I try not to get to political in my posts but have recently been reflecting on the situation this country finds itself in of late.America was founded on the concept of hard work and self accomplishment. The early settlers worked hard in carving a niche out for themsleves in the wilderness that was the early colonies. They saw a way and severed ties with England as a result of the Revolution, and took a fledgling nation to a superpower. In World War I and World War II they sacrificed and did without in order to accomplish the goal of winning the war.
We seem to have lost our way. We have become a nation of whiners complaining about all aspects of our lives. We have our hands out collectively as a nation expecting the government to provide everything for us from food to health care.Welfare is abused, but if you try straightening it out the masses complain the fix is unconstitional, even though many who complain have never read the Constitution. We expect the government to ffix and make our retirement comfortable. We expect our elected official to bring more money "home" than we sent in. We seem to have lost our way in that we elect "professional" Politicians. The way our Government was set up by our founding fathers was that the Senate was the elite, the House was the commonor working person, the businessman who went to Washington for one or two terms, then went back home to their farms or their businesses and let someone else take a turn. It has become a government of corruption, and special interests plying the halls with money to burn, and those with the most m oney to burn win the biggest prizes. The people of this country seem to have lost the ability to think for themselves.
I am warning you we have to find our way, and get back to our roots, or this country as we know it is going to head the way of many of the ancient civilizations tha once had it all, power, prestige, and wealth ending up in collapse. Wake up people...the Constitution does not guarantee you happiness, it guarantess you the right to pursue happiness, the rest is up to you.
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2011
Friday, October 2, 2009
The State of the Union
We are at a crossroads in society today, depending on who you talk to we are either still mired deep in a recession that hasn't been seen in several decades, or just climbing out of the back side. Whichever you listen to, we still have a high percentage of Americans out of work and looking for virtually non existent jobs. I know the hardship those who are unemployed are going through as I am also stuck in that mode myself. It is a road full of highs and lows, and many of the policies the government has implemented do not work. I am a veteran, yet because of my time of service, after Vietnam, but before Desert Storm I do not qualify for a lot of the help out there for veterans, so you do it all on your own. I listen every night to the debate on the overhaul of health care, yet no discussion on how to help those who do not have a job...Obama has made comments that he would like to impose penalties on those who do not have insurance, but what about those who do not have a job and can not afford it, then they have to pay a penalty to the government as well? Doesn't make sense to me. We have to many people in this country with their hands out expecting the government to take care of them from cradle to grave. Yes insurance rates are rising faster than the rates of pay are increasing, but I do not see the government being able to do anything about that. It is our responsibility to take care of ourselves. We have to destress ourselves and work towards trying to live a healthier lifestyle, not drink as much, not smoke, not use drugs, the government can't do this for us, we have to do it for ourselves
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Economic recovery?
I have heard many people say that Obama's plan is working and the country is going to be strong again. While I hope they are right because I would love to see America in a strong vibrant growing economy, I fear the opposite is going to happen. Ultimately the plan Obama has laid out is going to weaken the economy even further. The people out there who seem to blindly worship Obama will argue with me that he is the savior, and that his plan is the strongest, best possible plan out there. I disagree, right now it is the only plan out there but not necessarily the best plan.
Why I don't think it is the best plan is based on the fact of what got us into this mess in the first place, which is wanton debt, plain and simple. People bought more than they could afford at terms that were ultimately well beyond their means. It does not make a difference who's fault it ultimately was, the greedy banks, or the greedy individual. This fact resulted in prices in the housing industry being pushed up in an unnatural manner, and to levels that could not be supported. We had to keep up with the Jones' and be damned of the consequences. Well we are living those consequences now.
Obama's plan to end this situation is to spend money...money the country does not have. So how do we handle that we put our country further in debt than we already were with no plans for paying off that debt, nor the ability. Print more money and drive the value of the dollar down, raising the value of foreign currencies. Guess what as the value of the dollar declines and the value of foreign currency rises the products we consume are going to rise also. Remember we are an economy that has developed to the point that we import much more than we export, and what little we do export will be worth even less because of the strengthening of the foreign currency, so the value of our products decline on the overseas markets while the values of what they ship to us increases, and this results in inflation. We are going to drive us deeper into debt and weaken our economy even further. The rise in gas prices will seem incidental to what can happen if this continues unchecked..wages will not be able to keep up with the cost of living...driving even more people down below the poverty line. I hope I am wrong but I fear I am not
Why I don't think it is the best plan is based on the fact of what got us into this mess in the first place, which is wanton debt, plain and simple. People bought more than they could afford at terms that were ultimately well beyond their means. It does not make a difference who's fault it ultimately was, the greedy banks, or the greedy individual. This fact resulted in prices in the housing industry being pushed up in an unnatural manner, and to levels that could not be supported. We had to keep up with the Jones' and be damned of the consequences. Well we are living those consequences now.
