Tax Day. Do you need an extension?

Tax Day. When I was growing up, April 15 meant one thing - my grandfather was going to run to the accountant and request an extension. To this day I still do not know why he just didn't file his return, procrastination I guess, but still it is an image that I won't forget. In today's world, tax day brings a totally different image to mind. Thousands of people gathering on lawns, in parks, and on malls all over the country to display their anger over what the government is doing with regards to not only taxation but to the takeovers of healthcare and private businesses, the excessive spending practices, and to the overall weakening of our country perceived by the attendees.

Opponents of the Tea Party movement will counter today's gatherings as right-winged Republican love fests and the "tea-baggers" are so stupid that they don't even realize that they paid less in taxes this year. Here's the problem with that logic. No one that I met today (at the Tax Day Tea Party in Charlotte NC) was complaining about the taxes paid on returns due today. The folks I met were concerned with liberty and freedom and the futures of their children and grandchildren. They are concerned with things like renegade school boards, success of their businesses, finding or keeping a job and as most parents the idea that their children will have a better life than their own. They are concerned with dangerous legislations that will place unbelievable tax burdens on future generations. They are concerned with liberties and freedoms that are being stripped or limited and they came not to protest but rather to learn and educate themselves so that they can share these ideas with everyone that they meet.

Today I met a gentleman with Campaign for Liberty. David was most hospitable as I asked him to explain why he was at today's event. He explained that his group is focused on gaining support of a bill that would audit the Federal Reserve. He, like others in his group, was gathering signatures in order to present them to Senator Kay Hagan who as of today has not shown her willingness to support Senate bill S604 which has the support in the manner of a co-sponsorship by Senator Burr. (The House of Representatives has a similar bill (HR 1207) that has garnered some bi-partisan support here in the Tarheel state.)

I listened to impassioned speakers as they illustrated the problems, as they see them, that we are facing as a city, county, state and country. Speakers who illustrated solutions to some of the problems and complaints of the thousands on the lawn of the Old Courthouse instead of just recycling rhetoric in hopes of stirring the crowd. A merchant, who calls himself the Free Market Warrior and who was kicked out of a local mall last year (click here for a previous entry on this subject) for selling merchandise showcasing the viewpoints of the right and of the tea-party, spoke to the crowd about his plan of action. Loren Spivack urged the crowd to do something, "Three times in our history we have instituted fundamental change in this country -- the Revolutionary War, the Civil War and during the New Deal. Now we have the chance to do so again, if we are willing to DO SOMETHING." His core idea is education - of our children and ourselves. He got the biggest applause of his speech with this, "I don't want my history and values being taught by a government bureaucrat, give me the (tax) money back and I will teach my kids."

The organizer of both last year's and today's Charlotte event, Matthew Ridenhour, is both unassuming and humble but his speech was probably the most well received of the day. Matthew is a Marine who has served two tours of duty in Iraq and who began the organizing of the Tax Day Tea Party in a bar with some friends when none of them would step up to the plate. He shared his story with the crowd, "Its one thing to serve your country in Iraq and shed tears on their soil but to come home and see your country being fractured and Lady Liberty being destroyed from within...... freedom doesn't come without burden" He urged the crowd to carry that burden and to not just attend the Tea Party but to take action and educate.

Tax Day 2010. Maybe an old vision and and a new one have now combined. I think that today I witnessed an extension request from the American people (at least the ones I saw here in Charlotte). They are not willing to give up their country without a fight and they aren't just making noise. They are educating themselves on pending bills and current legislations as well as candidates who agree with them and those who don't. Be careful world, Kate Smith isn't singing yet!

Reading is Fundamental

Before yesterday, I had never heard of the Congressional Research Service. I think I am probably not alone but I am hoping that more and more people will come to know them almost as well as the Congressional Budget Office because if recent leaks of information contained in their reports are true, well they might be my new favorite entity in Washington, D.C. The CRS is a non-partisan think tank of sorts that serves a shared staff to congressional committees and members of Congress. The CRS, created in 1914 during the Wilson administration, provides analytical support in all levels of the legislative process. One of the most intriguing tasks with which they are charged is the preparing of confidential memoranda, briefings and consultations. The content of these "confidential" reports is often hard for the American public to find and access as they do not become a part of the public domain until a member of Congress releases them.

