And so this is Christmas.....

Another Christmas is upon us and it is time to think back to the year that we all have had.  There have been trials and tribulations, ups and downs, old friends and new friends, and many other events that have shaped our lives this past year.  But one thing that we have to be thankful for is that we made it through another year.  There are those among us who are not going to be able enjoy the holidays as they have in the past.  For those that have lost jobs, it is not going to be a very Merry Christmas. 

I have also encountered bumps in the road.  A job loss early in the year did nothing to dampen by spirits by any means.  I knew that it was only a matter of time before I would be back on my feet.  For those who have been out of work for what seems an eternity, you have to keep up the faith that you will get a job and be back on the road to prosperity.  It is not an easy road and I don’t want to pretend that it is. 

We have seen financial upheaval all over the world and this has affected all of us in ways some will not understand.  The political system in the United States has come under attack by progressive liberals who are hell bent on taking us down the path of failure.  Our religious freedoms have also come under attack by those who are trying to take down what we have left of our faiths. This country used the Judeo-Christian ethic as a foundation for this government.  They were beginning an experiment where everyone would be able to practice religion freely.

Now is not the time to stop fighting for what we believe in.  Christmas is a time for us to renew our faith in fellow man and do what we feel is right.  We must remember growing up in this country is a privilege and not a right.  We must not be afraid to fight to keep what is rightfully ours and not let anyone take it from us and that includes our government.

We have all worked too hard and too long so see this country go the way of other countries of the world.  It is time to think about what we really want and this is the best time of year to start.  Christmas must be celebrated as time for new beginnings.  We must never lose sight of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice to be able to celebrate our freedoms and Christmas is a very important part of that. 

From my extended family to all of you, I wish to convey a very Merry Christmas blessing and the hope of a wonderful New Year.

20,000 Private Construction Jobs and Obama says "No"?, "Maybe"?, "Yes"?

Recently President Obama decided he was going to delay his decision to approve the XL Pipeline until after the election in 2012 much to the surprise to all the parties involved. His reasoning was the project needed additional environmental studies to determine the viability and safety of the project. After almost 3 ½ years of exhaustive review, review and more review he was still not sure if it was safe enough to build.  Let’s also note that the extensive approval process for a project of this magnitude has never happened before.

The regulatory hurdle that has blocked the approval of this much needed pipeline will not stop Canada from building the pipeline.  It would be naïve to think that Trans-Canada is sitting on their hands waiting for a decision from Obama.  They will continue with their plans to produce upwards to a million barrels of much needed oil from the Tar Sands Pipeline and instead of the United States being the beneficiary the oil will probably go to oil starved China.  The proposed pipeline would run from Alberta, Canada to Texas and pass through six states.

Unemployment 8.6%: Deceiving or For Real

The unemployment dropped to 8.6% in November from 9.0% the previous month. Don’t let the numbers fool you.  This one month decrease does not signify a recovery and we must view this with skepticism.  We have to look inside the numbers.  In November 312,000 people stopped their job searches as compared to the 120,000 positions that were created, and were no longer counted as unemployed. That contributed to the drop in the unemployment rate. The number of new unemployed still tops 400,000 most weeks.  So many people have stopped looking for jobs that it makes the rate look better.  There are still over 13 million Americans unemployed and that should tell you everything.  Only 64% of the people eligible to work are currently employed.

Obama will tell you that the new numbers are an indication that the economy is recovering, the strong job numbers prove this and that his policies are working. This is farthest from the truth. This President has done everything you do when you want to kill an economy. There so many factors to be taken into consideration when looking at the alleged recovery. The main stream media will try to convince you that everything is fine. It’s not. This is just an anomaly and nothing else.

Let’s look at the big picture and then you can decide for yourself.  We are all for seeing people back at work and providing for themselves and their families, but this President is still doing nothing.  In recent weeks we have heard from many CEO’s who are afraid of what is happening.  They have blasted the president in growing numbers.  They are not investing and they are not hiring because they are do not know where this economy is going. 

They see a national debt that has ballooned in the past three years from $10 billion to $15 billion.  This takes money away from the private sector and stalls growth.  Let’s not also forget that more than half the jobs added last month were by retailers, restaurants and bars which typically hire additional employees for the holidays.  But that’s the tip of the iceberg.