Obama's plan to end this situation is to spend money...money the country does not have. So how do we handle that we put our country further in debt than we already were with no plans for paying off that debt, nor the ability. Print more money and drive the value of the dollar down, raising the value of foreign currencies. Guess what as the value of the dollar declines and the value of foreign currency rises the products we consume are going to rise also. Remember we are an economy that has developed to the point that we import much more than we export, and what little we do export will be worth even less because of the strengthening of the foreign currency, so the value of our products decline on the overseas markets while the values of what they ship to us increases, and this results in inflation. We are going to drive us deeper into debt and weaken our economy even further. The rise in gas prices will seem incidental to what can happen if this continues unchecked..wages will not be able to keep up with the cost of living...driving even more people down below the poverty line. I hope I am wrong but I fear I am not
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Oath
I was reflecting over the last week, with the 11th being Veteran's Day, the Oath of Office I swore some 28 years ago.
I Paul H. Bartoswicz, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
At the time I took that oath it was a very serious thing for me to do. I put a lot of thought into the oath before I swore it in front of the admiral, my pastor, and very close friend Polly. I had just finished a pretty intense training program over the past several months including military history, small arms qualifications, navigation, protocol, and the such. I was about to be commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. In the reflection I had taken upon myself regarding the oath of office I was about to I came to the following conclusions:
I Paul H. Bartoswicz, The one possession that I have that can never be taken away from me is my name, my background...the I Paul H. Bartoswicz, is the one thing that can never be taken from me. I may lose money, I may lose my health, I may lose my freedom, bu the fact is that I am who I will always be, and that can never be changed. My name may change, but me as a person will not. I am a culmination of the experiences of my past.
Do solemnly Swear. I had to make a solemn public affirmation in front of classmates, friends, and officers that I would do something. This affirmation is not to be taken lightly nor without deep soul searching of what it meant to me.
that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States, the one document above all others that sets the course of American life apart form that of any other country. Our founding fathers thought long and hard about what was to be set in stone so to speak as the founding document and guiding light for our great country. It is not a living document as some would try to make you believe, but a foundation for the country to be built, and the guiding light for our illumination through tumultuous times. It is the foundation upon which all other laws guiding our actions must be based, and the template for which the Supreme Court to rely upon for judging the admissibility of those laws. Before i swore this oath, I took the time to read and study the document I would be swearing to defend, and I came to the conclusion that these brave men in the infancy of our country were so wise beyond their years for the guidelines they set up. The electoral college to give all people of the country equal weight in electing the President, and not just leaving it to the heavily populated urban areas. The freedom of the press, the right to bear arms as well as the rest. It is a document and set of ideals well worth defending. I still pick up copies of the Constitution and read it today. It would be my wish that every graduating Senior form High School be given a copy of the Constitution along with their diploma as they set upon their future. We would all benefit from reading it and learning what our founding fathers meant when they set the pen to the parchment it was written upon. (The other document every senior should receive is the Declaration of Independence to give them insight as to what we were leaving behind when we set on the course of history we set upon). With the studying of this great document came the reading of some of the Federalist Papers to get a little better insight to what our founding fathers were trying to do. As a result of this intense research, I found that the Constitution was a document well worth supporting and defending, and that our states must remain United in a common cause.
all enemies, foreign and domestic, we have to remember there are people all around the world as well as within our own country that would love to tear down the structure and the very fabric of life we enjoy on a day to day basis. It was part of my oath that I would defend the country and our way of life from those people and ideologies, with in the confines of the procedures set upon me by the very document I was swearing to defend.
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I interpreted this to mean that I would hold my faith and allegiance to this document the Constitution of the United States as the guiding light of the governance of this country. I had the most trouble with this part as a Christian Man of Faith, in that in Sunday School we were told to swear allegiance to no power but God's. It was only after talking to a chaplain that I was able to overcome tis obstacle to my searing the oath, In that we were not swearing an oath that made the Constitution a divine guidance, but a political guidance for the governance of the country, and that we could hold a faith and allegiance to God as our religious belief, but also a faith and allegiance to the Constitution as the guiding light of our countries political future.
that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. I was not coerced, or in any other way forced to swear this oath of affirmation. I was able to do so with a clear conscience, and no wavering, or using as a method of evading any other responsibilities I may have had.
and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. This is an affirmation I try to do in all aspects of my life now as well as then, whether it be my job, my extracurricular interests, my marriage, or my family, I will faithfully execute the responsibilities expected of me in all aspects of my life. I will try to be a builder rather than one to tear down. I will try to be a supporter rather than one to be supported. I will try to be a positive influence, rather than a negative one.
So help me God. My divine guidance, my religious faith is not separate from my civic responsibilities. My life is an intertwining of my religion and my civic duties, and as an American Citizen it is my responsibility to balance the two aspects of my life and not let one over run the other. The very document I was swearing to uphold and defend, was the very document that guaranteed, not the freedom of religion as we hear so often touted, or the freedom from religion that others would have you believe, but the freedom that we would not be imposed with a state sanction religion as they are in so many other parts of the world. We are free to believe and worship as we see fit. The country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, but the founding fathers were to weary of making the government the controlling factor in ones religion. So many had come to this country to get away from state mandated religions.
