Are teachers paid enough?

Compared with what? That's the question! Here are some interesting facts I pulled together last night...

• According to the FL Dept of Education, the average teacher’s salary in 2008/09 school year was $46,938.

Average salary comparisons from 2006 (last complete data for nation-wide stats)

• Average Florida Teacher’s Salary in 2006: $43,000
• Average Florida Resident Salary in 2006: $36,720
• National Average Wage in 2006: $38,651.41

Current Unemployment Rates

• Florida: 12.2%
• Nation-wide: 9.7%
• Education: 5.6%

I'm just laying out the facts. Let me know what you think... and I'll follow up later with my personal synopsis.

Florida's third party for Senate

The Florida GOP primaries are making national news because Crist and Rubio cause drama for the Republican party.

It all started last year when Mel Martinez unexpectedly tendered his resignation, mid-term. Gov. Crist had his eyes on that Senate seat from his cozy desk in Tallahassee. Rumors flew about who he would appoint as Martinez's successor; it had to be someone loyal to Crist and who would remit the seat to Crist at the 2010 primaries.

Gov. Crist chose George LeMeux, the person credited with spearheading Crist's gubernatorial campaign and his former chief of staff.

And now, the race is heating up for the primaries. Crist thought he made the right decision with LeMeux and that he would be a shoe-in for the Republican ticket. Crist thought wrong. Marco Rubio has come from nowhere as the leading conservative in Florida. Rubio leads Crist by 12% in the polls; both men lead the Democrat candidate, Kendrick Meek. Crist has shown his liberal leanings through making a deal for sun-rail and by taking stimulus dollars to shore up the Florida budget. Rubio, on the other hand, has a proven conservative track record and a personal history any red-blooded American feels in their heart.

What voters are missing while Crist and Rubio duke it out in the GOP is that we have a LIBERTARIAN candidate! (take the Worlds Smallest Political Quiz to find out if you are Libertarian)

If Floridians are searching for someone who holds the constitution dear, someone who believes in personal rights and private property, someone who will really make a change in Washington, we must open our minds to Alex Snitker. Snitker has taken the 10th Amendment Pledge and vowed to fight for our rights as Floridians. Alex Snitker has FairTax as his first platform initiative. He believes in balancing the budget, holding politicians accountable, raising taxes through spending so that even illegal immigrants pay, helping our education system by ending the regressive payroll tax laid upon teachers and so many more American ideals.

So, watch out Florida! We have more choices than just Rubio & Crist. Take a minute to check out Alex Snitker and his libertarian platform.

Donate to Snitker2010.com and help Alex land the Libertarian ticket in Florida. He only needs $15k to get a spot. Remember, America was not founded on a 2 party system! We're better than that and we need to redeem our LIBERTY!!

Sen. Bill Nelson proud of healthcare vote

MY RESPONSE TO SEN. NELSON'S COMMENTS ON THE HOUSE FLOOR. He sent them out in an email.

Senator Nelson,

Terrible. You just voted for the largest shift of wealth in our nation's history. You just voted away the rights of every American to their own body. You just increased our national debt by $1 trillion.

I'm sad that you believe you voted in the best interest of Floridians. You did not listen to the people. While politicians try to fix the bill, I will support all efforts in the State of Florida to exercise our Tenth Amendment Rights.

Kristina Bouterse

On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 2:02 PM, Senator Bill Nelson wrote:

