Dr. Elizabeth Morgan of Atlanta GA contributed a letter to the Financial Times last week. I am going to repeat it here simply because it is exactly on target.
"Sir; As a counterpoint to all the male analysis of Tuesday's elections and Barack Obama's failings, let me offer a simpler one, that of a working, single mom."
"Our president, his pals, and most men in higher walks of the federal government are de facto college freshmen. They come from elite, usually Ivy League institutions and are imbued by their professors with the peculiar arrogance and ignorance that comes from over-education, lack of experience and fear."
"Academics are risk-averse. They and the students who admire them uncritically avoid scary experiences like working in the real world but they always know better than those who do. Washington is now largely run by these kids and their loyal gal pals. Like all privileged kids, they think they have it hard, they like to spend other people's money (once their parents, now the taxpayers'), they never think their allowance is enough, they blame everyone who criticises them - again substituting taxpayers for parents - and duck for cover when things get tough. They like to party, to fight the other team - it's required for team membership - and they are out to fix the world. These babied boys of DC have for years wrecked the car, time and again, passing the bill to their parents, that is, the taxpayer."
"In contrast, moms - not the privileged but those who have faced adversity- are easy to make fun of and look down on, but when you wreck the car, you need this kind of mom or equivalent dad. They have courage, common sense and emotional maturity. They fix problems. These are not traits developed by taking the bar exam. This is the appeal of Sara Palin and those she supports. They are among the few grown-ups in national politics."
"With mostly kids to vote for, what can Americans do? Vote out the latest car wrecker until you get one who knows how to drive."
I couldn't have said it better.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The United Methodist Church Is Against Honor
Well, not exactly. The General Board of Church and Society is endorsing and recruiting people to attend the One Nation Working Together Rally, billed by it's promoters as the anti 8/28. The organizers and promoters of this rally include SEIU, ACORN, the Communist Party of America, Democratic Socialists of America, and other progressive groups.
The biggest promoter of this rally is Organizing for America at BarackObama.com
Another promoter and participant in the One Nation Working Together Rally on October 2 is the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church. No surprise here.
The GBCS generated headlines like "METHODIST CHURCH SCOLDS THE PRESIDENT" when President Bush endeavored to free 20 million people from a psychopathic dictator. If you read the entire article, on the jump page, buried in the next to the last paragraph would be a disclaimer to the effect "The GBCS does not speak for the UMC".
I believe it was the predecessor to the GBCS who funneled money and support to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean dictator who took a rich, free society (Rwanda) and created a socialist utopia. They went from a net exporter of food to a net importer of food in less than two years. Their currency inflates at 10,000% per year. He retains power by intimidation and murder.
The UMC is governed by the Book of Discipline which is amended every four years by a General Conference. There are more UMs in Africa than North America, so the rules of the GC were adjusted to insure that North American representatives would not be outvoted by African representatives. The GC also adopts a series of social principles which are supposedly biblically based and non binding. The social principles read like progressive social justice.
These are the basis for the actions of the GBCS. Membership in the United Methodist Church continues to decline. It is my thesis that the GBCS has abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ to embrace progressive political action, thereby alienating members and potential members.
The following links will provide more information on the GBCS:
The General Board of Church and Society of the UMC
Faith in Action newsletter
Contact information on the GBCS is available on this page:
Staff Directory of GBCS
Full Disclosure: I have been a member of the United Methodist Church all my life. I believe their emphasis on social justice is replacing God with the government. History will show this never ends well. My wife and I are active in a declining UM congregation because we feel called to serve here.
We will go when and where the Spirit leads.
The biggest promoter of this rally is Organizing for America at BarackObama.com
Another promoter and participant in the One Nation Working Together Rally on October 2 is the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church. No surprise here.
The GBCS generated headlines like "METHODIST CHURCH SCOLDS THE PRESIDENT" when President Bush endeavored to free 20 million people from a psychopathic dictator. If you read the entire article, on the jump page, buried in the next to the last paragraph would be a disclaimer to the effect "The GBCS does not speak for the UMC".
I believe it was the predecessor to the GBCS who funneled money and support to Robert Mugabe, the Zimbabwean dictator who took a rich, free society (Rwanda) and created a socialist utopia. They went from a net exporter of food to a net importer of food in less than two years. Their currency inflates at 10,000% per year. He retains power by intimidation and murder.
The UMC is governed by the Book of Discipline which is amended every four years by a General Conference. There are more UMs in Africa than North America, so the rules of the GC were adjusted to insure that North American representatives would not be outvoted by African representatives. The GC also adopts a series of social principles which are supposedly biblically based and non binding. The social principles read like progressive social justice.
These are the basis for the actions of the GBCS. Membership in the United Methodist Church continues to decline. It is my thesis that the GBCS has abandoned the Gospel of Jesus Christ to embrace progressive political action, thereby alienating members and potential members.
The following links will provide more information on the GBCS:
The General Board of Church and Society of the UMC
Faith in Action newsletter
Contact information on the GBCS is available on this page:
Staff Directory of GBCS
Full Disclosure: I have been a member of the United Methodist Church all my life. I believe their emphasis on social justice is replacing God with the government. History will show this never ends well. My wife and I are active in a declining UM congregation because we feel called to serve here.
We will go when and where the Spirit leads.
Monday, July 19, 2010
The Perpetual Motion Machine
I took Econ 101 and 102 in college. The thing that I remember was how they explained government spending, the Federal Reserve, and the multiplier effect.
It goes something like this: The Federal Government collects revenue and spends money as directed by congress. If congress chooses to spend more money than is collected; then the government issues debt instruments like T-bills, T-notes, and T-bonds. If, by chance, they are unable to sell enough debt to the public then the Federal Reserve will buy the debt at a predetermined discount rate.
The Federal Reserve is a private banking company whose directors are appointed by the President with approval of congress and is tasked with providing a 'stable' money supply. This is a privately owned bank who creates money by simply writing a number in a ledger and collecting interest from the taxpayer on that number. Is this a great country or WHAT??
But it gets better! Economists believe that every dollar the Federal government spends generates $5 of economic activity. They also believe that every dollar spent by private business will generate $8 in economic activity.
Therefore; if the economy is retracting then the government needs to spend MORE to stimulate the economy.
WOW!! Why not spend money when the economy is expanding? I mean think about it; if spending 1,000 billion dollars will generate 5,000 billion dollars in economic activity why not spend 2,000 billion dollars and generate 10,000 billion dollars? Better yet, if the government would spend 10,000 billion dollars then the tax revenue from the accompanying 50,000 billion would pay off the debt in one year.
A true perpetual motion machine!! Paul Krugman; New York Times columnist, Princeton University professor, and all round smart person has been making this argument for weeks.
This came up again last week in the debate over extending unemployment benefits. The Secretary of Labor scolded that one dollar of tax cuts only generates $1.15 of economic activity because those who get the cuts save the money (those unpatriotic bastards). One dollar of unemployment benefits generates $1.39 of economic activity by the fine, patriotic unemployed persons spending money at restaurants and buying clothes.
I know when I was unemployed I dined at fine restaurants every night and purchased a new wardrobe after I got home from my cruise. NOT!!