In the past few months we have seen Obama delay the XL pipeline which would have created over 20,000 new jobs not to mention the 700,000 additional barrels of oil a day, “delayed” due to additional “environmental” concerns.  The real reason is Obama wants to wait until after the election to decide is all political. Another 200,000 Ohio based jobs would have been created with the activities of the Utica shale reserve which was also blocked by the Obama Administration. He is also blocking oil production in the Gulf which would also create thousands of jobs that were lost during the BP oil spill.  

Obama pledged that he would create 5 million new “Green Energy” jobs.  Pelosi promised 800,000 new jobs with Obama Care when in fact 800,000 health care jobs will be lost when the bill becomes fully implemented in 2014.  This is only a fraction of the jobs that Obama promised us when he became President.  In fact this country has lost 2.9 million jobs since the stimulus bill was signed and the unemployment rate has not decreased below 8%.

Do not be fooled by what is going on.  It is Obama’s strategy to turn this country into a vision of his socialistic ways where everyone is either working for the government or dependent upon government.  Let’s do what needs to be done to reverse this trend. We need to get people back to work in the private sector permanently. This is no time to be lulled into a false sense of security with the decrease of the unemployment rate in November.  Numbers can be deceiving and this sums up this presidents record in job creation. It is non-existent and we won’t be fooled again.

OBAMACARE AND DEATH PANELS

When my Dad retired in the 80’s he was 65 years old.  He enjoyed his retirement years by volunteering at the local Senior Citizens Center, ran in elections for local offices and was as active as anyone I knew. He loved playing golf and puttering around his yard taking care of the landscaping and even shoveling snow during the winter.   He also worked part time consulting for a number of his long term clients during tax season.  He had as sharp of mind at 85 when he passed away as he did when he was a younger man.  I would always go to him for advice and he never wavered from the messages he gave me as a child and in my adult life.  All the while his health was declining, but this did not stop or slow him down at all.  He would say that he was just like an automobile and when you get older things start breaking down and it is no different for people.  If he were alive today he would be incensed at the thought of someone other than his doctor deciding whether he lives or dies.

When we hear the term “Death Panels” that has been bantered about since the passing of ObamaCare we can only think of one thing, Socialism at its best.  Recently a caller on the Mark Levin Show revealed a very disturbing part of ObamaCare.  It is an inside look at what ObamaCare will do. A panel of government administrators at Health and Human Services (HHS) under the direction of Secretary Kathleen Sebelious, will decide whether it is economically viable to allow advanced neurosurgical care to be performed on a person over 70 which they now refer to as “units” and not patients.  The patients will now receive comfort care. These are not yet published regulations from (HHS). They are talking about our grandmothers, grandfathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends.  This is the United States of America and if you take away people’s right to live with dignity what is left of our valuable freedoms?

At the time ObamaCare was being debated in congress, Sarah Palin said that ‘Death Panels” consisting of bureaucrats, not doctors would be created to decide if we live or die.  She was ridiculed, mocked, and scorned by the main stream media and everyone else that wanted this bill passed.  They all denied that this was the case and that it was just another example of the republicans trying to scare people.  It was done to hide what ObamaCare was really all about.  So if you are 70 years-old or older and your name is Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Maxine Water, Charlie Rangel or soon to be Joe Biden, chances are that you will not be subjected to the “Death Panels” unlike we of us in the general population.

I often get the chance to talk to seniors in this wonderful country and I see a group of people that are still a very important part of society.  They are active with schools, churches, community groups and countless other organizations.  People over 65 make up almost 20% of our population (2010 U.S Census).  They are working longer than ever before to provide for themselves and their families.  They are an invaluable part of our population and they deserve better than this.  They do not deserve to be treated this way by the “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. (Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1865)

This is just a tip of the iceberg when referring to the changes in our life that will occur as ObamaCare becomes fully operational by 2014.  Whether we chose to believe this or not, it is not the time to sit back and wait for the inevitable.  It is time to fight this injustice and get it repealed and the people responsible for this disaster voted out of office.  We are at the precipice of our freedoms and they are being taken away from us one regulation at a time.  It’s now or never.

What's next Mr. President ?

Have you read the recent newspaper headlines Mr. President? If you have not, let me give you the highlights. We start with $14.3 million for retraining former Solyndra employees. Who was the one that approved that loan? You’re Department of Energy with Secretary Steven Chu at the helm. What a shock it went bankrupt and “We the People” lost $535 million. This next story looks interesting.  Super committee fails and where were you Mr. President during this time.  You were on one of your campaign bus trips disguised as a presidential event to talk about more plans but you never quite get to the real problems.  You are traveling to Hawaii and to foreign countries where you knock our education system and apologize about America’s shortcomings instead of our exceptionalism.  Let’s see?  Who runs the Department of Education? Another one of your socialist friends (Secretary Arne Duncan) and you wonder why our education system is in such disarray.

