"Opportunity Conservatism"

Ted Cruz, senator-elect from Texas, is helping to set the stage for 2016. “Why did we lose? It wasn’t as the media would tell you: because the American people embraced big government, Barack Obama’s spending and debt and taxes. … That wasn’t what happened. I’m going to suggest to you a very simple reason why we lost the election: We didn’t win the argument,” Cruz said before pointedly lowering his voice. “We didn’t even make the argument.”  Read more

Election

This is one of the most coherent explanation of the recent Republican failure to secure the 2012 election that I've read. The entire column by Thomas Sowell is a must read. Here is a quote from the column:

"One of the secrets of Barack Obama's success is his ability to say things that will sound both plausible and inspiring to uninformed people, even when they sound ridiculous to people who know the facts.  Apparently he believes the former outnumber the latter, and the election results suggest that he may be right."

Romney believes he lost because Obama gave "gifts" to Hispanic and minority voters. Not sure whether Romney mentioned it or not, but Obama also promised women that he would take care of them from cradle to grave. 

Louisiana's Governor Bobby Jindal countered by asking Republicans to "stop being the stupid party" .

All of the above are correct and if this were merely a political debate that could be won by the best argument, then we could wait it out until the next election cycle. Yet I fear that we have turned a page in our history, a disastrous period of time is ahead of us and we have no one to lead us through it.

We need men and women of great moral integrity, dedicated to the principles set forth in our Constitution, and a belief in Almighty God to prepare themselves during these dark years. This will be a battle for the soul of America. Instead of Camelot our country has embraced Sodom and Gohmorra.

General Petreus Scandal

Gen. Petreus resigned from CIA due to sex scandal. Attorney General Holder supposedly knew about this affair in the summer. Broadwell, his paramour, seems to have been revealing secret information. Did this affair contribute to bad decisions regarding Benghazi?

Keep the Checks Coming Until I'm Dead

This certainly isn't the America I grew up in. In my youth I was inspired by JFK's inaugural challenge, "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country." An assassin's bullet killed more than a man, he killed our dream and now I believe he killed our American spirit.

Camelot was replaced by Johnson's "Great Society" policies that introduced entitlements that weren't earned by recipients, but came from taxing working Americans. Clinton and his Congress reduced welfare by requiring able bodied people to work for it, but Obama used entitlements to bribe his way into a second term.

I'm not opposed to Social Security or minimal tax exemptions, but unearned entitlements are out of control.

After a Disaster

Watching aftermath stories of hurricane Sandy on TV this morning. We need to be more prepared for disasters - hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, earthquakes, etc.

My conclusion:

• Be personally and locally prepared first - where to go, what to do in those first 72 hours; 
• Develop a mutual assistance network of friends and family within and outside your immediate area; 
• Keep insurance contact list and copies of contracts online, in the cloud, or in a safe place outside your immediate area;
• Know where and what groups in your specific city, county, and state to contact for assistance; 
• Lastly, know what federal programs are available (may take six months to three years).

Nothing sadder than watching an older person pleading, "Don't leave us - we're going to die!" 

Bringing the National Debt into Focus

Say your annual salary is $50,000 and you owe six times that amount in debt ($50,000 x 6 = $300,000)

You spend all of your annual salary ($50,000) to pay for interest on your debt, taxes, food, clothing, rent, utilities, car lease, gas, insurance, school loans, and the rest goes towards entertainment and miscellaneous expenses. There is no money remaining at the end of each year to pay down your debt, buy a house, or to put into savings.

You will get a 1.5% cost of living increase next year, but you want to remodel your kitchen and take a trip to Maui, so you decide to borrow $15,000 more, increasing your debt by 5%. Since you only earn enough to make interest payments on your loan and nothing on the principal, next year you will have to pay interest on $315,000 of debt.

The following year you will have the first of four children starting college.

How long do you think you can keep this up?

Higher Taxes Next Year

Higher taxes next year for 163 million American workers no matter who gets elected:

• SS payroll tax holiday due to expire, rates for individual workers will return to 6.2% up from 4.2% the last two years. US borrowed $103 billion in 2011 and $112 billion in 2012 to make up SS Trust Fund shortage, which added to the national debt. Dems think the average American realizes the payroll holiday was just a temporary fix - we shall see.

• Bush income tax cuts are also due to expire at the end of this year. As it is on paper, this will affect the working poor and middle class the most.

