As I was surfing around some of my usual “haunts” earlier this week, I came across a headline from The Wichita Eagle that set off the alarm in my cranium: “State of Kansas to Suspend Income Tax Refunds.” Citing a massive shortfall in revenues, the Sunflower State’s Budget Director informed the public that the state officially had suspended all income tax refunds to its working citizens until the ‘powers-that-be’ could “figure some things out” with the state’s budget.
Now, never mind the fact that this statement is absurd and insulting. Let us, instead, focus on the sheer condescension and what my father used to refer to as complete “bass-ackwardness” of this entire concept. Since when did a state or federal government become the sole arbiter and lone decision-maker on the question of if and when its taxpayers could have their own hard-earned money placed back into their own private bank accounts? Look, I could spend hours raging over the excess government spending that has been allowed to go on for decades which has forced the state of Kansas (and others) out onto this precipice. That’s an entirely different blog for an entirely different time. Suffice it to say that we all (including our beloved Jayhawker brethren) need to tighten up our belts a little bit here to get through these current economic times. I, however, would urge you to focus in on the more systemic problem which is this perverted belief that all (or even a portion) of this money is the government’s money to dole out to the citizens in the first place.
I, for one, find it offensive that these fat-cat politicians are allowed to sit in their respective capitol buildings all across America and pass judgment on when, or even if, the people who worked their tails off and had their wages taxed all throughout the previous year will be getting their hard-earned money back from the almighty government. Our system of taxation in this country is so screwed up that it’s really no wonder that we have employers who go out of their way to pay workers under the table and keep them off of their books. As a self-employed small businessperson who withholds his employees’ taxes out of each paycheck and then turns around and pays it directly to the government on their behalf, I can tell you with absolute certainty that, if we were to do away with the whole “employer withholding” procedure and actually make individual workers send in a check to the government at the end of every month to pay their own taxes, this country would have a tax revolt on its hands the likes of which has not been seen since the Boston Tea Party. In fact, the famed Boston Tea Party would look like a college frat party compared to the absolute insurrection that would occur on a nationwide scale. The problem here is that our tax law has become so convoluted and complex that neither Joe-Six-Pack, nor Joe-the-Plumber, nor Joe-the-CPA can figure it out. If you were to ask the average worker how much is actually taken out of his check for taxes – including state and federal income tax, social security and medicare (not to mention all of the “employer matches”) – I’m guessing you’d get that same “deer-in-the-headlights” look that Obama has been walking around with on his face since the date of his inauguration. The fact is people don’t get it. They don’t comprehend or appreciate how much money is being sucked out of their wallets and sent off on their behalf to Washington, D.C. and the various capitol cities around the nation. Most of these people I know throw parties or blow their wad on big screen, high-definition plasma TVs when their “income tax returns” come rolling in this time of year. They’re thrilled when the checks hit the mailbox! Instead of frolicking in the joys of being momentarily loaded, they should be marching on D.C. demanding to know why the government has been holding thousands of their dollars hostage in the federal coffers all year when that money could have been sitting in the workers’ own bank accounts garnering interest for them and their families. What a system…
This problem really relates back to last week’s blog when I talked about the systematic assault on our freedoms which has been incrementally perpetrated by the left over the last century. The idea of individual, private employers doing the government’s “dirty work” of withholding workers’ taxes from their incomes came about in the wake of Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and was perfected under Johnson’s “Great Society,” which, up until the election of 2008, represented the two greatest shifts to the left that this nation had ever undergone. The jury is still out on the current administration, but so far it ain’t lookin’ too good for we “rugged individualists.” Over the course of the last 80 years or so, the average worker has become numbed to the concept of “gross pay” vs. “net pay.” The thought process basically goes like this: “Well, let’s see…my boss takes out money for my union dues, my health insurance, my retirement and – oh yeah – the government has to get theirs, and what am I left with?” Now imagine if that mentality was such: “Well, let’s see…I’ll deposit my check. Now I have to write a check out of my account directly to the state government for $300.00; then I have to pay the federal government $800.00; then I have to write the feds another check for my Social Security and Medicare – that’s another $750.00…and what am I left with?” I’m telling you, after a few months of that…absolute R-E-V-O-L-U-T-I-O-N!!!