As we move on we see your $447 billion jobs bill that you said repeatedly "pass it now" "we can't wait". Well Mr. President this is not how to stimulate the economy. And to continue, your friend Jon Corzine is missing $1.7 billion of his client’s money . Did you not ask him for economic advice when you were first elected? He certainly knows how spend others money. Is that how you decided to spend the money “We the People” gave you in taxes, and not be held accountable again?  Leading by example you spend millions more of our tax dollars for travel and a Democrat Congressman is using constituent’s campaign funds for trips to weddings. This is what you call leading?

As we continue on we see that the debt reached $15 trillion last week.  Most people can’t comprehend this because they are too busy living in poverty which is now over 15%, and this includes some of the 47 million people now depending on food stamps to eat.  The unemployed continue to search for those non-existent jobs that you promised when you passed your first stimulus plan. Where are the jobs Mr. President?  The next headline has to be my favorite and it just reads “In Michigan, ObamaCare is already a job Killer”.  Where are the 800,000 new jobs that you promised when you signed this bill? And we will never forget those words uttered by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “We have to pass the bill so that we can find out what is in it.  And the newest statement by Pelosi who “wants to do for child care what we did for health care”.

In all fairness Mr. President we sometimes get jobs that are way over our heads and it’s nothing to be ashamed of if you can’t handle it.  If this is truly the case there are plenty of community organizer’s positions currently available in your home town of Chicago.  I hope that you are able to find a position that is better suited for you.

One more item that is important for the American people to ask themselves, what did Chris Mathews mean when he asked Obama, “Just tell us, commander. Give us our orders and tell us where we’re going. Give us the mission.”  This sums up your presidency all too clearly. What’s next Mr. President.

Downtown Boston and the Price we pay for Crumbling Roads

It was September again and time for my bi-yearly trip home to Boston.  When I visited two years ago after a long absence I went with an open mind.  The Big Dig was almost finished and it was time to take a ride through it for the first time. To say I was mildly disjointed would be an understatement that compares with putting a band aid on a severed limb.  There had already been a motorist killed in one of the tunnels a few years back when the alleged state of the art constuction caused a piece of the ceiling to collapse. And we won't even discuss the massive leaks that are pouring millions of gallons of water into the main tunnel, which now brings me to the main topic, "infrastructure".

The road and bridges around the Boston area have always been an Achilles heals of sorts with the foot deep potholes, exposed rebar, rusted and rotting steel bridges and one of my old time favorites "Rotaries”.  For those of you who don't know what a rotary is I will try to explain. It is a circular island with a road around it that is fed cars from four or more points that converge into a one or two lane circle to which you fight or merge with other oncoming traffic and then exit when you have reached your exit point from this circular monstrosity.  Too much for you to understand?  Google "Rotaries" and see for yourself.  Just for the record, we “stole” the idea from Europe where they are known as “Roundabouts”

Viewing the aforementioned bridges and tunnels, you have to wonder with all the traffic that travels over, under, around and through them, how they have stayed in place for all these years. I think that it has something to do with the road gods that protect us from the potential projectiles that could fall down upon us or drop from below us but I could be wrong.  I am still a little mystified about the gravity thing but you get my point.

Recently, President Obama decided to make a campaign stop alongside a bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio, and which also happens to be the home states of House Speaker Boehner and Senate Minority Leader McConnell.  This was not a coincidence. This so called stunt was staged to bring home the point that this piece of our infrastructure was in need of replacement. It was also part of his appeal to sell his $447 billion dollar jobs bill that will put Americans back to work. The bizarre part of this story is that there are no funds in this bill to replace "this particular bridge" which by the way is going to be replaced by 2021. (That’s ten years folks).

We all know that the infrastructure is in this country is in critical need of repair. This is a no brainer.  But we have to think back to the stimulus bill in 2009 that what supposed to do the same thing, yet only 6% of this $900 Billion bill was used for this purpose.  With this kind of money you could have fixed a lot of roads and bridges.  What happened to this money?  Why are we doing this dog and pony show again?

