‘President Trump is not one to give up’
WASHINGTON, DC – What does the movement to repeal and replace Obamacare have to do with tax reform? Plenty! As Newt Gingrich put it in a recent Opinion Article: “Health is the largest sector of the American economy and the most complex. Health care is at least 10 times more complicated than national security. It is one-fifth of our economy.”
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin assures us that tax reform is top of mind for the Trump Administration and that it will fix our broken tax system this year, says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens. But, Mnuchin points out President Trump needs to deal with healthcare and that should ease the minds of skeptics who were disappointed by the failure to pass first iteration of the American Health Care Act.
“The repeal and replacement of Obamacare is no easy task, as was evident the first time we tried it earlier this year. But, Mr. Trump is not one to give up. He is determined to give us what we want; not what the government thinks we should have. We need to deliver comprehensive health services that make sense and that won’t break the bank,” says Weber.
As the president put it in a recent interview: “We [will save] tremendous amounts of money on health care when we get this done, number one. And most importantly … we’re going to have great healthcare, and all of that savings goes into the tax. If you don’t do that you can’t put any of the savings into the tax cuts and the tax reform.”
Americans paid their taxes this week and surely there were many who were forced to send the IRS money they could ill afford. It’s been 30 years since the tax system in this country was last overhauled. It’s time to revisit the issue for the sake of struggling families hit hard by the seemingly endless recovery from the recession. We need to fix what needs fixing in order to bolster the economy, help create jobs and ensure that our children and grandchildren will be able to keep more of the money they earn, says Weber.
“I don’t necessarily want to put accountants out of work, but I do think that the majority of our citizens would like to have a simpler way to file our tax returns. I also think that we all should be paying our fair share, with the emphasis on fair. Not to disparage the wealthiest among us, but low income earners need a break the most. So, it is only right that the focus be on the needs of the workforce when establishing new tax brackets. After all, it’s America’s workers who keep the economy going.”
There’s sure to be scrutiny with how the new administration deals with corporate America, including small businesses, in their efforts to reform the tax code. They should pay for the opportunity to create profits, but by imposing some of the highest corporate tax rates in the world only serves to hurt our own economy.
Joe Kennedy is a senior fellow at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. He is also the former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He says “lowering corporate taxes—which are higher in the United States than almost anywhere else in the industrialized world—would kick start new investment and job creation. In fact, sensible corporate tax reform can increase growth, lower compliance costs and improve competitiveness, all without increasing the deficit.”
Weber, who founded the Association of Mature American Citizens and turned it into a powerful, conservative voice for older Americans, believes that Mr. Trump is on the right track. By putting a priority on the two most important issues of the day – healthcare and tax reform – the Trump Administration will go a long way toward reversing the damage caused by the previous administration in two of the most important parts of our lives.
“We’ve already seen how deftly he deals with national security issues. Now, we are about to see how he will put skill at deal making to work for ordinary citizens. He is, after all, the one who wrote the book on ‘Art of the Deal’.”
ABOUT AMAC
The Association of Mature American Citizens [http://www.amac.us] is a vibrant, vital senior advocacy organization that takes its marching orders from its members. We act and speak on their behalf, protecting their interests and offering a practical insight on how to best solve the problems they face today. Live long and make a difference by joining us today at http://amac.us/join-amac.
For those of you who do NOT know, Medicare IS a government program. That is why you need a “supplement”! Then take a look at the VA System – STILL using paper records (and losing them). Also, check out the Medical Care provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Many say send it to the states – think about your last visit to your state-run DMV. My question to all the Republicans that say we cannot just repeal Obamacare using reconciliation; why not, the Democrats passed into being using reconciliation, why oh why can you not unpass it using the same process???????? And just one last thing – we were told by Speaker Ryan that Ryancare was just Phase I and that the rest of Obamacare had to remain in place to allow “the Secretary” (Tom Price, Secretary of HHS) to use his power to get rid of all the “Bad Stuff” under Phase II. Well, just what is stopping Secretary Price from getting rid of the Bad Stuff right now. Perhaps IF we could see Price working on Phase II, we could have a little faith in Phase I. Me, I just don’t trust Ryan or about 90% of the rest of the Republicans in DC. I don’t trust ANY of the Dems in DC – they shoved this disaster at us in the first place.
