Sunday, January 16, 2011

Wrong Tax Cut

It Adds to the Deficit.

I know I watch too much television. There, I admit it but what can I do about it? At this time the temperature is in the thirty to forty degree range outside (a little warmer inside) and large parts of the ground are still covered with the snow that fell almost a week ago.

Yesterday morning I heard a newsreader say that the two percent payroll (FICA) tax cut was now in effect and would mean that workers would save (what I understand to be) about 143 billion dollars a year. I heard nothing about what that would mean to Social Security and Medicare or the budget deficit. This year the money payed into the Social Security Trust Fund through the payroll tax (before the two percent cut) would have been about what will be paid out in Social Security and Medicare benefits but after that cut the Federal Treasury will have to borrow that much (143 billion dollars) more money to buy back some of those "Special Government Securities" (in the Trust Fund Lockbox) (ha-ha) in order to keep Social Security afloat. Then that will be blamed on us seniors who are retired.

All that talk about cutting the deficit by a hundred billion dollars has been rendered null and void by the misguided vote of congress and a few strokes of the President's pen. How ironic.

A few days ago e-mails were sent out to seven would-be newspeople using the same text which is copied below.

"In a posting on williamlee100.blogspot.com titled "Wake up America" and dated Nov. 24, 2010 you can find in the first paragraph these words; "That money has been, and probably still is, been used as what amounts to a high stake slush fund."

At about 5:30 pm central time on Brett Baier's "Special Report", Jim Angle when referring to the problems with Social Security and what had happened to the more than $2.5 trillion in the Social Security Trust Fund made this remark; "Some people call it a slush fund."

Could there be a connection or is Fox News just now catching up?"

Needless to say, there has been no comment in response to those e-mails but on the otherhand, I wasn't expecting any. I think I will send a copy of this posting to my U.S. Representative along with my thanks for her good work. Meanwhile thanks for your time and input, stay tuned - William

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Politics as Usual

Jump right in

Never mind waiting, even a few hours, for the facts (in any given situation) to be brought out. There are too many narrow-minded people ready to jump right in and start agitating, within hours of that tragedy in Tucson the blame game had already started. The alleged shooter, Jared Loughner, was accused of many different agendas but after the evidence began to come in it appears that his main problem is mental. When a person, as alleged, hears voices in his own head he probably isn't listening to the outside world. In today's society, how do you handle such a problem?

The rush to get on the air with their own agenda was, in my opinion, a rush to justice by individuals and parties anxious to exploit the situation by blaming everything on the gun lobby, conservatives in general and people like Sarah Palin in particular but regretfully not much blame as to their own party's involvement. If there is to be blame placed on political rhetorics it probably should be bi-partisan.

As I sit here at my computer, I've been thinking about a way of life that I can't understand. I am not a typist and am barely computer literate. The average 10 year old knows more about all those electronic gadgets you can find on the market today. I don't regret growing up when I did but I can't help reflect on the changes that have taken place even in the last fifty years. For people like us, our children and grandchildren are the NOW generations and we pray that they will be up to the challenge, will step up to the plate and made this world even better than it is now. Believe me, that will be a challenge and they will need all of our prayers.

If you listen to the news, at all, you know that there are too many acts of violence taking place in our towns and cities in the United States of America and all around the world. Pray for change. That's the kind of change we need. "He said you've got to pray for your fellow man so this time, this one is just for you." Thanks for your time and input, stay tuned. - William

Monday, January 10, 2011

Tragedy in Tucson

Many prayers are needed

For whatever reason, we didn't have our television on yesterday morning and when I turned it on about one o'clock pm the tragedy in Tucson was already in progress. Naturally, my first thoughts and prayers were that no one was seriously injured. As you already know, that's not the way it turned out but everyone involved, in any way, still need all our prayers. I can't even imagine what a person is thinking when they commit such an act but, as hard as it might be, we should all pray for the shooter too.

I have only seen Representative Giffords on television but from her coverage by the newsmedia she has almost become a household name and if I might be so bold I would like to send this out to her.

"To Gabby"

Last week I heard a man on the radio / preaching about the things we need to do / he said, you've got to pray for your fellow man / so this time, this one is just for you / Lord, may her next twenty years be as happy as the last / don't let the sparkle in her eyes fade away / may she never have a reason to doubt that You are with her / and send her an extra blessing today / never let her troubles be more than she can bear / then help her through the darkness before the dawn / and if the time should come when she thinks that You're not with her / Lord give her the strength to carry on / I've heard a lot of prayers in my lifetime / and through the years I've said more than a few / to help me through these troubled times we're living / but this time, this one is just for you."