Now I return back to the Boston problem.  I don't know if the President is aware of the goings on around Boston being that it is one of his bedrock blue states but be rest assured that he will probably win Massachusetts in 2012 so why bother visiting.  But unlike Ohio being a swing state, he will probably be spending lots of time there. I would like to invite President Obama to Boston a take a ride through the Central Artery Tunnel and see what $15 billion buys.  Let’s see if I can remember all the highlights:  Falling ceilings, falling and rusting light fixtures, water leaks, Icebergs (reserved for winter driving), sinkholes, and who knows what else.  If it were up to me "Tunnelgate" would be an appropriate name for this disaster in the making. It will probably be a couple more years before I get to make this trip again from Southern California to see what two more years of inaction looks like.  But I will come with an open mind again and hope for the best that the area is still in the upright position.  For now it's back to the land of sun, surf and liberal indignation on the left coast which shares the same distinction of the other blue state on the right coast.

September 11, 2001 - The Day that changed Everyone

It started out as a normal Tuesday morning.  I was at work and had gone out of the office to run an errand. When I returned to work, I was informed by a co-worker that a small plane had crashed into one of the Towers at the World Trade Center.  I thought about what I had just heard, turned to him and said that this was the start of something, not even knowing what would transpire over the next couple of hours.  He turned to me and just gave me one of those ‘you’re crazy’ looks. I proceeded to my office to check it out on the internet.  I did not know why I had made this comment but something inside told me that this was going to be a day that would change history.  Trying to get on the internet that morning proved difficult at best.  The log on was slow and much delayed.  When I finally got more information, it turned out to be a passenger plane that had flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  The second plane had not yet hit.  Shortly after refreshing the page, the news reported that a second plane had crashed into the South Tower.  This was no accident.  One maybe but not two within minutes of each other.

I continued scouring the news sites to see what other information would be forthcoming.  At this moment the report of a plane slamming into the Pentagon appeared on the Fox News web site. This day was becoming a day to remember.  The fourth and what turned out to be the final crash happened in Western Pennsylvania. 

What makes this day special for me was that I was working in Berlin, Pennsylvania and the crash of United Flight 93 was no more than 10 miles away.  Why Pennsylvania and why an old abandoned strip mine in Shanksville, PA?  As more details started to emerge the picture was getting clearer and clearer. The United States was being attacked by terrorists who had hijacked three other planes and flew them into pre-targeted locations.  All except United Flight 93.

The passengers of Flight 93 were aware of the events that were unfolding that day in New York and Washington.  At approximately 10:03 AM, Flight 93 was no more. The story that would unfold was one of bravery by the 40 people who gave their lives to save others. They took matters into their own hands no matter what the consequences. 

As I watch the Flight 93 dedication today my memory goes back to the first time that I visited the sight. Hundreds of people were coming and going.  Some were leaving personal items on the makeshift memorial.  Others including myself were just standing around with tears in our eyes.  It was a moving experience. I continued to stroll about the gravel covered area reading the personal notes and remembrances that were left by people from all over the world. 

The last time I visited the site was in October 2004 prior to moving to California, promising myself to visit again. It was as moving on that visit as it was on my first of many visits starting in October 2001.  As I looked out to the area where the plane crashed, I cannot imagine what it was like to be on the plane. They were all heroes.  We are now ten years later and as a nation will never forgot the events that unfolded in New York City, Washington DC, and Shanksville PA. It is a day that will live in the minds of all of us.  I dedicate this column to the lives lost and the lives that were changed on September 11, 2001. 

ACORN by any Other Name is Still ACORN

This past week District Judge Donald Mosley of Nevada gave ACORN the defunct community organization, the maximum fine for a voter registration scheme that occurred during the 2008 presidential election.  In passing down his decision he said “It is making a mockery of our election process.  If it had been an individual in this courtroom, who is responsible for this kind of thing, I would put that person in prison for 10 years, hard time, and not think twice about it”.  He slapped the organization with the maximum $5,000 fine. 

This is not the first case of voter fraud against ACORN.  A number of individuals nationwide have also been convicted of voter registration fraud for registering dead people and making up fake names. 

The 2012 election season is upon us and it probably means that we will be seeing this type of behavior repeating itself all over the country. Recently, former ACORN state chapters have been reorganizing under different names.  No matter how you look at it they will no doubt be up to their old tricks to assist President Obama and the left wing in their re-election efforts. 

What makes this all the more dangerous is that newly created ACORN groups have teamed up with the SEIU’s economic terrorism campaign.  Both have a long history with Barrack Obama which includes his stint as an attorney for ACORN in Chicago.  

This should be extremely troubling for most knowing the past history of both of these organizations.  It has just been revealed that SEIU has a “Contract Campaign Manual” that specifically targets shareholders.  It should certainly not come as a surprise to anyone who follows unions that the plan exists.

