Citizens of this great country must wake up and realize that politicans do NOT create the economy. In fact, they bleed it, more often than not, through frivolous and zealous spending.
Likewise, the elected representatives of Main Street USA need to realize that government does not affect the economy in ways they think it does.
What really moves the U.S. financially, in all ways, is the private sector.
A healthy American business front is the only thing that is needed to turn a poor economic environment into a strong and vibrant one.
Politicians generate tons of rhetoric about "jobs and the economy" and how they have plans to improve these areas for the people.
Factually, the only jobs created (or sustained) in any significant volume are in the private sector. And each and every job that the politicos create in the public area costs each and every taxpayer more than the overall benefits produced.
Capitol Hill has, for several decades now, grown the public sector into a giant labyrinth of the economy.
Any first year student of United States government knows, in no uncertain terms, that the Founding Fathers did not endorse a vast government body reaching into all areas of society.
Quite the opposite. The federal government was formed for a few specific reasons.
They had studied many forms of government, studied the rise and fall of government, studied what makes a government good or bad when they wrote and passed the documents creating the United States.
Some knew that any government body is not ideal. Witness Thomas Paine, who said, "Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one."
The size and scope of government very much concerned them.
Consider that Thomas Jefferson said, "Most bad government has grown out of too much government," as well as, "I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
Patrick Henry, fearing an overbearing giant, said, "The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests."
They also knew that people of questionable character and morals would undoutedly gain entry to the public sector.
Noah Webster, the father of American education, wrote as warning, "If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made not for the public good so much as for the selfish or local purposes; Corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute the laws; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded."
It is now a given that earmarks, which are selfish and local purposes, are aaatched by the hundreds (costing all taxpayers billions) to large pieces of legislation.
By studying well the past and present people are better able to forge the future. Here, in America, citizens need to realize that government today has grown, gradually over scores of years, into something too big to continue to feed. It has bankrupt this nation and yet those elected to represent and serve the people still expect (demand) taxpayers to provide vast sustenance for their "work."
Government must change. The United States must become, once again, "of the people, by the people, and for the people," as Abraham Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address, and not what it has eroded into - of, for and by the politicians.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Showing posts with label Thomas Jefferson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thomas Jefferson. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Capitol Hill Egos Dangerous to America
The egos residing at Capitol Hill, those same egos voted to hold office and act as representatives of Main Street USA, have proven to be dangerous to America.
The theater and dramatics surrounding the "historic" agreement to lift the debt ceiling have proven once again that for a person to be a part of the House, Senate or White House they must have a huge ego that does not concern itself with what is right for the people.
Their egos dictate to them that they must be right and others must be wrong and damn the consequences.
For a group of supposedly bright people to allow the "debt crisis" to roll to the 11th hour-plus, knowing full well for months that August 2, 2011, would come and go is all the proof needed to brand politicians as egotistical-to-the-extreme.
Witness, there is nothing at all historic about lifting the debt ceiling. That has been done time and again to ensure that future generations of politicians can spend freely, without regard to the damage created for future generations of Americans.
What is needed in Washington DC is not another huge ego, but a leader who leads by example. A person who can cut waste in his/her own sphere (i.e., cut foreign travel by members of Congress, cut their own salary, cut their office expenses dramatically, eliminate taxpayers footing the bill for members of Congress to visit home, etc.)
And during all the "savings" announced under the "historic" deal there has been absolutely no mention of doing away with earmarks. Cutting those pesky pieces of pork would save taxpayers between $300 and $400 billion in a decade and be an immediate expense reduction.
There is no doubt that Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Madison and the other Founding Fathers are disgusted at the actions (as well as inactions) by those elected officials who put themselves above the citizens of this great nation.
Capitol Hill has a short memory. Do they not remember that they are servants of the people?
Over For Now.
Main Street One
The theater and dramatics surrounding the "historic" agreement to lift the debt ceiling have proven once again that for a person to be a part of the House, Senate or White House they must have a huge ego that does not concern itself with what is right for the people.
Their egos dictate to them that they must be right and others must be wrong and damn the consequences.
For a group of supposedly bright people to allow the "debt crisis" to roll to the 11th hour-plus, knowing full well for months that August 2, 2011, would come and go is all the proof needed to brand politicians as egotistical-to-the-extreme.
Witness, there is nothing at all historic about lifting the debt ceiling. That has been done time and again to ensure that future generations of politicians can spend freely, without regard to the damage created for future generations of Americans.
