Though there was relief that the omnibus spending attachment failed to get added to the tax extension, I still feel incumbents need to go because too many RINOS like Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, Chuck Grassley and Lindsey Graham, among others, all too often feel that “getting things done” is Congress’s job, regardless of the legislation. Not so fast.

Had Congress “gotten things done” by locking in a Democrat budget for the incoming Republican House, it would not only have been an outrage, it would have been unconscionable. Democrats have been running government with a continuing resolution in lieu of passing a budget (which is unconstitutional by the way) so as to keep from shutting down government. Why was it so important to try and pass it? Politically speaking, so it could have been hung around the neck of the incoming Republican majority, even though they would have had nothing to do with it. Thanks to waffling from the likes of the Senators mentioned above, it almost happened!

Besides, who says it is such a bad thing to shut down government anyway? I look at all the government employees and about the only ones I think DESERVE lifetime pensions and healthcare are those who put their lives on the line every day. And that is NOT Congress nor the hundreds of thousands of bureaucrats who push paper from one office to another in federal, state and local governments. In fact, about the only ones I think deserve lifetime compensation for a job well done are police, fire and the military. This does NOT include the people at TSA. It’s just my opinion.

Government office holders’ benefits are based on tenure; how long they have been there, not how good their performance has been. Does how long a person has worked in a job really qualify them for 70% of their salary for the rest of their life? Those of us in the private sector are responsible for our own retirement. Why shouldn’t government employees be too?

FedUpEditor

But remember; Democrats did not win the election. Conservatives (for the most part) did. This is not their Congress anymore even though they are technically in charge until January. So why are Democrats setting the agenda for next year and beyond? We have to stop them now and limit the damage.

The 2010 election was about getting rid of out of control government spending. So what were they proposing? Spending another $33 billion that we don’t have to pay people not to work. Pelosi and those who think like her say unemployment is the biggest stimulus we could have and would create jobs. If this is so, with unemployment going from around 5% when Bush was in office to nearly 10% after Obama and the Democrats started running everything, you would think our economy would be booming, right? Of course, sane people know those who share this erroneous opinion are just plain stupid. Still, it doesn’t stop them from continuing to espouse the lie. I guess if someone says it often enough eventually it becomes the truth. Thank you mainstream media.

Sorry, but I live just down the street from Rush Limbaugh in Literalville. By looking at the truth in what the economy is doing and has done in the past, we see that unemployment benefits do NOT stimulate the economy. Money sucked out of the economy to be given to non-producers stimulates nothing. It’s the bathtub analogy again where taking water from one end of the tub and pouring it in the other does not raise the level of the water. No new wealth has been created.

Next we have the fact that current tax rates are the status quo. So leaving them in place would give us more of the same, especially with the current rate Congress is spending. How would extending the Bush tax rates improve our situation? It won’t. What we need is to reduce government spending and lower taxes to spur economic growth. In the original proposal, spending would have been increased to pay unemployment benefits with money we don’t have. So obviously, the original proposal was a bad deal.

Now the bill has gone to the Senate for debate, and it is getting worse. What happened? PORK! After promising to end earmarks in the 2011 Congress, some Republicans have joined the pork fest by adding their own pet projects which have nothing to do with 1) unemployment benefits or 2) extending the tax rates. Even though theirs is just a small portion of the nearly $1.2 trillion in new spending being proposed by Democrats, it doesn’t make it right. Republicans need to listen to the people or risk losing the majority once again in 2012.

So to summarize, what started out as a simple tit for tat to extend the tax rates (and a bad deal at that) it has become a huge omnibus spending bill. It’s time to put a stop to it. Republicans need to stand strong an vote against this. They are in the minority, so if it gets passed, it will be hung around the Democrats’ necks for years to come.

There is so much more I could say about this lousy attempt at “bi-partisanship”. Early on when the media was whining about Obama caving to the “rich” by proposing the extension of the Bush tax rates, it was obvious to me that this will stimulate nothing. What we need is strong leadership from the Republicans. However, judging by the choices for committee chairmanships and the continuation of the “old boy network”, it’s obvious more of the incumbent Republicans need to go in 2012. They are just not listening to us.

Mick Orton

Vote to return the same group of people back into office… the ones who got us here in the first place. Jerry Brown should be saying, “Fooled you once, shame on me. Fooled you twice shame on you. Fooled you three times… what are you, stupid?”

After all, the man has failed as Governor, as Mayor of Oakland and now as Attorney General. In his latest role, responsible for enforcing immigration laws, he slams Meg Whitman for having an illegal alien work for her. Huh? Whose fault is that? Now he’s Governor again? Stupid is as stupid does.

