Advice for Republicans

There does not seem to be a front runner for the Republican nomination at this point. I would advise them to consider this:

When a clear winner seems to be emergining, take some positive steps to unite the ticket. This most likely can not happen until after the early primaries. When a clear leader emerges, that person should reach out to the other candidates. He, or she, should talk to the others in the race and ask them to be a part of their administration.

If Herman Cain is not the front runner, he should be asked to run as Vice President. This would defuse the race issue. I hate to admit it, but I believe a large number of African Americans will vote for Obama because of his race. With Cain on the ballot they may be comfortable voting for the Republican Ticket.

Others in the race are intelligent people. I believe that Michele Backmann and Ron Paul should be part of the administration. If the leader were to recruit some of these people, and announce that they have agreed to be part of a New Administration I think they will win.

With these divergent ideas about government cabinet meetings might bring forth divergent views. This is good! I don’t think a good leader wants people who are “yes men” as his advisors.

Of course none of this can happen yet, but I believe this would be a very smart move. It could unite the Nation to get behind a winning ticket.

Stan Elrod

Charlotte, NC

Why Has Obama been unsuccessful?

The answer is simple. The problem is the fault of the Republicans, Big Oil, The Wealthy and their corporate jets, and let’s not forget George Bush.

Why has he insisted on passing, and signing The Affordable Care Act, and then give over 1,400 waivers to the bill. No one can make a case that this bill will reduce health care cost. It only adds more people, at government expense, and adds 16,000 IRS agents to enforce it. When Thomas Edison repeatly came up short in his quest to create a working light bulb, he contended that he had not failed, but rather found 10,000 ways that did not work. In his quest to fix the economy, Obama has found one way that does not work and seems to be determined to try it 10,000 times.

It will be interesting to see Obama’s plan that he will outline on Thursday night. I do not hold out much hope that he will make any changes that will correct our problems.

I would suggest that he propose some of these to solve the problem:

Get off the back of “Big Oil” and encourage drilling here at home to solve our energy needs, and create jobs.

Take a firm stand with China. Make them stop manipulating their currency to give them an unfair edge in global trade, and create jobs.

Stop most of the Foreign Aid. As an example, we are building schools in Afghanistan and they blow them up as soon as they are built. We can not get schools built here at home! Build at home and create jobs.

Stop illegal immigration. Obama seems determined to give those here illegally the right to stay here and vote. Can anyone fail to see this is a ploy to gain votes for his reelection. He has opposed the Arizona law to deport illegal’s.

He is opposed to the Boeing Plant in Charleston to appease his Union Supporters. He seems to be more interested in Organized Labor than jobs. If he is successful in this endeavor, I would not blame Boeing for moving the operation overseas. Of course that would only decrease our economy and jobs.

Can Obama not see that almost everything he has tried since he took office has failed. Unemployment is at 9.1% and that is only the tip of the iceberg. This does not include those working part time because they cannot get full time employment. I hope he will have some fresh ideas for his address to Congress on Thursday. If he does not, we may be set for a double dip recession.

Stan Elrod,

Charlotte, NC

THERE IS NO AUGUST 2 DEADLINE!

There is no August 2 deadline for economic disaster if the debt ceiling is not raised by that date. That date was taken out of thin air by Treasury Secretary Tim Geitner. There is no accounting data that anyone can point to support his claim.

Obama threatens to not pay the military and senior citizens. This is all a threat and not true. The government still has income. Have you paid your taxes this year? Of course you have and who collects that tax? The federal government. They are only trying to frighten us to go along with them to spend more money. The latest income numbers estimate that the government expects to take in about $173 Billion in August. The interest on the debt is about $29 Billion. We can pay our bills! It is just that the Democrats, and Congress, will not be able to spend everything they want. What does every household in the country do when the money runs out? Cut spending.

‘It is the Republicans fault and we should blame George Bush.’ The truth is that it has been Obama that has forced the government to borrow more money in the past two years than any other president did in the prior eight years.

