Today irritation: Congress approves military projects and government spending NOT requested by the users of the end product. Presidential helicopters not wanted, planes not needed, unsuccessful projects allowed to continue running over both their budget and time estimates - not by small amounts, but by years and millions of dollars.
My experience with both personal and business budgeting - Being the expert in my field, I create the wish list of expenses, my possible sources of income and reconcile the 2 by removing expenses that cannot be paid for. Congress has taken the wish list of government that was created by experts, added projects Congress wants without regard to the experts' wishes and removed/denied $ for budget items that truly help individuals, and Congress created expenses that have no intrinsic value or result for the American people. Since when did Congress develop knowledge and planning abilities beyond those of the experts we have running our very specialized areas of our government?? Who does Congress represent? Certainly not me or any Americans I know.
The result of Congress wanting these things:
- MY tax dollars are spent on products that when complete will go into some unused equipment storage facility
- MY tax dollars cannot pay for direct help to individual Americans like healthcare and infrastructure
- THEY receive huge lobbyist money for choosing with the side of businesses instead of individuals (it would be cheaper to pay the salaries of those you fear might lose their jobs than to also pay business profit and use materials to create products no one wants!)
-THEY continue to have a job, get paid well, have their healthcare provided and line their pockets with money from businesses
Government support and bailout should be to the individuals of our country. When they are directly given the $ to save their mortgage, pay for their healthcare and put their lives in the best order possible, then businesses will receive that money through normal operational channels, as they should. Businesses and government should always be at the mercy of the desires and needs of individual Americans - let people speak their mind with their money, how they spend it, save it, and get the best return for it in both services and goods.
Obama, please be stronger and believe in your ability to fight through the confrontation to disallow these unethical and immoral practices that have moved individual Americans to the back burner so that businesses, politicians, and the wealthy can reap many benefits at the expense of the true fiber of America - individual people who work hard, have a generous heart within their community, struggle to make financial ends meet, experience constant stress about their jobs and the ability of their families to survive, and foresee a future as gloomy as today. REAL CHANGE PLEASE!!!!!
July 29, 2009
Dare I challenge you on any type of white vs. black issue that arise? Yes, and I charge you with a white-collar crime, too. “White-Collar Crime is the art of deliberate deception for unlawful gain.”
And yet you exert that you are the privilege one that has the right to challenge any type of white vs. black issue because you feel justified in calling and yelling out reverse discrimination. Give me a Break.
No, you dare not give me a break or dare to side with me because I’m black and in the public arena that commands that I take the hit.
So you dare that I challenge you on the deficit and the healthcare reform because you feel justified in sounding the black vs. white and the poor vs. middle class and the “are you really qualified to be President” issues.
I am just so outraged at how these loud mouth Naysayers folks believe that they are the chosen one belonging to the Privilege class that they have the audacity to pick at, stir up trouble and delay progress in the making along with creating a deliberate deception and falsehood for unlawful gain.
Dare I challenge them to continue their antics of disruption just as they have done to disrupt the Congress work in the past like they did to make a mole hill out of nothing with the O.J. chase through the streets in California, like they did with the Mayor Barry smoking dope, like they did with the Jeffrey Damer, like they did with the Anita Hill and Judge, like they did with the Michael Jackson child abuse case, the Monica Lewinski & President and just as they are trying to do with the Senators and Sara Palin today and that is stir this economy and drain all its resources and steal our tax payer dollars.
Like vultures this Arrogant Naysayer and self-proclaimed Privilege folk feels untouchable and blemish free to stall progress in any way. I dare not challenge these Hater-Vultures to stop running up the deficit with those same antics they used in the past. They run up the deficit and create re-work for so many of us that we don’t realize it and can’t see their blows coming.
Yes, I challenge the loud mouth wanna be seen and heard Naysayer to stop running up the deficit with his big gun cameras, newspapers, TV. and radio shows to make the police, investigators, guards, Secret Service, FBI, Lawyers, Politicians, Secretaries, air and ground transportations and all of us Citizens go left versus right. We need to put a muzzle on these Naysayers who cause us to spend our dollars unnecessarily as they did in the Monica Lewinsky and Michael Jackson cases.
Unfortunately, we Citizens are citizens that the Naysayers think that they can take advantage of and distract us from the real issues. It is unfortunate that these Naysayers feel that they are privilege to make up an issue that takes millions of dollars to resolve and file away.
It is Unfortunate that we Citizens allow these Naysayers to run up the deficit more than it normally would run if there were no such issue to arise.