Nearly everyone learns there is no such thing as perpetual motion by the third grade. Sophisticated persons educated at the nation's finest universities are relieved of common sense in the isolated utopian world of academia where they are required to return to the dreams of childhood.
Our freedom and our liberty are at risk when these persons gain positions of power in our society and make us live in a dream world that cannot exist.
Pray for a return of common sense and integrity.
It goes something like this: The Federal Government collects revenue and spends money as directed by congress. If congress chooses to spend more money than is collected; then the government issues debt instruments like T-bills, T-notes, and T-bonds. If, by chance, they are unable to sell enough debt to the public then the Federal Reserve will buy the debt at a predetermined discount rate.
The Federal Reserve is a private banking company whose directors are appointed by the President with approval of congress and is tasked with providing a 'stable' money supply. This is a privately owned bank who creates money by simply writing a number in a ledger and collecting interest from the taxpayer on that number. Is this a great country or WHAT??
But it gets better! Economists believe that every dollar the Federal government spends generates $5 of economic activity. They also believe that every dollar spent by private business will generate $8 in economic activity.
Therefore; if the economy is retracting then the government needs to spend MORE to stimulate the economy.
WOW!! Why not spend money when the economy is expanding? I mean think about it; if spending 1,000 billion dollars will generate 5,000 billion dollars in economic activity why not spend 2,000 billion dollars and generate 10,000 billion dollars? Better yet, if the government would spend 10,000 billion dollars then the tax revenue from the accompanying 50,000 billion would pay off the debt in one year.
A true perpetual motion machine!! Paul Krugman; New York Times columnist, Princeton University professor, and all round smart person has been making this argument for weeks.
This came up again last week in the debate over extending unemployment benefits. The Secretary of Labor scolded that one dollar of tax cuts only generates $1.15 of economic activity because those who get the cuts save the money (those unpatriotic bastards). One dollar of unemployment benefits generates $1.39 of economic activity by the fine, patriotic unemployed persons spending money at restaurants and buying clothes.
I know when I was unemployed I dined at fine restaurants every night and purchased a new wardrobe after I got home from my cruise. NOT!!
Nearly everyone learns there is no such thing as perpetual motion by the third grade. Sophisticated persons educated at the nation's finest universities are relieved of common sense in the isolated utopian world of academia where they are required to return to the dreams of childhood.
Our freedom and our liberty are at risk when these persons gain positions of power in our society and make us live in a dream world that cannot exist.
Pray for a return of common sense and integrity.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Glenn Beck - Prophet, Pundit, or Punk?
Just finished reading "The Overton Window", a fictional thriller based on current events. The story moves quickly and is quite engaging, reminiscent of a Tom Clancey novel. This is the first fiction novel I have read that has a bibliography.
These reference notes are in the afterword beginning on page 293. I suggest Glenn Beck skeptics begin by reading this first.
I recommend pages 318 and 319 be required reading for JFK conspiracists and truthers. A JFK conspiracist is someone who believes that Lee Oswald was not the sole gunman in Dealey Plaza. A truther is someone who believes the government was complicit in the attacks on 9/11. These two pages point out the potential trap that lays for those who infer a conspiracy based on facts.
This book affirms my belief that the greatest legacy we can give our children is the ability to think critically. Faith, values, and self respect are important; however, one must learn to question with boldness to avoid being manipulated by religion, government, and family.
"The Overton Window". A great beach read and perfect place to start thinking, critically, about who we will elect to represent us in November.
These reference notes are in the afterword beginning on page 293. I suggest Glenn Beck skeptics begin by reading this first.
I recommend pages 318 and 319 be required reading for JFK conspiracists and truthers. A JFK conspiracist is someone who believes that Lee Oswald was not the sole gunman in Dealey Plaza. A truther is someone who believes the government was complicit in the attacks on 9/11. These two pages point out the potential trap that lays for those who infer a conspiracy based on facts.
This book affirms my belief that the greatest legacy we can give our children is the ability to think critically. Faith, values, and self respect are important; however, one must learn to question with boldness to avoid being manipulated by religion, government, and family.
"The Overton Window". A great beach read and perfect place to start thinking, critically, about who we will elect to represent us in November.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Big Government vs Big Oil
Government employees are paid to not make decisions. Remember your last trip to renew your driver’s license or get a license plate for your car? Remember the frustration you had because some form was not filled out to the satisfaction of the person on the other side of the counter? Ever tried to board an airplane when the name on your photo ID was not identical to the name on the boarding pass?
The sole motivation of all government employees is to preserve their pension. The greatest risk to their pension is when they do something that is outside the strict verbiage of policy. If a government employee makes a decision and something happens to attract the attention of their supervisor or, God forbid, their supervisor’s supervisor; then their next promotion and the associated increased pension payout are in jeopardy. Therefore, a government employee will not make a decision.
The governor of Louisiana asked for permission to dredge a berm to protect the shore and the Federal government said, “We will study this.” Fifty five days later the permit was approved after crude oil had flooded onto the Louisiana shore. Over a dozen foreign countries and foreign companies have offered to help clean up the spill and the government said, "No, this will require a waiver from the United States Maritime Administration". (Details)
Big companies in general and oil companies in particular are very jealous of their processes and procedures. As a rule they will not adopt any process that is Not Invented Here (NIH).
Kevin Costner proposed utilizing his prototype oil recovery system and British Petroleum said, “Sorry, it is Not Invented Here”. A couple of amateurs have produced a YouTube video of a process to trap oil floating on the water using hay. Again, BP chuckled but declined their offer of help because it was (you guessed it) Not Invented Here.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
The President has said that he has personally been focused on this incident from the beginning. Many people don’t think that is true because he did nothing nor said anything useful. I disagree.
“Never let a serious crisis go to waste and what I mean by that is it gives you an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before.” Rahm Emmanuel; White House Chief of Staff.
I believe the President was waiting for the pictures of oil soaked birds to saturate the media. The loss of 11 persons and a $500 million platform is certainly a tragedy; but it is not a crisis.
When you are a hammer; everything looks like a nail. When you are trained as a lawyer; every problem is addressed with litigation. The first response from the White House was to encourage all the people affected to sue BP. The White House has threatened criminal prosecution.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
On April 19 it was unthinkable to suggest the government should take over oil companies. Now, two months later, pictures of oil soaked wildlife are being shown on TV, the newspapers, and the internet every day. Everyone from the bartender at the airport to my son, who should know better, is calling for the government to take over BP.
The White House and a number of congresspersons have suggested that BP be required to place billions of dollars into a separate escrow account.
Question: When are these pillars of fiscal responsibility going to place $109,000 billion into a separate escrow account to fund my, and your, unfunded social security and medicare liabilities?
Congressman Barton has it right. The White House shook down BP for $20 billion. It appears this separate account will be administered by the Executive Branch. Kind of a slush fund to benefit select friends of Obama.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
“I’m telling you this liberal is about, uh, socializing.......... uh, is about........basically, taking over the oil companies” Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-CA.
