Quotes & More

On Television

Quote - On Television May 11, 2011
"Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are the biggest drivers of our budget deficits" or "Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid take up almost half of our budget." We have never had anything to do with Medicaid (don't know much about it) so we are leaving it out of this discussion.
The Social Security Trust Fund is the means by which the Federal Government accounts for excess money paid in contributions, from workers and employers alike through the FICA (payroll) tax, into the Social Security system which is not needed 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". The Trust Fund is "Off Budget" and treated seperately from other Federal spending. From the United States Code; "Exclusion of Social Security from all budgets, Pub. L, 101-508, Title X111, Sec. 13301(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat: 1388-623, provided that notwithstanding any other provision of law, the receipts and disbursement of the Federal Old Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund shall not be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surpluses for purposes of (1) the budget of the United States as submitted by the President, (2) the congressional budget or (3) The Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control act of 1985. (From posting dated February 14, 2011)

The claims, mostly by politicians but repeated by many in the news media, that Social Security and Medicare are driving the budget deficits by taking half or more of the tax money are only smoke and mirrors at best and outright falsehoods at the worst. Although it could be that some just don't know any better. Social Security and Medicare are paid out of the Social Security Trust Fund which in turn is funded by the FICA (payroll) tax which is paid by employee and employer equally. The Social Security Trust Fund has a surplus of over two and a half trillion dollars at this time which has been borrowed by the feds and replaced by "Special Government Securities" (IOUs) which will have to be redeemed to pay future benefits to retirees and the disabled and that will add to the National debt and deficit. Social Security and Medicare can be reformed today so as to shore it up for future generations but nothing short of drastically cutting benefits to current retirees and the disabled will have any effect on out budget and national debt. All other claims are only, the already mentioned, smoke and mirrors by people trying to confuse the issue or by the mis-informed. Again, Social Security and Medicare are self financed through the FICA (payroll) tax and does not come out of the general fund (income taxes, etc.) but it should be reformed today.

Quote on Television
"Report; bin Laden was still the driving force behind planned attacks on America and American interest abroad." This report was based on information leaked by our White House as to how Osama bin Laden kept journals filled with notes outlining attacks upon Americans. Does those notes confirm that he was still the leader of Al Qaida?
We, here on the hill, have written hundreds of letters and e-mails detailing our ideas on how to solve our country's pressing problems. We have also written more than a hundred postings on this blog, many of them being on the same subjects. Would the mere writing of those letters, e-mails and blog postings make us leaders of the United States? We hardly think so due to the fact that we have been mostly ignored. Maybe we are in the wrong business.

Quote on Television
"Osama bin Laden wasn't Moslim, he highjacked the Islamic religion." According to our copy of the book "Outline of History" published in 1929 by Funk and Wagnalls, the Islamic religion was founded in 611 A.D. by Mohammed. Quoting from that book; "In Medina a vision came from God to Mohammed, at a convenient hour, informing him that if his countrymen will not be persuaded by fair words then the sword must be the instrument of their salvation. Then began the era of bloody evangelism ---. Soon after Mohammed's death the Moslims began their holy war against the pagans and more particularly against the infidels, meaning the Hebrews and the Christians." Convert by the sword or die by the sword. Doesn't that sound familiar? (From posting dated May 15, 2010) This war on Christians and Jews started long before America came into being with no end in sight. We don't believe bin Laden highjacked the Moslim religion, he just reverted back to the time of Mohammed.

Meanwhile we are still working some in the yard and garden when it's not raining but those 90 degree days were a little too much. Squash and cucumbers are blooming, the beans are running and the blueberries are looking good. We will probably have enough work to keep us busy, maybe too much so. For now, thanks for your time and input. Stay tuned. - William