Healthcare Bill - What it Means and How it Affects Taxes

Yesterday President Obama singed the year-long much debated healthcare bill into law. The bill consists of a whopping $940 billion plan that is expected to provide health coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans. This historic event is a huge win for Democrats. It should be noted the controversy isn't over. Thirteen state Attorney Generals have already filed lawsuits. Not one Republican supported the bill. So come election time in November, the bipartisan potential could be out the window.

In any case, Obama made the primary objective of his presidency come to life. The actual bill and its 2,000 plus pages effectively standardizes healthcare. It will ensure that insurance coverage is the right of every U.S. citizen and will begin to reshape the way almost all Americans receive and finance treatment.

What does this mean for you? I mean, $940 Billion has to come from somewhere. Well, once again the logic sends tax collectors to those who have the most money. This author feels such practice is just poor economic practice, but be that as it may, it is the practice which will be used. Taxes will be going up for those making $200,000 a year and couples in the $250,000 range.

Here is yet another way to keep these persons from taking their expendable incomes and pumping that money back into the economy, which would generate business and jobs. Simple economics. The problem now is that we are in a time of uncertainty. No one is sure where the market is going. The major market indicators like the Dow are on the rise. Yet no one is buying. We are in a time of saving.

The bill also instates a new Medicare tax on the wealthy, who will be paying 2.35 percent now instead of the 1.45 percent, earned and unearned income, like dividends, and capital gains are also going to be hit with taxes. Employers will be paying out higher taxes as well. And corporations within the health care industry, such as pharmaceutical companies, are going to find higher fees and corporate taxes required of them.

Is it all going to be worth it? Well, we won't know that until long after it really takes swing in 2014. According to the Congressional Budget Office the law will cut federal budget deficits by an estimated $143 billion over a decade. It can be assumed that premiums will be lower and the insurance industry will come under new federal regulation. But we still don't know how it will affect the quality of medicine, its economic impact, and

I guess saving for your own medical expenses is the sort of thing that health care reformers cannot abide by. They would rather you buy insurance coverage you don't need and don't use that way the funds can be used to fund the healthcare of others. If you saved that money in an HSA, such would not be the case.

So when it comes to actually doing your taxes over the next couple of years, I think it would be wise to take advantage of tax preparation software, online resources, or area offices. This bill is going to tweak a few things and gives the IRS an unprecedented new role. Who do you think is going to collect the "penalties" the bill talks about? Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jon_Hosier

America Rising: An Open Letter to Democrat Politicians

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The Rebellion Within

In The Rebellion Within (published in the June 2, 2008 issue of The New Yorker), Lawrence Wright describes the known life of Sayyed Imam Al-Sharif-known in some circles of the extremely secretive jihadist underground as Dr. Fadl.

Fadl, an extremely gifted Islamic scholar, met Ayman al-Zawahiri in 1977 while both were attending medical school in Cairo. Within a decade he found himself at the ground floor of the Jihad movement. As a matter of fact, he literally wrote the book on the subject.

Two of Fadl's texts, The Essential Guide for Preparation and The Compendium of the Pursuit of Divine Knowledge, became (and probably remain) cornerstones of the training and indoctrination of Al Qaeda recruits in the power vacuum of post-Soviet Afghanistan.

Much happened in the following decade. On the sprawling list of Topics Most Americans Ought to Familiarize Themselves With, 1990s-era Afghanistan is certainly near the top. The meteoric rise of the Taliban and the fast polarization of Islamic politics, I should not need to remind you, remain era-defining issues.

But there are lengthy books for that, written by people with so much storytelling ability that I, in comparison, look like a kid scribbling with crayons. I recommend going all-out with Steve Coll's excellent Ghost Wars.

Anyway, here's how Fadl ended up: In October 2001-seven years after he cut ties with his extremist past and took up supposedly earnest work as a surgeon-was arrested by Yemeni secret police and thrown into an Egyptian prison with a life sentence. Since then, he's mellowed out, renounced violence and become a vocal opponent of Al Qaeda.

If you've got an hour to kill, it's a great read.

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Ten Reasons Why You Should Develop a Residual Income

The reasons why you should develop a residual income - money that you receive over and over again for work you do only once - are many and varied. If you've wondered whether the time and effort needed to grow a residual income would be worth it, consider the following ten reasons to do so.

1. Get out of debt. An extra $500 to $2,000 a month will go a long way in helping you to eradicate a sizable debt quickly. And when you build a business in network marketing, or MLM, you can develop a residual income of that size in a matter of months.

2. Build your children's college funds. For most couples, setting aside money each month for a college fund is uncomfortable. But if you have developed a residual income of even only a couple hundred dollars per month, building a college fund becomes one less stress on your family budget.

3. Pay cash for big-ticket items. When you take out loans for things such as cars, appliances and home movie theaters, you end up paying a few hundred to several thousand dollars more than the ticket price because of the interest. However, if you set aside the residual income that comes into your bank account, you can quickly save enough to pay in cash and avoid loans.

4. Build your emergency savings without sacrificing. For most people, creating that three to six months of emergency money is a major challenge. However, if you have an extra thousand dollars coming in every month, you can accrue what you need for your emergency fund in just a few months without taking on a second job or sacrificing lifestyle luxuries such as new clothes and going out to eat.

5. More to give to charities. If you're like me, you want to be able to give to every good cause. Developing a residual income allows you to increase your generosity many times more possible than with the average employee job income.

6. Early retirement. Once you develop a residual income of several hundred dollars, it is likely to keep growing. And when it grows to over five figures, you can begin to save it in investment vehicles that will give you a nice return. In a matter of five to ten years, you could have enough saved to be able to retire from your conventional job and live off of the interest of the investment.

7. Financial independence. Maybe you love your job, but you don't want to count on it for your financial security. In that case, develop a residual income and invest it as you would for early retirement. When you have enough saved up, you have the all the security you need, which allows you to continue in your chosen career with much less stress.