The Obama administration has utilized three separate crises to take over the financial industry, two automobile manufacturers, and the health care industry. This shakedown is the first step to taking over BP. BP is not a US company so that makes it problematic; but a few more oily birds should make it possible for him to pull it off. Who is going to stop him?
Bonus: The government has placed a moratorium on all offshore drilling. This will force tens of thousands of families to be largely dependent upon the Federal government for survival. The cap and trade legislation will distribute thousands of billions of dollars from every person to a select group of politically connected traders through the Chicago Climate Exchange.
And crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
The sole motivation of all government employees is to preserve their pension. The greatest risk to their pension is when they do something that is outside the strict verbiage of policy. If a government employee makes a decision and something happens to attract the attention of their supervisor or, God forbid, their supervisor’s supervisor; then their next promotion and the associated increased pension payout are in jeopardy. Therefore, a government employee will not make a decision.
The governor of Louisiana asked for permission to dredge a berm to protect the shore and the Federal government said, “We will study this.” Fifty five days later the permit was approved after crude oil had flooded onto the Louisiana shore. Over a dozen foreign countries and foreign companies have offered to help clean up the spill and the government said, "No, this will require a waiver from the United States Maritime Administration". (Details)
Big companies in general and oil companies in particular are very jealous of their processes and procedures. As a rule they will not adopt any process that is Not Invented Here (NIH).
Kevin Costner proposed utilizing his prototype oil recovery system and British Petroleum said, “Sorry, it is Not Invented Here”. A couple of amateurs have produced a YouTube video of a process to trap oil floating on the water using hay. Again, BP chuckled but declined their offer of help because it was (you guessed it) Not Invented Here.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
The President has said that he has personally been focused on this incident from the beginning. Many people don’t think that is true because he did nothing nor said anything useful. I disagree.
“Never let a serious crisis go to waste and what I mean by that is it gives you an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before.” Rahm Emmanuel; White House Chief of Staff.
I believe the President was waiting for the pictures of oil soaked birds to saturate the media. The loss of 11 persons and a $500 million platform is certainly a tragedy; but it is not a crisis.
When you are a hammer; everything looks like a nail. When you are trained as a lawyer; every problem is addressed with litigation. The first response from the White House was to encourage all the people affected to sue BP. The White House has threatened criminal prosecution.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
On April 19 it was unthinkable to suggest the government should take over oil companies. Now, two months later, pictures of oil soaked wildlife are being shown on TV, the newspapers, and the internet every day. Everyone from the bartender at the airport to my son, who should know better, is calling for the government to take over BP.
The White House and a number of congresspersons have suggested that BP be required to place billions of dollars into a separate escrow account.
Question: When are these pillars of fiscal responsibility going to place $109,000 billion into a separate escrow account to fund my, and your, unfunded social security and medicare liabilities?
Congressman Barton has it right. The White House shook down BP for $20 billion. It appears this separate account will be administered by the Executive Branch. Kind of a slush fund to benefit select friends of Obama.
Meanwhile, crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
“I’m telling you this liberal is about, uh, socializing.......... uh, is about........basically, taking over the oil companies” Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-CA.
The Obama administration has utilized three separate crises to take over the financial industry, two automobile manufacturers, and the health care industry. This shakedown is the first step to taking over BP. BP is not a US company so that makes it problematic; but a few more oily birds should make it possible for him to pull it off. Who is going to stop him?
Bonus: The government has placed a moratorium on all offshore drilling. This will force tens of thousands of families to be largely dependent upon the Federal government for survival. The cap and trade legislation will distribute thousands of billions of dollars from every person to a select group of politically connected traders through the Chicago Climate Exchange.
And crude oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Reclaiming Honor
One of the most inspiring experiences of my life was when I joined a few hundred thousand of my closest personal friends on the Mall in Washington DC to pray for our country. It was sponsored by the Promise Keepers and the motivation was 2 Chronicles 7:14; "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
This event was held on Saturday, October 4, 1997. Coincidentally, this was also Rosh Hoshanah; beginning the ten days of atonement in the Jewish new year. A shofar or ram's horn was blown in the traditional call to meeting. This was a Christian prayer meeting and there were Jewish Christians in attendance as well as Native American Christians, African-American Christians, and plain old ordinary Christians.
There were a small number of women from the National Organization for Women who tried to disrupt the meeting. There were also a few politicians and they were invited to join anonymously. This was a non political prayer meeting in Washington DC, where some people believe everything must be political.
It was my privilege to lay my hands upon and pray for an ATF agent who nearly bled to death at Mt. Carmel in Waco TX. We were privileged to hear messages from Max Lucado, Tony Evans, and several other Godly men.
In 1780 George Washington developed a badge of merit to be awarded to non officers who displayed exceptional honor. Only three of these badges have been awarded. At the time the world only gave medals and badges to officers; but Washington was looking to create, in his words, "an honorable and Christian army". He was looking to build people of integrity, people who understood merit and honor. He said "the road to glory in a free country is open to all". It was the first time that anybody had ever done that, looking at the farmer and saying you don't have to be an officer to do something honorable. The Purple Heart was modeled after the badge of merit.
On August 28, the Saturday before Labor Day, the Special Operations Warrior Foundation will hold a fund raising event on the steps to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC named Reclaiming Honor. This non-profit provides support and assistance to the families of wounded and fallen special operations personnel. This includes 60,000 of America's elite troops such as Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Rangers, Air force combat controllers and Marine Corps special operators.
There will be a concert by Jo Dee Messina, winner of the CMA Horizon award. Gary Sinese, Marcus Lutrell, and Ted Nugent will be there to introduce the largest gathering of Medal of Honor winners ever.
This non-political, non-partisan event. I am sure there are some who will try to make this political because it is in Washington DC. Hopefully, the organizers will succeed in maintaining the anonymity of all politicians in attendance.
The approval rating of Congress is at an all time low. There are a record number of candidates running for seats in the November election. I have often said the people of the United States elect the representatives they deserve.
Apparently we deserve these venal, lying, self-serving jerks. It is time we reclaim our honor; individually and as a nation.
President Garfield (elected in 1880) said it best ; “Now, more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Ideas on Management
Today we were told by the Assistant Director of Human Resources that we will prepare a business plan. We are one department of a large city. Our new director will begin the first of June and he has been active in telling senior management what he expects to achieve. This prompted me to reflect upon what we have been doing and what I believe we should be doing.
It seems to me that we are not measuring the right thing. The current business plan for HR is narrowly defined as counting bodies in seats for required training.
This begs the questions: What is required training? Why is it required? Does it make a difference? I would argue the answer to the last question is "NO!".
I believe the mission of HR should include proactive recruiting, just-in-time training, engaging work, imaginative supervision, and satisfying balance in life. It should be the responsibility of each section within HR to determine the best way they can contribute to and measure the success of their role in accomplishing the mission of HR.
Our department will embrace the Who method of hiring that is pioneered by the ghSMART organization. The stated goal is to hire only A players. We define an A Player this way: a candidate who has at least a 90 percent chance of achieving a set of outcomes that only the top 10 percent of possible candidates could achieve.
OK. What about the 1533 non A players that are on the payroll now? Are we prepared to coach/mentor them to the A player standard or are we going to simply replace them asap?