What is needed in Washington DC is not another huge ego, but a leader who leads by example. A person who can cut waste in his/her own sphere (i.e., cut foreign travel by members of Congress, cut their own salary, cut their office expenses dramatically, eliminate taxpayers footing the bill for members of Congress to visit home, etc.)
And during all the "savings" announced under the "historic" deal there has been absolutely no mention of doing away with earmarks. Cutting those pesky pieces of pork would save taxpayers between $300 and $400 billion in a decade and be an immediate expense reduction.
There is no doubt that Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, James Madison and the other Founding Fathers are disgusted at the actions (as well as inactions) by those elected officials who put themselves above the citizens of this great nation.
Capitol Hill has a short memory. Do they not remember that they are servants of the people?
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Monday, July 4, 2011
Does July 4th Still Stand for Freedom
For scores of years July 4th truly meant something and was a definite cause for celebration.
However, over the past several decades the personal freedoms and liberties Main Street USA was used to celebrating have been eroded.
No longer can it be said that is America is a government of the people, by the people, for the people (though that line does come from President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address).
Realistically, today our government is "of, for and by elected representatives" who care far too much about their own enhanced welfare (paid for in full "by the people").
When the states came together, when they became United, the vision of the Founding Fathers was in setting up a governing body unlike any that had been seen on Planet Earth. But as time marched on certain people saw a way to take advantage of, and pervert, the system.
Our Founding Fathers were learned men. They had read and studied about all manner of governments. They knew what made them good and what made them bad. However, the worst fears of these brave men slowly came to be.
As Thomas Jefferson pointed out, Most bad government has grown out of too much government. It cannot be denied, by any sane or rational person, that the United States has way too much government.
Patrick Henry, who led the charge to add the Bill of Rights, stated, The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.
Andrew Jackson added, The people are the government, administering it by their agents; they are the government, the sovereign power.
Perhaps James Madison summed up their worst fear with his insight, Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.
And thus it is that Americans have experienced those very dreaded gradual and silent encroachments by those in power, who have made politics a career where it was only supposed to be a "public service."
The concept of that service, as it had originally been envisioned, was that some citizens would give up a few years of their private sector life and "serve the people" only to return to their actual livelihood.
Never was it meant to be that politics become a career, especially one with lavish benefits at the expense of the taxpayer.
Conservative, moderate, and liberal politicians are all guilty of the erosion Americans have experienced. They have profited greatly at the expense of each and every citizen. They buy their votes filled with empty promises. They spend half their time campaigning for the next election to secure their lofty lifestyle.
There might not be a greater sin than to abuse the power entrusted to one.
Perhaps there are still those who truly believe in the ideals our Founding Fathers laid down without any thought of personal gain, operating without a secret, hidden agenda.
If there are, only then will America be able to rise once again. Not as a "global power" to dictate to other countries, but as a group of collective states who wish true freedom for all who reside within.
The closing line of the Declaration of Independence is, And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The men who signed that document did so and meant it.
Many gave their lives and lost their fortunes. They kept in tact their honor.
There is not a politician alive today who could match the honor and integrity of those 56 delegates of the Continental Congress of July 4, 1776.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
However, over the past several decades the personal freedoms and liberties Main Street USA was used to celebrating have been eroded.
No longer can it be said that is America is a government of the people, by the people, for the people (though that line does come from President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address).
Realistically, today our government is "of, for and by elected representatives" who care far too much about their own enhanced welfare (paid for in full "by the people").
When the states came together, when they became United, the vision of the Founding Fathers was in setting up a governing body unlike any that had been seen on Planet Earth. But as time marched on certain people saw a way to take advantage of, and pervert, the system.
Our Founding Fathers were learned men. They had read and studied about all manner of governments. They knew what made them good and what made them bad. However, the worst fears of these brave men slowly came to be.
As Thomas Jefferson pointed out, Most bad government has grown out of too much government. It cannot be denied, by any sane or rational person, that the United States has way too much government.
Patrick Henry, who led the charge to add the Bill of Rights, stated, The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.
Andrew Jackson added, The people are the government, administering it by their agents; they are the government, the sovereign power.
Perhaps James Madison summed up their worst fear with his insight, Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations.
And thus it is that Americans have experienced those very dreaded gradual and silent encroachments by those in power, who have made politics a career where it was only supposed to be a "public service."
The concept of that service, as it had originally been envisioned, was that some citizens would give up a few years of their private sector life and "serve the people" only to return to their actual livelihood.