It is the responsibility of the President to present a budget every year. He has not been able to pass a budget in over a year. There is a law, Section 7 of public law 95-435, that states “Beginning with fiscal year 1981, the total budget outlays of the Federal Government shall not exceed it’s receipts.” It has been the law of the land and has not been repealed. Of course it has not been obeyed either.

Obama keeps harping on needing to tax the rich. He insist that “Congress has run up the credit card”. It is Obama that has insisted on all this spending. The government bean counters say that if the debt ceiling is not raised, we will not be able to pay 44% of our bills next month. That would be great! We would have to cut spending because they do not have the funds. Look at all the expenses of the government and cut a great deal of them. What would happen if we cut the Energy Department, Commerce Department, Interior Department, and others? I would think that we would soon realize that we can get along without them. Get out of the way and let the American people do what they do best, out produce the rest of the world.

If the bloated bureaucracy were to shut down, what would happen? Ask some of our “old-timers” what happened after World War II. We had millions of soldiers returning home. We had been making supplies for the war and we had to change. These people turned their attention to making consumer goods and the nation was prosperous for decades. The same would happen today if the bureaucracy was drastically reduced.

All that Obama, and most of the Democrats, are interested in is to kick this spending issue down the road until after the elections. This is pure politics and not for the good of the country. Next they resist a solution to postpone the decision until December with the argument that it will spoil Christmas.

Obama is not a leader! We need to work to replace him next November. We can not afford to have him in control for another four years. Without the pressure of reelection, he will take this nation down the road to destruction. We should let our leaders know that they need to draw the line on spending. Stand up for what is best for the country and stop the spending binge.

PRAY FOR AMERICA!

OBAMA BLAMES EVERYONE

Obama made the following statement today after meeting with leaders in congress. The White House said, "Congress should refrain from playing reckless political games with our economy. Instead, it should be responsible and do its job, avoiding default and cutting the deficit." The statement renewed Obama's insistence that any agreement should tide the government over until after the 2012 elections, to avoid a rerun of the debt dispute in the heat of the campaign.

He wants to postpone any solution until after the election so that he will not have to answer to the American people. He is still playing political games and blaming everyone but himself. If he is serious about cutting spending, he can cooperate with the congressional leaders. The problem is that he is not serious. He is only looking for the political advantage.

It is absurd to think that the government can not work within a budget with less spending. In Obama’s time in office he has run up our debt more than any previous administration. No one in Congress seems to have the guts to tell the American people that we must cut some programs in order to correct the reckless spending binge we have had with Obama.

I hope that the members of congress will not fall for his threats of no pay for the Military or Social Security payments. Here again is a list of possible cuts that can be made:

· Eliminate the Department of Energy.

· Eliminate the Department of Education. (This should be done at the State Level.)

· Cut Government employees back to a 4 day work week with commensurate cuts in pay until we are over this crisis.

· Bring most of our troops home. We do not, and should not, be the world ‘s policemen.

· Cut foreign aid to most countries.

These are but a few. Our message to Congress should be “Work it Out”.

We should get our house in order or our nation will not survive. It is time to get serious. Time to call Obama’s Bluff.

Stan Elrod

Charlotte, NC

HOW DARE THE REBUBLICIANS DO THIS!

How can Republicans not agree to break their campaign promises and raise taxes when the jobless rate is 9.2% and Obama’s economic plan is in jeopardy? Obama is saying that he will reform the tax code if he gets a $1 Trillion tax increase. If the Republicans fall for this they should all be voted out of office.

Obama is asking for the right to raise the debt ceiling on his own. This is a total disaster in the making. If the Congress gives him the right to do this, they will have given up their control over all spending. Obama can not be trusted to keep his word and if the Republicans fall for this they should all go.

Keep in mind that Obama has signed into law large Tax Increases. The Bush tax cuts will expire in 2012. His Affordable Care Act, Obama care, will slow the economy and raise unemployment. In 2013 Medicare Tax will increase an additional 0.9%. The new Health Care Law will in include a 2.9% tax on investment income including dividends, interest income, and capital gains.

Obama has singled out “Fat Cats” corporate aircraft. He does not consider that most private aircraft are flown into smaller airports without commercial service. Remember several years ago when an extra tax was put on Boats and Yacht’s? Very little revenue came from that, but the Boat industry all but left the United States to build abroad. This only drove the industry to other countries. A similar attack on Corporate Aircraft will only cause the aircraft manufacturers’ to move elsewhere. We manufacture more private aircraft here in the United States than anywhere else. To attack them is a good way to loose this manufacturing to other countries. Again the short slightness of Obama.

Remember how the Alternative Minimum Tax was to apply only to a handful of millionaires? This has cost American taxpayers almost $210 Billion. Another Tax increase was raising the allowable medical deduction floor from 7.5% to 10%.

Remember that in 2014 a new annual fee on Health Insurance Providers will increase about $60 Billion. This will only be passed along to customers as higher health care cost.

I think it is time to stop Obama. Call His Bluff! The threat not to pay social security and the military is simply a scare tactic. I only can hope the Republicans, and a few sensible Democrats, see his lack of planning will only make our problems worse.

The actions of the people in Congress recently makes a good case for Term Limits!

Stan Elrod

Charlotte, NC

He is at it again!

Obama walked out of the debt limit talks yesterday with no agreement. He pushed his chair back and walked out of the room. He seems to believe that he can do anything with this country that he wants.

He is saying that Social Security checks will not be sent if he does not get his tax increases. He also says that the military will not receive pay checks. This is all a bluff! The government still has revenue coming in that will more than cover these items. The government collects about $200 Billion per month in taxes and other revenue. It borrows another $130 Billion each month, money it will have to live without. The interest on the debt is about $2.5 Billion per month.

It seems that those in Washington do not want, or will not, cut spending in order to avoid raising the debt limit. It would be a simple matter to cut some expenses in order to pay Social Security and the military. I can think of a few: Cut government back to a 4 day work week with cuts in their pay. They are working for us, not us for them! Stop paying foreign aid for a time. Close some military bases overseas and bring the troops home. Shut down the Energy Department. It was started to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and since it was started we have increased our foreign oil imports. Bring every spending item in the present budget back for review. There are Billions that can be saved.

I am beginning to loose faith in our elected officials. Why they let Obama bully them into going against what most Americans want is something that I do not understand. It is time to draw a line in the sand and stand up to this bully!

There are ways to solve the debt problem without raising the debt ceiling. To do that will only make the problem worse. We are in this mess because our elected officials have spent more than we take in. I can’t make that work at my house, Can you?

Stan Elrod

Charlotte, NC

THE NEW HAMPSHIRE DEBATE

The New Hampshire debate is over. It was less of a debate and more of a “powder puff” throwing contest. Romney was eager to make a good first impression. None of the others dwelt on his Massachusetts health care that was the blueprint for Obama Care. Romney, as well as the others, spent time pointing out the short comings of Obama.

Tim Pawlenty did not press the issue of Obama Care. He is the one who coined the term “Obamneycare. “ He missed his chance to make the point that he could present a better alternative.

Michele Bachman announced that she had filed official paper work to get in the race. She did make the statement, “I will not rest until I repeal Obama Care.”

Herman Cain was the clear winner in the South Carolina Debate, but only held his own last night. I expected more from him.

Rick Santorum has critized his rivals in the past, but last night chose to “toot his own horn”, instead of going on the attack.

Newt Gingrich did little to redeem himself. Maybe it is time for him to pull out of the race. He could play a critical part as part of a Republican administration, but I don’t think he could win against Obama. He missed his chance to come across as a fresh candidate with new ideas.

Howard Cain proclaimed that “I am not a politician”. He lacks a voting record that others can pick apart. This may be good for him.

Ron Paul, the congressman from Texas came across as a fringe candidate.

All in all it was interesting, but there seemed to be no clear winner. We will wait and see.

Stan Elrod