This organization has lacked focused leadership for several years. How will we convince front line managers that this isn't just another flavor-of-the-month management fad?
This is the City. Are we prepared to PAY for A players?
Are we prepared to pay for and utilize sophisticated measuring tools to verify that our efforts are achieving the desired results?
Most importantly, is our department prepared to change from a culture of blame to a culture of accountability? Will we stop looking for scapegoats and start seaching for root causes?
Who: The A Method for Hiring by ghSmart sets forth the following four step plan.
❖ Scorecard. The scorecard is a document that describes exactly what you want a person to accomplish in a role. It is not a job description, but rather a set of outcomes and competencies that define a job done well. By defining A performance for a role, the scorecard gives you a clear picture of what the person you seek needs to be able to accomplish.
❖ Source. Finding great people is getting harder, but it is not impossible. Systematic sourcing before you have slots to fill ensures you have high-quality candidates waiting when you need them.
❖ Select. Selecting talent in the A Method involves a series of structured interviews that allow you to gather the relevant facts about a person so you can rate your scorecard and make an informed hiring decision. These structured interviews break the voodoo hiring spell.
❖ Sell. Once you identify people you want on your team through selection, you need to persuade them to join. Selling the right way ensures you avoid the biggest pitfalls that cause the very people you want the most to take their talents elsewhere. It also protects you from the biggest heartbreak of all—losing the perfect candidate at the eleventh hour.
We are going through an exciting period of change where I work. It is my thesis that the most important thing we can do to take our department to the next level of performance is to stop looking for scapegoats and search out root causes.
This is good advice for any organization. It is one reason Google is so successful. It is the primary reason the Obama administration will be a total failure.
Oil is still flooding into the Gulf of Mexico as the government keeps their boot on the neck of BP, encourages people to sue, blames the Bush administration, suspends all offshore drilling in US water, holds hearings looking for someone to blame, and then holds a press conference expressing disgust with the blame game and promising not to rest until the spill is stopped. After all this productive activity, the President goes out to shoot a few hoops.
To my knowledge, nobody is looking for the root cause. Everyone is trying to minimize liability.
A pox on all their houses.
It seems to me that we are not measuring the right thing. The current business plan for HR is narrowly defined as counting bodies in seats for required training.
This begs the questions: What is required training? Why is it required? Does it make a difference? I would argue the answer to the last question is "NO!".
I believe the mission of HR should include proactive recruiting, just-in-time training, engaging work, imaginative supervision, and satisfying balance in life. It should be the responsibility of each section within HR to determine the best way they can contribute to and measure the success of their role in accomplishing the mission of HR.
Our department will embrace the Who method of hiring that is pioneered by the ghSMART organization. The stated goal is to hire only A players. We define an A Player this way: a candidate who has at least a 90 percent chance of achieving a set of outcomes that only the top 10 percent of possible candidates could achieve.
OK. What about the 1533 non A players that are on the payroll now? Are we prepared to coach/mentor them to the A player standard or are we going to simply replace them asap?
This organization has lacked focused leadership for several years. How will we convince front line managers that this isn't just another flavor-of-the-month management fad?
This is the City. Are we prepared to PAY for A players?
Are we prepared to pay for and utilize sophisticated measuring tools to verify that our efforts are achieving the desired results?
Most importantly, is our department prepared to change from a culture of blame to a culture of accountability? Will we stop looking for scapegoats and start seaching for root causes?
Who: The A Method for Hiring by ghSmart sets forth the following four step plan.
❖ Scorecard. The scorecard is a document that describes exactly what you want a person to accomplish in a role. It is not a job description, but rather a set of outcomes and competencies that define a job done well. By defining A performance for a role, the scorecard gives you a clear picture of what the person you seek needs to be able to accomplish.
❖ Source. Finding great people is getting harder, but it is not impossible. Systematic sourcing before you have slots to fill ensures you have high-quality candidates waiting when you need them.
❖ Select. Selecting talent in the A Method involves a series of structured interviews that allow you to gather the relevant facts about a person so you can rate your scorecard and make an informed hiring decision. These structured interviews break the voodoo hiring spell.
❖ Sell. Once you identify people you want on your team through selection, you need to persuade them to join. Selling the right way ensures you avoid the biggest pitfalls that cause the very people you want the most to take their talents elsewhere. It also protects you from the biggest heartbreak of all—losing the perfect candidate at the eleventh hour.
We are going through an exciting period of change where I work. It is my thesis that the most important thing we can do to take our department to the next level of performance is to stop looking for scapegoats and search out root causes.
This is good advice for any organization. It is one reason Google is so successful. It is the primary reason the Obama administration will be a total failure.
Oil is still flooding into the Gulf of Mexico as the government keeps their boot on the neck of BP, encourages people to sue, blames the Bush administration, suspends all offshore drilling in US water, holds hearings looking for someone to blame, and then holds a press conference expressing disgust with the blame game and promising not to rest until the spill is stopped. After all this productive activity, the President goes out to shoot a few hoops.
To my knowledge, nobody is looking for the root cause. Everyone is trying to minimize liability.
A pox on all their houses.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Today's Prophet
I have spent a lifetime wondering about prophets and prophecy. Everyone wants to know what is going to happen and we all search for answers. An online dictionary provides the following definition of the word prophet:
1. A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.
2. A person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression.
3. A predictor; a soothsayer.
4. The chief spokesperson of a movement or cause.
The Jewish and Christian traditions specifically warn against soothsayers simply because they assume the role of God. Palm readers, horoscopes, Nostradamus, and Ouija boards are examples of how people are entertained and sometimes defrauded by such foolish conceits.
Muhammad and Brigham Young are two examples of spokespersons of a movement. Some of these end tragically like the Heaven's Gate and Jim Jones cults.
The Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible upon which it is based contain numerous writings by prophets. These prophets speak from divine inspiration to provide a message to God's people. In Christianity a prophet is one inspired by God through the Holy Spirit to deliver a message for a specific purpose. God's calling as a prophet is not considered to elevate an individual for their glory, but for the glory of God and to turn people to God. The apostle Paul often speaks of gifts from the Spirit to believers for the purpose of building up the universal church. Among these gifts is the gift of prophecy.
Jesus specifically warns against false prophets, so one asks; how can you identify a false prophet? Here are some reliable tests:
1. A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.
2. A person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression.
3. A predictor; a soothsayer.
4. The chief spokesperson of a movement or cause.
The Jewish and Christian traditions specifically warn against soothsayers simply because they assume the role of God. Palm readers, horoscopes, Nostradamus, and Ouija boards are examples of how people are entertained and sometimes defrauded by such foolish conceits.
Muhammad and Brigham Young are two examples of spokespersons of a movement. Some of these end tragically like the Heaven's Gate and Jim Jones cults.
The Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible upon which it is based contain numerous writings by prophets. These prophets speak from divine inspiration to provide a message to God's people. In Christianity a prophet is one inspired by God through the Holy Spirit to deliver a message for a specific purpose. God's calling as a prophet is not considered to elevate an individual for their glory, but for the glory of God and to turn people to God. The apostle Paul often speaks of gifts from the Spirit to believers for the purpose of building up the universal church. Among these gifts is the gift of prophecy.
