Ask not what your country can do for you…

Remember that famous quote from John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address? That famous line, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country,” has been repeated by many different people over the past 48 years in a variety of contexts and for a variety of purposes. But it seems that we have forgotten it, and are only asking what our country or our government can do for us.

During this past election cycle, I got in a conversation with someone who was planning on voting for Obama and basically an entire Democrat and/or liberal ticket. She asked me why I was going to vote Republican, because “what have the Republicans ever given you?” I’ve thought about that question a lot in the past several months, and found it to give insight into the reason why government is so big, why they take so much from us in taxes, and why they are elected into office again and again, despite their massive failures. [Massive failures? Yes! Pres. Johnson declared “War on Poverty” in the 60s, and it’s only gotten worse. Yet we continue to throw good money after bad, in the apparent insane hopes that maybe this time history won’t repeat itself. And that’s just one example.]

This woman didn’t realize it, but she was selling her vote to the highest bidder — to whomever was able to convince her that s/he was going to give her the most. In one way, that’s not too different from what everyone does — everyone votes for the person that s/he thinks is the best. The difference comes in the way someone determines who will be the best candidate for the job. It’s an easy thing to vote for someone who promises you to “give” you what you want (even if, like so many campaign promises, the promise is forgotten the day after the election). It’s much harder — requires more discipline, more maturity, more circumspection, more thought — to vote for someone who does not promise you the moon.

But it is important to remember, that “the government” cannot give unless it first takes. They take our money in the form of taxes, then they take a percentage of our money off the top for bureaucracy, then they give us back a smaller portion of our money in the form of “benefits” and services. Some taxation is necessary, and some benefits and services are needful; but it’s time to say enough already!!!

We have to step up and let our voice be heard. A reader named Craig sent the link to this news story about various Representatives and Senators going apoplectic about proposed budget cuts, because the cuts were going to affect their districts. One of the items was a Presidential helicopter that Obama says is not necessary. Although $800,000,000 is a drop in the bucket, compared to the monstrosity of the “stimulus” package, it is still eight hundred million dollars of your money and my money that will be spent unnecessarily unless it is ultimately cut. And it will be spent because people voted, not for what they could do for their country, but what their country could do for them. Unfortunately, that comes at a very steep price, because as I said before, the government cannot give anything that it does not first take away.

 

Another TEA Party letter from Knoxville, TN

Term limits urged for all politicians

I am a great-grandmother who attended the inspiring patriotic Knoxville Tea Party.

I am an angry American who is witnessing our country being destroyed in less than 100 days of the Barack Obama administration.

As a nation, we must return to the God-given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness as provided in the Declaration of Independence.

The grassroots movement by ordinary people must save our freedom in America. We must have limited government–of the people, for the people and by the people.

Term limits for all politicians.

Mary Sanders
Harriman

published in the Knoxville News Sentinel, May 2009

 

Ripley, MS, TEA Party

Earlier, Chuck gave his perspective on the TEA Party he helped organize [in seven days] in Ripley, Mississippi. Here is the video of the rally, with speaker Les Riley.

 

You don’t “pay” for tax cuts

When a budget debate is underway, and some politicians try to cut taxes so that you and I can keep more of our money, the refrain from some in the media as well as certain politicians (who tend to be liberal — they liberally take our money in the form of taxes and liberally spend our money in the form of pork programs) is, “How are we going to pay for these tax cuts??” That’s the wrong question.

Nobody “pays” for tax cuts — it’s actually an absurdity.

If you spend everything you earn, and then lose some of your income, nobody would ask you, “How are you going to pay for your pay cut?” because it is recognized as not making any sense. Rather, someone might ask how you are going to pay your expenses due to your pay cut. It might seem like a minor quibble, but it really isn’t. Words are powerful! In skipping the step, and saying “pay for tax cuts,” it gives a powerful force to those who want to keep taking more of your money.

When you and I are faced with a reduction in income, what do we do? We economize. We reduce our expenses to match our income. Luxuries and non-necessary items are the first to go. You and I have to do this sometimes — why should our government (which is supposedly “we the people”) be so different? Why should the government continue to pay for luxuries and non-necessary items when revenue goes down, while you and I have to tighten our belts in order to make it?

In asking, “How are we going to pay for tax cuts?” it makes it sound as if the expenses are fixed and unalterable! How ridiculous! In any budget, there are only two sides to the equation: income and expenses. If my income goes down and I can’t get it back up, I have to cut my expenses. If the government’s income actually goes down due to cuts in tax rates (which is arguable), why do they act as if they cannot reduce their expenses? That’s just arrogance, pure and simple. It also smacks of immaturity — like the guy who is living on the edge (or even over the edge), but won’t give up his meals out or his unlimited cell phone usage or cable TV even if he can’t meet his bills. Or someone who buys a brand-new car that he can’t afford just because he likes it. Reminds me of a toddler — “But I want it!”

