FedUpUSA

Archive for July, 2011

PDF of John Boehner’s Talking Points To GOP House Conference

Pay no attention to the spin of the title, this doesn’t hold Obama accountable for ANYTHING.  As a matter of fact, it ensures Obama will be re-elected.

SUMMARY:

S&P and Moody’s stated 3 days ago, that unless real cuts were made, averaging at least $1.5 Trillion PER YEAR, a downgrade was imminent.  This doesn’t even come close…..AND he made sure Obama was untouchable for 2012.  Can’t wait to see how we’re going to NOT default when interest on our debt goes from averaging 2.5% to 14%.

Apparently, ignoring this mathematics, John Boehner capitulated to the political football passing….and even worse, he fumbled the ball. There were numerous times he could have at least gained the political upper hand to get something better than this.  Why?  SPENDING BILLS MUST ORIGINATE IN THE HOUSE and the House is where the most fiscal conservatives reside.  The option was always there to just do NOTHING.

Although failing to raise the debt ceiling would have forced very hard choices it was a far better scenario than what is going to happen when interest rates on the now $16.5 Trillion in debt goes up by a factor of 5 or more.  Up until now this has never been a matter of defaulting because we take in enough revenues to cover all the items on the ‘exempt’ list above.  Grandma didn’t have to miss her Social Security check and the military would have been paid.  NOW we’re going to be staring down the barrel of the default gun – as it WILL come when the downgrade comes.  We do not take in enough revenues to cover the interest on our debt if that interest is doubled – or WORSE.

Meanwhile, the blame for this outcome will be put on the Tea Party for failing to reach a better ‘compromise.’  While this is certainly NOT deserved, it is what it is, and why I say that this may very well destroy the Tea Party right along with the Republicans.

In one fell-swoop Boehner destroyed the Republican Party, ensured that Obama will be reelected and destroyed the country.   That’s some amazing sh*t right there.

If this is indeed what the ‘deal’is, there’s nothing really left to do except buy food, guns and ammo.  We’re all going to need it.

UPDATE: It now appears that defense is NOT ‘exempt’ – matter of fact, it appears that defense is targeted specifically.  The latest information is that 1/2 of the first $900 billion in cuts will come from defense and then 50% of the remaining cuts will come from defnse if there is no agreement on the second round of $1.5 trillion in cuts.  Mind you, all these are still over a 10-year period and will do nothing to avoid a downgrade or reduce the overall debt.  However, it appears the military, which is only 24% of our spending, will be the area that bears the brunt of the cuts.  While I agree military spending must be cut, the idea of leaving the 62% that is Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and welfare untouched makes no sense to me.

The ‘deal’ appears to get worse and worse….

While you’re at it, you might as well get into the proper mood.

Do the Debt Ceiling Dance!

Hold your wallet upside down over your head; then do the “raise the roof” motion till all the $$ falls out.

“That’s all I’ve got in my pockets!”

One has to wonder.

Coburn has been called a “Tea Party Turncoat”, but is he?  How about Jim DeMint?

As I’m sure followers of my articles are aware, I’ve been extremely critical of what appeared to be a direct change from fiscal responsibility or anything like it (never mind cessation of knobbing the banksters) right into “GGG” – the shop-worn and tired “Guns, Gays and God” nonsense.

Well, perhaps some who claim to be “Tea” have realized that there’s no future in “GGG” if you try to use that as a sop for what you were elected to do?

Hmmmm….. maybe.

I have often said that when the facts change so do my opinions.  And it appears that perhaps – just perhaps – my opinions need to be revised, at least for a few Senators and Representatives.

Let’s start with Steve Southerland.  I’ve been very critical of him, going after him full-bore after what I considered a shameful and intentionally-misleading “presentation” he gave in Destin with Jeff Miller. He’s my “Critter” in DC, replacing the utterly worthless Alan Boyd this last election.

But he voted no on the Boehner bill.  While he did not completely explain what he would vote for in his press release, he did say this:

“I believe Speaker Boehner deserves credit for crafting the best solution he thought possible after enduring months of stonewalling and political parlor tricks from the President and Senate Democrats.  However, I am concerned that the House Budget Control Act hands President Obama a $900 billion debt limit increase without the guarantee of a federal balanced budget amendment or the trillions of dollars in spending cuts and caps necessary to protect America’s AAA credit rating.

Close enough for now.

