State of the Union (According to Mike)

In an effort to preempt President Obama's State of the Union Address, I am publishing mine, going over some topics in a likely different perspective than he will do. This is my fair and non-partisan assessment of the state of the Union, giving credit where due, and criticism as well, so keep my words in mind when you hear President Obama's assessment, and believe what you want.

First of all let me be perfectly clear, while it is no secret that Obama has lied or flip-flopped on issues, he has been honest and forthcoming on others, such as:

"Bush has dug a deep hole. It's going to take some time to dig us out. We're all going to need to tighten our belts a little bit. We're all going to need to sacrifice,"

and...

“When you think about the structural problems that we already had in the economy before the financial crisis, this is a big problem, and it's going to get worse.”


Bush DID leave us a big hole over several issues and its Obama's job to dig us out. We do need, and we have been tightening our belts and sacrificing. At least everyone except Obama and Democrats. Obama had the most expensive election party in history, but no one complained because he was going to make good on everything soon.

Except the spending didn't stop there. Continued bailouts for banks, automakers, government paid-for cell phones for lower income people, cash for clunkers, billions handed out to create or keep jobs which were reported for districts that don't even exist.

Then the granddaddy of them all, ObamaCare which will cost a trillion dollars, and not take effect for years. The more "we the people" heard about it and what it was all about, the less we wanted it, yet Obama and the Democrats continued to push it, harder and harder, insisting that they WILL pass it, and we WILL like it because it's what THEY say we need.

Then one by one, the sleeping masses began to wake up, and we began to wonder where our country had gone. First there were the "Town Hall" meetings, and angry Americans questioned and spoke out about issues they were opposed to. Often these meetings were loud and bordered being out of control, yet I can hardly blame them after all they weren't filled with politicians but hard working, tax paying Americans, many out of work or facing unemployment, foreclosure and other hardships. Their backs are against the wall and they are looking for answers and actions from their elected officials.

Then the tea party movement began and became a forum for even more people where Town Hall meetings weren't available, and the country came alive with a wave of Nationalism not seen for many years.

In response Democrat leaders called them "knuckle-dragging neanderthals", "evil-mongers" and other nasty and entirely demeaning names, then vowed even stronger to pass their bill.

However in all honesty, not every Democrat jumped on board, thirteen were "bought out" with pork, exceptions or ammendments so they would jump into bed with "the party."

"My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government."

Yeah well, it's a noble gesture and if you hadn't already failed at transparency it might be your redeeming asset Mr. President. However closing the door to the media and allowing Reid and Pelosi re-write the health care bill behind closed doors is clearly a deal breaker.

The list of lies and failures go on and on, but the fact remains, President Obama is our President for at least 3 more years, and for the time being at least Democrats control the House and Senate. There is time for them to turn around and listen to the people that elected them, instead of talking down to us and forcing their agenda on us and putting us into a level of debt that makes what Dubya left us with pale in comparison.

What I want to see happen is for Washington to wake up tomorrow and hear the voices that elected Scott Brown to Ted Kennedy's seat in blue blooded Massachusetts and resolve to start honoring their office and their constituants by voting for what their people want.

I want to see election reform, where every State has every candidate on the ballot, and I want a box that I can mark that I showed up to vote and didn't like ANY of the candidates.

I want to see strict term limits. I want a Government of citizens, not professional politicians, and I don't want them voting for their own pay or benefits. I can't vote myself a raise, why should they?

I want to see a fair (and simple) tax plan. Small percentages based off of income, everyone pays, no credits, exceptions, or loop holes. Keep it simple.

I want to see penalties for companies that outsource jobs abroad, and more incentives to create or keep jobs in the US.

I want to see less Federal Government, and more State Government, so if we don't like how we are treated in one state, we can vote with our feet and move to another.

I want more common sense applied to laws that restrict people. I don't need ANY government protecting me from myself. I need protection from the Government; State, Federal, and foreign. I don't want Sweden dictating how I should live, or give my money to them to manage how to make the world a better place. If everyone fixed where they live, and how they live, locally, then the world is a better place. We don't need someone else overseeing how we manage within our own borders.

I want us to quit selling debt to foreign countries, we're selling our souls to the devil. We need to stop it, pay our way back out, and then spend only what we have available except in the most dire of circumstances. Then pay that back as soon as possible.

I have lost all respect for Democrats as well as Republicans. My only hope is that there are some true Americans in office under one of those parties that are so because it got them where they need to be to enact the real changes we need. I am an independant in that I will not vote for a candidate based on their party affiliation. I have voted for Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and Independents. I have not been in favor of 100% of everything that any of them have done, and I'm sure I never will be.

However Obama and our Democrats today have given me a renewed outlook, and hope for the future and change. It's their polarizing actions that have begun to awaken us and today more than ever in decades are Americans watching them again, taking interest, and doing their duty to country by voting either for, or against them. Senator-Elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts is perhaps the first milestone of our journey back to a proud and politically active country.

Let's hope this is one politician who will do what he says he will, and listens to his people.