8. Quit a job you hate. On the other hand, you could decide simply to live off the residual income. After it has either matched or exceeded the income from your day job for several months in a row, you will probably be able to safely quit your job and be assured of a regular and growing monthly income for years to come.

9. Lifestyle freedom. Whether you want to be "green" and install solar panels in your house and buy an electric car, or want to take at least two overseas vacations per year at luxury resorts, building an MLM business can provide you with the extra income to be able to afford whatever lifestyle you desire.

10. Time freedom. Because you can develop a large regular income in a network marketing business that allows you to quit your day job, cut down hours or retire early, you suddenly have time to do all the things you've wanted to do.

Why should you develop a residual income? I think the better question is, why shouldn't you?

Emily J. Jacques is an online business and marketing coach who wants to help you grow your home-based business beyond your wildest dreams. Grab your free training on various online marketing strategies and tools today at http://ResidualWealthDreams.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emily_J._Jacques http://www.pippoproducts.com/familyfinance/index.html

Homeland Security and Maritime Shipping

Liner shipping is that division of maritime shipping that provides regular service based on defined schedules and fixed itineraries. It is a source of some one billion and above jobs in US and is a great source of revenue for the economy.
For the last 6 and half years the American Coast guard has taken enhanced measures to increase the maritime cargo security. However due to the enhanced security measures taken by the American coast guard, there is significant delay to the flow of cargo which could actually cause vastly adverse effects to the economy.

Every shipping vessel that arrives in the US coastal waters has to go through some mandatory checks. It has to provide an arrival notice 96 hours prior to its arrival. This notice has to include a complete list of crew members who should have a US visa to land at the U.S. port.

The coast guard has stated that the maritime security threat can't be restricted to a single vector. In fact other than cargo vessels other maritime activity too is at a security risk.

A new notice of proposed rulemaking by the coastguard supports long range information and tracking of vessels by the coast guard which will result in enhanced visibility of vessels offshore.

The 9/11 commissions recommendations act requires overseas radiation and NII inspection of all cargoes bound for the US. According to this statute containers should be run through radiation detection equipment and non-intrusive imaging equipment before vessel loading.

If there is strict vigilance against terrorist attack risks and prudent security measures are adopted and they are constantly enhanced to stay updated for future security risks the threat of terrorist attacks can be abated to some extent.

The shipping industry has welcomed these enhanced security measures by the coast guard and has decided to comply with most of the measures to combat the enhanced threat of terrorist attacks.

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Congratulation America, You Have Now Been Changed

Last night the House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the health care bill. With the passing of this bill the fundamental right of Americans to make decisions about their own health has been removed. America has traded it freedom for what has been sold to us as health care for all (security). Now the words of Thomas Jefferson, "The man that would choose security over freedom deserves neither" will ring in our ears for a while and then will fade away over time as new generations are taught the lie that Nancy Pelosi spouted as she gave her final speech before the bill passed last night. "Americans have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and Americans will be able to pursue their happiness with the passage of this bill.", but the bill only destroys life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This bill destroys life by opening the door to federal funded abortion and opens the door to euthanasia. Senator Bart Stupak played the part of Judas last night as he betrayed his pro-life constituency for some sleazy back room deal. The bill puts a massive federal bureaucracy in Washington which will have the power over life and death. And the IRS has now become the health care enforcer.

Taxes will rise like never before as the bureaucrats suck away funds for there own well being as the bureaucracy sprawls. The Great Depression will seem like a walk in the park compared to the pain to come, as our debt mounts and the counties inability to sustain itself diminishes. You voted for the left and now you got it. The crucification of America is nearing its completion.

So congratulation America you are no longer the land of freedom. You are now run by the socialists elite who promise you everything, but can give you nothing. That's your change.

Joseph Conigliaro
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Hitler on Lying to the People

The great masses of the people ... will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one. -- Adolf Hitler [1889-1945] from Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

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America On the Brink

The socialists in congress are about to make the land of the free and the home of the brave into the nanny state of America. Tomorrow the United State Congress will vote on the health care bill that 39 State Attorney Generals threaten to sue the Federal Government over the bills unconstitutionality. It appears congress is deaf to the pleas of its people not to pass this bill. So, we continue on the path to destruction of the greatest wealth building machine and guardian of freedom in the world. The American people are already suffering from the tyranny of the federal government with oppressive taxes, environmental over regulation, and anti defense legislation.

They told us it was coming and here it is. The bill puts the IRS in charge of your life. Putting it in a position to penalize you up to $2,000 for not having health insurance or not having insurance to its liking. Government will soon control the banking industry, the health industry and the auto industry. As the people of America continue to loose there freedom so will the world. The elite will place more and more controls on us, manipulating our lives and depressing opportunity. Speaker Pelosi promises a torrent of legislation, which will move the country to have government controlled health care. And as the socialists make you more dependent on them, your autonomy will diminishes.

The only path to improving your situation will be through the socialist network. And so America this is your last chance. If this bill is not stopped decisively tomorrow, there will be many dark days ahead. The change will not appear to be rapid, but 10 years is a blink of an eye compared to eternity. Is socialism or communism really the gift you want to leave your children? I will cry tomorrow should this bill pass, because its passage signals the beginning of the end for a great country. A country that was given the greatest of gifts by it's founders, The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. These documents no longer mean anything now, because our legislature of elitists no longer honors them or the people of America.

Perhaps we deserve what we may get? This would be punishment we would be imposing on our selves, because so many of us are so self indulgent that we think only about our own welfare rather than what is better for all of us. Or perhaps we are so jaded that we can no longer discern the truth. The lies that the democrats tell may be what they believe to be the truth, but history tells us otherwise. We must stay grounded it the truths our founding fathers understood and passed down to us.

