today of the United States is at 2% and this president says we should be happy with it. The other problem I have with this plan is the Democrats control 2/3 of the government and if they get this kind of power it won’t matter who controls the remaining 1/3. We cannot play politics we have to face the reality of having no money because we are broke partly because of the two brother’s ideology and their voting habits. We are dependent on China and the other countries that are still buying our bonds. If these countries stop buying the bonds that we sell to raise the revenue that we recklessly spend, where will we be economically? The answer is up a creek with out a paddle.
However, the one common folk that is writing this FORUM today has another plan. If I were in office I would present the most optimal plan of cutting cost across the board by reducing redundancy in government and eliminating the process that allows wasted funding of non essential grants and programs like the ones that go to NPR, ACORN and Media Matters. I would reduce the size of the government itself, agency by agency with a complete financial audit starting with the EPA. I would prosecute the uncommon folk if they were found to have abused the money that the common folk give in the way of the taxes they pay. I would reform entitlements with individual accounts set up for social security recipients that would give them financial options. I would revamp Medicare and Medicaid based on the individual ability to pay. I would reduce the obstacles in the way of regulations and taxes that are stifling business growth and then I would ask for more, maybe some tight regulations on the unions. I would eliminate the process of earmarks and in return give necessary funding to the states based on what the census says about population and other competitiveness measurements. I would conduct a review of all expenditures with an audit in the short term to find out the effectiveness and the results achieved of everything else the government buys and pays for. I would make the representatives in congress work for the funding they are sent to Washington to secure in other words no blank checks because you got one last year. I would provide for the line item veto and go one step further. I would introduce an amendment to the constitution that requires a balanced budget. We came close to getting that done 16 years ago. If we had passed the amendment then we would be in a far better position now. Hind sight really is 20 – 20.
Many politicians have said these things before but at the end of the day many politicians haven’t had the political will to go through with it. They become anything but the common folk when they start tasting the power that they derive from their office. This is not their fault this is what the culture in Washington does.
I would put all of this into a bill and get it passed in the house because the Republicans can, they control the house and that gives them control of 1/3 of the government. It would then go to the senate for passage and the president’s desk to sign if it passes the Senate. All the common folk in America would be witness to the process and witness to the actions by the people who vote against passing the bill. By the way, many of the politicians like the two brothers I mentioned earlier who have put us into this situation probably wouldn’t vote for it any way. If it stalls in the Senate then we will know who is for true reform and who isn’t.
Of course the senate would never pass it and it would never reach the presidents desk for his signature. But it would send a signal. The signal would be that the Republicans are serious because they are using their control of 1/3 of the government they control for the good of the common folk.
The majority of Americans would support this type of plan and they would protest against any one who would refuse this plan. It is the common folk the majority who are now represented in the polls. According to Rasmussen Reports the daily tracking poll of the president today is a negative 15, this is compiled by taking his approval of 23% and his disapproval of 38% and subtracting the difference to give a – 15 rating. The republicans need to stand strong and use this moment to exploit the president’s weakness to their advantage. This is the nasty part of politics but it is a necessary part of the process to win. Many of the common folk want them to do this now. It’s called political will.
We must be reminded of the words that should remind us of few things:
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."- John F. Kennedy
"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it."- Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
-Thomas Jefferson, American Declaration of Independence
"To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men."- Abraham Lincoln
These words are as important today as they were when they were spoken for the first time. These words should inspire each and every one of us to bring back the common folk for the common need of serving the common folk and nothing else. The big ideas that gave us liberty, freedom and independence were meant so the common folk could prosper. When government controls the means by which the common folk can prosper it then becomes incumbent upon the common folk to do something about it.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: It is not so uncommon to want what is guaranteed. It’s just that some of us forget what the guarantees are and what the limits of government are as written in the constitution described in the bill of rights and explained in the Declaration of Independence. These documents are not so common in the history of the world but the common folk who created them still remained the common folk even when they served.
The common folk:
When The Declaration of Independence was written it was the common folk who sent the big thinkers to do the job they couldn’t do. Later when the Constitution was passed and our government was a formal governing body it was the common folk who sent legislators to represent them in the halls of their new government.