Last month it was revealed that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) a grant of $800,000 was given to Affordable Housing Centers of America which operated as ACORN Housing Corporation in 2009.  What is disturbing is that the Obama Administration is ignoring a ban on federal support from 2009 to ACORN and its affiliates, which was overturned by a lower court but restored by a federal appeals court.

The question we should all be asking ourselves is can we protect our elections from the hands of ACORN.  Intimidation is their main operating mandate.  We might not be able to stop them completely but if we stand up and not let them hijack the next election it will make a difference.  The election cannot be compromised in any way. We have to make sure that the likes of ACORN and SEUI are not allowed to operate as they have in the past.

Don’t Give Up the Fight – It’s Only ours to Lose

When I read polls that say that the Democrats are ahead in the recent Generic Congressional Ballot 51% to 44%, I am angry, disturbed and confused.  It was not too long ago that this country was railing against the out of control spending when the democrats controlled both houses of congress.  Now that we have taken control of the House of Representatives, with the Senate and the White House on the horizon, we are on our way to restoring fiscal sanity to our bloated government.  It is not going to happen overnight.  We are still up against a Democratic Senate and White House.

While it is true that the Tea Party has had a profound effect on what is currently happening in Washington we still have a long way to do.  But if we are going to do it right we have to show patience in the long term, not just with one piece of legislation that we do not totally agree with. I am speaking about the debt deal that was just passed.  It may not be what we wanted but it is the first step of many that have to be taken to prevent things from getting worse. 

It pains me in ways that I cannot express to see that people are already bailing on the republicans and the Tea Party, and what makes it worse, they think that the democrats can do a better job fixing the economy.  Most people have short attention spans when it comes to politics, but now is not the time to be ignorant. We must act and not react every time something does not go our way. We have to fight each battle and if we lose one, we have to keep on fighting and never give up. 

Let me give you a few facts about the democrats to refresh your memory.  We were promised that the stimulus was supposed to drop the unemployment rate below 8%.  It is now 9.1%. That’s $800 billion flushed down the toilet of democracy.  We were told that we have to pass ObamaCare to “Find out what is in it”.  We found out that the bill is going to cost an additional $50 billion a year because the CBO only factored in single coverage and not family coverage. Do you think the democrats knew what they were doing?  They knew all too well.  Do you get the picture?

Think about it.  Do you really want to re-install Nancy Pelosi or any Democrat as Speaker of the House?  Do you really want to go back to the lack of transparency that has followed this administration since 2009?  Do you really want a government that cares more about their own self-interests than the interests of “We the People”?  If the answer is no to all these questions, it is time to rethink what you want from your elected officials. If you don’t like the republican you elected to office in 2010, go find another republican who will do the job.  Don’t give the keys back to the Democrats.  It is up to you and only you to do what is right to get this country on track.  Don’t ever give up the fight. Let’s get back the America we are all proud of.

Advice to Republican Congress....It's Time to Start Planning Now

Now that the Budget Balance Act of 2011 is behind us it is time to think ahead to the future. We have all read the recent polls showing that if the election were held today President Obama would lose to a Generic Republican Candidate.  If this were to happen, are we prepared for the next four years? Do the republicans in Congress have a secret plan locked away in a file cabinet ready to undue all the harm that has been done in the past few years?  If the answer is no, it’s time to start planning now for the next four years.

We have our work cut out for us. Why wait until the last minute.  We all know what needs to be done and fast.  First and foremost the new president must rescind every executive order that President Obama signed during his term.  Congress must immediately start dismantling the Department of Energy, Department of Education, Environmental Protection Agency, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  If we are going to get this country back on the right track, there are painful decisions that need to be made now.

The next step that we should take is to gather together the best minds in business that this country has to offer.  We gather them all together for a summit, with the understanding that they leave politics and ego at the door. Nothing will be left off the table including the immediate lowering of personal and corporate taxes.  Spending has to be cut to levels that have not been seen since the 80’s. There are sacrifices that must be made. It may be a hardship to some but it will be worth the effort. 

Last and probably the most important actions that Congress must take is to repeal ObamaCare and the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  In place of these two laws we pass legislation that will help consumers and give them what “THEY” want and not what was forced upon them.  

We do not have time to waste.  The sooner we get this country back on track in the right direction, the sooner we get people back to work and the economy humming on eight cylinders. Lets us not forget what Ronald Reagan said, "I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts”