Or Just Politics as Usual
Yesterday I sent an e-mail to one of my Senators asking him to tell me the truth as to the status of the Social Security Trust Fund. Does it, in fact, have a surplus of almost three trillion dollars, and still at this time rising, as stated by the Social Security Trustees or is it an unfunded liability as claimed by some politicians and most of the news media? In response to e-mails sent to one prominent business news anchor, he answered by saying that all who had e-mailed him that Social Security was self-funded were wrong, that all the Trust Fund money had been spent and Social Security was broke. His attitude also suggested that seniors are selfish if they don't agree to take a cut in benefits and allow those savings to be used to pay down the national debt. For years we have advocated reforming Social Security and Medicare with the hope that it would be solvent for our future generations, even to the point of taking a small cut in our benefits but not to use the savings as part of the budgit to pay some unfunded liability. One of the biggest problem with living, largely, on Social Security is their continuously raising the deductables. That almost forces the insurance companies to raise their rates. Retirees are always the losers. I'll leave it at that today and wait to hear back from my Senator. Of course, he may be just like the majority in Washington. We'll see.
This posting is being deliberately left shorter than usual because I have been writing on the same subject for a while and I don't know much more about it now than when I started. One thing, I believe, that I have learned is that too many people who should know better will lie to you or, at least, try to confuse the subject. With that I will quote a poem that I believe is appropriate for this occasion.
"A Six Pack To Go
If we could bottle up the Bible, label it God's Own Holy Word / Send it out to all the world, let His message there be heard / Plant the seeds of righteous, contentment all around us sow / Then go to church on Sunday and get a six pack to go.
One could be His judgement, two might be His love / Then there is His Saving Grace, dispensed from up above / Another could be compassion and joy should be there too / For life wouldn't be worth living if God wasn't blessing you.
The bottles could be rather small, an ounce or two in each / A sermonette is what we'd get when we let one out to preach / There's one for each day of the week when our life to Him we yield / Then go to church on Sunday and get them all refilled.
One could be His judgement, two might be His love / ----."
Yesterday there was a "Tea Party" rally in our local City Park but I didn't go. I went to one of their first meetings but learned from it that their agenda was almost exactly the same as what I had been trying to promote for years but had been ignored, even by some of those present that day. I was "Tea Party" before Tea Party was cool. Thanks for your time. Stay tuned - William
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Trust Fund
Deficit and Election
Six days and a few more hours from now another election, my twenty- eighth, will have entered, literally, into the record book. Some of the records that will have been broken are - most money spent by all political parties combined, most money spent in a single contest by all parties combined, most money spent by any one candidate and I believe we are close to a record on how much mud was thrown by all political parties. I know it is pretty deep and is still rising.
Several e-mails have gone out, in the last ten days, to various news anchors protesting the way so many people on television, and other so-called news media, try to blame Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid for the most of our budget deficits. They usually call Social Security and Medicare an unfunded liability even though most retirees have worked for more than half of their lives and paid into the Social Security Trust Fund through the "Federal Insurance Contribution Act" (F.I.C.A.) commonly known as the payroll tax. Their employers also contributed to that fund in their names. Social Security and Medicare is an insurance that was set up to "help" take care of seniors in their times of need.
The following e-mail, as an example, was sent to a fairly well known business news anchor in response to one of her guest asserting that; most of our budget problems are caused by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He said something like, "We must cut Social Security and Medicare back to a manageable level. Please tell him that The Social Security Trust Fund still has a surplus of several trillion dollars. By law, passed in 1990, that trust fund can not be used for lowering the deficit or spent as part of the general fund. If we took that surplus, which is invested in Special Government Securities, and put it in "Al Gore's Lockbox" there would be enough money to run Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid for several more years. Reform Social Security and Medicare, by all means, but quit blaming us for the budget problems.
One of the political problems with talking about Social Security is that no one wants to admit that all the money in the Social Security Trust Fund has been invested in Government Securities which, if turned into cash and put into a lockbox (figuratively speaking), would force our Government to borrow even more money, causing a larger deficit. Al Gore might not have been as stupid as some people thought. At least our money problems would have been brought out into the open.
This poem was written more than thirty years ago but is just as true now as it was then. "If love, as they say, makes the world go around / then I wonder what kind of love it could be / is it the love that I have for the things that are mine / or the love for the things that I see / love for a neighbor is one thing I know / that keeps this old world spinning round / for if you love someone else more than you love yourself / you have a love that won't let you down / but if you love things in life even though they cause strife / that's not the kind of love that we need / and if you really want to know what love is about / just get out your Bible and read.
If love, as they say, makes the world go around / then I know what kind of love that it is / it's the kind of love God has for His own / and we are all children of His / It's the kind of love Jesus has for us too / to die on the cross for our sins / now Heaven must be full of that same kind of love / and it's a place I'll be proud to be in."
The title, of course, is "Love". Thanks for your time,stay tuned - William
Six days and a few more hours from now another election, my twenty- eighth, will have entered, literally, into the record book. Some of the records that will have been broken are - most money spent by all political parties combined, most money spent in a single contest by all parties combined, most money spent by any one candidate and I believe we are close to a record on how much mud was thrown by all political parties. I know it is pretty deep and is still rising.
Several e-mails have gone out, in the last ten days, to various news anchors protesting the way so many people on television, and other so-called news media, try to blame Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid for the most of our budget deficits. They usually call Social Security and Medicare an unfunded liability even though most retirees have worked for more than half of their lives and paid into the Social Security Trust Fund through the "Federal Insurance Contribution Act" (F.I.C.A.) commonly known as the payroll tax. Their employers also contributed to that fund in their names. Social Security and Medicare is an insurance that was set up to "help" take care of seniors in their times of need.