In those days those that served were also considered the common folk. They went to serve their newly formed country and their new constituents a few weeks out of the year and when they were done they went back home to tend their farms, work on the docks, run their stores or produce the trade that would be sent west or exported abroad.
In those days the government provided for the general welfare and the defense of the nation; they also worked to secure the happiness of the common folk. There were no entitlements no special interests and no wasted funding on silly pet projects. It seemed that the common folk were quite happy with their circumstances and they wanted their liberty, their freedom and their independence. This is what they fought for a few short years earlier.
In those days the common folk participated in the process. If their representative didn’t serve them they were united in finding someone else that would. In those days the representatives served a term or two and no longer. It was that simple. We didn’t have a true party system in those days and those that fought for their idea’s ended up compromising to pass needed legislation, that’s how things worked in those days.
Moving ahead 223 years later we should be asking the question who are the common folk today? The answer might come in many forms. However, one thing would be consistent in the answer and that would be not many in Washington D.C. especially our elected officials.
For instance in my State our U.S. Senator and his brother a U.S. Congressional Representative both democrats from my district has served since I was able to vote. I am now 57 years of age. These two brothers are far from being considered the common folk although their roots were born from the common folk.
Each Memorial Day both brothers march in our small towns typical Big American Parade that goes down our typical tree lined American Main Street. Each year they are lauded with great applause along with the even amount of groans; I have to admit I am one of the groaners, but that’s just me. Unfortunately those two brothers will never have to leave until the common folk votes them out. They will never leave on their own accord.
I believe I represent who the common folk are in my town. I have never voted for the two brothers because I have a certain perspective about things. I know their history and now I know the result of their voting history. Their history, like many others who have served for years and who are responsible for the conditions we have today, must be revealed in an understandable way so that the other common folk who vote will vote them out. The problem is these two brothers give a lot of tax payer money out to fund many of the programs that some of the common folk want. However, the programs and now the process have bankrupted the country.
The two brothers have never looked down the road far enough or even worried about the affects that their liberal spending habits have had on America. The two brothers have consistently espoused the liberal line of equalizing the results. They believe that there is never enough money when it comes to evening out the playing field for all. In short, it is the ability to give the wealth away that makes it possible for them to remain in office. Take that away and the two brothers won’t know what to do in office.
223 years ago elected members of congress weren’t kept around long enough to do the damage that these two brothers’ have done today. Because of the power we give to them today they are able to create the personal fiefdoms that they enjoy today. This is something that Jefferson wanted to avoid when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
In my July 8 FORUM I wrote about how I would approach holding office if I were fortunate enough to have a position like the two brothers have. I consider myself to be the common folk because I am to set in my ways not to be considered anything else.
The culture in Washington today is to rule and not to serve. The culture in Washington today provides all the opportunities so that the rulers can take away our liberties our freedoms and our independence by mere virtue of the power that is vested in the offices they occupy sometimes for life. The problem today is that most common folk don’t realize that their tax dollars are being used to take their liberties, their freedoms and their independence away. This is what the politician knows but their constituency doesn’t realize.
Today we are having a debate about the financial future of the country and the future liberties, freedoms and independence of the common folk. One plan that was introduced by the Republican Minority Leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell would give the President the authority to raise the debt ceiling a total of three times before the next election. Never before in American history has any president ever had that kind of control over the common folk like this plan would give to him. I was stunned when I heard the basics of this plan. I was stunned that a member of the senate would ever consider giving this type of power to this president.
In July of 1776 we declared independence from a king that ruled over the colonies and that taxed the colonies to pay for the huge debt that the British Empire had incurred. It was the common folk like Sam Adams that raised a revolt that started our journey towards independence 235 years ago.
Getting back to the plan, one school of thought about McConnell’s proposal is that the Republicans are setting the president up to take the fall. I believe they are taking the position of: if you think things are bad now just wait and see how bad things can really get.
My problem with this plan is that this president cannot be trusted with this kind of power; it would in essence make him KING.
