Archive for Government
The Parable Of The Talents Revisited — A Fractured Fairy Tale
Posted by: | CommentsThis Fairy Tale was provided by: Dennis Thurman
There was a President, who newly elected, took a long journey from Chicago to Washington, D.C. He called his fellow Americans to tune in to his State of the Union speech that he might speak of all the bounty with which they had been blessed, but had squandered during the previous administration, through lack of government regulation and programs.
One citizen was a white collar owner of a small family business, another was a blue collar worker trying to meet his family’s needs, and yet another, though poor, was healthy and blessed with the opportunity to make something of his life.
The small businessman invested wisely, worked diligently and became the owner of a Fortune 500 company.
The blue-collar worker scrimped and saved and worked overtime in order to start his own business.
The other man frittered away his opportunity and decided that society was mistreating him, the rich were taking advantage of him and government owed him a living, so he sat around and did nothing—except when he wanted to party, which he always seemed to have time and money to do.
After many days and several trips to the golf course, the President had a press conference from the Oval Office.
He chided the man who had become successful in building a large corporation as being greedy and unconcerned for the poor—not giving his fair share to the government. “I will place you in a higher tax bracket until we bring you to the level of the poor man,” said the all-wise, all-caring President.
Likewise, he scolded the middle class worker who had struggled so long to begin his own little business, for he too had so much more than the poor man and was self-centered according to the President—not giving his fair share to the government, either. “I will raise your taxes also (though not as high as the wealthy man) until we bring you to the level of the poor man,” said the all-wise, all-caring President.
Turning to the poor man, the compassionate President heard him say, “Life has been unfair to me. My welfare check doesn’t go as far as it used to. Gas prices from greedy oil companies make it expensive to fill up my Mercedes. It is hard to make ends meet when big screen TV’s and cable bills are so expensive, not to mention the cost of liquor. I worked for a rich man for a few days and he expected me to be on time and work hard and it was just more than my nervous condition could bear. If I have to work, a government job would be much better.”
To the man who wasted his days in lethargy and his nights with lotteries, liquor and ladies, the President said, “Life has indeed been unfair to you. The educational system has failed you. Greedy corporations have taken advantage of you. Society owes you, but has neglected you. Even if you had a government job, the wealthy bankers where you deposit your money would take it and stuff their own pockets with profits. We will take from the rich and the middle class and give it to you, so there may truly be equality in America at last. We will also remember the plight of the poor in oppressed nations around the world and do all we can to destroy the businesses of America so we can become a third-world country also. At the end of the day, it’s all about equality.” Thus spoke the all-wise, all-caring President as he flawlessly read his teleprompter before the fawning media.
“For to everyone who has, more will be taken, and he will have little; but from him who produces little, we will give a little more,” thus said the all-wise, all-caring President as he departed for another vacation.
“And put the profitable citizen into prison. I’m sure he is abusing the system.”
Then across the once-fruited plain, there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.
(With apologies to Saint Matthew and the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show)
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed are those of Dennis Thurman and are not intended to represent the opinions and viewpoints of Pole Creek Baptist Church. Neither should these be construed as a benediction on the rich and condemnation of the poor. There are greedy rich people and honorable poor people. Some of God’s special saints live on meager funds—disabled, disadvantaged—doubtless the case. Others may prosper materially and be bankrupt morally and spiritually. Also, there is not disrespect intended for the office of the Presidency which God has commanded Christians to honor and obey, as well as pray for—which I have done this morning already. What is intended is to show how this parable of Christ has been turned on its head by the current administration.
Letter to the Editor Causes Intimidating Voice Mail
Posted by: | CommentsToday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN) published a letter I wrote regarding a story about government union (specifically, City) workers loafing (while on the taxpayers dime) on the job when they were supposed to be filling potholes in St. Paul.
A culture of laziness
The story about the public union workers caught loafing on the job is an example of union organizing gone bad (“Pothole loafing gets 17 suspended,” May 11).
When unions first started organizing in the early 20th century, they helped workers in dangerous jobs become empowered against business owners who did not value the lives of their workers. For example, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was formed because of the deaths of high-voltage linemen while they were installing what is now our power-grid.
However, along with necessary unions, there has been an explosion of non-essential unions in America. Unions that have absolutely nothing to do with the safety of their workers and are in place to bilk the public. These unions are responsible for bankrupting states like California with their salary and benefit demands — demands that private-sector employees can’t imagine requesting from their employers.
Our current administration prefers to demonize bankers, Wall Street, oil companies and talk radio for the breakdown of our great country. This administration is wrong. The real villains are the government and teachers’ unions that refuse to tighten their belts like those of us in the private-sector have to do.