Never was it meant to be that politics become a career, especially one with lavish benefits at the expense of the taxpayer.
Conservative, moderate, and liberal politicians are all guilty of the erosion Americans have experienced. They have profited greatly at the expense of each and every citizen. They buy their votes filled with empty promises. They spend half their time campaigning for the next election to secure their lofty lifestyle.
There might not be a greater sin than to abuse the power entrusted to one.
Perhaps there are still those who truly believe in the ideals our Founding Fathers laid down without any thought of personal gain, operating without a secret, hidden agenda.
If there are, only then will America be able to rise once again. Not as a "global power" to dictate to other countries, but as a group of collective states who wish true freedom for all who reside within.
The closing line of the Declaration of Independence is, And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
The men who signed that document did so and meant it.
Many gave their lives and lost their fortunes. They kept in tact their honor.
There is not a politician alive today who could match the honor and integrity of those 56 delegates of the Continental Congress of July 4, 1776.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Gateway Arch - St. Louis, Missouri
One of the most visited monuments in America is Gateway Arch, located along the Mississippi River in St. Louis, Missouri, attracting some three million people annually.
The original concept, as envisioned by then-mayor Bernard Dickmann in 1933, was to construct something that would "replace riverfront slums with a permanent monument to the Western pioneers."
The project eventually began in 1947 and once five finalists designs were narrowed from 172 original submissions, the judges unanimously chose that of architect Eero Saarinen (who wrote that it symbolized "the gateway to the West, the national expansion, and whatnot") and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel. Ground was broken in 1959, the foundation laid in 1961, construction of the arch commenced in 1963, was completed in 1965 and it officially opened two years later.
Standing 630 feet tall and measuring 630 feet wide, the Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States and has become the iconic image of the City of St. Louis. It is located in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Following are images of the Gateway Arch captured one foggy November morning, 2010.
There is an observation deck, accessible by tram, located around the apex of the arch where approximately one million people per year view, on a clear day, up to 30 miles. It sits atop the Museum of Westward Expansion.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
The original concept, as envisioned by then-mayor Bernard Dickmann in 1933, was to construct something that would "replace riverfront slums with a permanent monument to the Western pioneers."
The project eventually began in 1947 and once five finalists designs were narrowed from 172 original submissions, the judges unanimously chose that of architect Eero Saarinen (who wrote that it symbolized "the gateway to the West, the national expansion, and whatnot") and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel. Ground was broken in 1959, the foundation laid in 1961, construction of the arch commenced in 1963, was completed in 1965 and it officially opened two years later.
Standing 630 feet tall and measuring 630 feet wide, the Gateway Arch is the tallest man-made monument in the United States and has become the iconic image of the City of St. Louis. It is located in the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Following are images of the Gateway Arch captured one foggy November morning, 2010.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Few cities in the United States have the history of the country so deeply entrenched.
Philadelphia's central location in the colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries. The city played host to the First Continental Congress prior to the war, was the location of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress during the war and was the locale of the Constitutional Convention after the war. From 1790-1800 Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the nation while the Federal City was being constructed in the District of Columbia.
Here now is a very brief photographic tour within the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.
There is much more to the City of Brotherly Love than these few images and throughout the year more will be added to provide a personal view of the city.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Philadelphia's central location in the colonies made it a natural center for America's revolutionaries. The city played host to the First Continental Congress prior to the war, was the location of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence at the Second Continental Congress during the war and was the locale of the Constitutional Convention after the war. From 1790-1800 Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the nation while the Federal City was being constructed in the District of Columbia.
Here now is a very brief photographic tour within the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.
 |
| Liberty Bell |
 |
| Declaration of Independence (enlarged) & Thomas Jefferson |
 |
| George Washington Monument |
 |
| Swann Memorial Fountain |
 |
| Benjamin Franklin - Craftsman |
 |
| General George McClellan & William Penn (top of building) |
 |
| Philadelphia Love |
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
National Debt and Big Government
Though President Obama signed the "Pay As You Go Act" in February 2010, Congress continues to spend money, without having the resources to cover the expenditures, at an unprecedented rate.
The following link is a short ABC news report on this calamity.
$13 TRILLION National Debt
Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had this to say about government debt:
Jefferson was a man of incredible insight.
In a letter to Judge William Johnson, in 1823, he wrote: "The States can best govern our home concerns and the general government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore... never to see all offices transferred to Washington, where, further withdrawn from the eyes of the people, they may more secretly be bought and sold at market."
