Conscious Conservative View, Taxes Are Too High

     Like millions of other proud Americans, I recently put together all of my forms, wrote my check to the US Treasury and marched my tax records down to the Post Office.  Unlike many, I decided to take a close look at my tax documents and calculate how much of my earnings actually goes to taxes each year.  Without revealing too much of my business, I will say that my family's annual income is close to the median and probably in a range with a majority taxpayers out there.

     My taxes beak down like this:

                  FICA/Medicare                                         13.3%
                  Federal Income Tax                                    9.5%
                  State Income Tax                                       2.2%
                  State/Local Sales Tax                                1.8%
                  Property Tax                                              1.5%
                  Gasoline Tax                                              1.0%
                  Utility Taxes                                               0.5%


                  TOTAL                                                    29.8%

     As you can see, about 30% on my earnings are confiscated each year by various government entities.  Include the multitude of other irregular taxes (rental car, event ticket, environmental or airport fees), this amount can easily equal 1/3 of a family's income.  I challenge everyone to just look at the categories I listed above and determine their personal tax burden.  For just about everyone, the amount is excessive.  In my case, I pay twice as much in taxes as I do for utilities, 4X as much as I pay for groceries and 8X as much as I pay for housing.  People now pay more in tribute to the government than they pay for their basic needs.  That fact as much as anything else shows that TAXES ARE TOO HIGH!!!

Conservative View--Allow Access to Ballots

     As the Presidential election approaches, it looks like America will have the choice of Obama vs. Romney (aka  Obama lite).  Across the country, Republican and Democratic candidates will fill ballots in hopes of a "coattails" victory.  America will hear the same tired ideas again and again.  It doesn't have to be this way.

     A major way that Democrats and Republicans use to maintain power is government printed ballots.  There was a time when ballots were not printed.  Voters had to either write the names of candidates on ballots or use ballots printed by various political organizations.  At that time, as little as 58% of incumbents were re-elected according to the Ballot Access News .  In modern times, usually more than 85% are re-elected.  Incumbents use restrictions of access to government printed ballots to control competition.   This leads to the same ideas from the same candidates, over and over and over again.

     What if we didn't have ballot restrictions?  What if any person qualified to hold an office could be on the ballot for that office by following a simple procedure?  That seems to be fairer and better for America than having candidates swear loyalty to the Democratic or Republican Party before they can run for office.  Won't the ballot be confusing if there are too many candidates?  Data from other countries with less restrictive ballot laws show that there are usually only five or six people on the ballot.  I think that is far better that the United States, where Republican or Democratic candidates often run unopposed.

     Doesn't a person need the backing of a Party to win?  It is easier to win an election if you have an organization like a political party backing you.  However, there are at least three alternative parties that would be ready to go if their candidates could easily appear on government ballots.  The Libertarian Party has more than 250,000 registered members and over 300 elected officials (mostly in non-partisan office) nationwide.  The Green Party is an international movement that is good at attracting high profile (Ralph Nader) candidates.  The Constitution/American Independent Party(California) has more than 400,000 registered members.  Any of these parties could support viable candidates if they could get them on the ballot.  As a Conscious Conservative, I believe this probably will not happen soon.  Democrats and Republicans are afraid of the competition.

Conservative Book List --- What's Howard Reading?

     After watching Part I and in anticipation of Part II, I've decided to read Atlas Shrugged.

     This Ayn Rand classic still holds up after 50 years.

Paul Campaign Calls Etch a Sketch Game

     The Ron Paul campaign released a new advertisement that scolds the media and other Republican candidates for talking so much about the Etch a Sketch comment when there are serious issues to discuss.  Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney aide, used the example of an Etch a Sketch toy when referring to the difference between a primary election campaign and a general election campaign.  The press and Romney opponents jumped on the statement, trying to make it a campaign issue.  Ron Paul's  new advertisement asks if people are "tired of the games."