It’s time for some grown-ups to stand up and put the arrogant teenagers and toddlers that are currently in charge of our government back in their places, so that those who are mature (not necessarily old; just mature — able to say “no” and mean it) can run the government and get us back on the right path.

 

Letter to the Editor, Knoxville

Entitled Tea partier is not would-be terrorist

I have been described as the whining rich, arrogant, redneck, astro-roots, would-be, could-be terrorist by the media.

In reality, I am a 78 year-old grandmother who participated in the Knoxville Tea Party.

I worked 33 years for AT&T and earned a pension and am considered in the poverty category.

Everything I buy is taxed. Food is a necessity–a big tax burden out of my budget.

I fear for my grandchildren and their load of our government debt.

My sign said, “Stop Bankrupting America.”

I want the best for my country and pray that we are not headed on the road to socialism and international law.

Ruth Yetsko
Harriman

published in the Knoxville News Sentinel on May 9, 2009

 

A Call to Conservatives

The government has gotten too much control away from the people — we are fast becoming an oligarchy and we don’t even know it. When they speak of right-wing groups being dangerous because we want states’ rights, they may be correct. But it is not because we are wrong, but because we are right. The only thing that has kept the federal government at bay this long is that our states were more independent. Now, our states’ rights are being eroded on a daily basis, and no one seems to be noticing or caring — and the people who do care are now being labeled dangerous conspirators. We are not dangerous to the government created and restrained by the Constitution, but rather to the government that has thrown off the restraints of the Constitution, which serve to keep us a free people — free not from outside enemies, but from inside enemies, and from the government itself.

We have forgotten the famous (and truthful) quotes of past leaders — “That government is best which governs least”; “America is great because she is good. When America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great”; “Power corrupts; and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” We are fast heading towards a government with absolute power, and it is guaranteed to be absolutely corrupt. May God have mercy on this country.

 

Noblesville Perspective

Hello! Yes, I was there……and because I was going downtown from Noblesville and anticipated no room in the parking garages, hard-to-find parking places on the street etc., I took a cab. From Noblesville, this was a considerable expense, but I didn’t care: being there was the important thing.

Arriving on the lawn at 3:00, I was excited to see quite a crowd gathered already, balloons, flags, signs, etc……one whole hour and a half, before the event’s official starting time. As people gathered, rapidly, from 3:30 on, I was interested in the composition of the crowd: it was truly a cross section and transcended every demographic. This is in direct contrast to what I heard in Nancy Pelosi’s blathering official comment on the tea parties, i.e., that they were the brain child of “rich people” and attended mostly by people who wanted to retain the tax breaks for the “wealthiest Americans.” What a riot! What planet is she from, anyway?

Standing about five rows from the front of the crowd, we couldn’t see how big the crowd was, but we could feel it, because we kept getting pushed closer and closer together – it was wall-to-wall people, for sure. And what a well-mannered, well-behaved crowd! I encountered people from all over this state, as well.

The speakers could not have been more outstanding or more inspiring. And the Wright Brothers……what a treat!
They are the best. All in all, from my point-of-view, it was everything I had anticipated and more. Kudos to everyone who contributed to this huge success!

Lydia

 

A view from the steps…

My View From the Steps

I was one of the thousands, and contrary to what the local news media had to say I DO MEAN THOUSANDS, of people who attended the Indianapolis Tax Day Tea Party. I was there with my husband and my two oldest children. I have come home energized and hopeful, for the first time in 6 years, about the future of my country. Let me tell you why.

We arrived at 10 that morning because my husband was helping with the setup. The girls and I were mainly observing the commotion around us. I have done this sort of thing MANY times in the past and I can say unequivocally that this particular group was VERY well organized. Everyone who was present had a job to do and there was a delightful and surprising lack of ego involved. What struck me after observing for an hour was this: It was increasingly obvious that this was a group being organized by people who KNOW how to organize EVERYDAY LIFE. As someone who has been around those of a political ilk for a long time it was so refreshing to see the EVERYDAY American stepping into his/her role with the efficiency that has made America so successful. There was ingenuity, a common desired goal, and willingness by everyone there to make the event successful aside from personal glory or gain. There is normally a nauseating jockeying of position and desire for name recognition that drives these sorts of things, but not yesterday. It was run by a dedicated and capable group of everyday Americans: business owners, nurses, blue collar, white collar, managers, and retirees who all came together with a passion for their country. This jaded political observer was very impressed.