March 27, 2010 Dear Kristina, On Wednesday, I spoke on the Senate floor about my vote on the health care bill, and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you’ll take a minute to watch it on my website at http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/ or you can read the text below. Floor remarks of Sen. Bill Nelson March 24, 2010 Mr. President, for the first time, we as a nation are recognizing that people have a right to not be destroyed by sickness. Under the Senate bill passed by the House and signed into law by the president - folks will no longer have to choose between their health and their pocketbooks. Parents will no longer have to worry about whether they can afford to get their kids to the doctor. Seniors won’t have to wonder if Medicare will still be there for them several years down the road. Health-care reform doesn’t mean people won’t have to continue to take responsibility for themselves and their families. The bill we passed – and the even the one we’re now debating - improves health care affordability and access for all. But it still requires that folks do their part. Families that can afford to will be asked to contribute to the cost of their coverage. And people are expected to get regular primary care – so that they don’t end up in the emergency room with something that could’ve been treated easily and cheaply had it been addressed sooner. But very, very importantly, we’re also going to hold the insurance companies accountable. We’re finally telling them – you can’t drop someone just because they get sick. You can’t cap someone’s benefits because you’re tired of paying for their care. And you can’t decide not to offer someone coverage because they have a preexisting condition. We’re telling them: no more; no more; no more. We’re also saying to our seniors – we as a nation remain unwavering in our commitment to protect and preserve Medicare for today, tomorrow and the next millennium. You know, there’s been an awful lot of misinformation going around about something called Medicare advantage. Fact is, the original Senate bill proposed an unfair way to fix overpayments to these private Medicare plans. The fix would have come at the expense of seniors living in areas with high medical costs, like my state of Florida. I got an amendment passed in committee that fixed the problem fairly. Under this reconciliation bill, the president has proposed another way to rein in Medicare Advantage companies – one that upon close inspection also treats seniors fairly. It puts companies on the hook for their performance. If they don’t provide quality service, their reimbursements are cut. I appreciate the president’s leadership on this issue and the fact that he heard the concerns expressed by me and a number of other senators including Sens. Schumer and Wyden. Now having said all this, I also have to say we’ve left something undone in the Senate bill that’s now law – and even in the reconciliation package. I’m not happy that this legislation lets drug makers pretty much off the hook. You all know that over the past few years I’ve been voicing the concerns and fears of residents in my state about what’s been happening to their drug prices. I also hear from folks who can’t afford their medications when they hit the prescription drug coverage gap known as the doughnut hole. They skimp on food, or split their pills or stop taking them altogether. And while this bill offers a discount to seniors in the doughnut hole, there’s nothing to keep drug companies from continuing to jack up their prices until that discount is meaningless. I also hear from folks who are frustrated that folks in other countries are getting the very same drugs for much less they we pay here. Mr. President, I had an amendment that would have required the drug industry to pay a fair share of the tab for health care reform. It required drug manufacturers to give the government price breaks on drugs for a lot of low-income seniors. This would have saved us an estimated $106 billion which is more than enough to close the doughnut hole altogether, and then make a dent in offsetting the federal deficit. I, for one, intend to come back here and revisit this. Meantime, Mr. President, I want to say this reconciliation bill deepens and extends the promise of the health care reform bill that was signed into law this week. I stood with the president when he put pen to paper yesterday. I think it’s great we’ve begun the process of health care reform. It has been said by many folks in many different ways that - we are not put on earth for ourselves, but are placed here for each other. Well, here we are – and, here we are debating legislation that stands to improve the lives of tens of millions of Americans. Therefore, despite its flaws, I will vote to pass this legislation. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Don't thank Cancer Inc. for decline

**REPOST**

Don't thank Cancer Inc. for decline

By William Campbell Douglass II, MD

Breast cancer rates are down... but don't thank Big Pharma. After all, they caused many of these cancers in the first place with one of the biggest mistakes in modern medicine: hormone replacement therapy.

Harvard researchers looked at data on 350,000 women and found a decline in breast cancer overall... but the biggest dip occurred among rich white women over the age of 50, according to the study published in the American Journal of Public Health.

What's money got to do with it? Everything... because it can't buy you happiness, and it won't pay for the best medical decisions, either. These rich women were the biggest market for those lab-created chemical hormones a decade back, when it seemed like every doctor in America was pushing them as a menopause cure-all.

These women thought they were buying a shortcut through one of life's biggest changes. Instead, the landmark 2002 Women's Health Initiative Study revealed that all they really purchased was their own personal highway to hell.

That study linked Big Pharma's phony-baloney hormones to breast cancer, heart attack and stroke. Many women turned away -- and those HRT-inflated breast cancer rates are now falling again, as the new study shows.

I expect we'll see the same thing with heart attack and stroke among these women.

Today, we're still learning of the problems with these lab- monster hormones: Recent studies link them to lung cancer, heart problems, cataracts and asthma.

It's amazing to me that these hormones are still on the market when there's a simple, safe alternative: bio- identical hormones. These custom-made all-natural hormones are more easily metabolized by the body and come with far fewer risks than Big Pharma's Frankenstein creations.

You can get your own bio-identicals made by a compounding pharmacist... but they're not necessary for everyone. If you're just looking to overcome hot flashes, first try vitamins C and E along with some bioflavonoids.

You'll find those in wine -- and I'd take that over anything from a Big Pharma test tube any day of the week.

healthcare marketing ploys

It even comes down to the C-Span poll on healthcare. This afternoon, during the house floor "debate", C-Span put up phone numbers for Americans to vote on the current healthcare legislation (in case you didn't know, House members are voting on it this Sunday afternoon - very strange timing). Here's what I saw on the screen (or what I recollect):

To support the healthcare bill, call 202-737-0001

To oppose the healthcare bill, call 202-737-0002

If you are undecided, call 202-737-0003

By putting "support" at the top and then adding "undecided" to the bottom, it mutes "oppose" and confuses all the numbers. Our eyes and our brains have to work harder to decipher which string of numbers to call. Why do they really need an "undecided" line? If you haven't decided, how about you just not call?