  

  The Paul advertisement talks about a "$15 Trillion Debt," "12 Million Americans Unemployed," and "A Country At War," as the issues candidates should be addressing.  As you can read in an earlier post, I see the Etch a Sketch issue as a Dog and Pony Show that has come to the forefront because the press and the candidates are afraid to discuss the real issues.  Ron Paul calls for discussion of "A Serious Plan To Restore America Now."  As a Conscious Conservative, I couldn't agree with him more.

Inflation Kills Social Security

     The ability of the United States Government to continue to provide Social Security benefits and when money will no longer be available to pay those benefits has been a topic of debate for longer than I can remember.  Lately, many remedies have been proposed for modifying Social Security.  Some of these include means testing, raising taxes on the wealthy and raising the age to receive benefits.  Unfortunately, I have not heard a plan to address one of the root causes of the benefit shortfall, inflation.
     The problem with inflation is simple if we look at the math.  Citizen John Q. Average gets his first job in 1972.  At that time, he earns an average salary, about $7500 per year.  That also means that he pays an average amount of about $550 per year of social security taxes.  Flash forward 40 years.  John Q. Average has now reached retirement age and begins taking his Social Security payments.  Because of inflation, his first monthly check is over $1200.  He receives more money in benefits in his first month than what he paid in his first two years!  In his first two years, he will receive as much in benefits as he paid in his first 20 years.  Because of the number of people that died before retirement age in the past and the baby boom,Social Security almost got away with this formula.  That doesn't work anymore.
     Since the time that John Q. Average started working, both wages and Social Security taxes have increased to address the solvency problem.  The math still doesn't work.  Young Susie Q. Public, who begins work this year, will pay about $2800/yr. in Social Security taxes (including her employer match).  If both inflation and Social Security benefits continue over the next 40 years as in the last 40 years, Susie's first monthly payment will be $7200.  Again, she will get more in her first month than she paid in her first two years.  We could reduce John's and Susie's benefits.  John's $1200/month in 2012 probably buys less than his grandfather's $200/month benefit did in 1972, especially of the items seniors buy most, food, fuel and medical care.  The problem with that is John and Susie should be able to expect a return after paying for all of those years.
     One of the keys to getting Social Security and Medicare costs under control is to control inflation.  Without inflation, John would get the same $200/month that his grandfather did.  That means that it would take three months for him to get back one year's worth of contributions.  His first twenty year's of contributions would make payments for almost five years.   By that time, natural attrition would make funding of future payments more likely.  As a Conscious Conservative, I can't believe that Social Security will ever be more than a Ponzi scheme unless the government first fixes inflation.

EU Will Penalize Germany for Protecting Civil Rights

   The European Union has given Germany an ultimatum that it must enact a law to comply with the Data Retention Directive.  The Directive says that all E.U. countries must store telecommunications data about phone calls, e-mails, text messages and other electronic transmissions and allow law enforcement agencies to access that data.  The German Constitutional Court has ruled that such a law is unconstitutional and an invasion of privacy.  Courts in Romania and the Czech Republic have also ruled the law violates their constitutions.  The E.U. has given Germany one month to enact the law or face legal and financial consequences.
     As a Conscious Conservative, I see this series of events as a shocking reminder as to why the United States cannot afford to get involved with a North American Union or a organization like it.  Imagine having your internet search history turned over to Mexican or Canadian authorities for some reason known only to them.  The citizens in Germany now have a tough decision to make.  Do they give up their privacy to multi-national will or do they pay a protection fee to keep their privacy intact.    

Ron Paul Says NO to Secret Service

     Ron Paul told Jay Leno this week that he does not want Secret Service protection.  He stated that he sees such protection as a form of "welfare" and that candidates should provide their own protection.
     As a Conscious Conservative, I find this to be a tricky issue.  I applaud Dr. Paul for protecting himself and not spending taxpayer money.  I also realize that there are a lot of dangerous people in the world and would hate for something to happen to any of the candidates.

Conservative View of The Dog and Pony Show

     As I write this, an internet search for "United States 2012 Election News" brings up some interesting stories.  One is about a poll that explores how many Americans want politicians to talk about religion.  Another tells about Mitt Romney and an "Etch a Sketch" campaign.  Another reports the launching of a new Political Action Committee (PAC).  There is another about how much money Barack Obama is raising for his campaign and one about who former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is endorsing (hint: it's Mitt Romney).  Although these stories have some interest, the big question about all of these is:  Who Cares?  These articles only serve to draw the public's attention away from the real issues of this election.

     As a Conscious Conservative, I believe that here are only five questions which a presidential candidate must answer in this or just about any other election.

1.  How are you going to respect my body and property?

     

     We now have a government that spies on its own citizens, can imprison them indefinitely or kill them without trial and takes their property to give it to a private business interest.  This question is far more important than which famous person endorses a candidate.

2.  What do you believe about Taxes?

     

     By some estimates, the United States Tax code is over 15,000 pages long.  Why?  Because it is designed     less to raise revenue than it is to control behavior and grant favors to political supporters.  This is more important than an "Etch a Sketch" comment.

3.  How are you going to handle the issue of Us vs. Them?

     Typical political strategy in Washington D.C. is to divide and conquer.  Pit women against men, rural vs. urban, young vs. old, rich vs. poor, etc...  We need a President who refuses to categorize people.  This is more important than a candidates's religion.  In fact,a candidate stating a religion is just more Us vs. Them rhetoric.

4.  How will you protect the US Dollar?

     Inflation has been the largest curse that government has inflicted on the American people in the last 50 years.  Households have to earn more than ten times what they used to in order to keep the same standard of living.  People find that their life savings are worthless.  This is more important than how many donations a candidate is receiving.

5.  How will you restore faith in the election process?

     Voter turnout for Federal Elections hovers around 50%, even during Presidential election years. The President needs to do everything in their power to assure people that their vote matters.  This would include advocating open ballots and working more to help the United States than to win re-election.  Fair elections are more important than who supports which PAC.

     You almost never hear candidates talking about these issues.  They prefer to dodge real issues for easy fluff.  The press also fails to do its job for not asking these questions.  What is left is gossip, innuendo and a Dog and Pony Show.   

Conservative View Inflation Has Gone Insane

     I pulled up to the pump to buy some gasoline today.  The price was $3.85 a gallon.  The gallon of milk I bought earlier in the week was $2.69.  Mailing a package cost me almost $25.00.  Compare that with these prices from 1962:

Gallon of Gasoline                     $0.31
Gallon of Milk                           $0.49
First Class Stamp                      $0.04

     What causes the difference in prices?  The value of the US Dollar is disappearing because of inflation.  In its simplest terms, inflation is caused when a money issuing institution, in this case the United States government, creates more money than is justified by the wealth of that institution.
     Why would the United States want to print more money than is justified?  As a Conscious Conservative, I believe that one answer is that in an environment where money is worth less and less, whoever gets the money first gets the most value from it.  In the United States, that means that the government and bankers get the most use from each dollar and wage earners get the least.  Basically, government creates and spends the dollar when it is still worth a dollar, but by the time it ends up in a worker's paycheck, it is only worth $0.90 in an environment of hyperinflation.  This is an incipient "hidden tax" that Americans have been paying since the mid-20th century.  That we put up with it is insane.

Arizona Attempts to Limit Voters Choice

     A new law went into effect in Arizona that permanently entrenches the Republican and Democratic parties in that state.  The law states that voter registration forms allow people to check a box which registers them as “Republican,” “Democrat,” or “Other.”   People that check “Other” are allowed to express a party preference on a line near the boxes.  However, in practice, officials at government offices do not recognize registration with minor parties, claiming that “Other” means independent or not affiliated.  This is important, because whether political parties in Arizona are allowed to have candidates on the ballot is based on how many people register to vote as members of their party.