And, yet, that is precisely what has been done at a substantial cost to Main Street USA.
The purchasing of votes behind closed doors on Capitol Hill has become the accepted method to pass massive legislation, costing taxpayers trillions of dollars and placing the country in debt to such a degree that it will likely never be able to pay.
And consider what Jefferson wrote in this 1824 letter to William Ludlow: "I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."
Nearly 200 years ago he had that thought. What would he think today?
Food for thought.
Over For Now.
Main Stree One
The following link is a short ABC news report on this calamity.
$13 TRILLION National Debt
Founding Father Thomas Jefferson had this to say about government debt:
Jefferson was a man of incredible insight.
In a letter to Judge William Johnson, in 1823, he wrote: "The States can best govern our home concerns and the general government our foreign ones. I wish, therefore... never to see all offices transferred to Washington, where, further withdrawn from the eyes of the people, they may more secretly be bought and sold at market."
And, yet, that is precisely what has been done at a substantial cost to Main Street USA.
The purchasing of votes behind closed doors on Capitol Hill has become the accepted method to pass massive legislation, costing taxpayers trillions of dollars and placing the country in debt to such a degree that it will likely never be able to pay.
And consider what Jefferson wrote in this 1824 letter to William Ludlow: "I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."
Nearly 200 years ago he had that thought. What would he think today?
Food for thought.
Over For Now.
Main Stree One
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Canned Responses From Elected Officials
Following is an email exhange I had with Senator Arlen Specter (Dem-PA) regarding health care. Of particular note is the fact that my concern was not addressed in either exchange, as well as the time between my second email and his reply.
Feb 11, 2000 1:11PM
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. This legislation is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes a right in America and not just a privilege.
This legislation extends coverage to 31 million more Americans. It also has important insurance reforms: no longer can an insurance company reject a claim because of a pre-existing condition; no longer can there be a lifetime limit on insurance coverage. It also provides subsidies to those who need assistance and tax credits for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. Notably, it is projected to reduce the deficit by $132 billion in the next ten years and by greater amounts in the following decade. However, the bill lacks provisions that I would have preferred. I would like to see a strong, robust public option. I would like to see more clear-cut language on a woman's right to choose.
I consider the legislation similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. It was a very good law, but it took a preliminary legislative enactment in 1957 and another in 1964 - each an incremental step - to set the stage for what was satisfactory and adequate civil rights legislation. This bill is the first step in health reform and I look forward to continuing to improve this legislation in the future.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
My reply, Feb 11, 2010 7:38PM
Dear Senator Specter,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am in favor of healthcare reform, however, I must, respectfully, state again that current legislation is not the proper answer for, nor in the best interests of, Main Street USA.
According to information I have found, of the 31 million people you mention below needing health insurance, there are included slightly over 10 million who earn more than three times the stated "poverty level" but have decided, for whatever reasons, not to purchase insurance. If they have elected not to pruchase insurance how is it that we will now, per the language of legislation proposed, force them to do so?
I have also read that somewhere near six million people already on Medicare were undercounted.
Those two groups account for over half of the current healthcare reform number.
And why is it that Tort Reform is not uppermost in the House and Senate Bills? Curtailing outrageous settlements will reduce the cost of insurance as well as healthcare.
I do agree with the pre-exisiting conditions portion of the bill and certain other aspects but the majority of the two bills presented do transfer too much authority and power to government.
That was not the intention of the Founding Fathers.
To wit:
"Most bad government has grown out of too much government." and "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations." and "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." James Madison
Please take another look at what is proposed. I, and virtually everyone I know, do not believe that it is in our best interest to follow the current path of reform.
I trust that my communication is taken in the spirit in which it is offered. That of a Patriot. A proud member of Main Street USA.
Respectfully,
Scott Welch
His canned response (much of which is contained in the first email), just now received, May 26, 2010 1:19PM, approximately 3 1/2 months after his receipt of my email:
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. The House of Representatives passed this bill on March 21, 2010 and President Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010. This is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes accessible to all Americans.
The Senate and House of Representatives have also passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which improves upon the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Together, both pieces of legislation extend coverage to 32 million more Americans, which means that 95% of Americans will have health insurance.
Health reform is also important for those who already have health insurance. In the first year, health insurers will be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on benefits or rescinding coverage when individuals get sick. Insurers will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions for children and extend coverage to adult children under their parents' insurance until age 26.