So the oath the I swore that day some 28 years ago was without reservation that I would not be able to uphold the office I was being commissioned into, and is pretty much the same oath the President swears every four years on January 20th. I think we should all reflect on what this oath means as we move forward to that date again this year
I Paul H. Bartoswicz, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
At the time I took that oath it was a very serious thing for me to do. I put a lot of thought into the oath before I swore it in front of the admiral, my pastor, and very close friend Polly. I had just finished a pretty intense training program over the past several months including military history, small arms qualifications, navigation, protocol, and the such. I was about to be commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. In the reflection I had taken upon myself regarding the oath of office I was about to I came to the following conclusions:
I Paul H. Bartoswicz, The one possession that I have that can never be taken away from me is my name, my background...the I Paul H. Bartoswicz, is the one thing that can never be taken from me. I may lose money, I may lose my health, I may lose my freedom, bu the fact is that I am who I will always be, and that can never be changed. My name may change, but me as a person will not. I am a culmination of the experiences of my past.
Do solemnly Swear. I had to make a solemn public affirmation in front of classmates, friends, and officers that I would do something. This affirmation is not to be taken lightly nor without deep soul searching of what it meant to me.
that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States, the one document above all others that sets the course of American life apart form that of any other country. Our founding fathers thought long and hard about what was to be set in stone so to speak as the founding document and guiding light for our great country. It is not a living document as some would try to make you believe, but a foundation for the country to be built, and the guiding light for our illumination through tumultuous times. It is the foundation upon which all other laws guiding our actions must be based, and the template for which the Supreme Court to rely upon for judging the admissibility of those laws. Before i swore this oath, I took the time to read and study the document I would be swearing to defend, and I came to the conclusion that these brave men in the infancy of our country were so wise beyond their years for the guidelines they set up. The electoral college to give all people of the country equal weight in electing the President, and not just leaving it to the heavily populated urban areas. The freedom of the press, the right to bear arms as well as the rest. It is a document and set of ideals well worth defending. I still pick up copies of the Constitution and read it today. It would be my wish that every graduating Senior form High School be given a copy of the Constitution along with their diploma as they set upon their future. We would all benefit from reading it and learning what our founding fathers meant when they set the pen to the parchment it was written upon. (The other document every senior should receive is the Declaration of Independence to give them insight as to what we were leaving behind when we set on the course of history we set upon). With the studying of this great document came the reading of some of the Federalist Papers to get a little better insight to what our founding fathers were trying to do. As a result of this intense research, I found that the Constitution was a document well worth supporting and defending, and that our states must remain United in a common cause.
all enemies, foreign and domestic, we have to remember there are people all around the world as well as within our own country that would love to tear down the structure and the very fabric of life we enjoy on a day to day basis. It was part of my oath that I would defend the country and our way of life from those people and ideologies, with in the confines of the procedures set upon me by the very document I was swearing to defend.
that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I interpreted this to mean that I would hold my faith and allegiance to this document the Constitution of the United States as the guiding light of the governance of this country. I had the most trouble with this part as a Christian Man of Faith, in that in Sunday School we were told to swear allegiance to no power but God's. It was only after talking to a chaplain that I was able to overcome tis obstacle to my searing the oath, In that we were not swearing an oath that made the Constitution a divine guidance, but a political guidance for the governance of the country, and that we could hold a faith and allegiance to God as our religious belief, but also a faith and allegiance to the Constitution as the guiding light of our countries political future.
that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion. I was not coerced, or in any other way forced to swear this oath of affirmation. I was able to do so with a clear conscience, and no wavering, or using as a method of evading any other responsibilities I may have had.
and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. This is an affirmation I try to do in all aspects of my life now as well as then, whether it be my job, my extracurricular interests, my marriage, or my family, I will faithfully execute the responsibilities expected of me in all aspects of my life. I will try to be a builder rather than one to tear down. I will try to be a supporter rather than one to be supported. I will try to be a positive influence, rather than a negative one.
So help me God. My divine guidance, my religious faith is not separate from my civic responsibilities. My life is an intertwining of my religion and my civic duties, and as an American Citizen it is my responsibility to balance the two aspects of my life and not let one over run the other. The very document I was swearing to uphold and defend, was the very document that guaranteed, not the freedom of religion as we hear so often touted, or the freedom from religion that others would have you believe, but the freedom that we would not be imposed with a state sanction religion as they are in so many other parts of the world. We are free to believe and worship as we see fit. The country was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, but the founding fathers were to weary of making the government the controlling factor in ones religion. So many had come to this country to get away from state mandated religions.