Jesus specifically warns against false prophets, so one asks; how can you identify a false prophet? Here are some reliable tests:
- A true prophet will not contradict the nature of God. What is the nature of God? This is not an easy answer and requires a lifetime of prayerful study. You may start with 'God is love'.
- A true prophet will not predict the end of the world on a date certain. Jesus said, "Only the Father knows". The Father has not even shared that information with the Son; therefore why would God reveal that date to some joker who just shows up out of the blue?
- A true prophet will provide hope for the future. Even the mournful prophet, Jeremiah, said; "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'Plans for a future and a hope.'"
Whom would I nominate as a prophet? I can think of two prominent persons who seem gifted with a profound moral insight. Both are good communicators, however it is my belief that Glenn Beck has exceptional powers of expression.
His tag line is 'The Fusion of Entertainment and Enlightenment'. He is constantly calling us to a higher standard of morality. He rejects the current culture of corruption and continually reminds us that we are better people than those who represent us.
Mr. Beck reminds us of our forgotten heritage. It seems that political correctness has obliterated the fact that those who founded our nation on individual rights and liberties felt inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We and our children have only been shown their greed and venality. We have lost sight of their vision of personal liberty, personal responsibility, personal generosity, and personal accountability. We have been activated into communities, told that we are victims, taught to envy, and convinced that only the government can make us whole.
Mr. Beck asserts that only God can make us whole. Only God can save us from exploitation by our own government. We, individually and freely, have the answer; and we, acting on the principles of faith, hope, and charity are the answer.
Like all prophets, Mr. Beck is slandered and vilified by those who are profiting from the status quo. Those who criticize him the loudest are those who have the most to lose when we assert our inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When we put our confidence in the One who created the universe, we will take back the power Jesus gives us thereby eliminating the need for the ones who exploit us.
These critics will actually have to produce something of value. What a concept!
Time magazine has designated Glenn Beck as one of the World's 100 most Influential Persons in 2010.
Congratulations.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Reaping What's Been Sown
The Summer of Love was anything but. The latter half of the sixties was marked by a counter cultural revolution. Love meant that we are all equal (good) and that we shouldn’t own one another (good) and that we are free to do our own thing (not so good) without rules (caution!) or hang-ups (?). Nobody should own anything (I don’t share) and the ideal lifestyle is communal (not interested). Everyone is encouraged to tune in with recreational drugs and hard rock, turn on to uninhibited sexuality, and drop out of participation in society. God is dead, bring down the Man, and don’t trust anybody over thirty.
The resulting anarchy gave us the Watts Riots with African Americans killing African Americans and burning their own neighborhoods. We got the Weather Underground bombing the Pentagon and other government targets. We got the Students for a Democratic Society murdering each other as they tried to establish a socialist uprising. National Guard troops fired upon and killed American citizens at an anti-war protest at Kent State University in Ohio.
President Johnson rammed through the Great Society and paid for it by raiding the Social Security Trust Fund. His Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara invented ‘body counts’ to measure our progress in Vietnam. Celebrity spokespersons like Jane Fonda and left wing socialist politicians like her ex husband, CA assemblyman Tom Hayden, spoke openly against the war to the point of providing comfort to the enemy. They traveled to North Vietnam for propagandistic photo opportunities for the enemy.
The president was shamed into not running for reelection. The mayor of Chicago, Richard Daly, declared there would be no disruptions of the Democrat convention; so the violent Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Students for a Democratic Society rioted.
The white kids from rich, elite families, like Bill Ayers, were able to avoid prison. Poor black kids like Huey Newton went to prison, were killed, or both. Ordinary whites and blacks dived into the American dream. We got married, had children, and lived life as it came.
My favorite bumper sticker from this period: “The World is Dead – God”. The question that has haunted me for the last 40 years has been; what will happen when these people are in charge? Will they mature or will they continue to promote a utopian dream to the detriment of our liberty?
After the election of 2008 it is clear they are still determined to preside over a utopia where they get to be in charge and we get to serve them. The tactics have changed from direct confrontation to a soft confrontation. More specifically, using one's opponent's strength against him and adapting well to changing circumstances.
What is the strength of our society? I would argue it is our sense of morality; our sense of fair play. What is the source of our societal morality? The Judeo-Christian faith and worldview. Other faiths and worldviews are about exploitation (Hindu), self actualization (Buddhism), or submission (Islam). The Judeo-Christian faith is about relationships; relationship with the creator and relationship with each other.
What would happen if you convinced people that there is no creator, only a creation? All creation displays God’s glory; but if you can convince people that there is no God and creation is extremely fragile then you can get them to worship the creation with you as a priest. Thus, the environmental movement is born, Al Gore becomes its high priest, and the government gets to tax you for breathing. After all, we are good moral people who want to do the right thing.
What would happen if you convinced people there is no God? You convince them that the government is the source of all good things. Life is not fair? Demand the government make it fair. Do you envy the wealthy? Demand the government give you your fair share of the economic pie. The government is the source of life and the leaders are God. After all, we are good moral people and redistributing wealth is doing God’s work.
The community organizers, utopians, and activists of the sixties have stopped trying to lead a violent revolution. They are using our strength against us in order to enslave us to them. It is time to revisit the true source of our strength. We need to understand what has made us the greatest nation conceived by humanity and understand what we need to do to become even greater.
We don’t need God bless America. God blesses us every day whether we deserve it or not. No, no, no. AMERICA, BLESS GOD!!
It is the height of arrogance to believe that humans can destroy creation. Only the creator can destroy His creation. Pride goes before the fall and we are setting ourselves up for a big fall if we think we can choose to save or destroy the planet. We are stewards to God’s creation and we bless God when we utilize His creation to strengthen relationships with each other for His glory.
Envy is the fundamental tool to destroy relationships. Job said, “It’s not fair” and God said, “You are not qualified to judge ‘fair’”. Peter said, “What about John?” and Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” Community organizers divide people into groups and use the government to create envy between them so they can be controlled.
God created all things seen and unseen. God owns it all. God was here before you were born and God is going to be here after you are gone; therefore it all belongs to God. When God decides to redistribute wealth, God will do it. Neither you nor the President is God, therefore using the government to forcibly redistribute wealth is taking the name of God in vain.
Violent revolution always ends with the death and enslavement of millions. Consider the record of Mao Tse Tung, Joseph Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, North Korea, and Fidel Castro. Remember that Robert Mugabe, Benito Mussolini, and of course the poster boy for tyranny; Adolph Hitler were elected by a majority of the citizens in a democratic election. These are just a few examples of tyrants from the twentieth century.
Consider the lives of Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King. They liberated millions from tyranny with few casualties. They did it using the model of the One who frees us all.
The lesson is clear. The revolutionaries of the sixties have morphed into progressives and are using our good moral instincts to trick us into giving them the power to deprive us of our liberty. The sycophants of the legacy media are willingly being used to portray any opposition as racist, violent, or just plain crazy. This is reminiscent of the government and media trying to portray Dr. King and Dr. Mandela as immoral and communist.