I charge that these loud mouth Naysayers are in violation of a white collar crime called Mass Marketing Fraud, Public Corruption and Government Fraud where because they caused our government budget to be depleted unnecessarily and irresponsibly and unbeknownst to we Citizens. Our government dollars have been diverted time and time again to pay astronomical bills for security, lawyers, accountants, police officers, writers. This diversion cost us time and money.
Therefore, you loud mouth Naysayers are charged with three counts of fraud and disruption of justice and interruption of progress, and Abuse of Power; all white-collar crimes.
As taken from B-Net Business Library on the web below; search White Collar Crime:
“Several channels have contributed to combating economic and high-tech crime:
Independent corporations and private-sector industry coalitions. As a result of limited law enforcement resources, corporations on their own or in cooperation with industry coalitions, such as BITS, the technology group for the Financial Services Roundtable, have had to initiate strategic economic crime-management plans and investigative groups. There is a growing level of frustration among these corporations, because the monetary thresholds for law enforcement even to investigate a case, let alone prosecute, can be very high, depending on the jurisdiction. Coupled with this is increased legislation requiting corporations to institute anti-fraud programs and compliance departments. While protection of corporate assets and their consumers should be their responsibility, there are several consequences to this arrangement. Many economic crimes go unreported; fewer prosecutions of these offenses occur; and perpetrators tend to be fired rather than prosecuted, leaving them free to move on to another organization and continue their victimizing.” END BNET.
In the above paragraph, I can see that this exercise of freedom of speech is over used and abused. I’m reporting that an economic crime has been committed even for the business that employs these Naysayers. The Marshall Law on this type of abuse for overly using freedom of speech needs to be monitored. I’m not saying you can’t say what you say, I’m saying you should not be allowed to stir unnecessary and unreal and bogus propaganda to cause an unnecessary expense on taxpayer dollars.
In this case scenario, a reasonable prudent citizen with sound mind and judgment can look at the Rodney King beating tape to see Abuse of Power and declare and react that those policemen were acting as a terrorist group and call them bullies, a gang in uniform or whatever they felt.
In this case scenario, a reasonable prudent citizen with sound mind and judgment can look at another police incident and call that policeman stupid or an arrogant son-of-a-bitch.
This reaction by a reasonable prudent citizen doesn’t give you the right to Abuse Power by locking up a home owner or crying wolf to cause my tax dollars to be spent to re-investigate whether my President is an American.
This boy crying wolf number three is really asking to be reprimanded for abusing his freedom of speech rights. I think we Citizens are getting real tired of these boys crying wolf over and over and over again to cause our tax dollars be spent unnecessary to run up the deficit that was already toppled over from the last Republican Administration just 8 months ago.
Has everyone in Washington lost their mind, I wonder? I would not approve 106 Million for war efforts let alone making that billions. Who are they trying to kid? It is time to seriously get these guys under control and give them a serious dose of reality!
We all read of the mismangement of the other war money and they expect us to trust them with more? I do not think so!
Obama, please stand up and say no to this insanity! Until they can account for every penny of where the other money went they should not be allowed to get any more. If I am reading the news right it will take 80 billion to last June-Sept of this year. Where on earth does the money go?
Forget the war profiteers/arms dealers and remember Americans!
Maria
We are proud to report that folks in six states participated in our Memorial Day weekend Progressives Call to Action - Spare Change for Change event in support of President Obama and his agenda for change.
Our event had five main goals:
Believing that now is the perfect time to put our spare change to work in bringing a new day to America, for the Memorial Day weekend we called on progressives to raid their personal penny jars, turning the dust-collecting coinage into budget-supporting and/or deficit-reducing dollars. In our event listing we provided the U.S. Treasury's mailing address where they accept gifts to the United States and asked all participants to send in a check or money order obtained with their spare change, along with a note in support of President Obama. We further asked the event participants to talk to their friends, family and neighbors and ask that they, too, participate in turning their spare change into change.
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In his Memorial Day remarks, President Obama called upon all Americans to take a moment at 3:00 PM on that day to honor our nation's military heroes. He also asked that we do something lasting for our country - so it was at precisely that time that Mom and I obtained the money order and made it payable to the U.S. Treasury for our Spare Change for Change effort, totalling $27.52 - See photo below:
Author's Memorial Day Event Proceeds (Photo by K. A. Worth)
Great thanks to all the participants in the Progressives Call to Action - Spare Change for Change Memorial Day event. Knowing that a lot of people each doing a little can add up to alot - we look forward to repeating the spare change effort for the 4th of July - when we hope to add participants in at least six more states!