“Repeal and replace” has become a buzzword that sounds better than it really is. Can we focus on repeal of Obamacare and keep government out of the healthcare industry please? No need for its replacement. That only complicated a repeal. Replacement gives more opportunity for congresscritters and senators to find something in it to oppose. No wonder it went nowhere the last time they tried, despite the majorities in both houses. Let’s talk “exit strategy” regarding Obamacare and then the same for other disastrous liberal policies.
Donald will succeed. It’s like, just hang on and enjoy the ride! The great APAC called the other day looking for a donation. I just didnt feel like it. The republicans need to pull their head out of their asses. I told the guy id give big if they got rid of ryan. Are the democrats even Americans? God Bless President Trump!
Ric is right in saying Obama-lama-ding-dong care should be done away with. Government has no idea of why Insurance cos. use actuaries. This is evident because of the absurd corrections in premiums and I assure you it will also occur in deductibles and reduction in covered conditions.
Would someone please tell me why better healthcare can come about if we don’t repeal Obamacare first, and not have any type of government health care?
It won’t because the inner circle won’t want to relinquish control.
Why do we need repeal and replace? Why not just repeal BOcare and be done with it. The government has no business providing healthcare. Left to free market sources, competition will drive costs down so that everybody can afford it. Example in point: back in the days prior to Medicare, my dad spent 72 days in the hospital due to complications arising after being struck by a car. The total bill was less than $4,000. He paid it out of pocket. Even after adjusting for inflation, that $4,000 would still be affordable in today’s dollars. Contrary to that, I had a minor heart attack five years ago and spent 2 1/2 days in the hospital, and Medicare was billed in excess of $40,000. FOR JUST TWO AND A HALF DAYS AND ONE STENT PLACED IN MY HEART. Goes to show you what government intervention and meddling can do to costs of anything it gets involved in.
I agree with will 100 percent the government should get out of it and give it back to the company’s that do it ever day
Will, I agree that “BOcare” should be repealed in its entirety and let the Health insurance companies take over. However, there is something called “Hillary’s Cartel” made up of Big Pharma companies and powerful people that seem to be in the way from making things easier and affordable for us ordinary folks who want simplicity and affordability in our lives. All the meds this cartel puts out is not to heal us but to make us dependent on them, eventually killing us, while they are so expensive and doesn’t help us any but puts billions of $$$$ in their coffers. That’s probably why there is a huge influx of Opioid over-use in this country today. It’s big business for the Cartel and this has been going on for years and which also financed Hillary’s 2016 election campaign..it’s supposed to be a very “secretive group” and the public was never to hear about them, but somehow, it got out. President Trump has spent so much time speaking with CEOs from the different pharma companies on lowering their drug prices to affordable levels and I feel he is doing his best to get things straightened out before repealing the disastrous healthcare we’ve had to endure. Whether or not he knows about Hillary’s Cartel is beyond me, and if he does, he’s not saying anything. I take very little escapes our President.
This is why we need to take charge of our health and find ways and supplements that will help to keep us healthy rather than wait until we get sick and have to run to the Doctor’s office and maybe end up in the hospital. There are a lot of recent breakthroughs out there that can help us instead of relying solely on meds to cure what ails us…as most of them do not cure our ailments anyway. And this is what Big Pharma wants of us…to be dependent on their meds so they can reap the benefits and fill their greedy pockets. We need to look at plant meds and not the chemicals they put in their pills as our bodies were not made to live on chemicals. That’s one of the reasons why we have so many health issues today.
While I agree in total with many comments on the subject, the sad fact of the matter is that too many Americans want to live an unhealthy lifestyle, and when they invariably get sick, they want others to pay for their care. Drinking, smoking, or eating yourself into sickness is always a choice. If you choose this style of living, you should then be responsible for the outcome. Unfortunately, here in America, most of us don’t think like that. It’s OK for others, but when we, or a family member, dives into the pool of disease (because of their own choices), then the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak. Same mentality with taxes. OK to dump loopholes and exemptions except for those that affect me is the mindset of the majority of citizens. When you pass laws and add in a million exceptions, or exemptions, you defeat the purpose of the entire bill. NO exceptions to anything for taxes. All income above a certain threshold should be taxed at a low, fair, and reasonable amount. I love ranting, but in truth, nothing will ever get done in Washington because 99% of the elected officials are self-serving pieces of garbage. They speak eloquently and positively, and when they get into office, forget all that stuff. Democrats and Republicans alike. Most are useless for the average citizen who actually works for a living.
