The election of Barack Obama means that the issue of universal health care will most assuredly be brought up in the next four years. In the second Presidential debate, then-Senator Obama said that health care "should be a right for every American."
(I'm running a scan of my Constitution for this clause. No connection of health care and rights. Same with the Constitutional amendments. Same with the Declaration of Independence.)
Every United States President takes an oath to "...preserve ... the Constitution." Nothing Presidents say, enact, or enforce should be contrary to the Constitution's original meaning; no rights should be added.
Health care, on the other hand, is a privilege that an individual in the United States earns- not an entitlement. The people who agreed with President-elect Obama on this issue should study Canada's health system: universal health care turns from a "right" to a "disaster" rather quickly.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Governor Napolitano Goes to Washington
Janet Napolitano: Secretary of Homeland Security.
As an Arizona constituent: "Oh Yeah!"
As a United States citizen: "What is President-Elect Obama thinking?"
Arizona will now elevate the current Secretary of State, Jan Brewer, to the ninth floor of the capitol. With the legislature firmly in the hands of the GOP, now we can start to cut the size of government in our state, reduce our budget deficit, improve our education system and crack down on our illegal immigration woes - all novel ideas Governor Napolitano did little (or the wrong things) to correct in the six years she served.
Janet previously stated that her priorities included improving "the education of our children, security of our border." She failed in both of these key issues. Recently issued reports stated that:
- Arizona's education system is ranked at the bottom of all fifty states.
- Arizona's illegal immigration population is ranked sixth in the country - by Homeland Security, no less.
The governor came in with a $1Billion deficit, and she'll leave the state on the hook for around the same amount. She was also never able to use her status as the executive of Arizona to the advantage of Democratic legislators. Both the House and Senate remained in control of the Republicans for the six years of Janet's tenure.
All in all, Janet Napolitano's 1.5 terms accomplished little for Arizona. The state will be better off without her decisions, although I fear that the nation will suffer from her inability to improve the agencies she heads.
As an Arizona constituent: "Oh Yeah!"
As a United States citizen: "What is President-Elect Obama thinking?"
Arizona will now elevate the current Secretary of State, Jan Brewer, to the ninth floor of the capitol. With the legislature firmly in the hands of the GOP, now we can start to cut the size of government in our state, reduce our budget deficit, improve our education system and crack down on our illegal immigration woes - all novel ideas Governor Napolitano did little (or the wrong things) to correct in the six years she served.
Janet previously stated that her priorities included improving "the education of our children, security of our border." She failed in both of these key issues. Recently issued reports stated that:
- Arizona's education system is ranked at the bottom of all fifty states.
- Arizona's illegal immigration population is ranked sixth in the country - by Homeland Security, no less.
The governor came in with a $1Billion deficit, and she'll leave the state on the hook for around the same amount. She was also never able to use her status as the executive of Arizona to the advantage of Democratic legislators. Both the House and Senate remained in control of the Republicans for the six years of Janet's tenure.
All in all, Janet Napolitano's 1.5 terms accomplished little for Arizona. The state will be better off without her decisions, although I fear that the nation will suffer from her inability to improve the agencies she heads.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Definition of Marriage: Protected by Arizona
Headlines in Sunday's Arizona Republic read "Rally for Rights," "Marriage Bans Protested."
These were the unbiased starters for an article which handled both sides of the issue very eloquently.
Ok, who was I fooling? The Republic was biased in their reporting of Saturday's Proposition 102 protest. They previously opposed the proposition, writing in one of their October editorials, "Proposition 102 is a needless distraction. Voters should reject it."
Activist Annie Loyd was interviewed at Saturday's protest and stated the following: "I've been gay all my life and a lot of us, we were patiently waiting for people to get it, and now that you're saying (we are) second class citizens in the United States of America in the year 2008 is completely unacceptable."
Prop 102 was not about reducing individuals to second-class status. People with legal status in the United States have the opportunity to achieve success whether or not they are gay.
Prop 102 was not about "rights" for individuals. The constitutional amendment dealt specifically with the definition of marriage: Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. No one's rights were seized.
Prop 102 was not about banning marriage. Marriage was already defined in the Arizona Revised Statutes. However, as we've seen in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut, an activist state court has the power to overturn these laws.
Prop 102 was about taking that power away from state courts. Prop 102 was all about letting the people of Arizona decide if they wanted to protect this definition in the Arizona Constitution. Prop 102 did not outlaw a single choice or right of the people of Arizona.
Prop 102 was passed by a majority of the people. Enough said.
These were the unbiased starters for an article which handled both sides of the issue very eloquently.
Ok, who was I fooling? The Republic was biased in their reporting of Saturday's Proposition 102 protest. They previously opposed the proposition, writing in one of their October editorials, "Proposition 102 is a needless distraction. Voters should reject it."