The following e-mail, as an example, was sent to a fairly well known business news anchor in response to one of her guest asserting that; most of our budget problems are caused by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. He said something like, "We must cut Social Security and Medicare back to a manageable level. Please tell him that The Social Security Trust Fund still has a surplus of several trillion dollars. By law, passed in 1990, that trust fund can not be used for lowering the deficit or spent as part of the general fund. If we took that surplus, which is invested in Special Government Securities, and put it in "Al Gore's Lockbox" there would be enough money to run Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid for several more years. Reform Social Security and Medicare, by all means, but quit blaming us for the budget problems.
One of the political problems with talking about Social Security is that no one wants to admit that all the money in the Social Security Trust Fund has been invested in Government Securities which, if turned into cash and put into a lockbox (figuratively speaking), would force our Government to borrow even more money, causing a larger deficit. Al Gore might not have been as stupid as some people thought. At least our money problems would have been brought out into the open.
This poem was written more than thirty years ago but is just as true now as it was then. "If love, as they say, makes the world go around / then I wonder what kind of love it could be / is it the love that I have for the things that are mine / or the love for the things that I see / love for a neighbor is one thing I know / that keeps this old world spinning round / for if you love someone else more than you love yourself / you have a love that won't let you down / but if you love things in life even though they cause strife / that's not the kind of love that we need / and if you really want to know what love is about / just get out your Bible and read.
If love, as they say, makes the world go around / then I know what kind of love that it is / it's the kind of love God has for His own / and we are all children of His / It's the kind of love Jesus has for us too / to die on the cross for our sins / now Heaven must be full of that same kind of love / and it's a place I'll be proud to be in."
The title, of course, is "Love". Thanks for your time,stay tuned - William
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Halloween Festivities
Trick or Treats
Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31st. It has roots in the Celtic "Festival of Samhain" and the Christian holiday "All Saints' Day", but today it is largely a secular celebration. (From Wikipedia)
The Celtic holiday of "Samhain", the Catholic Hallowmas period of "All Saints' Day" and "All Souls' Day" and the Roman festival of "Feralia" all influence the modern holiday of "Halloween". In the nineteenth century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. The Celts who lived 2000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and Northern France celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred and allowed the ghost of the dead to return to earth and they would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghost. (From History.org)
Except for a few years, early on in their live's, our children never cared much for the kind of festivities surrounding this holiday which took place in the small community where we lived. Although it may be deemed harmless for small children to make believe, it definitely should be left behind with childhood. As a leftover memory from those days gone by, this poem was written many years ago as a spoof of that holiday.
"In the Dark of Night"
"They gathered there in the dark of night / like a Coven of Witches in a glen / the moon was bright in a cloudless sky / but not a ray of its light filtered in / A pot was set up, the wood was laid out / but no flame to the kindling was set / they rocked to the tunes from a musical dog / and howled every chance they would get / in the eerie glow of a single black light / it looked like a scene from Macbeth / that brought back memories of stories long ago / of trials and torture and death.
They gathered there in the dark of night / like a Coven of Witches in a glen / there in the home of their Kindergarten teacher / to re-enact Halloween in her den."
There has been two more items of news, as seen on TV, that probably deserve to be written about here. The first was the firing of Juan Williams, by "National Public Radio", all because he admitted to being a little anxious or nervous when he saw muslims in traditional dress getting on a plane that he was boarding. I have never been a big fan of Juan's but his firing for expressing his feelings in this matter was not right in any shape, form or fashion. The other, and most important, was the report that a young woman is now in legal trouble for posting a note on her Church Bulletion-board asking for a Christian room-mate. Apparently she has been told that she was discriminating against other religions by asking for a Christian. This world, it seems, has been turned upside down and it will take a mighty effort by all right thinking people to get it back on course. Thanks for your time, stay tuned. William
Halloween (or Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday observed on October 31st. It has roots in the Celtic "Festival of Samhain" and the Christian holiday "All Saints' Day", but today it is largely a secular celebration. (From Wikipedia)
The Celtic holiday of "Samhain", the Catholic Hallowmas period of "All Saints' Day" and "All Souls' Day" and the Roman festival of "Feralia" all influence the modern holiday of "Halloween". In the nineteenth century, Halloween began to lose its religious connotation, becoming a more secular community-based children's holiday. The Celts who lived 2000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and Northern France celebrated their new year on November 1st. This day marked the end of summer and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. The Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred and allowed the ghost of the dead to return to earth and they would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off these roaming ghost. (From History.org)
Except for a few years, early on in their live's, our children never cared much for the kind of festivities surrounding this holiday which took place in the small community where we lived. Although it may be deemed harmless for small children to make believe, it definitely should be left behind with childhood. As a leftover memory from those days gone by, this poem was written many years ago as a spoof of that holiday.
"In the Dark of Night"
"They gathered there in the dark of night / like a Coven of Witches in a glen / the moon was bright in a cloudless sky / but not a ray of its light filtered in / A pot was set up, the wood was laid out / but no flame to the kindling was set / they rocked to the tunes from a musical dog / and howled every chance they would get / in the eerie glow of a single black light / it looked like a scene from Macbeth / that brought back memories of stories long ago / of trials and torture and death.
They gathered there in the dark of night / like a Coven of Witches in a glen / there in the home of their Kindergarten teacher / to re-enact Halloween in her den."
There has been two more items of news, as seen on TV, that probably deserve to be written about here. The first was the firing of Juan Williams, by "National Public Radio", all because he admitted to being a little anxious or nervous when he saw muslims in traditional dress getting on a plane that he was boarding. I have never been a big fan of Juan's but his firing for expressing his feelings in this matter was not right in any shape, form or fashion. The other, and most important, was the report that a young woman is now in legal trouble for posting a note on her Church Bulletion-board asking for a Christian room-mate. Apparently she has been told that she was discriminating against other religions by asking for a Christian. This world, it seems, has been turned upside down and it will take a mighty effort by all right thinking people to get it back on course. Thanks for your time, stay tuned. William
Thursday, October 21, 2010
This and That
Now and Then
[This], the first thing to be addressed today, is an addition to or extension of last Sunday's posting which dealt with Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace questioned one political candidate as to what she would do about Social Security and Medicare which, according to him, are two of the three largest budget items and therefore causing most of our deficit. To even suggest that our current retiree's Social Security and Medicare payments are from an unfunded liability is simply ludicrous and an insult to seniors. Just as our younger generations are working and paying their dues at this time, the senior retirees began paying into the Social Security System soon after its inception in 1936 and in 1965 for Medicare and Medicade.