See now you stated your points quite well and did so in a manner that wasn’t designed to antagonize any particular group off people. Well done! By the way, I agree with most of your post. As a society, we have to find a way to re-instill the concept of true personal responsibility / accountabilty for our actions / choices on the younger generations. Otherwise society itself becomes economically unsustainable over the long-term and will collapse. Trying to re-educate folks of our age would be a waste off time. If someone is 50 or older and has the mindset that society somehow owes them X to compensate for whatever bad actions or choices they have made, you’re not going to be get through to them that they own the consequences that result. So don’t bother. Their views are burned in so to speak and won’t change. The old adage of your can’t teach an old dog new tricks does apply after a certain age to human behavior and beliefs, which is why arguing with old socialists or communists is such a waste of time. Anyway, good post.
To Drjca1 and PaulE: it isn’t the bad habits or lifestyle that most, if at all, needs changing; it’s the situation that others must pay for it. Auto insurance has risk provisions that determined cost. Medical insurance once also had the same. It’s when those “responsibility” tools went out of style and medical care became a right paid for by the collective that that all came crashing down.
Many out there have bad habits, as do I and some in my extended family and friends. We/they should be welcome to them. It’s government that puts others forward to pay the tab for all those malpractices in individual conduct. If government would stay out of all our business we could pay our own way.
Often I push the envelope of annoying statements to see how much tolerance there is in the conservative arena. Most of the time my feelings of intolerance here being just as bad as on the left is validated. Hypocrisy by the right is not one inch better than hypocrisy on the left. If we are to truly change this nation for the better, we must be able to hear and intelligently discuss varying points of view. Have a great week.
I, personally don’t favor the idea of “changing” America. I would rather see it be what our founding fathers envisioned …what it was intended to be. I’m also getting a bit weary of hearing our form of government being referred to as a “Democracy”.
Mr. Konow, our current president is doing his very best to “change” America back to what is in our Constitution that our founding fathers put on paper years ago, many of which our last president either tried to rewrite or do away with during his time in office. We went through 8 years of pure “change for the worse” and it’s time now to get things back on track and according to the Constitution. So we all need to help our president get that job done and yes, we are a Republic rather than a Democracy…something a lot of people still don’t understand. I think our politicians in Washington need to get their heads screwed on straight on their shoulders so they can help rather than hinder President Trump in his job and to know the difference between a Democracy and a Republic……..I sometimes hear some politicians refer to America as a Democracy. What school did they go to, I wonder? Or do they listen to the words in our Pledge of Allegiance to our Flag while reciting it?
The national government could save itself a lot of headaches, in addition to very serious cash, by getting out of areas in which it doesn’t belong. Health care first comes to mind. Obamacare should be repealed and NOT REPLACED. PERIOD. FULL STOP. End agricultural subsidies, which are counterproductive and prevent the importation of foods from countries that need to export their excess more than they need US government handouts. If the price of food rises, so be it; we’ve been getting by pretty cheaply compared to the rest of the world, spending relatively little of our income on food. And, of course, the Tax Code should be scrapped in favor of the Fair Tax. Earned income, capital gains, inheritance — these are all good, positive things. Why should they be taxed? Would we want less of them? And to fix Social Security, raise the retirement age to reflect the new reality of living longer. Don’t even tempt workers to retire at 62. It’s not good for them, and not good for the country.
Just saw “Rik’s” comment below. I heartily endorse it.
Once Paul Ryan, Obama’s man, gets out of the picture, the rest should fall into place. That being, repeal Obama-don’t care, and start with a clean slate, giving thought to the populace with something that the Congress would use as well. Ryan is a thorn that needs to be removed.
To the lady who wants a single payer health system—-You have an example of what that would be like in the mess our veterans have to deal with. I experienced Government medicine when my husband was in the service and I chose to go to civilian doctors for me and my children. I had to pay for it but it was worth it not to have to deal with the bureaucrats!
AND ALL OF CONGRESS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME HEALTH INSURANCE AS THE REST OF US. THEN THEY WOULD THINK TWICE BEFORE THEY MAKE STUPID REQUIREMENTS.
All laws should apply to members of Congress as well as the remainder of our citizens. This includes healthcare.
That’s a very good idea as they are not above the law and are not “Gods.”
I just should like to see it repealed, NOT REPLACED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not to change the subject but where does hunger fit into America’s agenda??
There should not be any hunger in America. With food stamps, welfare and a food pantry in over half of the churches in almost every town of any size and even many smaller ones. Even the schools have free breakfast & free lunch. If a child is going hungry in America it is very bad parenting.