Shame on those public unions for allowing a culture of laziness to flourish within their systems. Shame on them for insisting upon salaries and benefits that out-pace private sector salaries and benefits at the expense of the American taxpayer. It is time to abolish government and teacher unions and go back to a true privatized free-market system.
I had no idea that the letter had even been published until I checked my voicemail and heard the following message:
Was this voice mail, by an alleged Teamsters Union member, intended as intimidation? You decide!
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The caller (coward) made sure to use “Private Caller” on my caller ID and left no name, either. Isn’t it great that when we express our Freedom of Speech and are required to publish our names and hometowns that those in opposition to us, if they feel too cowardly to stand behind their statements, can call or write to harass us for using our Freedom of Speech? Maybe this Teamster should put his money where his mouth is and write his OWN Letter to The Editor, instead of calling to harass me about my point of view.
Editor’s Note: I have now been informed that others have taken interest in playing this audio on some St. Paul area radio stations. I wonder if the voice on this voice mail recording will be recognized by friends and co-workers of this individual?
On Power- Part 1 of 3
Posted by: | CommentsThe Power of Persuasion, or the Persuasion of Power?
I use that heading in homage to the resignation of Andy Stern, the head of ACORN’s labor-relations alter-ego, SEIU. He advocated opting for the latter.
We, my friends, must choose one or the other. They cannot both exist simultaneously within a single ideology.
The brushfires of Liberty spoken of so long ago by Samuel Adams have again been kindled in our great nation. The message of Liberty is alive and well, and just as capable of persuading the public in 2010 as it was in 1775. Naturally, believing this, I am vocally supporting using the power of persuasion.
The story I am about to relate comes from very close to my home, but I am not getting into the weeds here. There is a larger (and extremely important) overall point to this, so please bear with me for a few paragraphs.
Here in the 5th Congressional District of Virginia, the revolution has begun, and it is not a pretty sight to behold. I am speaking of a series of elections that are currently taking place to select unit chairs, on the county, large city, and district levels, in the Republican Party.
One such election took place in Campbell County last week, and the sitting Republican chairman was rejected, by a small margin, in favor of fresh blood. The new chairman happens to be aligned with the TeaParty Movement, while the GOP establishment and even the current Virginia Lieutenant Governor endorsed the outgoing chair.
The same exact scenario unfolded in Bedford this past Monday, except that the margin of victory was not even close. The new chairman won 220-105.
This same outcome has, so far, played out in 12 local units. And you can expect encore performances, all across the country, as TeaParty groups become more active on their local political battlefields.
However, the fallout will be just as similar. I witnessed an event Monday night that sent cold chills to my bones. As the new unit chair took to the podium to thank the voters and accept his post, two entire rows of people (about 35, in all), stood up, as a block, and filed out of the auditorium.
Whatever your alignment, TeaParty or party-line, this is an egregious display of bad form.
But it should surprise no one.
The sad fact is this: power does corrupt. And when power is stripped from those who have proven (over and over) that they cannot be trusted with it, they will lash out. Whether it is the controlling party in a governing body, or an unpaid volunteer leading a small local unit, they have gone to great lengths to secure and maintain their modicum of power, and their sphere of influence is jealously guarded.
Just as the local party elites have shown their true colors when faced with their own mortality (in terms of influence), so, too, will the power-brokers inside the 495 beltway jealously guard the power they have amassed, as we the people assert our own authority under the banner of the 10th Amendment. And they will lash out, savagely, at all who oppose.
But we must be prepared for this, and these battles must be waged, for our success or failure there will ultimately predict the outcome of the revolution as a whole.
In short, we must take bold and decisive action to curb the confiscation of our liberty and financial security, but we must recognize that it is the usurpation of our power that has allowed it. And our complacence, by and large, has allowed our power to be taken from us and amassed in a Federal stockpile.
I am an advocate of redistribution, but not in the way our current Federal Feudalists mean it. I believe we need the sort of redistribution that our founders would support: the redistribution of power.
In my next post, I will delve into the strategies that are being used to achieve this goal, and whether they will work. Until then, thanks for reading, and keep up the fight.
Cartoon: When You Make a Deal With The Devil
Posted by: | Comments“When you make a deal with the Devil” is the title of the latest cartoon by Rob Smith, Jr.
This cartoon shows how you can always expect consequences when you make deals with the Devil ( The U.S. Government).