[And] now, to have some politicians and most of the news media constantly harping on the subject of reforming Social Security and Medicare by cutting payments for future retirees or raising the retirement age for Social Security and cutting Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals, is vexing to say the least. If not for the illegal use of the Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid Trust Fund money the budget deficit would be much larger.
[That] anyone could ever understand what is going on in Washington (or Nashville for that matter) would be a miricle within itself. At 11:00 AM on October 19, 2010 our debt clock, as shown on the internet, indicated that our, year to date, income from the payroll/FICA tax at 867 billion, 770 million, 631 thousand, 8 hundred and twenty dollars with payments to Social Security retirees of 783 billion, 841 million, 543 thousand, 5 hundred and 70 dollars. Payments for Medicare/Medicaid were 696 billion, 423 million, 356 thousand and 99 dollars. Total payments would be 1 trillion, 480 billion, 264 million, 899 thousand, 6 hundred and 69 dollars. That leaves a shortfall of a little over 611 billion dollars which would come out of the Social Security Trust Fund, not out of the general fund, but as we already know, our government has spent the Trust Fund money leaving no other recourse but to take it from the general fund.
[Now] if I may, I want to change the subject back to the recently passed Healthcare Law and the section which will, more than likely, allow taxpayer funded abortions. Some of you may think that President Obama's "Executive Order" will take care of that but, in my opinion, that Order is somewhat less than useless.
[And] what, you may ask, is wrong with that Order as signed by the President? Let me count the ways but first "Section 3", of that Order titled "Community Health Center Program". "The act establishes a new Community Health Center (CHC) fund within Health and Human Services (HHS) which provides additional Federal funds for the Community Health Center program. Existing law prohibits these centers from using Federal funds to provide abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), as a result of both the Hyde Amendment and longstanding regulations containing the Hyde language. Under the act, the Hyde language shall apply to the authorization and appropriation of funds for Community Health Centers under section 10503 and all other relevent provisions. I hereby direct the Secretary of HHS to ensure that Program Administrators and recipients of Federal Funds are aware of and comply with the Limitations on abortion services imposed on CHCs by existing law. Such action should include, but are not limited to, updating Grant Policy Statements that accompany CHC grants and issueing new interpretive rules."
[Then] we come to final arguements, the point being that this Executive Order is much less than what it appears to be on the surface. In this case, I believe, it is all in the timing. Representative Bart Stupak, and others, refused to vote for the Healthcare Bill as written because of the abortion language until President Obama promised to sign an "Executive Order" asserting that no taxpayer money could be used to pay for abortions except in certain cases. His Order states that: "I hereby direct the secretary of HHS to ensure that program Administrators and recipients of Federal funds are aware of and comply with the limitations on abortion services imposed on CHCs by EXISTING LAW." The question is, what is the law? The Healthcare Bill was passed on May 21, and signed into law on May 22, 2010. The Executive Order was signed by President Obama on May 24, 2010. At that time "existing law" was the newly passed Obamacare which funds organizations that provide or promote abortions. There are other flaws but they can wait. In the meantime thanks and stay tuned - William
[This], the first thing to be addressed today, is an addition to or extension of last Sunday's posting which dealt with Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. On Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace questioned one political candidate as to what she would do about Social Security and Medicare which, according to him, are two of the three largest budget items and therefore causing most of our deficit. To even suggest that our current retiree's Social Security and Medicare payments are from an unfunded liability is simply ludicrous and an insult to seniors. Just as our younger generations are working and paying their dues at this time, the senior retirees began paying into the Social Security System soon after its inception in 1936 and in 1965 for Medicare and Medicade.
[And] now, to have some politicians and most of the news media constantly harping on the subject of reforming Social Security and Medicare by cutting payments for future retirees or raising the retirement age for Social Security and cutting Medicare payments to doctors and hospitals, is vexing to say the least. If not for the illegal use of the Social Security/Medicare/Medicaid Trust Fund money the budget deficit would be much larger.
[That] anyone could ever understand what is going on in Washington (or Nashville for that matter) would be a miricle within itself. At 11:00 AM on October 19, 2010 our debt clock, as shown on the internet, indicated that our, year to date, income from the payroll/FICA tax at 867 billion, 770 million, 631 thousand, 8 hundred and twenty dollars with payments to Social Security retirees of 783 billion, 841 million, 543 thousand, 5 hundred and 70 dollars. Payments for Medicare/Medicaid were 696 billion, 423 million, 356 thousand and 99 dollars. Total payments would be 1 trillion, 480 billion, 264 million, 899 thousand, 6 hundred and 69 dollars. That leaves a shortfall of a little over 611 billion dollars which would come out of the Social Security Trust Fund, not out of the general fund, but as we already know, our government has spent the Trust Fund money leaving no other recourse but to take it from the general fund.
[Now] if I may, I want to change the subject back to the recently passed Healthcare Law and the section which will, more than likely, allow taxpayer funded abortions. Some of you may think that President Obama's "Executive Order" will take care of that but, in my opinion, that Order is somewhat less than useless.
[And] what, you may ask, is wrong with that Order as signed by the President? Let me count the ways but first "Section 3", of that Order titled "Community Health Center Program". "The act establishes a new Community Health Center (CHC) fund within Health and Human Services (HHS) which provides additional Federal funds for the Community Health Center program. Existing law prohibits these centers from using Federal funds to provide abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), as a result of both the Hyde Amendment and longstanding regulations containing the Hyde language. Under the act, the Hyde language shall apply to the authorization and appropriation of funds for Community Health Centers under section 10503 and all other relevent provisions. I hereby direct the Secretary of HHS to ensure that Program Administrators and recipients of Federal Funds are aware of and comply with the Limitations on abortion services imposed on CHCs by existing law. Such action should include, but are not limited to, updating Grant Policy Statements that accompany CHC grants and issueing new interpretive rules."
