Created by Geniuses and run by Idiots

* If you can get arrested for hunting or fishing without a license, but not for being in the country illegally . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If you have to get your parents’ permission to go on a field trip or take an aspirin in school, but not to get an abortion . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If you have to show identification to board an airplane, cash a check, buy liquor, or check out a library book, but not to vote who runs the government . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If the government wants to ban stable, law-abiding citizens from owning gun magazines with more than ten rounds, but gives 20 F-16 fighter jets to the crazy new leaders in Egypt . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If, in the largest city, you can buy two 16-ounce sodas, but not a 24-ounce soda because 24-ounces of a sugary drink might make you fat . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If an 80-year-old woman can be stripped searched by the TSA but a woman in a hijab is only subject to having her neck and head searched . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If your government believes that the best way to eradicate trillions of dollars of debt is to spend trillions more . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If a seven year old boy can be thrown out of school for saying his teacher is “cute,” but hosting a sexual exploration or diversity class in grade school is perfectly acceptable . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If children are forcibly removed from parents who discipline them with spankings while children of addicts are left in filth and drug infested “homes”. . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If hard work and success are met with higher taxes and more government intrusion, while not working is rewarded with EBT cards, WIC checks, Medicaid, subsidized housing, and free cell phones . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If the government’s plan for getting people back to work is incentive to NOT working with 99 weeks of Unemployment checks and no requirement to prove they applied but can’t find work . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If you pay your mortgage faithfully, denying yourself the newest big screen TV while your neighbor buys iPhones, TV’s and new cars, and the government forgives his debt when he defaults on his mortgage . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

* If being stripped of the ability to defend yourself makes you more “safe” according to the government . . . you might live in a country founded by geniuses but run by idiots.

What a country!

House Republicans push for new payroll tax cut talks

A reprint:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led House of Representatives will set the stage on Tuesday for a showdown with Senate Democrats over a payroll tax cut extension that is becoming a proxy for 2012 election year battles.

The tax legislation has become the latest in a string of battles in Congress this year, all of which have contributed to widespread public discontent with Washington politicians.

When the House votes on Tuesday it will in effect be rejecting a bill that passed the Senate overwhelmingly on Saturday and calling for formal negotiations with the Democratic-led Senate.

The Senate bill would set a two-month extension of the payroll tax cut with the aim of crafting a full-year tax cut extension early next year.

The House move will cast doubt on the future of the popular payroll tax cut, which is caught up in a high-stakes game of brinkmanship between the two political parties that some say could backfire.

Washington gridlock is fueling an anti-incumbent mood among voters heading into next year's elections.

"Our members do not want to just punt and do a two-month short-term fix where we have to come back and do this again," House Speaker John Boehner said late on Monday after a closed meeting with fellow Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid shot back that the House should allow an up-or-down vote on the two-month stop-gap plan. "I am happy to continue negotiations on a yearlong deal as soon as the House of Representatives passes the Senate's bipartisan compromise, and prevents a tax hike from hitting middle-class families," Reid said.

Several Republican lawmakers publicly agreed with Reid.

The bipartisan two-month deal crafted by the Senate came after efforts at a full-year tax cut failed.

At stake is much more than politicians' reputations and their 2012 re-election chances. If Democrats and Republicans cannot agree on extending the tax cut that expires on December 31, 160 million Americans will begin 2012 with less money - about $1,000 a year for the average worker - in their paychecks.

That, economists fear, could dampen, or even end what little economic growth there is as the United States struggles to right itself after the deepest recession in decades and severe debt problems in Europe that could infect America.

Not only would workers' taxes go up in a couple weeks if the two sides cannot find a quick compromise. About 2.2 million people who have suffered long-term unemployment will see benefit checks cut off by the middle of February. And doctors treating elderly Medicare patients also will see their reimbursements cut.

Once the House on Tuesday requests a new round of negotiations, as expected, the next steps are unclear.

"We are not coming back, we are not appointing negotiators until they pass the Senate compromise," Reid's spokesman Adam Jentleson insisted.

President Barack Obama already has delayed a Hawaii vacation. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Monday said, "The president has made clear that he wants Congress to get this done, that he is here now and will be here as Congress tries to sort this out." But Carney did not make clear how Obama might bring the two sides together, or whether he will even try.

(Editing by Christopher Wilson)

HEAD START PROGRAMS TO BENEFIT FROM GRANTS

On Friday, December 16th, it is expected that the White House will announce nine states will receive grants totaling $500 million for the sole purpose of getting children ages birth to 5 years ready for kindergarten. 35 states including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, applied for the chance at between $50 million and $100 million in grant money.