You may be asking yourself why the lesson on the Congressional Research Service - well I just thought that people should be aware that while it appears there is in fact a facet of Washington that continues to be non-partisan in its review of legislations, the reality is that the results of these evaluations are intentionally kept secret so as to allow members of Congress to continue to leave the American public in the dark and manipulate the data for their own purposes.

In August 2009, a CRS report was responsible for illustrating the fact that HR 3200 did not expressly prevent illegal immigrants from receiving benefits under the new healthcare reform bill. President Obama was quoted saying, "Illegal immigrants would not be covered. That idea has not even been on the table." The reality? The CRS report showed that there was no language in the bill that the "Health Insurance Exchange" would have any restrictions on non-citizens (whether legally or illegally present or in the United States temporarily or permanently). There is a subsection within the bill that mentions that no benefits for affordability payments are to be made to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States however since there is no specific language that establishes a verification or enforcement process (as in other Federal programs) it seems that there were gaping holes in the President's logic early on in the process of railroading this bill past the American public's opposition.

Now this week two pieces of information were brought to light through additional CRS reports. The first item is extremely disturbing. The healthcare reform bill passed contains a loophole that would not prevent "a qualified health plan in a health insurance exchange from providing coverage for drugs prescribed to treat ED to a non-incarcerated beneficiary who was previously convicted of rape, child molestation or other sexual offense." Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) proposed an amendment to the bill in the final days of negotiations but it was summarily struck down by Democrats afraid that changing any portion of the language would delay or even (gasp!) prevent the bill's passage during Reconciliation.

I don't even think that I can begin to wrap my head around that idea. Is there really someone out there who thinks that its a good idea to give child molesters and rapists Viagra? If Congress can summon the heads of major companies before them to testify as to the validity of their accounting procedures that blatantly show that the healthcare sham of a bill will cost them money then why can the American public not require every member of the Senate that had a hand in the blocking of this amendment be brought before a panel and explain why they think that adjusting this language would have prevented the bill's passage. Is there a major lobbying group of child rapists that is funding re-elections? Everyone of their constituents should call their offices immediately and demand an answer as to why this amendment was blocked.

But I have the GREATEST way to combat their answer of "it was for the greater good". The senators who blocked the amendment to prevent sex offenders from receiving prescription medicines to improve their erections may in fact have shot themselves in the foot. In the rush to get this healthcare sham passed, language included in the bill may "remove members of Congress and Congressional staff" from their current coverage, in the Federal Benefits Program, before any alternatives are available. Anyone who isn't laughing hysterically at this moment must not have a funny bone because that is simply priceless! The party line legislators who have been telling us for over a year that if we like our healthcare coverage then we can keep have now, because none of them read the whole bill before passing it, opened the door to losing their own coverage! Wow! I hope that all of these members of the House and Senate are in excellent health and have no pre-exisiting conditions or they might for once have to see what is like for the rest of us minions.

I'm firing up the DeLorean

In September 2001, President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were lambasted in both the US based main stream media as well in International media outlets for (in the wake of the attacks of September11) stating that Osama bin Laden was "Wanted Dead or Alive" or even that we wanted "his head on a platter". Where is the same outrage now as the current Administration adds an American born Muslim cleric to the "kill or capture" list?

The Bush Administration was admonished over and over for using bellicose and "Texas-style" rhetoric with regards to the terrorist responsible for murdering 2998 Americans. President Bush was accused of stripping Americans of their freedoms with the Patriot Act. The main stream media became firmly entrenched behind those who opposed the policies of President Bush. Groups like Code Pink, MoveOn.org, and the Media Fund were lauded in their vocal protests by the media. Anyone who expressed opposition to these media darlings were charged as trying to quiet the voices of dissent.

In 2003, MSNBC talking head Keith Olbermann hailed the anti-Bush protests and stated, "It is political dissent that created this country and sustained it and improved it." A mere six years later, Olbermann showed his Kerry-esque flip-flop ability (in August of 2009) saying that anti-Obama protests were "societal sabotage" and insisted that "the protesters are not interested in hearing any voices other than their own". CBS's Katie Couric was quoted as saying (with regards to the Bush administration) that there was "a sense of pressure from corporations who own where we work and from the government itself to really squash any kinds of dissent or any kind of questioning of it" Hello Pot? This is the Kettle!