I say this because it is his lack of experience in these matters that has ruined our economy. Why let him further ruin it? China a communist nation will have a 9% economic growth rate this year, the economic growth rate today of the United States is at 2% and this president says we should be happy with it. The other problem I have with this plan is the Democrats control 2/3 of the government and if they get this kind of power it won’t matter who controls the remaining 1/3. We cannot play politics we have to face the reality of having no money because we are broke partly because of the two brother’s ideology and their voting habits. We are dependent on China and the other countries that are still buying our bonds. If these countries stop buying the bonds that we sell to raise the revenue that we recklessly spend, where will we be economically? The answer is up a creek with out a paddle.
However, the one common folk that is writing this FORUM today has another plan. If I were in office I would present the most optimal plan of cutting cost across the board by reducing redundancy in government and eliminating the process that allows wasted funding of non essential grants and programs like the ones that go to NPR, ACORN and Media Matters. I would reduce the size of the government itself, agency by agency with a complete financial audit starting with the EPA. I would prosecute the uncommon folk if they were found to have abused the money that the common folk give in the way of the taxes they pay. I would reform entitlements with individual accounts set up for social security recipients that would give them financial options. I would revamp Medicare and Medicaid based on the individual ability to pay. I would reduce the obstacles in the way of regulations and taxes that are stifling business growth and then I would ask for more, maybe some tight regulations on the unions. I would eliminate the process of earmarks and in return give necessary funding to the states based on what the census says about population and other competitiveness measurements. I would conduct a review of all expenditures with an audit in the short term to find out the effectiveness and the results achieved of everything else the government buys and pays for. I would make the representatives in congress work for the funding they are sent to Washington to secure in other words no blank checks because you got one last year. I would provide for the line item veto and go one step further. I would introduce an amendment to the constitution that requires a balanced budget. We came close to getting that done 16 years ago. If we had passed the amendment then we would be in a far better position now. Hind sight really is 20 – 20.
Many politicians have said these things before but at the end of the day many politicians haven’t had the political will to go through with it. They become anything but the common folk when they start tasting the power that they derive from their office. This is not their fault this is what the culture in Washington does.
I would put all of this into a bill and get it passed in the house because the Republicans can, they control the house and that gives them control of 1/3 of the government. It would then go to the senate for passage and the president’s desk to sign if it passes the Senate. All the common folk in America would be witness to the process and witness to the actions by the people who vote against passing the bill. By the way, many of the politicians like the two brothers I mentioned earlier who have put us into this situation probably wouldn’t vote for it any way. If it stalls in the Senate then we will know who is for true reform and who isn’t.
Of course the senate would never pass it and it would never reach the presidents desk for his signature. But it would send a signal. The signal would be that the Republicans are serious because they are using their control of 1/3 of the government they control for the good of the common folk.
The majority of Americans would support this type of plan and they would protest against any one who would refuse this plan. It is the common folk the majority who are now represented in the polls. According to Rasmussen Reports the daily tracking poll of the president today is a negative 15, this is compiled by taking his approval of 23% and his disapproval of 38% and subtracting the difference to give a – 15 rating. The republicans need to stand strong and use this moment to exploit the president’s weakness to their advantage. This is the nasty part of politics but it is a necessary part of the process to win. Many of the common folk want them to do this now. It’s called political will.
We must be reminded of the words that should remind us of few things:
"Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable."- John F. Kennedy
"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it."- Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural
"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
-Thomas Jefferson, American Declaration of Independence
"To stand in silence when they should be protesting makes cowards out of men."- Abraham Lincoln
These words are as important today as they were when they were spoken for the first time. These words should inspire each and every one of us to bring back the common folk for the common need of serving the common folk and nothing else. The big ideas that gave us liberty, freedom and independence were meant so the common folk could prosper. When government controls the means by which the common folk can prosper it then becomes incumbent upon the common folk to do something about it.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: It is not so uncommon to want what is guaranteed. It’s just that some of us forget what the guarantees are and what the limits of government are as written in the constitution described in the bill of rights and explained in the Declaration of Independence. These documents are not so common in the history of the world but the common folk who created them still remained the common folk even when they served.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
DMI:
Wednesday – July 13, 2011
DMI:
What does today’s title mean? You will look at it you will wonder and think DMI then the question mark appears. When we look at this month, in retrospect, some of us will think about The Declaration of Independence. Some of us will think of Jefferson and yet some of us will think about the fireworks that we all saw just two weeks ago on the 4th. Some of us will think about none of this and that is tragic!