     Arizona already has a problem that because of historical factors, many districts of the state have a vast majority of registered Republicans and other districts have a vast majority of registered Democrats.  Because of this, there is a tacit agreement that one party will not run a candidate against the other party in many races.  That leaves the Republican or Democratic candidate unopposed unless a member of another party places someone on the ballot.  If minor parties are not allowed to run candidates, the Republicans and Democrats can divide Arizona like a pie at Thanksgiving dinner.  The Arizona Libertarian Party and the Arizona Green Party have filed a lawsuit.

     The person responsible for this legislation was Frank Atenori, a Republican State Senator from the Tucson area.  When asked about the choice of only being able to register for two parties, he responded, "They didn't want 15 million party boxes on there because there's no room,"  Frank Antenori is now running for Congress.  As a Conscious Conservative, I believe that there is no room for Frank Attenori in the United States government.  Lt’s hope that someone will be allowed on the ballot to run against him.

Contact Frank Attenori and make your feelings known: http://www.antenori.com/ 

Why Does Missouri Hate Ron Paul Supporters?

     Reports come from a Missouri Republican caucus that two Ron Paul supporters have been arrested for "trespassing."  It appears that here were concerns that the Missouri Republican Party hierarchy supported Rick Santorum.  Reports are vague, but it appears that the St Charles County caucus degraded into a shouting match after both Ron Paul and Mitt Romney supporters disputed the selection of the caucus chairperson.  At this time, it appears that no Romney supporters were arrested.  This is not the first time that Missouri Police have targeted Paul supporters.

  

     In 2009, the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), a regional partnership of agencies set up by the Department of Homeland Security, released a report entitled "The Modern Militia Movement."  This report was sent to police departments across Missouri.  The report told police officers to view people who displayed "Political Paraphernalia" supporting Ron Paul as potential militia members.  It hinted that Paul supporters are like the Oklahoma City Bomber, the Atlanta Olympics Bomber and dozens of others involved in criminal conspiracies. 

     As a Conscious Conservative, I have to be suspicious of activities in Missouri.  How does a political candidate run a campaign when his supporters are automatically classified as terrorists?  

Smith Reveals Least of Problems At Goldman Sachs

     Greg Smith recently raised hackles at Goldman Sachs with his very public resignation and critique.  While Smith brings up major problems with the culture of the firm, he does not touch on the how the Goldman culture affects the rest of us.  Smith describes two internal cultural themes that led him to his resignation.  In his opinion, a prevailing attitude at Goldman Sachs says that how much money they make from each customer is more important than how much money they make for each customer.  Smith also says that Goldman promotes management based on how much money they make on deals, rather than their ideas or management skills.  While these aspects of culture may be bad for Goldman Sachs the firm, it is another Goldman cultural norm that is dangerous for the United States as a country.  The Goldman culture supports the idea that Goldman has both the need and the authority to manipulate the United States government.

    

     Many large companies in America lobby the government, but Goldman Sachs makes other company's efforts look amateurish.  Goldman donates to campaigns and gives big.  According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the firm donated over $3 million to various candidates, with Mitt Romney and Barack Obama being the largest recipients.  Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein and other employees also gave Barack Obama a combined $1 million for his campaign.  Goldman Sachs also peppers the government with former employees.  Other companies have former employees in government, but none seem to be able to get into the White House the way Goldman can.  Bush famously had Henry Paulson as his Secretary of the Treasury.  In the Obama administration, Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel, Commodity Futures Trading Commission head Gary Gensler, TARP administrator Mark Patterson and National Economic Council Director Larry Summers all got a paycheck from Goldman at one time or another.  Goldman also rewards government officials with lucrative jobs.  CBS News  reported in 2010 that there were at least four dozen people that went back and forth between positions with various governments and Goldman. 

   I could jump on the bandwagon about the evil culture at Goldman Sachs.  Goldman is definitely the king of crony capitalism.  However, Goldman only takes advantage of a system created by Politicians to enhance government officials' power and privilege.  As a Conscious Conservative, I believe the people to be held accountable is those same Politicians.  We need to make a Goldman Sachs campaign contribution as toxic as the assets from which Goldman made a fortune.