A little over a year after taking office, we have now seen the Obama Administration make significant changes to National Security language. The words jihad and Islamic radicalism have been removed from a key document outlining the US security strategy. We've seen a policy released that states that we will won't use nuclear weapons on most countries no matter what they use on us. We've seen the Attorney General of the United States say that (another) 9-11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, should be tried in a Federal court in New York City but that Osama bin Laden would "never be tried in a US court" because he would most likely be killed before he was captured and they wouldn't "read Miranda rights to his corpse." We've witnessed Homeland Security (under the Obama Administration in April 2009) issue warnings that there will be rises in terror threats from home grown right-wing extremist organizations because they may be gaining new recruits by playing on fears about the recession and the election of the first African American president.

What we have also witnessed however is two very clear attacks on American soil (the first since September 11, 2001). In November 2009, Nidal Malik Hasan killed 13 American citizens and injured another 30. On December 25, 2009, Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab was apprehended after attempting to blow up Northwest Airlines Flight 253. Both of these attacks are now linked to a Muslim cleric who is also an American citizen, Anwar al-Awlaki and the Obama administration has now authorized the killing of this American citizen.

So can someone please tell me the difference between issuing a "Wanted Dead or Alive" type of statement about a monster who claimed responsibility for killing almost 3000 Americans and the authorization of a "kill or capture" order for an American born Muslim? Why do we issue vast warnings about right-wing extremists when there wasn't a single arrest of a tea party protester at any of the hundreds of tea parties (at least none that the author is aware of since I am sure had there been the main stream media would have been all over the story) across the country over the past year? Why do we remove "Islamic radicalism" from our National Security language when actual attacks on our homeland are attributed to a Muslim cleric? Why do we joke about reading Miranda rights to a dead Saudi man but then turn around and issue a kill order for an American citizen? And why do we vilify a President who uses the Patriot Act to assist in our protection yet we glorify another President who strips us of the right to choose our own (or lack thereof) health insurance and who has lied time and time again in his bid to take over one sixth of the economy?

I am confused and befuddled by this seemingly parallel universe and sometimes wish for a DeLorean so that I can speed down the road at 88 miles per hour so that I can get back to the future where I hope that this mess has been fixed by another trip back in time.

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We have a history

Is it right to continue with something just because there is a history behind it? By definition, everything and every situation has a history.

Should we continue to deny women voting rights simply because there is a history that did not allow them to? Or should slavery still be a mainstay in the south because there used to be plantation owners who owned slaves? Both of these statements are as ridiculous as the blanket statment "We have a history."

History cannot be changed that is true but our interpretations and reactions to past events can be changed. We must strive to make informed decisions on future actions based on consequences from previous experiences.

George Santayana said "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it. " I think that this (and its many variations) might be my favorite all philosophical quotes because it applies to almost every possible situation in life.

What do you think that we could have avoided repeating if we studied the history (plainly written in an autobiography) and learned that President Barack Obama was the type of man who would find it necessary to surround himself with Marxists and Communists. If we had studied our history would we now be surprised that the President fills the Oval Office with the likes of Van Jones, Ron Bloom and Reverend Jim Wallis.

What do you think that we would learn if we studied the history of any of the politicians that we elect to represent us and write our laws? We would find that there are some who cheat on their wives, their taxes or their business partners. We would also find some who are honest and hard-working individuals who have histories that feature service to our country and their communities . Which history should we use to aid us in the election of lawmakers that will be charged with caring for the future for our children?

The answer is both. So please do your homework. Study your history. Before you enter the ballot box know the history of the people for whom you press the button or pull a lever. The truth is some history should be avoided and some should be revered.

The day my family was almost murdered

Politicians have stories that they share at campaign events to try to show that they can relate to the people in the crowd. Far be it from me to operate like a politician but I have a story to share. This is the story of the man who almost murdered my family.

The afternoon of November 17, 2005 was busy. I had to get my eleven-month old daughter ready to go to her very first NHL hockey game. Since it was an almost three hour trip to the game, I was a typical mom making sure that I had everything that I could possibly need for the ride. We had a great day. My husband, daughter and I went to see the Carolina Hurricanes defeat the New York Rangers. And even though my husband was a little sad that his favorite team had lost, he was still beaming ear to ear from the experience of sharing his love of hockey and the Rangers with his little girl.

The game ended around 10pm and we began the long trip home. About an hour into the trip, with our little girl asleep in her car seat snug in her Rangers jersey, my husband had to swerve the car to miss a chair that had obviously fallen of someone's vehicle. We looked at each other and laughed - that kind of nervous laugh that you have when you don't know how else to react. An hour and a half later we exited onto the stretch of interstate that held the last 20 miles of our trip. My husband and I again exchanged a glance as if to say, "20 minutes and then we'll be home." As we crested over a hill near Idewild Rd on I-485 in Charlotte, I saw some lights in the distance. I asked my husband, "Do you see that?" My husband answered, "Yeah what is that?" Before I could answer we both saw that the lights were headlights and they were headed straight at us. Speeding toward us at over 100mph was an SUV traveling the wrong way on the highway in the middle lane. Neither of us spoke for what felt like minutes but was in reality just mere seconds as we braced to see which way the SUV would move and thankfully at the exact right moment, my husband swerved the car to the left avoiding a collision by inches.

As the SUV raced behind us, I scrambled for my cell phone and dialed 911. As calmly, as possible, I told the operator where we were and what had happened and finished with, "Please please hurry." I hung up and started shaking and crying uncontrollably. My husband and I made it home about 10 minutes later and after about an hour of clinging to my sleeping daughter I placed her securely into her crib for the night. I think it was about 4am when my husband finally succumbed to his exhaustion while I continued to shake, unable to sleep. At 5am, I turned on the television and the local station brought me the news I was afraid to see and hear.

They police were too late. A few miles after narrowly missing us, the speeding SUV crested over another hill and crashed head-on into a 19-year college student who had no time to react. Min Soon Chang was killed instantly. This innocent young man had failed to get into a sold out midnight showing of the new Harry Potter movie and was on his way home when he was murdered. Witnesses caught the aftermath on cell phones and local news showed the video and photos over and over for the next few days.

Jorge Humberto Hernandez Soto (a drunk driver who was barely injured in the crash) was charged with second-degree murder. Upon his arrest a frightening history was revealed. This man was here illegally yes but that was not all. Not only was he driving drunk while here illegally, he was doing so after having been charged for doing so twice already in Tennessee and Colorado. As if that were not enough, it was also shown that Jorge Humberto Hernandez Soto had been deported from the United States seventeen times. SEVENTEEN TIMES!!!!!!!

This murderer was deported from Tucson, Ariz., twice and from El Paso, Texas, once and he voluntarily returned to Mexico 14 times after being caught within miles of the border, immigration officials said. Jeff Jordan, assistant special agent in charge of North Carolina for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was quoted as saying, "We have no idea how he's getting back in [the country]". Really Mr. Jordan? You have no idea? I bet its as easy as walking across one of the many gaps in the "fence" or one of the many areas with no such fence along our border with Mexico. This monster was charged with the murder of Min Chang but I contend he should have also been charged with the attempted murder of everyone he passed that night. This man wouldn't know me to see me but I will never forget the face of the man who almost murdered my family.

Unlike the healthcare debate with the anecdotes and tales of people dying because they have no insurance, there are countless actual cases where illegal immigrants have killed people. Real stories like mine are going to feed the firestorm of opposition to the amnesty plans for the millions of illegal immigrants currently residing on our soil.

I do not claim to be an expert and I don't claim to know the right answer. I know that there are reasons that illegals come here to work - namely to take jobs that Americans won't or choose not to take. I know that there is no way to either all of a sudden deport or admit all of the illegals who are already here. The one thing that I do know is that if significant improvements to the border fences are not made to stop the steady influx of people then we do not have a prayer of changing anything.

Why not use the "jobs bill" to give American workers jobs building fences along both our Northern and Southern borders and begin to make a change that we can all hope won't cost another life.

Waxman Fires First Shot on Capitalism

Wow! The Democratic leadership celebrated their healthcare "win" for all of four days before reality sunk in and the real work began. The beginning of the end of the free market system known as capitalism was witnessed this past weekend. Much like the first shot fired upon Fort Sumter that signaled the start to the Civil War, Henry Waxman has made a move that is just as foreboding.