Don’t be surprised if we see unemployment skyrocket as our state sinks deeper into debt. But we deserve it for re-electing the same fools who brought us to this place. The rest of the country got the message. It’s a shame California no longer leads the way.

FedUpEditor

The problem with progressivism is that, just because it sounds like a good idea doesn’t mean the federal government should be doing it or spending money on it. After all, their track record of success is pretty bleak no matter how noble they think their causes are.

The original founders saw the USA as a collection of individual countries (states) united under one limited federal government so that we would not end up where we are today; top down central planning. Instead they saw a country with a small federal government and strong state governments. Yet here we are 234 years after the Declaration of Independence, and we are exactly where they feared we would be; huge federal government (much more powerful than King George was?), unbridled deficit spending, freedoms being incrementally taken away in the name of “fairness” and religion kicked to the curb (unless you are a Muslim extremist). How did this happen? Over time, that’s how.

There is only so much bandwidth and money with which to tackle all the unconstitutional laws that have been passed over the years. And then our congressmen use those bad laws which survive to serve as precedents upon which to write more bad laws. This is the reason for the Constitution. It is a measuring stick by which laws are to be written (or not). But with Federal Judges seeing it as a “living, breathing document” they have twisted the Constitution to mean something other than what was originally intended. So it would seem the problem with progressivism is that in top down planning everyone must do it the same way regardless if it’s a good idea or not. Where’s the freedom? Besides that, it is not “constitutional”.

The original idea was that each state was a unique experiment free to try different things to see what worked to solve their challenges. It was even codified in the 10th Amendment in case the original version of the Constitution didn’t make that clear. It says, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Obama and Progressives call this a “negative” right. Actually, it is exactly right (correct)… period. Each state government was supposed to decide for itself how it should be run. They could then look to other states and see what worked in order to implement or improve upon those which their constituents found favorable. Not so today. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find any area in any state that didn’t come under the rule of some bureau of the federal government.

The original purpose of the Federal Government was to solve disputes and problems which crossed state lines. Read George Washington’s biography and you will learn that he viewed the federal government as a necessary evil and loathed the thought of it. He knew what “progressives” would do if given half a chance.

Examples of the founders intent for responsibilities of Federal government would be building and maintaining bridges between bordering states, or regulating commerce on shared waterways that touch several states. Two of the things the federal government is actually supposed to do, defending our borders or protecting our freedom overseas, are the same things Progressives complain about spending money on. They say we should be spending the money here on infrastructure or education. As in debt as we are, we probably shouldn’t be spending the money anywhere!

If you want to see the failures of progressivism you only need to look at states like Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Hawaii or California and cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, etc. to see that the progressive experiment doesn’t work. High crime and high unemployment are the norm for liberal bastions such as these. Yet what happens when Lynn Woolsey talks about how we need a progressive resurgence? Socialist ideologues come out of the woodwork and praise her, even though she and her buddies have spent us into the poor house thanks to progressives. Those people will never be persuaded to see the truth.

It is my belief that the majority of people in this area are liberal because they can afford to be. Things are pretty good for many people in Marin County. Fortunately, the high unemployment rate in California hasn’t really hit the San Francisco Bay Area yet… yet. Does that mean we should wait until it gets worse before we do something? Unlike an Obama administration spokesperson, we are not looking for a crisis to use to our advantage. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that to change people’s minds.

What we must do is seek out the reasonable Democrats, the patriotic ones who love our country and believe the party has left them, and turn them to our side like Reagan did. There are common sense, patriotic people on the other side who don’t like what their Democratic Party has become. They may not change parties, but they can be persuaded to vote for a candidate who wants to lower taxes to stimulate the economy and help businesses create jobs, among other ideals that will truly embody progress.

- FedUpEditor

“Oh, but he’s so clean and articulate,” they say, “his intentions are good.” The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

By cutting the budget to a $1.56 trillion deficit this year, liberals are patting themselves on the back for fiscal conservatism. Next year it will be a $1.27 trillion deficit and goes down each year afterward. How is that anything to cheer about? It’s still DEFICIT SPENDING! In fact, about the only place they are cutting is the defense budget… the one place where the constitution gives them authority to spend!