So the oath the I swore that day some 28 years ago was without reservation that I would not be able to uphold the office I was being commissioned into, and is pretty much the same oath the President swears every four years on January 20th. I think we should all reflect on what this oath means as we move forward to that date again this year
Monday, November 3, 2008
Election
I have been uncharacteristically quiet over the last several weeks as this election heated up into the media frenzy it has become. I am an avid upholder of the Constitution and the intent of our forefathers when they penned that great document that has been the blueprint for our civilization for the last 200 plus years. We separated ourselves from the despotic rule that the English had held over the colonies, and in doing so penned one of the greatest documents guaranteeing personal freedoms that has ever been written.
John McCain was not my first choice of candidates for the Presidency of the Unites States, however he is the candidate that the Republican Party has chosen to be the candidate to represent them in the race for the Presidency and he is now my choice for President of the United States. In supporting my choice of Candidates I have been called a racist bigot, yet those that know me know that it is far from the truth. I believe all humans are born equal with the ability endowed upon them by God to become whatever they may decide to become. My lack of support for one Barack Obama has nothing to do with race, and more to do with his lack of coming clean with the American people. When I swore my oath in 1980 to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and to follow the legal orders of the Officers appointed over me (which include the postion of the Commander in Chief, POTUS, President of the United States) I subjected myself to a background check that was very extensive and thorough. I had to meet certain criteria in order to hold the position I was being considered for. My life became an open book so to speak. Barack Obama is not willing to let the information out that I had to let be known in order to hold my security clearance, and the clearance Obama would hold is much higher than the clearance I had.
I recieved this information in my e-mail this morning and it really makes you think, what is Obama trying to hide...
John McCain was not my first choice of candidates for the Presidency of the Unites States, however he is the candidate that the Republican Party has chosen to be the candidate to represent them in the race for the Presidency and he is now my choice for President of the United States. In supporting my choice of Candidates I have been called a racist bigot, yet those that know me know that it is far from the truth. I believe all humans are born equal with the ability endowed upon them by God to become whatever they may decide to become. My lack of support for one Barack Obama has nothing to do with race, and more to do with his lack of coming clean with the American people. When I swore my oath in 1980 to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and to follow the legal orders of the Officers appointed over me (which include the postion of the Commander in Chief, POTUS, President of the United States) I subjected myself to a background check that was very extensive and thorough. I had to meet certain criteria in order to hold the position I was being considered for. My life became an open book so to speak. Barack Obama is not willing to let the information out that I had to let be known in order to hold my security clearance, and the clearance Obama would hold is much higher than the clearance I had.
I recieved this information in my e-mail this morning and it really makes you think, what is Obama trying to hide...
A Guy named Joe, who happens to be a plumber with ambitions for a bigger business, questioned and challenged a Guy named Barack, who happens to be running for President of the US/Leader of the Free World. And within 24 hours The Media has given us more information about Joe's life than they've given us about Barack's life in the past 18 months!
Thanks to a diligent press corps, we now know about Joe's professional licensing status, his income tax situation, his employment history, his domestic squabbles, his voting record, everything associated with his personal identity; his education. It's probably been reported somewhere whether he wears boxers or briefs.
Thanks to a lazy press corps we still don't know
1) what grades Obama made in college
2) how he got into Harvard
3) when he met Bill "the bomber" Ayers
4) when he stopped doing illegal drugs
5) his medical history
6) whether he still smokes cigarettes
7) the extent of his affiliation with socialist/communist organizations
8) why he's no longer a licensed attorney
9) whether he lied on his Bar application
10) whether he'd qualify for a security clearance if he were just an "average joe"
11) what passport he used to travel to Pakistan in 1981
12) who his ex-girlfriends are
13) whether he was or still is an Indonesian citizen
14) why his Kenyan grandmother insists he was born there
15) whether he was ever legally named Barry Soetoro or anything else besides Barack Hussein Obama
16) why he needed the help of a crook to purchase his family home
17) where he was on Nov. 6 and 7, 1999
18) what the long-version of his birth certificate says
19) why he helped an anti-American, pro-Islamic candidate for Kenyan President against US interests
20) why he listened to Rev. Wright's sermons for 20 years
21) how many times he took his kids to a Rev. Wright sermon
22) what he actually did as chair of the Annenberg Challenge
23) the depth of his relationship with ACORN
Thanks to a diligent press corps, we now know about Joe's professional licensing status, his income tax situation, his employment history, his domestic squabbles, his voting record, everything associated with his personal identity; his education. It's probably been reported somewhere whether he wears boxers or briefs.
