New Year...Same old Politics

Our dear friend, Harry Reid:

• Made comment about President Obama being “light skinned” black and doesn’t have a negro accent unless he wanted to. Interesting where was the press on this one? Not saying he should be fired, but come on now - if this was a republican there would be bills passed condemning this behavior. What democrats can say racial type of things and republicans can't?
• Steele “if Trent Lot is the standard” then Reid must step down.
• Lot made comments during 100th birthday party for Strung Thurmond. Saying that he should have run for president. Some how do not think there was any racial undertone there.
• I feel Harry Reid is not a racist – he is just destroying the country along with Pelosi..

Kisser who closed EWR
This happed the day before my wife and I left from Philadelphia Airport to come back to Houston, Texas.  Thank God we did not leave from our usual Newark Liberty Airport. I just have a few questions about this...

• How about the TSA Agent who did not do his job?
• How did he keep his job and he was on his cell phone?
• How much money did he cost the airlines and government and most importantly the American people?
• The offender goes to jail for 30 days. Why isn’t this employee fired. I know I would be fired if I cost a company millions of dollars.  But hey that is just me. 

Seperation of Church and State:
With the New Jersey just narrowly defeating the same sex marriage law, a lot of people started crying for a Separation of church and state.  That got me thinking:

• I beleive the founding fathers meant seperation of church and state meant that you don’t have to be a certain religion to have a certain job within government.
• This goes back to the Church of England versus the Vatican
• When Henry VIII broke away from Rome and the Roman Catholic church.
• You had to be a member of the church of England to serve the country
• The founding fathers did not want the new America to be like England, thus included the seperation of church and state.  People over the years have taken this line completely out of context.

Martha Coakley has used this line previously.   She believes that if you are a Catholic you cannot work in emergency rooms in Mass and do not have religious rights.

• Catholic hospitals are told they cannot deny services
• She supports partial birth and late term abortion, but is a child advocate.

SEIU spent 680k on Coakley’s campaign against Scott Brown to show he is supported by extremists – Tea Party members.  Funny how Scott Brown won anyway.

Ed Shultz:
Left Wing Commentator Ed Shultz: "Tea Party people are un-educated and carry guns at rallies. Thinks the Senators only represent a section of the state, not the whole state. Stated he would cheat the election system to keep conservatives and defenders of the constitution out of office. Also have been whipped up into a frenzy."  Interesting though, can't the same thing be said of exterme liberals?

President Obama's agenda push:
It seems like lately, our vote does not matter, some examples.

• Congress did not pass Cap & Trade
• The EPA said they would do it anyway
• FCC wants net neutrality – Congress said no
• The FCC as said it will make the internet a public utility and get it done anyway.

President Obama's endorsement not as strong:
Special election in Mass is now Obama’s third failed attempt to gather support for party:

• Governor race in Virginia
• Governor race in New Jersey
• Senate Race in Massachusetts

Scott Brown Victory:

Scott Brown will take away the 60th vote and the super majority for Health Care Bill. Important to keep in mind they only need 51 votes and congress still has that.

There was a clear message from the unions – Brown won because democrats could not get Health Care done.

56% people were polled and voted for Brown because of the Health Care situation.

The Democrats and the Liberal left have said the state of Massachusetts is not really as liberal as people make it out be.  Because Ted Kennedy lost after his little car accident, seriously how stupid do they think we are?

President Obama sums up the victory by blaming the voter anger in MA on 8 years of George Bush. So to show how angry they are they voted for a Republicans?? How long can you blame the previous administation?

President Obama states that government lost touch with the American people because he is too busy getting work done. So 400+ speeches, constant compaign mode isn’t enough?

NAACP:
The NAACP Chairman Julian Bond in a radio interview stated Martin Luther King Jr. was a socialist and Dr. King thought a modified version of socialism would be best for the United States. Also the chairman stated that the man we celebrate today is different from real life

Yet the Health Care Bill Marches On...

Most talked about taxes in Senate Health Bill:

• Individual Mandate Tax (would start in 2014):
• Income surcharge tax if you don’t have government approved health care.
• Capped at 8% of your income.
• Employer Mandate Tax (p348):
• At least 50 employees and does not offer health care coverage
• $750 non-deductable tax for all full time employees if you have one qualifying employee
• Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance plans
• Would start in 2013
• Your employer would have a 40% tax on Cadillac Health Insurance Plans
• If you health insurance is worth more then $8,500 for individual and $23,000 for family plans
• 2013-2015 17 highest cost states would be above this threshold (127%).
• Employer reporting tax on W2
• Medicine Cabinet Tax (P 1097 section 9003)
• No longer allowed to use Health Savings accounts and Flexible Spending Accounts on pre-tax dollars on medication
• Except Insulin
• HSA Withdrawal Tax
• Raising tax from 10% to 20% for early withdrawals
• FSA Cap:
• Currently unlimited – bill would cap this at $2,500.
• Excise Tax on Charitable Hospitals
• $50,000 per hospital if they fail to meet new community assessment need.
• Business MISC 1099 Reporting
• Compliance burden on small businesses
• 2.3 billion annual tax on industry for innovative drug companies imposed on the relative sales posted for that year
• 2 billion annual tax on medical device manufacturing imposed on the relative sales posted for that year
• Exempts items less then $100
• Tax on Health Insurance (3rd page of Quick Summary)
• Eliminate tax deduction for employer provided prescription drug coverage of Medicare part D
• Raise haircut for medical itemized deductions from 7.5% to 10%. Will be waved for people age 65+ but only years 2013-2016.
• $500,000 annual compensation limit for health care executives
• Hike in Medicare payroll tax (First $200,000 of salary):
• Current: Employee 1.50% / Employer 1.45% / Self Employment 2.9%
• In Health Care Bill: Employee 1.45% / Employer 1.90% / Self-Employed 3.4%
• New Rate increases not tax deductable
• 5% Excise tax on cosmetic medical procedures.

Latest statistics show that small businesses represent 70% of all jobs in the United States.  Why is congress trying to destroy this system?

It would take 145 years and 100% of the profit from the fortune 500 companies (based on 2008 figures) to pay off our current debt in principle only.  That figure does not include the interest payments.

The US Government has 4 separate account books.  Why doesn't anyone talk about this so call accounting practices.

Our real national debt is 106 trillion dollars or $343,000 per living citizen in the United States. When China stops buying our debt - then what do we do Mr. President, what shall we do then?