The Al Gainey Show

We Are Tired…The 6 U’s

2010-02-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of speaking to a local civic group recently. It was very apparent that almost to a person it was evident they had not only had enough of the current political and economic climate, but that they were “just plain tired”! I can see why.
Our government has failed us in about every way. Realize however that “our government” is “us”. We have failed ourselves. As we dissected the issues concerning them at that meeting, and I reflected on that speech and their feedback, there were six issues that are strongly contributing to being “just plain tired” in America.
The interesting thing is that they all start with the letter ‘U’. So, let’s look at each one of them briefly:

Unsuccessful $787 billion stimulus package that has not worked. Jobs creation has been dismal at best and even if there have been two million jobs created as the administration wants to claim, that only means that two million jobs had to be transferred from another part of the economy. Money to fund the two million jobs in the private sector had to be redistributed through taxes and other means to fund the jobs created by the stimulus package. It was simply a transfer. All this has stimulated is dependence on the Federal Government.

Uncontrolled government spending is driving America into financial ruin. The current rate of reckless spending will mean that we will be bankrupt as a country within this decade. America will have to print or borrow mountains of trillions of dollars to meet the obligations these wingnuts in Congress and this Administration have incurred and continue to incur. Hyperinflation, high interest rates and a run on the dollar are all real possibilities.

Unprecedented deficits that will result in a $1.6 Trillion deficit this fiscal year ending on September 30th! This past weekend, BHO announced that the deficit would be $100 Billion more than he anticipated!

What?! BHO, cut the spending. Make the hard decisions! That’s change we need. I guess BHO thought that Sunday would be a slow news day and it wouldn’t be picked up. Well, when the interest rates heat up again, and believe me, they will, the impact of just the debt service will be astronomical. You had better get a strong seat belt and buckle up you and your children!

Unsustainable $3.8 Trillion budget proposed for 2011. What’s BHO thinking? He spins it by saying he has cut the spending by $20 Billion, not even a thimble full of water in the ocean! And, at the same time, he’s adding $6 Billion to the EPA’s budget for Clean Energy Technology and touting it to boot! This is nothing short of irresponsible and pointing out that the Administration and Congress STILL do not hear the American people.
Unemployment is stated erroneously at 10.3%. It actually is closer to 17.6% when you include those who are underemployed, those who have given up on trying to find a job and those who are unemployed but actively searching for a job. There have been seven million jobs lost in this recession and the hype perpetrated on America by our elected officials and BHO either shows they have their heads buried in the mud or they are flat out lying to us. This economy may be recovering slightly, but it’s doing it with few jobs being created in the private sector.

And the final ‘U’:

US! We have got to be tired of the way we have continuously re-elected the same old (or young) politicians election cycle after election cycle because it’s the easy thing to do. We also rationalize re-electing the same career politicians by saying to ourselves as we vote “it’s not that bad”. Well, it’s “that bad”! Like those civic club members I spoke with, it’s time for action. They want to make changes. They want to rest…they want to not be tired.

We must revitalize this country from the grassroots up. It will not occur from the beltway in Washington or from our statehouses. It starts now and it starts with ‘U’.

Obama Knows Best...

2010-01-25T05:27:00.001-08:00

At least that’s what he’s telling us
This week, the President will give his first State of the Union address to the American people. He will use that speech to tell us that he is on our side, that he will protect us from the big, bad corporations, who are greedy, subversive and are making too much money.
This administration and Congress think they know how to run this country better than the founding fathers and the elected leaders of the past. Obama continues to bash Bush, demonize all businesses for making a profit and play the “good guy”, the populist president, who, like superman, is here to “save the day”.

But, how can that be the case when 92% of his cabinet minions have never worked in the private sector. Rather, they have worked in academia, other government jobs, been a community organizer or held some other non-profit position.