The rally was to start at 4:30 and by 2:30 people were beginning to trickle in. You could tell that there was concern on the parts of the organizers that the event would not be well attended but I was noticing the TYPE of people who were arriving early and I had a very good feeling about it. When a group of this type is able to tap into the angst of the common man, you WILL achieve a crowd. There is a common saying “Beware of stupid people in large groups” and that most certainly has a large element of truth. However, what our government has taken for granted for so long is this: “Be even more careful of the fed up, everyday common American who suddenly feels that he is on the verge of having nothing to lose”. This country was founded by a group of intellectual men who UNDERSTOOD the power of the common man. Our current “intellectuals” have forgotten that power. What I saw yesterday, as they began to trickle in by 2:30 and were starting to stream in by 3:45, was the beginning of the harnessing of the awesome power that can be achieved by the common man. This was not a showing of “stupid people in large groups”, this was the life blood of America coming out of the woodwork to protect their liberty. These people were not there hoping that the “government” would pay their way, correct their mistakes, or magically hand them the “American dream” on a silver platter. No, these people were there because they believe they have the RIGHT to pay their own way, correct their own mistakes, and achieve the “American dream” by their very own bootstraps. The thought that went through my head repeatedly as I watched from my perch on the Capital steps was this “Dear Government, welcome to the first real view in a very long time of the true heart and soul of our country. Welcome to the Heartland”.

Our rally got off to a late start for the very best reason in the rally world: people were still streaming in. Now, the local media reported that there were around 2,000. If that is the case, then they were the slowest walking group of people in the history of mankind. There was a STEADY STREAM of people coming to that rally for 2 hours. That is ALOT of people! The band who was playing, the Wright Brothers, were willing to accommodate the late start by playing longer than originally intended so a big thank you to them. While this was not a strictly Christian rally, the organizers were certainly not afraid to let their religion be know. Good for them! Christians should not have to hide who they are in this country and I was happy to see that they did not hide behind the PC adage “afraid to offend”. I truly enjoyed hearing the speeches delivered by the 3 common, everyday Americans who told the crowd why they were there for the rally. It was the call out the common man that is so often missing from these sorts of things. Mr. “Thomas Paine” was great, but hearing from 3 people who live in the state of Indiana and being able to truly understand WHY they were there was a powerful thing. The all to often unheard voice of the everyday American from a fly-over state was the HEART AND SOUL of why we were there yesterday. The roaring swell of the crowd as they heard from the common man was telling, to me. We are tired of being preached to by condescending politicians who only court our opinions in election year. We are tired of being ignored in the spirit of Political Correctness. We are tired of being the bad guy because we are responsible enough to take care of ourselves and our families. We are tired of being told that our hard work is selfish. And we are CERTAINLY tired of being told that we are arrogant and derisive! We are America and the speakers yesterday were a representative of who we are, not who the politicians WISH we were.

As the rally progressed, I paid close attention to as many signs as I could see (and there were MANY signs that I could see). Hand written political signs are a great way to judge the mood and tone of a rally crowd because they are a window to the political soul. I counted only 4 anti-Obama signs from my viewpoint, which certainly went against the tenor from the mainstream media that this was an anti-Obama rally. The VAST majority of the signs were aimed at the government as a whole. The most common theme, “the government works for me”. The most prevalent sign, “read the bill” in varying forms of anger. The second most common sign was along the lines of, “stop spending my childrens/grandchildrens money”. I did not see ANY signs supporting either democrats or republicans. When it came to the current politicians, the message was clear, start listening to the people or WE WILL VOTE YOU OUT. And you know what, I believe the crowd yesterday actually meant it.

Once the rally was over, I was struck with how orderly the area was cleared. People left in a none combative way and, they left no trash behind. I have NEVER been to a rally where no trash was left behind. What that says about the people attending the rally is this: they truly do believe in taking personal responsibility for their actions. That is a more powerful statement about who these people are than anything the media will EVER catch on to. Way to go Hoosiers!

There was a follow up with the committee of the rally after everything had been cleared away and the RESOUNDING theme was “what next”. We talked to the men who were there for ICaucus (www.iCaucus.org) and the organizers of the Indianapolis Tax Day Tea Party do not believe that their work is done. Hoosiers, we are not finished. Fly Over States, we are not finished. AMERICA, we are not finished! There will be more to come…….STAY TUNED IN AND STAY FIRED UP!

Esther Petersen

 

TODAY… It starts

Many are dismissing what will be happening today. LET THEM. Many who will be attending Tea Parties today STILL DO NOT understand the gravity of the situation. For those of you who read this blog prior to attending today I ask that you be BOLD with what I am about to say.