Then there’s Coburn, who I Tickered earlier today.  His speech on the Senate floor needs to be heard by every American.  He’s spot-on and nobody in The House or Senate can honestly refute a word of it.  Kerry, who tried, simply made a fool of himself.  Click that link and watch it for yourself.  Yeah, he has been wrong before – TARP, for example.  But we all have erred and if we refuse to forgive sins when people’s actions change, we go nowhere as a country – or as individuals.

Finally, we have DeMint, who the AP is reporting on:

But unlike the fractious movement as a whole, DeMint is specific and focused on what change, exactly, he wants: passage — not just a vote — of a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Without it, he says, no consideration should be given to raising the nation’s borrowing limit. Even, he says, if the country runs out of money for paying all its bills after Aug. 2.

There it is.  The correct position, in my view, and exactly what those who originally began sending Tea Bags and otherwise raising hell have all been about since the beginning (myself included) – no more government “hot checks” and games.  No more “baseline” budgeting that would land you in prison anywhere except in Congress.  No more claims of “cuts” when they’re spending increases.  No more bailouts, which are simply more “hot check” games.  And no more providing services we are unwilling to fund with current tax revenues.

I’m sure I’ve missed a number of Senators and Reps in here and I can’t possibly cover them all individually – after all, there were other “NO” votes in The House.  Among them where Michele Bachmann and Connie Mack.  The full list of Republicans who voted against, all of whom can be presumed to be demanding an actual balanced budget, is:

Justin Amash (Mich.), Michele Bachmann (Minn.), Paul Broun (Ga.), Jason Chaffetz (Utah), Chip Cravaack (Minn.), Scott DeJarlais (Tenn.), Jeff Duncan (S.C.), Trey Gowdy (S.C.), Tom Graves (Ga.), Tim Huelskamp (Kan.), Timothy Johnson (Ill.), Jim Jordan (Ohio), Steve King (Iowa), Tom Latham (Iowa), Connie Mack (Fla.), Tom McClintock (Calif.), Mick Mulvaney (S.C.), Ron Paul (Texas), Tim Scott (S.C.), Steve Southerland (Fla.), Joe Walsh (Ill.), and Joe Wilson (S.C.).

While there are still plenty of liars in Congress, including people like Jeff Miller (R-FL-1) who claim to be a “fiscal conservative” yet voted for Boehner’s fraudulent claim of “cuts” it also appears we have a few people who claim to be “Tea Party” affiliated and/or fiscal conservatives who have found religion.

I don’t care where they found it or why.  Maybe they read all the Tickers I’ve been faxing to them the last couple of weeks; some have gotten a whole load of them.  Maybe they sat down with Excel, as I’ve challenged everyone in Congress to do for four years, and simply run the numbers.  Some of them recently got a targeted “care package” coordinated by myself, Steph’s FedUpUSA and Bill Still, addressed and sent by a cadre of Patriots on Tickerforum who all deserve a standing ovation for their efforts – and maybe those Congressfolk actually read and viewed the material.  Maybe they heard a voice in a “burning bush” or maybe they woke up in a cold sweat and realized that all the lies, obfuscation and games were running out and their political necks were headed for the guillotine known as the “Ballot Box” next year.

Whether their enlightenment came in a church, in a field, reading Tickers, watching videos and reading printed letters, waking in a cold sweat, praying on their own or with others in the House as it was said some of them were doing before the Boehner vote, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that it happened and that there is a small but growing group of Senators and Representatives who have had their “Come to Jesus” experience on what we must do as a nation.

If you’re a person of prayer, now is the time.  To stiffen these men and women’s backbones and enlarge their gonads.  Pray that a love of true freedom, fiscal reason and responsibility ring like brass church bells and their resolve not fail.  That the truth – the cold, hard mathematical truth that cannot be avoided and must be faced be explained to the American people head-on.  And that the very public and essential debate be held by and with the American people on exactly what services we are willing to pay for with taxes in the present tense, dollar-for-dollar, and that the Federal Government be cut back to exactly that size and not one federal employee or department beyond it.

Winston Churchill once said that “Americans will always do the right thing ….. after they have exhausted all of the alternatives.”

Well, we’ve exhausted all the alternatives.

It’s time.

Unreal.

I am sitting here watching Senator Coburn on the floor of the Senate speaking the truth that I brought up yesterday with the Boehner bill (and Reid’s too) – that they’re scams.

That there are no cuts.

The claim of “cuts” is a lie.

This path will lead to a credit downgrade and ultimately bankruptcy.

