"And, I mean it!"

What? “And, I mean it?” I’ve been considering that comment for days, now.

As I watched the presidential speech regarding health care reform orated by President Obama on July 17th, I couldn’t help but be surprised at the comment: “And, I mean it!” It seemed out-of-character and as though the usually intelligent, eloquent speaker could think of no other effective way to establish his point.

President Obama stressed in his speech that health care reform will be completed this year. My initial reaction: Why? If health care reform is so important to so many people, why rush such an important piece of legislation that will completely alter how health care operates in this country. Wouldn’t the American people prefer health care reform that better suited the needs and wants of the people and the medical professionals, even if it required another year or two to tweak the details and make certain we could pay for it, as opposed to quick legislation that will cause us more financial and health care problems than we have now? What is the sudden rush?

Another point President Obama made was that health care reform would not increase the deficit as some have been recently reporting. Yet, “And, I mean it,” did absolutely nothing to answer the questions of the country or increase confidence, particularly when coming from the administration who “misread” the economy, thereby trying to explain why unemployment has risen higher than predicted.

Although President Obama seemed fairly certain where two-thirds of the cost of health care reform will come from, he failed to thoroughly explain who or how the final third would be paid; more importantly, he did not explain how cutting Medicare and Medicaid would not increase the health care problems and costs facing the growing population of the elderly. Furthermore, if a portion of the program will be funded by eliminating wasteful government spending, then why hasn’t the wasteful spending been eliminated already, health reform or not? And, of course, the issue of increasing taxes on a very small percentage of wealthy Americans to pay for a number of reforms for the majority of Americans still weighs heavily on the conscience of many.

Perhaps instead of worrying about achieving health care reform at a rapid pace, President Obama and his administration need to spend more quality time working on unemployment rates, on the economy, although the economy and health care costs are related. It’s no wonder that the comments regarding jobs created or saved due to the Stimulus have ceased coming from the administration; people realize that it has no meaning when millions have lost their income since the Stimulus, not to mention that the administration has not even attempted to specifically cite which jobs have been “saved.” (A field is not a specific job.)

Now, there are rumors abounding of the possibility of a second Stimulus even though only a tiny fragment of the original Stimulus has been spent. Perhaps this is because the Stimulus truly wasn’t a “stimulus” but, rather, a long-term spending plan that had little, if anything, to do with the current state of the economy. A second stimulus would likely be no different.

In addition to health care, many institutions in America are in need of reform, but that does not mean that they must all be reformed at the same time or that America can throw money we neither have nor will have at projects we can’t afford. America has always been a nation of proud, hard-working people who prefer to earn the income for the house, groceries and various other expenses. And, what people want at this time more than any reform is good, full-time jobs.

And, I mean it.

Have We Lost Sight of the American Dream?

I’m not rich, nor have I ever been. Not even close. Yet, I am not in favor of taxing the wealthy to pay for new legislation.

Have we lost sight of the American Dream? Have we forgotten what made this country great to begin with?

For generations, families have immigrated to America with nothing but a few coins in their pockets and dreams of freedom. Many worked hard, applying themselves tirelessly as they walked along a path toward their goals, knowing that in America someone can arrive with nothing, work diligently, and build a business, a life, or even a fortune—all because of freedom.

And, the pride they felt inspired them to teach their children to do the same.

If there were two neighbors, exactly the same in every way except that one chose to take a financial risk and start their own business, and say that that risk along with hard work increased the family income to anywhere over $250,000, why should the risk-taker be punished for their talent, their personal time and financial sacrifices, their work? Isn’t this the same as punishing someone for chasing and obtaining the American dream?

Yet, this is exactly what we, as a nation, will be doing if taxes are raised on the wealthy to pay for health care reform, the stimulus bill, any other legislation, or to pay down the deficit. It will, in fact, kill what is left of the American dream.

Over the years, many people have scratched and saved pennies, gone without necessities, worked multiple jobs, sacrificed time they could have spent with their families, and worked until their fingers bled on the road to the American dream. It was a time when perseverance and working toward the dream was respected, honored, and achieving the dream was praised and complimented. Now, however, we seem to be choosing to punish this unique group of individuals.

If pursuing the dream will result in punishment, then many will choose not to pursue it at all; or, they will choose to only follow the road part of the way so as not to risk venturing in to the territory of punishment, each an action that would result in fewer growing businesses and fewer jobs. And, for those earning far below these amounts considered wealthy, there will be no encouragement to work to improve their own situation. In essence, placing additional taxes on higher wage earners will only work to weaken the morale of a people, to keep down a population, and to disrupt—if not destroy—an economy.

We need the American dream. We need to foster an atmosphere of encouragement and inspiration that will aid people in following the American dream, in becoming the best that they can be--even if their best is better than our own.

We need the American dream. We need to allow people to use their talent, their ideas, and their fortitude as they build and create and, in the process, help to build and create a stronger nation, a stronger people, and better opportunities for everyone.

