Facts About the Democrats You Should Know

Is Democratic Party a misnomer? Do democrats really believe in freedom? Find out more: http://historyofdemocraticparty.blogspot.com/

A Not So Stimulating Stimulus

Why is the stimulus not working? Because the creation of wealth is caused by two things: 1 - Increases in efficiency and 2 - Invention. (New products in the market place) It is counter intuitive to think that a tax cut will bring more tax revenue into the government, but that is exactly what happens when the government lets people keep more of their hard earned income. Why, you ask? The reason is because we can spend/invest our income much more efficiently than the government can. Business, by its very nature, seeks to increase profits by increasing efficiency in manufacturing and by investing in research and development of new products. You will notice that people invest in businesses, not in government. They lend money to the government or they pay taxes. Another tax cut would have been in order but, instead what we got was a very small tax cut and a lot of government spending on things that will not increase efficiency in any sector of the economy or create any new products. There are of course, exceptions to this rule (most notably the space program), but by and large it is the private sector that drives economic growth.

Our standard of living is higher than it has ever been in recorded history and longevity is greater than at any time before and now we are about to kill the goose that laid the golden egg because the people we elected into office had to play favorites' instead of thinking of what is fair for all. The government created Fanny and Freddie to create a market for mortgages. This in it self was a fore ray into the private sector by government that should not have been tolerated. These quasi - government institutions were further abused by some well meaning congressmen who thought it would be a good idea to lower the lending standards so that people with smaller incomes could afford homes. Mortgage companies and Wall Street saw an opportunity to make some fast money and here we are, unemployment at 9.5 % and climbing.

But, the crisis did not start there. It started in 2000 when much of our manufacturing and high tech industry went abroad and the stock market bubble burst. No one was screaming then, because the perception was that we had more work than we could handle. We were told than, that sending our manufacturing to the Far East would bring us less expensive products. Some products might be less expensive, but at the cost of a very high unemployment rate. I even recall one arrogant congressman commenting that we do not need the jobs in the textile industry because they are junk jobs, as if that type of work was below us.

Now, we have focused trillions of dollars into the power of the presidency. President Obama is hiring czars to control banks, corporations and industries and is now pushing for National Health Insurance. Folks, pooh, pooh me all you want, but this is really is going to be a catastrophe. Already the waste is mounting with barely 10% of the initial allocation being spent. But, the timing has to be right. Things have to feel better just before the 2012 election. A tax cut would have helped, quicker, but that is not what was required for the politicians. We have been told that spending a lot of money is the cure when, in fact, it is a drug that will only delay our economic death for a while. Pouring trillions of dollars into an economy that is not expanding will only cause the dollar to inflate. With out a large enough manufacturing base, our deficit will continue to grow. The correct answer to the problem is to cut taxes enough to attract foreign investment and have industry return from abroad. Only then can we begin to make a vigorous recovery.

Joseph L. Conigliaro

http://www.pippoproducts.com

Omar Bradley on Our Ethical Maturity

The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. - Omar Bradley, Address on Armistice Day [1948] - From Bartlett's Familar Quotations

Liberal Media and Political Realities - Book Review

We've often heard conservatives and Republicans claim that the media is completely "Liberally Biased" and the reality is that although the numbers do not lie, there are conservative venues that also dominate, such as conservative radio and the Fox News Channel. All this political banter causes a great deal of unrest and a lot of sound and fury. Admit it, we all enjoy a little bit of chaos and controversy. But has it gone too far and have the Hollywood Celebrities jeopardized their stardom on a political agenda?

Rather than sit and debate what is right, who is left, and why, let me instead introduce you to a politically charged book, which speaks from the right, and from that point of view. Much of what is written is hard to debate, although one who is left leaning might find fault with it, and the author's references and cites. The book is:

"Hollywood Nation; Left Coast Lies, Old Media Spin and New Media Revolution" by James Hirsen (newsmax dot com). He also wrote; "Tales from the Left Coast" and both books are published by Random House, New York, NY; 2005 (this book).

This book goes through what the author calls "self-proclaimed and appointed Hollywood Experts on all political affairs." People like Barbara Streisand, Sean Penn, Michael Moore and countless others, as the writer addresses issues of misrepresentation, mixing up of facts, and actual intent to deceive in order to convince the audience of a political viewpoint.

Mr. Hirsen holds nothing back as he speaks of the New York or East Coast newsrooms and the Left Coast Studios. You will learn of their tactics, distortions, and how the celebrities use sex to promote their political agendas. There is also a very interesting chapter on Mel Gibson's movie; "The Passion of Christ" and the hypocrisy of Michael Moore's films. You will find this an interesting book; if you lean left you will be appalled, and if you lean right, it will preach to the choir. But, I guarantee you'll find it interesting.

Lance Winslow - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is also Founder of the Car Wash Guys, a cool little Franchise Company;http://www.carwashguys.com/history/founder.html/. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow http://www.pippoproducts.com/products

Yes, its True About History

History does repeat it self and its happening right now. Learn more: http://www.pippoproducts.com/products

Money, Politics, and Elections

George Washington said it so well, "Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder." Exactly what effect does money have on politics, at what point does money corrupt elections, and when will the monetary cost of winning elections stop escalating?

These are critical questions if the "people" are to elect politicians instead of organizations and their lobbyists.

So how does money get into the political system?

Hard Money versus Soft Money
"Hard money" is money contributed directly to a candidate or to a political party. It is regulated in both source and amount, and monitored by the Federal Election Commission.

"Soft money" is money contributed to organizations and committees rather than to candidates and parties. It is "soft" money is not reported to or monitored by the Federal Election Commission, making it harder to trace its origins.