Those of you who do understand that there is a full assault on conservative values must be prepared for the next steps. I will certainly be authoring some material on concrete next steps. You also need to be ready to… OK not ready.. you MUST talk to people around you today about these next steps and the NEED for their involvement. We have been out maneuvered by the liberal left with how they have used the internet and communication strategies. Direct those around you to conservative blogs and meet up groups around your areas. Let them know that a march on Washington DC is coming and that they need to be ready to take action. Let them know starting sometime later this year we will be gearing up to usher out our non-representing representatives. WE CANNOT do this without a massive outpouring of volunteers.

Your job today is to recruit concerned citizens to help us take back our country. Today is not the climax of our movement but simply a humble yet fiery beginning. The fight in front of us is daunting… but we hold to truths that are so self evident that many before us have been willing to give their very lives for these truths.

What will happen in the coming months will take many by surprise. Do not worry about not being taken seriously. Think about those who are involved with groups like ACORN. Those who have put this Tea Party together have more passion, talent, and intelligence than that ship shod operation. Most importantly WE have the TRUTH. Much will be required in the coming months. Come out today and bring many with you. Today we get fueled up for the REAL battle to come.

Congress… Your time is coming

2010… PREPARE TO BE REPLACED

JP

 

2010 proposed budget

A trillion dollars.  That is a hard number to wrap your mind around.  I wanted to try and make what is happening in our government easy to understand.  The only problem is that most of us have a hard time understanding how big a billion is.  A billion is 1000 million.  One hundred billion is 10,000 million.  A trillion?  100,000 million dollars!  I know… still impossible to understand.  So I have a different idea that might make this easier to understand.  Step 1:

 

Estimated income for Federal Government is 2,381 billion dollars, or 2.381 trillion dollars.  This number is what the president and his lackeys came up with.  The CBO a non-partisan group of very smart people think 2,289 is probably a little closer to the mark. 

 

The estimated expenses for the Federal Government are 3,552 billion dollars.  That pesky group of smart people at the CBO thinks that it will actually be 3,669 billion dollars.  I am going to use the estimates of the pesky, non-partisan, smart people for my example. 

 

Before I go into my example there are a few more things to note:

 

1. 1,362 billion dollars are being spent on discretionary spending
2. 172 billion dollars will be spent on paying net interest
3.  At the end of 2009 the public will hold 7,987 billion dollars of debt
4. At the end of 2010 we will hold 9,319 billion dollars of debt

 

I could get a lot more in depth but I really think this is enough information to make anyone a little… oh what is the word I am looking for? (see last sentence of this article)

 

Step #2  So here is my example with applying percentages to the above facts to a $100,000 salary.  This is about an every day Joe or Jane who has to manage a budget and here is what their situation would look like.

 

Gross income $100,000 a year

They don’t have to pay taxes!  Hooray for them.

They are planning on spending:

House payment 4,000 a month (48,000 a year)

Car expenses 1,000 a month (12,000 a year)

Food 1,500 a month (18,000 a year)

Utilities 1,000 a month (12,000 a year)

Miscellaneous expenses 250 a month (3,000 a year)

Interest that they owe on credit cards (8,000 a year)

 

OK… lets add this up *picture an old fashion cash register ringing up a total* $101,000.  Houston we have a problem.  At this point I think most of us would start looking at a few different options.  But that is you and YOU are NOT the Federal Government.  After all it is their job to stimulate the U.S. economy.  So here is what our everyday Joe or Jane does.

 

Ice Skating lessons $1,000 a month (12,000 a year)

Charities $3,000 a month (36,000 a year)

Going out to eat $1,000 a month ($12,000 a year)

 

Oh no!  Another $60,000 will now equal $61,000 in the hole for this year.  I still have not told you what is going on in the background.  You know that $8,000 a year they pay in interest?  Well the balance of that credit card is $400,000.  Now this Joe or Jane has a really good plan.  They have sat down and forecasted where they want to be by the end of the year 2019.  You are probably thinking to yourself that they are going to pay off their credit card and stop ice skating lessons and maybe move into a smaller house.  But I they think it will be a good idea to run their credit card up to a balance of $755,000!

 

There is one last little hope for this person.  Look how charitable they are with money they don’t have.  Let me tell you about the charity they give to.  It rewards people to have children out of wedlock.  It rewards people for not working.  It rewards people for not getting an education.  That is just the surface of what an ill conceived charity this Joe or Jane gives money to.  Does this surprise you given the information above?

 

FOLKS… this is EXACTLY what our Federal Government is doing with OUR MONEY.  Except it isn’t $100,000 we are talking about.  We give them an annual budget of $2,289,000,000,000 and this is what they do with it!!!!!