The key is to stay focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the United States Constitution it inspired. We need to remember who we are and whose we are as they attempt to enslave us to their utopian vision. This vision is doomed to fail and our children will have to rebuild from our mistakes.
First we must share with our children the faith of our fathers that has brought out the best in us.
Second, we must inspire the hope and confidence in the future that comes only from the true creator of all good things.
Finally, we must be charitable in all things; for that is the true antidote to the pride and envy that is destroying us all.
The resulting anarchy gave us the Watts Riots with African Americans killing African Americans and burning their own neighborhoods. We got the Weather Underground bombing the Pentagon and other government targets. We got the Students for a Democratic Society murdering each other as they tried to establish a socialist uprising. National Guard troops fired upon and killed American citizens at an anti-war protest at Kent State University in Ohio.
President Johnson rammed through the Great Society and paid for it by raiding the Social Security Trust Fund. His Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara invented ‘body counts’ to measure our progress in Vietnam. Celebrity spokespersons like Jane Fonda and left wing socialist politicians like her ex husband, CA assemblyman Tom Hayden, spoke openly against the war to the point of providing comfort to the enemy. They traveled to North Vietnam for propagandistic photo opportunities for the enemy.
The president was shamed into not running for reelection. The mayor of Chicago, Richard Daly, declared there would be no disruptions of the Democrat convention; so the violent Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and the Students for a Democratic Society rioted.
The white kids from rich, elite families, like Bill Ayers, were able to avoid prison. Poor black kids like Huey Newton went to prison, were killed, or both. Ordinary whites and blacks dived into the American dream. We got married, had children, and lived life as it came.
My favorite bumper sticker from this period: “The World is Dead – God”. The question that has haunted me for the last 40 years has been; what will happen when these people are in charge? Will they mature or will they continue to promote a utopian dream to the detriment of our liberty?
After the election of 2008 it is clear they are still determined to preside over a utopia where they get to be in charge and we get to serve them. The tactics have changed from direct confrontation to a soft confrontation. More specifically, using one's opponent's strength against him and adapting well to changing circumstances.
What is the strength of our society? I would argue it is our sense of morality; our sense of fair play. What is the source of our societal morality? The Judeo-Christian faith and worldview. Other faiths and worldviews are about exploitation (Hindu), self actualization (Buddhism), or submission (Islam). The Judeo-Christian faith is about relationships; relationship with the creator and relationship with each other.
What would happen if you convinced people that there is no creator, only a creation? All creation displays God’s glory; but if you can convince people that there is no God and creation is extremely fragile then you can get them to worship the creation with you as a priest. Thus, the environmental movement is born, Al Gore becomes its high priest, and the government gets to tax you for breathing. After all, we are good moral people who want to do the right thing.
What would happen if you convinced people there is no God? You convince them that the government is the source of all good things. Life is not fair? Demand the government make it fair. Do you envy the wealthy? Demand the government give you your fair share of the economic pie. The government is the source of life and the leaders are God. After all, we are good moral people and redistributing wealth is doing God’s work.
The community organizers, utopians, and activists of the sixties have stopped trying to lead a violent revolution. They are using our strength against us in order to enslave us to them. It is time to revisit the true source of our strength. We need to understand what has made us the greatest nation conceived by humanity and understand what we need to do to become even greater.
We don’t need God bless America. God blesses us every day whether we deserve it or not. No, no, no. AMERICA, BLESS GOD!!
It is the height of arrogance to believe that humans can destroy creation. Only the creator can destroy His creation. Pride goes before the fall and we are setting ourselves up for a big fall if we think we can choose to save or destroy the planet. We are stewards to God’s creation and we bless God when we utilize His creation to strengthen relationships with each other for His glory.
Envy is the fundamental tool to destroy relationships. Job said, “It’s not fair” and God said, “You are not qualified to judge ‘fair’”. Peter said, “What about John?” and Jesus said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” Community organizers divide people into groups and use the government to create envy between them so they can be controlled.
God created all things seen and unseen. God owns it all. God was here before you were born and God is going to be here after you are gone; therefore it all belongs to God. When God decides to redistribute wealth, God will do it. Neither you nor the President is God, therefore using the government to forcibly redistribute wealth is taking the name of God in vain.
Violent revolution always ends with the death and enslavement of millions. Consider the record of Mao Tse Tung, Joseph Stalin, the Khmer Rouge, North Korea, and Fidel Castro. Remember that Robert Mugabe, Benito Mussolini, and of course the poster boy for tyranny; Adolph Hitler were elected by a majority of the citizens in a democratic election. These are just a few examples of tyrants from the twentieth century.
Consider the lives of Mahatma Ghandi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King. They liberated millions from tyranny with few casualties. They did it using the model of the One who frees us all.
The lesson is clear. The revolutionaries of the sixties have morphed into progressives and are using our good moral instincts to trick us into giving them the power to deprive us of our liberty. The sycophants of the legacy media are willingly being used to portray any opposition as racist, violent, or just plain crazy. This is reminiscent of the government and media trying to portray Dr. King and Dr. Mandela as immoral and communist.
The key is to stay focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the United States Constitution it inspired. We need to remember who we are and whose we are as they attempt to enslave us to their utopian vision. This vision is doomed to fail and our children will have to rebuild from our mistakes.
First we must share with our children the faith of our fathers that has brought out the best in us.
Second, we must inspire the hope and confidence in the future that comes only from the true creator of all good things.
Finally, we must be charitable in all things; for that is the true antidote to the pride and envy that is destroying us all.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
1st Robin of Spring
This is my first video blog. We shall see how it goes. The video was taken in central Nebraska on February 27, 2010. It was an attempt to capture the stark beauty of winter. Everything looks cold and gray and gloomy; yet there is a surprising amount of activity and color if one just stops and looks for it.
That is true of life as well. No matter how gloomy things appear, there is always an undercurrent of life and renewal.
As you sit quietly and watch, it is difficult not to let your mind wander to one's worldview and current events. The result is a new determination to fight for freedom and against tyranny.
Enjoy
That is true of life as well. No matter how gloomy things appear, there is always an undercurrent of life and renewal.
As you sit quietly and watch, it is difficult not to let your mind wander to one's worldview and current events. The result is a new determination to fight for freedom and against tyranny.
Enjoy
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Joe Stack brought dejavu all over again
President Reagan and various congressmen pledged to crack down on tax cheaters who were stealing $10 billion (or was it 20? Maybe 120 billion) from the government. The greatest offenders, of course, were small businesses like farmers and contract engineers who use cash accounting methods.
On a windy overcast day in February 1985 we filed our tax return. Our accountant had determined that we owed $1100, but there was less than $100 in the checking account so he recommended we file the return without payment and wait for them to contact us.
A few days later we received a demand letter from the IRS threatening to take our 13 year old car (estimated value, $300), seize our checking account, seize our savings account (what's savings?), seize our house (negative equity), garnishe our wages (wages require a job, right?), and if that is not enough we would be put in prison. (Then you'll be sorry.)
I was standing on the lawn facing a frigid northwest wind and as I looked over the barren, frozen landscape the vision of three hots and a cot in a Federal prison was quite appealing.
