Stop Spending Now

I do not suggest that cutting the budget is the only "way to prosperity", but it is impossible to create a deficit if you do not spend more than the revenue you take in.  Stop Spending, Stop Growing the Government!

Government is a necessary evil and should be restrained to a minimum, because the more you allow it to have, the more it wants and takes.

Government, both state and federal needs to stand down from it’s involvement in our society.  It is not needed at the current level.

The idea for taking more money/property from others to progress this country to a vision of utopia is understandable, but misguided and unrealistic. The statist will never have enough of other people’s property as they attempt to have the government responsible for fixing every real or imagined societal ill.   Everything we buy, has all or some of the below mentioned taxes added onto its price. Widgets are made in a factory somewhere, employing people whose wages are taxed. That factory pays fuel taxes, property taxes, ad nauseam… which go into the price of all the widgets. Food and manufactured goods of all kinds have the makers' taxes included in their prices. A loaf of bread bought in a grocery store or bakery has property taxes for the farmer, bakery, garage for the delivery trucks, oil refinery, truck factory, tire factory, and the factories for every single part in the truck, tractor, and various pieces of machinery that go into making and delivering the bread. There are taxes on the property and workers for the milling of the flour, egg producer, maker of yeast, milk, wrappers, slicers, ovens, and even the printers who print the wrappers, and ink that goes into them. All these factories, shippers, farmers, stores, etc. have labor and property taxes to pay as well as telephone, fuel, and a host of other taxes, all of which add to the cost of that loaf of bread, (approx. 150 different taxes levied on the bread.) One economist 40 years ago said that a $1.00 loaf of bread had $.95 in taxes. 

Of course, you also may pay your own taxes.  Federal personal income tax of 17% (2011 est. - 18.2%.)  This is only true if you are not part of the 47% of all federal tax filers that Do Not Pay One cent in taxes.   State & local income taxes 10.1% (2009 - 10.6%)  State taxes range from under 6% to over 12%. Local taxes run from zero to 2.75%. Sales tax 9.7% (2009 - 10.3%)  Figure is the average rate. State sales taxes range up to 8% and local taxes run from zero to over 5%.  Social security & Medicaid 7.65% but total rate is actually 15.3% since half is paid by the employer, but I’m ignoring that to be kind. Federal corporate income tax share 3%, this is based on corporate taxes being approximately 1/6 of personal taxes, and that they are paid by individuals in the final analysis. Property tax 2.5% (2007 - 2.7%)  Yearly average actual costs range from under $200 in Alaska to almost $1900 in New Jersey. Fuel/gasoline tax .5% (2009 est. - .6%)  Approximately 23% of the 2005 gasoline price is for federal & state taxes. The federal excise tax is 18.4 cents per gallon. Per the CPI, about 6% of the average budget is for transportation, (estimated.). 2010 estimate, $.45 per gallon average. Other 2009 est. - 7%, includes estate tax, fees, licenses, inflation losses, inheritance, deficit allowance, gift, and others too numerous to mention.

Total tax percentage paid by the above average US citizen, 2009 est. - 57+%  (Info from http://nowandfutures.com/taxes.html)

When will enough be enough, what will be enough?  What are the actual limits that you envision for government?

Not a complete List of the taxes that confiscate our wealth for redistribution to others….

Accounts Receivable Tax

Accumulated Earnings Tax

Ad Valorem Tax (includes duties on imported items), also see Property tax 

Alternative Minimum Tax 

Aviation Fuel Tax 

Capital Gains Tax 

Cement and Gypsum Producers License Tax 

Cigarette Tax 

Coal Severance Tax

Coal Gross Proceeds Tax 

Consumer Counsel Tax 

Consumption Tax 

Corporate Income Tax 

Corporation License Tax

Court Fines (revenue from many activities) 