[Then] we come to final arguements, the point being that this Executive Order is much less than what it appears to be on the surface. In this case, I believe, it is all in the timing. Representative Bart Stupak, and others, refused to vote for the Healthcare Bill as written because of the abortion language until President Obama promised to sign an "Executive Order" asserting that no taxpayer money could be used to pay for abortions except in certain cases. His Order states that: "I hereby direct the secretary of HHS to ensure that program Administrators and recipients of Federal funds are aware of and comply with the limitations on abortion services imposed on CHCs by EXISTING LAW." The question is, what is the law? The Healthcare Bill was passed on May 21, and signed into law on May 22, 2010. The Executive Order was signed by President Obama on May 24, 2010. At that time "existing law" was the newly passed Obamacare which funds organizations that provide or promote abortions. There are other flaws but they can wait. In the meantime thanks and stay tuned - William
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Healthcare 101
A new beginning
On Monday, October 18, 2010 the, so-called, "Healthcare Bill" that was passed by the House of Representatives, then manuvered through the Senate by breaking their own rules, will be involved in a hearing before a Federal Judge in Virginia. On Thursday October 14, 2010 a Federal Judge in Florida ruled that the case challenging the constitutionality of that same Healthcare Bill, by twenty States, can go forward. Last week a similar case was thrown out by a judge in Michigan but, in my opinion, it can be revised and refiled. That probably won't be necessary because the Virginia and Florida cases will, in all likelihood, eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. That will probably take about 2 years.
The United States Congress and President Obama base their right to force everyone to buy insurance on what is commonly called "The Commerce Clause" which is found in "Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3" of our Constitution. It is; "The congress shall have power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes"; At this time we will skip to "Article 10" of the Constitution which states; "The power not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." The Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3), in my opinion, DOES NOT give the Federal Government the right to force individual citizens to buy something they don't want.
The argument has been made that, by requiring drivers to have valid drivers licenses and license plates on their vehicles, the Federal Government already has a foot in the door but except for over the road commercial vehicles etc., which use Federal Highways, the right to require licenses is left to the several States as outlined in "Article 10" of our Constitution. They should not, in any way, be allowed to USURP the people's rights. We must all stand together or we will all fall.
To me, the most important revisions that could have been made to healthcare in the United States would have been (listed in no specific order as to importance); (1) What in commonly referred to as "Tort Reform", that is, capping the dollar amount collectable in mal-practice cases. In some cases this has surely gotten out of hand, driving up mal-practice insurance premiums and causing most doctors to practice defensive medicine. (2) The allowing of Insurance Companies to sell insurance across state lines, certain companies are licensed in several states but that doesn't create the competition needed, (3) Set up guide lines on pre-existing conditions that would be fair to all concerned, and last but not least, (4) No taxpayer money going to any organization that provided or promoted abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother, with strict enforcement. I have heard it said that the Insurance Companies are, figuratively speaking, making a killing off their policy holders and will do even worse in the future. I don't buy into that theory because most states have a Department of Banking and Insurance (or something equivalent) which is supposed to regulate insurance rates. If they aren't then we should find out why not.
There is much talk about how the Republicans, if they regain control of the House and / or Senate, will repeal the Healthcare Bill but you can take that with a cup of salt. It takes two thirds of the votes in each House of Congress to over-ride a Presidental Veto and it takes almost that to even bring it to a vote in the Senate. That is not even possible in less than two years and not probable even in your lifetime. Only by stopping funding for parts of the bill can Congress do anything for the next few years but the court cases (above) may bring us back to a new beginning. I am not advocating an outright repeal but a re-tweeking of what we have.
We will have a fairly busy schedule for the next few days and I may not have time to write for a while but I'll try to get back at it soon. Meanwhile, thanks for your time and support. Stay tuned. - William
On Monday, October 18, 2010 the, so-called, "Healthcare Bill" that was passed by the House of Representatives, then manuvered through the Senate by breaking their own rules, will be involved in a hearing before a Federal Judge in Virginia. On Thursday October 14, 2010 a Federal Judge in Florida ruled that the case challenging the constitutionality of that same Healthcare Bill, by twenty States, can go forward. Last week a similar case was thrown out by a judge in Michigan but, in my opinion, it can be revised and refiled. That probably won't be necessary because the Virginia and Florida cases will, in all likelihood, eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. That will probably take about 2 years.
The United States Congress and President Obama base their right to force everyone to buy insurance on what is commonly called "The Commerce Clause" which is found in "Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3" of our Constitution. It is; "The congress shall have power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states, and with the Indian Tribes"; At this time we will skip to "Article 10" of the Constitution which states; "The power not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." The Commerce Clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3), in my opinion, DOES NOT give the Federal Government the right to force individual citizens to buy something they don't want.
The argument has been made that, by requiring drivers to have valid drivers licenses and license plates on their vehicles, the Federal Government already has a foot in the door but except for over the road commercial vehicles etc., which use Federal Highways, the right to require licenses is left to the several States as outlined in "Article 10" of our Constitution. They should not, in any way, be allowed to USURP the people's rights. We must all stand together or we will all fall.