Of course, "support" will get the 1st spot and the number "1"! Perception is related to words, numbers, feelings and aesthetically pleasing placement.

What about this:

To Vote on Healthcare Legislation, call now:

Support: 202-737-0001 • Oppose: 202-737-0002

Undecided: 202-737-0003

Makes it a little easier to read, right?

Side-note: the "oppose" line has been busy for 2 hours!! Hopefully we're getting our message across and it's not a fake number.

Leaders Fiddle While the Nation Burns

*repost*

MARCH 19, 2010

Leaders Fiddle While the Nation Burns

The United States hit a new record this month—more public debt piled up than any month before in the history of the nation. Unapologetic, Congress bought five luxury private jets for a brand new Congressional fleet because they didn’t feel that military jets were good enough for their junkets or their refined tastes.

Where did the money come from? The nation borrowed it from foreign creditors and secured the debt with our earnings and the future earnings of our children and grandchildren.

The FairTax ends the corruption practiced daily by tax writing committees who treat $2.5 trillion a year in tax receipts as their private property. It bars lobby deals and special favors and shifts power from the government to the citizen. It restores the role of the American people in deciding how much and when taxes are paid by their consumption decisions and it creates a new era of robust American economic growth.

But as good as the FairTax is for the nation, it is still ignored, at best, and distorted and despised, at worst, by those in the political elite who profit from corruption of the federal tax code. This week your FairTax organization delivered nearly 100,000 petitions to the House Ways and Means Committee--who could not be bothered to meet with national FairTax campaign chairman, Ken Hoagland.

"I am furious that the leading alternative to the income tax has again been ignored along with every American who petitioned their government for redress of grievances," said Hoagland. "This betrayal of the voice of the American people adds fuel to the fire of our determination to break through the wholly unacceptable and un-American shell of disdain for the common man that we are seeing from Washington, D.C."

Hoagland said that April 15th events planned including the "Storm the Hill" and "Operation FairTax" rallies as well as the on-line tax revolt march www.onlinetaxrevolt.com were needed efforts to "break through to our leaders". "We will not give up, we will not stop and we will not rest until we have ripped this broken tax system and culture of political privilege out by the roots. That is a promise."

ACS supports current healthcare legislation

In times that the media have likened to The Great Depression, Americans continue to give time and money to charities. After all, there are people in need who are far worse off than we are. While we are in a great economic slump, it's vital that we keep tabs on the non-profit organizations. Our disposable income is sparse, so every penny given to a charity is worth more to us.

Sixty thousand (60,000) members of AARP ended their memberships over the summer because AARP supports the current healthcare legislation. Members of AARP voted with their dollars; they moved their support to other Retirement associations in-line with their American beliefs.

Have you researched the Political Action Committee agendas for your favorite charities? For 7 years, I have supported the American Cancer Society (ACS) through volunteerism, fundraising and personal donations. I touted to potential donors that ACS is the "largest non-governmental cancer research organization in the world."

The line between "non-government" and "private charity" has been overtly crossed through American Cancer Society's Cancer Advocacy Network. ACS CAN is promoting passage of the current healthcare legislation. Go ahead, visit ACSCAN.org and find the "Healthcare Can't Wait" petition on its front page.

This petition does not clarify specific desires of the American Cancer Society regarding cancer treatment, prevention or coverage. Instead, it urges for a complete passage of the current healthcare legislation. After all, no one should be responsible for their own bodies, right?

It is one thing for an ordinary citizen to lobby for the healthcare legislation and quite another for them to do it on behalf of ACS CAN and in conjunction with an ACS staff partner. The American Cancer Society, the “largest non-governmental cancer research agency,” is in bed with big government. Under the non-profit guise, ACS pays no taxes while lobbying to take away personal choice and personal responsibility and replace it with government control.

Why should non-profits have any bearing on taxation or law writing?

In this country, we regularly demonize private companies and corporations because they have a stake in the outcome of any political reform. We are giving a pass to non-profits, which pay no taxes, for the sake of good-will and charity. In this case, ACS is blatantly lobbying for government take over of our healthcare system - one-sixth of our Gross Domestic Product. We allow a non-tax-paying entity to manipulate the law while taking government grants.