So America, continue to make your voices heard. Continue to fight for your freedom. Make those calls to your congressmen. March in protest. Tell them your independence is more important than their power. Tell them to start over and give us a free market solution to our health care problem. Tell them to correct the injustices in our legal system, with just laws the treat both parties in a dispute fairly, not punish the defendant doctor all the time. America deserve better then the abomination of law we have and what this bill may give us tomorrow.

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What Does Mindset and Apple Have in Common?

If Apple was a network marketing company, I'd be their top leader. Now you're wondering why I say that, might be an awful funny way to look at it, but it's all about mindset. Mindset is key when it comes to what we do. It's the first most important key to actual success.

I've been worrying that mindset was the reason I've been struggling, and in a way, that worrying helped to foster holding me back and affected my company in a negative way. Not because of it stopping me from doing work, learning, or trying to move forward. It's because of that subconscious barrier that everyone can see, even if they don't perceive it.

Last night I was listening to an interview with Brian Fanale, that combined with listening to John Jackson live, as well as Gregg Davison sticking in my head from the week before, and the light came on. All of them were talking about mindset, and how important it is. When I combined all of this with "Tribes" by Seth Godin, "Crush It" by Gary Vaynerchuk and a good nights sleep it hit me. Mindset was the answer to all my problems and woes.

I realized that when I talk to people about saving money on their cable bill by using Apple products, or how I have my house set up and optimized because of the Apple products I own and I have working together, discussing their products, or even just helping people with their products. One key is always there whether it be a friend a stranger or even an Apple employee, they're all listening, they're all excited and they're all engaged in what I'm telling them.

You're probably sitting there telling yourself it's because I'm an "Apple Genius" and know everything there is to know about Apple. If that's the case you'd be wrong. I know what I know about Apple from just picking up and using their products. I can't program, I can't do all the nifty special keystroke combinations and I'm only running some of their basic hardware. No, the difference is my passion and confidence with my knowledge and their products.

When I'm discussing Apple, I know in my heart that they are a good company, their customer service in the world of computers is top notch, the quality that goes into their hardware I believe to be 2nd to none, and the genius how all of it works together and integrates is amazing. I'd only wish they'd come out with their own car stereo system to extend the house to the car and you could sync it via wifi when you pulled in the drive, but that's not neither here nor there.

See I have a passion for Apple, not because I own their stocks or I work for them, in fact they've turned me down twice for jobs. It's just a part of me, when I talk about it this inner light shines through into what I'm saying, into my being, I know that I know what I'm talking about, I'm confident about it, I am it. I mean I'm a part of Apple as Apple is a part of me, at that moment we are one and the same, and this attracts anyone into the conversation magnetically. You ask why, I say because of mindset and passion.

When it comes to having a business, you have to get away from what you don't know, what you don't have, what you need, and focus on what you know to be true and what you know the future holds. I knew I was going to be a leader in my company, but I didn't know how to get there. I knew mindset was the obstacle that was holding me up. But it was that mindset, that was holding me back.

Today is different. Today I know I'm a top leader in my company. Why, because I realized I already was, I just have to chip away the stone for everyone else to see it like an artist sculpts marble. An artist already sees what's within and knows it's there. He only has to chip away the rough edges for everyone else to see it too. Chevy Chase said it best in Caddy Shack "You have to be the ball." Be that leader, let your passion and confidence show through. Stop focusing on what you're missing, needing, not getting, don't have, lacking in knowledge etc... be what you already are. The leader of today, that the artist shows everyone else tomorrow.

John Woodman is an expert in marketing and social media strategies. More about mindset and Appleat his blog. To see how he stays on permanent vacation go to I want to live a vacation. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Woodman http://www.pippoproducts.com/business/index.html

Do Politicians Need to Go Undercover?

It has been educational and interesting to watch the new show, Undercover Boss. Corporate executives pose as a new employee starting in the company. They work for one day at various jobs in the company in various locations to gain an impression of what their employees experience. Thus far each show has revealed some serious problems, as well as some very good situations.

Each executive has been surprised by their discoveries, believing that they had a much better idea of what occurred than they actually had. As one commented, when they visit an outlet or branch, everyone knows they are coming and they see only the best. Most of their input is normally derived from regional managers who get their information from area managers. Area managers receive their input from outlet managers, who are in contact with shift managers, overseeing the employees. Information is lost at each step of the process. Decisions are made which affect the most basic levels, but often unexpected results are not seen at the decision level.

When 7-11 CEO visited the store that sells the most cups of coffee of any in their world wide chain to see what the difference was, since the store sells several times as much as any other store. He was surprised to learn that the difference was the lady making the coffee. She used the same coffee but was very particular about how the coffee was made. She also chatted with the customers, calling them by name and showing interest in them, selling more than 2500 cups of coffee daily. Working with her, he discovered that the location of the sink made keeping up very difficult. He mentioned this and she said that she had made the same request repeatedly but that it had never been heeded, The CEO realized that changing the arrangement, and training other employees to deal with customers in a similar manner could have a huge impact on their coffee sales.

Another problem he discovered was that priorities of maintence were much different at corporate offices and in individual stores. Changing light bulbs was low in priority at the maintenance division, but store managers and employees saw that bad lighting increased the likely hood of injury, and led to mistakes and customer dissatisfaction.

Waste Management's CEO discovered that attempts to increase profitability sometimes resulted in loss of business or employee dissatisfaction, such as docking an employee for being late, or expecting other employees to take up the slack when someone quit. In one case one employee was covering what had formerly been three other employees jobs, with no additional pay. Stress was forcing her to consider finding another job. Constant evaluations of employees was creating anxiety and an increase in turnover.

