A Troubled America, A Fearful American
America has been in recession for almost three years, and now there is talk of a double dip recession.
If we should worry about what is happening to our great country, we need only to look to the leadership at all levels of government, unions, a biased media, uncontrolled spending, bottomless debt and the nemesis of American greed, lobbyist.
We have already blamed everyone else.
These are the controlling force of government; the influence that elevates greed to a new level and is the catalyst of delayed recovery.
We are already too familiar with the reasons for our failure.
With poor leadership, strong unions, lobbies, and a media that refuses to accept America is in trouble, all simply spell disaster.
We are no longer a nation of patriots.
Far too many people seek the fall of America and wish to establish a socialist or communist form of government.
We see these people nightly on the news spewing their hatred and providing their opinion on the direction they perceive as America's future.
Unfortunately, their direction does not include retaining our values or the constitution as the foundation of their new society.
The average American can see what is happening: enormous debt, immigration draining states dry, unions demanding more than we can afford to pay, and states at the brink of bankruptcy.
The Middle East in collapse, two wars not going as planned, and the price of goods and services are escalating and may reach levels that would promote violent protests in this country.
A health care plan that the majority of Americans are against will surely bankrupt America if it continues to progress, and a spending vortex leading us to economic collapse.
Every level of government is seeking new ways to balance their budget, which is an impossible task when you consider the impact and resistance of outside forces.
The average American sees and is fearful of the future.
We have a President whose priority is not on unemployment, immigration, the wars, drugs, or simply, just being a strong active President.
His priorities lie with his political party and spending far in excess of projected revenue.
Whatever the party dictates, that is what the priority becomes.
From the congress, to the senate, to the unions, to the lobbyist, to the money people who fill his political coffers, all make this President a yes man to their demands, and out of control spending is raising few flags among these elite.
I am an American fearful for our nation's future.
I read daily of American corporations who pay no tax, of an IRS so big it does more damage than good, corruption in the highest halls of government resulting in hands slapped or a small fine ensure the benefits of corruption out weigh the risk.
Homes are being lost through foreclosure at unheard of rates, bankruptcy is at an all time high, unemployment never seems to decline, and homelessness is the new American way.
What is wrong with our government? We spend when we should be saving; we use spending as the answer to all our problems.
Sadly, our government turned the faucet on, trillions flow unimpeded down the drain, and now no one knows how to turn it off, or at the least, reduce the flow.
In 2010, the US sent over $3 billion to the UN for dues, peacekeeping and other contributions.
The UN assesses the US 22% of its regular budget and 27% of the UN's peacekeeping operations budget.
For the record, the US pays the highest dues.
Examples of other countries are, China paying 2.
7%, Russia 1.
2%, England 6.
6%, and Japan 16.
6%.
Is the United Nations a great benefit at $3 billion? There is much room to renegotiate the assessed dues America pays and reduce these dues by at least 50%.
$3 billion is excessive in relation to the benefit received.
Foreign Aid in 2008 was over more than $49 billion.
Many consider foreign aid a benefit to US relations overseas.
The problem lies in the amount given to a particular country.
Aid should initially be cut at least 50%, although in relation to some of the other expenditures, Foreign Aid is minimal.
The biggest problem with Foreign Aid, is in most cases, governments benefit highly either through corruption of extravagant projects that do not benefit those the aid was intended.
If we are going to give aid, we have an obligation to know how that aid is distributed.
The cost of harboring illegal immigrants in the United States is a staggering $113 billion a year according to a study conducted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Illegal Immigration must be restricted.
The cost of over $113 billion, most of which is borne by the states, is crippling their ability to balance budgets.
Add union contracts that demand excessive benefits, which cities and state governments cannot afford, we now see the result of an entitlement lifestyle.
States have the problematic task of making decisions that may not be favorable to illegal immigrants.
They must begin cutting benefits such as welfare, food stamps, non-emergency medical care, home subsidy, and education to start.
Moreover, the (FAIR) study of costs on a state-by-state basis reveals, in states with the largest number of illegal's, the costs of illegal immigration are often greater than current, crippling budget deficits.
In Texas, for example, the additional cost of immigration, $16.
4 billion, is equal to the state's current budget deficit.
In California the additional cost of illegal immigration, $21.
8 billion, is $8 billion more than the state's current budget deficit of $13.
8 billion; and in New York, the $6.
8 billion deficit is roughly two-thirds the $9.
5 billion yearly cost of its illegal population.
The problem is not only those who are here illegally; employers who hire them are equally at fault.
Enforcement of labor and taxation laws would benefit the illegal and the state.
Wages reported where taxes are paid will allow them to receive health benefits from the employer, to live without subsidy, to rent, and buy homes thereby contributing for their children's education.