Activist Annie Loyd was interviewed at Saturday's protest and stated the following: "I've been gay all my life and a lot of us, we were patiently waiting for people to get it, and now that you're saying (we are) second class citizens in the United States of America in the year 2008 is completely unacceptable."
Prop 102 was not about reducing individuals to second-class status. People with legal status in the United States have the opportunity to achieve success whether or not they are gay.
Prop 102 was not about "rights" for individuals. The constitutional amendment dealt specifically with the definition of marriage: Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state. No one's rights were seized.
Prop 102 was not about banning marriage. Marriage was already defined in the Arizona Revised Statutes. However, as we've seen in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut, an activist state court has the power to overturn these laws.
Prop 102 was about taking that power away from state courts. Prop 102 was all about letting the people of Arizona decide if they wanted to protect this definition in the Arizona Constitution. Prop 102 did not outlaw a single choice or right of the people of Arizona.
Prop 102 was passed by a majority of the people. Enough said.
Friday, November 14, 2008
STOP the Bailouts!
Now we know that the $700-billion bailout passed by Congress last month wasn't enough. Government officials want more.
After we heard that the money was going to be given to financial institutions, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen pulled the plug on that plan and decreed that he was going to use the allotted funds to buy "bad" credit and home mortgages. Then the Democrats want to pass yet another bailout for the auto industry. Oh, and then industries all over the country will be racing to see how they can fail before another one does. After all, if the reward for failing is free money, why wouldn't industries attempt to take this route? The executives have nothing to lose; they grab their money before they sink their ship, and then they obtain more money once the government steps into assist them.
Can we end this foolishness? We got to this point because of government interference, and we're getting no better with more government takeovers. What happened to the days of personal responsibility? Personal responsibility in the case of these executives means that they put the good of their company before any bonuses they can extract from staged success. Personal responsibility in the case of home buyers means that they make sure that they can afford the home - long term. Personal responsibility in the case of credit card debtors means that they live within their means. Personal responsibility in the case of college students means that they keep their word to pay back their student loans or else find another avenue to attend an educational institution (scholarships).
If the government let this generation fail because of the poor decisions they have made, yes it would seem like the end of the world would be arriving. However, I surmise that our economic missteps would not repeat themselves. A new generation would be raised up in an era of disaster, resolve to learn from their parents' mistakes, and embrace personal responsibility for years to come.
After we heard that the money was going to be given to financial institutions, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulsen pulled the plug on that plan and decreed that he was going to use the allotted funds to buy "bad" credit and home mortgages. Then the Democrats want to pass yet another bailout for the auto industry. Oh, and then industries all over the country will be racing to see how they can fail before another one does. After all, if the reward for failing is free money, why wouldn't industries attempt to take this route? The executives have nothing to lose; they grab their money before they sink their ship, and then they obtain more money once the government steps into assist them.
Can we end this foolishness? We got to this point because of government interference, and we're getting no better with more government takeovers. What happened to the days of personal responsibility? Personal responsibility in the case of these executives means that they put the good of their company before any bonuses they can extract from staged success. Personal responsibility in the case of home buyers means that they make sure that they can afford the home - long term. Personal responsibility in the case of credit card debtors means that they live within their means. Personal responsibility in the case of college students means that they keep their word to pay back their student loans or else find another avenue to attend an educational institution (scholarships).
If the government let this generation fail because of the poor decisions they have made, yes it would seem like the end of the world would be arriving. However, I surmise that our economic missteps would not repeat themselves. A new generation would be raised up in an era of disaster, resolve to learn from their parents' mistakes, and embrace personal responsibility for years to come.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Late Wrap-Up of the November 4 General Election
I neglected to share my choices for the Arizona propositions on November 4. I will do so now:
Prop 100 - Yes
Prop 101 - Yes
Prop 102 - Yes
Prop 105 - No
Prop 200 - No
Prop 201 - No
Prop 202 - No
Prop 300 - No
I am pleased to report that all but one of the propositions went according to my vote. It was exciting to see Proposition 102 pass. Now the definition of marriage is set in stone; no state court can touch the constitutional amendment.
Congressman Trent Franks also handedly defeated his Democrat opponent, as did Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. These men stand firm for what they believe in, and when they promise their constituents something, they deliver.
Also, my friend Steve Montenegro won his state house race in Legislative District 12! He definitely deserved the nod from the people, and his conservative principles will make his constituents proud.
Let's pray now that Governor Janet Napolitano leaves to take a cabinet position in Barack Obama's administration. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer would then become the governor of Arizona.