• Obama also wants to jack up taxes on investments and capital gains as well. Greatest impact will be on pension funds and those counting on dividends, interest, and capital gains for support or to enhance their SS income. Those earning $250,000 or more will lose most of their personal discretionary funds that support workers dependent upon them.

Sharia Law, Vampires, and Zombies - things I've been reading about this week

I read a report this past week that Gen-Xers and Millennials attend church even less than previous generations. Many consider themselves post-religious to the point of secularizing charitable aspects of religion, but removing personal responsibility or accountability. For example, it's government's role to care for the poor, the environment, healthcare, and similar social issues, not theirs. 

Many resent the imposition of God into popular culture, because they are trying very hard to live as though final judgement will never come. So keep religion, especially Christianity, to yourself, thank you very much. More Eros less Caritas, please.

Another article mentioned that as Gen-X and Yers separate the soul from the body and mind, they have embraced soulless vampires and dead zombies along with their new humanism. Follow the link above, the entire article is an interesting read and I wouldn't do justice to paraphrasing it.

My apprehension is that this is setting the stage for another religion or movement to stir the heart and fill the void. Christianity in Europe had dried up after WWII, replaced by secular Humanism. Churches were attended by mostly old ladies and very few men or young people.

Gradually Great Britain, France, and other European countries with their lower birthrate have begun to realize that immigrants from the Middle East were expanding their populations and questioning Western laws and traditions. Anyone who holds up Islam to the same scrutiny or ridicule as they do other religions faces personal attack if not death. 

For some reason unknown to me, US media, politicians, and intelligentsia seem to be playing into the hands of Islamic extremists. Christianity is ridiculed and Islam is feared. That seems to be where we stand right now. Sharia law is based on the Qur'an and the teaching of Muhammad and is an all encompassing code of behavior by which a true Muslim lives. 

There is much in Sharia law that is in direct conflict with US Constitutional law. It may seem a ridiculous leap from vampires and zombies to Sharia law, but our religious faith is the foundation of our laws. The US Constitution grew out of our religious liberties and Sharia law grew out of Islamic traditions and writings. This will be an ongoing conflict and I fear that entire generations of young Americans do not at this time have the heart or conviction to prevail.

Biden - Fact or Fiction

Tax increases - Biden said increases would only affect those earning one million dollars and more, but Obama's latest promise is no income tax increase in 2013 only for the households earning $250,000 or less

Cause of recession - he blames Republicans for putting wars in Iran and Afghanistan on credit card, but he actually voted for both wars

Auto bailout - Biden panned Romney for recommending private bankruptcy for auto industry - Chrysler and GM did go through a structured bankruptcy as Romney suggested, Ford turned down bail out and recovered on its own

Said Catholic church won't have to pay for abortions and contraception - Catholic institutions and groups serving non-Catholics will have to pay insurance policies covering both or be fined for lack of compliance with Obamacare

Biden came up with a new narrative on the Benghazi attack, saying the State department didn't inform the White House about security risks; but Hillary was supporting Administration's scenario that all was under control in Libya and turned down Benghazi Consulate request for more security

He blamed Benghazi's lack of security on Republican cutbacks in funding - actually funding was increased by $5,000,000 more than requested by the State Department for diplomatic security

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Lately I've been having a difficult time with my aging mother, who has NPD, and located resources online to help me deal with my issues. NPD is not a mental illness, it is a personality disorder, and may range from mild to dominant.

Some famous people, who have done great things, may have had this disorder. Steve Jobs, along with his "reality distortion field" may be one of the more successful public examples. People with NPD rarely seek psychological counseling - why mess with perfection? Right?

Earliest part of my childhood was spent with sitters, which probably was a good thing. I developed a healthy sense of self before my mother got a hold of me. My years with "Mommie Dearest" was pretty much a nightmare, interspersed with memory loss.

I copied just a few snippets in case the website goes away, as sometimes happens on the Internet. This site is a very information rich website, if interested in more details follow the link below:

See - http://bandbacktogether.com/adult-children-of-Narcissistic-parents-resources/

The symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder include the following:

• A grandiose sense of self-importance (may be shown as an exaggeration of abilities and talents, expectation that he or she will be seen as superior to all others).

• Is obsessed with him - or herself.

• Goals are almost always selfish and self-motivated.

• Has troubles with healthy, normal relationships.

• Becomes furious if criticized.

• Has fantasies of unbound success, power, intelligence, love, and beauty.

• Believes that he or she is unique and special, and therefore should only hang out with other special, high-status people.