The cartoon portrays the issues associated with the banks having taken their dose of bailout medication from the Beast, and the latest recommendations by the President Obama to tax the banks in order to pay for the bailout. His solution is to tax all the banks to pay for the bailout, even if they didn’t take it. Or, they did take the bailout, but paid it back.
Those of us who follow politics have come to the realization that our government is always quick to create a program devoted to their solution that in itself ends up creating several additional problems that all end up needing more government intervention, which usually involves more more government programs to solve those additional issues. Do you see the Devil in the beast that has seldom provided a viable solution?
Don’t make a deal with the Devil. It always comes back to haunt you.
Listen and watch as Rob Smith, Jr. draws a cartoon while discussing political issues and good old fashion common sense.
Liberals Block C-SPAN and Republicans from Health Care Debate
Posted by: | CommentsThe liberals continue to lie and cheat their way to the destruction of America with plans of ramming the health care bill right down your throats. Like it or not!
The likes of Obama, Pelosi, and Reid continue to block Republicans and the American public from any level of participation in the final version of the health care bill with their continued blockage of C-SPAN coverage of the Democratic debates over the final combining of the House and Senate versions. All this after, then candidate, Barack Obama promised Hope and Change with numerous promises to provide the American people with a transparent government. Apparently they have something to hide from the American people as they plan to provide America with some of the worst change imaginable.
Representative Steve King made the following statement regarding the issue of Liberals blocking C-SPAN and the American people from health care negotiations between the House and the Senate on the final version.
“Bypassing a conference committee and shutting C-SPAN cameras out of health care negotiations allows the liberal troika of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to craft their bill out of the public’s eye. When the legislation comes up for a final vote, amendments will not be allowed and limited debate will be held. No previous committee action or amendment votes will apply to this completely new bill.
“This is the functional equivalent of Obama, Pelosi and Reid getting together in a phone booth, shutting the doors and crafting a massive health care bill that will affect our entire country. Writing their government-run health care legislation in secret to prevent the participation of the American people and to expedite the bill’s passage is shameful. The only thing that is transparent is this troika’s disdain for transparency.”
Senator Harry Reid’s office had the following response regarding the blackout of C-SPAN coverage while he tried to divert the blame to the Republicans.
STATEMENT FROM REID SPOKESMAN ON HEALTH REFORM TRANSPARENCY
Washington, DC—Spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Jim Manley, released the following statement today regarding the transparent process undertaken by Senate Democrats to lead passage of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through the Senate last month:
“Senator Reid appreciates C-SPAN’s commitment to ensuring transparency and we will continue to fully comply with the longstanding precedents of open access to the work of Congress.
“The drafting of this health insurance reform bill has set new standards for transparency. As the C-SPAN letter states, there have been ‘literally hundreds of hours of committee hearings, mark ups and floor debate on these bills’ – and every one of those hours was broadcast across the country.
“The HELP Committee held a televised markup that lasted more than 13 days, and in which it accepted 161 Republican amendments. The Finance Committee then marked up their bill for eight days – the longest in 22 years – and each of those meetings was similarly broadcast. The Committee posted the Chairman’s mark of the bill online six days earlier. The full text of the substitute amendment and the Congressional Budget Office’s assessment were both available online for weeks.
“But what should truly concern the American people is the Republicans’ shamelessly transparent strategy of relying on misinformation and myths to stop reform at all costs. Their ploys are broadcast on C-SPAN for all of America to see, as much of it happens on the Senate floor. For example, at the beginning of the floor debate Senator Reid asked consent from Senate Republicans to file all amendments well in advance and post them on the Internet, but the Republican Leadership refused this request. During consideration of the Sanders amendment, Republicans publicly made clear they would use procedural games to turn ‘transparency’ into a tactic of delay and obstruction.
“Just as our health reform bill will create a more open health insurance system – transparency that will save lives and money and stop insurance company abuses – we are committed to transparency in the legislative process. We will continue to ensure that the Congress and the public will have ample opportunity to evaluate the bill before it moves to final passage.”
Jim Manley
Spokesman/Senior Communications Advisor Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(202) 224-2939
Michelle Obama: Please Keep Whining
Posted by: Andrea Mayer-Bruestle | Comments (2)Forbes Magazine‘s has announced that Michelle Obama tops their 100 Most Powerful Women list:
The role as First Lady of the United States doesn’t seem to be sitting well with Ms. Obama who apparently finds the job so difficult that The National Enquirer (which broke the news of John Edwards’ affair two years before the MSM touched the story) is reporting that the day after the First Family returned from vacation at Martha’s Vineyard, Ms. Obama could be heard screaming at her husband: