Big scary words

For centuries there have been fables and common sense wisdom warning us to be weary of things that sound too good to be true or too awful to be true. Yet today it seems we just can't see the wolf in sheep's clothing. For the benefit of society I present buzzwords that notify you to stop paying attention.

Big government. When someone uses the term "Big Government," what they are really saying is "I like collecting a handy government paycheck, but really hate having to think or answer to my constituents." If any Senator, Congressman, or other elected official really was against big government their first and only accomplishment in office would be eliminating their own job and others. They're not doing it.

"It's too long & complicated": We've heard this a lot lately regarding health-care reform legislation. Also, people say the same about our tax code. "It's too complicated for people to understand." "I couldn't read the whole thing." First of all, if your representative says they couldn't read a piece of legislation because it was too long, fire him (or her). Seriously, that is what they are paid for. If you didn't do your job, you'd get fired. That's a representative's job.

The national debt is $100,000 per person: Guess what, you're not going to get a bill in the mail for $100,000, so why look at national debt that way. Anyone who says this is just trying to scare you into supporting an irresponsible government who is not accountable for anything.

Family values: I shouldn't even have to touch this. How many Senators, Congressmen, and government officials have been busted for their questionable ethics? When one of them cries family values, you know they are just trying to take your attention off of real issues.

Tax cuts: Almost all of you are paying less in taxes now than you would be during the Reagan administration. You will continue to pay less taxes in the foreseeable future. If you really think taxes are what is going to push you into poverty, it's time for you to move to another country or become a hobo. You are more likely to find needles in Halloween candy than you are being taxed to poverty. Yes, taxes seem like a burden, but it is something that helps finance society. Could they be lower? Most likely, but they won't reduce without proper management and responsible government.

Immigrants are stealing your jobs: They're also stealing your yard tools, impregnating your daughters, destroying the sanctity of marriage, and poisoning the water hole. Seriously, have you ever filled out employment paperwork? You had to provide identification, social security number, even a birth certificate. So how did an illegal immigrant take that job from you without proof of citizenship? Stop believing that the boogie-man is out to get you.

Tax & Spend Democrats: Do you honestly believe that there are representatives who really get off creating useless reasons to tax you? What does that accomplish for them personally?

Christian nation: Go back to your history books and refresh your memory. Settlers left England to get away from an oppressive monarchy and its over-bearing Christian religion. First amendment people: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." That means a neutral nation who does not support or condemn any belief. Period.

Unconstitutional: This is a tricky one, but I can tell you the last thousand-plus times someone has stated something was "unconstitutional" they couldn't even quote the part of the constitution that would involve the subject. When someone throws the constitution card, run the other way.

Socialism: The red-scare lives on. It's time to let it die, just like communism.

Wealth redistribution: Along with the previous word, this is just another way to frighten us from demanding the government do its job.

These are the buzzwords that special interests have found will stop people in their tracks. Everyone gets so frightened when these things are mentioned that they take their attention off what is really best for society and themselves, and they roll over allowing progress to be squashed. Rather than running scared when someone says "big government" how about taking the time to learn what is actually happening on the hill and how it will affect you. Turn off the cable and write your representative. Tell them you want improvements, not talking points.

There are real problems in our government, let's discuss the real problems rather than these make-believe distractions the less-responsible members want us to pay attention to.

Why does the rest of the world hate America?

My apologies to the weak of heart, or those who do not read the actual message.

Can we give rational people any more reasons to hate America? There's the image you get from television and movies of the ultra-rich and indifferent characters who live in giant houses, all have staff waiting on them, drive the best cars, and eat out at fancy restaurants every night. But many can reasonably understand that's all for show and not the norm of the American population. A vocal minority of Americans have to give the world real reason to think we're morons.

"Obama is a socialist!"

"This fascist Democratic party!"

"Don't let the government control my body!"

The nonsense goes on and on. There is no reason for any of this kind of talk. No reason at all.

What a slap in the face to the nations of the former U.S.S.R. who lived under communist rule. To the people who have truly been oppressed. To people who have no opportunity to build their own wealth. To those who cannot choose what they want to do with their lives. To nations who have struggled for their sovereignty.

Fuck you America!

Many are heading to town hall events carrying guns because they are afraid of having their rights taken away. In many other nations, that type of behavior would result in being imprisoned or executed on site. Is anyone trying to take away their rights? No! Never has President Obama said he seeks to eliminate the 2nd Amendment. He has stated that there needs to be controls to keep people safe. Is that horrible? That our leader wants people to live in safety? It must be, seeing that our President wanting people to not be ripped off by our multi-billion dollar private insurance industry that is responsible for thousands of deaths.

Fuck you America!

Is it any wonder why people in other nations look at America with disgust? We have people complain about things that aren't even real problems. We have right-wing politicians who grand-stand over issues that the rest of the world cannot fathom. And many of our citizens are too blind and ignorant to see the truth while they jump on board and show disrespect to the people who have truly suffered.

Our nation can be truly great, but to get there we need to stop acting like victims to problems that we have absolutely no idea about. If President Obama got his way in everything he wanted we would not be anywhere near fascism, we still wouldn't know what socialism really looked like, and we would still have more freedom and opportunity than any other nation on earth.

Does the entire world really hate America? No. Which shows there is a compassion among people that needs to exist in each and every one of us in the U.S.A. Stop mocking the pain that so many others have suffered.

Read a book America. Just try to put yourselves in the shoes (or lack thereof) of people who truly lived through oppressive government atrocities.

Healthcare reform - It is necessary

First, a couple of facts:

The private insurance system in America is more socialism than public healthcare because the few pay for the many. If you're upset about paying for other people's healthcare, you must oppose our current system in which if you are paying premiums, co-pays, etc. you are paying mostly the costs of the uninsured. All rates are higher because of the problem of hospitals and doctors having to recoup their costs from uninsured and bankruptcies.

Second, almost 60% of all bankruptcies are due to medical bills. Over 75% of those families were insured. The lesson: playing by the rules and being responsible does not work. That means the system is broken. That would be like showing up for work, doing your job, and having them hand you a bill rather than a paycheck.

America needs healthcare reform, and it needs to stop being run by for-profit unregulated corporate giants. The myths about "social healthcare" are nonsense. It works around the globe, and provides better quality of life for residents in nearly every country on earth. France has public healthcare, it's cheaper than American premiums, and has more choice than the American system. Rather than listening to ignorant talking heads who are just trying to improve ratings, here is a great grid to show highlights of Single payer vs. public option.

Become informed, don't listen to the sensationalism.

Why's everybody picking on poor Chaffetz?

In my usual fashion, I'm slow to getting around to the next blog post. But figured I needed to since there has been so much great conversation about our esteemed friend Jason Chaffetz.

Why is our freshman Congressman being picked on so much? Because he deserves it.

For a guy who criticized Chris Cannon and the Republican leadership so much to get into office, he sure isn't doing much to oppose the corruption and inaction of his party.

On March 27, the infamous cot-sleeper sent a letter stating his opposition to the President's plan for climate control. The "cap & trade tax" as it is being called would increase costs to utility companies, but what is debatable is how much, if at all, it would affect residential energy users. But Chaffetz was quick to distribute scare tactics to everyone. Simply because he is one of our nation's most partisan puppets.

I'm not going to get involved in the debate of the details of the budget proposal, but simply illustrate how flawed Congressman Chaffetz argument is. Let's keep this nice and simple.

According to his "research" (which is heavily assumptive and highly disputable) the increased energy costs for the state of Utah is $3.01 billion. Chaffetz simply takes this number, and divides it by the population to illustrate how much each person will be affected. To which he points out that it divides out to $1,115.47 per person, or, almost $290 per month, per family (again, simply estimating that a family is 3.01 people). 

Here's the obvious problem. Who uses power, and how much is used? Looking at only the population ignores that there are offices, stores, and other buildings that use power. So you must add every Walmart, shopping mall, restaurant, sports arena, etc. to the number that $3.01 billion is divided by. Now, do we really think that the average Utahn consumes the same amount of power as a Walmart Supercenter, or the Energy Solutions Arena? How about Trax, which consumes electricity to power their trains? All considered, a residential household's average power consumption is dwarfed by these businesses. 

Commercial and industrial buildings account for much more energy use than a household. So if we just thought about it for a second, we'd realize that the $290 per family would be considerably less, even if the estimates are correct. Then we'd also need to consider the larger mansions, apartment buildings, and other structures that would create a large variability in energy consumption.

So obviously, the figures that Chaffetz is proposing are nothing more than a fear tactic to promote his horribly partisan beliefs. When we ignore the facts is when we are mislead as a nation. Tell Congressman Chaffetz to do his job and represent us, not try to scare us into supporting partisan politics. 

Taxes, taxes, taxes... It's always all about taxes

Just wanted to emphasize something, since the noise machine simply will not be quiet about the T word.

Even if the Republicans cared at all about tax cuts for anyone who was not already a billionaire, would it matter? Let's assume they really are about tax cuts.

When you're unemployed, how does a tax cut help you?

When you can't pay an insurance premium, how does a tax cut help you?

When sales taxes are increased on groceries to cover your state's budget deficits, how does an income tax cut help you?

People in the middle class, please understand that your taxes could be cut to zero and that doesn't help you keep your house from being foreclosed on. If you're not making enough (or any) income to survive, what do tax cuts accomplish for you?

By the way, when the ultra-wealthy get bigger tax cuts do you really think they're just going to give that money away through new jobs? Why do they care? That would be a form of their wealth being redistributed.

Think about it.

Fireside conversation about economics, with a drunk conservative sympathizer

Sitting at the pub last night when a friend introduces a Twitter n00b to me. I honestly don't remember how an introduction turned political, but somehow it did. The young girl tells me that she likes what the Democrats do for us socially, but likes the Republican's economical policies much more. To which I had to reply that the only Republican economical policy is "Screw you all!"

She wanted to explain her argument to me, which I was happy to listen to, yet warned her that she can tell me why she feels that way only for me to prove everything she says is wrong. She had a look of surprise, but wanted to justify her position.

"Did you know that 1% of citizens pay 40% of all taxes? Do you really believe that is fair? As most of those people are small business owners who are struggling to survive right now."

She made this too easy on me. First, I asked her if she had any concept of what those top 1% make. She replied that her parents were in that number, clarifying that her parents were wealthy, she was not. So I asked her if her parents made more than $40,000 per day, why does she work, and further, why is she drinking Bud Light in a place like this. If her parents were in that top 1% they would make more than the average person's annual salary each day. Therefore, why would she work at all when her parents could hand her two days worth of pay and have her rolling in cash. 

Further, does she understand that the statement "pays 40% of the taxes" doesn't mean paying 40% taxes on their income. The real number is about 22% for these people. Let's do the math, and that means your parents make at least $10,000,000 annually, we're rounding down for simplicity. 22% would be 2,200,000 in taxes. Leaving them with only a measly $7,800,000 in their pocket, which is more than 150 times what the average American earns. (It's actually 177 based on these numbers, but I didn't break out the calculator right there).

So it takes 150 or more average Americans to pay the same amount of taxes that the top 1% do. Further, that is personal income tax you're talking about, which doesn't mean the total taxes collected in the country. So of course those who are extremely wealthy pay a greater share, the average person does not make anywhere near the amount of money so how could they contribute more? But the real point is this, you and your family do not benefit from Republican economics. Actually, you are worse off than you should be. You've been poisoned with lies to convince you to vote against your best interests by a power-hungry mob who despise the social good which you say you like. My only question to you now is, shouldn't it be time to talk to your parents about real economics and beg them to stop supporting and propagating this ridiculous mentality?

This is what is wrong with our nation today. Average people with modest lifestyles have been convinced to follow a system that hurts them. Sensationalism gets all the attention and people fall for it because very few of us are happy with our incomes and lifestyle. But the way to make things better is not by following the myths of tax breaks. Tax cuts can put maybe a thousand dollars in our pockets annually, when we are spending more than that each month in interest & insurance costs alone. So what would truly enhance your life? A measly tax cut, or health care reform that could save each of us $1000 per month?