• Requires extreme admiration for everything.

• Feels entitled - has unreasonable expectations of special treatment.

• Takes advantage of others to further his or her own needs.

• Has zero empathy - cannot (or will not) recognize the feelings of others.

• May be envious of others or believe that others are envious of him or her.

• Behaves arrogantly, haughtily.

How Do Narcissistic Parents Abuse Their Children?

Narcissistic Parents have many subtle - and some not-so-subtle- ways in which they abuse their children. These types of abuse include the following:

• Compulsively lying to children
• Ignores and/or overwhelms the children
• Neglects needs of the child
• Makes child feel as though he/she does not matter
• Puts parental needs far above those of the children
• Mold children to an "ideal" image
• Promotes and fosters a dependent relationship between parent and child
• Distorts the concept of "love"
• Manipulation for pleasure
• Says one thing one day, something else the next
• Untrustworthy
• Uses the child's vulnerabilities to exploit the child
• Subtly and not-subtly insults children
• Ignores personal boundaries 
• Treats others as objects, not people
• Makes child feel as though he or she is insane

Do I Stay In Contact With My Narcissistic Parent?

Separating yourself from the sort of codependency that's common from Narcissistic Parents may seem daunting. Sure, they were emotionally (or physically)(or both) abusive, but your Narcissistic Parent is STILL your parent.

As an Adult Child of a Narcissistic Parent, you have two options:

1) Total Estrangement - no contact, nothing, with your Narcissistic Parent.

2) Measured Contact - contact, but limited interaction with Narcissistic Parent.

If you choose to keep measured contact with your Narcissistic Parent, be very sure to follow some strict, clear guidelines:

• Create very clear boundaries. Don't reward your parent for crossing them. Be clear, but firm. If they show up unannounced, explain nicely that you are too busy to visit with them.
• Shield your own children from their Narcissistic Grandparent. They do not need to be exposed to their toxic behaviors.
• Rather than explain that you do not want to hear their advice, echo and mirror whatever the Narcissistic Parent says. Do whatever you'd planned to do anyway.
• Go through a third party as your Narcissistic Parent ages - do not allow them to rely upon you and you alone as they need care.
• Provide information on a "need to know" basis only. Just because your Narcissistic Parent tells you everything doesn't mean you must reciprocate.

Our New Utopia

Are we prepared for four more years of incompetence and dishonesty from our federal government? The media seems to be buying into this environment, but for what reason? 

Perhaps I'm cynical, but restructuring of society and redistribution of wealth is not going to save the middle classes or help the poor. The rich will survive. They may have to change their allegiances to the new power structure or take their money and run. Liberal entertainment, media, union leaders, and sports stars are safe. 

The poorest of the poor will be euthanized or allowed to die off. Health care will be doled out once the new structure is in place. Working classes and lower middle class will be the new poor and will be sustained as long as they perform menial tasks. The rest of the middle classes will experience a significant drop in their standard of living, functioning as lower bureaucrats, but rarely rising out of the masses.

We've had almost fifty years of dumbing down our educational system, reducing the influences of our most sacred institutions, and redefining our liberties. The Soviets said they would conquer from within, perhaps it just took them a bit longer. Heaven help us.

Recent 9-11 Deaths

According to Jay Carney and all the news outlets, an anti-Muslim movie trailer is the cause of the 9-11 American consulate deaths in Libya and escalating riots around the world despite the fact that quite a number of protesters were armed with machine guns and rocket grenade launchers.

This conclusion is ludicrous. This trailer was first released in July on YouTube, but Muslims waited until 9-11 to get upset enough to burn consulates and kill people?

Instead of asking hard questions the news media and White House spokes people are focusing on Romney's comments after Obama apologized for upsetting the religious sensitivities of Muslims. My religious sensitivities are insulted on a daily basis by films, TV, and the Internet, but I'm told that I have to accept it. It's one of the consequences of living in a free society, although I have a lot to say about courteous speech some other time.

I didn't know that Romney is responsible for our foreign policy? I thought President Obama was, but if that were true then the news media would have to be drilling him for answers.

Healthcare vouchers?

During the DNC Obama attacked Ryan's plan to give Seniors the option to select a voucher plan for healthcare. Conventioneers acted horrified, but at the very same time in Washington, Obama's Health and Human Services Department was launching a pilot program to shift two million poor seniors out of Medicare into private health insurance plans overseen by states.