First people need to understand that Health care and Health insurance are NOT the same thing. Some thing Obama pushed from the beginning. Second, as Joe Wilso said, “You lie!” Every person in the US had Health Care due to a ’60s law called EMTALA. Look it up. Hospitals could not turn you away. period. Still can’t. EMTALA So even ILLEGAL’s got health care. EVERY ONE! No one left out. That was before Obama Care. What Obama did was make it so the IRS could take more of the working man’s money and pay the government for perceived Health care which was in actuality poor quality insurance. Having worked in Health care, I have seen the quality of care go down with the affordable care act. Walk into any hospital and look how much time a Nurse( this goes for Lab techs and Radiology techs also) has to spend on a computer. Look how few nurses there are compared to administrators. Check out the new ICD 10 codes. All part of Obama Care. Eliminate the IRS and much of this Government control disappears. The IRS is the enforcer. How do we eliminate the IRS? We pass H.R.25 and there is then no more income tax, no more corporate tax, no more FICA, in fact, there would be no more Federal Deductions of any kind. Your Gross pay would also be your net pay. Your employer would no longer have to report to the Federal Government how much you made or how much they contributed. That would eliminate an entire department in most business including hospitals and doctors offices. Currently, every item you buy is taxed, BEFORE you get your money. Think about that. Every dollar you spend is preTaxed. With the FairTax ONLY spending on items that have never been taxed before, are taxed. It looks like a sales tax, but it is NOT! A sales tax, taxes every sale. The FAirTax ONLY taxes new goods and services. ANY used care or used house or used item is not taxed a second time. Only once. One more Huge advantage of the “Flat” FairTax, it is the ONLY bill that eliminates the IRS! After seven years the sixteenth amendment will be repealed. The IRS will continue to go after back taxes for seven years and then be eliminated. Call or write to your congressman and tell him you will only accept full repeal of Obama care and full passage, as written H.R.25!
How does this pay for the military and infrastructure? How high would that tax have to be on only New items?
How does the Government pay for the military and infrastructure now? Why do you think that would change because the means of collection changes? As far ass the rate,,,? for you it would likely be less than you are paying now. Read the Bill. For the Government, it would be more money than they are collecting now. Read the Bill and the FAQ. There would be no underground economy. No illegal refunds as ther eare now. Every one would pay the same amount after they pass the level of the poor. (except the poor who might not get to that level) Unfortunately,,, no wait,,, Actually , it is intentional that you do not know how much you pay. Intentional. With FairTax every one would know , every day, what they paid in tax. Perhaps then people would pay more attention to Government waste so we could get our tax rate down. You really do not know what you are paying now. Read the FairTax.org web site FAQ. The more you know, the more you will like the FairTax.
Help him to help us.
Nothing is easy in Washington DC. Washington DC is the capital of the United States. It is on the east coast of the country.
It is not supposed to be easy. We are supposed to insist on discussion! Even arguing! Find the best route. No compromise. Find the Truth! This can only happen when people discuss topics with an open mind.
I’m glad he’s getting to those two items. I don’t know if I believe healthcare should be a government program, but I guess I lost that argument while Obama was in charge. I don’t think it’s the most important, but I know it has to be done. I think our national security and the military veterans are the most important, because they go hand in hand to establish the top military, which we do need, for our protection. I’m proud of our president’s actions so far. I’d rather have the two parties working together, but as long as we have so many globalist subversive elements still acting against our duly elected government, I can’t see it changing any time soon. I just want to encourage people to be alert.
Thank you, Linda. The government SHOULD leave healthcare to the doctors and patients. They are the ones that know what is happening with a patient and the patient knows what the doctors think…..NOT some pharmacy company or the government. Having parties makes trouble. We need people that will talk it out and come to a realist conclution for WE THE PEOPLE (especitally seniors and veterans). I continue to back Mr President Trump and ask God to help him work for us in every way. People, let the man do his job and quit being whinney babies about everything. That’s working for the devils in OUR COUNTRY>
Flat 10 % income tax. NO deductions for ANYTHING or ANYONE. Anything else is a tangle of B.S. Let the government shrink to a manageable size.
FairTax is a better way to go, Gives control of income back to the taxpayers. The more new goods and services you purchase the more tax you pay. Percentage is the same
Maybe we can start with a flattax and then shift over to Fairtax.