The last twenty plus hours has been almost non-stop coverage of that shooting and if we can judge by the past it will go on for several more days yet. Early this morning I saw on the Fox News ticker a note that one policeman was killed and another wounded when they responded to a fight at a Baltimore, Md. nightclub and even though I haven't heard anything on the news about it yet I suppose it is true. Again I'll say, "What is this world coming too?" There's way too much anger on both sides, or all three, about the state of affairs in Washington but the place to take that anger is to the ballot box. If we don't like the way things are being done we can vote the rascals out but too many time it's the other party's rascal we want voted out.

Just a note on the Health Care Law which is usually called "Obamacare" that had been scheduled for a repeal vote next Wednesday the 12th of January. Because of the shooting in Tucson the House of Representatives, now controlled by Republicans, has deferred that vote indefinitely. That, in my opinion, was the right thing to do. We all know that it can't be repealed at this time and the Republicans should take this extra time to lay out, at least, an outline of a proposed bill to replace "Obamacare." That bill should include; Tort reform, Insurance across state lines, No pre-existing conditions, Children on parent's healthcare to 26, Help with donut hole, Absolutely no tax money for abortions or agencys that promote abortion, Federal oversight of insurance companies since the states don't seem to be doing their jobs and other points to be agreed on. Would that be too simple?

There is nothing I can add to the news coverage of that horrible event in Tucson so I'll let you get back to the television. Thanks for your time and input. Stay tuned, - William

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

The People's House

But for how long?

Today is one of the biggest days in Washington, D.C., the changing of the guard in a way, when the newly elected Representatives and Senators of the 112th Congress will be sworn in. How long will it be before they will be sworn at??

The posting of June 13, 2010 and titled "The Ditch" was first written, as a letter to one of our local newspapers, shortly after the election in 2006 and updated by adding the words "and the debacle of 2008" when it was published in this blog. Please read or re-read it so you will know that there is a danger of the same thing happening again. When the Democrats came into power in 2006-7 and then were re-enforced in 2008-9 they seemed to think that they had been ordained to carry out a political cleansing. Now that the roles are reversed again, will the Republicans fall back into that ditch??

The following is an open letter to all politicans, newspeople, government workers or any other concerned citizens.

For months, I have listened to most everyone on television rant about how we (as they see us) spongers on Social Security and Medicare are causing most of the problems with the run-away Federal Budget. I want to, for the about the fourth time, make a proposal. I am willing to (put my money where my mouth is, as they say) forfeit between one and five percent of my, less than eight hundred dollar Social Securith Check, to be retained in the "Social Security Trust Fund" and used to shore up that fund for future generations IF each one of you who reads this will agree to deposit or have deposited the same percentage of your paycheck into an account within the U.S. Treasury Department which would be designated to pay down our National Debt. If that is not agreeable to you or you do not wish to promote such an agreement, then you should not continue to blame us for the bankrupting of America.

For many years I have been laboring under the impression that I was a conservative and had been writing to newspapers, politicans and others about the way they were blaming Social Security and Medicare for all our budget problems but then, yesterday, I saw Eric Kingson (a liberal) on the Neil Cavuto show. Mr. Kingson absolutely refuted Mr. Cavuto's contention that Social Security was broke and was causing the budget problems. I couldn't have made the argument any better myself so I guess that makes me a liberal. Sorry about that. - The problem is that all the Social Security Trust Fund's money has been spent and nobody wants to admit that if it was replaced tomorrow the treasury would have to borrow the money and our debt would then be almost seventeen trillion dollars. Think about it, that's a lot of money.

I've had computer trouble all day, sometimes I wonder if it was even meant for me to get this posting done. Thanks for your input and for sticking with me. Stay tuned,- William

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Bi-partisanship

Or compromise

In a few more days our 112th Congress will convene in Washington to take up where the 111th left off just before Christmas but it will have a very different makeup. In the November election the Republicans gained enough seats to give them a majority in the House and closed the gap in the Senate. It now appears that the repeal of "Obamacare" is at the top of the Republican agenda while the Democrats, who shunned all appearances of bi-partisanship for the last two years, are now talking about compromise. Odd what an election can do, isn't it?

In my opinion there is no way "Obamacare" can be repealed. If it, somehow, gets enough votes in the Senate to pass the President would veto it and there would not be enough votes to over ride a veto but there might be enough support to repeal and replace. That's where bi-partisanship and compromise comes into play.

I would suggest that our Congressional leaders get together and do a little old fashioned "horse trading". They could start with the Republicans taking "Tort Reform" - this could drastically lower malpractic insurance - and the Democrats could take "Insurance for Pre-existing Conditions" - from Obamacare -. Next the Republicans could take "Insurance Across State Lines" - also to help lower insurance cost - while the Democrats could have "Children to Stay on Parents Insurance to Age 26 (also on Obamacare). Next the Republicans could take "Absolutely no Tax Money Going for Abortion" - or to agencys which advocate abortions - and the Democrats could have "Federal Oversight Over Insurance Rates". Any other points could be agreed upon. Would that be too simple?

I believe, without going back to check, that a few weeks ago I noted that I had written an e-mail (via web page) to one of my U. S. Senators requesting information as to why so many politicians and, so-called, news people insist on blaming Social Security and Medicare for most of our budget problems despite the fact that Social Security and Medicare are paid out of the "Social Security Trust Fund" which at the end of 2010 had a surplus of two point five trillion dollars and growing. Also mentioned was that I got a call from a young man in that Senator's office. He tried to explain it to me but I don't think he did very well because I didn't know any more when he hung up than I did before his call.

Maybe that is the reason I'm not as optimistic, that anyone will ever listen, as I was in the beginning. As one last attempt (maybe) to get my point across I am sending a copy of this blog posting to that Senator. I will let you know if anything comes of it. Thanks for your time and input, stay tuned. - William


P.S.
I have tried to list all material used in this blog as to their source and all poems not credited to others are from the copyrighted book "Expedition to Nowhere". Today I am listing my e-mail address (subject to change at any time). Thank you williamlee100@netzero.com - William

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

SOME DAY ---

Just down the road or around the corner.

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.

Maybe all the news lately hasn't been bad but it seems to me that too much of it has been. Record snowfall in the northeast, crops freezing in Florida and flooding in the west. Of course it has all been blamed on global warming. I don't know how long they have been keeping records on global temperatures but I can remember when our temperature here in Tennessee would be over a hundred degrees on several days every year. Remember 1980 when it was almost 110 degrees for over a week? According to some (experts), whatever happens now is caused by "Global Warming".

Then, because of global warming, we are having below normal temperatures which, in turn, is causing our heating bills to sky rocket and oil prices to rise. Some, so called, experts are now predicting gasoline prices to go over $4.00 a gallon in 2011 and near $5.00 by the end of 2012.

I just don't know how much more of this global warming I can stand. I guess we just didn't save enough of our money when we were working at little more than minimum wages and paying for educating two sons.

The trouble is, as bad as that sounds, it is just the tip of the iceberg. Our National Debt is now threatening to destroy, if nor our country, then certainly our way of living. It has been said, again on television, that every person's share of the national debt grew more than ten thousand dollars this year and is still growing.

A few days ago Congress passed a bill that was to provide healthcare for the volunteers who rushed into the aftermath of the collapse of the Twin Towers, which was about 9 years after the fact. Better late than never but being late is what usually defines the actions of our Federal Government in such situations.

More than sixty years ago that same Government (different players) began experiments to determinme the effects of radiation from atomic (nuclear) bombs on humans. These experiments, using mostly military service members as human guinea pigs, began shortly after World War Two and extended through the most of the Nineteen - sixties. At this time very little has been done to help those guinea pigs through their sicknesses (cancer, etc.) and early deaths. Maybe a simple "Thank You" would have been a help but even that hasn't happened.

If you don't really want to know, then don't ask and if you detect a note of bitterness, just let it pass. My country right or wrong, I must love it for only God and family goes above it.

On that note I will end this before too much disappointment shows through. Thanks for your time and input. Stay tuned - William

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas Passed

Just in time too

Christmas Time

When it's all over and everyone's gone but me / and there's not one single thing left under the Christmas Tree / I sit down and think it over and now Lord I'm asking Thee / is Christmas Time the Holy Time that it was meant to be.

From neccessity, this will be a shorter post than usual. Come to think of it, my postings have been getting shorter each week, running out of things to say, I guess. Christmas was yesterday and we didn't see anyone buy talked to most of the family by phone. North Carolina is expecting snow but not for Christmas. As the ex Governor of Arkansaw, Mike Huckabee, said I probably didn't get as much as I wanted but more than I deserved. I probably got enough books to last me through the winter.

There is still a lot in the news about Wal-Mart wanting to build in New York City and create thousands of good paying jobs. If they can do that why haven't they done it in Small Town, U.S.A. instead of bringing in cheap (inferior) merchandise from China and forcing our small businesses out? When they no longer have competiition they raise their prices. But, on the other hand, maybe New York deserves them.

It's still too close to Christmas to get too riled up so I'll let it go for today and get back on it later. I don't know when that will be but until then, thanks for listeninhg and your input. Stay tuned - William