The nine states are California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Washington, for an average of just over $55.5 million per state. The idea is to jump-start improvements in an often overlooked early childhood education program. The money to aid this country's youngest learners is part of the Obama administration's cornerstone education initiative called, "The Race for the Top" grant competition. The idea is for states to compete for federal dollars to create programs that make schools more effective. Although it seems like a lot of money being handed out, last year $4 billion was given for schools focused on K-12 education.

Annually billions are spent on early education programs in America, but the quality and availability of those programs varies. According to Steve Barnett, director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, roughly 50% of all 3-year-olds and 25% of all 4-year-olds do not attend a preschool.

Kids that have attended "quality" early education programs have shown to do better in school, less likely to be imprisoned and make more money as adults. Children from low-income families who enter kindergarten without the benefit of early childhood education programs are estimated to start school 18 months behind and are likely to struggle to make it up.

In order to be considered, states were asked to demonstrate a willingness to commit to making programs more accessible, coordinated and more effective. Obama announced last month that new rules would require lower-performing Head Start programs were to compete for the funding. A proposal by the Education Department, if accepted, would create a new office to oversee the grants and assist in the coordination of the early learning programs. 

November 23rd Deadline

Once again Senior Citizens and the military are coming under attack by Congressional members as the Super Committee wrangles with the fast closing deadline of November 23rd to make policy recommendations to their fellow members of  $1.2 trillion dollars in budget reductions. And once again it is becoming apparent that the wealthiest Americans are still off limits.


It baffles the minds of those of the middle and lower classes  as to why they are always the target of budget cuts and program reductions. Why is the military always thrown out as the bait to get us to understand the difficult decisions that lie before the policy makers? One must admit that while the middle and lower classes are the reason these politicians are in office, they are the one’s ignored. Remember, the middle and lower classes make up a majority of the voters, who by all counts, feel these members of congress are looking out for them and that’s why they vote they way they do. It is also important to realize that the military is doing all the dirty work and keeping us safe so we can continue to elect these misfits. But if the mainstream American is voting on emotion only without really looking closely at the policies of those running for reelection, I guess we shouldn’t complain when our taxes are increased and our entitlements are reduced.


Why doesn’t it anger the American people when a deadline, as important as this one, is once again ignored and congress can take a week off. Obviously they feel they can reach a consensus in ten short days and Americans should not worry. They are, after all, looking out for our best interest because they owe us for their elected position and everyone knows it’s the American people they care most about and not the “fat-cats” of Wall Street or the special interest groups or the richest of us all. No, they are only concerned with us mediocre and common citizens. Yeah, right. And oh by the way, they had better hurry so they aren’t late for their annual Thanksgiving break as well.


And, one more thing, no matter what happens in this vote or when these members of congress come up for reelection, one thing is certain, even if they are not reelected they still will have the healthcare insurance and retirement pension to count on. 

Myths and Truths About Social Security

Exploding 5 misconceptions that threaten the system

Reprint from AARP Bulletin of 11/1/11: by: Jane Bryant Quinn 

It happened during the stock boom of the 1990s, and it is happening again. Social Security is coming under attack. The first challenge arose from hope — that savers would get more retirement income for their money if they bought stocks. But the idea of privatization was not popular with the public.

See also: Social Security recipients welcome 3.6 percent COLA.

Now, the attack comes from fear ­ ­ — that Social Security has serious financial problems and can only fail. Younger people lean more toward change than older people do. A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll conducted a year ago found that 60 percent of adults who aren't retired expect to get nothing — zero — from Social Security in their older age.

Myth No. 1: Social Security is going bankrupt. No, it's not. Even in the unlikely event that nothing changes and the program's entire surplus runs out in 2036, as projected, checks would keep coming. Payroll taxes at current rates would cover 77 percent of all the future benefits promised. That's true for young and old alike, and includes inflation adjustments.

Myth No. 2: I'd be better off if I'd kept my Social Security taxes in my own investment account. Hmmm ­ ­ — you're saying that you'd faithfully put that money aside, every year of your working life, in a mix of stocks and bonds, without ever skipping a year, drawing on your nest egg or selling when the market dropped? Few such paragons exist.

You'd need to invest far more than you probably realize to match the benefits Social Security pays. As an example, take a 65-year-old couple with a single breadwinner who earned the average wage. At retirement, they'd currently get about $2,170 a month, plus inflation adjustments, for life, the Urban Institute reports.

To equal that sum in private savings, they'd need to have about $580,000, says Michael Kitces, director of research for Pinnacle Advisory Group, and the money might last only 30 years. How many average earners are likely to save that much?

Myth No. 3: In 1983, Congress made changes to Social Security to build a fund that would pay for boomers when they retire, so it's not fair to change benefits now. No, Congress did not intend to "advance fund" the boomers, according to a study of the record by Charles Blahous of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. It raised taxes and cut some future benefits to cure an imminent insolvency. The trust fund reserves — now $2.6 trillion — were a by-product of the decisions made. Congress never veered from its vision of intergenerational compact: Working people pay for those who don't, or can't, work anymore. On the flip side, the compact requires older people to make some concessions so that younger people can afford it.