To me, the most important revisions that could have been made to healthcare in the United States would have been (listed in no specific order as to importance); (1) What in commonly referred to as "Tort Reform", that is, capping the dollar amount collectable in mal-practice cases. In some cases this has surely gotten out of hand, driving up mal-practice insurance premiums and causing most doctors to practice defensive medicine. (2) The allowing of Insurance Companies to sell insurance across state lines, certain companies are licensed in several states but that doesn't create the competition needed, (3) Set up guide lines on pre-existing conditions that would be fair to all concerned, and last but not least, (4) No taxpayer money going to any organization that provided or promoted abortion except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother, with strict enforcement. I have heard it said that the Insurance Companies are, figuratively speaking, making a killing off their policy holders and will do even worse in the future. I don't buy into that theory because most states have a Department of Banking and Insurance (or something equivalent) which is supposed to regulate insurance rates. If they aren't then we should find out why not.
There is much talk about how the Republicans, if they regain control of the House and / or Senate, will repeal the Healthcare Bill but you can take that with a cup of salt. It takes two thirds of the votes in each House of Congress to over-ride a Presidental Veto and it takes almost that to even bring it to a vote in the Senate. That is not even possible in less than two years and not probable even in your lifetime. Only by stopping funding for parts of the bill can Congress do anything for the next few years but the court cases (above) may bring us back to a new beginning. I am not advocating an outright repeal but a re-tweeking of what we have.
We will have a fairly busy schedule for the next few days and I may not have time to write for a while but I'll try to get back at it soon. Meanwhile, thanks for your time and support. Stay tuned. - William
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
More Questions
Fewer answers
On July 31, 1965 the Medicare Bill was signed into law, by President Johnson, as an amendment to Social Security. To pay for this new program a new tax was added to the "Federal Insurance Contributions Act" (F.I.C.A.). At this time the F.I.C.A. tax rate stands at 6.2 percent for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare, for a total of 7.67 percent on both employer and employee.
The "Social Security Trust Fund" is the means by which the Federal Government accounts for the "excess contributions" made by workers and their employers to the Social Security System that are not required to fund current benefit payments to retirees, survivors and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. These surpluses are invested in "Special United States Government Securities." This Trust Fund, which oversees both Social Security and Medicare, is "Off Budget" and treated seperately, in certain ways, from other Federal spending.
From the U. S. Code: " Exclusion of Social Security from all Budgets Pub. L 101-508, Title XIII, Sec. 13301(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388-623, provided that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Federal Old-age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of (1) the budget of the United States Government as submitted by the President, (2) the Congressional budget, or (3) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985."
What does that say? To me it tells the Federal Government, in no uncertain terms, hands off all Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund money except to pay retirees, survivors (of retirees) and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. (This also includes Medicare payments). As to the so-called "Health Care Bill" which was passed earlier this year and the government's right to take money saved by either cutting out waste and fraud or by cutting payments to doctors and hospitals and using it to either cut the deficit or to start some other scheme, such as public option insurance: According to the law as stated in the U.S. Code (above) they can not do that. I spent some time on the internet trying to find information as to exactly how much money is in those trust funds but ended up more confused than when I started. Do you suppose that could be the intention of our Government? No, of course not, they want us to be well informed. Don't they??
While looking out the windows or going outside and seeing how the leaves are changing colors and the weather getting cooler I am reminded that Autumn is really here so I'll leave you with this.
Autumn Means
Autumn means Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, kids playing trick or treat / the sound of drying leaves as they crunch beneath your feet / the butterflies have left us, looking for a warmer clime / wild geese ready to fly south, they'll be leaving any time / Jack Frost has made his visit and left his calling card / now a friend is busy raking the leaves up from his yard.
Autumn means the days are getting shorter, ole Sun's not up so long / bull frogs singing in the night a lonesome sounding song / squirrels out gathering acorns to hide in hollow trees / Blue Jay's always quarreling with everything he sees / the icy winds of winter are just two doors away / and the world is out rejoicing while it's warm enough to play.
All opinions given here are mine,statistics came from various internet sites. Thanks for your time whether you agree or not. Stay tuned - William
On July 31, 1965 the Medicare Bill was signed into law, by President Johnson, as an amendment to Social Security. To pay for this new program a new tax was added to the "Federal Insurance Contributions Act" (F.I.C.A.). At this time the F.I.C.A. tax rate stands at 6.2 percent for Social Security and 1.45 percent for Medicare, for a total of 7.67 percent on both employer and employee.
The "Social Security Trust Fund" is the means by which the Federal Government accounts for the "excess contributions" made by workers and their employers to the Social Security System that are not required to fund current benefit payments to retirees, survivors and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. These surpluses are invested in "Special United States Government Securities." This Trust Fund, which oversees both Social Security and Medicare, is "Off Budget" and treated seperately, in certain ways, from other Federal spending.
From the U. S. Code: " Exclusion of Social Security from all Budgets Pub. L 101-508, Title XIII, Sec. 13301(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388-623, provided that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursements of the Federal Old-age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of (1) the budget of the United States Government as submitted by the President, (2) the Congressional budget, or (3) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985."
What does that say? To me it tells the Federal Government, in no uncertain terms, hands off all Social Security and Medicare Trust Fund money except to pay retirees, survivors (of retirees) and the disabled or to pay administrative expenses. (This also includes Medicare payments). As to the so-called "Health Care Bill" which was passed earlier this year and the government's right to take money saved by either cutting out waste and fraud or by cutting payments to doctors and hospitals and using it to either cut the deficit or to start some other scheme, such as public option insurance: According to the law as stated in the U.S. Code (above) they can not do that. I spent some time on the internet trying to find information as to exactly how much money is in those trust funds but ended up more confused than when I started. Do you suppose that could be the intention of our Government? No, of course not, they want us to be well informed. Don't they??
While looking out the windows or going outside and seeing how the leaves are changing colors and the weather getting cooler I am reminded that Autumn is really here so I'll leave you with this.
Autumn Means
Autumn means Jack-O-Lantern pumpkins, kids playing trick or treat / the sound of drying leaves as they crunch beneath your feet / the butterflies have left us, looking for a warmer clime / wild geese ready to fly south, they'll be leaving any time / Jack Frost has made his visit and left his calling card / now a friend is busy raking the leaves up from his yard.