By 2014, state-based exchanges will be established to help individuals and small employers purchase health care coverage. Consumers will be able to easily compare plans based on prices and benefits, which will help to increase competition. Insurers offering plans in the exchanges will be required to offer a minimum set of benefits and spend at least 80% of premium dollars on medical coverage. They will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions and prohibited from enacting annual or lifetime caps on benefits.
There are also provisions to help people who may not be able to afford health insurance coverage. Premium and cost-sharing tax credits will be available to assist low- and middle-income families with purchasing health insurance. This will help up to 904,000 Pennsylvanians afford vital health insurance. Tax credits are also available for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. These tax credits will help to alleviate some of the costs of health insurance and make it more affordable for small businesses and their employees. According to the Small Business Majority, approximately 3.6 million small businesses will qualify for the tax credit in 2010. In Pennsylvania, up to 151,000 small businesses will be eligible for these tax credits.
The legislation also makes important improvements to federal health care programs, including closing the Medicare donut hole and providing annual wellness visits and preventive benefits, such as cancer screenings to Medicare beneficiaries without any cost-sharing requirements. There are provisions to better identify and prevent fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. The Act also increases payments to providers under Medicaid and makes substantial investments in Community Health Centers to expand access to health care in communities where it is needed most.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes important provisions to focus on prevention and health promotion. Funding is provided to promote individual and community health and to prevent chronic disease, along with research in public health services and best prevention practices. It also eliminates cost-sharing for recommended preventive care to encourage individuals to seek out this care and catch diseases and disorders in early stages.
To address the current need for more health workers, the legislation makes vital investments in the future of our health care workforce. It addresses shortages in primary care and other areas of practice, including providing greater investments in the National Health Service Corps' scholarship and loan repayment programs and incentives for providers to practice in underserved areas.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
Is it any wonder why people are disillusioned with government?
This taxpayer is not naive enough to think the senator reads all correspondence. However, the people who have been tasked with doing so, and responding, should, at the very least, address the concerns of the voters.
Over For Now.
Main Street One.
Feb 11, 2000 1:11PM
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. This legislation is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes a right in America and not just a privilege.
This legislation extends coverage to 31 million more Americans. It also has important insurance reforms: no longer can an insurance company reject a claim because of a pre-existing condition; no longer can there be a lifetime limit on insurance coverage. It also provides subsidies to those who need assistance and tax credits for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. Notably, it is projected to reduce the deficit by $132 billion in the next ten years and by greater amounts in the following decade. However, the bill lacks provisions that I would have preferred. I would like to see a strong, robust public option. I would like to see more clear-cut language on a woman's right to choose.
I consider the legislation similar to the Civil Rights Act of 1965. It was a very good law, but it took a preliminary legislative enactment in 1957 and another in 1964 - each an incremental step - to set the stage for what was satisfactory and adequate civil rights legislation. This bill is the first step in health reform and I look forward to continuing to improve this legislation in the future.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
My reply, Feb 11, 2010 7:38PM
Dear Senator Specter,
Thank you for taking the time to respond. I am in favor of healthcare reform, however, I must, respectfully, state again that current legislation is not the proper answer for, nor in the best interests of, Main Street USA.
According to information I have found, of the 31 million people you mention below needing health insurance, there are included slightly over 10 million who earn more than three times the stated "poverty level" but have decided, for whatever reasons, not to purchase insurance. If they have elected not to pruchase insurance how is it that we will now, per the language of legislation proposed, force them to do so?
I have also read that somewhere near six million people already on Medicare were undercounted.
Those two groups account for over half of the current healthcare reform number.
And why is it that Tort Reform is not uppermost in the House and Senate Bills? Curtailing outrageous settlements will reduce the cost of insurance as well as healthcare.
I do agree with the pre-exisiting conditions portion of the bill and certain other aspects but the majority of the two bills presented do transfer too much authority and power to government.
That was not the intention of the Founding Fathers.
To wit:
"Most bad government has grown out of too much government." and "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases." Thomas Jefferson
"Since the general civilization of mankind, I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people, by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power, than by violent and sudden usurpations." and "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents." James Madison
Please take another look at what is proposed. I, and virtually everyone I know, do not believe that it is in our best interest to follow the current path of reform.
I trust that my communication is taken in the spirit in which it is offered. That of a Patriot. A proud member of Main Street USA.
