Sunday, June 14, 2009

Ok. I've posted nothing new in a long time. I am getting tired of the news, the spending and the political scene. I talked to David this weekend and I am in favor of the Government creating ONE new law. . . and it would be one sentence long.

"Each elected official will have placed after his name, party affiliation, and state, the number of years served in his/her current elected position shall be shown."

Example: US Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-UT (32)

Fun fact/side note/A.D.D. Moment -

Senator Hatch graduated from the University of Pittsburgh , J.D., in 1962. He hopped from firm to firm for the next 14 years. He was elected as a US Senator in 1977! 14 years as a lawyer is supposed to have prepared anyone to serve for 32 years as a Senator????

I am not bashing on Hatch. I am sure there are lots more just like him. People that went into "public office" decades ago and have never looked back!

Some may say that, "These guys have experience. They know how the game is played." My retort to that is, "Yes, but that is all they know. How to play the game." Running my country is NOT A GAME gentlemen!

With a 90% reelection rate for incumbent politicians (due mostly to: 1. huge cash reserves for reelection, 2. name recognition and 3. a very lazy public) I think knowing how long a guy has been in office might just give us a kick in the right direction.

Let me be clear - by kick in the right direction I mean - WIPE THE SLATE CLEAN! With a January 2009 Congressional approval rating of 11% (Rasmussen Poll) isn't it time?

Send anyone with more than 2 terms BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM! Let them get a job. Or write their memoares. Or retire. They've had their shot and their 32 years of fame. Time to go!

All in FAVOR - Say "Aye"

***** Can anyone find a list of Senators/Representatives and how long each has served? ***** I've looked with not luck!

Thursday, October 2, 2008

When will "We the People" wake up?

I haven't even finished watching the VP Debates and I am already disheartened. Putting a No-Nonsense Governor in a debate with a multi-decade (Slick Wiley) Washington Insider has been difficult to watch. Of course Palin is nervous. Of course she is stumbling. Any one would look unpolished against someone who has made a career out of appearing polished.

My fear is this . . . . will the American people fall for it? Will they overlook the need to reign in the very Government that is getting too big to control? Will they hand the keys of the kingdom over to a man who wants to stagnate our economy and redistribute wealth? "Hey, he wants to give me universal health care." "Hey, he wants to tax the rich and give me some of their money." Where is the money going to come from? Taxing the rich? The rich is your boss. The rich runs the company you work for! If your boss can't make a profit will he keep the doors open? Will you have a job?

Will anyone open up a new business to replace your job? Or will they do what you do when faced with more taxes? Do you try to maximize your refund and/or lower your taxable income? Have you ever donated to a church to get a write off? Shifted your consumer debt to your mortgage so the interest is deductible? Why won't they do the same?

We can't afford anymore government handouts! Nothing is free. Not even when it comes from the government. Handouts comes at a cost - often a much higher cost than it should have or would have if you were given the opportunity to go get it on your own. Governments spend $100's on hammers while Home Depot sells them for $4.99.

Do you want the guys running the DMV to run your doctors office?

We can't afford any more government intervention. Lower taxes for business owners (and yes, many many of them are RICH) create jobs, increase tax revenue and speed the economy along.

The next time you support a tax increase on a group ask yourself this: How much do they pay already vs. how much do I pay? Do I know anyone in that group? My dad? My mom? Do I want to be a part of that group some day? Is $1200 in gov't handouts going to get me there or is a fast moving vibrant economy a better way?

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE! SOCIALISM IS WRONG! Wiki it. Read up on it. It leads to a poorer everyone. It kills industry. It kills economy. Then it kills people because they have to revolt against it.

WAKE UP NOW . . . or else.

Tax them - they will run. Over tax them and they will fold.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

What law would you change? How would you write it in one page? Can you do it?

One Day Lesson

Well, I have learned one thing: In the rush to solve a problem, it is easy to loose site of the right path. I was so intent on righting the economy with a law that I followed in the footsteps of those in power. I overstepped the bounds of the Constitution and I built a bigger government. Two things I am vehemently opposed to. So the question becomes - "How do we right a wrong without doing more wrong?"

Before I write my next One_Page_Law, I am going to think it through. It is clear that the government needs to do something to stimulate confidence in the economy but what? Here are the questions I will contemplate (putting myself in the shoes of a congressman):

  1. What are the limits of my power as defined by the Constitution?
  2. How can I maximize my positive impact while minimizing the negative?
  3. How do I limit the involvement of the govt and maximize the involvement of the private sector to the fullest extent possible?

Wow, that is a lot to ponder.

Monday, September 29, 2008

$700B Bailout

We the people pledge to purchase any bundled mortgage products offered by any financial institution headquartered in the United States of America under the following conditions:
  1. Mortgages will be purchased at a 30% discount off face value as of 12:00:00 a.m. EST September 15th, 2008.
  2. Each purchased mortgage must be accompanied by current, verified contact information of signer of mortgage documents.
  3. Purchases will be made until we have exhausted funds equal to $500 Billion.

Mortgages will be held for a period by the Federal Government and will be paid for by funds raised by:

  1. Lowering corporate tax rate to 22.5% for a period of 36 months from passage of bill.
  2. Lowering all capital gains taxes to a rate of 10% for a period of 36 month from passage of this bill.

Money raised by these measures will be calculated as the YTD difference of these taxes collected as of 12:00:00 am EST on the final day of each month as compared with corresponding months of 2007.

Warren Buffet will manage this quasi-government venture for a period of 36 months from date of passage of this bill. His duties and compensation will be as follows:

  • Hold assets until such time as he can re-market them at or above purchased face value or for any profit after holding them for a period of 12 months.
  • He will be compensated exactly 5% of the profit for the sale of said mortgages after cost of funds of 0% APR.
  • Warren Buffet will agree to take no other compensation or financial gain for his service in this operation.

At the end of the 36 month period all Mortgages will be sold in bundles to any investment group, private individual, or bank willing to pay then current fair market value minus 5%.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

All in favor say "I" those apposed "Nay".

The purose of the ONE PAGE LAWS Blog

Today I start an experiment. Those we elect are not superheros, they are not omnitient or omnipotent. They are simply people. Some seek for power or fame. Some seek to make the world a better place. They come from all walks of life - or so I suppose. Why then does every law they draft take on the look and feel of a phonebook meets a law journal meets a class-action ambulance chasing lawers worst nightmare encarnate?

Why can't laws be simple? Why can't they say what they mean and mean what they say?

It is my beleif that you and I - simple everyday people - can and could write more concise, more understandable laws. Hence the name "One Page Laws". Here is my intent: take a crack at writing any law (or in most cases "re-write" any law) in one page or less, the rest of us will vote for or against it or make "appropriate" suggestions to modify said law.

Who knows - maybe we fail, maybe we succeed, maybe we get a law passed! Let's put the "We the people" back into government. What say you?