Apparently there are some changes in the healthcare reform bill that effect the tax provisions available to companies who offer their retirees prescription drug benefits. These tax provisions are eliminated now that the law has been signed and these companies had a duty (under accounting rules) to report these losses as a part of their first quarter earnings. Companies affected by these changes and who made announcements stating so include; AT&T ($1Billion loss), Deere & Co ($150 Million loss), Caterpillar ($100 million loss) and AK Steel ($31 Million in losses). CEO's of these companies (and others adversely affected by the changes to the tax laws) reported these losses truthfully and unpolitically as required by GAAP (Generally Approved Acccounting Principles) to their shareholders and the public.

Mr. Waxman, apparently still high from the fumes of the twenty pens used to sign healthcare reform into law, got his knickers in a knot when American companies began to actually review the monstrosity known as Obamacare and didn't keep quiet about what they found. Mr. Waxman has called a handful of CEO's of companies, who released news of losses under the new healthcare regime, to Washington DC to appear before an Energy and Commerce Investigative subcommittee hearing on April 21. The California Congressman doesn't stop by "inviting" them to this hearing, no the CEO's also need to be sure to bring with them emails, documents and "the accounting methods used in preparing the cost impact statement released by AT&T this week".

So American companies are being called upon the proverbial carpet for abiding by GAAP rules and some would say free speech. Congress is smacking them down and in essence saying "No no, wait, that wasn't what we told you. We told you it would save money you can't tell people that we lied! No, no we can't have that. Now, please present yourselves to receive your punishment".

I think I see the problem and can almost understand where the CEO's went wrong. You see these companies use something called GAAP, Generally Approved Accounting Principles. Don't they know that they are supposed to use DAFT, Dubious Accounting (Barney) Frank Theorem?

It is also evident that Mr. Waxman has learned lessons from a high-level Obama advisor - good old "If we can't use the power of persuasion then we'll use the persuasion of power" Andy Stern. I assume that Congressman feels that he can help the misguided CEO's to see the light.

God help us all as our freedoms evaporate into thin air.

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Zombies Don't Need Dentists

This morning a story has surfaced that Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele contemplated the purchase of a plane with GOP funds. In addition to the rumors of a jet purchase, there is also a litany of extravagant charges on trips to California and Las Vegas.

Really does this surprise anyone? Okay well maybe some will be surprised about the $1946.25 spent at Voyeur West Hollywood but all of these "expenses" are part and parcel for most politicians in Washington DC (and even in some state capitals as well).

It seems that the majority of politicians, once elected (and some even before), feel that they are better than the rest of the American public. First class airfare, private jets, limousines, champagne, luxury hotels and over-the-top meals at swanky restaurants quickly become the standard that they feel entitled to. This perception of permission on the part of our elected officials is nothing new.

When did this transformation from being a servant to the public good to being someone who requires a servant happen? I tend to believe it was during the Kennedy administration. America's love affair with Camelot allowed politicians to begin to think of themselves as celebrities. And aren't celebrities afforded better treatment in our society?

Politicians in search of the ultimate prize of power have a number of tools in their bag to allow them the lifestyle they have "earned". Not only do they have tax-payer paid salaries, expense accounts, travel and entertainment allowances they also have access to funds from political action committees, re-election funds and the donations received by their national party's fundraising. And that doesn't include speaking fees that are often deferred or donated to "charity" in order to comply with ethics rules.

Politics is like a virus and politicians are like zombies infected with that virus. Unlike the standard zombie, who doesn't need food, water or air, political zombies do not need morals, ethics or good set of dentures. So absent preparing yourself and knowing how to survive a zombie attack, you must exercise your will in other ways and educate yourself and find people who will fight the zombies and their moral-less actions in Washington DC. Elect these people to office and pray that they don't find themselves infected as they are sworn in. And if they become infected, repeat the process again. But NEVER give up the fight.

Special Note: The author neither endorses nor condones the list of ways to prepare yourself for a zombie attack. I merely provide the link for your enlightenment.

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I Triple Dog Dare You

Who created the game of Chicken? Do you think it was a couple of cavemen who thought it would be funny to run full speed at each other and see who flinched? Or maybe the origins aren't quite that ancient. Maybe it was in Rome with gladiators and the lions. Wherever it started, I think that we can all agree that it is not a game that should be played between the President of the United States and the American public.