Respectfully,
Scott Welch
His canned response (much of which is contained in the first email), just now received, May 26, 2010 1:19PM, approximately 3 1/2 months after his receipt of my email:
Dear Mr. Welch:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding health reform. On December 24, 2009, I voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which the Senate passed by a vote of 60-39. The House of Representatives passed this bill on March 21, 2010 and President Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010. This is an important step in ensuring adequate health care becomes accessible to all Americans.
The Senate and House of Representatives have also passed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, which improves upon the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Together, both pieces of legislation extend coverage to 32 million more Americans, which means that 95% of Americans will have health insurance.
Health reform is also important for those who already have health insurance. In the first year, health insurers will be prohibited from imposing lifetime limits on benefits or rescinding coverage when individuals get sick. Insurers will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions for children and extend coverage to adult children under their parents' insurance until age 26.
By 2014, state-based exchanges will be established to help individuals and small employers purchase health care coverage. Consumers will be able to easily compare plans based on prices and benefits, which will help to increase competition. Insurers offering plans in the exchanges will be required to offer a minimum set of benefits and spend at least 80% of premium dollars on medical coverage. They will also be required to cover pre-existing conditions and prohibited from enacting annual or lifetime caps on benefits.
There are also provisions to help people who may not be able to afford health insurance coverage. Premium and cost-sharing tax credits will be available to assist low- and middle-income families with purchasing health insurance. This will help up to 904,000 Pennsylvanians afford vital health insurance. Tax credits are also available for small businesses that offer health care to their employees. These tax credits will help to alleviate some of the costs of health insurance and make it more affordable for small businesses and their employees. According to the Small Business Majority, approximately 3.6 million small businesses will qualify for the tax credit in 2010. In Pennsylvania, up to 151,000 small businesses will be eligible for these tax credits.
The legislation also makes important improvements to federal health care programs, including closing the Medicare donut hole and providing annual wellness visits and preventive benefits, such as cancer screenings to Medicare beneficiaries without any cost-sharing requirements. There are provisions to better identify and prevent fraud and abuse in Medicare and Medicaid. The Act also increases payments to providers under Medicaid and makes substantial investments in Community Health Centers to expand access to health care in communities where it is needed most.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act includes important provisions to focus on prevention and health promotion. Funding is provided to promote individual and community health and to prevent chronic disease, along with research in public health services and best prevention practices. It also eliminates cost-sharing for recommended preventive care to encourage individuals to seek out this care and catch diseases and disorders in early stages.
To address the current need for more health workers, the legislation makes vital investments in the future of our health care workforce. It addresses shortages in primary care and other areas of practice, including providing greater investments in the National Health Service Corps' scholarship and loan repayment programs and incentives for providers to practice in underserved areas.
Again, I appreciate your taking the time to bring your views on this issue to my attention. The concerns of my constituents are of great importance to me, and I rely on you and other Pennsylvanians to inform me of your views. Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office or visit my website.
Sincerely,
Arlen Specter
Is it any wonder why people are disillusioned with government?
This taxpayer is not naive enough to think the senator reads all correspondence. However, the people who have been tasked with doing so, and responding, should, at the very least, address the concerns of the voters.
Over For Now.
Main Street One.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Reminders of Individual Freedom & Excessive Government
Most bad government has grown out of too much government.
Thomas Jefferson
President Reagan on Curbing Government
President Kennedy - Ask Not
Patrick Henry Speech to VA Convention
Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one.
James Madison
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Thomas Jefferson
President Reagan on Curbing Government
President Kennedy - Ask Not
Patrick Henry Speech to VA Convention
Public opinion sets bounds to every government, and is the real sovereign in every free one.
James Madison
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Long Ago Words Even More True Today
It offends me when speaking about our Founding Fathers to hear someone say, "But that was over two centuries ago, they had no idea what the world would become."
Is that so true?
One of the most insightful of our early visionaries of freedom was Thomas Jefferson.
Below are a few quotes from Jefferson that are even more appropriate to today's world than they were in his own time (all emphasis added):
"I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy."
"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes."
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs."
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government."
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
It is rather remarkable that words from a man more than 200 years ago could resonate so loudly and so true today.
The Founding Fathers did know exactly of what they spoke.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Is that so true?
One of the most insightful of our early visionaries of freedom was Thomas Jefferson.
Below are a few quotes from Jefferson that are even more appropriate to today's world than they were in his own time (all emphasis added):
"I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy."
"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes."
"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs."
"A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned - this is the sum of good government."
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
"To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."
It is rather remarkable that words from a man more than 200 years ago could resonate so loudly and so true today.
The Founding Fathers did know exactly of what they spoke.
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Banking & Insurance Regulation
It is unclear to this taxpayer why there is such a disparity between the handling of banks that were viewed as causing the Financial Collapse of 2008 and the healthcare reform proposals aimed at insurance companies.
The one similarity that does jump out is that our government is attempting to super-regulate both industries, and, in the case of House Bill 3200 (healthcare reform), possibly even eliminate the insurance industry altogether.
Case in point, as reported in the New York Times this morning, President Obama has called for an overhaul in the banking arena: "Mr. Obama said the banks had nearly wrecked the economy by taking 'huge, reckless risks in pursuit of quick profits and massive bonuses.' The administration wants to ban bank holding companies from owning, investing in or sponsoring hedge funds or private equity funds and from engaging in proprietary trading, or trading on their own accounts, as opposed to the money of their customers."
That in itself may not be a bad thing. Afterall, the entirety of Main Street USA suffered the consequences.
The NYT also reported, "Mr. Obama also is seeking to limit consolidation in the financial sector, by placing curbs on the market share of liabilities at the largest firms. Since 1994, the share of insured deposits that can be held by any one bank has been capped at 10 percent. The administration wants to expand that cap to include all liabilities, to limit the concentration of too much risk in any single bank."
That one does seem logical.
However, the ideas being formulated and, indeed, legislation that has already been written (fortunately, not passed) actually amount to more and more government regulation occurring in every large industry.
Should there be more scrutiny placed in the discovery, and prosecution, of criminal activities by, perhaps, a handful of over-zealous, greedy people? That would certainly send a message throughout the financial sector.
As this topic relates to the banking industry, there are either too many existing loopholes in current law allowing financial institutions to be reckless with OPM (other people's money) or certain individuals at those businesses simply broke the law executing their plans for profit.
Either way, there does not appear to this taxpayer enough reason to completely overhaul and, eventually, over-regulate the entire banking extablishment.
As to healthcare reform, which is needed, one reason why insurance costs what it does is due to X-Tort (extreme tort) compensation awarded in litigation.
However, not one person in the White House, Senate or House of Representatives has proclaimed that Tort Reform (which would affect the income of attorneys) is needed in an attempt to scale back the cost of insurance. (At least, if there are any elected officials talking about this aspect they must be whispering.)
Yet, Tort Reform is definitely a large component of what is needed, not government-run healthcare.
There are still too many ideas floating around Capitol Hill these days that amount to government over-regulation of our lives and the eventual erosion of America's Bill of Rights.
If our elected officials really believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, they should pay much more attention to the words of our Founding Fathers.
To wit:
The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests. Patrick Henry
Most bad government has grown out of too much government. Thomas Jefferson
Over For Now.
Main Street One
The one similarity that does jump out is that our government is attempting to super-regulate both industries, and, in the case of House Bill 3200 (healthcare reform), possibly even eliminate the insurance industry altogether.
Case in point, as reported in the New York Times this morning, President Obama has called for an overhaul in the banking arena: "Mr. Obama said the banks had nearly wrecked the economy by taking 'huge, reckless risks in pursuit of quick profits and massive bonuses.' The administration wants to ban bank holding companies from owning, investing in or sponsoring hedge funds or private equity funds and from engaging in proprietary trading, or trading on their own accounts, as opposed to the money of their customers."
That in itself may not be a bad thing. Afterall, the entirety of Main Street USA suffered the consequences.
The NYT also reported, "Mr. Obama also is seeking to limit consolidation in the financial sector, by placing curbs on the market share of liabilities at the largest firms. Since 1994, the share of insured deposits that can be held by any one bank has been capped at 10 percent. The administration wants to expand that cap to include all liabilities, to limit the concentration of too much risk in any single bank."
That one does seem logical.
However, the ideas being formulated and, indeed, legislation that has already been written (fortunately, not passed) actually amount to more and more government regulation occurring in every large industry.
Should there be more scrutiny placed in the discovery, and prosecution, of criminal activities by, perhaps, a handful of over-zealous, greedy people? That would certainly send a message throughout the financial sector.
As this topic relates to the banking industry, there are either too many existing loopholes in current law allowing financial institutions to be reckless with OPM (other people's money) or certain individuals at those businesses simply broke the law executing their plans for profit.
Either way, there does not appear to this taxpayer enough reason to completely overhaul and, eventually, over-regulate the entire banking extablishment.
As to healthcare reform, which is needed, one reason why insurance costs what it does is due to X-Tort (extreme tort) compensation awarded in litigation.
However, not one person in the White House, Senate or House of Representatives has proclaimed that Tort Reform (which would affect the income of attorneys) is needed in an attempt to scale back the cost of insurance. (At least, if there are any elected officials talking about this aspect they must be whispering.)
Yet, Tort Reform is definitely a large component of what is needed, not government-run healthcare.
There are still too many ideas floating around Capitol Hill these days that amount to government over-regulation of our lives and the eventual erosion of America's Bill of Rights.
If our elected officials really believe in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, they should pay much more attention to the words of our Founding Fathers.
To wit:
The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests. Patrick Henry
Most bad government has grown out of too much government. Thomas Jefferson
Over For Now.
Main Street One
Friday, July 17, 2009
Too Much Push, Too Much Government
A day after the chief budgeter of the USA, Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf, stated, “costs over the long run would keep rising at an unsustainable pace,” President Obama presses Congress even more than before.
He is urging deeper cuts.
The problem with that is just because Congress, in an attempt to please and appease President Obama, “cuts” some additional costs does NOT mean that the costs will come in at those lower figures.
History has surely taught us that.
As AP reports it, "What we want to do is force the Congress to make sure that they are acting" on recommendations to hold down Medicare and Medicaid spending, the president said, rather than allowing reports to sit unused on a shelf.
Force the Congress? The Prez is playing hardball.
I, for one, do not appreciate any president using that language. A much better choice of words would be, “What we want to do is convince Congress…” Much more statesman-like. As Thomas Jefferson said, “A politician looks forward only to the next election. A statesman looks forward to the next generation.”
President Obama further states that without health reform that Main Street USA will see “premiums going up at astronomical rates.”
Perhaps. I am not sure what exact information he has to in order to predict "astronomical" increases. Maybe that’s just a scare tactic to ensure passage.
The Executive and Legislative Branches might also try Tort Reform as many have been calling for in an attempt to help curb costs.
Maybe we do need health care reform. But, why, Mr. President, can’t it be done in a more rational manner with projections that are as accurate as possible, as opposed to slamming something through just to say you got it done?
The US Government does not need to be and should not be in business. The Government, by way of the US taxpayers, are owners of banks, insurance companies, automobile manufacturers. Is there any end in sight?
How much bigger can we make our government?
Another quote by Thomas Jefferson, which I believe to be quite true, is, “Most bad government has grown out of too much government.”
Be on guard, Main Street USA…bigger, when it comes to government, is not better.
Thus, I will close with one more Jefferson quote, “Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.”
Over For Now,
Main Street One
He is urging deeper cuts.
The problem with that is just because Congress, in an attempt to please and appease President Obama, “cuts” some additional costs does NOT mean that the costs will come in at those lower figures.
History has surely taught us that.
As AP reports it, "What we want to do is force the Congress to make sure that they are acting" on recommendations to hold down Medicare and Medicaid spending, the president said, rather than allowing reports to sit unused on a shelf.
Force the Congress? The Prez is playing hardball.
I, for one, do not appreciate any president using that language. A much better choice of words would be, “What we want to do is convince Congress…” Much more statesman-like. As Thomas Jefferson said, “A politician looks forward only to the next election. A statesman looks forward to the next generation.”
President Obama further states that without health reform that Main Street USA will see “premiums going up at astronomical rates.”
Perhaps. I am not sure what exact information he has to in order to predict "astronomical" increases. Maybe that’s just a scare tactic to ensure passage.
The Executive and Legislative Branches might also try Tort Reform as many have been calling for in an attempt to help curb costs.
Maybe we do need health care reform. But, why, Mr. President, can’t it be done in a more rational manner with projections that are as accurate as possible, as opposed to slamming something through just to say you got it done?
The US Government does not need to be and should not be in business. The Government, by way of the US taxpayers, are owners of banks, insurance companies, automobile manufacturers. Is there any end in sight?
How much bigger can we make our government?
Another quote by Thomas Jefferson, which I believe to be quite true, is, “Most bad government has grown out of too much government.”
Be on guard, Main Street USA…bigger, when it comes to government, is not better.
Thus, I will close with one more Jefferson quote, “Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have ... The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.”
Over For Now,
Main Street One
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