The American Cancer Society exists as a supplement to standard insurance or lack thereof; they exist as a non-governmental research body. By promoting a government-run healthcare program, ACS is literally replacing its charitable contributions with funding by the government. No longer will Americans give to medical-related charities; instead, "donations" for the general welfare of all will be forcefully extracted from law-abiding citizens through taxation.

In addition, other countries that have implemented a socialized healthcare system like the one being proposed in America, have lower cancer survival rates. Not only are the vast majority of healthcare innovations developed in the United States because of our free-market system, nowhere in the world is a cancer prognosis so hopeful as it is in the United States.

• Breast cancer mortality is 88% higher in the UK than in the USA
• Prostate cancer mortality is 604% higher in the UK than in the USA
• Colorectal cancer mortality is 40% higher in the UK for both men & woman than in the USA

The American Cancer Society should continue its education campaign for early screening and cancer causes. They should not, however, have anything to do with changing laws that affect private, tax-paying citizens and businesses in the United States.

I thank the American Cancer Society for opening my eyes to the corrupt political system that rewards "non-profits" through regulation and government hand-outs. From today on, I will research companies before donating my time and money. I vow to uncover the rest of our nation's non-profit organizations playing progressive under the veil of charity.

I urge you to look deeper into your charitable giving. Please, keep giving, but be sure to find the association that best represents your philanthropic side AND your American side.

Below is an open letter to the American Cancer Society:

March 16, 2010

Robert Watts

American Cancer Society

1620 South Clyde Morris Blvd

Daytona Beach, FL 32119

To Mr. Watts:

About 10 years ago, right out of college, I found myself in Tallahassee fighting on the side of small business owners, the Florida Restaurant Association (FRA) and the Florida Hotel & Motel Association (FHMA) against the statewide smoking ban in Florida. On the other side of the argument was the American Cancer Society, a large non-profit association, lobbying to control private business’s right to allow, or not allow, smoking in their establishments.

The FRA and the FHMA argued that private businesses should be able to allow smoking in their establishment if they so chose; patrons vote with their dollars and can choose not to spend money in a smoking establishment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) felt that it was in the best interest of the public to make public smoking illegal. The proposal was solely enacted to control the behavior of Americans. The statewide smoking ban became law in 2003 with complicated food vs. alcohol guidelines for smoking establishments.

In 2008, ACS backed and lobbied for a $1.00 increase in the cigarette/tobacco tax in Florida. This direct tax on tobacco smokers was originally intended for a fund to help with lung cancer, emphysema and COPD. Instead, our Florida legislature redirected the funds to balance the Florida budget. A non-profit company once-again lobbies for power over the private sector in order to control behavior. The bill passed in April 2009.

On Tuesday, March 9, 2010, I attended my first ACS Board Meeting to present an update on the Holly Hill Relay for Life. In the beginning, the Advocacy Chairs explained how the healthcare bill was gaining some Republican support, which was good, but what was even better is that Congress was going to push through the Legislation using Reconciliation. The Advocacy Chairs had just been to Tallahassee lobbying for the current healthcare legislation with fellow volunteers and a staff member. Upon their return, they had learned they were 1,500 petitions short and had a FedEx package of ACS CAN (Cancer Action Network) petitions for healthcare legislation. They urged us all to sign the forms, not only with our names, but with the names of our children and grandchildren – because, after all, we didn’t actually have to “sign” or include our social security number. We just needed to get more names on the petitions.

I sat through the remaining one and half hours of the meeting wondering if the American Cancer Society was really pushing for socialized medicine. When the meeting adjourned, one of the Advocacy Chairs asked for my form. When I told her I didn’t support the current healthcare legislation, she continued guilt me into signing the form by parroting Obama talking-points (thousands die every day with no healthcare; her 32 year old granddaughter can’t afford it – should she go without?; women with cesarean sections are denied healthcare, etc). I again declined adding my name to the petition – or my husband’s name, son’s name or grandmother’s name for that matter. I explained that we see the current healthcare legislation from different points of view and suggested that we discuss it further in a different setting.

When I got home, I did a quick search to find out if ACS was truly advocating the healthcare legislation or if the Advocacy Chairs had just taken it on as a pet project. I went to www.Cancer.org, clicked “Advocate for Change,” clicked “American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network” and it directed me straight to an online petition for the healthcare reform. www.ACSCAN.org has a petition pop-up before directing users to the main website.

Why should a non-profit have the ability to lobby changes in the law in order to manipulate behavior?

It is one thing for an ordinary citizen to lobby for the healthcare legislation and quite another for them to do it on behalf of ACS CAN and in conjunction with an ACS staff partner. The American Cancer Society, the “largest non-governmental cancer research agency,” is in bed with big government. Under the non-profit guise, ACS is lobbying to take away personal choice and personal responsibility and replace it with government control.