When I think about the history that this month represents to America, I get inspired. You may not, but I do. But then again, that’s just me!
I get inspired, because the thoughts of establishing a government were big thoughts in 1776. The thoughts about what kind of government to establish were even bigger. The thoughts were pure and the thoughts could be trusted, because I believe the men who had those big thoughts had the trust of the people in mind. But then again that’s just me espousing on my thoughts again.
The words Liberty, Freedom and Independence were all connected into a strand of what would become pure American DNA. It is a DNA that would become multi cultural in spirit and in tradition. Then it became multi - influential in many parts of the globe.
So far this month, I have written about a few things that we should consider in July. I wrote about the first view of what I thought the forefathers saw after the Declaration of Independence was written. I brought into perspective what the great map of the United States must have represented to those with the big thoughts. I also wrote about what I would do and how I would approach representing the people, if I were fortunate enough to have that kind of position. My point in all of this is to start drawing a distinction between the common folk and the representatives that represent us. They too will call themselves the common folk. But I think we know better.
The words Liberty, Freedom and Independence for purposes of today will be called LFI. The words Deception, Manipulation and Infiltration will be known as DMI and that is today’s FORUM.
There is one political face that uses LFI in her speeches in her interviews and in her daily life. That is Sarah Palin. Michelle Bachman, who is a presidential candidate, is a close second. But to prove a point, lets just stay with Governor Palin for my argument.
The Governor was criticized for using the term “Death Panels” in explaining the part of Obama Care that deceptively explained the rationing portion of the bill. Well guess what? Besides every Republican being against the bill and figuring out for themselves that the death panels were in the bill 8 Democrats have now come out and said they want that portion of the bill out, because of the rationing that they described as Death Panels that would become the reality of the bill. In other words, they saw what the Governor saw and they finally realized that they were manipulated into voting for passage of the Health Care bill.
In essence, there will be a panel of non elected people who are not confirmed by the Congress and who will be appointed by the President. They will be infiltrated into the system with no FBI background checks. This panel will be deciding on the distribution of health care for each American. They will decide each individual case based on cost, availability of funds in that state and that states number of operations that would be similar to what your request is. They will decide on who will receive the care and who will get a pill. No lie, this is the truth.
There will be a Constitutional challenge to this, because the Constitution says that only the Congress of the United States can decide on how to spend and allocate the people’s money and not a self appointed board appointed by the president, who aren’t accountable to anyone and who will make up the president’s new bureaucracy. The Governor was mocked and called every name in the book. Even non- American for her comments about the death panels. But what is not being mentioned is the Governor used LFI in her arguments on how Obama Care will rob the wealth and violate our personal liberties, she was right.
It was the President along with all the president’s men and the Secretary of HHS that employed DMI. It was all the democrats in congress the senate and their leaders who also employed DMI to pass the legislation that is now law.
Remember what former Speaker of the House, Pelosi, said, “We have to pass the bill to find out what is in it.” Now that we are finding out what is in it, like the Death Panels, many politician’s are back tracking. They are also using LFI for their political survival while covertly still using DMI to pass other LFI robbing legislation.
The debate today is over the debt ceiling. I believe the Republicans have been using LFI in their arguments over spending in not wanting to create more debt. It has been the Democrats who have once again used DMI in hopes of making the Republicans look like the demons in creating bad legislation.
The President, yesterday, employed DMI when he was asked the question - can you guarantee that millions of Social Security checks will be written on August 3rd, if the August 2 deadline is not met in passing any legislation that dealt with the Debt ceiling? He said, “I cannot guarantee that the checks will be sent out, because we might not have the funds in our coffers to cover the checks.” The debt ceiling argument has nothing to do with entitlements like Social Security. The debt ceiling has to do with how much money the Congress says we can legally borrow. The president used deception, he used manipulation and he infiltrated the mind of each senior with his brand of propaganda. Any one who gets a government check will get that government check on August 3rd.