Autumn means the days are getting shorter, ole Sun's not up so long / bull frogs singing in the night a lonesome sounding song / squirrels out gathering acorns to hide in hollow trees / Blue Jay's always quarreling with everything he sees / the icy winds of winter are just two doors away / and the world is out rejoicing while it's warm enough to play.
All opinions given here are mine,statistics came from various internet sites. Thanks for your time whether you agree or not. Stay tuned - William
Sunday, October 10, 2010
So Many Questions
So few answers
A few days ago I heard someone on television ask the question; How long will it be before America goes broke? It appears to me that the question should have been; When did America go broke? At this time we are operating, to a great extent, on borrowed money and in my opinion (for whatever it is worth) it will only get worse.
At ten minutes after ten o'clock on the tenth day of the tenth month of the year twenty-ten our National Debt Clock was showing our debt to be about thirteen trillion, five hundred and seventy billion, seventy-five million, six hundred and forty-two thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five dollars. The reason I said about is that our debt is rising so rapidly it is hard for my eyes and my brain to calculate an exact number at any given time.
The above figures may include what is usually referred to as the "Social Security Trust Fund" and the "Medicare Trust Fund" which, at this time, are probably more than three trillion dollars when combined. If congress passed a law to take those trust fund's money out of the general fund and put it in "Al Gore's lock box" (that is a seperate account) our government would have to borrow that much more money. I don't know if that would add to our national debt or not because I don't know if the Social Security and Medicare payments that have been used in the general fund to pay as we go was counted in our thirteen plus trillion dollar debt. May know more on that later. Today, not surprisingly, Social Security announced that there would not be a cost of living raise for Social Security recipients for the second year in a row. That would be okay if Medicare wouldn't raise the deductables so as to give the insurance companies cover to raise their rates. Obamacare will get us one way or another.
Going back to the National Debt, as calculated by Washington, of a little more than thirteen and a half trillion dollars and dividing it between all citizens of the United States, it would burden each one with a debt of forty-three thousand, seven hundred and eleven dollars or each taxpayer with a debt of one hundred twenty-one thousand, nine hundred and one dollars.
Another big question is; Should the Bush tax cuts be extended for everyone or should the very rich pay more taxes? I have never been a fan of multi-million dollar contracts for ballplayers (that's why I don't watch many ball games) or the bonuses some CEO's get for running a business into the ground but I must say that there is no doubt that those people with lots of money are the ones who create most of the jobs, one way or another, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they can spend their money more wisely than the government, either democrat or republican. As for those who say; make them pay more taxes so we can get more good paying jobs here in America, there is only one way to do that. Don't buy everything from China and other Asian countries. We need to balance our buying between imports and American made. That is what will bring back jobs.
The last few days has been a very trying time for my household and I had been thinking about skipping this posting because when I started I didn't have too much of an idea what I would write about. I hope it hasn't been too boring. Thanks and stay tuned - William
A few days ago I heard someone on television ask the question; How long will it be before America goes broke? It appears to me that the question should have been; When did America go broke? At this time we are operating, to a great extent, on borrowed money and in my opinion (for whatever it is worth) it will only get worse.
At ten minutes after ten o'clock on the tenth day of the tenth month of the year twenty-ten our National Debt Clock was showing our debt to be about thirteen trillion, five hundred and seventy billion, seventy-five million, six hundred and forty-two thousand, seven hundred and seventy-five dollars. The reason I said about is that our debt is rising so rapidly it is hard for my eyes and my brain to calculate an exact number at any given time.
The above figures may include what is usually referred to as the "Social Security Trust Fund" and the "Medicare Trust Fund" which, at this time, are probably more than three trillion dollars when combined. If congress passed a law to take those trust fund's money out of the general fund and put it in "Al Gore's lock box" (that is a seperate account) our government would have to borrow that much more money. I don't know if that would add to our national debt or not because I don't know if the Social Security and Medicare payments that have been used in the general fund to pay as we go was counted in our thirteen plus trillion dollar debt. May know more on that later. Today, not surprisingly, Social Security announced that there would not be a cost of living raise for Social Security recipients for the second year in a row. That would be okay if Medicare wouldn't raise the deductables so as to give the insurance companies cover to raise their rates. Obamacare will get us one way or another.
Going back to the National Debt, as calculated by Washington, of a little more than thirteen and a half trillion dollars and dividing it between all citizens of the United States, it would burden each one with a debt of forty-three thousand, seven hundred and eleven dollars or each taxpayer with a debt of one hundred twenty-one thousand, nine hundred and one dollars.
Another big question is; Should the Bush tax cuts be extended for everyone or should the very rich pay more taxes? I have never been a fan of multi-million dollar contracts for ballplayers (that's why I don't watch many ball games) or the bonuses some CEO's get for running a business into the ground but I must say that there is no doubt that those people with lots of money are the ones who create most of the jobs, one way or another, and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they can spend their money more wisely than the government, either democrat or republican. As for those who say; make them pay more taxes so we can get more good paying jobs here in America, there is only one way to do that. Don't buy everything from China and other Asian countries. We need to balance our buying between imports and American made. That is what will bring back jobs.
The last few days has been a very trying time for my household and I had been thinking about skipping this posting because when I started I didn't have too much of an idea what I would write about. I hope it hasn't been too boring. Thanks and stay tuned - William
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Climbing Mountains
One more to climb
On October 5, 2010 there was a statement on Fox News Ticker by former President Bill Clinton asserting that if the Israeli - Palestinian conflict could be solved it would take away half the motivation for terriorism in the whole world. One of the benefits he listed was that Iran would probably give up its quest for a nuclear bomb. I can't believe that would ever happen because too many signs point to the beginning of a push by Islam to take over the world. I say; Wake up America before it is too late. With that said I'll move on to the subject that I had half-way planned for today.
