Why the title?

"Pioneers take the arrows"

Oh, wait. I should be upbeat and taking arrows doesn't sound like an upbeat thing to say.

So, let me amend that statement.

It was courage and vision that led the pioneers to leave behind a comfortable, settled life and trek West to begin a new life in a new place. Many of those from the East that went West found a strength within themselves that they didn't see while they were in their old life. Instead of being one of those that just kind of went along with the others in the old life, they became leaders and visionaries in their new lives.

The sentiments of that last paragraph come from a favorite author, Louis L'Amour, in many of his books. So, I can't really say that it is an original thought from me. However, what he said is truthful.

Welcome to being a pioneer. Look ahead and ignore the "barking dogs" that give you negative opinions and comments. Louis L'Amour also spoke of the barking dogs.

In some of his stories, it was usually a father or older man telling a young boy how it was that when the Westward bound Conestoga wagons rolled through towns, the dogs came out to bark at them. His character then told the young listener that the barking didn't stop the wagons from going on to their destinations.

Following the advice of the Louis L'Amour characters, may we all forge ahead with our plans, after carefully considering all consequences and leave the "barkers" behind.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Washington Dithering and the Democrats

The Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 established a timetable for the annual budget process, which is kicked off each year by the Presidential budget submission. The Budget Act specifies that the President's budget should be presented to the Congress on or before the first Monday in February.

The Budget Act specifies that Congress should complete action on its budget resolution by April 15 of each year.

Once the budget resolution conference agreement is adopted by both the House and the Senate, its terms govern the remainder of the budget process for that year. The budget resolution does not require Presidential signature, although its terms are binding internally on the actions of the Congress throughout the budget process.

In early 2010, the Democratic Party representatives CONTROLLED a majority of BOTH the House and the Senate, as well as the office of the President. Thus, they should have been able to complete the budget process, which by April 15 would have concluded with a budget for the 2011 federal fiscal year.

However, that process was not done. In fact, in June of 2010, Steny Hoyer, the House Majority Leader stated that they were “not even going to propose” a budget. Since 2006, with the Democrats regaining control of Congress, they had been on a spending spree which massively accelerated with the election of a radical Democrat as President of the United States.

Late 2009 and early 2010 saw the rise of the “Tea Party” movement, which is not an actual party, but the evolution of the disgust that many Americans had with their government. Even the Democrats, while deriding the Tea Party movement, recognized the strength and thus the likely losing of power if things stayed like they had been doing things.

Thus, in 2010, they decided to not propose and pass a budget because they knew that the citizens of America would plainly see the continued extravagant spending they had embarked upon. Instead, they simply enacted a series of “Continuing Resolutions” designed to fund the government, thus hiding their actual expenditures.

Now early April of 2011, the Republicans controlling the House of Representatives are trying to get a budget approved for the fiscal year of 2012. Instead of having any help, the Democrats in the Senate refuse to pass any budget proposals. In just two days, the latest continuing resolution will expire, thus everyone in the government and the media are clamoring about a “government shutdown.”

But, even though the Democrats in the Senate plus the President are saying that the soldiers won’t be paid, all active duty military personnel will be paid. As well as the Social Security recipients, welfare recipients, food stamp recipients, the Post Office, and a large number of others will be working and being paid. Both the Democrats and the news media want desperately to blame the Republicans for any government shutdown, just as they did back in the ‘90’s.

However, the obvious actions of the Democrats in not even proposing a budget for 2011 has led to the current “crisis.” If anyone is to blame for a shutdown, it should rest squarely on the shoulders of the Democratic controlled Senate and President Barack Obama. It is also to their discredit that they are lying to the public in saying such things as the military personnel not being paid, parks and monuments closing, plus so many other lies.

It pains me greatly to know that the party in which my parents and grandparents were registered has become such a devious political party. To this day, I know a great many Democrats who can’t believe what has happened to their party. They are disheartened and disillusioned that the National leadership of their party is dominated by Socialist leaning individuals instead of those who really love this country.

Here in Oklahoma, a state which I like to say is the “reddest of the red states,” the Democratic Party no longer holds more than 50 percent of the registered voters. They still outnumber the Republicans, but in the last two Presidential elections, EVERY COUNTY in Oklahoma voted for the Republican candidates. In 2004 only Oklahoma and Utah had done that and in 2008, only Oklahoma and Alaska voted completely for Republicans.

In addition to the elections results, the last two years has seen a majority of new voters registering as Republican or Independent, even though there is no Independent party in Oklahoma and those who register that way cannot vote in any of the primaries.

Since Obama’s election, we’ve seen bailouts of the banks, AIG, GM, Chrysler, and who knows what else has been hidden. While the Democrats always speak of working for the working man, have any of those individuals benefited other than perhaps the “Cash for Clunkers” program? In fact, I would propose that the Democrats are pandering to the rich “fat cats” in the aforementioned businesses, and are certainly not helping the individuals.

Even the ongoing labor union issues in Wisconsin are related not to the Democrats wanting good to come to the membership of those unions. In Wisconsin, the public service union member’s dues are automatically deducted from their paychecks and sent to the unions. Then, those unions make overwhelming contributions to the Democratic Party.

So, that brings up another question for you. Don’t you think that the unions ought to spend those member dues on things that truly benefit the members and not the Democrats in Congress? In most of the union’s campaign contributions, over 90 percent of them go to the Democrats. So, again, the Democrats aren’t working for the little guy. They are working for themselves and what power they can achieve.

So, when you read the news in the next few days, weeks and months, keep in mind that the Democratic Party is NOT working for the people.  Nor are they honest about what they have done, are doing, and plan to do to the country in the future.

Looking for honest Democrats…..

Light at End of Tunnel

3 comments:

  1. Terry, Terry, Terry. You know you will not be believed when you put all these facts in a cogent description. There simply has to be something wrong when you lay it out like you have. Problem is, I totally agree with everything you said.

    Well, except for one thing. That "cash for clunkers" thingy was nothing more than a hidden bailout for GM and Chrysler. It increased their sales dramatically. Each of the clunkers sold increased our federal debt over 250,000 because the funds were deficit spending. Aside from that, by and large, the people taking advantage of the funding were not able to trade cars on their own merit. I saw a report the other day (and no, I can't find it now) that over 60 percent of them have suffered loan repayment failure and repossession. Just another way of wasting money and buying votes. Remember that now, the UAW owns a portion of GM, and as such they benefit from sales. GM has still not paid back all of the bailout.

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  2. Yes, Ken. "Cash for Clunkers" was just another bailout for the car manufacturers. However, my point was that the program was the ONLY bailout done by the Dems that was a benefit for individuals (think; little guys), not a business. The Dems always say that the Republicans are only interested in helping the rich and big business. But, now we know that the Dems MOSTLY helped the rich and big businesses.

    I have to wonder if those that have been dependents of the Democrat party will ever realize the hypocrisy of the left. Sadly, those that are dependents probably don't even realize that they are just that.

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  3. I question if the intent by the Dems was so altruistic as to be for the little guys. I sincerely feel they were looking at what it would do for them at re-election time, rather than who it wold benefit. Sorry if I am cynical, but recent events have put me in the dumps. Somehow, the Dems seem to be dodging the bullet of failure to get a budget rammed through while they were in power, and are trying push blame off on the Republicans (who deserve blame for some of their actions). I mean after all, the Dems pushed obamacare on us, against the public outcry, why not a budget?

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