What Obama fails to realize in offering a $5,000 tax incentive to businesses who hire new employees, is that it does not increase jobs that were not already going to be created. It just gives a little kick back to an employer who was already going to hire anyway. Just as most politicians have never been out of the public sector, how would they know this until we business people tell them? Remember, and you business owners out there already know this, companies do not hire people because they get a $5,000 tax break from the government. They hire because they have goods or services that customers want and need and it will help them make a profit. For the most part there is no need to hire people because the economy sucks.

The way to turn things around is for Obama and Congress to give everyone a tax break and reduce regulations, even if it is temporary. The proposal on the table punishes those making over $250,000 with higher taxes. Who in the heck do they think is creating the jobs? It’s sure not that fellow on the corner with the “will work for food” sign. And like I said above, employment won’t come back until the economy comes back. They are tied together.

Everyday I hear liberals on the talk shows saying that government is spending money to boost the economy. Some Florida politician said we need to spend our way to prosperity. How has that been working for those people who go to debt consolidation companies for counseling? It can’t be done. The interest on the borrowed debt alone is staggering. As we’ve pointed out here before, the government can only spend what it taxes or borrows from the private sector. It produces nothing of its own, so like the bucket of water from the swimming pool analogy, taking from one end and dumping it into another does not raise the level of the water.

Liberals have successfully demonized big corporations for years about being greedy. Nobody who agrees with them ever seems to stop and think, “Hey, I work for a big company. If we shut them down, where will my paycheck come from?” Or, “My (father, mother, brother, neighbor, friend, etc.) works for a large corporation. They will be hurt if that company goes out of business.” After all, wasn’t this the reason Obama and the Democrats just had to save the banks or the auto companies? At least, that’s what they said. Now corporations are the bad guys? Besides, most big businesses started as small businesses. Look at HP and Microsoft, for example.

For a solid year this president has been blaming just about everyone he can think of for his failures. Judging by his recent speeches (more than one day so far. Who’s running the white house while he’s out of the oval office? I want to know!) that is not going to end any time soon. At some point, he has to stop blaming Bush and start taking credit for his terrible policies. We warned everyone that this guy was too inexperienced to run the country. Nobody would listen. And if it is not his inexperience that is causing him to make such terrible decisions, I have to think he’s doing it on purpose. It is something I am loathe to consider. Judging by the direction the country is going and the fact that Obama is not changing direction, what else should I think?

- FedUpEditor

This post is in response to the Scott Brown YouTube video which is going around the Internet regarding his backtracking on the health care issue. So far, I think we are safe in that neither the House nor Senate bill are anything close to what he describes in this press conference. There are rumors this is being sent viral by the ACORN types out there trying to confuse and divide conservatives. Don’t fall for it!

I may have written either here or on my other blog, about the difference between having character and being a character. The latter can be bought; like the right car, piercing, tattoos, expensive clothes, haircuts, gold front teeth, designer nails, Hollywood fame or whatever. These do not represent having character, though in our culture of celebrity, it seems to have gotten confused.

For example, in Los Angeles, if the stars had character they would have foregone the expensive dresses and tuxedos and the two awards shows which aired last week and gone to Haiti to help out. They would not be content to just wearing colored ribbons to “raise awareness”. I think we are all aware there was an earthquake in Haiti. In their defense, maybe they had to stay and work to pay the taxes which will be siphoned off to send for relief efforts. However, I hear their industry already gets hefty tax breaks from the government.

Back to Scott Brown. He gathered campaign donations based on his opposition to the health care plan that congress was considering, plain and simple. Those donations came from all over the country, so regardless of what he says about representing his state first, he owes all of us for helping him win over Coakley. Now he says, everyone is “entitled” to health insurance? How so? I agree if we are expecting them to pay for it. This makes it a privilege not a “right” as it has been presented to us by politicians.

I do think we have the “right” to buy any insurance plan we want, even if it is being offered by a company in another state. This competition will go far to help lower the costs. I also recommend employers start giving their employees the value of health insurance in dollars along with their salary to let them choose their own health insurance. That way employees can see how much everything really costs. Finally, we need tort reform with a cap on what can be paid out for lawsuits. This responsibility will build character.

In my opinion, politicians are lacking in this commodity. The fact that they can be “bribed” to vote for legislation with which they disagree confirms they have no character. If a bill is wrong, it’s wrong, no matter how much money one gets for changing sides. I know this is a pretty strong accusation, but I stand by my claim. In fact, listen to any politician and you hear about the need to “reach across the aisle” to write legislation. BULL. If it’s a bad law, there is no amount of crossing over that will make it better. And why is it Republicans are expected to cross over, while Democrats are not?