The first 9 months of this year has not been easy for either one of us, with, probably, more time spent in hospitals and doctor's offices than in the preceding 10 years combined. Needless to say, that brings on an awareness that our time on this earth is surely drawing to a close. That awareness brought to mind a poem that was written several years ago in anticipation of that time.
"Lord Now Take My Hand"
"Some day I'm going to climb up on that mountain / look out over God's Kingdom stretching wide / cross on across that mighty Jordan River / and enter into Heaven on the other side / I want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus / share all the love that he gives to me / and knowing that He walked upon the water / gives me the courage to brave the raging sea.
Lord now take my hand, make the world understand / that You're the one to take their troubles to / when the days are dark as night and it's hard to tell the wrong from right / I know Your guiding light will see me through.
Some day my life's journey will be ended / but it's up to my Lord when that will be / faith in Him will make the traveling easier / till He lifts up my burdens and sets me free / then I'll go on to walk on ground that's Holy / singing praise to Jesus throughout eternity / for all the things He's done down through the ages / but especially praise to Him for loving me.
Lord now take my hand, make the world understand / that You're the one to take their troubles to ---."
But until that day comes, "I'll play the hand that was dealt me / and Lord I'll do my best not to complain / I'll enjoy all the sunshine that You send me / then I'll bow my head and walk on through the rain. / When I meet someone on the street and they say, how are you / help me to say fine and I hope you are the same / for everyone in this world will have their problems / they'll have to bow their heads and walk on through the rain."
In my last posting I attempted to point out some parallels between the Vietnamese war and our present day war in Afghanistan. One thing that may not have been clear is the fact that Osama bin Laden was a major player in the "Mujahadeen's" resistance that caused the Soviet Union to pack their bags and pull out of Afghanistan. That war lasted between 9 and 10 years. Now Osama bin Laden is a major planner in the resistance by the Taliban and Al-Qaida against NATO forces in our war in Afghanistan. How long has this war been going on? When do we pack our bags and leave?
I don't know what I will write about next but with the way the world is changing every day and each day's news seeming to be worse than the day before it shouldn't be hard to find some subject to either agree or disagree with. Until then, stay tuned. Thanks - William
On October 5, 2010 there was a statement on Fox News Ticker by former President Bill Clinton asserting that if the Israeli - Palestinian conflict could be solved it would take away half the motivation for terriorism in the whole world. One of the benefits he listed was that Iran would probably give up its quest for a nuclear bomb. I can't believe that would ever happen because too many signs point to the beginning of a push by Islam to take over the world. I say; Wake up America before it is too late. With that said I'll move on to the subject that I had half-way planned for today.
The first 9 months of this year has not been easy for either one of us, with, probably, more time spent in hospitals and doctor's offices than in the preceding 10 years combined. Needless to say, that brings on an awareness that our time on this earth is surely drawing to a close. That awareness brought to mind a poem that was written several years ago in anticipation of that time.
"Lord Now Take My Hand"
"Some day I'm going to climb up on that mountain / look out over God's Kingdom stretching wide / cross on across that mighty Jordan River / and enter into Heaven on the other side / I want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus / share all the love that he gives to me / and knowing that He walked upon the water / gives me the courage to brave the raging sea.
Lord now take my hand, make the world understand / that You're the one to take their troubles to / when the days are dark as night and it's hard to tell the wrong from right / I know Your guiding light will see me through.
Some day my life's journey will be ended / but it's up to my Lord when that will be / faith in Him will make the traveling easier / till He lifts up my burdens and sets me free / then I'll go on to walk on ground that's Holy / singing praise to Jesus throughout eternity / for all the things He's done down through the ages / but especially praise to Him for loving me.
Lord now take my hand, make the world understand / that You're the one to take their troubles to ---."
But until that day comes, "I'll play the hand that was dealt me / and Lord I'll do my best not to complain / I'll enjoy all the sunshine that You send me / then I'll bow my head and walk on through the rain. / When I meet someone on the street and they say, how are you / help me to say fine and I hope you are the same / for everyone in this world will have their problems / they'll have to bow their heads and walk on through the rain."
In my last posting I attempted to point out some parallels between the Vietnamese war and our present day war in Afghanistan. One thing that may not have been clear is the fact that Osama bin Laden was a major player in the "Mujahadeen's" resistance that caused the Soviet Union to pack their bags and pull out of Afghanistan. That war lasted between 9 and 10 years. Now Osama bin Laden is a major planner in the resistance by the Taliban and Al-Qaida against NATO forces in our war in Afghanistan. How long has this war been going on? When do we pack our bags and leave?
I don't know what I will write about next but with the way the world is changing every day and each day's news seeming to be worse than the day before it shouldn't be hard to find some subject to either agree or disagree with. Until then, stay tuned. Thanks - William
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Afghanistan War -- Part Two
Will we stay the course?
After centuries of rule by the likes of Mahmud, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Ahmad Shah Durrani and then Abdur Rahman, who reigned from 1880 to 1901, the Russians and British officially established the boundaries of what would become modern day Afghanistan, with the British retaining control over Kabul's (Afghan capital city) foreign affairs.
Habibullah, Abdur Rahman's son and successor, was assassinated in 1919. His third son, Amanullah, regained control of Afghanistan after launching the third Anglo-Afghan war with an attack on India in that same year (1919). During the ensuing conflict the war-weary British gave up their control over foreign affairs by signing the "Treaty of Rawalpindi" in August of 1919. In commemoration of this event, Afghans celebrate August 19 as their "Independence Day."
In December of 1978 the Soviet Union (Moscow) signed a bilateral treaty of "Friendship and Cooperation" with Afghanistan, and the Soviet "Military Assistance Program" increased significantly, the Afghan Government's survival increasingly depended upon Soviet assistance as insurgency spread and the Afghan Army began to collapse. By October 1979, however, relations between Moscow and the Afghan government were tense because the Afghan rulers refused to take Soviet advice. On December 24, 1979, large numbers of Soviet Airborne Forces invaded Afghanistan. After being bogged down in Afghanistan for almost 10 years, with the loss of 14,500 Soviet and about 1 million Afghan lives, the Soviets withdrew in 1989.