It is not the solution; it is the direction we need to proceed.
According to most sources, Medicare fraud costs us about $60 billion a year.
Medicare fraud is a nightmare.
Nobody wants to give more than a slap on the wrist for violations.
Medicare fraud will only be reduced or go away when the punishment for the crime exceeds the benefits of committing the crime.
Laws that mandate physicians convicted of Medicare fraud may lose their license for a period of 3 to 6 months and pay fines exceeding the dollar amount of the fraud are critical.
Putting them in jail does not solve the problem, but pulling their license hits hard in both their wallet and their professional status.
If they continue to commit fraud, pull the license for greater period to even permanent for multiple offences.
Make honest physicians out of them, and they will comply and serve their community with pride and professionalism.
Cost of government waste, fraud, and abuse is over $200 billion, one reason, the federal government made at least $98 billion in improper payments in 2009.
Waste, Fraud and Abuse are employee- related losses.
These are the easiest to correct.
Sending out $98 billion in checks to people who never earned them is insanity.
This is nothing more than blatant negligence of the part of the agency and its employees.
It is the cause of so many losses incurred when people do not care.
Government has big too big to control.
Unions do not like their workers being over- tasked.
Cutting the amount of people who perform the same or similar job would save billions and greatly reduce Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.
The 2010 pork-barrel price tag was $16.
5 billion.
If Congressman and Senators want projects for their state, form a committee to review requests for federal funding.
Fund only those projects that are valid and within the budget.
If states have to submit applications for projects and grants that will be reviewed and approved publicly, they may rethink their priorities.
The current system of packing pork in legislative bills and not revealing them to the public should be fraud against the American public and prosecuted in the courts.
There seems to be no end to the spending.
The list is simply overwhelming.
We elect officials to run our great country.
They are supposed to represent us, not the special interest.
Until the people again hold these representatives accountable and insist they do the job of representing their constituents, most of our problems will get worse.
America will not be defeated by a foreign power, it will be defeated from within.
We live in a troubled America.
There are thousands, maybe millions of Americans who have great ideas on how to solve some, if not all, of our social and economic troubles.
Why is that advice not actively solicited? In cases where it is offered, why is it blatantly ignored or cast aside? Americans are crying out to be heard.
Government at every level does not plan to fail; they fail to plan.
The plan is the American people, and they are the only plan...
the plan with the solutions for a troubled America.
If we should worry about what is happening to our great country, we need only to look to the leadership at all levels of government, unions, a biased media, uncontrolled spending, bottomless debt and the nemesis of American greed, lobbyist.
We have already blamed everyone else.
These are the controlling force of government; the influence that elevates greed to a new level and is the catalyst of delayed recovery.
We are already too familiar with the reasons for our failure.
With poor leadership, strong unions, lobbies, and a media that refuses to accept America is in trouble, all simply spell disaster.
We are no longer a nation of patriots.
Far too many people seek the fall of America and wish to establish a socialist or communist form of government.
We see these people nightly on the news spewing their hatred and providing their opinion on the direction they perceive as America's future.
Unfortunately, their direction does not include retaining our values or the constitution as the foundation of their new society.
The average American can see what is happening: enormous debt, immigration draining states dry, unions demanding more than we can afford to pay, and states at the brink of bankruptcy.
The Middle East in collapse, two wars not going as planned, and the price of goods and services are escalating and may reach levels that would promote violent protests in this country.
A health care plan that the majority of Americans are against will surely bankrupt America if it continues to progress, and a spending vortex leading us to economic collapse.
Every level of government is seeking new ways to balance their budget, which is an impossible task when you consider the impact and resistance of outside forces.
The average American sees and is fearful of the future.
We have a President whose priority is not on unemployment, immigration, the wars, drugs, or simply, just being a strong active President.
His priorities lie with his political party and spending far in excess of projected revenue.
Whatever the party dictates, that is what the priority becomes.
From the congress, to the senate, to the unions, to the lobbyist, to the money people who fill his political coffers, all make this President a yes man to their demands, and out of control spending is raising few flags among these elite.
I am an American fearful for our nation's future.
I read daily of American corporations who pay no tax, of an IRS so big it does more damage than good, corruption in the highest halls of government resulting in hands slapped or a small fine ensure the benefits of corruption out weigh the risk.
Homes are being lost through foreclosure at unheard of rates, bankruptcy is at an all time high, unemployment never seems to decline, and homelessness is the new American way.
What is wrong with our government? We spend when we should be saving; we use spending as the answer to all our problems.
Sadly, our government turned the faucet on, trillions flow unimpeded down the drain, and now no one knows how to turn it off, or at the least, reduce the flow.