For instance, the money we all have invested in Social Security does not exist, because we borrow against those funds. It is the bonds that we sell in order to get the cash. If we cannot sell the bonds based on the reckless spending of this president then we will have a problem. As Speaker Boehner said, this is the Presidents problem. This is also a reason why the FED will do QE3 to generate more cash that basically doesn’t exist.
Yesterday, one of the president’s men, Jeffery Imelt, the CEO of General Electric, said to a number of small business owners at the United States Chamber of Commerce meeting in Washington: “People that are part of the business sector, the people in this room and all of our colleagues, we have to stop complaining about government and get some action underway. There is just no excuse today for the lack of leadership.”
In essence, he is saying: hire people and don’t worry about anything else. Anybody in the business community will tell you that they can’t hire, because you must expand before you fill the empty spots that you think you might have. Why hire if you are not expanding? The opposite is occurring. Small business is retracting today.
Where is the deception, where is the manipulation and where is the infiltration in what Imelt said? The deception comes in when Imelt the CEO of GE the nation’s largest corporation has secured all sorts of government contracts and all sorts of tax breaks because of his relationship with Obama and not because of big thoughts of leadership on Imelts part . GE also contributed heavily to the president’s election efforts and is now doing so for his re-election efforts. GE also has a large lobby. Imelt can say anything. However, he says what the president wants him to say. The manipulation comes in when Imelt tells a group of business leaders there is no excuse today for the lack of leadership. Manipulation becomes an asset and a tool when you use it to make someone else feel that they are the problem. The infiltration comes in when GE and the Unions get the breaks and the business owners at the Chamber who probably have non union shops and businesses don’t get the breaks or the perks and a guaranteed wage let alone a guaranteed job!
There was not one mention of LFI in what Imelt said. If I gave the speech to the Chamber audience, I would have said there is no excuse of the lack of leadership from the White House. The deficit the debt and the spending by big government is the problem. The main reason why you are not expanding your business and hiring is because of that and that alone. I would have went on to say until some action on that gets underway we will see more of the same of what the small business owners in America are fighting today. I would have also told the audience about the great map for some added inspiration. And you know I would have used LFI to get my point across. But then again, that’s just how I roll!
While Congressman Rangle of New York asks the question, “what would Jesus do about the debt and taxes”, we must be reminded that the Congressman was recently censured for tax evasion, but he still serves. Rangle employed DMI during the Congressional investigation and while he was on trial.
Senator John Kerry is complaining about the lack of leadership on the Republican side over the question of tax hikes. We must be reminded that he to evaded paying taxes on his yacht by storing it another state, the legality was in question, ethically he failed, but at the end of the day he moved it to where it should have been and paid the tax so he wouldn’t be charged with tax evasion.
Tim Giethner, the Secretary of the Treasury, who said that if we don’t get TARP and all that other stimulus money we would crash the economy and go into a depression. We must also be reminded that he to evaded paying taxes on his personal income. He also said, “I never really had a real job.”
In these three examples, DMI has been used to cover tracks and to cover passing their form of wealth robbing legislation. In all these examples, where are the words used to promote Liberty, Freedom and Independence or LFI? I can think of one person, who speaks regularly about it, and she isn’t even a candidate, but she has been demonized for using LFI. We must be reminded that she has done nothing to hurt anyone like the individuals I have used as examples today.
When we look at DMI - deception, manipulation and infiltration and the ill affects that it has on America, we must start to figure out how to get rid of it so we can get more of LFI - Liberty, Freedom and Independence. Big thoughts like the ones our forefathers had would never need any DMI to win the day. But then again, that’s just me espousing my big thoughts.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Lately, I know my FORUMS have been long, but there is a reason. There is so much to say and so much to fight for. It’s not about DMI its all about retaining the LFI that the big thinkers in 1776 thought we would have today in July of 2011.