In an effort to produce a consistent quality of product, White Castle Hamburgers had developed a policy in which a specific order of assembly of the hamburgers was required. Employees discovered that the sequence slowed production to a level that would not meet the orders. By changing the sequence they could do so. The supervisor lived in dread of losing her job because she was not following company policy or losing her job because the line was not producing enough.

Hooter's Restaurants discovered that their policies appeared to many to be degrading to women, and resulted in some managers treating women in a degrading manner. As a result, many women and families would not eat there, and some employees would not recommend it as a place to work.

The CEOs in each case had been unaware of these problems. In many cases they had approved these policies in an effort to prevent or resolve some other problem, not realizing the effect it would have on their business. Many times the needed changes were minimal in cost, but made tremendous differences in customer or employee satisfaction. Until they actually experienced it for themselves, the importance was not recognized.

We find a similar disconnect between our political figures and their constituents. Most of Congress's information is derived from state party leaders and political figures who get their information from lower ranking political figures, or government employees. Even sincere attempts to get grassroots information can fail because of filtering by party leaders, or a desire on the part of constituents to put their best foot forward when meeting such important people. Many times, people have become so used to problems they have just accepted that no change will be made, and don't mention them, like the location of the sink in the 7-11 stores.

Different priorities can result in failure to recognize real problems, like maintenance's failure to realize the importance of replacing light bulbs. For example, while some people cannot get insurance due to pre-existing conditions, far more cannot afford the price of health insurance. To pay taxes or higher prices for other's to be covered will only exacerbate the problem. Unfortunately, such a problem may be dismissed as minor by those in authority, because it doesn't affect them.

In large part, current dissatisfaction with political leadership stems from this disconnect. Like the CEOs, they have no idea what their constituents face each day. The five days undercover did not reveal all the problems, but it did show the CEOs that problems existed of which they were unaware. Perhaps a similar effort would make political leaders aware of their isolation from the daily problems of most people.

President Obama's reported family income of 4.6 million in 2007 was far lower than that of most congressional leaders, but it is more than 100 times as much as the average family in New Mexico earns. It is nearly 20 times as much as the lowest level of those who are expected to pay extra for the healthcare and bailout programs earn. The essential cost for a family of four should be very nearly the same, so the majority of difference is in discretionary spending, for a nicer home or car, etc. Mandantory insurance or increased taxes will affect him far less than it will the average person, or even the small business owner. It will affect some of the others much less than it affects him.

Going undercover might well enable our politicians to better understand the concerns of their constituents, although it would not reveal everything. The longer a man has been in politics, the separation from his people, and the more he needs to make such an effort to connect.

Donald Fishgrab writes the blog Being Christian Today to help others in understanding the Bible. Each post is in the form of a study connecting to the passages before and after. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Fishgrab http://www.pippoproducts.com/software/index.html

US Government Spending Must Fade to Black

Four key numbers - government spending, federal tax revenue, the budget deficit, and national debt - provide important and sobering insight into our current fiscal health. 2010's raw numbers are dramatic and mind boggling to the point of distraction, but relating them to our $14.3 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) make them relevant, easier to comprehend, and relatable to one another. Those ratios are as follows: government spending/GDP is 28%; federal tax revenue/GDP is 16%; the budget deficit/GDP is 12%; and the national debt/GDP is 85%. Those ratios are horrendous, especially considering, for example, that the European Union requires members to have national debt and budget deficit ratios less than 40% and 3%, respectively, when they join the union, considerably lower than ours at the moment.

The current budget deficit is 12% of GDP (28% -16%); and will add to our national debt. That deficit means that our economy is currently borrowing 45 cents of every dollar it spends, and at that level it should push our national debt to 109% of GDP within a couple of years (85% + [12% x 2]). That would put us in the esteemed company of Greece and well on our way to the disastrous path of Japan.

Arithmetically, there are two major solutions: decrease spending, increase taxes, or do some of each. Politically, the solution is not so easy. The liberals (usually democrats) want to increase taxes, believing that corporations and the wealthy should pay more to meet our needs. The conservatives (usually republicans) want to decrease spending, pointing to government waste and inefficiency and a spending level similar to some of the European socialist governments. They also say that the top 10% of taxpayers already pay more than 70% of all federal taxes, so it is unlikely that further tax increases targeting only the wealthy will yield enough tax revenue to mitigate our fiscal problem.

Obviously, fiscal policymakers would like to tinker with all four numerators of those ratios, but they should also consider policies that might increase the denominator, GDP, which would also help solve the problem. History and the facts seem to favor the conservative strategy of cutting government spending and cutting taxes as effective catalysts for economic growth. Apparently, across-the-board tax cuts worked well for both democrat and republican administrations, under Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s, John Kennedy in the 1960s, Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, and Bill Clinton in the 1990s.

Reducing our future budget deficits will limit our compounding national debt, and should be our immediate objective. However, reducing our national debt should be a very close second objective. When our debt's interest rates, currently artificially low at 3%, double, triple or worse, the attendant increase in debt payments could cripple our financial system and economy. Rising interest rates will be an inevitable part of the global recovery and it may happen sooner than later. An expanding global demand for capital, global inflation, and a potential reduction in the US credit rating, are among the major factors that could easily cause a dramatic increase in those interest rates and our interest payments. And, as those debt interest payments become a greater proportion of the spending budget they will either crowd out important investment and consumption spending or increase the budget, thereby further expanding our national debt and our fiscal problems. It will come at the expense of our economic growth, productivity and standard of living.

Some expect the government to continue printing money as it and many other governments have done during similar crises in history. This time may be different, however, as the major holders of our debt, especially China, may have something to say about the US deliberately devaluing its debts and their investments. Although inflating out of the problem effectively grows the denominator, GDP, it does so artificially in inflated (not real) terms, and ravages US financial and fixed income assets, such as bank deposits, savings bonds, social security and pension funds. It may also ruin the US dollar. Is that better than a smaller government and reducing government spending?