Myth No. 4: You should get out of Social Security the amount you put in. No. Social Security is not an individual investment program (see Myth  No. 2). Your taxes paid for the earlier generation of retirees. Current workers are paying for you. The total amount of your benefit depends on how much you earned, whether you get a spousal benefit, when you retire and how long you live.

Myth No. 5: Social Security helps old people, not younger people like me. Wrong. It provides income support to qualified widows and widowers with young children, as well as orphans. Just as important, it saves young families from the cost of supporting older parents who, without Social Security, wouldn't have enough money to live on. It also provides benefits for workers who become disabled.

My final point … and it isn't a myth, it's a fact. If young people switched their payroll taxes into private accounts, the government would have to borrow $6.5 trillion or more (depending on the details) to keep paying out benefits to current retirees.

That means higher deficits, higher income taxes, further slashes in spending, or all three. It's smarter — and cheaper — to fix the current program and put everyone's mind at rest. 

A Very Simple Petition

http://wh.gov/ToU

Take two minutes to read and if you agree please sign and then pass it on. We need 25,000 signatures and the President will get a look at it and hopefully the people will have their voice heard.

Re-Post by Gene Vallee

Warren Buffett, "I could end the deficit in 5 minutes," he told CNBC. "You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all
sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election. The 26th
amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months
& 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in
1971...before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc. Of the 27 amendments to
the Constitution, seven (7) took 1 year or less to become the law of the
land...all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of
twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do
likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the
message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salary while in office
and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security. All
funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security
system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system,
and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for
any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans
do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay
will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the
same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American
people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12.
The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen. Congressmen
made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor,
not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours
should serve their term's), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take
three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Maybe it is
time.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!! If you agree with the above, pass it on.

By: Gene Vallee

Time for a Financial Revolt

I believe it's time for a financial revolt to take place in this country. All the talk about financial stimulus and jump starting the economy is getting old and a bit redundant. The average american has been the biggest loser in this country for far too long and it's time to start taking back the nation and financial markets.


How many times do you see on television, hear on radio, or read in the newspapers about awesome low interest deals on cars, only to see, read or hear about special interest deals available to "well qualified buyers" and know you are not the people they're talking about? How is it car makers are posting profits if the average american doesn't qualify for their "special offers? Oh yeah, that's right, they get kick backs from banks by charging us higher interest and selling it to the banks as "damaged" credit customers, sometimes raking in 2% to as much as 5% back from the lenders.


The average person cannot qualify for home loans because they can't come up with the down payment and can't afford the house payment at the higher interest rates. The houses either sit empty owned by the banks or Realtor's snatch them up and rent them out for the house payment and a little extra for either profit or escrow accounts to "fix" or "repair" their investment. Again, little is done to assist those that would like to own a home that they can afford. It's little wonder that new housing starts are at an all time low, while properties are becoming apartment complexes and once nice neighborhoods, desolate grazing land.


While there isn't much we can doing about getting into homes at "current" interest rates, we can still do the following:


Go into a car dealership offering special interest rates and incentives, test drive the car you would like to have. Tell the salesperson all of the accessories you would like on the car, what color you want, the tires and wheels you want and take up most of their day. When it gets down to crunch the numbers time, tell them you want the special interest rate and payment you want, the number of months you want to pay or the lease term length, and let them run your credit. Even insist on a cup of coffee or soda while you wait, (most salespersons will be happy to oblige since they think they're going to make a big sale), and when they find out you aren't qualified for what you want and they come back to inform you, politely get up, shake their hand and say, "thank you" and walk out. I guarantee it will take at least two hours out of their day and the dealership will do everything they can to get you to buy, but just say thanks and leave.


If enough people do this, automotive makers will have to listen to their dealers and make incentives for everyone and stop the B.S. of "well qualified" buyer ads. I know from personal experience salespeople will get fed up and dealers will voice their concerns and frustrations to the factories. You can even walk on the sidewalk in front of a dealership and silently protest with signs that if you are not well qualified you will pay more for the car you want or have to settle for less. The sidewalk is a public place and the dealership cannot kick you off, especially if the protest is silent and peaceful.


This is an extreme I know, but what else is a person to do to get their voice heard? Certainly we can't count on Washington to help out, heck, they can't even agree on how to balance the budget or pass a budget for longer than seven weeks at a time, why trust them now? 


If the politicians won't tax those that can afford to pay and insist on raising taxes on the lower and middle class, maybe they can insist lower interest rates be available to all citizens of this great nation.