State of the Union

“Taxation without representation is tyranny”, James Otis 1725-1783. What would Mr. Otis say about taxation with misrepresentation? Mr. Otis and our forefathers sought to end the tyrannical control Britain had over the colonies through words, action and ultimately battle. It has been two hundred and thirty-three years since the United States won our freedom but now we are faced with another form of tyranny from within.

“Tyrannical” by definition is unjust severity or arbitrary behavior. If you don’t believe our government is acting in an oppressive manner (tyrannical) towards its citizens, I will provide examples.
• As of the moment I am writing this (8/2/09) our National DEBT is $11,592,933,342,717.49. That’s $11 TRILLION or $37,803.50 for every woman, man, child who is a citizen. What would happen to your household if you were $37 thousand in debt?
• Welfare expenses for 2009 will be approximately $600 billion for 5 million recipients. That’s an average of $120,000 EACH! I Googled the information so it may not be the exact figures but still… how much money do you WORK for to run your household?
• The INTEREST alone on the national debt is the THIRD largest expense on the Federal budget!
• In 2011 the itemized tax option is set to expire and a tax increase in capital gains. So much for the entrepreneurial spirit that our country was based upon…
• Lobbyists in Washington are quite often made up of former politicians who make up for their government salaries in the private sector by socializing with current politicians. Talk about insider information! Or collusion might be a better term!
• According to a Facebook poll asking if you are in favor of government healthcare, 76% voted NO out of nearly 250,000 votes yet our ‘representatives’ insist on continuing as if the public opinion does not matter!
• The head of the US Treasury CHEATED on his taxes. At first he didn’t pay because it was past the statute of limitations requiring him to do so. He only paid when it became apparent that he may not be selected for his new post. The fox is in the henhouse now.

I could go on and on with examples but I think you get the idea. Our elected officials have lost touch with the basic principals our country was founded on. The “New Deal” has turned into the “New Steal”. I work hard to pay off my debts but this is NOT my debt! Is this your debt? It is time for a balanced budget and to return the integrity to our nation in the eyes of the economic world.

Solutions? The Fairtax plan is a brilliant and creative way to end the inequities in the collection of taxes and needs to be implemented. Our representatives need to run this country like a successful business. Charismatic politicians win elections because it is a popularity contest. Occasionally a successful business person does get elected but a few among many of career politicians is like spitting into the wind. Our hope is to continue to voice our opinions on every forum we can. A grass roots effort to show citizens thoughts on what is happening on the island of Washington DC. Silence is tacit approval for unjust actions.

To end with a quote from Thomas Jefferson and a few questions for you to ponder, “A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government”. I ask you, is our government wise and frugal? Are they taking the bread from labor? Do we have good government?

Carpe diem

Steve