Thanks to a lazy press corps we still don't know
1) what grades Obama made in college
2) how he got into Harvard
3) when he met Bill "the bomber" Ayers
4) when he stopped doing illegal drugs
5) his medical history
6) whether he still smokes cigarettes
7) the extent of his affiliation with socialist/communist organizations
8) why he's no longer a licensed attorney
9) whether he lied on his Bar application
10) whether he'd qualify for a security clearance if he were just an "average joe"
11) what passport he used to travel to Pakistan in 1981
12) who his ex-girlfriends are
13) whether he was or still is an Indonesian citizen
14) why his Kenyan grandmother insists he was born there
15) whether he was ever legally named Barry Soetoro or anything else besides Barack Hussein Obama
16) why he needed the help of a crook to purchase his family home
17) where he was on Nov. 6 and 7, 1999
18) what the long-version of his birth certificate says
19) why he helped an anti-American, pro-Islamic candidate for Kenyan President against US interests
20) why he listened to Rev. Wright's sermons for 20 years
21) how many times he took his kids to a Rev. Wright sermon
22) what he actually did as chair of the Annenberg Challenge
23) the depth of his relationship with ACORN
Well, you get the idea.
But, really, I am SO relieved that the Mainstream Media has done its job vetting Joe The Plumber, who is NOT running for public office, but who had the AUDACITY to challenge Barack Obama, who wants my vote for President of the United States of America."
Think what you may of McCain and Palin but their lives are open books compared to Obama. When questioned about his being born in Panama, McCain produced his birth certificate, revealing that he was born to American parents. His father a Naval Officer, his mother and American Citizen, He was born under military jurisdiction thus make him an an American Citizen by birth..
The argument is being made that Srah Palin is not qualified to be Vice President of the United States, when she was a Governor and a Mayor. Obama was a senator for 140 days before deciding to run for President of the United States. He was an assemblyman and a community organizer before that. So I guess that autmatically qualifies him to be President of the United States.
In closing I urge every person to go out and vote. it is our Constitutionally right to be able to cast a vote for the President of the United States and every other elected office of this country. Whether you agree with me or not about my choice for President, exercise your right to vote for President.
Think what you may of McCain and Palin but their lives are open books compared to Obama. When questioned about his being born in Panama, McCain produced his birth certificate, revealing that he was born to American parents. His father a Naval Officer, his mother and American Citizen, He was born under military jurisdiction thus make him an an American Citizen by birth..
The argument is being made that Srah Palin is not qualified to be Vice President of the United States, when she was a Governor and a Mayor. Obama was a senator for 140 days before deciding to run for President of the United States. He was an assemblyman and a community organizer before that. So I guess that autmatically qualifies him to be President of the United States.
In closing I urge every person to go out and vote. it is our Constitutionally right to be able to cast a vote for the President of the United States and every other elected office of this country. Whether you agree with me or not about my choice for President, exercise your right to vote for President.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
How much for minimum wage?
I had an argument with someone yesterday about minimum wage. He was going on and on about how much easier it will be for working people now that the minimum wage has increased in New Hampshire to over $7.00 an hour. People will have so much more money in their pockets for the things they need he exclaimed.
This is a fallacy and I will try to show you here. Suppose I own a small business. I am buying raw material from another small business. It takes that business one hour to produce the material I need, being a small shoestring business they hire high school kids to produce the material and pay minimum wage for an entry level position. So two weeks ago the labor cost of that material was $6.50, now die to the increase of minimum wage it goes to $7.50 so an increase of $1.00 per unit. Now suppose he has uses a basic profit margin calculation to make his money on the product and he figures 10% for profit, so now his product has raised $1.10 in cost to me for my product.
My material cost just went up $1.10 overnight, and it takes an hour to produce my product, so I have to pay my entry level high school employee an extra dollar to produce my product, so now my cost of production has gone up $2.10 per unit. In order to stay in business I need a 10% margin to stay in business, so to cover my increase in material , and labor increase, I have to raise my price by 21 cents per unit on top of the $2.10 for a total of $2.31 increase in my product., and this does not even include the increased cost of employing people such as my share of employment costs, insurances, energy increases. But for the sake of simplicity I will just stay with my original supposition. Now my product goes out on the market at it's increased cost of $2.10, and the retailer adds their markup on the product a minimum of 25% so this brings the cost of the item up (I'll make it simple here) another 50 cents so know my product costs another $2.60. Now the person who makes minimum wage has to pay another $2.60 to buy my product, and guess what they are no further ahead then they were before the wage increased.
Now you have another unintended consequence. You have a person who has worked several years for a small business and his wage has increased $1.00 per hour over that time, now he is back to making minimum wage again, his employer is not obligated to giving him another raise so he is actually taking a step backwards, because in order to buy some products his dollar does not go as far. We could increase minimum wage to $20 an hour and we would still be in the same position, maybe even worse because a lot of small businesses would go out of business because they could not pass the added costs on and keep selling their products or services, so more of our jobs go overseas to countries where workers make pennies a day.
This is a fallacy and I will try to show you here. Suppose I own a small business. I am buying raw material from another small business. It takes that business one hour to produce the material I need, being a small shoestring business they hire high school kids to produce the material and pay minimum wage for an entry level position. So two weeks ago the labor cost of that material was $6.50, now die to the increase of minimum wage it goes to $7.50 so an increase of $1.00 per unit. Now suppose he has uses a basic profit margin calculation to make his money on the product and he figures 10% for profit, so now his product has raised $1.10 in cost to me for my product.
