In quick succession Tuesday night, the jittery inhabitants of Washington’s marble halls found three more reasons to worry about their staying power. Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, the Senate’s patron saint of resilience, was turned out in a Democratic primary in favor of an unwanted rival, Representative Joe Sestak, who had neither major union support nor White House support. In Arkansas, Senator Blanche Lincoln, a model of southern Democratic moderation, was forced into a primary runoff by a self-styled outsider, Bill Halter, challenging from her left. And in Kentucky, the Washington establishment’s chosen Republican Senate candidate, Trey Grayson, fell to the son of a libertarian outlier who carried the flag of another party. “I have a message, a message from the Tea Party, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words: We’ve come to take our government back,” declared Rand Paul, son of Representative and former presidential candidate Ron Paul, upon winning by a double-digit margin. Source

With much sarcasm,
Shane

I agree that our health care system is most certainly broken, but I don’t think that more government involvement is the answer.  The answer is to make the costs more affordable.  Let the providers compete with one another for our business, which would drive the cost down.

Hopefully states will take a stand and nullify the bill.  There’s also still a slight chance that the Republicans in the Senate can derail the bill, and here’s to that happening.  But even if it doesn’t, hopefully when November comes, we can show those that voted ‘yes’ how we really feel, and make sure that they don’t have the opportunity to screw America again.

When it comes to paying for a health care overhaul, Americans see just one way to go: Tax the rich.

The House bill would impose a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge on individuals making more than $500,000 a year and households making more than $1 million. Source

Maybe I’m in the minority here, and in no way do I fall in this category, or ever will, of earnings, but I just don’t get why everyone thinks the rich should pay for things like this.  I hate knowing that the taxes that I already pay are going to be distributed to some people that are just too sorry to get out and make better for themselves.  Too set in their way of free handouts to ever want to make something out of their lives.  I understand that we need social services.  There are people that are born disabled, become disabled, or what have you.  They do indeed need help with the cost of living.  This is something that cannot be avoided.  But there is too much fraud, too much neglect in the systems that we already have, to expand them and make the rich carry the price tag for such.  Where does this take the motivation to become successful and rich in America?

Sometimes I see a bumper sticker that reads, “Save America, Re-Elect No One In 2010.”  This makes me smile at the fact that someone understands the problem.  The problem in our government is the incumbents, both Republicans and Democrats.  There is only a very small handful of incumbents that I’d actually like to see re-elected in 2010.  And Pelosi, Reid, and Frank are at the very back of the line of me ever wanting to see re-elected into our government.

So here’s my hoping to God that the results of yesterday’s elections was just the beginning of what we need to see happen in 2010.

Met In The Stairwell

You say you will never forget where you were
when you heard the news, Sept. 11, 2001.
Neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled
room with a man who called his wife to say
“Good-Bye”. I held his fingers steady as he
dialed. I gave him the peace to say,
“Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is
OK. I am ready to go.” I was with his wife
when he called as she fed breakfast to their
children. I held her up as she tried to
understand his words and as she realized he
wasn’t coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when
a woman cried out to me for help. “I have
been knocking on the door of your heart for
50 years! I said “Of course I will show you
the way home. Only believe on me now!

I was at the base of the building with the
Priest ministering to the injured and
devastating souls. I took him home to tend to
his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and
answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every
seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew
as they were overtaken. I was in the very
hearts of the believers there. Comforting
and assuring them that their Faith has saved
them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was
standing next to you when you heard the
terrible news. Did you sense Me? I want you
to know that I saw every face. I knew every
name, though they did not all know Me. Some
met me for the first time on the 100th floor.
Some sought me out in their last breath.
Some couldn’t hear me calling to them through
the smoke and flames. “Come to Me… this
way….take my hand.

Some chose, for the final time to ignore Me.
But, I was there.

Most of you were not in the Twin Towers that
day. However, if you were there in that
explosive moment in time, would you have
reached for me?

September 11, 2001 was not the end of the
journey for you. But someday your
journey will end. And I will be there for
you as well. Seek Me now while I may be
found. Then, at any moment, you know you
are “ready to go”.

—Stacey Randall

Tomorrow will be the 8th anniversary of the day our nation’s people stood side by side, ignoring any differences with one another, as Americans.  It’s sad that the unity that we shared that day is now long gone as we all fell back into our normal routines of our daily lives.  Today, we are divided on issues such as health care, ongoing wars, etc., all while trying to bear with the stress that the broken economy is weighing on each of us, but may the anniversary of the tragic 9/11 serve as a reminder that it is possible for us to ignore our differences and stand united.

Georgia is sitting at a 9.7% unemployment rate as of May 2009, and my county, Whitfield County, had a rate of 12.4% for May.  Not as bad as some of course, but that’s nothing at all to be happy or proud of.  My county’s major industry was carpet, so when the housing bubble popped, so did things here.  I won’t even bring up budget deficits.

Leave it to Google to come up with an attractive way to view and compare Labor Statistics down to even the county level of the states.  It’s worth checking out if you’re curious where your state or county stands.  Personally I never hear about unemployment rates down to the county level much, so that’s an easy way to compare it to the state and even nationally.

As far as job security for myself, I really don’t know.  I work at a local government place, and everyone is unsure at the moment of every one’s fate here.  I’m sure I’ll blog about it later on how things turn out.  In the meantime, I’ll continue to try my best to work out a Plan B, because with everything, you should always have a fall back plan.

When will things improve?  Who knows.  But honestly I don’t have much faith in our current elected officials after seeing all of this massive spending and next to no improvement.  Perhaps I’m just bitter about the Cap and Trade Bill passing the House last week, or the talk of breaking the campaign promise of not increasing taxes on the Middle Class.

She told me that her sister took her to look at the Toyota’s to see if she could find one she liked.  I immediately sort of cringed because I’m not impressed at all with the foreign automakers.  I’ve ridden/drove in Toyota’s, Kia’s, Honda’s, etc. and have yet to see or feel what all the critics rave about.  Perhaps I’m just biased?  I would love to see her consider the new Chevrolet Malibu.  The car looks great, nice gas mileage, and if I’m not mistaken is the top car in it’s class.  The American automakers have really stepped up their game.

But why buy American?  I’ve seen numerous times where people quickly say that because GM and Chrysler took bailouts or loans, that people should avoid buying their products.  That makes absolutely no sense.  Why turn your back on a company you just loaned billions of dollars to?  The American Taxpayer now has a vested interest in seeing these companies restructure, survive and once again become profitable.

My Grandma isn’t one of the easiest people in the world to satisfy.  For that reason, if she does buy a new car, it’s her sole decision on what make/model to get.  Since she isn’t completely up with what all is out nowadays, I will make a few suggestions on some of the mid size cars that are out now and take her to look at any that appeal to her.  Regardless of whatever she decides on, she’ll be able to trust it and not worry about taking it away from home since it’ll be much newer than her current car.

Today Rick Wagoner (CEO of GM) was asked to step down, a man that worked his way from the bottom to the top, working for $1/yr salary, and obviously wanting to see General Motors succeed.  He sat in front of Congress for hours getting grilled when he could have easily stepped down.  That is a man that wasn’t there just for the pay, but one that wanted to see a turnaround in his company to become a viable company once again.  While the CEOs of Citi, and others, are still being paid their handsome salaries and are no where near being profitable businesses.  This doesn’t set well with me.

I for one would like to see this — if Rick Wagoner needed to step down in order for his company to receive any additional taxpayer loans, then I would like to see the administration hold the banking companies to the same standard and have them follow the same strict path as General Motors and submit viability plans and replace their CEOs in order to receive any additional loans.

It’s like one site I read today said:

You’re telling one kid don’t play with fire while the other kid is being given a pack of matches. There should be some consistency.