In 1979, maybe even before the official invasion of Afghanistan, our CIA was recruiting what would become known as "Freedomfighters or Mujahadeens" in or around Afghanistan. "Osama bin Laden" was one of the first of those recruits. In 1980, shortly after that invasion, Dan Rather who would later become the anchor on CBS News,while filming a piece for CBS's "60 Minutes" was seen on camera wearing a traditional Mujahadeen headdress and garment. The report claimed that he was near the front lines but there have been some who disputed that. At any rate, these excursions earned him the nickname of Dan "Gunga Dan" Rather.
Shortly after the withdrawal of the Soviet's the Taliban began their rise to power in reaction to the anarchy and warlordism that arose in the vacuum left by the leaving of the Soviet forces. By the end of 1998, the Taliban occupied about 90% of the country and sought to impose an extreme interpretation of Islam - based on rural tribal codes - on the whole country and committed massive human rights violations particularly against women and girls.
After the Soviet withdrawal, Osama bin Laden and his Mujahadeen's had no war to fight and was no longer useful to our CIA and therefore became expendable. From the mid 1990s the Taliban provided sanctuary to bin Laden and other terrorist organizations. In return, bin Laden provided both financial and political support to the Taliban. Bin Laden and Al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. There are some (including myself) who believe that Osama bin Laden turned against the United States because of the first Gulf War. Although Dan Rather denies ever having a relationship (whatever that means) with Osama bin Laden and I have not, as yet, found proof otherwise, my memory keeps trying to tell me that one of those excursions through the Afghan Mountains was with Osama himself. Any help out there?
Now, regardless of what our government and others try to tell us, neither the Korean Conflict nor the Vietnamese War can truthfully be considered a win. Our present war in Afghanistan appears, in too many ways, to be paralleling that war in Vietnam where a peace treaty was signed but as soon as our troops were out of Saigon the Communist took over South Vietnam. It is my belief that within the next two years our government will have negotiated a cease fire with the Taliban (and Al-Qaida) and, at least, be in the process of withdrawing all forces from Afghanistan. Will it turn out to be another Vietnam and our withdrawal later be referred to as a "Cut and Run." Let's all pray that it won't happen that way. Thanks for your time, stay tuned - William
After centuries of rule by the likes of Mahmud, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Ahmad Shah Durrani and then Abdur Rahman, who reigned from 1880 to 1901, the Russians and British officially established the boundaries of what would become modern day Afghanistan, with the British retaining control over Kabul's (Afghan capital city) foreign affairs.
Habibullah, Abdur Rahman's son and successor, was assassinated in 1919. His third son, Amanullah, regained control of Afghanistan after launching the third Anglo-Afghan war with an attack on India in that same year (1919). During the ensuing conflict the war-weary British gave up their control over foreign affairs by signing the "Treaty of Rawalpindi" in August of 1919. In commemoration of this event, Afghans celebrate August 19 as their "Independence Day."
In December of 1978 the Soviet Union (Moscow) signed a bilateral treaty of "Friendship and Cooperation" with Afghanistan, and the Soviet "Military Assistance Program" increased significantly, the Afghan Government's survival increasingly depended upon Soviet assistance as insurgency spread and the Afghan Army began to collapse. By October 1979, however, relations between Moscow and the Afghan government were tense because the Afghan rulers refused to take Soviet advice. On December 24, 1979, large numbers of Soviet Airborne Forces invaded Afghanistan. After being bogged down in Afghanistan for almost 10 years, with the loss of 14,500 Soviet and about 1 million Afghan lives, the Soviets withdrew in 1989.
In 1979, maybe even before the official invasion of Afghanistan, our CIA was recruiting what would become known as "Freedomfighters or Mujahadeens" in or around Afghanistan. "Osama bin Laden" was one of the first of those recruits. In 1980, shortly after that invasion, Dan Rather who would later become the anchor on CBS News,while filming a piece for CBS's "60 Minutes" was seen on camera wearing a traditional Mujahadeen headdress and garment. The report claimed that he was near the front lines but there have been some who disputed that. At any rate, these excursions earned him the nickname of Dan "Gunga Dan" Rather.
Shortly after the withdrawal of the Soviet's the Taliban began their rise to power in reaction to the anarchy and warlordism that arose in the vacuum left by the leaving of the Soviet forces. By the end of 1998, the Taliban occupied about 90% of the country and sought to impose an extreme interpretation of Islam - based on rural tribal codes - on the whole country and committed massive human rights violations particularly against women and girls.
After the Soviet withdrawal, Osama bin Laden and his Mujahadeen's had no war to fight and was no longer useful to our CIA and therefore became expendable. From the mid 1990s the Taliban provided sanctuary to bin Laden and other terrorist organizations. In return, bin Laden provided both financial and political support to the Taliban. Bin Laden and Al-Qaida have claimed responsibility for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States. There are some (including myself) who believe that Osama bin Laden turned against the United States because of the first Gulf War. Although Dan Rather denies ever having a relationship (whatever that means) with Osama bin Laden and I have not, as yet, found proof otherwise, my memory keeps trying to tell me that one of those excursions through the Afghan Mountains was with Osama himself. Any help out there?
Now, regardless of what our government and others try to tell us, neither the Korean Conflict nor the Vietnamese War can truthfully be considered a win. Our present war in Afghanistan appears, in too many ways, to be paralleling that war in Vietnam where a peace treaty was signed but as soon as our troops were out of Saigon the Communist took over South Vietnam. It is my belief that within the next two years our government will have negotiated a cease fire with the Taliban (and Al-Qaida) and, at least, be in the process of withdrawing all forces from Afghanistan. Will it turn out to be another Vietnam and our withdrawal later be referred to as a "Cut and Run." Let's all pray that it won't happen that way. Thanks for your time, stay tuned - William
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