My material cost just went up $1.10 overnight, and it takes an hour to produce my product, so I have to pay my entry level high school employee an extra dollar to produce my product, so now my cost of production has gone up $2.10 per unit. In order to stay in business I need a 10% margin to stay in business, so to cover my increase in material , and labor increase, I have to raise my price by 21 cents per unit on top of the $2.10 for a total of $2.31 increase in my product., and this does not even include the increased cost of employing people such as my share of employment costs, insurances, energy increases. But for the sake of simplicity I will just stay with my original supposition. Now my product goes out on the market at it's increased cost of $2.10, and the retailer adds their markup on the product a minimum of 25% so this brings the cost of the item up (I'll make it simple here) another 50 cents so know my product costs another $2.60. Now the person who makes minimum wage has to pay another $2.60 to buy my product, and guess what they are no further ahead then they were before the wage increased.
Now you have another unintended consequence. You have a person who has worked several years for a small business and his wage has increased $1.00 per hour over that time, now he is back to making minimum wage again, his employer is not obligated to giving him another raise so he is actually taking a step backwards, because in order to buy some products his dollar does not go as far. We could increase minimum wage to $20 an hour and we would still be in the same position, maybe even worse because a lot of small businesses would go out of business because they could not pass the added costs on and keep selling their products or services, so more of our jobs go overseas to countries where workers make pennies a day.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Lives
Publius Syrus once wrote, "We should not live one life in private, and one life in public."
Those who know me well know I love to collect quotes, as a matter of fact I have filled two journals with quotes I have collected and am currently working on my third. This is one quote that seemed very very appropriate just after I found it. It was shortly after I wrote it in my journal that we got news of the John Edwards affair. This was definitely a case of a person living two separate lives, his public personae of a man who adored and supported his wife's battle with cancer. A loving man who was there for her ignoring his personal needs (but not his public ones in running for President) to help her with her battle. Then there was the personal life where he sought and acted on the relationship with another woman during this time. he stated that he grew into the assumption that due to his successes he could do whatever he wanted without any reprisal or ramifications, he had become a legend in his own mind.
We must live transparent lives willing to let what we do in our private lives be as upright as that which we let be seen in our public lives. If anything we should be more upright in our private lives as our giving spirit should be a private matter. God knows our hearts and He knows our intentions. If we do what we do for public acclaim it may be for the wrong reason.
Those who know me well know I love to collect quotes, as a matter of fact I have filled two journals with quotes I have collected and am currently working on my third. This is one quote that seemed very very appropriate just after I found it. It was shortly after I wrote it in my journal that we got news of the John Edwards affair. This was definitely a case of a person living two separate lives, his public personae of a man who adored and supported his wife's battle with cancer. A loving man who was there for her ignoring his personal needs (but not his public ones in running for President) to help her with her battle. Then there was the personal life where he sought and acted on the relationship with another woman during this time. he stated that he grew into the assumption that due to his successes he could do whatever he wanted without any reprisal or ramifications, he had become a legend in his own mind.
We must live transparent lives willing to let what we do in our private lives be as upright as that which we let be seen in our public lives. If anything we should be more upright in our private lives as our giving spirit should be a private matter. God knows our hearts and He knows our intentions. If we do what we do for public acclaim it may be for the wrong reason.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Government
"Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely" -Lord Acton-
This was an observation made in the late 19th or early 20th century about people who have risen to power. I was reflecting on this quote this morning as I was mowing the back yard. It is very obvious in our form of government today. I was thinking about the founding fathers and some of my research on the Federalist papers. The framers of our Constitution had it right when they wrote that great document. I used to think it should be considered a living document meant to be interpreted in reference to the times it found itself, but the more mature I become, the more I realize that as the foundation to our country, it is in fact not a living document, but a static one. It is a document that must be static in order for the base of our country to be stable. You can not build a foundation for a house on live sand that is constantly shifting and moving, you have to put it on a stable compact base. The same is true for our country, and the solid unmovable base that the country is built on is the Constitution written by our forefathers. Further research shows that these great men, with a vision greater than the average man,intended us to have two houses of the legislative body. The lower house being the House of Representatives, similar to the House of Commons in Britain. The intent of this house was to be a body of common men who go to Washington to serve our Country as a legislative body and then to go back to their civilian jobs and their regular way of life. The second body was to be the Senate similar to the house of Lords in Britain where the upper class resided and worked their end of the legislation process. Unfortunately the House of Representatives has become a full time job to be re-elected to in perpetuity. The lines have become blurred and the the power that is inherent in the position has corrupted many individuals. Common sense has been thrown out the window, and the lust for money and power has become the norm. Lobbyist grease palms on a daily basis. While their is nothing wrong with lobbying to get your point across to the politicians, what is wrong is the amount of money that changes hands for political favors on a daily basis. It amounts to legal bribery as the money for the most part does not go directly into the politicians pocket, but for all intents and purposes it may as well.