Again, why should non-profits have any bearing on taxation or law writing?

And in this country, we regularly demonize private companies and corporations because they have a stake in the outcome of the healthcare reform. We are giving a pass to non-profits, which pay no taxes, but blatantly lobby for government to take over one-sixth of our economy. We allow a non-tax-paying entity to manipulate the law while taking government grants.

The American Cancer Society exists as a supplement to standard insurance or lack thereof. By promoting a government-run healthcare program, ACS is literally replacing its charitable contributions with funding by the government. No longer will Americans give to medical-related charities; instead, money will be forcefully extracted from law-abiding citizens through taxation.

In addition, other countries that have implemented a socialized healthcare system like the one being proposed in America have lower cancer survival rates. Not only are the vast majority of healthcare innovations developed in the United States because of our free-market system, nowhere in the world is a cancer prognosis so hopeful as it is in the United States.

• Breast cancer mortality is 88% higher in the UK than in the USA
• Prostate cancer mortality is 604% higher in the UK than in the USA
• Colorectal cancer mortality is 40% higher in the UK for both men & woman than in the USA

If anything, the American Cancer Society should continue its education campaign for early screening and cancer causes. They should not, however, have anything to do with changing laws that affect private, tax-paying people and businesses in the United States.

Please take this letter as my resignation from all volunteer responsibilities with the American Cancer Society. Because I believe that healthcare is the responsibility of every American, not a right, I must part ways with ACS. I feel that lobbying for the current healthcare legislation is a direct misuse of non-profit status and abuse of a charitable organization with such influence as the American Cancer Society.

I hereby donate my $100 registration fee to any team requiring assistance in 2010.

While so many of American Cancer Society’s programs are worthwhile and beneficial to our community, the act of promoting the current healthcare legislation has broken the line between charity and government.

Thank you for opening my eyes to the controversial support of non-profits in our political system.

Sincerely,

Kristina Bouterse

Owner, Wing Zone

www.KristinasConscience.blogspot.com

It's the final countdown...

We're coming up on April 15, 2010! For those new to the politikin' scene, April 15 is somewhat of a holiday for FairTax.org. For over 10 years, we've envisioned April 15 as just another beautiful spring day... we've rallied in front of post offices, held tax day protests and helped spread the word of the end of the IRS.

On Thursday, April 15, 2010, our nation's Capital will be humming with patriotism. Die-hard Americans will fill the streets of Washington demanding tax reform - demanding a hearing at the House Ways and Means Committee. FairTax has collected thousands of petitions asking for a hearing at the Committee and thousands of supporters will deliver these petitions to current Chairman Levin.

For those not trekking to Washington, here are two easy ways to promote FairTax:

• FIRST: Join the OnLineTaxRevolt.com and create a personal Avatar to march to Washington D.C. for the April 15th Rally
• SECOND: Find a post office Rally in your area or START YOUR OWN!! The purpose is to share FairTax as the solution to our economic woes. Do you know people who procrastinate on their taxes and then sweat it out for days while they completely stress over numbers? And then they rush to the post office to deposit their tax returns and find a SOLUTION to the silliness of income tax!

If you're on the East Coast of Florida, join us for our • Daytona Beach Tax Day Rally • Presented by FairTax East Volusia & Volusia 912

• Tax Day Rally!! April 15, 2010 • 5p-7p, downtown Daytona Beach • Park at City Island (Magnolia & Beach St. between the ball field & the library)

Email FairTaxVolusia@gmail.com with questions or to volunteer. Or call Susan @ 386-788-8083.

Find your area happenings at FairTax.org

Guess how many taxes are in this bill??!!

(repost)

FLEMING HEALTH CARE REFORM UPDATE
Guess how many taxes are in this bill??!!
March 13, 2010

As a citizen concerned about our nation’s health care system, I thought you’d like to know that the health care bill being rammed through the House contains 10 years worth of tax increases to pay for only 6 years worth of benefits. These taxes total $500 billion dollars over 10 years. Many of these taxes will affect Americans earning less than $200,000 a year, despite the President’s promise to avoid such taxes.

Here are just a few of the taxes contained in the bill:

• $750 penalty per worker charged to employers who fail to provide government-sanctioned health insurance
• Tax on brand name drugs—totaling $2.3 billion
• Increased penalty for early withdrawal from your HSA (from 10% to 20%)
• Tax on medical devices—totaling $19.2 billion
• 10% tax on indoor tanning services

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU: Some of these taxes may affect you directly. Others, like the employer mandate, will cost our economy desperately needed jobs. Others will have ripple effects through the system that will raise prices for everyone.