Prop 100 - Yes
Prop 101 - Yes
Prop 102 - Yes
Prop 105 - No
Prop 200 - No
Prop 201 - No
Prop 202 - No
Prop 300 - No
I am pleased to report that all but one of the propositions went according to my vote. It was exciting to see Proposition 102 pass. Now the definition of marriage is set in stone; no state court can touch the constitutional amendment.
Congressman Trent Franks also handedly defeated his Democrat opponent, as did Sheriff Joe Arpaio and Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas. These men stand firm for what they believe in, and when they promise their constituents something, they deliver.
Also, my friend Steve Montenegro won his state house race in Legislative District 12! He definitely deserved the nod from the people, and his conservative principles will make his constituents proud.
Let's pray now that Governor Janet Napolitano leaves to take a cabinet position in Barack Obama's administration. Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer would then become the governor of Arizona.
A Conservative's Petition to President-Elect Obama
I'm not going to complain about President-Elect Barack Obama's rise to the highest office in the land. He earned it; the people spoke, and according to the provisions of our founding document, that's good enough for me.
You see, there are two major parties in the country: Republican and Democrat. Each party deeply believes that they have the correct vision for the United States; most in government truly loves their country at all times.
This country suffered a resounding split in the Presidential election of 2000. Instead of putting partisan politics aside, hard-core liberals decided that an election and recount was not enough in Florida, and that Al Gore should have been elected as the 43rd President. As a result President Bush was seen by many as "elected by the Conservative-leaning US Supreme Court" instead of "elected by the people."
I always put my country first. The attitude expressed by the left over the past eight years towards President George W. Bush was despicable and showed that their agenda meant more than healing the country. I'm not going to throw a fit because my candidate did not reach office; I'm going to call Mr. Obama "my President" and respect him all throughout his term(s) in the White House.
However, I share completely different views than those stated by President-Elect Obama. I have the right, the liberty to protest when Mr. Obama runs astray from what I think is good for the country, and I will be one of the first in line to thank him when our country benefits from one of his decisions.
Senator Obama harped on the economy for much of the campaign season following his upset victory over Senator Clinton. I believe that because of national circumstances, this did not allow the American people to truly examine his stances on many of the issues facing us today. That all aside, here's what I would/would not want to see from our new President.
- A Matter of Liberty (I believe that the following issues are non-negotiable; the correct stance on these matters protects our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)
- Abortion: turn this issue over to the states. Stop all federal funding of this practice
- Marriage: Do not involve the federal government in deciding the definition of marriage. A federal mandate would unfortunately reverse what the people have already decided via the rout of their state constitution.
- The "Fairness Doctrine": Leave free speech alone. Some government officials are salivating at the looming opportunity to re-enact the "Fairness Doctrine." This would stifle fair and balanced stations who contact air broadcasts to hosts who actually draw a profitable following.
- Money: Do not "spread the wealth around!" My money should not go to another financial class of people just so everyone is on an equal footing. Successful individuals work extremely hard for their wealth - it's their wealth, not their neighbor's. I'm very generous to other people, but my generosity is initiated on my initiative. My initiative to assist other people would decrease as the federal government does the work for me. Also, as a rule, I help people who have a desire to help themselves. Our government must stop giving taxpayer-funded bailout to failed institutions. If an institution has failed, then they must fall - no matter the circumstances. Lessons are only learned when a hard fall is taken. Any more proposed bailouts to the banking or auto industries must be nipped in the bud.
- Military/National Defense: Protect any threats to our liberties, whether domestically or internationally. Do not decrease the power of our liberty, and do not carry out the idea of creating a "national civilian militia," which immediately took me back to the times of the Gestapo (Nazi Germany) and the KGB (Communist Russia).
- Health Care: Health care is not a right. Don't make it one. Universal health care is funded by the taxpayer, and again, I do not want to pay for another person's coverage. If the people can't afford it, or if they don't have a job that provides health care coverage, then too bad. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a huge outcry for coverage; most people have some sort of health insurance.
- United States Sovereignty: The United States needs to avoid any agreements which join us to the United Nations. "We the people" know what's best for our country, not "we the world." A one-world government is horrible for the USA.
- A Matter of Opinion (These issues can be viewed both ways and can change depending on the world view you take.)
- War on Terror: Continue to take the fight to the terrorists. Don't leave Iraq until the generals on the ground approve of Iraq's readiness to handle any conflicts. An American interest has not been attacked since 9/11, so we have to be on the right track in this area. Of course, our offensive involvement in the Middle East does not mean that our nation will never be attack; however, it does keep the terrorists on the defensive and shows our enemies what will happen if they have any part of sponsoring future terrorist attacks.
- Guantanamo Bay: Keep this facility open and keep the terrorists coming. These individuals are terrorists; they are not thieves or arsonists. They do not have the same rights as United States' citizens.