I call for a return to the original intent of the government, and we do away with lifelong seats in the house. Elect business men who want to share their experience, but then return to their regular jobs when they are done, and don't give the power a chance to corrupt as it has a strong tendency to do
This was an observation made in the late 19th or early 20th century about people who have risen to power. I was reflecting on this quote this morning as I was mowing the back yard. It is very obvious in our form of government today. I was thinking about the founding fathers and some of my research on the Federalist papers. The framers of our Constitution had it right when they wrote that great document. I used to think it should be considered a living document meant to be interpreted in reference to the times it found itself, but the more mature I become, the more I realize that as the foundation to our country, it is in fact not a living document, but a static one. It is a document that must be static in order for the base of our country to be stable. You can not build a foundation for a house on live sand that is constantly shifting and moving, you have to put it on a stable compact base. The same is true for our country, and the solid unmovable base that the country is built on is the Constitution written by our forefathers. Further research shows that these great men, with a vision greater than the average man,intended us to have two houses of the legislative body. The lower house being the House of Representatives, similar to the House of Commons in Britain. The intent of this house was to be a body of common men who go to Washington to serve our Country as a legislative body and then to go back to their civilian jobs and their regular way of life. The second body was to be the Senate similar to the house of Lords in Britain where the upper class resided and worked their end of the legislation process. Unfortunately the House of Representatives has become a full time job to be re-elected to in perpetuity. The lines have become blurred and the the power that is inherent in the position has corrupted many individuals. Common sense has been thrown out the window, and the lust for money and power has become the norm. Lobbyist grease palms on a daily basis. While their is nothing wrong with lobbying to get your point across to the politicians, what is wrong is the amount of money that changes hands for political favors on a daily basis. It amounts to legal bribery as the money for the most part does not go directly into the politicians pocket, but for all intents and purposes it may as well.
I call for a return to the original intent of the government, and we do away with lifelong seats in the house. Elect business men who want to share their experience, but then return to their regular jobs when they are done, and don't give the power a chance to corrupt as it has a strong tendency to do
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Misspeaking or lying
Hillary Clinton made a statement that she arrived in Kosovo as First Lady amidst sniper fire, and that her welcoming ceremony did not happen, and she had to run from the helicopter ducking for cover. Later it was brought out by others who had accompanied her that this had never happened.. Clinton in her book never even mentioned this as happening. She was just trying to make the crowd more sympathetic to her. When this was brought up her handlers said she just misspoke when she mentioned this as having happened.
Face it folks she did not just misspeak. She had total recollection of what happened and how it happened she just wanted to make the trip seem much more heroic than it was. Yes she was in a war zone, and yes there was some inherent danger to being there, but they flat out were not under fire when they arrived. This was an out an out lie, but because she is considered a choice for President we can not call her an out and out liar which is what she really is. No we have to say she simply misspoke, she was so under pressure she did not realize what she was saying. Do we want this as President of this country? If she is under pressure in the oval office and she misspeaks what are the ramifications of her misspoken words?
When I was in the service I had the opportunity to meet such celebrities as Loretta Lynn. If I told people in a matter of conversation or when I was speaking to a group that I had passionately kissed her on the lips, people wouldn't hesitate to call me a liar. Well folks that is exactly what Hillary did when she made this statement about Kosovo. This is probably not the first time she has "misspoken" or more accurately lied. Is this what we do want in the White House running the country in a time of crisis? Think about it folks, lets not sugarcoat a lie, call it what it is!
Face it folks she did not just misspeak. She had total recollection of what happened and how it happened she just wanted to make the trip seem much more heroic than it was. Yes she was in a war zone, and yes there was some inherent danger to being there, but they flat out were not under fire when they arrived. This was an out an out lie, but because she is considered a choice for President we can not call her an out and out liar which is what she really is. No we have to say she simply misspoke, she was so under pressure she did not realize what she was saying. Do we want this as President of this country? If she is under pressure in the oval office and she misspeaks what are the ramifications of her misspoken words?
When I was in the service I had the opportunity to meet such celebrities as Loretta Lynn. If I told people in a matter of conversation or when I was speaking to a group that I had passionately kissed her on the lips, people wouldn't hesitate to call me a liar. Well folks that is exactly what Hillary did when she made this statement about Kosovo. This is probably not the first time she has "misspoken" or more accurately lied. Is this what we do want in the White House running the country in a time of crisis? Think about it folks, lets not sugarcoat a lie, call it what it is!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Pride
As I sit here in my living room, looking out at a pile of snow in front of my windows, and know that more snow is falling. Yes they are calling for another foot+ of snow.
I was reflecting on Barack Obama's wife that for the first time in her lifetime she is proud of this country. I was thinking about this statement. She is proud because the country in her words is hungry for change. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama just celebrated her 44th birthday in January, and this is the first time in her life she can be proud of this country. Let us look back at the time line of the country and see what she is not proud of.