THE DOCTOR'S DIAGNOSIS: America needs common sense health reform, not job-killing taxes. Future Congresses will be under pressure to raise taxes even further to pay for future years of an expanded government-administered health care system.
As this process unfolds, I will continue to work to represent you, bring common-sense to this debate, expose abuses of power and do all I can to prevent bad policy from becoming law.

Sincerely,

JOHN FLEMING, M.D.
Member of Congress

P.S. If you’d like more information, please visit my website at Fleming.House.Gov or follow me onFacebook and Twitter.

blowing wind up our...

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=526944

Wind Energy - did you notice the blip about the failed Spanish wind power industry during the Cap & Trade campaign? During the Cap & Tax fiasco this summer, opponents broke open the failure of a wind energy experiment in Spain. Wind energy was economically inviable and destroyed jobs. The findings were widely ignored and assumed implausible in the United States. Of course wind energy will work - our government will subsidize it!

BREAKING NEWS: the United States Department of Energy (DOE) tried to discredit the findings in Spain in order to propel the wind energy movement in America. Our Federal Government suppressed vital, real-life research regarding the viability of the wind industry. Jobs were killed in Spain. It cost more money and energy to make a turbine than it saves over a long period of time. So when it's finally in operation and all the costs are figured it out, it will take less energy to run than a stove straight on natural gas than on wind power. Ironic.

I used to work for a natural gas company, Infinite Energy Inc., based in Gainesville Florida. The company sells natural gas to municipalities for them to create electricity as well as the gas passing through to the end user. If electricity isn't made with natural gas, it's probably made with coal. The basic building block of any creation is energy. We can't build equipment for dams, nuclear plants or wind power without natural gas, petroleum or coal.

That's one of the ironic things about the green movement. Sure, the end product might be pure as day, but if it's more than a local thing, everything that is required to expand a product nationwide will gobble up energy and natural resources. What was the carbon footprint of the Copenhagen climate change shinnanigan?

weekend Snail update

From the West Virginia Website.

Authorities in Florida are working with the Feds to continue the ban on the importation of giant snails from East Africa. These things can grow 10 inches long and even eat drywall. In 1966, 3 snails were smuggled into Miami. They grew to a population of 18,000 in only seven years!! Meanwhile people in Miami following an African religion called Ifa Orisha are drinking Giant African Snail mucus for healing purposes. Apparently, the mucus is making some sick. The group's leader, Charles L. Stewart, has pending criminal charges for having the snails; no word yet from PETA on drinking the mucus. Hurl. Apparently, West Virginia is having Giant African Snail problems, too! They're calling for local science teachers and exotic pet traders to keep their eye out for these creatures and call the authorities if they happen upon one.

Americans give because it feels good

There's a bunch of hogwash going around implying that Americans only give to charities for the tax breaks. Do you know how you get a tax break by giving to a charity? You have to itemize your tax return and include the donation!

About 35% of Americans itemize their tax returns! If we apply that to giving, it means that only 35% of Americans who donate money to Red Cross (remember the phone text thing? did you save that record for your taxes?) or who donate clothes to Good Will or who drop $.75 in the Salvation Army bucket are actually getting the tax break on that donation.

Americans are innately giving people. We are overall optimistic and want to help our fellow man. Just check any cash register at a 7-11 and you'll find the "give a penny, take a penny" dish! We have, as citizens and by choice, given more to disaster relief efforts than any other nation.

If you are someone who itemizes their taxes, do you really just give away money to offset your tax obligation? Think of it this way... if you give $100 to a charitable organization, you get 35% tax deduction on the amount given. So, you give $100 and you get $35 off your tax liability, you are still out of pocket $65. It would make no sense in the world to donate $100 for a $35 break if you didn't WANT TO GIVE or SUPPORT the organization.

So the idea that the rich only give because of tax breaks is a silly argument. All of us give because it feels good - we give because we want to! The more money we have, the more we give. It's not about tax breaks, it's about abundance - those who have more typically give more.

There is currently a government revolution to take over the basic responsibilities of American citizens. Our government thinks that they know what's best for us and they're trying their darndest to write it into law.

Are you one of those noble Americans who have given to, say, Hospice or the American Cancer Society? We've given to these organizations because they provide a benefit that we can only find in the private, non-profit sector. The moment that our government takes over these sectors, there will be no incentive for Americans to give money to them. The more the government controls, the less we will feel obliged to donate to the cause.

