No Strings Please

Governor Bobby Jindal gets kudos from me for sincerely doing the best for Louisiana. The Governor said, "We'll have to review each program, each new dollar to make sure that we understand what are the conditions, what are the strings and see whether it's beneficial for Louisiana to use those dollars."

The stimulus bill that was passed has strings attached causing the federal government to grow, to expand beyond what our founders designed and set forth in the Constitution of the United States. When strings are attached to a "gift", it's not a gift but a way to control others.

Is it really a Stimulus Package?

President Obama says spending is stimulus. I believe sustained spending is stimulus. Spending that business owners can continue to count on will, in return, encourage investment and more hiring. Temporary influx of money is just that: nothing long term. Who do you think is wiser in how to spend? Do you think it is government which does not have a balanced budget and is known for wasteful spending or you who knows there is a limit to spending and prioritizes? Will it think there is stimulus when inflation skyrockets because of our government printing all this extra money and our dollar's value drops?

When the government takes less away from hard-working, business-owning, investing Americans, we will have more of our own hard-earned money to invest in the economy in ways that benefit other businesses and local economy. When the government takes more from the achievers, i.e. business owners and entrepreneurs, there is less incentive to work so hard and to succeed since you are "punished" for your success.

This is an interesting website where you can see exactly to where and on what this stimulus bill has designated money. http://www.stimuluswatch.org/ You can vote on what you think is critical or not. I would suggest you consider whether that project truly will stimulate the economy or whether it is just a pet project or social program put into the bill while "the spending is good." Some projects listed seem like good ideas but don't seem to belong in this bill and probably should be paid by their own states or municipalities.

Our Constitution begins with "We the People of the United States" not "Those who govern the masses". We must take responsibility for our lives and our nation. Government is not supposed to manage our lives or our companies but to secure these rights: Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

If you believe this stimulus package is not what they call it, you can sign this petition.

Big Pushes - Stand Firm

"You never want a serious crisis to go to waste," said Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's chief of staff on November 21, 2008.

It seems that Obama and his team are trying to push through so much legislation and nominations as quickly as possible to overwhelm and/or prevent people from realizing what is being crammed down our throats.

President Obama has nominated four people to the Justice Department who have horrible records on pro-family issues. These are David Ogden, Dawn Johnson, Thomas Perrelli, and Elana Kagan. David Ogden opposes restrictions on abortion and pornography. He filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of child pornographer, Steven Knox. Dawn Johnson is the former legal director for NARAL Pro-Choice America. Thomas Perrelli, Obama’s nominee to serve as associate attorney general, represented Terri Schiavo’s husband as he fought to have food and water withheld from his disabled wife. He was successful and she died a horrible death. Elana Kagan lacks the qualifications for solicitor general as she has never argued a case to the supreme court which is the solicitor general's function. Apparently, she has not even tried a single case. She does qualify as a far-left liberal though.

The stimulus bill just passed in the Senate. The House and the Senate still will need to reconcile the bill. It contains grievous governmental growth and interference. President Obama has claimed it there are no earmarks in this bill. I guess he hasn't read it or even been briefed on it. Why are groups like ACORN (which is being investigated for voter fraud) being given 4 billion dollars? Why is there $600 million stipulated for preparation for universal healthcare? $50 million to the National Endowment of the Arts? $650 million to switch from analog to digital TV? $600 million for "climate change" research? The list goes on extremely long. This bill gives money to special interest groups, groups that supported Obama's campaign. Earmarks, pork, special interests, whatever you want to call it, it is wasteful and not stimuli.

Universal healthcare was inserted into the so-called stimulus bill. They want to oversee your doctor's care of you and computerize all your health records. Good-bye privacy. Tom Daschle has said that senior citizens need to just grow old instead of seeking treatment. This is outrageous that people would use the fear of recession to further their own agenda.

The worst offense to me is the provision in the stimulus bill that attacks religious freedom. The provision reads: "PROHIBITED USES OF FUNDS. - No funds awarded under this section may be used for - (C) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities - (i) used for sectarian instruction, religious worship, or a school or department of divinity; or (ii) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission." This is religious discrimination and an affront to freedom of speech. Christian groups such as Campus Crusade, Christian Athletes, Catholic Student Ministries and others could very well be banned from campuses and facilities that would remain open to other non-religious organizations.

This is our nation. We the People of the United States are ultimately responsible for what our nation and what our government does. We must be vigilant. We must pray. We must take a stand for our rights and freedoms. We must not be silent.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

"Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

CALL YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES. Let them know where you stand. Both your representative and your two senators can be reached at 1-202-224-3121. Find more contact information for your congressional representative and senators here.

Where's MY Bailout??

Everyone seems to be lining up to get money from the government. States, cities, programs, insurance companies, car companies, ... and the list goes on.

Car companies have a legitimate complaint but they shouldn't get a financial bailout. They should get a bailout from all the regulations that government has put on them. The car companies know how to make good cars that people want. Let them do what they do best instead of congress stipulating to the companies what government thinks is best.

Government regulated the banks and mortgage companies into bankruptcy by stipulating that they give bad loans. Any regulating should have been to keep people's savings and investments sound by not allowing bad loans. Even Bill Clinton spoke out and said that the democrats in Congress during his administration caused much of this housing mess. I would love to see those "overseers" held accountable for their actions.

One that makes me laugh is student loan forgiveness. These people knew what they were getting into. Supposedly, on average, a degree will help you to earn a million dollars more in a lifetime than someone without a degree. So what percentage of a million dollars is their school loan? 20%? 10%? Less? It seems like a good deal to me. Why should they get a bailout for services rendered? Perhaps they should give their degrees back. I thought these people went to college to be productive members of society. At least they have student loans and didn't just go to college and put it on Mom and Dad's tab. (Hey, if you study and work hard and don't party away mom and dad's money, "Way to go!" and "Thanks Mom and Dad!") These students must have gone into college with the idea of making their own way in the world. Maybe the colleges persuaded them that society owes them. In that case, they received a disservice.

President-elect Obama is talking about another stimulus package. The last one didn't work. Congress is demanding to know where the money went and how it was spent. Maybe they should have considered that before giving so much power to the Secretary of the Treasury. Maybe they shouldn't have rushed through a bailout bill when the majority of the country was against it. We can't bail our way out of this.

Where do you think this money is coming from? Our government has a deficit. They don't have the money. They are either borrowing money or simply printing it. When we borrow more money, we give foreign nations a bigger say in our government. Proverbs 22:7 tells us "the borrower is servant to the lender." If we simply print more money, then the value of our dollar drops dramatically and prices soar.

I'd like to bail out of all these bailouts.