I originally had intended to write today about Obama’s society as he envisions it. This also ties into character. He and Democrats have, for the longest time, tried to set it up so there is no chance to fail. Examples like bailing out Wall Street entities on the verge of collapse or car companies about to implode are just the latest tip of the iceberg.

Look at past social programs like section 8 housing. I have tenants who are on subsidies and if they try and get off or make too much money, they lose their benefits. How is this helping lift them from poverty? The answer is, it isn’t. And by giving up the chance to fail, by default, they are also giving up the chance to succeed. That is not what the United States is all about; I think it’s our saving grace. The majority of people still think this is the greatest country on Earth and that the opportunities are limitless if you work hard and want it enough.

After all, how many of you would go to a movie where, instead of vanquishing evil or succeeding over huge obstacles, the hero or heroine settle for mediocre? And how many best selling books are there called, “How to Be Average”. Maybe in Europe, but not in the United States.

Most of us do not want a job with the government or a union where people are judged, not by how well something gets done but by how long they have been doing it. The same is true for education. Besides, as I have pointed out before; if there is no private sector pumping money into the government through taxes to pay for jobs in the bureaucracies, there would be no funds at all unless they were borrowed or printed. And then how would we ever expect to pay back those obligations if nobody was out there to tax? You can bet that is what China is asking itself right now.

Mr. Obama and his Democrat pals have now taken over all student loans. Did you know that if you go to school and then end up in the public sector your debt will be forgiven after a certain number of years? This has been around since 1958 for teachers and other low income borrowers. But if you are the least bit successful, you will have to repay the debt in total. How is that government’s incentive to succeed? How does that speak to character? In fact, I submit if you become successful, it would make more sense if the debt was forgiven sooner because you would be making up for it by being in a higher tax bracket and by contributing positively to our economy!

I, for one, think all these debt forgiveness programs being advertised on the radio are dishonest. When I make an agreement, even if it is a bad one, I do my best to honor it. I understand every situation is different, but after declaring bankruptcy over 30 years ago, I felt horrible about it. My credit was ruined for 10 years. I vowed I would never do it again. What did I learn after the bankruptcy fell off my credit report? Nothing! I went out and was in debt again after only a few months. Fortunately, I hooked up with some good influences and was able to turn it around in time. This is why I am so big on financial education for the masses. I believe the public would then demand politicians balance the budget.

This all comes back to the subject of character. Today, my word means something. I say what I mean and I mean what I say. For years Washington has been full of Congressmen and Senators who tell the truth only when it’s convenient or… when they are caught! And sometimes, as with Nancy Pelosi, even then they stick with the lie like she did about the CIA enhanced interrogation techniques. That is also not true of most of our politicians which is why I believe we need new leaders. And 2010 is the perfect time to do it.

- FedUpEditor

After our great conservative win in Massachusetts and an announcement that the brakes are being put on the health care bill by Nancy Pelosi (unless they pull the reconciliation trick this weekend), I am saddened to hear state legislators made the first move to OUTLAW people from having private health care insurance and creating a universal health plan for Californians. Can this be constitutional?

Usually I am for states rights, but in this case, I am not. Republicans are outnumbered in the state house, so this is simply another Democrat mandate that is being forced upon us citizens by the central planners. Given that California is already having budget troubles, and this plan costs $225 billion, where will the money come from? Why would these people even consider taking on such an expensive proposition? I know the answer, but I am trying to be civil.

Apparently the results of Tuesday’s election in Massachusetts didn’t make a dent in the fat heads of Sacramento politicians. The election of Scott Brown was clearly a mandate on the unpopularity of a universal health plan. Perhaps California politicians didn’t think this same sentiment applied to bankrupt states like ours.

Maybe we should refresh California legislators’ memories about the result of Hawaii’s attempt to provide universal health care to its children back in 2008. It failed after only 7 months because of…. wait for it… budget shortfalls! And this was to only insure the children. Think how soon it might have gone belly up had they tried to insure everyone! Apparently it was only aimed at children who didn’t have insurance so quickly people dropped their coverage and went into the “free” plan. Surprise, surprise!

As recent as March of 2009, the Boston Globe published an article titled “Mass. healthcare reform is failing us”. They cite 5 specific reasons why this program is a bust, and it is one of the most successful attempts at universal health care.

On the Federal level, sane people need only see the failures of Medicaid and Medicare like doctors opting out due to government’s low reimbursements, and they would see the costs of such a program is unsustainable. For folks who love that word “sustainable” Democrats sure like to push social programs that are not! All this from a group of legislators who couldn’t balance the budget last time because they are spending too much and tax revenues are down. Unemployment is on the rise, tax revenues are falling and the state legislators want to spend more money for health care. It’s time for a regime change.

Our Marin Conservative Forum Executive Committee is going to address this California issue in a letter to our representatives and the governor voicing our outrage at the arrogance of the Democrats in our state who intend to outlaw private health insurance in order to implement a state run plan. These actions will continue our slide into the third world economy. This idea along with their burdensome environmental regulations are breaking the back of the state’s economy and driving up unemployment forcing companies and citizens to leave the state.

- FedUpEditor

Granted Obama can gather a crowd every time he speaks. There will always be those who believe in what he is trying to do. But the fact that the last several special elections have been a promise of better things to come just shows how Americans are waking up to the con.

After all, we have a guy who says he is for the common man, but has alienated just about every group and insulted our citizens at every turn. I started a list the other day because I have had this idea for awhile. Truth is, who hasn’t he attacked? Think about it. Are you on this list? Do you know any of the people on this list or work with someone who is? Do you have family who have been in the Obama cross hairs? Everyday he targets someone new.

• If you drive a pick-up, he thinks you are the problem as he has said in the rally for Martha Coakley against Scott Brown
• If you are in the armed forces Obama has shown his distaste for you in the fact he is giving terrorists their rights while going after the men and women who protect this country
• If you work in the financial industry your wages and bonuses are being “adjusted” because you are greedy
• If you live in Cape Cod, Obama wants to put up a wind farm despite your objections
• If you want everyone on health care, neither the House nor the Senate version has it; an estimated 14 million people will still be without it

At just about every turn Obama is at odds with some segment of our population. Remember, he was the guy who was going to bring the country together with “hope and change”. But it seems we are more divided than ever. And why wouldn’t we be? Wehn people struggle with a poor economy, they get downright cranky!

The real hope is that tomorrow Massachusetts lights the way for the November elections. If Scott Brown can win it will send a message clearer than the “mandate” President Obama says he had after the 2008 elections. It will be a rejection of the Socialist agenda he and his pals in the House and Senate are pushing. But will it be too late to stop health care?

Has anyone stopped to think that if Ted Kennedy were still alive we would not have the opportunity we have at this time? There seems to be a lot of divine providence in the fact that this one little election has such huge significance for our entire country. Is it ordained from on high, or just a cosmic coincidence? I happen to think the former.

All through out history, America has had its challenges that nobody thought we could overcome. Our very existence was not supposed to come about having to face a large and well outfitted British Army. Yet the American spirit surprisingly won out, and we became a free and independent nation.

Then there was the War of 1812. We were nearly defeated again by the British but, thanks to Col. Andrew Jackson and some mistakes made by his enemies the tide was turned at the Battle of New Orleans. It was won by a handful of those pesky Americans from all walks of life… not trained soldiers, but the common folk. The British casualties were enormous while only a few Americans were injured. Though the war was officially over and the peace treaty had been signed days earlier, the news didn’t get to the troops until several months later.

Time and time again, American exceptionalism has triumphed over the forces from outside our country. But today we face an even more sinister threat from within. People who look like they are our friends have invaded our government and taken over the Democrat Party. The Republicans have not been much better in some cases, part of the reason we have come to this place in history. But Conservatism is on the rise and not a moment too soon.

It is my opinion that the Democrat Party no longer represents American values. That is why more moderate Democrats and Independents are turning away from the liberal craziness in droves. In the past both parties used to want what was best for the nation, then argue about the best way to make that happen. But today, we have people fully aware that their legislation is disliked yet they push ahead in spite of our protests. Shady deals abound. Money is wasted to bribe others for votes. This is not democracy; it is tyranny fraught with corruption.

What tomorrow’s election signifies is this; if this “blue” state votes for Scott Brown it will mean a return of conservatism and a rejection of the socialist agenda of the liberals. Though there is still a long way to go, this home of the Puritans, Pilgrims and Patriots will be well on the way to helping our great nation in making a recovery. Granted Obama can gather a crowd every time he speaks. There will always be those who believe in what he is trying to do. But the fact that the last several special elections have been a promise of better things to come just shows how Americans are waking up to the con.

After all, we have a guy who says he is for the common man, but has alienated just about every group and insulted our citizens at every turn. I started a list the other day because I have had this idea for awhile. Truth is, who hasn’t he attacked? Think about it. Are you on this list? Do you know any of the people on this list or work with someone who is? Do you have family who have been in the Obama cross hairs? Everyday he targets someone new.

• If you drive a pick-up, he thinks you are the problem as he has said in the rally for Martha Coakley against Scott Brown
• If you are in the armed forces Obama has shown his distaste for you in the fact he is giving terrorists their rights while going after the men and women who protect this country
• If you work in the financial industry your wages and bonuses are being “adjusted” because you are greedy
• If you live in Cape Cod, Obama wants to put up a wind farm despite your objections
• If you want everyone on health care, neither the House nor the Senate version has it; an estimated 14 million people will still be without it

At just about every turn Obama is at odds with some segment of our population. Remember, he was the guy who was going to bring the country together with “hope and change”. But it seems we are more divided than ever. And why wouldn’t we be? Wehn people struggle with a poor economy, they get downright cranky!

The real hope is that tomorrow Massachusetts lights the way for the November elections. If Scott Brown can win it will send a message clearer than the “mandate” President Obama says he had after the 2008 elections. It will be a rejection of the Socialist agenda he and his pals in the House and Senate are pushing. But will it be too late to stop health care?

Has anyone stopped to think that if Ted Kennedy were still alive we would not have the opportunity we have at this time? There seems to be a lot of divine providence in the fact that this one little election has such huge significance for our entire country. Is it ordained from on high, or just a cosmic coincidence? I happen to think the former.

All through out history, America has had its challenges that nobody thought we could overcome. Our very existence was not supposed to come about having to face a large and well outfitted British Army. Yet the American spirit surprisingly won out, and we became a free and independent nation.

Then there was the War of 1812. We were nearly defeated again by the British but, thanks to Col. Andrew Jackson and some mistakes made by his enemies the tide was turned at the Battle of New Orleans. It was won by a handful of those pesky Americans from all walks of life… not trained soldiers, but the common folk. The British casualties were enormous while only a few Americans were injured. Though the war was officially over and the peace treaty had been signed days earlier, the news didn’t get to the troops until several months later.

Time and time again, American exceptionalism has triumphed over the forces from outside our country. But today we face an even more sinister threat from within. People who look like they are our friends have invaded our government and taken over the Democrat Party. The Republicans have not been much better in some cases, part of the reason we have come to this place in history. But Conservatism is on the rise and not a moment too soon.

It is my opinion that the Democrat Party no longer represents American values. That is why more moderate Democrats and Independents are turning away from the liberal craziness in droves. In the past both parties used to want what was best for the nation, then argue about the best way to make that happen. But today, we have people fully aware that their legislation is disliked yet they push ahead in spite of our protests. Shady deals abound. Money is wasted to bribe others for votes. This is not democracy; it is tyranny fraught with corruption.

What tomorrow’s election signifies is this; if this “blue” state votes for Scott Brown it will mean a return of conservatism and a rejection of the socialist agenda of the liberals. Though there is still a long way to go, this home of the Puritans, Pilgrims and Patriots will be well on the way to helping our great nation in making a recovery.

- FedUpEditor

With the spotlight on Massachusetts and the special election around Scott Brown’s run for the Senate, there is a dark cloud representing the fourth district in that state. Democrat Congressman Barney Frank [clueless] is no stranger to corruption, yet he remains in office despite his arrogance. I want to do something about that. Can we hope for a challenger to Mr. Frank’s seat?

Some of you may already know this, but for those who do not, back in 2006, Frank’s personal aide was running a gay prostitution ring out of Barney’s apartment. Because of political correctness, this story was pretty much swept under the rug. After all, it wasn’t he, but a hired assistant who was running the illegal business. Had this been a Republican, I think you know what would have happened. Just look at what happens when a conservative taps his foot under a bathroom stall or sends a text to a male page!

Okay, so these scandals have come and gone. But what about the one brewing? Surely you’ve heard about this headline:

HOUSE PASSES HISTORIC LEGISLATION TO REFORM WALL STREET AND PROTECT THE ECONOMY

It’s on Barney Frank’s home page which says, “Today, the House of Representatives approved sweeping new legislation to modernize America’s financial rules in response to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.” But do you know what this law actually does? (And did any Republican vote for it? If so, they need to go too.)

• Increases consumer protections by creating a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA), a new, independent federal agency solely devoted to protecting Americans from unfair and abusive financial products and services. (Can you say, “bureaucracy?”)
• Additionally, it creates the Financial Stability Council (FSC), a council of regulators that will identify financial firms that are so large, interconnected, or risky that their collapse would put the entire financial system at risk. (Another bureaucracy. I feel safer already, don’t you?)
• End Taxpayer Bailouts and “Too Big to Fail”, an orderly process to shut down failing institutions. (But did you know this does NOT apply to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? More on that later.)
• Rein in Executive Compensation among other regulations.