DMI:
What does today’s title mean? You will look at it you will wonder and think DMI then the question mark appears. When we look at this month, in retrospect, some of us will think about The Declaration of Independence. Some of us will think of Jefferson and yet some of us will think about the fireworks that we all saw just two weeks ago on the 4th. Some of us will think about none of this and that is tragic!
When I think about the history that this month represents to America, I get inspired. You may not, but I do. But then again, that’s just me!
I get inspired, because the thoughts of establishing a government were big thoughts in 1776. The thoughts about what kind of government to establish were even bigger. The thoughts were pure and the thoughts could be trusted, because I believe the men who had those big thoughts had the trust of the people in mind. But then again that’s just me espousing on my thoughts again.
The words Liberty, Freedom and Independence were all connected into a strand of what would become pure American DNA. It is a DNA that would become multi cultural in spirit and in tradition. Then it became multi - influential in many parts of the globe.
So far this month, I have written about a few things that we should consider in July. I wrote about the first view of what I thought the forefathers saw after the Declaration of Independence was written. I brought into perspective what the great map of the United States must have represented to those with the big thoughts. I also wrote about what I would do and how I would approach representing the people, if I were fortunate enough to have that kind of position. My point in all of this is to start drawing a distinction between the common folk and the representatives that represent us. They too will call themselves the common folk. But I think we know better.
The words Liberty, Freedom and Independence for purposes of today will be called LFI. The words Deception, Manipulation and Infiltration will be known as DMI and that is today’s FORUM.
There is one political face that uses LFI in her speeches in her interviews and in her daily life. That is Sarah Palin. Michelle Bachman, who is a presidential candidate, is a close second. But to prove a point, lets just stay with Governor Palin for my argument.
The Governor was criticized for using the term “Death Panels” in explaining the part of Obama Care that deceptively explained the rationing portion of the bill. Well guess what? Besides every Republican being against the bill and figuring out for themselves that the death panels were in the bill 8 Democrats have now come out and said they want that portion of the bill out, because of the rationing that they described as Death Panels that would become the reality of the bill. In other words, they saw what the Governor saw and they finally realized that they were manipulated into voting for passage of the Health Care bill.
In essence, there will be a panel of non elected people who are not confirmed by the Congress and who will be appointed by the President. They will be infiltrated into the system with no FBI background checks. This panel will be deciding on the distribution of health care for each American. They will decide each individual case based on cost, availability of funds in that state and that states number of operations that would be similar to what your request is. They will decide on who will receive the care and who will get a pill. No lie, this is the truth.
There will be a Constitutional challenge to this, because the Constitution says that only the Congress of the United States can decide on how to spend and allocate the people’s money and not a self appointed board appointed by the president, who aren’t accountable to anyone and who will make up the president’s new bureaucracy. The Governor was mocked and called every name in the book. Even non- American for her comments about the death panels. But what is not being mentioned is the Governor used LFI in her arguments on how Obama Care will rob the wealth and violate our personal liberties, she was right.
It was the President along with all the president’s men and the Secretary of HHS that employed DMI. It was all the democrats in congress the senate and their leaders who also employed DMI to pass the legislation that is now law.
Remember what former Speaker of the House, Pelosi, said, “We have to pass the bill to find out what is in it.” Now that we are finding out what is in it, like the Death Panels, many politician’s are back tracking. They are also using LFI for their political survival while covertly still using DMI to pass other LFI robbing legislation.
The debate today is over the debt ceiling. I believe the Republicans have been using LFI in their arguments over spending in not wanting to create more debt. It has been the Democrats who have once again used DMI in hopes of making the Republicans look like the demons in creating bad legislation.
The President, yesterday, employed DMI when he was asked the question - can you guarantee that millions of Social Security checks will be written on August 3rd, if the August 2 deadline is not met in passing any legislation that dealt with the Debt ceiling? He said, “I cannot guarantee that the checks will be sent out, because we might not have the funds in our coffers to cover the checks.” The debt ceiling argument has nothing to do with entitlements like Social Security. The debt ceiling has to do with how much money the Congress says we can legally borrow. The president used deception, he used manipulation and he infiltrated the mind of each senior with his brand of propaganda. Any one who gets a government check will get that government check on August 3rd.