I am living proof of the unlimited Grace of a loving God. We survived this and subsequent challenges without suffering imprisonment. Looking back; I really don't know how we did it other than guidance from He who rules the universe.
Reading the manifesto from Mr. Stack, it seems his nightmare began with the tax reform act of 1986. He placed his faith in government and people. He believed that justice would always be done. Things didn't work out as he thought they should. He reportedly was a self reliant person, a characteristic celebrated in our culture. Unfortunately, he learned that he was weak and there was no one he would trust to lead him from his spiritual desert. So he did what he thought he could.
There were many times when I fantasized about similar acts of violence; but thank God, the Spirit showed me a better way.
So: what are the life lessons learned from this experience?
1) Please don't ask me to canonize Ronald Reagan.
2) All governments are inherently evil. They can't help it. Governments are invented by people, managed by people and exaggerate all the flaws of humanity. The God of the universe placed unique persons in a unique place in history to create a new government designed to inhibit itself through checks and balances. We need to return to that model.
3) Nobody is qualified to adjudicate "fairness". Nobody. Life is unfair. Deal with it.
4) To those whom much has been given; much will be required. When you are blessed, reach out and share the blessing.
5) Everyone will let you down at some point. Everyone. The truth is that you have let others down on more than one occasion. Guaranteed. The only One you can rely on is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He guides those who seek Him in a relationship of abundant life. Guaranteed.
6) The only thing standing between you and the promised abundant life is an unforgiving heart. Do you harbor unforgiveness? How's that workin' out for you? How did it work out for Joe Stack?
The choice is yours.
On a windy overcast day in February 1985 we filed our tax return. Our accountant had determined that we owed $1100, but there was less than $100 in the checking account so he recommended we file the return without payment and wait for them to contact us.
A few days later we received a demand letter from the IRS threatening to take our 13 year old car (estimated value, $300), seize our checking account, seize our savings account (what's savings?), seize our house (negative equity), garnishe our wages (wages require a job, right?), and if that is not enough we would be put in prison. (Then you'll be sorry.)
I was standing on the lawn facing a frigid northwest wind and as I looked over the barren, frozen landscape the vision of three hots and a cot in a Federal prison was quite appealing.
I am living proof of the unlimited Grace of a loving God. We survived this and subsequent challenges without suffering imprisonment. Looking back; I really don't know how we did it other than guidance from He who rules the universe.
Reading the manifesto from Mr. Stack, it seems his nightmare began with the tax reform act of 1986. He placed his faith in government and people. He believed that justice would always be done. Things didn't work out as he thought they should. He reportedly was a self reliant person, a characteristic celebrated in our culture. Unfortunately, he learned that he was weak and there was no one he would trust to lead him from his spiritual desert. So he did what he thought he could.
There were many times when I fantasized about similar acts of violence; but thank God, the Spirit showed me a better way.
So: what are the life lessons learned from this experience?
1) Please don't ask me to canonize Ronald Reagan.
2) All governments are inherently evil. They can't help it. Governments are invented by people, managed by people and exaggerate all the flaws of humanity. The God of the universe placed unique persons in a unique place in history to create a new government designed to inhibit itself through checks and balances. We need to return to that model.
3) Nobody is qualified to adjudicate "fairness". Nobody. Life is unfair. Deal with it.
4) To those whom much has been given; much will be required. When you are blessed, reach out and share the blessing.
5) Everyone will let you down at some point. Everyone. The truth is that you have let others down on more than one occasion. Guaranteed. The only One you can rely on is the Creator of all things seen and unseen. He guides those who seek Him in a relationship of abundant life. Guaranteed.
6) The only thing standing between you and the promised abundant life is an unforgiving heart. Do you harbor unforgiveness? How's that workin' out for you? How did it work out for Joe Stack?
The choice is yours.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
The Problem with Government Spending
I was sitting in a small rural cafe one morning in 1984. The conversation turned to politics as usual. The problem is government spending and the primary culprits are women having babies and foreign aid; blah-blah-blah. I looked around the room and noted that all but three of us were collecting Social Security and we were farmers.
And so I said, "The problem with government spending is that everyone in this room is going to get a government check this year."
The youngest one jumped to his feet and invited me to continue this discussion in the parking lot.
I assumed my least threating body language and asked, "Did you sign up for the farm program?"
"Well yeah, but that's different!" he replied.
"I didn't say you don't deserve it or that it was a bad thing to do. All I said was; the problem with government spending is that everyone in this room is going to get a government check this year and that is the problem with government spending."
They changed the subject.
Twenty five years later an even larger proportion of the population is getting a government check. You need to review your sources of income before you self-righteously proclaim that you don't get government money. For example, I work for the airport and a significant part of our income is based on Federal Grants. So if that money were to disappear, a large number of jobs would disappear with it. Temporarily. At some point, the work would need to be done and the money would be found. Where does your employer get their money? Are they or the company that owns them dependent upon some government grant or business?
Have you drawn unemployment insurance, food stamps, reduced cost school lunches or breakfast? It could be argued that earned income credit is an entitlement that contributes to massive government deficit.
I repeat, the problem with government spending is that too many people, including you and me, are getting money from the government. The President's announcement to freeze discretionary spending at the current elevated level does not solve the problem. You must reduce, cut, eliminate spending.
President Bush (41) belatedly came to the reduce spending idea at the end of his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1992. He declared over and over; "The problem is entitlements". That is correct. Approximately 2/3 of Federal spending is on programs called entitlements. He never specified any particular entitlement spending that needed to be reduced; therefore I considered his pitch to be disingenuous. He was probably thinking about the programs that are commonly called welfare. In fact, the largest single entitlement program is Social Security. The second largest is Medicare. The third largest is Medicaid.
The current occupant (of the White House) seems to believe the best way to reduce spending on these entitlements is to control everyone's access to medical care and then use this control to ration care. Ultimately people will die prematurely thereby reducing the burden on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Full disclosure: I am 65 years old and I do NOT want the government to ration my access to health care. I do NOT subscribe to Medicare and will refuse it as long as I can. The Federal government foreclosed my retirement plan and the only pension that I have is Social Security. (Link)
There are a number of alternatives to the President's vision of our future; but you won't learn of them by reading the newspaper or watching the news on television. I learned of these alternatives by listening to talk radio and searching the internet. The following links will inform you of alternatives to spending the country into oblivion.
Wall Street Journal Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI 'Prosperity Plan"
Taking Back our Fiscal Future (White Paper)
Doctors for Patient Care What doesn't work
Comparison of Republican vs. Democrat Health Care Plans
You are invited to share ideas you have discovered that will reduce government spending and intrusion.
And so I said, "The problem with government spending is that everyone in this room is going to get a government check this year."
The youngest one jumped to his feet and invited me to continue this discussion in the parking lot.
I assumed my least threating body language and asked, "Did you sign up for the farm program?"
"Well yeah, but that's different!" he replied.
"I didn't say you don't deserve it or that it was a bad thing to do. All I said was; the problem with government spending is that everyone in this room is going to get a government check this year and that is the problem with government spending."
They changed the subject.