More articles by this author are available at http://joedelcasino.blogspot.com. Books are available athttp://www.Xlibris.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joe_DelCasino http://www.pippoproducts.com/familyfinance/index.html

The Principles of Liberty - Principle 6

All Men Are Created Equal

When we read the statement "All Mankind are Created Equal", what do we think that it means? We know that we are all born into different lifestyles, have different talents and abilities, and different opportunities, so what did the Founder's mean by that statement? There are only three ways that mankind can be equal, and they are to be treated as equals in the sight of God, in the sight of the law, and in the protection of their rights. Some people, like Jean Jacques Rousseau, get a little confused and think that this means that men should be equal in all things. John Adam's called this type of thinking a "gross fraud".

While our country has not had a perfect history in defending the rights of all, that is what the Founder's intended. The breakdown really occurs with minorities. Minorities in any country feel like they are the outsiders and they want to be the insiders. What is interesting about America is that every group in this nation was once a minority. After the major influx of immigrants to the U.S., it was only two or three generations before the immigrants became first-class citizens.

After the Constitution was adopted in 1789, there were four amendments added to make sure that everyone could enjoy equal rights. These were the thirteenth, the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the Nineteenth.

The Founders distinguished between equal rights and they recognized that society should seek to provide equal opportunities but not expect equal results, provide for equal rights, but not equal things; provide equal protection but not equal status; provide equal education opportunities but not equal grades. The founder's believed that the moment that we tried to force people to have everything equally would be the moment that we lose our liberty.

How do we protect our liberty by making sure that we all have equal opportunity, but do not fall for the social trap of having equal things? We do this by learning to be satisfied with what we have in our own lives, and by not coveting what our neighbor has. While it is a simple principle, it is hard for some to live. Many think that they are entitled to have everything, and are unhappy if they don't. Another way that we can protect liberty is not to support or vote for any programs that redistribute the wealth of the people, no matter how good they make it sound, or how charitable they claim their motivations are. Individuals are much more effective at charity work then any government could ever be.

Charity Angel is an author, singer, political activist, small business owner, and an online business coach. Find more of her thoughts Here. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charity_Angel http://www.pippoproducts.com/familyfinance/index.html

A Tale Of Two Tea Parties

Lying to the American people is a time honored pastime which has evolved into a fine art by our government.

The story of the Boston Tea Party, the real story, is much more fun than the government sponsored version, and I'll present it to you, dear reader, just as a backdrop to what is going on in 2010, with the emergence of a new Tea Party.

In December 1773, three British ships arrived in Boston harbor, laden with cheap Dutch East India tea. This company was going bankrupt, with a million pounds of tea starting to rot in their London warehouses. They decided to ship their tea to America, to be sold at fire sale prices. Good for them, good for American tea buyers.

Samuel Adams and John Hancock had been making their fortunes by smuggling cheap Dutch tea into America, undercutting the price established by the Dutch East India Company. This was one of the reasons that the British company was in dire financial straits. Americans were buying the cheap, smuggled tea, not theirs.

When Adams and Hancock beheld these 3 ships in their harbor, they saw their businesses on the brink of extinction, with their warehouses full of smuggled Dutch tea having its value cut in half. The two American patriots convinced the locals that if they allowed the cheap British tea into America, the tea would be followed by other cheap British commodities, ruining their American businesses. This was a lie, but believed well enough so that about 50 or so patriotic Americans were convinced to embarrass themselves by dressing up like American Indians, going out to the British ships, and with great encouragement from Hancock and Adams, smashed open the boxes of British tea and tossed them into Boston Harbor.

The businesses of Adams and Hancock were saved, and today we have at least two monuments to these American patriots in the form of a huge building in Boston named for Hancock, and a damn fine beer named for Adams.

Fast forward to 2010 and the emergence of a political group of angry Americans named for the original Boston Tea Party. The engine driving this new force is anger over the Democrat controlled government that is lying to the American people, continuing this fine old tradition. What they are trying to convince the people to do, though, is not to toss cheap tea overboard, but to believe that they, our rulers, know what they are doing, will fix the economy, will keep all of us safe from nut cases like the Underwear Bomber, will give all Americans the very best health care system in the world, and on and on.

It ain't so, and millions of Americans are waking up to the realization that the Democrats/Liberals/President Obama don't have a clue about how to fix the things that are destroying our country, yet they are pressing down harder on the accelerator of a vehicle called "America," which has now gone off the edge of a cliff. It is like what happens in a cartoon, when one of the characters is running full speed away from something and can't stop in time and goes off the edge of the cliff and, for a moment or two, is suspended in midair, while the realization of where he is shows on his face. The last horrified words he utters are lost as gravity takes effect and he plummets to the ground, landing with a loud "Plop."

Miraculously, the cartoon character appears in the next scene, seemingly in perfect health despite falling a thousand feet to the ground. This works in cartoons, and does not work in the life of a country. Millions of horrified Americans are joining the Tea Party movement, as it becomes clear to them that we've gone off a cliff, time is up and the country is in free fall with the ground coming up fast.

With the country being driven away from the conservative values that made us great, the Democrats and President Obama are destroying the quality of our lives. Health care, the value of our money, crumbling infrastructure unnoticed and unattended, families destroyed when its wage earner loses a job and cannot find another, families living in a car when their home is foreclosed. Big government is on a rampage, stealing the wealth from the very people who built our greatness, restricting our movements and individual freedoms, scaring the hell out of us with periodic announcements of a coming devastating attack on "one of our cities, by someone we can't identify, at a time we cannot predict," but don't worry, WE'LL protect you. All you have to do is trust us. Yeah, sure. Thanks, Big Brother.

This is said on the front steps of a building that houses billions of dollars that are being shoveled out the back door into a long line of trucks with corporate names painted on their sides. A few billion gets shoveled into an agency called the TSA, which hires incompetent people not even qualified to bag groceries, to frisk everyone at our airports, or to sit at a screen of a super expensive snooping device that act like Superman's x-ray vision, and undresses us all to these mouth breathing louts.