He’s not pulling his punches – at all.  And Kerry is trying to argue against fixing the problem and that “we need more time.”

Well, no, we don’t.  We’ve had four years since the crisis became emergent.  Both House and Senate have refused to deal with the issues.  The Senate hasn’t even passed a budget for the last two years!

Sorry Kerry, your side has had the gavel and yet your answer is simply to print up more hot checks and lard up the debt.  It’s a scam and a fraud.

(Click to Play Video)

I didn’t think I’d heard someone speak the truth in the Senate or House – that they were all liars.

Well, thus far – all but one.

Thank you Senator Coburn.

City Council Using Library As Means of Extortion

Over the past 18 months, the City of Troy has attempted to raise citizen’s property taxes with TWO elections and now plans a THIRD on August 2, 2011 for .7 mils – AN 11% TAX INCREASE.  We do not mind paying needed taxes, but oppose tax hikes when THE CITY ALREADY HAS THE MONEY TO KEEP THE LIBRARY OPEN! See the proof for yourself.  The City has $12.3 Million sitting in a ‘slush fund’ – which the council claims is for ‘pension shortfalls.’  PENSIONS?  Why should payment of their pensions come before saving the library?!  Do you, dear taxpayer, have a pension?  Why would you want to provide one for someone else with YOUR money?

The council failed with the first two millages so are now separating the millage requests into smaller amounts, which will add up to at least a 25% operating millage tax increase (another 1 mill is already being discussed for the November 2011 ballot).  All this electioneering has cost taxpayers over $500,000, almost 20% of the current annual library budget!!

Council claims there has been no viable ‘plan’ put forward, but indeed there has been.  Councilman Howrylak’s budget proposal showed that Troy can afford the library without new taxes, yet the majority of the remainder of the council refused to vote for his budget.  Instead they voted for cushy Early Retirement Packages for top employees costing a minimum of $1.3 million!

The truth of the matter is that Council keeps asking for increases in order to maintain the exorbitant salaries of many City employees, 20 of whom make over $128,000, and 13 of whom make over $180,000!   This doesn’t include the lifetime health benefits, pensions or other benefits!  Again, I ask, do YOU want to be paying for these salaries and benefits before you pay to keep the library open?  Well, this is precisely the decision that Troy City Council has made FOR YOU, unless you vote NO!

This is not a question of keeping the library open, it is a question of whether or not Troy citizens will allow the City government to continue to mismanage and misspend your money!  Tell them you will not be a victim of extortion – VOTE NO ON AUGUST 2!  If the library is closed, IT IS BECAUSE THE TROY CITY COUNCIL CHOSE TO DO SO.  Then it will be the voters’ responsibility to get rid of all of those who voted to do so in the next election.

The Bargaining Chip:

Has anyone else noticed that the level of stress in this country appears to be extremely high right now?  Today, it seems like our federal government, our state governments and most American families live in a constant state of crisis.  Everywhere you look there are major problems.  Right now everyone is stressed out because of the “debt ceiling deadline”.  Earlier this year everyone was freaked out about the possibility of a “government shutdown”.  If by some miracle Barack Obama and the Republicans are able to reach a deal in the next few days that will not help the national stress level for long.  Another gut-wrenching “national crisis” will almost certainly come along very quickly.  Meanwhile, average American families are feeling more stress than ever.  There are millions of ordinary Americans that either cannot find jobs or are working as hard as they can and yet cannot seem to pay their mortgages and provide the basics for their families.  We are a nation that is really stressed out right now, and as things continue to unravel the level of stress is only going to increase.

Compared to much of the rest of the world, we have an insanely high standard of living, and yet we appear to be some of the most unhappy people on the face of the earth.

Wherever you turn today, someone is popping a pill.  The percentage of women taking antidepressants in America is higher than in any other country in the world.  Children in the United States are three times more likely to be prescribed antidepressants than children in Europe are.

What in the world is wrong with us?

America is a country that desperately needs to chill out.

Washington D.C. sure is a stressful place right now.  Most of our politicians seem to be focused on the 2012 elections rather than on trying to solve our problems.

Most of our leaders are prancing around trying to make themselves look good.  Meanwhile, our national financial situation continues to go down the toilet.

One way or another this “debt ceiling crisis” will probably get solved.  Our politicians will come up with some sort of a “deal” and it will almost certainly be a bad one.

The sad truth is that the U.S. national debt problem should have been addressed decades ago.