Bills should not have a million things tacked on to them. A straight question or purpose then vote on it. The “Insider Trading by Senators and Congressmen of I will vote for this if you add this which benefits me and mine is a form of “black mail” and impedes progress.
AMEN!!!
So far, I have NOT seen anyone else push the obvious. i.e. put all legal Americans into the medicare system and exempt no one. I have long believed that this single tweak could fund quality health care for every American . Yes there are some pesky consequences to deal with such as what to do for/with the now unemployed paper pushers at today’s health care systems. Still… America, I am asking… What is wrong with this plan? One payer health care NO insurance companies involved????
Are you kidding? You have to be joking? Total government control over health care will be the death of America! Don’t want government in control of who lives and dies!!!! Don’t want to live like Venezuela or North Korea! Limited Constitutional government is what I want. Are we not responsible adults? We the citizens need to be more self reliant and teach our kids to do the same. I a free with the others that charity should come from us, the people thru private organizations and churches, not government. Education too should be local and not controlled by federal government or teachers unions! All of us need to become a part of governing ourselves or freedom is gone by the next generation.
Completely agree with you!
Sounds good to me. As long as ALL legal U.S. citizens including the politicians and paper pushers are in the same system. Medical school students could receive training in exchange for “serving” in the system upon graduation.
Sounds good but why would you want to put one entity in charge of your health? Haven’t you seen what government does when put in control? Do you want them to tell you what you can and cannot have with regard to your health? I don’t. Don’t believe in socialism, which this idea is.
Think “VA” and then think some more~!!
This does not work! Tune into PragerU, a website that finally makes sense. Watch:
https://www.prageru.com/courses/political-science/single-payer-health-care-america-already-has-it
This video is spot on, the VA is a good example for single payer. Watch and learn.
The Federal Government should just stay out of it. Veterans & the elderly are not the best taken care of.
Problem is Medicare pays garbage. About 30-35% of what’s billed. One of the reasons I got out of medicine was the reimbursements from them and private insurers. When I started, I would see about 15-20 patients a day, billed the insurers and received my money. When I left, I had to see 40-50 a day and received less than half of what was billed. Also went from 1 lady doing paperwork to 5 people. The idea of providing poor care and the stress of legalities became too much for me. Over the past decade I have learned that about half my contemporaries also got the heck out because of similar reasons. What we have now is big corporation medicine provided by drone workers fresh out of school along with NPs who think they should be able to practice medicine without the schooling or experience or MDs. Yea, we’re in for a lot of fun in the future.
A number of the healthcare insurance companies in my state are now trying to push, very hard, a mobile app that would allow patients (that being us so-called valued customers) to immediately contact a nurse on-line for immediate or emergency medical issues. It doesn’t much imagination to figure out this “option” will soon be positioned as a substitute for seeing a real doctor. First by offering a small discount in monthly premium payments, then later on by charging higher monthly premiums to discourage seeing “costly doctors”.
When asked my thoughts on this new “innovation”, I told the people conducting the survey a nurse is NOT a substitute for a doctor in terms of either diagostics or competent medical care. Their response was that the convenience would offset any concerns about competency for most people. Sadly, to an awful lot of people that would be true. Shave a few dollars off the monthly insurance premium and a lot of people would agree to almost anything. Even substandard medical care. You can guess where this trend will take medical care for the average person in the next 10 to 15 years.
It depends on how much experience they have. There are professional nurses that have more knowledge on medicine then new inexperienced doctors and even some established ones. When I had a medical problem I went to a walking clinic that was run by a professional nurse. Had the cure that saved me time and money over walking in to a doctors office or emergency clinic. Under a private interstate plan it could work with appropriate licensing.
“We the People” don’t want President Trump to “fix” Obamacare, “We the People” want the President to “REPEAL” Obamacare in its entirety. As I’ve stated in previous commentary, the government has No Business being in or regulating OUR healthcare!!! … We WANT the government to REFEREE NOT ADMINISTER our heathcare. … Auto insurance rates are competitive BECAUSE the insurance companies have to compete for Our business, that’s exactly what Our healthcare insurance should be doing. Unfortunately, our medical profession is now dominated by the drug manufacturers, where the drugs only deal with the symptoms and are NOT HEALING our afflictions. … One thing I do know is that the BEST kind of Nation was one where the government FEARED THE PEOPLE. When the government feared the people there was Liberty, when the people feared the government there was Tyranny!!! … That’s the type of government the Progressively Communist Democrats want where “We the People” are in servitude, in complete dependence upon the government and NOT IN CONTROL of our own lives. We must all fight back now by educating our young people or they will never know the freedoms our founding fathers guaranteed to “We the People” in our Bill of Rights and in our Constitution. As in 1776, “We the People” are again in a fight to the death for Our Country and Our Liberty!!! … It’s time again to restore the motto of our forefathers… “Live Free or Die!”