I received an email recently that listed the percentages of each of the past eighteen president’s cabinets who had worked in the private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet. In order to give you a flavor for the numbers, the email stated the following that was on the Glenn Beck Show recently:

Roosevelt	38%	Kennedy	30%
H. Taft	40%	Johnson	47%
Wilson	52%	Nixon	53%
Harding	49%	Ford	42%
Coolidge	48%	Carter	32%
Hover	42%	Reagan	56%
F. Roosevelt	50%	George H. Bush	51%
Truman	50%	Clinton	39%
Eisenhower	57%	Georgia W. Bush	55%

And, Barack Obama, the “smartest president of all time”, wins at only 8%!
He knows how to tell our small business owners as well as our large corporations how to run their businesses? I think not!

How can he talk about any of the businesses practices, principles and processes when he and 92% of his top appointees have never darkened the doors of a company in a capitalistic system?

So, as Obama pontificates during the State of the Union speech, are you going to fall for his “I’m on your side” and we must get our economy in line (translation-“control business and redistribute wealth) rhetoric? He has little clue as to what the nation needs, wants or desires. He is not in touch with reality or the real American situation. He is in touch with his Marxist roots, Bill Ayers and others of socialist backgrounds.

We must watch our backs. This president does not understand that he is killing the American dream. We can stop it by first, critically listening and discerning carefully during his “populist” speech to the American people this week.

There is hope, or is there? It’s up to each of us to decide. True hope can only come from God who is our Sovereign God and our God of Providence

Think about that as you listen to The State of the Union speech this week. And, pray that He will keep His hand on this country and bring us back to our senses.

The Massachusetts Mandate

2010-01-21T05:38:00.002-08:00

Regardless of the outcome, voters are mad!

On Tuesday, January 19th, the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will go to the polls to express their agreement with President Obama’s agenda or their disgust with the arrogance and blatant disregard for what the citizens of Massachusetts really believe should be happening as far as healthcare is concerned. After all is said and done, this is a referendum on the Obama-Senate-House healthcare bill.

Massachusetts’s citizens have had universal healthcare since 2006, and in many ways mirrors the anticipated plan working its way to the President’s desk. It has been nothing short of a disaster. The result has been higher premiums, increased waiting times, compulsory healthcare via an “individual mandate”. That mandate will move millions out of their low cost plans and force them to pay higher premiums.

Voters are seeing the handwriting on the wall and are tired of being ignored by the Washington bureaucrats, who know we do not approve of what they are doing, but insist on moving forward.

The citizens also see other red flags in their state. The Massachusetts’s legislature has consistently had other requirements put before them to be voted into law. This past year they had over 70 additional requirements on the table which potentially can increase premiums by at least 14%.

And, this is what will happen on a national level. The socialist democrats will get a basic bill passed, then will incrementally add to it over time and the cost to the taxpayer will not be an incremental increase but an exponential increase over time.

Whatever happens on Tuesday will make or break the Obama agenda. I believe that it will be a very close outcome. The seat has been held by the democrats for decades. The voter registration is three to one in favor of the democrats. The question is what will The Tea Party faction do to help Scott Brown. What will the independents, moderate democrats and some sensible democrats do to possibly push Brown over the 50% needed to upset the applecart?

It’s too close to call. Regardless of what happens, the democrats are terribly concerned. Presidents Clinton and Obama have made the trip to Massachusetts this past weekend. The stakes are high. The socialist agenda and specifically the healthcare bill possibly are hanging in the balance.

The most liberal state in this country is speaking out with emphasis concerning the direction of the Obama socialist agenda. Regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, a message is being sent. Whether it will be heard is yet to be determined.

The democrat, Martha Coakley, had a 30 point lead and has lost it all as Brown has stepped up the exposure of what Americans can expect from this administration and more and more is revealed about the healthcare plan being proposed in Congress. Citizens in Massachusetts know what their own public plan has done to ruin their family’s healthcare.

This election is huge.

Stay tuned for a return of the conservatives. It’s on the horizon!

Crazy Harry Seals His Fate

2010-01-21T05:38:00.001-08:00

He should step down as majority leader and as Senator!

As if Senator Harry Reid had not caused enough problems over the past couple of months with health care, here he comes again, having made racial comments about Barack Obama. In a supposedly confidential conversation that has been reported in a new book, “Game Change”, Reid described Obama during the 2008 Presidential campaign as a “light-skinned” African-American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Now, we should know, and I think most of us do, there are two sets of standards applied by the media and the Democrats. Flashback to the situation Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott found himself in back in 2002.

Lott was at a birthday party for South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond who was celebrating his 100^th birthday. Lott made a positive comment about the 1948 segregationist presidential campaign of Thurmond. Numerous apologies were offered by Senator Lott but the media and the Democrats drove him out of office.

What’s different this time? Nothing! What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. This is clearly a double standard that probably won’t get much play in Congress or in the liberal media. And, you watch; the Democrats will protect their own and no consequences will be forthcoming. Already, many of the Democrats are rejecting calls for Reid’s resignation. This gives me heartburn!

And, watch most Republicans give him a pass as well. Why in the world do the Republicans always seem to “fold” on these kinds of issues and the Democrats always seem to “push the envelope” and bully the Republicans out of office or get what they want. This goes back years and years and does not matter whether they are in the majority or not!

I agree with Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee when he said, “Oh, yeah. There is a big double standard here.” He continued: “When Democrats get caught saying racist things, you know, an apology is enough.” He concluded by saying that if a Republican had made the same comment as Reid did, he (Steele) and the Democrat party “would be screaming for his head very much like they were with Trent Lott.”

I don’t know what the outcome will ultimately be, but my chips are on two things.

First, Reid will never step down from anything voluntarily. And, second, he is, in all likelihood going to be defeated in the November election and will be staying home in Nevada come January 2011.

We can only hope…..

Only Profiling Will Work on the War on Terror

2010-01-21T05:36:00.002-08:00

We Americans must face the fact that there is a War on Terror now being waged IN this country! For over 200 years we fought wars on foreign soil, so it was those countries’ problem and we were fat, dumb and happy here in the U.S. not very concerned about the death and destruction happening in other parts of the world.

So, now that we have terrorists within our borders and getting in the country via airlines and airports, what do we do? The political correct thing to do would be to be nice, say the right things, be complacent and suck on a lollypop.

That will not work. Political correctness in all aspects of our lives sickens me and has ruined our ability to govern, protect and preserve the freedoms we are guaranteed under our sacred Constitution. Our current elected leaders only seem to be concerned about all these groups “feelings” and not how it affects the 300 million Americans living legally in this country.

And, all sides of the aisle are guilty; Republican, Democrat, Independent, Etc.

Therefore, political correctness will not work in the War on Terror.

Profiling is essential in our effort to protect our citizens.

Profiling must be approached in a couple of ways to be effective. We are not talking here about racial profiling alone. This is also about behavior of individuals who exhibit activities that 90% of past terrorists have exhibited as they destroyed lives and impacted families, communities and countries.

It just so happens that this 90% are from the Middle East, is Muslim or has Muslim names. So, let’s go with the odds. If 90% fit this profile, then, “profile” them! What’s the safety of this country worth? What’s the value we place on one life?

As Speaker Newt Gingrich stated recently, “it is time to know about would-be terrorists, to profile for terrorists and to actively discriminate based on suspicious terrorist information. We know our opponents are radical extremists of the irreconcilable wing of Islam (Islamists, some would call them).”

It’s time we understand we are at war with terrorists organizations that have infiltrated our borders, recruited our own citizens, wear the same clothes we wear, many work beside us that we don’t even know about (Fort Hood—remember that one or have we already blown that off?). They have no ethics, morals and have in effect renounced their American citizenship. Behavioral profiling must be employed on actions and activities that emulate the 90% as these folks represent the other 10% of the equation.

Finally, I reiterate that we have to remember that almost every attack, if not every attack on a commercial airliner and most attacks or attempted attacks on, and in the United States, has been committed by foreign-born Muslim men. And, as Ann Coulter stated, “they have the same hair color, eye color and skin color. Half of them have been named Mohammed.”

It’s very clear. To protect this country, we must employee both forms of profiling. Each has its place in this war. Each has its place in the protection of you, me and our children—our future.

One final point: If we “run into” these guys on an airline or “on the street” or anywhere for that matter and we know they are trying to kill us, let’s deal with it like this—Kill them before they kill us!

Run the Rats into the Light of Day!

2010-01-21T05:36:00.001-08:00

The CSPAN lies by the President and the Pelosi-Reid two-step is anything but transparent

Have you ever seen such an act of disrespect for you and the citizens of America? If you are not aware of what I am talking about, shame on you! We as Americans better be paying attention and educating ourselves to the fact we are in deep, deep trouble when our leaders go behind closed doors to “work out” and reconcile two healthcare bills that are, at best, an abomination (yes, and also an “Obamanation” as well).

This closed door approval of the most important social takeover of our freedom, of our generation and future generations’ borders on criminal. I would almost even categorize it as an act of treason and they should be kicked to the curb in handcuffs! Hey, maybe this would be an appropriate use of Gitmo after the terrorists leave. We could classify the Democrats in Congress as the new American terrorists.

Let me explain. A lot of this “reconciliation” of the bills approved by the House and the Senate will actually be no reconciliation at all. The Senate had so much trouble getting their 60 votes and only after breaking arms and legs and committing unconscionable acts of corruption that the governors of most states are upset about as it will increase the cost of Medicaid exponentially over time.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) expressed it best when he compared the healthcare bill to “the bridge to nowhere” when he called it “the healthcare bill to nowhere”. As an example, the State of Georgia is looking at a potential increase in Medicaid spending of $1.5 Billion per year!

Where’s the money coming from to pay for this federal mandate to all the states? Take a guess my fellow citizens! Your pocket and mine through higher and higher taxes, less and less coverage and fewer people being able to be served. It is totally wrong-headed!

Now, we come to the whole transparency issue. During the campaign for President, our weak and bumbling socialist President lied at least 8 times to the American people about how CSPAN would be able to be in the conference committee room when the discussions were held. Queen Nancy (Pelosi) says that isn’t going to happen.

So, if the President wants to come to the plate and do what he said he would do, he will tell “Her Majesty” that his will, WILL be done. If, that is indeed “his will”. After all, Mr. Obama made it clear that “one of my first jobs as President will be to guide this (healthcare) process”.

So, guide the process Mr. President, so that we have the access and the time we need to digest and see this bill as it really is; a major league, rabid “dog” of a bill that will bite us for years to come!

I would like to offer a prediction. There will be no Conference Committee action. The House will take the Senate bill, absent any Republican input as a committee would afford, tweak it to fit enough of the House members to pass and avoid the committee altogether. Again, this is being done behind closed doors, not in the light of day.

I say, get the rats out of the dark. Cut on the lights, Mr. President! Let’s get the arrogant rats in Congress out of their corners and dealing ethically, morally and legally with the American people. This sleaze has to stop!

We Lose Again! - Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae Fail for a Second Time

2010-01-21T05:35:00.002-08:00

There is no way you will believe this. Remember just a short year ago when Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were deemed to be in really, really sad shape? They had been gifted homes with little or no money up front and homebuyers really didn’t have to have much of a job or any job at all to qualify. Those were the “good ole days” weren’t they?

Well, after hundreds of billions of taxpayer bailout money being poured into the two institutions to cover mega losses, we could breathe a sigh of relief. Or, so we thought.

Enter the U. S. Treasury. On Christmas Eve, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Treasury lifted the $400 billion cap on possible losses for Fannie and Freddie and took the caps off of what the failed institutions can borrow.

WHY? Why are we continuing to fund companies that only know how to lose money? Well, the infinite wisdom of the Obama Administration mandated, or should I say directed, the two groups to modify billions of dollars of mortgages to avoid foreclosures. You see, Obama simply wants to make the numbers look better. It isn’t about you and me as citizens/taxpayers; it’s about him and his inability to govern.

We are now subject to unlimited bailouts for Fannie and Freddie based on the way the scam was structured and scandalously managed before the end of the year. Now that the companies have a negative net worth, as the WSJ reports, they are forced into receivership, which means they will have to be wound down as viable companies.

Additionally, the unlimited bailouts will mean that the Treasury will be able to continue their role in housing finance and thus aid the Democratic majority when it comes to election time.

Now, lets add insult to injury to the American, hardworking (if you have a job), taxpaying worker!

The CEO’s of both Fannie and Freddie are receiving super raises and will receive around $6,000,000 each annually!! Unconscionable, sick, ridiculous!!

And, all that money when the combined losses in both organizations totaled $24 Billion in losses!! Any CEO with that kind of performance would be fired! Lets top that off with Freddie’s Human Resources Manager receiving total compensation of $2.7 Million on an annual basis! Go figure how this happens.

This foolishness and robbery of the American people has gone far enough. It’s time for all of us to speak up with our votes and our voices!!

“American Capitalism Gone with a Whimper”……

2010-01-21T05:35:00.001-08:00

Russian Newspaper (PRAVDA): “American Capitalism Gone with a Whimper”……

This article, written back in May 2009, just came to my attention a couple of days ago. Have you heard any mention of it in the American Media? Let me know if you have.

Let me quote for you the first paragraph: “…like the breaking of a great dam, the American descent into Marxism is happening with breath-taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear people, I meant people.”

Sheep as you know are not the smartest animals in the world. This journalist is comparing you and me to sheep; not caring, just following the leader off the cliff. I am telling you this is not a good place for our country to be. Russia and probably other countries are looking at us and saying “we have defeated the capitalist American pigs” which, cannot be reversed by our naïve President Barack H. Obama. He is a weak President and seemingly scared of his own shadow and not confident to make tough decisions.

The article goes on to list three reasons for the fall of the American Capitalist Empire.

First, the population was “dumbed down” through our substandard education system. Oh, how true this is. The U. S. education system is woefully inadequate and has an inferior ranking among other developed nations. How’s that working for your kids and the future of our country?

Next, the article describes that our faith in God has been destroyed saying our Sunday activities are little more than circuses. It describes Christians as believers that are willing to do whatever it takes, including rejecting Christ to obtain earthly power.

Third, it says the final collapse of American Capitalism has come with the election of Barack Obama. Wow! And, I quote: “His speed over the past three months (remember, this was written back in April 2009, so now it has been the speed over the past twelve months) has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been record setting, not just in America, but in the world.”

What an indictment on us, the American people. We have not held our leaders accountable. We are allowing them to ruin this republic, and in short order, I might add. The slippery slope has become a steep cliff. Personally, I refuse to be a sheep that walks off the cliff with our inept leadership. What about you?

Is this what you want for our great country?

Is this the change you bargained for if you were/are a Barack Obama supporter?

Check the article out using the link below:

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/107459-american_capitalism-0

The REAL Problem with Our Healthcare System

2010-01-21T05:33:00.001-08:00

The Need for Tort Reform and the Greed of Insurance Companies

It is apparent to me that the time has come to recognize what the real issues are with our healthcare system. Yes, we do need reform, but not everlasting, eternal government intervention and control through a public option or single payer system. A government takeover of the system and one-sixth of the U. S. economy is only a ploy by this administration and Democrat/Liberal Congress to control our lives economically, socially and medically.

The problem can be boiled down to medical tort reform and Insurance Company greed.

These two issues alone could fix a majority of the problems in the system.

Medical tort reform has cost Americans billions of dollars per year. The latest numbers I could find related to this are from 2007 when medical lawsuits cost $30.4 billion. If we had reasonable, limits (not to exceed $200,000) on what could be awarded by the courts or awarded in an out-of-court settlement, we could reduce the cost of malpractice insurance and doctors would feel much better about not running many tests, some of which are certainly redundant.

This legislation clearly can be handled through federal legislation in each state via a Congressional mandate that it be done. We should also consider setting up medical courts with special judges to help lower the cost of claims. These courts would not be a place for medical providers to receive preferential treatment, but would be more of an arbitration court system to keep the cost of medical malpractice insurance lower.