Customs Duty 

Dog License Tax 

Double Tax 

Electrical Energy Producers Tax

Estate Tax, Inheritance 

Federal Income Tax 

Federal Unemployment Tax 

Fishing License Tax 

Food Service License Tax 

Fuel Permit License Tax 

Gas Guzzler Tax 

Gasoline Tax

Generation-skipping Transfer Tax

Gift Tax 

Gross Production Tax

Hospital Facility Utilization Fee Tax 

Hunting License Fee Tax 

Inheritance Tax, see Estate Tax

Inventory Tax 

IRS Interest Charges 

IRS Penalties Tax 

Kiddie Tax 

Land Value Tax 

Liquor License Tax 

Liquor Tax 

Local Tax

Lodging Facility Use Tax 

Luxury Tax 

Marriage License Tax 

Medicare Tax 

Metal Mines Gross Proceeds Tax

Metal Mines License Tax

Miscellaneous Mineral Mines License Tax 

Miscellaneous Mines Net Proceeds Tax 

Nursing Facility Bed Tax 

Oil and Natural Gas Production Tax 

Parking Meter Tax 

Payroll Tax 

Professional PrivilegeTax 

Property Tax 

Proxy Tax 

Public Contractor's Gross Receipts Tax 

Public Service Commission Tax

Public Utility Tax 

Real Estate Tax 

Real Estate Transfer Tax 

Rental Vehicle Sales Tax 

Resort Tax 

Resource Indemnity and Groundwater Assessment Tax 

Retail Telecommunications Excise Tax 

Sales Tax 

School Tax 

Self-Employment Tax 

Septic Permit Tax 

Severance Tax 

Social Security Tax 

State Income Tax 

State Unemployment Tax 

Statewide Emergency Telephone 911 System Fee Tax 

Surtax Tax - Extra tax. 

Tariffs - A tax on imports.

Telephone Federal Excise Tax 

Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

TDD Telecommunications Service Fee Tax 

Tobacco Products Tax (Other than Cigarettes) 

Toll Road Fee Tax 

Toll Bridge Fee Tax 

Toll Tunnel Fee Tax 

Tonnage Tax

Traffic Fines 

Trailer Registration Fee Tax 

Use Tax 

Utility Tax, see Public Utility Tax 

Vehicle Registration and License Tax 

Vehicle Sales Tax 

Watercraft Registration Tax 

Well Permit Tax 

Wholesale Energy Transaction Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

How much is enough?

What are your suggested limits for government?  How much government control and power is enough?

Let’s look at a simple comparison.  

Let’s start with the 1970 federal budget of  $196 Billion, this includes LBJ’s “Great Society” cost of the “War on Poverty”  in recognition of some type of a needed safety net for the less fortunate.

Using the US Labor Board of Statistics CP-Index calculator, that 1970 $196 Billion budget should cost about $1.102 Trillion in 2010 dollars.  However, the budget spent in 2010 was $3.721 Trillion.  That is an increase of over 3.3 times what the cost of our government should be if it had not continued to grow its powers, actions and controls on all of us.

Does anyone really believe that the US Government needed to add $2.619 Trillion dollars worth of governmental functions and cost that it did not already have responsibility for in1970?  ($426 Billion in 1970 dollars.)   Even for those who are pointing out the $100+ Billion a year for the Iraq/Afghanistan war, this is no where near the total massive Trillions of increases in cost we are seeing.

This kind of irresponsible growth of government is not sustainable.  Past CBO reports from early 2010 showed an increase in the public debt from $7.5 Trillion at the end of 2009 to $20.3 Trillion at the end of 2020 if President Obama’s 2011 budget were to be implemented as written.   Public debt is currently over $14.1 Trillion.  Federal Reserve chiefs - the current head, Ben Bernanke, and former Chairman Paul Volcker both have come out and stated it is just not sustainable.  The results will be catastrophic if left unchecked.

Government really does need to downsize.  Let’s get to work and bring back some common sense in our governmental and fiscal affairs.

Preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States?

Obama is at it again and it is all about power.  Over the last two centuries we have had many different kinds of presidents. Some have been rather weak executives while others have welded a lot of power.  But all pale in comparison to the huge amount of power welded by Barack Obama.

When he could not get Congress to pass his ‘cap and tax’ bill, Obama uses the EPA an executive branch agency to change the rules so that the legislative branch could be bypassed. Obamacare has given loads of power to the executive branch. He has repeatedly bypassed the Senate’s power of ‘advice and consent’ by appointing dozens of people who are not advisors but ‘Czars’ who advise the President.

Now Obama has taken it upon himself to declare a LAW PASSED by CONGRESS and signed by President Bill Clinton as unconstitutional.

The Obama administration announced February 3rd that it will no longer defend the federal law that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The decision marks a significant about-face for the Obama Justice Department, which until now had defended the law in court despite President Obama’s misgivings with the policy. The administration’s attorneys as recently as January had filed a court motion in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, which effectively bans recognition of same-sex marriage.

But after two new lawsuits were filed in New York and Connecticut, Obama ordered Attorney General Eric Holder not to defend the statute.

“I fully concur with the president’s determination,” Holder said in a statement, declaring the provision to be “unconstitutional.”

Only the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional, not President Obama, not Attorney General Eric Holder, nor anyone else in the administration. If this decision is allowed to stand, nothing is beyond the power of the president. Obama could declare himself the king and liberals would continue to praise him. This behavior is extremely shortsighted. If a liberal president can abuse the power of the executive branch, then so could a conservative. Our republic further slides into oblivion.

The reason the Constitution defines the presidency as the executive branch is that the president is obligated to execute or carry out laws passed by Congress and signed by Presidents, regardless of their position on the law.  All presidents take an oath "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."  Article II, Section 3 - "...he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed...".   Obama is NOT following the Constitution.  This president is shredding our founding document.

President Obama’s decision not to defend the ‘Defense of Marriage Act’ should not come as a surprise to anyone. After more than two years into the Obama reign, (he must think he is a KING), he has shown little regard for the Constitution or the rule of law. It is SO time for a change. Time and time again the Obama has usurped the constitution to take more and more power. The only question is…what will the United States of America look like in two more years?

Must Make the Tough Choices

America, we have a problem!   In 2010, Federal spending increased to $3.5 trillion in 2010. The US of A is now borrowing 40 cents of every dollar spent. Our national debt currently stands at $14.1 trillion – roughly 70 percent of our economy.

It’s a safe bet that most, if not all of us, do not want to see our income tax rates double. And that we would rather not be forced to adopt a permanently lower standard of living. But this is the reality our nation faces unless Congress begins to make some real “tough choices” and changes the current course on spending.

Collective Bargaining, is it Good or Bad?

Is collective bargaining good or bad? At one time it was a good thing. But as the saying goes, power corrupts... the unions have become the very thing they once fought... corruption with misuse of power...

To quote FDR - "... Meticulous attention should be paid to the special relationships and obligations of public servants to the public itself and to the government. All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations ... The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for ... officials ... to bind the employer ... The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives ...

"Particularly, I want to emphasize my conviction that militant tactics have no place in the functions of any organization of government employees. Upon employees in the federal service rests the obligation to serve the whole people ... This obligation is paramount ... A strike of public employees manifests nothing less than an intent ... to prevent or obstruct ... Government ... Such action, looking toward the paralysis of Government ... is unthinkable and intolerable."

Either the people stand up to these bullying tactics and have their representatives’ do the right thing, even when tough, or we might as well throw the towel in and call it a night. The bill is now due for all the corruption and misuse of public funds! Pay now with some tough choices or lose it all just down the road. The public trough needs to tighten the belt big time.

And just BTW... Wisconsin Democratic legislators = Cowards.  Run away you cowards, that will certainly fix the problems.