Point of clarification: By “Live Free or Die” I don’t mean “Live Free off the welfare of the government, but free to make our own choices and/or decisions on how we live ore lives!” We are all responsible for our own lives, when charity is necessary it should be available through churches, business or individual donations, NOT from our federal government!
All very well said Rik. Unfortunately, the leadership in Congress and certain so-called conservative organizations we know have a far different view of what “reform” should look like than a lot of us do. So it is now up the American people to push their Congressional representatives in both the House and Senate to do the reform the American people actually want. Not the “reform” that they want to shove down our throats.
As I have said many, many times, this is going to be a long-term (potentially decades) struggle to restore the nation to some mild semblance of how it was originally founded and intended to be. A constitutional republic where the federal government only has certain limited set of powers in very specific areas.
If the American people are up to the task, then great. Start filling up the e-mail in-boxes and voice mail systems of everyone in Congress and don’t let up until they do what WE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT. If on the other hand most Americans think they only have to show to vote every two or four years and completely tune out afterwards, then this is the kind of “reform” we are going to get.
Agree with both of you that the Federal Government should get out of Health Care and leave it up to the Marketplace. To protect the Republican majority they should slowly get people off the dole or the left wing wackos and their media supporters will crucify them.
Rand Paul’s bill does a very good job of getting this turned in the right direction. See S222
Why are we not pushing for ‘Term Limits’ for all our elected officials….2 terms max. Serving in Congress should not be a life term career path. we have too many Senators and Representatives who should have retired years ago preventing our younger/newer elected officials from doing what they promised to do once elected. Also, we need to give the States the power granted thru the Constitution, power that the Federal Gov. has taken control of; i.e., education….
We already have term limits. It is called voting. I agree with you that a lot of politicians in Washington should have been replaced a long time ago. They no longer represent the people that sent them to Congress originally. Today most politicians in Washington only represent themselves.
As to your request for term limit legislation, no politician in office will seriously sponsor or actively support any such legislation. Why would they? If the people that they supposedly represent won’t vote these folks out of office, why on earth would any of these politicians agree to end their life-long gravy train on the taxpayer’s dime?
Your time would be better spent educating your friends, neighbors and co-workers as the dismal voting records their Congressional representatives have. ,ost would shocked and they might get motivated to get off the couch and get engaged in your area’s political process. Get people motivated to find better candidates to put up against your incumbent in the primary process. Don’t just wait for election day every two or four years and mindlessly vote for the old, familiar name you have sent back to Congress for 10, 20 or 30 years.
This country was founded on the principle of an intellectually engaged and motivated electorate. This republic was NOT designed to function on auto pilot or by expecting some magical piece of term limit legislation that would allow the public to remain blissfully oblivious to how their country is being run or not run properly. Again, we already have term limits. It is called voting.
I’ll add a very big AMEN to that, Rik.
It’s true & someone who just keeps having children to up their income is wrong & something needs to be done. There are other cases where there’s no other choice. I planned on working until I was 73, however the need of a total hip & family leave was the start of six years of excruciating pain, six surgeries on that hip! I was smart enough to take out long term disability which certainly helped but Never planned to be disabled & have to go on SSI so early. I’m not a free loader, in fact I have worked very hard all my life. Raised two children by myself with very little child support. Like so many I have lived pay check to pay check, but have always worked inspire of six spinal fusions. I’m now 70 years old & trying to survive on $1377.00 a month. I’m poverty level but make too much to get any kind of help. But our President can spend $3 hundred thousand each weekend to go to FL. Plus we pay a great deal, no cost has come out for our First Lady’s cost of security, etc.; since she won’t live in the White House! And the Federal Government is about to shut down!! Are you kidding me!!! Jacqlyn I agree we need term limits!! These men & women are killing us with their salaries, expenses & Benifits for life!! I’d fire them all! But I still have to live on my little SSI; which I got a letter saying we get a cost of living increase of 3% & my check didn’t increase at all!! The system of Social Security is broken only because they have used all of “our” money for other government cost!!!!!