Were it not for the American dream, we wouldn’t have local newspapers or national magazines; we wouldn’t have historical works of fiction and non-fiction and we wouldn’t have timeless paintings; we wouldn’t have the local diner down on the town square or the shop where a local family makes handmade furniture; we wouldn’t have the stories of the person who had an idea, put their savings on the line, began selling an item out of their house, and now are national household names.

We need the American dream. It is the foundation of our country, our freedom, and it is the driving force that propels us toward improvement, toward being something better tomorrow than what we are today. It is the ingenuity that has created inventions that have saved lives, simplified tasks, or simply brought about a laugh. We need the American dream because it is America.

We need the American dream. And, what we really can not afford is to lose sight of it.

There Ought To Be A Law

Over the past few months, there have been several news reports claiming that legislation often goes unread prior to being voted on, that the legislation is sometimes altered secretly just prior to a vote, or that the legislation is altered after the legislation has passed both the House and Senate but before reaching the desk of the President. Whether or not these are actually true is anyone’s guess.

Our representatives, our elected officials, are paid to represent us to the best of their ability and to make very difficult decisions regarding what is in the best interest of their constituents and our country. They have no easy task. And, anyone willing to take on such a task is to be appreciated.

We, the public, have a responsibility also, an important right to share with our representatives our ideas, our opinions, and, at times, our personal stories. Many times, it is the public who initiates changes in legislation, such as greater pool safety or equal pay for women, through the sharing of these thoughts and experiences.

Before the government officials on every level, however, is the unenviable task of preparing and arguing for or against legislation written in great detail and in great length. The documents usually lay out the details of how the legislation will work if it becomes law, the money that will be spent on various components, the time frame in which the new law shall begin, and any penalties for potential violations. Throughout the process, the bill is reworked and rewritten and reconsidered, all in an attempt to improve and gain more support for the bill.

With all of the work, the debating, and the incredible amount of detail that is put into a bill, it seems unconscionable that anyone would be allowed to alter the bill just before or after a vote and particularly after passing the House and Senate but before reaching the President. Under this practice, how could any representative ever know what it is that they are actually voting on?

Legislation is of vital importance; it is part of the foundation of our country. It seems only common sense and safe practice that our representatives should read everything that they vote on prior to the vote and that any alterations to a bill should only be allowed to occur until a specific deadline. Perhaps these principles need to be in a piece of legislation because there really ought to be a law…

What Could You Do With $18 Million?

ABC reported on July 6, 2009, in a report that can be read at

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2009/07/18m-being-spent-to-redesign-recoverygov-web-site.html

that the government is planning on spending nearly ten million in tax dollars through January and up to $18 Million in tax dollars over the next few years to improve the recovery.gov website, the site that is to offer transparency to America by showing us where and how our Stimulus tax dollars have been spent.

$18 Million is a huge amount of money, and money that could be spent in very worthwhile ways. So, what could you do with $18 Million?

Well….

$18 Million could pay a $40,000 salary for one year to 450 unemployed workers with families to support.

Donate the $18 Million to Feeding America (formally known as Second Harvest Food Bank) and it could supply 180 million pounds of food and groceries to hungry children and families in the U.S.

$18 Million could purchase approximately 6 million gallons of gasoline for workers looking for employment or trying to get to work.

$18 Million could pay $2000 to 9000 homes with payments in arrears or at risk of foreclosure.

It could purchase 600,000 pairs of shoes costing $30 or less for the homeless or displaced workers looking for employment in new fields or the children of the unemployed. Or, it could buy 180,000 complete outfits for displaced workers in need of appropriate clothing for a job interview.

Or, it could buy nearly 15 million bottles of water for the military or for disaster assistance agencies.

Or, it could purchase health insurance for approximately 36,000 people for one month.

Or, it could purchase 180,000 medical prescriptions or prescription eye glasses costing $100 or less for the children or the elderly.

Or, it could provide over 9 million meals for the homeless.

$18 Million could provide 1800 $10,000 college scholarships.

If the new fuel-efficient vehicles cost an average of $50,000, then $18 Million could put 360 of those cars on the road to replace gas-guzzlers.

If it would cost $72,000 or less to install solar panels on a home (the cost varies according to size and usage), then $18 Million could do this for 250 homes. Or, it could purchase and install 9 wind turbines.

If a new electric push-mower cost $800 or less (costs vary according to type and power and some go as low as $200), then the $18 Million could replace over 22,500 carbon-emitting gasoline push-mowers with electric models.

If a grade school or high school teacher earned $45,000 per year, the $18 Million could pay the salary of 400 teachers for one year. Or, it could pay the same salary to 400 nurses.

Or, it could be used to train 45,000 people to be a Certified Nursing Assistant.

It could purchase over 12,000 new computers for public schools. Or, it could purchase over 360,000 new textbooks for public schools. Or, it could purchase approximately 6 million school lunches or breakfasts for underprivileged children.

If you had the ability to spend these tax dollars however you wanted, what could you do with $18 Million?