Eighteen states have applied to participate in this program and Massachusetts has already been approved. States will be given federal funds to purchase managed-care plans for people who are either disabled or poor enough to qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. 

Ryan's plan is very similar to this and I'm very happy to see the federal government trying something new. Ryan's plan gives all future retirees currently under the age of 55 the choice to remain on Medicare or use a voucher to purchase private healthcare.

Right now Health and Human Services isn't giving those two million poor people any choice. I hope they will get better care than I'm receiving under Medicare. I'm going on three weeks now without a diagnosis or treatment for a blown out knee. 

Either Obama was playing to his audience during the convention or he doesn't know what's going on in his own administration. 

Welfare State

We have a welfare state, whether it's Reagan's 18% percent of GDP or Obama's 28% and climbing percentage of GDP.

Republicans want to protect the safety net by balancing the budget so that 2008 doesn't happen again, reduce taxes, reduce tax loopholes, and rethink business and industry regulations.

Democrats want to protect the safety net by increasing taxes on anyone earning more than $250,000 a year, tax fossil fuels out of existence, and borrow almost a trillion dollars a year more to pay for health care, infrastructure, and green energy.

If Democrats win back Congress and the Presidency, will anyone want to start a new business or hire new workers unless it's subsidized by the government?

We need at least a decade of fiscal conservatives to be elected and we voters need to hold them to a pledge of balancing the budget, cutting taxes, reducing loopholes, and preserving the safely nets of Social Security and Medicare. Duplication in government offices and services need to be identified, reduced by attrition, and then merged or eliminated.

We need to finish up these foreign wars, use returning troops to protect our borders and shores, pare down troops to peacetime numbers, and begin replacing outdated ships, planes, and equipment.

Empty Promises

Thursday night Obama made more empty promises. He's going to rebuild America by using money saved by ending war, the so called “Peace Dividend”.

NEWSFLASH – there is no pot of gold sitting around that was used to pay for Iraq and Afghanistan! We borrowed most of that money. Now we have to pay it back, or in the very least, pay back interest on those loans.

We are Broke! We are in Debt up to our great, great, great, great grandchildren's necks! What's it going to take to make politicians and regular folks understand that?

Open your frigging eyes people. Empty promises, cheering crowds, and slick speeches are not getting us anywhere.

We need to let loose the creative juices of this country to expand our economy with the most minimal restrictions possible. Government needs to step back a bit, release its death grip, and let this growth occur.

Homemade Mayonnaise

So tired of muckraking politics that I'm going to concentrate on more mundane matters. I made my first successful batch of homemade mayo! Recipe is thanks to Melissa Joulwan.

I used a mini food processor with two venting holes on either side of the top handle. This allowed me to slowly add olive oil drop by drop at first, then very slowly increasing to a thin stream using a half teaspoon at a time. The whole mixing process took about ten minutes. I may have gone slower than necessary, but I was determined to be successful!

Mayonnaise is technically a colloidal dispersion - remember your high school chem class - and adding the oil too quickly will prevent the ingredients from mixing properly. I also allowed the egg, lemon juice, and mustard to sit in the food processor until room temperature (about one hour).

I'm always apprehensive about using a raw egg, but the heat of the mini processor and the freshness of the egg probably offset any problems. I tasted the mayonnaise at the end and no bad reactions, so all good.  Used mild, inexpensive grocery store olive oil instead of the stronger flavored expensive stuff. Also used dijon mustard, since I was out of the ground mustard. Then end result was a thing of beauty!

Homemade Mayonnaise recipe from Melissa Joulwan's blog The Clothes Make the Girl
Ingredients:
1 egg
2 tablespoons lemon juice @ room temp
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Place the egg and lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Let them come to room temperature together, about 30-60 minutes. Add the dry mustard, salt, and  1/4 cup of the oil. Whirl until well mixed – about 20 to 30 seconds.

THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART!
2. The only remaining job is to incorporate the remaining 1 cup oil into the mixture. To do this, you must pour very slowly… the skinniest drizzle you can manage and still have movement in the oil. This takes about three minutes or so. Think about three minutes during a WOD; it’s a fairly long time. Breathe. Relax. Drizzle slowly.

If you’re using a blender, you’ll hear the pitch change as the liquid starts to form the emulsion. Eventually, the substance inside the blender will start to look like regular mayonnaise, only far more beautiful. Do not lose your nerve and consider dumping! Continue to drizzle.

If your ingredients were all at room temperature and you were patient, you will be rewarded!