In short the State of the Union (according to me) is in a state of distress, but we're waking up, getting involved and there is hope again despite the following facts that I'm sure President Obama will tout as positives for the past year:

• The economy is improving (Not really, not yet.)
• National Healthcare is about to be passed. (Should be past, because it's going to be very painful.)
• Guantanamo Bay is closing down as promised (yeah, and moving to Illinois)
• We are withdrawing from Iraq (we were already, the timing is just helpful to Obama's agenda.)
• We are stepping up efforts in Afghanistan (after taking too long to make a decision, and then it's probably the wrong one anyway.)

Those are the high points that I can conceive that Obama will try to spin in his favor. I hope to God he doesn't try to say anything postive he's done for national security, unemployment, or transparency in government, because he's been counterproductive to himself on those issues. I've got to have some hope for him if I'm going to survive the next 3 years...

The Eagle Has Fallen

The impact of Government Healthcare Reform on America is something that has been well analyzed and discussed in recent months. By and large the consensus has been that it will drive our country further into debt, increase unemployment, raise taxes to unprecedented levels, cause rationing of health care, and drive out all other commercial insurance carriers except those that are lucky enough to get on board with the government plan.

More Americans than ever have been following this issue and are against it, and yet still the House of Representatives and Senate have blasted it through, forcing it on us despite the poll numbers and outpouring of people speaking out against. Yet many ignorant Americans are still for it because they simply refuse to believe that Government would ever do anything bad to us. They choose to put trust in liars and crooks over those that have spent months following this disaster to American society and economy and reporting their findings. Most of these ignorant Americans have not read a single word of the 2000+ page bill, and put their trust in the Devil because he promises them that they need it and it’s good for them.

One of the ways this bill is going to directly impact myself, my family, and my community is as follows.
My wife works for a new childcare facility. They are a wonderful care center with the best employers you could ever work for. Their facility is full with a waiting list to get your children in, yet they struggle each month to make their payroll and other expenses and balance the books.

Because they are a small business, the first impact from the Healthcare bill is going to be higher taxes on the owners income tax. This will probably be a near killing blow to their already fragile budget, but they can probably compensate for it by raising their prices, at least on the children that aren’t being subsidized by the state, because the Department of Human Resources (DHS) mandates how much they will pay for each child they subsidize, and that rate is much lower than their regular, private pay rates. Perhaps the daycare can counteract that hit by dropping DHS payments altogether. Of course that means several families will lose their daycare in an area where it’s hard to find quality daycare at affordable prices.

By increasing their rates, dropping DHS payments so they can make up for the extra taxes, there will likely be a few parents who have to take time off from work to find another daycare that they can afford. If they can’t find one, they may even have to quit a job.

Later as the Healthcare Bill unfolds further and the Daycare is forced to either get their employees on the Government Healthcare plan or pay the fines, the owners will be backed up against a wall that just won’t give. Because they are a daycare and they must keep a ratio of teachers to children by law, they can’t simply let a few employees go to cover the costs. They could raise their rates again, but they will likely lose more children. If they lose too many children, they won’t be able to cover their other expenses like rent/mortgage on the business, food costs, cleaning supplies, payroll, etc and they will have to simply close their doors. This will leave a dozen or so people unemployed, and about 45 children without daycare. Again, parents will have to take time off or quit their jobs to care for their children.

The above scenario is 100% plausible, and likely to happen. While it may not seem like a major economic impact, you have to consider that this scenario is just one small business, and that all small businesses will be going through much the same way. Some will close, some will cut back on employees, raise prices and continue to survive, but everyone in the community will be affected in small or large part because of this. Also in this daycare scenario, all of these problems emerged, had to be dealt with, and not one single person received healthcare insurance.

Fast forward 2-3 years from now, after the weaker businesses have all closed up. We will be paying higher prices for everything, as each business has to pay for healthcare or fines for not buying into it, as well as making up for their other cost increases. You will have fewer choices for daycare, groceries, gas, etc. You may not have internet access at home anymore because your only available provider was a small business that failed.

You will be paying 50%-60% of your gross income in taxes and premiums, so you’ll probably be turning off your cable or satellite TV, canceling your gym membership, and trading in that Lexus or Mercedes for a Honda. At least you’ll have healthcare, right? Welcome to long lines, waiting lists for procedures, and government approval for procedures. If you’re too old as defined by the Senate to get a procedure, you’ll not be getting it, no matter what you do, even if you want to pay for it all yourself. Just remember, Uncle Sam said this is good for you, you NEED this!

And what did you do to speak out and try to prevent all this from happening?

Save the Eagle! Call and write a Senator (any Senator that voted for this plan), once a week, every week. Write your local papers and tell them that you’re against it and you’re fighting it. And when mid-term elections come up and we’re still fighting it, vote out these criminals who claim to be representing you yet vote against the majority of their constituents. The people still have the power if we are united and loud enough, but they are trying to take that power away from us. Take America back now, before it’s too late… and remember, it’s later than you think.

Michael L. Craner
A concerned citizen, veteran, and independent voter.