But it wasn’t.

So now we are sitting on a 14 trillion dollar timebomb.

Yes, the ultra-wealthy have become absolute masters at avoiding taxation, but even if some way to tap
into their offshore wealth could be found, it still would only put a small dent in the problem.

The truth is that the U.S. government spends way too much money.

U.S. government spending is now above 25 percent of U.S. GDP.  That is way above what has been
normal during the post-World War II era.

But cutting government spending is not going to fix our system either.

The reality is that our debt-based financial system is designed to trap our federal government in a constantly expanding spiral of debt indefinitely.

As I have written about previously, the U.S. government debt problem will never be fixed as long as the Federal Reserve is running our financial system.

Under our current system, the debt is going to continue to grow no matter who we elect.

As our debt grows, our economy will suffer and the national stress level will continue to rise.

But for most American households, government debt is not the thing causing the most stress these days.

Most Americans are much more concerned about their own personal financial situations.

Most people just want to work hard, pay the bills and raise their families.  But that is becoming extremely difficult to do.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 90 percent of Americans believe that the economy is performing poorly.

The same poll found that 80 percent of Americans believe that it is “difficult” to find a job these days.

In the United States today, there are 14 million unemployed people.  Tonight there are huge numbers of Americans that are sitting at home desperately hoping that someone will give them a job.  A significant percentage of our population that should be productive is just sitting on the sidelines.  Just check out the following quote from a recent CNN article….

Has anyone in Washington noticed that 20% of American men are not working? That’s right. One out of five men in this country are collecting unemployment, in prison, on disability, operating in the underground economy, or getting by on the paychecks of wives or girlfriends or parents. The equivalent number in 1970, according to the McKinsey Global Institute, was 7%.

With numbers like that, how in the world can anyone claim that our economy is healthy?

Sadly, it looks like things may get even worse.  As I have written about previously, we are now starting to see another huge wave of layoffs all over the nation.

The employment crisis has a ripple effect throughout the rest of the economy as well.

Without good jobs, Americans cannot buy homes.  The housing crash is not going to be fixed until there the employment situation gets fixed.

With lending standards tighter than ever, it takes someone with a good income and a solid employment history to be able to qualify for a home loan.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of people like that in the marketplace right now.

So, the housing industry continues to suffer.

Last year was the worst year for new home sales in modern U.S. history.  So far, this year is even worse.

Ouch.

It would be really nice if we actually would have an economic recovery, but it just isn’t happening.

Prices are rising and incomes are not.  American families are feeling more squeezed than ever.

A lot of Americans live in a constant state of stress because of debt.

According to one new poll, about 20 percent of American adults worry about debt “most or all of the time”.

If you have ever been there, then you know how financial stress can rob sleep from you night after night after night.

Today, total credit card debt in the U.S. is more than 8 times larger than it was just 30 years ago.

Some Americans can handle credit cards, but a lot of them can’t.  A staggering 46 percent of Americans do not pay their credit card bills in full each month.

But credit card debt is only one form of debt that is causing stress for American families.  The truth is that the total amount of student loan debt is even greater than the total amount of credit card debt.  Medical debt is another huge problem.  The vast majority of American families are dealing with a debt
problem of one form or another.  The decades of “easy credit” that we enjoyed are really starting to catch up with us.

Today, the average American household is carrying $75,600 in debt.

That is not a good thing.  American consumers are tapped out and the economy is suffering.

As the economy crumbles, many hard working Americans are finding that their lives have radically changed.  Just check out the following excerpt from an article posted on a local Connecticut news source….

For 28 years, Cathy Hartley of Glastonbury brought home a good paycheck
from her job at Aetna.

But last Tuesday, she was in line with her two young granddaughters for free produce from Mobile Foodshare at the First Church of Christ Congregational on Main Street.

For Hartley, who said she was laid off from her job as a project manager about six years ago and then laid off from a subsequent job two years ago, every little bit helps. Her eligibility for unemployment ran out two months ago.

Could you imagine standing in line at a food bank?

Don’t laugh.

It just might happen to you.

Millions of Americans that have lost their jobs and their homes never thought that it would happen to them.

Wealth and possessions are here today and gone tomorrow.  People that base their lives on the things that they own are always going to have a high level of stress.  We didn’t bring any of these things into the world with us, and we can’t take any of them with us when we leave.

So try not to stress out too much.  We should all learn to be content whether we have a lot or whether we have a little.

The Economic Collapse