Are Taxes Making the Average American Poorer?

Resident of North Dakota was quoted saying -

“I would like to be able to know that my home, no matter what happens to my income or my life, is not going to be taken away from me because I can’t pay a tax,” said Susan Beehler, one in a group of North Dakotans who have pressed for an amendment to the state’s Constitution to end the property tax.


“When,” Ms. Beehler asked, “did we come to believe that government should get rich and we should get poor?”


“The same problem kept coming up,” said Charlene Nelson, a homemaker who became a leader of the effort to amend the (North Dakota) Constitution, pointing to what she deems the underlying problem with the property tax. “It means all of us are renters — none of us are homeowners.”


“No tax should have the power to leave you homeless,” said Jim Cox, a state representative in Pennsylvania.

Everyone will have to pay

Government needs to take a moratorium on new spending, cut everything across the board 10%, reduce military, cost of government, and social programs an additional 10%, and raise taxes on everyone by eliminating all loopholes except property taxes and interest, medical costs, and charitable contributions. I know this won't be done, because we keep electing people for all the wrong reasons. 

A Sad Goodbye

A former staff member of mine committed suicide last week. He was 50 years old and as long as I had known him was in constant pain. Doctors never could find a cause and he did not respond to psychotherapy. I often wonder how many lives are lost or wasted in search of emotional or physical perfection.

As we age we all experience aches and pains as our bodies begin to wear out and relationships disappoint. I often reflect on the philosophy of a friend's grandmother - that's just nature's way of having us let go of this world and preparing for the next, so find joy in the little things of every day.

Tax Facts Everyone Should Know

US population - 325 million
US tax filers - approximately 138 million filed, but only 45% of those filers paid any federal income tax

The number of tax payers declined 59% from 2000 to 2008, even though the number of tax filers increased by 10%. The reason for this is less about the amount of income and more about the amount of deductions and credits.

Biggest deductions:
 1. Credit and deductions for homeowners,
 2. Earned Income Tax Credit
 3. Tax deferrals for retirement plans
 4. Lower taxes for non-wage income (capital gains)
 5. Employee benefits (tax free health care)
 6. Other popular credits and deductions - credits for college, child care, job related expenses.

Only 20% of income reported by millionaires come from wages that are taxed at 35%, but income from long term capital gains are capped at 15%. It is important to note that long term capital gains is 0% for taxpayers in the 10% and 15% tax bracket. This was news to me.

Why not lower the income tax rate for the wealthiest to 25% and increase their capital gains cap to 25%? Since 80% of their income is from capital gains, it would raise more revenue. Right?

Fair Taxes?

Read about Dems pushing for "fairness" in tax rate. That's Robin Hood speak for, "Steal from the rich to pay for even more lame brain gov't spending." Is it a "secret" that families earning between $50,000 to $100,000 a year average less than 9% in actual taxes paid or is this politicians and media being deliberately obtuse? Without itemized deductions of mortgage interest and taxes, charitable contribution, etc., we probably would pay our full 15% tax rate, but the reality is - we don't. My fear is that if the Dems succeed in taking an additional 25% or so from the rich to pay for an even bigger government (you do realize none of this extra revenue will go toward paying off our debts), then the middle class is next.

Wild Child

My mother was quite the wild child in her youth. She always said that she wanted to live a hard, fast life and die by thirty-five. We were stationed in Germany when her thirty-fifth birthday arrived and we were due to rotate back to the States. She asked my Dad to extend his tour of duty one more year, so she could postpone flying across the Atlantic until she was thirty-six. Why risk tempting fate? She's now eighty-eight years old.

Ignore the debt - full steam ahead

The general consensus is that it is okay to run up a national debt in excess of our GDP. The figures are so large that it is just funny money to the average person. It's not funny money to the Greeks or other European countries that can no longer pay even the interest on their national debts - that's why they are rioting in the streets.

At the rate we're going, adding a trillion dollars of debt every three to six months, we should default on our interest payment within the next presidential term. Whoever is elected president this year will probably preside over the greatest economic disaster we have ever faced in our history.

Perhaps that is the intention of this current administration - social change through economic disaster.

Check out this website, National debt charts.