These last two items are the ones I want to discuss in more detail. Note that none of the above regulations apply to Barney’s personal treasure chests of Fannie Mae and Feddie Mac. To quote the Hill Blog:

“Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now basically a “public policy instrument” of the government, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) suggested Tuesday.

“Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, asserted that the companies, which were taken over by the U.S. in September 2008, have become an extension of the government’s policy-making tools.”

Essentially what this means is that Freddie and Fannie have unlimited funds to operate; they have been given a blank check. It has been reported that the government (that’s you and me) stand to lose as much as $400 billion from this conservatorship. When these entities finally fail as they surely will, is Barney Frank going to be held accountable like he should be? Or will the press give him another pass?

This is not the worst of it. Barney Frank was responsible for the legislation to charge levies on the banks who paid their officers high salaries and bonuses (bullet 4 above). Go get them, Barney. But what about those Fannie and Freddie officers who also received salaries and huge bonuses? Mr. Frank admits they are too high, but nothing can be done about it. Oh, really? After all, aren’t they instruments of policy now under the federal government? I’ll bet if people put up enough of a stink, he would figure out something…or maybe not; he’s pretty arrogant from having gotten away with so much for so long.

Look at it this way. We loaned money to the banks and financial institutions to keep them from failing. Then they turned around and paid out huge salaries and bonuses to certain executives. Barney and his minions in the House swept in and did something about it to take them down a notch.

We also loaned money to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to keep them from failing. Then they turned around and paid out huge salaries and bonuses to CEOs. But this time Barney and his minions can do nothing about it. Is this because they are Barney’s “instruments of policy?”

CNN Money reports: “The $6-million compensation packages were approved by the Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and made public on Dec. 24, 2009, Christmas Eve.”

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) sounds a lot like the other bureaucracies being set up by Barney Frank in this new legislation chartered to police the financial institutions. But here’s the rub. FHFA’s mission statement says, “Provide effective supervision, regulation and housing mission oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks to promote their safety and soundness, support housing finance and affordable housing, and support a stable and liquid mortgage market.” WHAT A JOKE! They did none of those things… and we are paying their salaries and bonuses!

The worst part about the whole thing is that the subprime mess was actually orchestrated by Barney Frank in the first place! The Boston Globe reported this in 2008. Now he has been called on to fix it?

To summarize, thanks to Mr. Frank we are getting two new agencies who are going to do just as good (bad) a job at overseeing the financial institutions as FHFA was in overseeing Fannie and Freddie. Our government has become the personal wallet of Congressman Barney Frank, (D-MA) and must come to an end. THIS SPENDING HAS TO STOP!

What I am suggesting is a letter writing campaign to congress to protest Barney Frank’s actions. If he is justified in going after executives of one entity like the financial institutions, then he must also go after the lending giants’ executives. Personally I say, “hang them all, including Barney Frank.” Anyone with me? 

- FedUpEditor

Every day we have to beat back another onslaught against our liberties by the radical left who has taken over the Democrat Party. Are there any sane Democrats who are willing to speak out against the road their party has taken? The attack against American exceptionalism is so great that many of us are spending more time working against this tyranny than we are in our own businesses. This is a mixed blessing. Because of our government’s screw ups our businesses are suffering. And because the economy is down with little hope of getting better in the near future, we have more time for political activism. It’s a good news, bad news kind of thing. And because many of us are having challenges staying in business, it has given some of us the impetus to get into elected office.

There is such an intrusion of government in our lives, restaurants are now are told they can not cook with trans-fats because they will kill us, but marijuana is about to be legalized because it will bring in tax revenue. When did I fall through the looking glass? When you define up as down and down as up, what else can I conclude? However, it is not the cute world of “Alice in Wonderland”. Every day elected officials are deciding what we can or can not do, so much so, that we are getting mixed messages like the one above. Nanny state officials are doing everything to lengthen our lives so they can then pass a health care bill that will kill many of us by denying treatment as we get older. The problem is with the California state government as well as the federal government which is why we need to win them both back.

As I have said in other articles, the primary factor which gives me hope for the future is that the United States is full of entrepreneurs who believe in the free market and the opportunity to create their own rags to riches stories. We will never convince the welfare crowd that government is bad. Those people do not make up the majority anyway. Our hope is we can change the educational system so that more and more people “get it” before they end up in that welfare system. Yet many of us were educated in the public school system and have made it out okay. So will there be others who do the same. Of all the people I have met who have experience with the school system (whether Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal) they are all unhappy with it too. This also gives me hope.