Our rulers know that spending billions of dollars at our airports has gotten to its end game with the placing of these "x-ray" machines. They can't go any further than getting down to our skin, and they also know that the next attempt at blowing up an American plane may come from a woman suicide bomber whose breast implants are a form of plastic explosive. Take that, Uncle Sam, you and your expensive technologies. We need protection, yes, but it needs to be realistic protection. The Israeli's have been successful for decades, protecting their flying citizens without a TSA. Why not "go to school" on their efforts? Do what they do.

Angry Americans are waking up to the truths of what this Democrat controlled government is REALLY all about. It's all about control and the exercise of power over the people. It's all about creating a society that wrenches away control of our lives and puts it in the hands of a few power and money hungry elected officials. It's all about making us all "equal," with no reward for excellence but medals for the mediocre. It didn't work in the Soviet Union or China and it especially won't work here. Tea Party-ers know this and they are mad and won't take it any more. This amazing movement back to conservative values is spontaneous and widespread, too widespread for the little people in Washington to stamp out. It's a play coming to a theater near you. You should buy tickets to it.

Allan Sanford Allan Sanford writes for the conservative web site http://www.JIPW.com/ His articles deal mainly with the deceit and deceptions of our elected officials. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Sanford http://www.pippoproducts.com

The Love - Hate Relationship in American Politics - A Book Review

They say you should not talk about religion or politics in mixed company, and yet, that's exactly what people want to talk about. Especially politics, and everyone has an opinion, and they are dying to tell you, and explain why. And if you disagree, well God help you, because they are going to convince you otherwise if it takes them all night. It seems that Americans have a love-hate relationship with politics, on one hand they just can't get enough of it, on another hand they feel repulsed by it.

If you'd like to talk more about this philosophical debate, then I have a very good book for you to read. Not only is it interesting, but it will very much make you think. I keep a copy in my personal library; the name of the book is;

"Why Americans Hate Politics" by EJ Dionne Junior, 1991

Divide and conquer is the name of the game, but this author explains how political parties hurt Americans, and he gives an interpretive history of 30 years of politics from 1960 to 1990, it's quite good indeed. He explains all the differences between; neo conservatism, liberals, socialists, reformers, libertarians, leftists, and even communists. He explains McGovern and the modern Republicans.

This book is broken into parts and in Part One; "the failures of liberalism" and the new left he goes into great detail. He explains Reagan's issues and concerns about over regulation and he goes into great details about the divides that we have placed in our society and civilization such as; blacks and whites, family politics, and feminism.

If you are a liberal he won't let you off the hook, neither will he back off from the conservatism contradictions or the religious right and how Christianity was hijacked by the Republicans. He also explains how politics and economics go hand-in-hand, and there is a chapter on supply-side economics.

The chapter I enjoyed the most was the one about "the logic of false choices and the lesser of two evils." He explains how all these factors led to voter revolts and lower turnouts, as he shows us that people are tired of politics, and they no longer trust the system, which is a scary thought in and of itself. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes politics are problematic. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow http://www.pippoproducts.com/products4.html

Strong Leaders

What ever happened to strong leaders? The kind that fought for, and built the greatest nation ever known. What ever happened to the kind of leaders, that made the right decisions; Even when they weren't the easy or popular ones? The kind of leader that understood the stakes, and made decisive moves in spite of them. The kind of leader, that didn't base his decisions on opinion polls, or popularity ratings.

It seems that today's leaders are more concerned with re-election than standing on the fundamental and sound judgment of those that built this great nation. From the oval office to the local school board; it seems today's politicians are more interested in buying a vote than earning the trust and respect of those, who elected them. We as a society should put more emphasis on the unwavering principles, of our elected officials. Focus less on what they can do for us, and concern ourselves with the content of their character, and what they as our elected leaders can do for this great nation.

I'm tired of watching snake oil salesmen, elected to office based on bumper stickers, and slick slogans. Each man has a moral code, they live by. If it doesn't include, a strong belief in freedom, liberty, independence, and individuality; then he has no place in office. An elected official should concern himself with the prosperity of his respective jurisdiction. It's not his place to make promises, that will be payed for, by the sweat of others.

Honesty, and common sense is what's lacking most, in American leaders.The American people, don't need empty promises, mixed with a little mindless rhetoric. What we need are results. What we need is for someone to make the hard decisions. Our country is going to hell in a hand basket, and our elected officials are still making promises that, we just can't keep.

Thank God somebody gets it. Thank God somebody understands, we can't just continue with this tax and spend mentality. Recently a man, by the name of Chris Christie was elected, by the people of New Jersey, to serve as governor. Governor Christie, appears to have the wherewithal to repair a broken state. A state, that per capita has the highest deficit in all of the United States.

Already, the governor has froze spending, as well as made many hard decisions on cutting programs, and program assistance. What amazes me is, if Mr. Christie, gets his way he will fix New Jersey, and he'll do it with a common sense approach. Where have people like this been hiding? While everyone else is out there spending, as if they've won the lottery.

Let's get back to the basics, in this country. Back to the fundamental principles that made our country, the greatest ever known. It is the strength, and ingenuity of the American people, that made us the economic leaders of the world. When you place the burden of over taxation on the entrepreneurial spirit of the American people; you stifle progress. Therefore slowing Economic growth.

http://www.wellroundedpeople.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lannis_Mock http://www.pippoproducts.com/products2.html

Key Economic Indicators to Watch Now

There is voluminous information and statistics put out by government agencies, non-profits, private companies and pundits as they track the economy. However, there are some basic key indicators that economists and government officials rely upon, and you should be aware of what they are.

Listed below are some of the most important indicators to watch.