Hello, Becki. I feel for you and for your situation with all that you’ve been through health-wise and having raised your children alone with little support. I don’t know if you were able to retire from your job with a pension or something as that would have been a little help if that. President trump goes to his resort in FL on weekends as his means of “getting some rest” and no, he is not charging us for his trip except for using Air Force One (as president, he must use it). He uses his own money and the reason why the First Lady is not in the WH at this time is because she wanted to remain in NY until her son was out of school rather than interrupt his school year. They will be joining the President in June, I believe. Also, Pres. Trump isn’t taking a salary for his position except for 1 dollar, by law. He has donated his salary to the Nat’l Parks and Recreations Dept., I believe. I’m sure the cost of security for the First Lady and her son in NY will come to an end when they move to the WH. We have to give our new president some credit for what he is doing for our country that other past presidents have not been able to accomplish in their 8 years of office…especially our last president!!!! Our last president used our tax payer money to pay for their lavish vacations and really took advantage of the American people! Now it’s President Trump’s responsibility to undo all that Obama had “inflicted” on us, and we all know that work is not an easy task but Pres. Trump is doing his very best to give us back America and to make it great again. He is a business man and not a politician by trade so he thinks differently than the regular politician does…which is good for our government.
Also, I agree wholeheartedly with you that “term limits” should be imposed on our politicians especially those who have made themselves “at home” in Washington for years……like Orrin Hatch who is still there and is 83 years old!!!!! He should have been let go 20 years ago in my opinion!!! But we also have the American voters to blame for that too…..they get complacent during election years and instead of voting for new, younger representatives from their states/ precincts, etc., they see a familiar name on the ballot and will vote that person in again and again and this is why there is so much dissent within the new administration. There are so many serving in this govt. today who need to be “put out to pasture” long ago, and who have gone way beyond their constructive years in service to the American people and if the voters don’t stop re-electing them, then I think an AGE LIMIT should be put into practice. Just listening to a lot of those who are still in office on the news, makes me cringe as they don’t realize that most of the time, they are not making good sense, but maybe trying to “protect” their jobs so they can finally walk out with their pockets full of money since most of them are “bought and paid for” by special interests and/or lobbyists. This is why I think it’s important for we the the People, to listen to the news and hearings on Capitol Hill so we get to know who these folks are and we can vote them out at the next election…..there are a lot of names I’d love to vote out but they are not in my state.. a few are from my state and I have not voted for them in years, but because I’m in a “blue” state…guess what? They get re-elected time and time again by the very people I call “complacent” who cannot see past their noses. So I say have AGE LIMITS! Botox and Plastic surgery is not going to make those politicians any “younger” so why try to fool us.
I was impressed at this last General election that the majority of the American voters came out in force to tell the world and America that they had had enough and wanted a real change in our government for the better, and we succeeded….we should not stop there but continue to “drain the swamp” at every election in the future.
Good luck to you and God bless you.
Rik, very good presentation. You, PaulE, PaulG and Gloria have my concurence. Well stated.
Internal Colonialism: How to Bring a Free People to Serfdom or to Revolt
1. vary or change the contract by subterfudge, altering word meanings and through legal fabrications (lawers’ tricks), using any branch of the general government, mixing the authority such that citizens no longer can pinpoint their rulers (bureaucracy)
2. indoctrinate the next generation such that they know nothing of the liberty of earleir times in order that they accept ever-expanding government and its encroachments as does “School Choice” that gets the States more involved with increasing Central Planning and National Standards
3. Import alieans who have never possessed liberty, thus need no training in serfdom.
4. extend dependancy from the ne’er do well to migrants and immigrants, as well as to older adults through subsidized livelyhood while making labor less rewarding than welfare
5. pick up from Agenda 21 to the UN’s 2030 initiative through HUD’s plan to diversify, first the urban mix (forced relocation and sharing) that will extend into the suburbs, mixing races, economic status, etc. into a “proper” distribution
6. socialize all elements of the economy such that losses are socialized (bail outs) while profits are reserved for Big finance, Big business, Big pharma and Mom and Pop businesses and farms are absorbed by Big Corps and Corp Agriculture
7. change culture to accept the primis that “It’s better to get than to give” until there is no more “others money” left in the Collective pot,
and on and on and on until there is no longer anyplace left to reside nor to hide.
God Bless what’s left of America and her independant States, and God Bless what’s left of her people.