The greedy insurance industry tries to find every way possible not to pay our legitimate claims, even after the maximum out-of-pocket costs have been paid by the patient. Part of the problem is the fact that insurance companies do not have to compete nationally for your business. They compete within the state where you reside.

This could be resolved by allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines. This would bring price competitiveness to the marketplace and we, as the policyholders, would demand service excellence and those insurance providers do what they say they will do. Or, we’ll just move to another company through a legislated “portability option”.

Other than these two main issues, WE DO NOT NEED THE GOVERNMENT CONTROLLING OUR HEALTHCARE! Government has never run anything efficiently and public healthcare has only been a negative experience in other countries…just look at the quality and level of care in those countries. You decide. It’s your future and the future of your children that’s at stake!

Is America Too Big to Fail?

2010-01-21T05:23:00.000-08:00

Is America on the brink of bankruptcy or can we continue to borrow ourselves into oblivion?

The healthcare bill, cap and tax (I mean cap and trade) and other irresponsible mandates, giveaway programs are leading down a one way road that is only a dead-end path to self destruction. Medicare, social security and other government-run programs are already doomed and are out of money.

It is apparent, for example, that the current healthcare bill being rammed down our throats is not in the best interests of the American people. The latest Rasmussen Poll found that 57% of Americans say do not pass any healthcare bill, 34% say to pass a bill and 9% are not sure what to do.

The bills being proposed are a joke. And the joke is on US! It's all but a criminal act being perpetrated on all of us. Senator Reid is buying votes which tells us it's a bad deal if their own party can't buy into it without being bought. It borders on outright corruption and these loony politicians need to be impeached and ousted from office NOW, or not re-elected for sure.

Come on, America! This is a flawed bill. It will cripple America. It will cause job losses. It affects one-sixth of our economy. It will cause a loss of benefits in the long run. And, it won't save and/or reduce costs.

Have you EVER seen a government-run program that works like it should or costs what they say it will? Of course not! And, this irresponsible "change" is no exception. Let's scrap it and start over with what makes sense...tort reform, maybe?

What do you think? Are we too big to fail? What can we do? What do we need to do?

Pork Package Supreme

2010-01-21T05:21:00.000-08:00

America has now achieved the ultimate...a $787 billion stimulus bill that has become worthless except for the billions in earmarks. Thus, I have dubbed the bill "Pork Package Supreme". We were told we had to pass this bill early in President Obama's reign or the economy would implode along with a total collapse of our financial system.

We were also told by our academic, inexperienced, left-wing radical, socialist President that we had to do it to keep the unemployment rate at or below 8%. Unemployment is reported by the government to be at 10%, although the real rate is more like 17% to 17.5% due to those who are not reported by our illustrious federal government for one reason or another.

The pork in the bill is unconscionable. And, we have spent less than 50% of the money. The economy is not jump-starting. We have not seen three million jobs created. In fact, we continue to have a net loss of jobs.
Samplings of the projects we should be ashamed of and hacked off about include:

$50,000 for tennis courts
$250,000 to rehabilitate a laundry mat
$10,000,000 for the Washington Zoo

This is the worst waste of taxpayers’ money in decades! The above are just a few of the thousands of pork projects our wasteful elected officials have approved for their selfish, self-serving desires and have, in effect, stolen from you, the hard-working (if you have a job) citizens of this great country!

And to top it off, one state even hired a person with stimulus funds ($40,000 salary) just to CHASE DOWN stimulus money.

Finally, let’s top it off with the fact that Congress and the President are both talking about a second stimulus bill to get jobs moving. It won't work. Leave the economy alone and let capitalism run its course! This group of incompetent leaders (if you can call them leaders) have approved using $155 billion of the TARP money for a jobs program that is touted as stimulus to get the unemployment rate down to a more acceptable level.
It's time to do something, America. We better wake up! The pigs and hogs are alive and well!