GDP. Gross Domestic Product is the broadest of the nation's measurement, updated by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. GDP is the market value of all final goods and services produced in the nation during a certain time period, measuring the health and wealth of the economy. About two-thirds of our GDP is driven by individual consumption, not by business or government. The Federal Reserve uses the data (with other data & indicators) to help determine their actions on interest rates.

A recession is officially defined as negative growth in the GDP for two or more successive quarters. Technically, our current recession has ended since the GDP was up in the third and fourth quarter of 2009. After retracting 6.4% in the first quarter of 2009 and then 0.7% in quarter two, the economy grew 3.5% in the third quarter and 5.7% in the fourth quarter. (Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis).

S&P 500 Stock Index (S&P 500). The Standard and Poor's 500 is made up of major companies in various industries (financial, industrial, utilities, transportation). This is a market value-weighted index of large-cap common stocks and their performance is thought to be representative.This basket of stocks has become one of the industry benchmarks. A declining index (as we dramatically saw last year) can sometimes signal a tightening of belts for businesses and consumers and related problems in the economy (or credit markets, for instance). While the index dropped more than 40% in 2008, the average in 2009 stood at 13.6% and to date in early 2010 it is increasing further.

Consumer Price Index (CPI). CPI is an inflationary indicator. It measures the average changes in the prices paid for a fixed basket of goods and services, and is sometimes a tool for measuring the cost of living. CPI includes food & beverages, housing costs, clothing, medical care, utilities, education and transportation (among other products or services). It does not include income, investments in stocks or bonds, life insurance or social security taxes. The January 2010 CPI rose 0.2%; in 2009, the index increased 2.6% before seasonal adjustments. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Current Employment Statistics (CES). CES is the data on national employment, unemployment, and non-agricultural industries, and the information is released monthly. Employment statistics are an early indicator of economic trends, level of business activity and health; yet they are usually the trailing or lagging indicator coming out of a recession. Unemployment is an issue today while some other areas of the economy have recovered. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Housing Starts.Formally known as the new residential construction index, this data represents new construction projects started (issued monthly). The data is highly sensitive to changes in the mortgage rates, general business health, and because it is represents about 4% of the GDP, it can signal changes in the economy. According to the Congressional Budget Office (document 3183), housing starts peaked at over 2.1 million in the first quarter of 2006 (helped by low interest rates and easy lending standards). By the 2nd Quarter of 2008, the starts were cut almost in half to 1 million, and decreased to 900,000 in the 3rd Quarter. Housing start recovery will depend upon clearing out excess inventory, demand, access to credit and unemployment. (Source U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau).

Consumer Confidence Survey. Finally, this is the temperature of the public's confidence about the U.S. economy and situation. The survey shows either optimism or pessimism of consumers. Five questions are asked of a random sampling of 5,000, and the data is released monthly. While still mixed and relatively low, the index has risen for three consecutive months, standing at 55.9 in January 2010.

Kathy writes about commercial real estate and the overall economy. She is President of a commercial real estate firm, Legacy Real Estate & Investments, and author of "Effortless Cash Flow: The ABCs of TICs (Tenant in Common Properties)" and "Investing in Oil and Gas: the ABC's of DPPs". Kathy is working on a new real estate book for 2010. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Heshelow http://www.pippoproducts.com/business/index.html

How to Build Business With the Habit Most People Forget to Develop

Warren Buffett is known for not sharing his specific strategies; and yet his knowledge is so desirable that a dozen or more authors have written about what they think he does. By Buffett's own admission, the best book about him is called The Essays of Warren Buffett, by Professor Lawrence Cunningham. The book carries a series of articles explaining why Mr. Buffet invests as he does, and how he manages risk and opportunity.

People want to know what works. We like to be connected to the action.And more often than not the action is around the money. This will give you the outline for having and enjoying real wealth.

Several very wealthy people openly share their observations about investment. Donald Trump and Robert Kiyosaki cared enough to write a book about the importance of investing as a wealthy person, called "Why We Want You to Be Rich"; perhaps not the classiest title, but their direct approach is refreshing, and their advice extremely useful.

The saying "the rich get richer" negates the opportunities available and the type of work that makes one wealthy. Kiyosaki and Trump have evolved themselves into teachers. And they begin by encouraging a different approach to money-that is their job #1. That is their key advice. It is difficult to overlook Donald Trump's role as an educator. After all, Trump's television program, "The Apprentice," provided MBA-level lessons on business decision-making.

Another book on the subject of becoming rich is, "How to Get Rich", by Felix Dennis. Dennis is a publisher behind such diverse publications as Maxim and The Week. He is also a very talented poet. Dennis' stories are both pointed and funny, and they have much in common with Kiyosaki and Trump. For one, he's really made a lot of money. What's more important, though, is a sense of the humility necessary to really "make it."

Get rich quick? If you are very, very lucky, yes, you can. You can also lose it pretty darn quick, something I regret being experienced in. Let's dissect how to get and keep what you want.

THE LESSONS AND HOW TO FIND THEM

The lessons of the real rich are about sales, persistence, teamwork, collaboration, networking and finance; and using one's intellect. It should not surprise anyone that a very successful person's high standards are carefully crafted, not manufactured.

Significant thought goes into their creation and execution. Such is the case with one story Trump tells of finding a wet, men's room floor. He prompted a staff member to remedy the situation. When he went back to the men's room the floor was still wet. He fired the staff member. Was it a question of responsibility, promptness, loyalty? No. It was a question of making sure there was no threat of a lawsuit should someone fall because of the wet floor.

But, even before he was an hotelier and entertainment executive, thoroughness was at the core of Trump's thinking. In "The Art of the Deal" Trump speaks of a disagreement with his father about the expense of marble walls at Trump Tower. His father, Fred, argued that the expense was excessive. Donald prevailed and the reputation for elegance coupled with service continues today. Their views differed, but their mutual respect was always intact.