In 2010, the US sent over $3 billion to the UN for dues, peacekeeping and other contributions.
The UN assesses the US 22% of its regular budget and 27% of the UN's peacekeeping operations budget.
For the record, the US pays the highest dues.
Examples of other countries are, China paying 2.
7%, Russia 1.
2%, England 6.
6%, and Japan 16.
6%.
Is the United Nations a great benefit at $3 billion? There is much room to renegotiate the assessed dues America pays and reduce these dues by at least 50%.
$3 billion is excessive in relation to the benefit received.
Foreign Aid in 2008 was over more than $49 billion.
Many consider foreign aid a benefit to US relations overseas.
The problem lies in the amount given to a particular country.
Aid should initially be cut at least 50%, although in relation to some of the other expenditures, Foreign Aid is minimal.
The biggest problem with Foreign Aid, is in most cases, governments benefit highly either through corruption of extravagant projects that do not benefit those the aid was intended.
If we are going to give aid, we have an obligation to know how that aid is distributed.
The cost of harboring illegal immigrants in the United States is a staggering $113 billion a year according to a study conducted by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
Illegal Immigration must be restricted.
The cost of over $113 billion, most of which is borne by the states, is crippling their ability to balance budgets.
Add union contracts that demand excessive benefits, which cities and state governments cannot afford, we now see the result of an entitlement lifestyle.
States have the problematic task of making decisions that may not be favorable to illegal immigrants.
They must begin cutting benefits such as welfare, food stamps, non-emergency medical care, home subsidy, and education to start.
Moreover, the (FAIR) study of costs on a state-by-state basis reveals, in states with the largest number of illegal's, the costs of illegal immigration are often greater than current, crippling budget deficits.
In Texas, for example, the additional cost of immigration, $16.
4 billion, is equal to the state's current budget deficit.
In California the additional cost of illegal immigration, $21.
8 billion, is $8 billion more than the state's current budget deficit of $13.
8 billion; and in New York, the $6.
8 billion deficit is roughly two-thirds the $9.
5 billion yearly cost of its illegal population.
The problem is not only those who are here illegally; employers who hire them are equally at fault.
Enforcement of labor and taxation laws would benefit the illegal and the state.
Wages reported where taxes are paid will allow them to receive health benefits from the employer, to live without subsidy, to rent, and buy homes thereby contributing for their children's education.
It is not the solution; it is the direction we need to proceed.
According to most sources, Medicare fraud costs us about $60 billion a year.
Medicare fraud is a nightmare.
Nobody wants to give more than a slap on the wrist for violations.
Medicare fraud will only be reduced or go away when the punishment for the crime exceeds the benefits of committing the crime.
Laws that mandate physicians convicted of Medicare fraud may lose their license for a period of 3 to 6 months and pay fines exceeding the dollar amount of the fraud are critical.
Putting them in jail does not solve the problem, but pulling their license hits hard in both their wallet and their professional status.
If they continue to commit fraud, pull the license for greater period to even permanent for multiple offences.
Make honest physicians out of them, and they will comply and serve their community with pride and professionalism.
Cost of government waste, fraud, and abuse is over $200 billion, one reason, the federal government made at least $98 billion in improper payments in 2009.
Waste, Fraud and Abuse are employee- related losses.
These are the easiest to correct.
Sending out $98 billion in checks to people who never earned them is insanity.
This is nothing more than blatant negligence of the part of the agency and its employees.
It is the cause of so many losses incurred when people do not care.
Government has big too big to control.
Unions do not like their workers being over- tasked.
Cutting the amount of people who perform the same or similar job would save billions and greatly reduce Waste, Fraud, and Abuse.
The 2010 pork-barrel price tag was $16.
5 billion.
If Congressman and Senators want projects for their state, form a committee to review requests for federal funding.
Fund only those projects that are valid and within the budget.
If states have to submit applications for projects and grants that will be reviewed and approved publicly, they may rethink their priorities.
The current system of packing pork in legislative bills and not revealing them to the public should be fraud against the American public and prosecuted in the courts.
There seems to be no end to the spending.
The list is simply overwhelming.
We elect officials to run our great country.
They are supposed to represent us, not the special interest.
Until the people again hold these representatives accountable and insist they do the job of representing their constituents, most of our problems will get worse.
America will not be defeated by a foreign power, it will be defeated from within.
We live in a troubled America.
There are thousands, maybe millions of Americans who have great ideas on how to solve some, if not all, of our social and economic troubles.
Why is that advice not actively solicited? In cases where it is offered, why is it blatantly ignored or cast aside? Americans are crying out to be heard.
Government at every level does not plan to fail; they fail to plan.
The plan is the American people, and they are the only plan...
the plan with the solutions for a troubled America.
Source...