I was relieved to see that Governor Sebelius and the Kansas clan of representatives were able to reach a resolution to this self-created “impasse” on Wednesday, wherein they agreed to slash about $300 million out of their budget so that all of the state employees could actually receive this week’s paychecks – and, oh yes, those pesky taxpayers could get their refunds. Thus, for the time being, the public perception in the state of Kansas once again seems to be one of “thank-the-government-for-fixing-this-crisis.” Once again, completely bass-ackwards.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Patient Persistence
In my blog last week, I wrote about America’s “identity crisis,” and the fact that we seem to be a nation that is in the midst of a monumental social and economic collapse, the likes of which have been unmatched in the history of civilization. I stand firmly by every word of that article, and if you haven’t yet read it, I encourage you to do so. I hope it fires you up. I hope that it moves you to action—to seek reform and change, not only in our governmental entities, but in the way we, as individuals, live our lives and impact others. After all, if we are sitting around waiting on government to initiate positive change in our lives, then, my friends, we are already doomed. I would remind you of the words of Thomas Jefferson: “The People are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our Liberty.”
In reflecting on my previous rant, it occurred to me that I was pointing out a lot of what is wrong with this country, but when it came to actual solutions for fixing all of these problems, I didn’t offer much. I appreciated some of the comments and emails I received from the readers of that blog, but the one that hit me like a baseball bat across the forehead, oddly enough, was from my own mother (mothers have a way of yanking us back down to reality, don’t they?). In her comment to my blog, she stated very simply, “Now what do we the people do about this mess?” Well that IS the question, and over the course of the next several months, I hope to provide some of my thoughts on that very subject. Let me begin with this…
I think most of us still believe that the American model of self-governance is the strongest, most effective and most compassionate form of government in the history of mankind. Our model is not the problem; the problem lies in the fact that our model has been so bastardized and corrupted by greedy, self-interested politicians over the last century that it now has become hardly recognizable. Mix in a lazy, disinterested and uninformed populace and you have the recipe for the “identity crisis” I wrote about last week.
So how do we fix this mess? Lesson #1…and get ready…because this is the answer that nobody wants to hear. In a day of microwave popcorn, “on-demand” cable and instant messaging, we have to employ a tactic that the liberal/socialist ideologists have perfected over the last 100 years. They call it “incrementalism.” Little by little, piece by piece, they have surgically and methodically dismantled our free republic, replacing it, bit by bit, with their socialist agenda. When William H. Taft was sworn in as our 27th President in 1909, the concepts of state-funded abortion, government-sanctioned research on embryos and universal health care coverage were absolutely unfathomable to most Americans. Why in the world, those Americans thought, would we look to the federal government with regard to anything having to do with our medical care? Here we are, though, a century later, having debates not so much about the merits of these issues, but rather over the federal government’s depth of involvement therein. How did we get here? In a word, "incrementally." None of this intrusive participation by the federal government was allowed to happen overnight. The liberal/socialist ideologists have been savvy enough to recognize that the only hope for the advancement of their overall agenda (more government involvement in citizens’ everyday lives) was to unveil it slowly…patiently…gradually…over time. And to a marked degree, they have succeeded. To make a football analogy, a good offense always takes what the defense gives it. When the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII a few weeks ago, you did not see Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, lofting “Hail Marys” 60 yards down the field on every play. Particularly, on the Steelers’ final offensive drive of that game, Roethlisberger led his team 78 yards in 8 plays over the course of 2 ½ minutes to score the winning touchdown. Roethlisberger and his team were successful because they took what the defense gave them. Surgically and methodically, he led his team down the field and, ultimately, to victory.
So, my friends, it is time for us to advance the ball. It is time for us to get our defense off the field and commit to our own form of “incrementalism”--what I like to call “patient persistence.” It will be a long and, at times, very frustrating process. It will require more patience and more persistence than most in my generation have shown that we are capable of. We have to stop living in the “here and now,” hoping that the rest of America is somehow on the verge of that “great awakening,” and instead begin focusing on the future; and by “future” I do not mean tomorrow…or the next day…or next year…or even 20 years from now. This is a daily task…this is a daunting task…this is an overwhelming task. It is so easy to turn away from such a monumental undertaking and simply return to our reality TV shows, our gossip magazines or our morning cup of java. But this is the only way we will ever really slow the pendulum of socialism and begin forcing it back in the other direction. We have to change our entire mindsets—and those of our friends, neighbors and family members—to stop with this instant gratification mentality, and begin focusing on what really matters…one day at a time.
Each day of my life, from this date forth, I have committed that I will advance our ball down the field. I ask you to do the same. Whether you send an email to a friend, call your Congressman’s office, attend a political rally, vote on election day, initiate a conversation with a young person about self-reliance and responsibility, make that charitable contribution, or volunteer at the senior center or youth organization, we must end this cycle of dependency on government. One by one…day by day…we have to teach these people to fish.
We are human beings, and by nature, we will become frustrated. And given where we are as a society and the “now mentality” that has been drilled into us, we will become very frustrated by the pace at which things happen (or don’t happen, for that matter). But here is one of my favorite quotes…print it off and tape it onto your bathroom mirror or the dashboard of your car or wherever else you happen to look every single day, and take it to heart:
“We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”—George W. Bush, September 21, 2001.
In reflecting on my previous rant, it occurred to me that I was pointing out a lot of what is wrong with this country, but when it came to actual solutions for fixing all of these problems, I didn’t offer much. I appreciated some of the comments and emails I received from the readers of that blog, but the one that hit me like a baseball bat across the forehead, oddly enough, was from my own mother (mothers have a way of yanking us back down to reality, don’t they?). In her comment to my blog, she stated very simply, “Now what do we the people do about this mess?” Well that IS the question, and over the course of the next several months, I hope to provide some of my thoughts on that very subject. Let me begin with this…
I think most of us still believe that the American model of self-governance is the strongest, most effective and most compassionate form of government in the history of mankind. Our model is not the problem; the problem lies in the fact that our model has been so bastardized and corrupted by greedy, self-interested politicians over the last century that it now has become hardly recognizable. Mix in a lazy, disinterested and uninformed populace and you have the recipe for the “identity crisis” I wrote about last week.
So how do we fix this mess? Lesson #1…and get ready…because this is the answer that nobody wants to hear. In a day of microwave popcorn, “on-demand” cable and instant messaging, we have to employ a tactic that the liberal/socialist ideologists have perfected over the last 100 years. They call it “incrementalism.” Little by little, piece by piece, they have surgically and methodically dismantled our free republic, replacing it, bit by bit, with their socialist agenda. When William H. Taft was sworn in as our 27th President in 1909, the concepts of state-funded abortion, government-sanctioned research on embryos and universal health care coverage were absolutely unfathomable to most Americans. Why in the world, those Americans thought, would we look to the federal government with regard to anything having to do with our medical care? Here we are, though, a century later, having debates not so much about the merits of these issues, but rather over the federal government’s depth of involvement therein. How did we get here? In a word, "incrementally." None of this intrusive participation by the federal government was allowed to happen overnight. The liberal/socialist ideologists have been savvy enough to recognize that the only hope for the advancement of their overall agenda (more government involvement in citizens’ everyday lives) was to unveil it slowly…patiently…gradually…over time. And to a marked degree, they have succeeded. To make a football analogy, a good offense always takes what the defense gives it. When the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII a few weeks ago, you did not see Steelers’ quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, lofting “Hail Marys” 60 yards down the field on every play. Particularly, on the Steelers’ final offensive drive of that game, Roethlisberger led his team 78 yards in 8 plays over the course of 2 ½ minutes to score the winning touchdown. Roethlisberger and his team were successful because they took what the defense gave them. Surgically and methodically, he led his team down the field and, ultimately, to victory.
So, my friends, it is time for us to advance the ball. It is time for us to get our defense off the field and commit to our own form of “incrementalism”--what I like to call “patient persistence.” It will be a long and, at times, very frustrating process. It will require more patience and more persistence than most in my generation have shown that we are capable of. We have to stop living in the “here and now,” hoping that the rest of America is somehow on the verge of that “great awakening,” and instead begin focusing on the future; and by “future” I do not mean tomorrow…or the next day…or next year…or even 20 years from now. This is a daily task…this is a daunting task…this is an overwhelming task. It is so easy to turn away from such a monumental undertaking and simply return to our reality TV shows, our gossip magazines or our morning cup of java. But this is the only way we will ever really slow the pendulum of socialism and begin forcing it back in the other direction. We have to change our entire mindsets—and those of our friends, neighbors and family members—to stop with this instant gratification mentality, and begin focusing on what really matters…one day at a time.
Each day of my life, from this date forth, I have committed that I will advance our ball down the field. I ask you to do the same. Whether you send an email to a friend, call your Congressman’s office, attend a political rally, vote on election day, initiate a conversation with a young person about self-reliance and responsibility, make that charitable contribution, or volunteer at the senior center or youth organization, we must end this cycle of dependency on government. One by one…day by day…we have to teach these people to fish.
We are human beings, and by nature, we will become frustrated. And given where we are as a society and the “now mentality” that has been drilled into us, we will become very frustrated by the pace at which things happen (or don’t happen, for that matter). But here is one of my favorite quotes…print it off and tape it onto your bathroom mirror or the dashboard of your car or wherever else you happen to look every single day, and take it to heart:
“We will not waver, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.”—George W. Bush, September 21, 2001.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
America's Identity Crisis
America is going through an identity crisis. No doubt about it. From the election of Barack Hussein Obama, to the imminent adoption of the latest "stimulus package," to the closing of Gitmo and the "re"-funding of foreign abortions, this great country of ours is at a crossroads. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans seem content to shuffle through their i-pods and update their "My-Space" pages while corrupt politicians (from both ends of the political spectrum) continue to chip away at our individual rights, substituting in their place what they label as acts of "governmental compassion."
Make no mistake about it, folks...America's prosperity finally has caught up with us, and we are teetering on the brink of total collapse. You see, unlike most of the civilizations which have risen and fallen before us, America began as a collection of INDIVIDUALS who realized the prudence of establishing a LIMITED form of government in order to protect all of us from foreign enemies who would do us harm. The formation of this country truly was the greatest of all governmental experiments in the history of the world. None of the "Founding Fathers" really knew whether it would work. Fortunately, it has worked so well that America has become the most prosperous nation in history. Unfortunately, it has worked so well that America has become the most prosperous nation in history. Such is the paradox of America--our identity crisis, if you will.
I am convinced that the vast majority of Americans have lost touch with the sense of rugged individualism which was inherent in the minds, bodies and souls of the people who created this nation. Gone are the days of families taking care of their own. When grandma lost her mind in the revolutionary era, do you think that mom and dad signed her up on the government dole and carted her off to a nursing home to be taken care of? When dad lost his job in the Pennsylvania steel factory in the 1850s, did he collect his unemployment check and drag the family down to the welfare office to apply for every type of government assistance that was available? Of course not. Families took care of their own. Churches and religious organizations filled in where there were shortfalls. We certainly did not have a massive, over-intrusive federal government whose raison d'etre was to act as comforter and provider for these families and individuals in need. America, though, has become a country of thumb-suckers and whiners. From the time we are born, we are taught that all of us are ENTITLED to live the "American Dream." That wonderful rhetoric very rarely is accompanied by a lesson about hard work and sacrifice, the two tenets (and very foundation) of that Dream. No, instead we are taught in public schools (another creation of the almighty federal government) that no one person is greater than another; no successes should be celebrated too much (we don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings); and no failures should be scoffed at (again, the "feelings" thing).
Is it really any surprise, then, that we grow into adults who espouse that same type of gut-rot, communist garbage? After all, if a child grows up being taught (and believing) that he has a RIGHT to live in a bigger, more expensive home than his parents; that he has a RIGHT to a job that pays him to take a vacation every year; and that he has a RIGHT to medical care without having to pay for it--how can we reasonably expect that he will one day turn into a rugged individualist? You see, it is a whole lot easier for we human beings to become more dependent than it is for us to become more self-reliant. Unfortunately, our nation's timeline has born witness to this phenomenon.
Our Founding Fathers feared this and, indeed, warned of it. Any student of American revolutionary history must concede that the writings of Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, et. al. were wrought with cautionary rebukes against allowing an intrusive federal government to control too many aspects of the individual citizens' lives. Fast forward nearly 250 years and, ironically, this concept now seems as foreign as the enemies those revolutionary Americans were attempting to overthrow. I challenge you to live one day of your life without being directly taxed by our federal government. Do you drive a car? Perhaps you could walk or ride a bike for that day. Don't smoke a cigarette or have an adult beverage. Don't watch television or talk on the phone. Don't mail a letter or log on to the internet. In fact, don't use any electricity or natural gas. Don't make any investments in the stock market or allow your savings account to gain interest. And while you're at it, you may as well stay home from work because a significant portion of those wages will be headed to Washington, too.
The bottom line is that everything our Founding Fathers feared about a unified federal government has come to fruition. Our way of life in this nation has become a vicious cycle of dependency fueled by corrupt politicians who seek to utilize their positions to redistribute wealth to the most needy among us in an effort to garner these individuals' votes in order to stay in power. With the passage of Obama's latest "stimulus package," over 70% of Americans will no longer be paying any federal income taxes. Well that's a good thing, right? Weren't you just saying, Brent, that we pay too much in federal taxes? The problem is that the amount of money going into the federal coffers each year continues to rise, outpacing inflation five-fold. That money is then redistributed to various congressional districts throughout the country in the forms of "earmarks" and "pork-barrell" spending. Folks, we are creating a giant welfare state wherein fairly soon NOBODY will appreciate or understand the concepts of hard work and sacrifice. We are becoming firmly ensconced in the idea that government IS the provider and caretaker--for all things. We are becoming more and more dependent upon government. This has a name--it was once known as socialism; apparently, it is becoming the new Americanism.
Do you realize that Obama's "stimulus package" will require the government to "borrow" about $850 BILLION (that's BILLION with a "B") from us--the citizenry. Astoundingly, that is more money than the federal government borrowed from "the folks" during the ENTIRE period that spans from the Revolutionary War until Jimmy Carter's presidency. For those of you who aren't very good with history, that's a period of 200 years. Are you kidding me? If that statistic is not evidence enough that this system is broken, I'm not sure what is.
Our country is going through an indentity crisis. If we don't figure out who we really are and what we want this nation to be for our children and grandchildren, it will cease to exist as the world's lone beacon of hope and prosperity for all of its individual citizens. It will be replaced with a giant "nanny-state" where we are told by the almighty federal government what kind of car we can drive, what type of house we can live in and how many children we are allowed to have. I, for one, do not want to subject my children to that type of existence.
Make no mistake about it, folks...America's prosperity finally has caught up with us, and we are teetering on the brink of total collapse. You see, unlike most of the civilizations which have risen and fallen before us, America began as a collection of INDIVIDUALS who realized the prudence of establishing a LIMITED form of government in order to protect all of us from foreign enemies who would do us harm. The formation of this country truly was the greatest of all governmental experiments in the history of the world. None of the "Founding Fathers" really knew whether it would work. Fortunately, it has worked so well that America has become the most prosperous nation in history. Unfortunately, it has worked so well that America has become the most prosperous nation in history. Such is the paradox of America--our identity crisis, if you will.
I am convinced that the vast majority of Americans have lost touch with the sense of rugged individualism which was inherent in the minds, bodies and souls of the people who created this nation. Gone are the days of families taking care of their own. When grandma lost her mind in the revolutionary era, do you think that mom and dad signed her up on the government dole and carted her off to a nursing home to be taken care of? When dad lost his job in the Pennsylvania steel factory in the 1850s, did he collect his unemployment check and drag the family down to the welfare office to apply for every type of government assistance that was available? Of course not. Families took care of their own. Churches and religious organizations filled in where there were shortfalls. We certainly did not have a massive, over-intrusive federal government whose raison d'etre was to act as comforter and provider for these families and individuals in need. America, though, has become a country of thumb-suckers and whiners. From the time we are born, we are taught that all of us are ENTITLED to live the "American Dream." That wonderful rhetoric very rarely is accompanied by a lesson about hard work and sacrifice, the two tenets (and very foundation) of that Dream. No, instead we are taught in public schools (another creation of the almighty federal government) that no one person is greater than another; no successes should be celebrated too much (we don't want to hurt anyone else's feelings); and no failures should be scoffed at (again, the "feelings" thing).
Is it really any surprise, then, that we grow into adults who espouse that same type of gut-rot, communist garbage? After all, if a child grows up being taught (and believing) that he has a RIGHT to live in a bigger, more expensive home than his parents; that he has a RIGHT to a job that pays him to take a vacation every year; and that he has a RIGHT to medical care without having to pay for it--how can we reasonably expect that he will one day turn into a rugged individualist? You see, it is a whole lot easier for we human beings to become more dependent than it is for us to become more self-reliant. Unfortunately, our nation's timeline has born witness to this phenomenon.
Our Founding Fathers feared this and, indeed, warned of it. Any student of American revolutionary history must concede that the writings of Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, et. al. were wrought with cautionary rebukes against allowing an intrusive federal government to control too many aspects of the individual citizens' lives. Fast forward nearly 250 years and, ironically, this concept now seems as foreign as the enemies those revolutionary Americans were attempting to overthrow. I challenge you to live one day of your life without being directly taxed by our federal government. Do you drive a car? Perhaps you could walk or ride a bike for that day. Don't smoke a cigarette or have an adult beverage. Don't watch television or talk on the phone. Don't mail a letter or log on to the internet. In fact, don't use any electricity or natural gas. Don't make any investments in the stock market or allow your savings account to gain interest. And while you're at it, you may as well stay home from work because a significant portion of those wages will be headed to Washington, too.
The bottom line is that everything our Founding Fathers feared about a unified federal government has come to fruition. Our way of life in this nation has become a vicious cycle of dependency fueled by corrupt politicians who seek to utilize their positions to redistribute wealth to the most needy among us in an effort to garner these individuals' votes in order to stay in power. With the passage of Obama's latest "stimulus package," over 70% of Americans will no longer be paying any federal income taxes. Well that's a good thing, right? Weren't you just saying, Brent, that we pay too much in federal taxes? The problem is that the amount of money going into the federal coffers each year continues to rise, outpacing inflation five-fold. That money is then redistributed to various congressional districts throughout the country in the forms of "earmarks" and "pork-barrell" spending. Folks, we are creating a giant welfare state wherein fairly soon NOBODY will appreciate or understand the concepts of hard work and sacrifice. We are becoming firmly ensconced in the idea that government IS the provider and caretaker--for all things. We are becoming more and more dependent upon government. This has a name--it was once known as socialism; apparently, it is becoming the new Americanism.
Do you realize that Obama's "stimulus package" will require the government to "borrow" about $850 BILLION (that's BILLION with a "B") from us--the citizenry. Astoundingly, that is more money than the federal government borrowed from "the folks" during the ENTIRE period that spans from the Revolutionary War until Jimmy Carter's presidency. For those of you who aren't very good with history, that's a period of 200 years. Are you kidding me? If that statistic is not evidence enough that this system is broken, I'm not sure what is.
Our country is going through an indentity crisis. If we don't figure out who we really are and what we want this nation to be for our children and grandchildren, it will cease to exist as the world's lone beacon of hope and prosperity for all of its individual citizens. It will be replaced with a giant "nanny-state" where we are told by the almighty federal government what kind of car we can drive, what type of house we can live in and how many children we are allowed to have. I, for one, do not want to subject my children to that type of existence.
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