When's the last time you donated to the Post Office? What about Medicare? I can personally say NEVER! We don't donate to these causes; instead, we lobby for higher taxes to cover costs. We don't require them to run efficiently because we have a "never ending pool of rich people" who can keep these failing government bureaucracies afloat.

Take a look at charitable giving in the United States versus the United Kingdom. 2.2% of our Gross Domestic Product is charitable giving (about $250 billion). In the UK, it's 1.1% (about $14 billion or $83 billion adjusted for population). What's the major difference between our two countries? I'll give you a hint, as written in American Mega-Giving: A Comparison to Global Disaster Relief:

...Americans, more than any other people in the world, maintain control over how their monies are used by donating it themselves rather than delegating this responsibility to the federal government. Every year, one can expect Americans to give gifts large and small to support the constant needs of everyday life and to respond to crisis as well.

However, philanthropy in America is not simply a function of our wealth. Rather, our wealth is a function of the basic American principles of individual freedom, moral responsibility, and decentralization that also guide our philanthropy. The American belief is that the collective outcome of individual choice is superior to that of a more systematic centralized and governmental approach. While individuals do make mistakes, the flexibility and freedom of the American system encourages a level of entrepreneurship and personal imperative unmatched by any other nation. The very same freedoms and institutions that allow Americans to maintain control over their giving are also the basis of American success and philanthropy.

If for no other reason, consider the great government takeover from a philanthropic standpoint. Americans will take care of each other, Americans will give and Americans will better themselves just so long as we have the freedom to do so.

Again, only people pay taxes!

Finally, it's not just us FairTaxers screaming "ONLY PEOPLE PAY TAXES"!! The Congressional Budget Office (a non-partisan group that basically prices out legislation) sent a letter yesterday to Senator Chuck Grassley explaining how new bank taxes will be passed down to the consumer, the employees and the investors. Here's the actual quote as stated in Mike Brownfield's Heritage Report article:

[T]he ultimate cost of a tax or fee is not necessarily borne by the entity that writes the check to the government.

The cost of the proposed fee would ultimately be borne to varying degrees by an institution’s customers, employees, and investors.

Customers would probably absorb some of the cost in the form of higher borrowing rates and other charges, although competition from financial institutions not subject to the fee would limit the extent to which the cost could be passed to borrowers. Employees might bear some of the cost by accepting some reduction in their compensation, including income from bonuses, if they did not have better employment opportunities available to them. Investors could bear some of the cost in the form of lower prices of their stock if the fee reduced the institution’s future profits.

If you're still not getting it, please go back and review my ranting post from January on the same exact topic.

We have a problem with our government that is more than just spending... it's the lack of transparency in taxation. Right now, what in the world does taxation have to do with spending or fiscal responsibility? This year alone, our federal government will spend $1.4 trillion MORE than they take in (that's called deficit spending). So if spending were attached to taxation, we wouldn't have any problem balancing our budget! We've gotten so far out of hand with spending, though, that no amount of taxation in 2010 or beyond will balance the budget, let alone catch up on the accrued debt.

We need transparency. Without knowing where the government's revenue comes from, how can we hold them accountable? We also need a common sense law that says "No spending above tax revenue". Just an idea.

Chavez will always hate us

A blip on the news scene today noted that Hugo Chavez called Hillary Clinton a "blonde Condeleezza". Apparently, despite our new progressive Presidential leadership, America's policies in Latin America remain the same as when Condoleezza Rice held the position of Secretary of State.

It's actually pretty funny when you think about it. Chavez is the dictator of Venezuela who enacted socialist policies and last enjoyed an economic inflation rate of 30% in 2008. Any way you look at it, Chavez should really hate America with our FREEDOM and all.

That's why it was so strange to anyone paying attention when President Obama sided with Chavez over the overthrow of the attempted dictator of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya. Zelaya tried to change the Constitution while in the Office of President to illegally extend his Presidency. The military in Honduras arrested Zelaya and exiled him from the country.

The Honduran Military was upholding the Constitution.

Our President stepped in and sided with the attempted-dictator along with other socialist pals like Hugo Chavez. Our government worked to restore Zelaya's presidency within hours of the arrest. Supporters of Zelaya claimed that he should stay in power for the sake of democracy. Yet the Supreme Court of Honduras found that Zelaya's "call for a referendum for his term limits to be eased" unconstitutional and the military's actions supported by law.

Despite our President siding with the socialists back in July, Hugo Chavez still hates us. He doesn't think President Obama has done enough to weaken our military, socialize our society or distribute our wealth (whatever that is being that we have a $1.4 trillion deficit on the books). Despite this administration's attempt to take-over our free-market economy, Americans have slowed the ransacking with hopes to return the old glory of this nation.