The school system is part of the problem. If history and economics (as opposed to conflict resolution as I recently witnessed at Lu Sutton Middle School, Novato) were the only subjects taught we would be in a whole lot better shape. But as long as someone is around who is not afraid to tell the truth about our history, the United States will survive the revisionists’ attempts to alter it. It is the form in which it will survive that concerns me the most. Our free market system has been so aberrated by the likes of Barney Frank and people of his ilk making laws and regulations that what we have left is more like fascism than capitalism. And when we demonize any private sector company or group, we are also to blame.

Since our country’s founding, we have had a great growth unlike anything seen in history. So now all of a sudden capitalism doesn’t work? Who came up with that one? it is the only thing that has any hope of bringing us out of this malaise, and yet liberals seem to want to abandon that model and try communism which has failed everywhere it’s been tried. GOOD PLAN!

When I hear any politician speak ill of a certain sector, in my mind I try to put myself in the position of the president of a company they are targeting and defend them. I try and draw a parallel with my business to see if what they are doing makes sense in a free market. Most of the time, it does not. But “compassion” and “empathy” for the little guy (David) against the big guy (Goliath) is almost always brought into the discussion as a way to win the debate, even when the results do not bear them out. In school this was called propaganda. Because most of us are the little guy we are supposed to side with our friend, the government, who is going to help us take down the big guy. The problem comes when people fail to realize that government IS the big guy!

Let us take the petroleum industry. We are told repeatedly that they are to blame for high gasoline prices. Is not this, a man-made global warming scare and the belief we are running out of precious resources the reason for the rush to alternative fuels? However, neither wind nor power are able to survive on their own and need subsidies from you and me to compete. Here I am struggling in my own business and I have to shell out hard earned money to bail out some “green” company that can’t make it on its own.

Liberals accused oil companies of windfall profits and many of us followed right along. Given all the regulations against domestic exploration, companies have moved to other countries which makes transportation of the fuel more expensive and drives up costs. This helps the host country like Venezuela and hurts our own with unemployment and loss of tax revenue. It has not slowed our need for gasoline one bit. Think about it. Even Prius drivers need gas to run their vehicles. Imagine if you owned a business and had to go overseas to get your product because it was illegal for you to get it here. Would you put up with it?

Let’s take the current position Obama on the bank levies. Last year the bailout caused many financial institutions to run to the government for help. That was their first mistake. Ours was to save these failing institutions. For some reason, Bush and most of the politicians thought these companies were too big to fail which would cause massive unemployment. So they were given stimulus money to help ensure their successes. What happened? They succeeded to some degree. Now they are going to be TAXED EVEN MORE because they succeeded. Why are they being punished for doing what the bailout was supposed to do? Wasn’t that the point? But Obama is so sure he is on the side of the little guy that the public will go right along with him. Those evil banks! But when has anything the government done to punish a company or a sector ever made it back into your pocket?

I have two points to make here. One is that people who vote Democrat because they are for the little guy should think again. They are just as much to blame for support of big business as are Republicans, pure and simple. So was their stimulus and the bailing out of failing car companies. I thought Democrats ran against Republicans because they were against “corporate welfare”? The second point is that powerful Democrats caused the problem; Barney Frank, Maxine Waters and Christopher Dodd. [Note: my spell checker keeps wanting to change his name to Dodo but I have resisted.] It was they who said there was nothing wrong when Bush warned of the potential problems created by their sub-prime lending guidelines. Now they are claiming to be the only ones who can solve the economic mess they themselves have created! Forcing banks to loan money to people who have no chance of paying it back and then calling it predatory lending is insane! And look who is on the hook for paying the tab. You and me, my friends. Another GOOD PLAN!

Once again I have started an article about Obama’s failures and have only scratched the surface. It is no wonder our country is ready for a second revolution. Our elected politicians are not listening to us, and worse, do not seem to care what we think! So much so that many of them will lose their seats in the mid-term elections this year. Some have already decided not to run again because they hear the footsteps. Fine by me. But this will work only if elected conservatives pick up the mantle the Tea Parties have laid out and move that agenda forward.

The Washington beltway media will not be kind. This is one more reason to let them fail too. The public is tired of left-wing propaganda and want to hear the truth. I believe the people of the United States are ready for it.

- FedUpEditor