Obama: Puttin'a a cap in their checks

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama said he was capping executive pay at financial institutions receiving government assistance (aka TARP/bailout money). He set the cap at $500,000, which he said was a fraction of what executive pay was.

I find this odd coming from a man who received $745 million in handouts in his run for president. Check out the graph from OpenSecrets.org showing how much he raised compared to the other presidential candidates, including Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).

Initially, Obama said he would accept public funding, and McCain agreed. Only McCain remained true to his word. As a result, McCain received far fewer handouts than Obama ($368 million).

So, Obama did not want to put a cap on what he could raise from the American taxpayers when he ran for office, but now he wants a cap on executive pay. Seems just a little hypocritical, doesn't it?

CNBC: Unions vs. Taxpayers

Do the United States need to be more like socialist Europe? Should government redistribute wealth? Should taxpayers foot the bill for everyone's health care to drive down the cost for automakers? Check out the video from CNBC.

Tim 'The Taxman' Geithner to hunt down other tax cheats

One-fourth of a penny saved is a penny earned

When President Barack Obama instructed his Cabinet to cut $100 million, what did you think about it? The creator of the above video tries to visually show us how much the $100 million is in relation to what we are spending.

From the ranter who began the movement

You better have paid your taxes ...

Time to be patriotic

Coffee, tea or ...

This "rant" by Rick Santelli of CNBC News is what began the impetus for the tea parties that are being planned for Tax Day, April 15. During his "rant," he calls for a Chicago Tea Party.

I had the opportunity to speak to a few people who are planning to attend tea parties in Medina, Ohio, and Ashland, Ohio. They are so fed up with the government spending, borrowing and taxing at levels that cannot be sustained.

As one person put it, we cannot solve our borrowing problem by borrowing and spending more money.

Milton Friedman on welfare and spending other people's money

CEObama

I found the news that President Barack Obama, or someone in his administration, ousted GM CEO Rick Wagoner from his post to be somewhat shocking.

I neither own GM stock nor drive GM vehicles, so I did not follow the financial health of the company. I do not know if getting rid of Wagoner was the best thing, was a necessary thing or a foolish step.

However, that the government can tell a private company who to hire and who to fire is a troubling thing. For those who who think this is not an overreach of the government, but a prudent move designed to protect taxpayers' dollars, have you stopped to consider the logical conclusion of this type of government action?

What about those private companies that bid on public projects? Would the government be able to influence them? What about those citizens who rely on government assistance to pay rent? buy food? receive childcare? pay medical bills? Can the government now come in and tell us what types of activities we can engage in, not engage in, what foods to eat, etc.?

Can the government dictate to us how we shall behave or think because we are receiving money from it?

If Wagoner needed to go, the board of directors needed to do it.

More CEOs going out the door?

U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner cannot even operate TurboTax, but apparently he is a private business guru because he's looking out for us and will pressure more CEOs to take a hike, if need be.

Hope you like the change.

A budget alternative

If paying taxes is patriotic ...

Politico.com is reporting yet another nominee for President Barack Obama's cabinet is paying back taxes (story here).

Politico writes:

Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius has paid back taxes of more than $7,000 stemming from "unintentional errors" revealed during her accountant's review of recent tax returns.

The White House on Tuesday released a letter Sebelius sent to the Senate Finance Committee, detailing how she lacked some proper paperwork in accounting for charitable donations and business expenses. The Kansas governor also mistakenly claimed a deduction on her mortgage interest.

While it would be easy to criticize Sebelius, let's look at the broader issue. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner had his tax troubles, as did Tom Daschle and others.

Instead of using this as an opportunity to blast them for not living up to their patriotic obligations, this should send the message to Washington we need a simple and fair tax code everyone can understand ... even the intellectual types.

Showing some signs of progress(iveness)

Our president is on the move in RasmussenReports.com Daily Presidential Tracking Poll. President Obama had been in the low single digits and now is moving a little higher ... 7 is better than 4 in our books.

Dick Morris writes on his Web site about what he believes Obama's call for a reduction in tax deductions will do for charities. If this is true, those who operate and work for nonprofit organizations must be concerned. You can read Morris' column here.

Here is an excerpt:

It is totally dishonest for Obama to pretend that his curtailment of these deductions won’t hurt the poor. It will most directly impact them since most of the charities Obama is hurting focus on helping the impoverished.

This proposal is not about saving money. It is about controlling it. By, in effect, transferring at least $11 billion a year from private philanthropy to government spending, Obama empowers the public sector at the expense of the voluntary one.

President Obama’s recommended reduction in the tax deduction for charitable giving reflects his fundamental belief that only the government can or should help the poor. He wants to keep the impoverished directly dependent on the government - and the Democratic Party - for their daily bread.

... by weakening the upper class

Barack Obama: (I coulda been a) Contender in Chief

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

President Barack H. Obama says in his weekly address that special interest groups and the status quo in Washington will not like the changes he is proposing in his budget. In fact, they are gearing up for a fight. The horror!

Fret not, our fearless leader is preparing for a fight, too! He said it. He is. The same man who never stands up to those in his party and never reached across the aisle to work on any meaningful reform is going to fight for you (as long as you want what he wants).

BHO runs off a list of people who will not like the changes in spending he proposes, but never once does he say any of the leaders of his party will be upset.

BHO promised change, but he is only delivering more of the same. Perhaps he has no understanding of history at all, which is why he can say he is promoting change. Don't see. Not from where I stand. The writer of Ecclesiastes said there is nothing new under the sun. Apparently, Obama begs to differ.

Tax and spend

Government too big, spends too much

Where is the wisdom of Ronald Reagan today when we need it? Reagan's solution for a faltering economy was to reduce government spending and to cut taxes, which is the exact opposite of President Obama. Listen to Reagan's words as he tells a joint session of Congress, "Government is too big, and it spends too much."

Joint Session of Congress - Wa...

Strong Middle Class

If you visit the Strong Middle Class Web site, you can tell a governmental task force what it will take to make a strong middle class. You have 5,000 characters, which I discovered is a lot. Here is what I submitted to my government:

If you want to help America, why don't you quit trying to divide us between the haves and the have nots. I grew up in a single-parent household where my mother worked two jobs to help make life better for us. She never taught us to be envious of those who had money, and she did not allow us to pity ourselves because we didn't have as much money as others. Instead, she always found creative ways to use the money she had so the family could have fun. She loved us, encouraged us to get an education and showed us by example what it means to work hard. Now all four of us siblings are doing the patriotic thing (in Joe Biden's eyes) by paying more taxes. One of the biggest problems is our government is willing to pay people for bad choices. Look at the bailout -- businesses and banks that followed failed business models are receiving billions of dollars. Our welfare system, while well-intentioned, ultimately provides incentive to make bad choices. If you want to help Americans, then make them work for every government dollar they receive. I am talking about those who are able-bodied and are physically able to perform work. No sitting around. Make it difficult to receive taxpayer money. Make them pick up litter for food stamps; dig ditches; clean streets; whatever. Mr. Barack Obama did not become president by sitting around and letting the government take care of him. Joe Biden did not become vice president by sitting around and letting the government take care of him (though I am sure some will argue that because he has been on the public payroll since he was 29 or 30 years old, but let's not quibble). And most of all, get government's hand out of my wallet. Let me more of my hard-earned money so that I can stimulate the economy, pay off my debt and build wealth for my retirement ... in other words, get out of my way to success (and my fellow Americans). Paying income taxes is immoral; you are stealing a portion of my productivity. I understand user fees, but I do not understand for the life of me why you think you deserve to steal my money before I ever see it. Why don't you just quit withholding taxes from my paycheck, then send me a bill for how much I owe you. But that probably would not be acceptable because we really don't want Americans understanding how much in taxes they really pay. Dave Ramsey (you can check him out at www.daveramsey.com) says that when people use cash to pay for stuff, it registers in their brain like pain. So, when we use credit cards, there is minimal pain sensation. When we use debit cards there is a little more feeling of pain because the money is coming out of checking accounts, but not much. However, when we spend our cash, there is this sensation that feels a lot like pain. So, because our property (tax dollars) is confiscated before we ever see it, it does not register truly as the pain it is. While I'm talking about Dave Ramsey, I would make every member of Congress and every one in executive branch take Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Dave spells out what it takes to achieve financial peace, he calls it his Seven Baby Steps. 1. Set up a $1,000 emergency fund. 2. Pay off your debts using the debt snowball. 3. Save 3 to 6 months of expenses. 4. Invest 15 percent of your income. 5. Save for your children's college. 6. Pay off your home early. 7. Build wealth and give. The problem, as I see it, is Americans want everything right now. They are willing to work hard, but not many are willing to save for major purchases. Instead, they want to put everything on a credit card, 90 days same as cash or take out a loan. I know. I've been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. But, I am living life differently now, and it has made a big difference. As far as taxes go, I am not opposed to paying my fair share of taxes, after all, they go to a lot of things I need to make my daily life easier (roads, law enforcement, clean water, etc). However, we need a fair tax plan. In the church (I am a Christian), there is a general guideline to tithe, or give, 10 percent. If 10 percent is good enough for God, shouldn't it be good enough for government? In the church, we say equal sacrifice (10 percent), though not equal amounts. I wish you well on your endeavors to strengthen the middle class, but I would rather you strengthen all Americans. Quit thinking of my earnings as your money. Quit thinking rich people don't pay their fair share. Worry about having the affairs in your own house in order before worrying about me. For more good information like this (and for some good laughs) visit my blog: http://bobbywarren.blogspot.com. You will love it. Also, check out the label Shenanigans, my attempt at doing "editorial cartoons." Best wishes, if your intentions are honorable, may God bless your efforts; and Go Buckeyes!

All conservative, all the time?

Bryan Schaaf, whose signature recipe is for Zesty Chicken Salad, has a link to this blog on his and refers to it as "All Conservative, all the time."

Well, I'd like to think I am all conservative, all the time, but there is one area where I am liberal, very liberal: Charity/giving.

There was a time when my mother was raising four children by herself and the help of extended family. People were very generous with us. Not to mention, my mother is very generous. As a result, I am a giving person by nature.

I don't give because I have to give. I don't give because I am forced to give. I give because my life has been blessed by others who stopped to help me, who gave up something of theirs so that my life would be a little easier, a little better.

I am opposed to income taxes for moral reasons (why should the government collect your money because you are productive and work hard?). I am not opposed to taxes. I like nice roads, safe bridges, beautiful parks and public health. However, I view income taxes as the confiscation of my property. You can't go into your neighbor's house and confiscate his cash, so why should the government be allowed into our paychecks?

For me, if the government took less of my taxes (and my wife's), we would give even more than we do. In recent years, the charitable giving of Al Gore and Joe Biden has come to light.

Conservatives are belittled as not being compassionate, selfish, greedy and uncaring about the plight of their fellow man while liberals are seen as being compassionate, loving, generous and very much concerned about humanity.

What I see is people like Al Gore and Joe Biden are only liberal in giving when it comes at the expense of others, yet they (and those like them) are conservative -- very conservative -- when it comes to giving away their own cash.

Jesus said in Matt. 6:21, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Where is your heart?

Note: Just found this link about Dick "Darth Vader" Cheney's giving.