Today, President Obama mocked talk of repealing the healthcare bill in a speech in Iowa. In his prepared remarks he said, "They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November. You’ve been hearing that. And my attitude is: Go for it. " That of course was followed by applause by the University of Iowa crowd. My question is Mr President, did you hear the thunderous roar outside of the arena? That was the barrage of the American public as you once again pooh-pooh their will and their convictions.

Already in the past 48 hours, the Attorneys General for 14 states have filed suit against the healthcare bill. There are at least 25 other states considering the same types of litigation. That's 39 states. The last time I looked three quarters of fifty is 38. Sixty-eight percent of people think that the quality of healthcare will either stay the same or worsen once this legislation is enacted. Seventy-six percent of the American public think that the cost of healthcare will stay the same or be raised. Seems to me that the majority of the American people are probably not going to be terribly thrilled when the IRS is charged with monitoring healthcare policies every month and probably less thrilled when they realize that even the immediate benefits that have been touted (lifting of pre-existing condition provisions for children and coverage limits) don't and won't actually go into effect until 2011.

So is it really a stretch to think that the (dare I say 3/4) majority of the country might be a little angry at the big government takeover of the healthcare system. I don't know if repeal is possible. I don't know if de-funding of the bill is the answer. What I do know is that throwing down a challenge to the people of the greatest country in the world is probably not the best idea unless you are ready for the fight of your life. Anyone remember the mood after September 11? We're pretty easily rallied when we're threatened.

So here it is, the President has dared us to fight. Well Mr. President, okay, I triple dog dare you. Now watch us go. Make sure the Secret Service has some hot water and gauze before you put your tongue on the flagpole.

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My fear has been transformed

Yesterday morning I was scared. Its difficult to put into words how I feel at the moment. Its kind of like the scene in "The Patriot" where the Revolutionaries are making the final push and the line starts to fall and someone has dropped the flag. I'm confused and tired and wow it would be nice to turn, run and just give up. The House of Representatives voted last night to pass the Senate version of the healthcare reform bill. Obamacare is now a reality and 1/6 of the American economy is firmly in the hands of the government.

I am sick to death of the politicians in Washington telling me what I need. I am tired of them telling me that the founding fathers would want me to have health insurance. I am exasperated by their insistence that they are better equipped to decide how my business can operate than I am. I am simply worn out by over a year of fighting with politicians who neither listen to nor care about their constituents.

Politicians. There's a real winning group of people. We've got Nancy Pelosi who can't be farther in the pocket of all that is evil if she tried. Its been said that it was she, and not Rahm Emanuel, who urged the President to keep fighting for healthcare even after the Scott Brown election. I certainly don't want to visualize the locker room confrontations that she had to conduct to get this legislation to a vote. Then we have Mary Landrieu, Ben Nelson and Kent Conrad (just to name a few) that were able to score big kickbacks with catchy names for their states. Some of those kickbacks have been stripped with the change language to the bill but at least they showed the ability to get something tangible for the selling of their vote. Maybe it will help them that they tried to get something for their state but then again they probably really don't care. None of them are up for reelection until 2012. They are free to wreak havoc for another 2 years.

That's not the case for poor Bart Stupak (D-MI). I think I need to make him one of my shirts. "I negotiated with the President and all I got was a lousy piece of paper". Mr. Stupak sold his vote for a non-binding promise of an executive order on abortion language. He didn't even hold the President's feet to the fire and ask for the executive order before the vote. I guess the economic woes of Michigan extend to their Representative's offices.

I know people who support this bill. They aren't bad people and I am confident that they do not want to see our beautiful Republic destroyed. These are people who have been convinced by the Washington DC and Chicago power machines that health insurance and a college education are a right. I don't blame them for their opinions. I just hope that someday that they can awaken from the dream.

The President went on TV to pat himself on the back and to again tell me how this was a good thing for the country. He made a statement that stuck with me. "To every unsung American who took the time to sit down and write a letter or type out an e-mail hoping your voice would be heard — it has been heard tonight." You are correct Mr President. The voices were heard and summarily were ignored over and over and over again. But do not be mistaken, we will not go quietly into the night, we will not go without a fight. The majority of the American people did not want this bill. Your bill went from a 67% approval to under a 35% approval in less than a year.