HERE IS THE MISSING HABIT

Knowing whom to work with, and how, is a science; the art is in recognizing the opportunities. And the opportunities come from the relationships you have; that is the habit many people never develop.

Contrary to the promises of some financial advertising, a financial life plan requires hard work and careful planning. And the nature of that planning has changed. Planning decisions are no longer an event, but an ongoing process. That correctly implies a balance where clients are responsible and team members are accountable for all results.

The complexities of money management and the laws that govern this field simply require thorough and careful study. We can receive proper professional advise on our cash, property, education, health, and other investments best when we have experts in each working as a team.

Clients work best with professionals when they are clear enough to guide the professional. The best way to guide professionals is not to become an expert, but to demand and expect adherence to three tasks. The three tasks for rounded and thorough business, individual and family economic planning are:

o Service
o Fiduciary duty
o Scenario planning

These tasks are easily applied to the four plans for sustaining growth; the four plans offer a philosophical orientation whose elements are readily integrated and managed throughout one's lifetime. These include:

o The Business plan
o The Succession plan
o The Estate plan
o The Wealth plan

While these tools are excellent for securing financial objectives, is getting more money and greater wealth the sole objective? Not always.

Many of us want to engage in pursuits that enable us to better the lives of those less fortunate. Richard Branson, U2's lead singer Bono and the late John Templeton each engaged pursuits well beyond their core businesses. Branson, while at this writing managing an airline, is committed to travel in outer space and to creating a renewable jet fuel; Bono U2's lead singer is an agent for world peace; and the late John Templeton who ran an investment empire, funded discoveries and new thinking in religion and science.

The new freedom of thought attached to wealth is why many come to believe that the most exciting of the four plans is what I call the wealth plan. This plan has the capacity to expand our sense of meaning in our lives.

Meaning, however, also emerges from our core business and work. We've all had jobs and been in ridiculous situations.

I consult in real estate finance and marketing. But, my first job after college was as a licensed insurance agent for the Combined Insurance Company. I lived in Virginia, just outside Washington, DC. For me, sales was an eye-opening experience. I met numerous people who excelled at sales of what we called "sickness" policies that our company's owner, Mr. Stone himself, referred to as "the little giant." It was so named because it provided solid value to many at low cost. Stone developed a system that attracted driven individuals and then trained them according to his positive thinking beliefs. This included a scripted ten-minute sales presentation.

One memorable attention "checker" in the presentation was this: "We not only pay you if you are sick, Mrs. Jones, we pay you if you are sick and tired - how is that? No we can't really do that, but..." A bit of humorous relief delivered. Ideally, the serious sales presentation continued through to the signing. Slick and scientific.

These low-cost "Little Giant" policies sold well and did provide value to the customer. In 1979, it was rumored that Clement Stone had a net worth of around $500 million dollars. For my part, I struggled with whether this was the best product I could be delivering these people. Perhaps I was too soft for this type of selling. I felt I could be successful at it, after all it provided me with a remarkable insight into people and the compensation seemed good. But, it felt awkward to be so impersonal, on what I felt was a very personal decision. So we parted ways.

Over the last few years I have spoken with professional advisers interested in real estate. They all like the potential profit margin, the income and the tax benefits, working together. In New York, where I maintain my real estate broker's license, I am not permitted to advise on legal matters pertaining to real estate contracts. And that is a wise law. Overall, I feel New York State's real estate laws are well written and well intentioned. They are balanced to serve both the agent/brokers and the investors/buyers. I believe they might be used as a model for good client advisory, as you will see.

Real estate has provided me the opportunity to experience financial opportunities that occur faster than most professionals can even dream.

In the example of the house in Long Island from the book, I recognized a negative scenario that could have cost the family several million dollars in estate taxes. Instead, with a trusted advisory team over a period of three years, building the right team, and staying on track with the client's objectives, we restructured the estate, and made investment changes that produced a 150% increase in cash value invested. This exceeded even the bull market of the period 2002 to 2005.

Here Is The Rest of the Story Behind The Little Black Book on Wealth Generation

Picture a large summer "cottage" in the estate section of an old Long Island summer community. The house is in disrepair, not noticeably to most people, except for some of the obvious wear on carpeting, floors and doors.

However, it was not the desire for cosmetic changes that hastened the decision to renovate, what led to the decision to renovate was a structural hazard. The caretaker of the property, using a clever but potentially dangerous short-cut, had extended a 30 foot horizontal chase from the oil burning furnace to the chimney. Over a 20-year period fumes had begun to escape this unusually long chase to leak into the house.

You can guess what happened next. The estimate to replace the furnace turned into a rolling estimate as other problems began to appear. It wasn't just the furnace that had been jerry-rigged, it was the entire house! As a structural support, the same caretaker had placed three concrete blocks on a piece of plywood; our new team member brought to our attention that these three concrete blocks were holding up the entire back section of a three-story house.

What happened next was a series of drastic changes that I described earlier. All the advisors were fired, with the exception of the old entitled family attorney. A cohesive partnership was created; a team consisting of a builder, subcontractors, engineer, and other craftspeople required to rebuild the house in its entirety worked together to create a finely orchestrated process. Moreover, the house was located in an historic district. It not only couldn't be destroyed and rebuilt; the house had to be "replaced in kind." If you have ever worked on a historic home you know the level of engineering and architectural skills needed. Such skills exist, but it takes a team to make them work.

Seeing is believing.

Robert Bailey is the author of "The Billionaires Little Black Book" from which this is excerpted. You can find out what is new at the blog http://investmentofalifetime.com. There are regular surveys and additional free information there. You may also see more or receive a special bonus with purchase directly from us throughhttp://thebillionaireslittleblackbook.com. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_M._Bailey http://www.pippoproducts.com/business/index.html