For instance, the money we all have invested in Social Security does not exist, because we borrow against those funds. It is the bonds that we sell in order to get the cash. If we cannot sell the bonds based on the reckless spending of this president then we will have a problem. As Speaker Boehner said, this is the Presidents problem. This is also a reason why the FED will do QE3 to generate more cash that basically doesn’t exist.
Yesterday, one of the president’s men, Jeffery Imelt, the CEO of General Electric, said to a number of small business owners at the United States Chamber of Commerce meeting in Washington: “People that are part of the business sector, the people in this room and all of our colleagues, we have to stop complaining about government and get some action underway. There is just no excuse today for the lack of leadership.”
In essence, he is saying: hire people and don’t worry about anything else. Anybody in the business community will tell you that they can’t hire, because you must expand before you fill the empty spots that you think you might have. Why hire if you are not expanding? The opposite is occurring. Small business is retracting today.
Where is the deception, where is the manipulation and where is the infiltration in what Imelt said? The deception comes in when Imelt the CEO of GE the nation’s largest corporation has secured all sorts of government contracts and all sorts of tax breaks because of his relationship with Obama and not because of big thoughts of leadership on Imelts part . GE also contributed heavily to the president’s election efforts and is now doing so for his re-election efforts. GE also has a large lobby. Imelt can say anything. However, he says what the president wants him to say. The manipulation comes in when Imelt tells a group of business leaders there is no excuse today for the lack of leadership. Manipulation becomes an asset and a tool when you use it to make someone else feel that they are the problem. The infiltration comes in when GE and the Unions get the breaks and the business owners at the Chamber who probably have non union shops and businesses don’t get the breaks or the perks and a guaranteed wage let alone a guaranteed job!
There was not one mention of LFI in what Imelt said. If I gave the speech to the Chamber audience, I would have said there is no excuse of the lack of leadership from the White House. The deficit the debt and the spending by big government is the problem. The main reason why you are not expanding your business and hiring is because of that and that alone. I would have went on to say until some action on that gets underway we will see more of the same of what the small business owners in America are fighting today. I would have also told the audience about the great map for some added inspiration. And you know I would have used LFI to get my point across. But then again, that’s just how I roll!
While Congressman Rangle of New York asks the question, “what would Jesus do about the debt and taxes”, we must be reminded that the Congressman was recently censured for tax evasion, but he still serves. Rangle employed DMI during the Congressional investigation and while he was on trial.
Senator John Kerry is complaining about the lack of leadership on the Republican side over the question of tax hikes. We must be reminded that he to evaded paying taxes on his yacht by storing it another state, the legality was in question, ethically he failed, but at the end of the day he moved it to where it should have been and paid the tax so he wouldn’t be charged with tax evasion.
Tim Giethner, the Secretary of the Treasury, who said that if we don’t get TARP and all that other stimulus money we would crash the economy and go into a depression. We must also be reminded that he to evaded paying taxes on his personal income. He also said, “I never really had a real job.”
In these three examples, DMI has been used to cover tracks and to cover passing their form of wealth robbing legislation. In all these examples, where are the words used to promote Liberty, Freedom and Independence or LFI? I can think of one person, who speaks regularly about it, and she isn’t even a candidate, but she has been demonized for using LFI. We must be reminded that she has done nothing to hurt anyone like the individuals I have used as examples today.
When we look at DMI - deception, manipulation and infiltration and the ill affects that it has on America, we must start to figure out how to get rid of it so we can get more of LFI - Liberty, Freedom and Independence. Big thoughts like the ones our forefathers had would never need any DMI to win the day. But then again, that’s just me espousing my big thoughts.
Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives
A footnote: Lately, I know my FORUMS have been long, but there is a reason. There is so much to say and so much to fight for. It’s not about DMI its all about retaining the LFI that the big thinkers in 1776 thought we would have today in July of 2011.
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