Well, I now know how to feel. I have seen the flag fall but that cannot be the end. I am energized and ready to pick up the flag again and fight. The light of the morning and the fact that the IRS is now going to control healthcare is going to bring more people to the fight. As more information is gleaned from the bill, we will gain more and more supporters and we will find a way to save our country. That's what we do, we're Americans.

The Morning of Our Destruction?

How is one supposed to feel on the morning of the day that may change our country forever? I grapple with that question this morning as the healthcare vote looms in the House of Representatives today.

I want to have hope. I want to think the American people still have a voice. I want to think that the folks who gave up their time and money to march on Washington yesterday made a difference. But I am afraid. I am more afraid than I was on the morning of September 11. On that morning, I at least felt as though we as Americans would have a chance to retaliate. I don't feel like that today.

If this abomination of a bill passes into law today, Mr Obama will have succeeded in taking the first step to "fundamentally change" our country. The government will begin to control 1/6 of our economy and the IRS (yes the IRS!) will control healthcare. The government not your doctor will begin to make decisions regarding your healthcare. Supporters of the bill will say no that's not the case. But how could it not? Doctors (the real ones not the fake ones in the coats at the White House) are already making the difficult choice to stop accepting Medicare patients because of the regulations. If the government is forcing their hands already and the bill hasn't passed how could there not be more government control on the way?

Don't get me wrong. I know that there are flaws in our current healthcare system. But I certainly don't think government takeover is the answer. Taking small steps and fixing key problems is a better idea than an overall takeover but when have politicians ever actually done something to benefit the American people and not themselves and their thirst for power? I, like others, think that tort reform and the ability to buy insurance across state lines are good starts. Things like a complete audit of the approval process and then the actual management of current government programs like Medicaid and Medicare is a better start to reform the system. If the government can show the ability to fix the problems with their own program, well then maybe the American public will trust them to tackle the bigger issues. But of course any of those things would require common sense to implement and I believe that it is required that you leave your common sense with security when you enter the Capitol.

Instead of working with common sense, the future of America is under attack by power hungry politicians with an agenda. I hope with all of my being that a handful of Representatives in the House actually LISTEN to their constituents and vote no to the destruction of America. I hope that there is someone with a soul left in the Democratic party that has the courage that is required to stand up to the Obama machine. If you truly want to be remembered, then vote NO to this tragedy and be known as the Representative who saved the country.

It is Sunday. It is the first day of Spring and normally a day to revel in the anticipation of everything new. I simply pray that at the end of today that I am not mourning our destruction.

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When $940 Billion is NOT a Trillion

Only in Washington, D.C. is it a day to celebrate that a proposal that will only cost $940 Billion. The Democratic leadership in DC is "giddy" (to quote a Congressman) that the CBO has come out and stated that the healthcare bill's price tag is under the magic level of $1 Trillion.

Really? Really? If the average American spends $940 on a couch most likely they will tell you that they had spent a thousand dollars. Buy a car for $9400 in most cases you would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't feel that you had spent ten grand. So really democrats, do you really think that the American public is so dense that you can tell us that you AREN'T spending a TRILLION dollars to take over 1/6 of the economy?

And am I the only person who this morning is questioning the supposed non-partisan makeup of the Congressional Budget Office. Can I possibly be the only one who thinks that the delay with receiving the (barely but) under a Trillion price tag is a little suspect. I tend to believe that there was a lot more jockeying back and forth between Dems and the CBO to ensure that this number was what they needed. And now that they have the UNDER A TRILLION price tag they are giddy and moving forward with a vote on Sunday.

I may not be the greatest mathematician but if something costs $940 billion over the first ten years and that figure includes a planned Medicare savings (yeah like that has ever happened) of $120 billion, doesn't that mean that the bill actually costs $1.06 Trillion?? The planned savings from Medicare would include cuts that would affect millions of seniors who will lose a great portion of their benefits and they would be forced to foot even more of their healthcare costs. I thought that Nancy Pelosi wanted to close the donut hole not the other way around. And this is all dependent upon generating these savings. The CBO also projects that "total federal Medicare and Medicaid outlays will rise from 4 percent of GDP in 2007 to 12 percent in 2050 and 19 percent in 2082. So if the CBO predicts that the percent of GDP is going to grow that dramatically, how can they also state that they predict that there is a savings?

Feel free to email the author at stephanie@vpmedia.com