Twenty five years later an even larger proportion of the population is getting a government check. You need to review your sources of income before you self-righteously proclaim that you don't get government money. For example, I work for the airport and a significant part of our income is based on Federal Grants. So if that money were to disappear, a large number of jobs would disappear with it. Temporarily. At some point, the work would need to be done and the money would be found. Where does your employer get their money? Are they or the company that owns them dependent upon some government grant or business?
Have you drawn unemployment insurance, food stamps, reduced cost school lunches or breakfast? It could be argued that earned income credit is an entitlement that contributes to massive government deficit.
I repeat, the problem with government spending is that too many people, including you and me, are getting money from the government. The President's announcement to freeze discretionary spending at the current elevated level does not solve the problem. You must reduce, cut, eliminate spending.
President Bush (41) belatedly came to the reduce spending idea at the end of his unsuccessful bid for reelection in 1992. He declared over and over; "The problem is entitlements". That is correct. Approximately 2/3 of Federal spending is on programs called entitlements. He never specified any particular entitlement spending that needed to be reduced; therefore I considered his pitch to be disingenuous. He was probably thinking about the programs that are commonly called welfare. In fact, the largest single entitlement program is Social Security. The second largest is Medicare. The third largest is Medicaid.
The current occupant (of the White House) seems to believe the best way to reduce spending on these entitlements is to control everyone's access to medical care and then use this control to ration care. Ultimately people will die prematurely thereby reducing the burden on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Full disclosure: I am 65 years old and I do NOT want the government to ration my access to health care. I do NOT subscribe to Medicare and will refuse it as long as I can. The Federal government foreclosed my retirement plan and the only pension that I have is Social Security. (Link)
There are a number of alternatives to the President's vision of our future; but you won't learn of them by reading the newspaper or watching the news on television. I learned of these alternatives by listening to talk radio and searching the internet. The following links will inform you of alternatives to spending the country into oblivion.
Wall Street Journal Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI 'Prosperity Plan"
Taking Back our Fiscal Future (White Paper)
Doctors for Patient Care What doesn't work
Comparison of Republican vs. Democrat Health Care Plans
You are invited to share ideas you have discovered that will reduce government spending and intrusion.
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Fool's Game
A friend and I were talking politics over lunch the other day and he felt the governor was not trying hard enough to get Texas their share of federal funds. It is estimated that Texas only gets about 85 cents from every dollar that Texas residents send to Washington DC. I reminded him that it is impossible for everyone to get 100% because the Federal Government skims money off the top; in other words, for every dollar that goes to Washington only 90 cents comes back. The rest stays in Washington.
I told him that Congress does that intentionally so they can control us by making us fight with each other for a bigger batch of goodies. "It is only a fool's game," was my conclusion.
The Obama administration and the progressives in Congress are perfect examples of how we are all being played for suckers. For example:
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) created $750 billion out of thin air to loan to banks. Then the treasury department used threats of audits to make all banks participate. The idea was the banks would borrow the money from the government and pay it back to the treasury with interest. Well, the banks are paying it back; but the money is not going to the treasury. It is going into a slush fund that the Obama administration can use to reward supporters without oversight from anybody. (Link)
Senator Landrieu extorted $300 million to be spent exclusively in Louisianna in exchange for her vote for the Healthcare Jamdown. She is so shameless that she bragged about it on the floor of the Senate.
Senator Burriss of IL boasted that he wanted to cast the deciding vote on Obamacare when he was appointed to the US Senate last winter. In November the same Sen. Burriss started whining that maybe he wouldn't vote for it after all unless Illinois got some goodies. Apparently he got something, because he shut up the next day.
Senator Ben Nelson of NE held out until he got a $100 million deal on Medicaide plus a $6 billion tax break for insurance companies based in Nebraska. It was such a brazen shakedown that Governor Heineman condemned the Senator. Senator Nelson then dared the governor to turn down the money.
The Healthcare Jamdown will severely restrict the very popular Medicare Advantage program. Unless you live in Florida. So much for 'You can keep your old health insurance' lie; unless you move to Florida.
Sen Reid publicly stated "It is their own fault if the senators didn't get everything they wanted. I can't help it if they are not skilled negotiators." He also called such bribes 'compromise'.
It makes me physically ill to see these shameless representatives deliberately get us to fighting with each other over money we don't have. They are intentionally stealing our freedom and destroying our children's future for their own personal power and comfort today.
I have always said the American people elect the people they deserve. Do we really deserve these immoral, unindicted felons? Is that who we really are? Are you willing to sell out all the other states for a few bucks today?
Are We, the People so bereft of integrity that we will do anything for a fast buck?
Have you noticed that each one of these elected persons pledges to uphold the Constitution of the United States? Then, before the smudge of their palm print on the Bible cools; they begin maneuvering for personal wealth and influence. I would bet money that most have never even read the constitution they pledged to uphold.
Pray for our country.
I told him that Congress does that intentionally so they can control us by making us fight with each other for a bigger batch of goodies. "It is only a fool's game," was my conclusion.
The Obama administration and the progressives in Congress are perfect examples of how we are all being played for suckers. For example:
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) created $750 billion out of thin air to loan to banks. Then the treasury department used threats of audits to make all banks participate. The idea was the banks would borrow the money from the government and pay it back to the treasury with interest. Well, the banks are paying it back; but the money is not going to the treasury. It is going into a slush fund that the Obama administration can use to reward supporters without oversight from anybody. (Link)
Senator Landrieu extorted $300 million to be spent exclusively in Louisianna in exchange for her vote for the Healthcare Jamdown. She is so shameless that she bragged about it on the floor of the Senate.
Senator Burriss of IL boasted that he wanted to cast the deciding vote on Obamacare when he was appointed to the US Senate last winter. In November the same Sen. Burriss started whining that maybe he wouldn't vote for it after all unless Illinois got some goodies. Apparently he got something, because he shut up the next day.
Senator Ben Nelson of NE held out until he got a $100 million deal on Medicaide plus a $6 billion tax break for insurance companies based in Nebraska. It was such a brazen shakedown that Governor Heineman condemned the Senator. Senator Nelson then dared the governor to turn down the money.
The Healthcare Jamdown will severely restrict the very popular Medicare Advantage program. Unless you live in Florida. So much for 'You can keep your old health insurance' lie; unless you move to Florida.
Sen Reid publicly stated "It is their own fault if the senators didn't get everything they wanted. I can't help it if they are not skilled negotiators." He also called such bribes 'compromise'.
It makes me physically ill to see these shameless representatives deliberately get us to fighting with each other over money we don't have. They are intentionally stealing our freedom and destroying our children's future for their own personal power and comfort today.
I have always said the American people elect the people they deserve. Do we really deserve these immoral, unindicted felons? Is that who we really are? Are you willing to sell out all the other states for a few bucks today?
Are We, the People so bereft of integrity that we will do anything for a fast buck?
Have you noticed that each one of these elected persons pledges to uphold the Constitution of the United States? Then, before the smudge of their palm print on the Bible cools; they begin maneuvering for personal wealth and influence. I would bet money that most have never even read the constitution they pledged to uphold.
Pray for our country.
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