1969 when she is five years old, Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, a feat that was unimaginable just ten years prior, and no other country in the world has been able to accomplish.
1970 The United States created the Environmental Protection Agency recognizing the fact we need to do something to protect the environment around us.
1973 Skylab is launched into space
1980 The Miracle On Ice. The United States Olympic Hockey beats the USSR and goes on for the Gold Medal. definitely brought a lump to my throat when they did
1981 Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its maiden voyage the first of
Every four years 1968,1972,1976,1980,1984,1988,1992,1996,2000,2004, and we are in the midst of it again there is the chance for a peaceful overthrow of power in the highest level of our government
1983 the liberation of our medical students in Grenada, an operation I was proud to have been a part of albeit a very small part.
1980-1988 the Presidency of Ronald Reagan who during which time we saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the breakup of the Soviet Union
1990 Hubble Space Telescope Launched and activated
Not to mention how proud I was of the people in this country in their pulling together after such disasters of such magnitude as the Oklahoma City Bombing, Katrina, The Earthquakes in California ,and the rebuilding after each one. Seeing men like Paul Dorian from my church go forth to help people reclaim their lives in Mississippi after the devastation of Katrina, not once but several times. The way the country pulled together after 9/11.
I am proud of this country every time I stand up to the playing of the national anthem. I am proud of this country every time I see a man or woman in uniform walk past me. I am proud of this country every time I see the flag flying proudly above me whether it be in my yard r any public space. I am proud of this country every time I witness a protest of one sort or anther, because we have the right to protest for whatever reason we see fit.
I am proud of this country for many reasons, at many times over my almost 50 years n this earth why can't Michelle Obama find a few reasons to be proud in her 44 years. Her husband has achieved levels of accomplishment that in prior Generations would never have been possible. Is it a perfect society we live in? No, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a society that is willing to grow admit its problems and look for ways to change them. Yes this is a country that has taken on change many times in its History. In 1972 after a country weary from Vietnam put a democrat White House out and put a republican one in who got us out of the war. In 1980 a country weary of "scandal" in the White House put a democrat back in power. We have been a country of change on many fronts, and I believe we will be a country of change for many years to come in the future.
Stand up and show your pride in the country in which we live. It may not be perfect but we try and we have been and always be open to change
I was reflecting on Barack Obama's wife that for the first time in her lifetime she is proud of this country. I was thinking about this statement. She is proud because the country in her words is hungry for change. Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama just celebrated her 44th birthday in January, and this is the first time in her life she can be proud of this country. Let us look back at the time line of the country and see what she is not proud of.
1969 when she is five years old, Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, a feat that was unimaginable just ten years prior, and no other country in the world has been able to accomplish.
1970 The United States created the Environmental Protection Agency recognizing the fact we need to do something to protect the environment around us.
1973 Skylab is launched into space
1980 The Miracle On Ice. The United States Olympic Hockey beats the USSR and goes on for the Gold Medal. definitely brought a lump to my throat when they did
1981 Space Shuttle Columbia launched on its maiden voyage the first of
Every four years 1968,1972,1976,1980,1984,1988,1992,1996,2000,2004, and we are in the midst of it again there is the chance for a peaceful overthrow of power in the highest level of our government
1983 the liberation of our medical students in Grenada, an operation I was proud to have been a part of albeit a very small part.
1980-1988 the Presidency of Ronald Reagan who during which time we saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the breakup of the Soviet Union
1990 Hubble Space Telescope Launched and activated
Not to mention how proud I was of the people in this country in their pulling together after such disasters of such magnitude as the Oklahoma City Bombing, Katrina, The Earthquakes in California ,and the rebuilding after each one. Seeing men like Paul Dorian from my church go forth to help people reclaim their lives in Mississippi after the devastation of Katrina, not once but several times. The way the country pulled together after 9/11.
I am proud of this country every time I stand up to the playing of the national anthem. I am proud of this country every time I see a man or woman in uniform walk past me. I am proud of this country every time I see the flag flying proudly above me whether it be in my yard r any public space. I am proud of this country every time I witness a protest of one sort or anther, because we have the right to protest for whatever reason we see fit.
I am proud of this country for many reasons, at many times over my almost 50 years n this earth why can't Michelle Obama find a few reasons to be proud in her 44 years. Her husband has achieved levels of accomplishment that in prior Generations would never have been possible. Is it a perfect society we live in? No, not by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a society that is willing to grow admit its problems and look for ways to change them. Yes this is a country that has taken on change many times in its History. In 1972 after a country weary from Vietnam put a democrat White House out and put a republican one in who got us out of the war. In 1980 a country weary of "scandal" in the White House put a democrat back in power. We have been a country of change on many fronts, and I believe we will be a country of change for many years to come in the future.
Stand up and show your pride in the country in which we live. It may not be perfect but we try and we have been and always be open to change
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