Patriotically yours,
K. A. Worth
If you would like to participate in bringing change to America ahead of the 4th of July - please send your check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mail addressed as follows:
Gifts to the United States... U.S. Department of the Treasury... Credit Accounting Branch... 3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D... Hyattsville, MD 20782. Please be sure to enclose a note in support of President Obama!
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/
President Barack Obama has repeatedly claimed that his budget would cut the deficit by half by the end of his term. But as Heritage analyst Brian Riedl has pointed out, given that Obama has already helped quadruple the deficit with his stimulus package, pledging to halve it by 2013 is hardly ambitious. The Washington Post has a great graphic which helps put President Obama’s budget deficits in context of President Bush’s.
UPDATE: Many defenders are claiming that the numbers above do not include spending on Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush years. They most certainly do. While Bush did fund the wars through emergency supplementals (not the regular budget process), that spending did not simply vanish. It is included in the numbers above. Also, some Obama defenders are claiming the graphic above represents biased Heritage Foundation numbers. While we stand behind the numbers we put out 100%, the numbers, and the graphic itself, above are from the Washington Post.
We originally left out the link to WaPo. It has been now been added.
CLARIFICATION: Of course, this Washington Post graphic does not perfectly delineate budget surpluses and deficits by administration. President Bush took office in January 2001, and therefore played a lead role in crafting the FY 2002-2008 budgets. Presidents Bush and Obama share responsibility for the FY 2009 budget deficit that overlaps their administrations, before President Obama assumes full budgetary responsibility beginning in FY 2010.
Overall, President Obama’s budget would add twice as much debt as President Bush over the same number of years.
Congressional Quarterly also makes the point that "debt subject to the statutory limit will grow to $17.0 trillion by fiscal 2014." As of yesterday, the national debt stood at $11.2 trillion.
Barak has done unbelievable, amazing, marvelous things in the beginning days of his terms in office. Michelle is a fantastic First Lady, as well. We love them both!
We must enact his budget and uphold his priorities - which could not be more on target for the best future for our country and all the people.
The situation here is frightening, and I am fighting to be brave. I just hope the stimulus helps soon enough here in Michigan so that my daughter doesn't have to move her family to a far-away state; and so that I am able to get a job and pay my bills, and I don't have to lose my house. I want very much to remain here because I have ideas that I believe can help with the recovery turn-around. However, I need a job for the next several years at least, until we can get this turn-around under way.
Hardly any openings are posted in the newspaper's want ads. Of course, most of us are searching online these days, but I still think the want ads are an indicator. I used to donate to many worthy causes. Daily I continue to receive phone calls asking for money, and I must tell them "NO!" For every job opening that's posted here, where the unemployment rate is over 12%, there are several hundred applications received, many from over-qualified applicants. Most of us are able and anxious to work. We're doing our best to hold on by our fingernails. Please hurry.
Why does it seem that the President is watering down his budget proposal to chase votes he won’t get? Republicans proved during the stimulus bill that despite all the concessions made to them then, they would never vote in favor of anything the President wants.
With Democrats, Independents and Moderate Republicans like me on his side, the President should focus on keeping his campaign promises because John Boaner, Mitch McConnell, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity are opposed to fresh air, sunshine and Jesus, so long as they think President Obama is in favor of them.
Mr. President, you have helped them marginalize themselves to the maximum extent imaginable. Now it’s time to stand true to your word. Frankly, not everything you promised was what I wanted, but if you do what you told us you’d do, I will continue to support you, and I will vote against those who oppose you, regardless what party they’re in.
How do you deter an enemy who is willing to kill himself in order to kill you? You strike at something more important to him than his own life. Defining that will be easy for me. The next question is can America be as ruthless as our enemies?
The time has come to end the fruitless and unsustainable effort to search and destroy every cave in Afghanistan and bomb every campground in bordering Pakistan. It’s counterproductive anyway.
What will put the fear of America into terrorist masterminds and those who would follow their orders is simple and radical revenge. Masterminds have families: Cousins, brothers and fathers. Eliminate them. All at once, or one at a time, it works just as well. The ones who survive an initial “hunt” will go into hiding. Having some adult male relatives killed and the rest hiding out in caves will demoralize masterminds and their loved ones. You cannot work and support your women like that. You can’t make more baby masterminds that way. You cannot continue the blood line. The women and children will pressure them to stop their plotting and bombing.
People want to leave a familial legacy, and they can’t do that under those circumstances over the long term.
Should America do that? Yes. Do we have the “intestinal fortitude” and sustainable motivation? I don’t think so. But we should, and it shouldn’t take another terrorist attack to get us there.
For the last seven years the CIA has been kidnapping people from other nations and torturing them. Why not just go in there and quietly shoot them to death?
Frankly, by not killing women or children the way those terrorists routinely do, we can even claim the moral high ground.
In 4/4/09’s The Oregonian, two adjacent articles are “Gates readies defense budget overhaul” and “ Obama’s budget: Strict farm subsidy cuts face battle”.
The first says Gates will explain the comprehensive vision behind the defense overhaul before sending the budget into the system. The second says that Congress sees no chance for the farm subsidy cuts in Obama’s budget. Congressional Democrats want to adopt Obama’s new priorities, but won’t fight for the savings. Countless Oregonian articles quote the Budget Office’s and other analysts’ criticisms of the expenses over reductions in Obama’s budget. The whole idea of Obama’s promise to cut government programs that weren’t working in favor of new reforms for the future means that he should take the farm subsidy issue to the people, as well as Gates’ budget, to explain how important the savings are. The arguments in the farm article about the profitability of “medium-sized” farms misses the systemic point that government always has subsidies going that make some activities profitable only because the people are paying some of the expenses. Congress and journalists just don’t get that their criticisms of both additions and cuts are exactly the problem with “Washington”.
The President must highlight how we need to change the incentives for businesses and whole industries – to ramp down decades-long subsidies of what we want to stop doing as we start ramping up subsidies for what we do want. The old subsidies of industrial soybeans and corn and centralized food production have made obesity-promoting less-healthful foods artificially cheaper than wholesome regional food. It’s the same system as the decades of mass subsidies to the gas-based transportation system, making it appear to be expensive to get a greener system going. Of course the old subsidized industries and way of doing business will get hurt (purposefully gradually), just as the auto industry is being painfully dragged into changing, but we must break the farm and auto industries’ addiction to subsidies just the same. Workers all over American are having to change and of course it’s painful. Bringing real change to Washington means that Congress must be made to stop paying for the old ways of doing business. Farming and energy and transportation and defense are all comprehensive systems; the President has to get us to recognize that the government has all along been mis-targetting its subsidies and must turn it around despite the screams of industries that must change the business to employ people differently.
Did everyone call their local Representatives yet? If not, get on the stick! We all worked hard to get Barack elected; votin' for him isn't enough in today's world. We are MORE than obligated to do more than sit on that vote!
We must, as vocally as possible, SUPPORT THE VISION for which we voted! And if that means using some cell phone minutes, so be it!
Barack is speaking right now "across the pond", as they say! Strange to see an "American Style Town Hall Meeting" taking place in a foreign country.
Are you paying attention to your Congress, Senators and Governors?
Some Politicians are turning down the Stimulus money offered to your State.
Are you paying attention? Did you know that some Republican Governors were turning down Stimulus money that could trickle down to your community and neighborhood? Did you know that?
What did you expect from your Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, Governor Sarah Palin, Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and a few others we need to watch who turned down receiving the money? What did you expect of these Governors?
Expect them to explain why they turned down the Stimulus money? Call the Governor’s office, send them a message on your blogs, on their Facebook and email them to demand that they explain.
In the mean time, allow me to explain why some Governors turned down the money and what to expect from those Naysayer Governors. The following reasons they speak of why they refused the following Stimulus money below:
1. Refusing $98 million in unemployment aid is fiscal irresponsibility;
2. Refused $288 million that includes education and social services might not sustain the spending after federal help ends;
3. Refusing $700 million in stimulus money will not create jobs and will merely add to the national deficit;
4. Refusing $2.8 billion and $930 million in Stimulus money citing that we may be digging ourselves a bigger hole.
Hello Citizens, are you paying attention to your Governors? They turned down Unemployment Insurance Stimulus money for what? For reason number 1 above. No Way, Jose.
I was out of a job in 1996 and the Unemployment Insurance helped me get back on my feet by sustaining me and enabling me to get training in another job field; its called “Job Training Partnership Act of 1982” now changed to “Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA)” for displaced workers.
Go to your unemployment office to inquire about it; “Workforce Investment Act of 1998.” To my recollection, they pay your full tuition and books and pay a transportation stipend to the school of your choice of training for another skill other than the one you are receiving an unemployment check from.
In other words, You are a displaced worker, and if you lost your job as a secretary, you can get tuition paid for a computer technician course of study. Please ask your Unemployment counselor to explain to you the program, it works. CALL YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE NOW.
BUT: As our President has said that if we don’t drive down the cost of health care, and invest in other domestic programs to stimulate the economy along with careful monitoring by imposing conditions to the Stimulus money, than we won’t grow and our deficit will continue to add up in the trillions.
Now, what did you expect of these Governors who refused the Stimulus money? Are they sounding off to campaign and promote about how the stimulus money fund the “Workforce Investment Act of 1998” and can help displaced workers? NO. They are too busy sounding off for their Special Interest and Capitol Gains in order to look good to get the next nomination to be the Presidential Candidate in 2012. They are too busy interrupting the trickle down effect of the Stimulus money.
Voters, are you watching? Voters, are you calling these Politicians? Please don’t go to sleep now because we got a long fight ahead of us.
Hey South Carolina citizens, I know you can put that Training Program to use and so can you Texans and Louisianans.
Go to your Unemployment office now and enroll in the program to get training for other jobs. Go Now! And call your Governor’s office now to complain and demand that they jump on board and take that Stimulus money.
If you don’t act now, you will be left behind once again.
It sure would help.
President Obama has asked supporters to canvass their neighborhoods and encourage citizens to pledge to support the new Budget.
Let's think about how, when and where we can get out there in Hallandale Beach and help out with the President's plan!
Many Americans, including ordinary citizens as well as pundits on TV and radio are complaining that the new budget proposed is much too large... but remember... we have had a tremendous amount of neglect of education, healthcare, the environment and our nation's infastructure over the last eight years. Now we have to spend a great deal to catch up to where we should have been had Democrats been in the lead!
Our nation is really, truely desperate for change, and much have that change will need to be bought with massive expeditures. That is why the President is asking us to help him to promote his budget.
Think.. talk... and join in. Let's plan together to get together and promote this budget!
Below is an article in the Detroit Free Press
March 17, 2009Levin, others oppose adding gas permits to budget debateBY ANDREW TAYLORASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- Michigan Democrat Carl Levin and seven of his fellow Democratic senators are opposing speedy action on President Barack Obama's bill to combat global warming, complicating prospects for the legislation and creating problems for party leaders.
The eight Democrats disapprove of using the annual budget debate to pass Obama's "cap-and-trade" bill to fight greenhouse gas emissions, a measure that divides lawmakers, environmentalists and businesses. The lawmakers' opposition makes it more difficult for Democratic leaders to move the bill without a threat of a Republican filibuster.
The budget debate is the only way to circumvent Senate rules that allow a unified GOP to stop a bill through filibusters.
"Enactment of a cap-and-trade regime is likely to influence nearly every feature of the U.S. economy," wrote the Democratic senators, mostly moderates. They were joined by 25 Republicans. "Legislation so far-reaching should be fully vetted and given appropriate time for debate."
It takes 60 votes to overcome a filibuster in the Senate, but Democrats and allied independents currently control 58 seats.
Under a cap-and-trade system, the government would auction off permits to emit greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide. The auctions would raise almost $650 billion over the next decade, with the cost passed to consumers as higher energy prices.
The proposal is highly controversial, especially in heavily industrialized regions where people get their electricity from coal-fired power plants. Obama's promise to use most of the revenue to award $400 tax credits to most workers hasn't quelled the controversy since the increases in utility bills could easily exceed the amount of the tax cut.
The other Democrats who signed the letter, addressed to the chairman and top Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, were Robert Byrd, West Virginia; Blanche Lincoln, Arkansas; Mary Landrieu, Louisiana; Evan Bayh, Indiana; Ben Nelson, Nebraska; Bob Casey Jr., Pennsylvania, and Mark Pryor, Arkansas.
The 25 Republicans were led by Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska.
The House and Senate budget committees are slated to vote on the resolution next week, with Senate debate scheduled for the week of March 30. (end of article)
As part of the Obama “team“, I have received several emails urging me to support the President’s Budget. I do not support it in its entirety, for the reasons given in the above article. “Cap and trade” should be debated separately on its merits and not pushed through as part of the Budget bill. If it stays in, I trust that Senator Levin will vote against it, and I hope my other senator, Debbie Stabenow, and my congressman, Gary Peters will do likewise. This budget need not be swallowed whole. Long-term goals and their proper implementation should be properly debated. What’s the big rush?