- Torture: Again, we are talking about terrorists who have plans to kills thousands of Americans. Should we humiliate these people? No, but techniques such as water boarding should be used to extract meaningful information from these evil doers.
- Energy: Drill here, drill now! This sentiment is shared by the majority of Americans. We have the oil throughout the country. Let's tap into it and stop opening our country up to the whims of rogue nations who currently distribute the oil.
I want Senator Obama to succeed, not because I believe in his positions, but because I believe in the country that we both serve and love.
You see, there are two major parties in the country: Republican and Democrat. Each party deeply believes that they have the correct vision for the United States; most in government truly loves their country at all times.
This country suffered a resounding split in the Presidential election of 2000. Instead of putting partisan politics aside, hard-core liberals decided that an election and recount was not enough in Florida, and that Al Gore should have been elected as the 43rd President. As a result President Bush was seen by many as "elected by the Conservative-leaning US Supreme Court" instead of "elected by the people."
I always put my country first. The attitude expressed by the left over the past eight years towards President George W. Bush was despicable and showed that their agenda meant more than healing the country. I'm not going to throw a fit because my candidate did not reach office; I'm going to call Mr. Obama "my President" and respect him all throughout his term(s) in the White House.
However, I share completely different views than those stated by President-Elect Obama. I have the right, the liberty to protest when Mr. Obama runs astray from what I think is good for the country, and I will be one of the first in line to thank him when our country benefits from one of his decisions.
Senator Obama harped on the economy for much of the campaign season following his upset victory over Senator Clinton. I believe that because of national circumstances, this did not allow the American people to truly examine his stances on many of the issues facing us today. That all aside, here's what I would/would not want to see from our new President.
- A Matter of Liberty (I believe that the following issues are non-negotiable; the correct stance on these matters protects our God-given rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.)
- Abortion: turn this issue over to the states. Stop all federal funding of this practice
- Marriage: Do not involve the federal government in deciding the definition of marriage. A federal mandate would unfortunately reverse what the people have already decided via the rout of their state constitution.
- The "Fairness Doctrine": Leave free speech alone. Some government officials are salivating at the looming opportunity to re-enact the "Fairness Doctrine." This would stifle fair and balanced stations who contact air broadcasts to hosts who actually draw a profitable following.
- Money: Do not "spread the wealth around!" My money should not go to another financial class of people just so everyone is on an equal footing. Successful individuals work extremely hard for their wealth - it's their wealth, not their neighbor's. I'm very generous to other people, but my generosity is initiated on my initiative. My initiative to assist other people would decrease as the federal government does the work for me. Also, as a rule, I help people who have a desire to help themselves. Our government must stop giving taxpayer-funded bailout to failed institutions. If an institution has failed, then they must fall - no matter the circumstances. Lessons are only learned when a hard fall is taken. Any more proposed bailouts to the banking or auto industries must be nipped in the bud.
- Military/National Defense: Protect any threats to our liberties, whether domestically or internationally. Do not decrease the power of our liberty, and do not carry out the idea of creating a "national civilian militia," which immediately took me back to the times of the Gestapo (Nazi Germany) and the KGB (Communist Russia).
- Health Care: Health care is not a right. Don't make it one. Universal health care is funded by the taxpayer, and again, I do not want to pay for another person's coverage. If the people can't afford it, or if they don't have a job that provides health care coverage, then too bad. Contrary to popular belief, there is not a huge outcry for coverage; most people have some sort of health insurance.
- United States Sovereignty: The United States needs to avoid any agreements which join us to the United Nations. "We the people" know what's best for our country, not "we the world." A one-world government is horrible for the USA.
- A Matter of Opinion (These issues can be viewed both ways and can change depending on the world view you take.)
- War on Terror: Continue to take the fight to the terrorists. Don't leave Iraq until the generals on the ground approve of Iraq's readiness to handle any conflicts. An American interest has not been attacked since 9/11, so we have to be on the right track in this area. Of course, our offensive involvement in the Middle East does not mean that our nation will never be attack; however, it does keep the terrorists on the defensive and shows our enemies what will happen if they have any part of sponsoring future terrorist attacks.
- Guantanamo Bay: Keep this facility open and keep the terrorists coming. These individuals are terrorists; they are not thieves or arsonists. They do not have the same rights as United States' citizens.
- Torture: Again, we are talking about terrorists who have plans to kills thousands of Americans. Should we humiliate these people? No, but techniques such as water boarding should be used to extract meaningful information from these evil doers.
- Energy: Drill here, drill now! This sentiment is shared by the majority of Americans. We have the oil throughout the country. Let's tap into it and stop opening our country up to the whims of rogue nations who currently distribute the oil.
I want Senator Obama to succeed, not because I believe in his positions, but because I believe in the country that we both serve and love.
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