• 1900 - debt was 10% of our GDP
• WWI - 30% of GDP
• Great Depression - 40%
• WWII - 120% of GDP
• 1974 - dropped down to 32%
• 1990s - national debt doubled to 66%
• 2001 - down to 56%
• 2008 - up to 70%
• 2011 - 102% of our GDP

We were able to out grow our National Debt after WWII with the greatest increase of productivity and nation building that the world has ever seen. We saw a tremendous building of our infrastructure, but also a tremendous growth in private industry and manufacturing. Taxes were high, but profits even more so.

Can this be duplicated? Perhaps, if we had a leadership in both Congress and the White House that reduced unnecessary regulations, encouraged the development of all energy resources including fossil fuels, and provided incentives for businesses to bring profits back to the US.

I hate being so negative, but I don't see either major party putting the interests of the country over their own. 

Twinsburg School District Asking for New Levy

My local school district has been conducting forums to explore public reactions to a new school levy of either 4.9 or 6.9 mills. Summit County has reduced property values during this recession period by more than 10%, so this impacts a bit on how much revenue is collected by schools and local governments.

Personally, my taxable property value was reduced by $7,620, decreasing my my annual property taxes by $234. Small potatoes overall, but multiply this by all property owners in my school district and it is significant. If schools ask for a 4.9 mill levy, they will collect about $281 a year from me or about $47 more than I paid in 2010. The 6.9 mill proposal will increase my taxes next year by $396 or $162 a year more than I paid in 2010.

Bottom line: the 4.9 mills proposal will not raise enough revenue for the schools unless drastic and permanent cuts are made and there is still no guarantee that they won't come back for another increase in two or three years. I would support the 6.9 mills proposal if the school district would do the following:
 1. make modest and permanent budget cuts this year,
 2. do not go for any loans this year in anticipation of future revenues,
 3. promise not to ask voters for any additional levy or bond issues over the next five years.

Using Public Lands to Develop Clean Energy?

More from President Obama's State of the Union:

"I’m directing my administration to allow the development of clean energy on enough public land to power 3 million homes.  And I’m proud to announce that the Department of Defense, working with us, the world’s largest consumer of energy, will make one of the largest commitments to clean energy in history -– with the Navy purchasing enough capacity to power a quarter of a million homes a year."

The Federal Government owns nearly 650 million acres of land - that means almost one third of all the land area of the United States qualifies as "public land". Public lands include National Parks, National Forests, and National Wildlife Refuges. 

So what kind of development are we talking about - thermal, wind, natural gas? Every state has some public lands, but most of the acreage is out West, so I'm guessing that's where the focus will be. 

State of the Union - the morning after

I watched the State the Union address last night and spent three hour this morning studying the enhanced version on YouTube. The enhanced version had President Obama on the left side of the screen and the slide presentation on the right. I'm sure the slides were meant to clarify his talking points, but they also called attention to details that merit further examination. For example, Obama believes that eliminating the Bush tax cuts is fair. The slide that accompanied his address shows that someone earning $40,000 to $50,000 would pay $909 more in taxes and someone earning $1,000,000 a year would pay $103,835. The reality of this example is that the lower middle class family would actually pay 20% more in taxes once the Bush tax is repealed, but the millionaire would only pay 10% more! Granted the rich millionaire would pay more in actual money, but the 20% increase in taxes would hurt the salaried working stiff a lot more. Washington would get a heck of a lot more tax revenue to pay for new spending programs and the working poor would continue their downward economic spiral. I have to ask, where is the fairness in this?

Fair tax?

I'm not opposed to everyone paying the same tax rate, possibly 20%, with the following exception: the first $25,000 of personal income and capital gains should be tax free. This would help low income workers, the young, and seniors on fixed income. Even workers earning up to $100,000 would see a slight benefit.

WiFi Access to TV Shows

Through my Apple TV device I have access to movies and TV shows available on Netflix and iTunes. I subscribe to Netflix online and rent individual titles from iTunes, so I know that accessing entertainment online is not impossible. I am also able to view current TV shows via DishNetwork online the day after they are broadcast on satellite TV. So when are we going to be able to watch shows in real time on our computers, tablets, or smart phones? Or when are we going to be able to purchase services from any provider online, whether they're our local satellite provider or not?

Financial Mess

Just heard Chris, Democratic apologist, on TV say that once the Bush tax cuts go away the national debt will start receding. I had to make note of that somewhere, so I wouldn't forget it. I can't believe that anyone seriously believes that higher taxes alone will bring a reduction of our national debt, so it is okay to borrow another trillion dollars. The only problem is that in three months we will need to borrow another trillion. At this rate in another five years the interest alone on our national debt will equal our GDP.