Soft money originated in the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Buckley v. Valeo 1976. This case ruled that limitations on donations to candidates were constitutional; however, it created a loophole in which organizations could spend unregulated money for "issue advertising;" any advertising that was not expressly advocating the election or defeat of a candidate.
Soft money can be used for:

• Support for the party rather than the party's candidate
• Advertising support for political issues (especially those tied to your candidate)
• Registering voters (especially those you think will vote for your candidate)
• Hiring people for voter canvassing in neighborhoods
• Getting people to the polls on election day
• Campaign administrative costs

Since soft money comes from outside the candidate's election organization, it can be used to attack the opposition, while claiming to come from a neutral source; in effect, negative campaigning by proxy.

Such organizations became called "political action committees" or PACs. Approximately 90% of PAC money goes to incumbents, making it a tool to keep incumbents in office.

Matching Funds
Matching funds are subsidies limited to presidential candidates. They affect both the primary and general election. Candidates qualify by privately raising $5,000 each in at least 20 states.

Once qualified, the government provides a dollar for dollar "match" for each contribution to the campaign, up to a limit of $250 per contribution. In return, the candidate agrees to limit their spending according to a statutory formula.

From 1976 through 1992, almost all candidates who qualified, accepted matching funds in the primary. That changed from 1996 thru 2006 when Steve Forbes, George W. Bush, John Kerry, and Howard Dean opted out of the program because they could raise more funds on their own. In 2008, rejection of matching funds took a big step up with Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul deciding not to take matching funds. Once these candidates refused matching funds, they were free to spend as much money as they wanted.

Beyond primary matching funds, the federal government subsidizes the general election. No major party turned down government funds for the general election since the program was launched in 1976, until Barack Obama did so in 2008.

The presidential public financing system is funded by a $3 tax check-off on individual tax returns (the check off does not increase the filer's taxes, but merely directs $3 to the presidential fund). However, the number of taxpayers who use the check off has fallen steadily since the early 1980s, and in 2006 fewer than 8 percent of taxpayers were directing money to the fund.

Fund Raising on the Internet
In the 2004 presidential election, Senator Kerry broke the internet record by raising $3 million through the internet in a single day. By the end of June 2004, Kerry had raised $44 million through mail and phone solicitations and more than $56 million over the Internet. The 2008 presidential election took another major jump when Barack Obama raised $650 million for his election, more than twice as much as any other candidate in U.S. history, and much of that money came through the internet.

Internet fundraising offers several important advantages. First, it is the cheapest method of raising money. Second, the average contribution on the internet is far less than the $2,000 legal limit per individual, so the campaign can continue to solicit contributions from the same donor throughout the election.

On November 20, 2008, the Washington Post stated the following incredible statistic: "Barack Obama raised half a billion dollars online in his 21-month campaign for the White House, dramatically ushering in a new digital era in presidential fundraising."

What Does it All Mean?
The ever expanding costs to get elected raise a number of troubling issues and problems:

• The rise in costs to elect candidates to federal positions has been staggering since the 1990's. Without spending limits, candidates have a rising minimum spending floor to win the election. They likely have to spend more money than it took to elect the last candidate to run for that office.
• Politicians need donations from all sources to accumulate the amount of money necessary to win office. Once elected, politicians need to assure the donors that their money was well placed, or they will not get donations for re-election. Plainly stated, donations buy access to politicians.

The end result is, there are two kinds of politicians with enough money win election:

• Politicians that are wealthy individuals, or
• Politicians that raise the most cash through contributions.

Do we really want only the wealthy running our country? No. So we are left with politicians bought and paid for by campaign contributors.

After obtaining a degree in political science, I embarked on a career in insurance and government. For the last 21 years, I have worked for local government and government associations. I have written articles, as well as manuals, assisting local government in effectively managing their activities and exposures. I have also provided training in these areas, been a frequent speaker at educational seminars, and acted as President of an association of governmental employees.

During this time, I continued an interest in the politics that is embedded in government and where politics is leading this nation in the Twenty First Century.

Rick Lawrence, June 6, 2009
Ricklawrence13@live.com
http://www.DemosResPublica.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rick_Lawrence

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Rather than Legislating From the Bench

"In a democratic society like ours, relief must come through an aroused popular conscience that sears the conscience of the people's representatives" -- Justices Felix Frankfurter (1882-1965), Baker vs Carr, 369 U.S. 186, 270 [1962] from: Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

I am the United States of America

I am America, two hundred thirty three years old today.

I am America, conceived of for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I am America, land of the free and home of the brave. My sons have walked on the moon.

I am America, the sacred blood of justice courses through me. My children fought for freedom for all.

I am America, fifty independent states united.

I am America, a soldier for freedom. WW I, WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan...

I am America, a beacon of hope; you sent me your poor and hungry. I fed them and they prospered.

I am America, inventor of the airplane, telephone and integrated circuit.

I am America, purple mountains, fruited plains and golden fields, from sea to shining sea.

I am the United States of America, proud to be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We have our differences -- political, social, and scientific -- but we should never forget that we have each other. It is our solemn duty to preserve the freedom our fore bearers fought so gallantly to attain for us. We must do the same for our children. Pass on the memories of this country's glory. Make our children proud to be American's. Teach them that our freedom is paid for with the blood and sweat of many brave men and women who care so much about what America stands for they have pledged their very lives for it. Let freedom ring, And God Bless America.

Happy Birthday America

Joseph L. Conigliaro

http://www.pippoproducts.com/products

Photo by: Travis Flynn Photography
www.travisflynnphotography.com
www.travisflynn.blogspot.com

Republican Party Facts You Should Know

The GOP was the party born of a civil rights movement against slavery, so how come the first black president is a Democrat. Answers to this and more at http://historyofrepublicanparty.blogspot.com/