Oh, back to our blonde Condoleezza. Apparently Hillary Clinton did not only perpetuate the strategies of the Bush administration, she absolutely and completely offended the entire nation of Honduras. With the ousting of attempted-dictator Zelaya, the country has seen blood-shed, violence, arrests and torture by the government in attempts to stifle the pro-democracy movement. With all the damage to Honduras, Clinton said in a recent speech, "The Honduras crisis has been managed to a successful conclusion... it was done without violence".

So, anyway, I'm pretty okay with Hugo Cavez hating America. It means we haven't completely slipped into the depths of socialism.

...a major opportunity to distribute wealth...

There was a time in our history when unions were needed. That was back before Federal and State laws banned child labor or created workplace environment controls. One of the few things that I agree with FDR about is that he was absolutely against the unionization of government workers.

Government workers are notorious for being under-productive, lacking customer service and basically unable to be fired. Yet, they make nearly twice as much as a private sector employee (and remember - they're being paid with our tax dollars!). All the while, they tout that they are "public servants". A "public servant" would enjoy their job, would do it because they care, and would show compassion for their citizens by fighting for our Constitutional rights. Where do you see that happening in our government? WE are fighting THEM for our rights to life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness. We are fighting for our right to own land, to worship as we please, to carry a gun and to speak freely.

Have you noticed how the Federal government is quick to demonize anyone who doesn't agree with their tactics? How about that Homeland Security Threat that was issued last April 15 for those of us protesting the income tax system? Ya, I'm sure a threat! (well, a threat to the status quo, anyway)

If this next quote doesn't scare the beegeebies out of you, I don't know what will. Andy Stern, the head of Service Employees International Union and President Obama's newly added "deficit panel" member recently said this:

We now have a new metric. The president says he wants to judge the new economy whether it increases the number of people in the middle class. Whether we have shared prosperity, not just growth. Which is a fundamental different philosophy then what we've seen in this country to date. Now how do we distribute wealth in this country ... clearly government has a major opportunity to distribute wealth - from the EITC, from tax policies, from minimum wages, from living wages - the government has a role in distributing wealth and social benefits. We are at historic crossroads ... in terms of what our new president is trying to do and a different way we are going to try and evaluate the economy. And so all of sudden we are witnessing the first new American economic plan led by the government, not necessarily by the private sector.

Um, what?! He literally says that it's the government's job to spread wealth. It's the government's job, not the private sector's job, to create jobs and to determine how much people will make. Ever heard "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need"? THOSE ARE MARXIST PRINCIPLES.

It is time for Americans to wake up and understand what's going on in this great country. The socialist Democrats have been very patient over the last 100 years developing government dependence and class envy. It started with income taxes, then social security, then welfare and now a majority of Americans take more from the government than they pay in taxes. Next is our healthcare.

We are pawns in a power game and we are seriously being played. WAKE UP!! Capitalism, free market and a rule of law are what made this country great. If you don't like it, move on out! No one's stopping you.

2 reasons I'll never advertise with the News-Journal

The Daytona Beach News-Journal is filing bankruptcy and is in the midst of being sold for a ridiculously low price. I assume everyone knows that advertising is how any media outlet pays its bills. Which means that you must put out a product that businesses will support with their advertising dollars.

I will never advertise in the News-Journal. (reason #1) Check out this column by Pierre Tristam, a staff writer for the newspaper. He would rather see private businesses collapse than our economy rejuvenate. This particular article on healthcare is not out of the ordinary for him.

If the News-Journal really wanted to stay in business, they'd listen to potential advertisers! Wouldn't it be fun if they did an ongoing debate between Pierre and someone who believes in free-market economy and private business?

And then here's a little doozy by the staff editorial cartoonist that ran in the March 2nd edition (reason #2):

He's basically saying that if you're not a Republican, you have no real reason to dismiss Obama's policies. All we can do is be jealous of the messiah - reasons enough to "hate" him, right? Well, I don't "hate" Obama and I'm not a Republican, so I must just be jealous.

Oops, never mind... Florida politicians are idiots

After reading some more about the Florida Legislature session yesterday, I discovered that the State took another stimulus loan from the Federal government. Rather than making tough decisions to cut spending, they basically tricked us into believing our tax "suspension" was a economic-building move.

The more we spend in the red and the more we borrow from the Federal government (is it really borrowing when the money doesn't exactly exist??) will only help flush Florida's economy into the ocean. How does it make sense to borrow money to shore up the State budget? That does not make a balanced budget, Gov. Crist!

I'm so tired of these political games. It's no wonder people ignore politics.