Issue 29

12/15/09

What is a trillion dollars? That brand new number we’re throwing around so freely now and most calculators can’t even relate to? Take a one hundred dollar bill. They come in packets of 100 (almost 1/2 inch thick) $10,000. One million dollars would be a stack 4 feet high. One hundred million dollars would measure a cubic yard (3 ft high X 3 ft wide X 3ft deep). That’s a lot of money. One billion dollars = 10 such pallets or 10 cubic yards. A TRILLION is a million million, or 10,000 pallets! That would cover a football field, 3 ft high, with tightly together stacked $100 bills. Actually, that is 1/2 a trillion. Double stack it 6 ft high!! You can’t even see over it! (if one dollar bills - 100 football fields, 6 ft high!)

With this new perspective, consider the fact that this year's federal deficit (more money spent than taxes and revenue brought in) jumped up from a whopping $482 Billion in 2008 to $1.4 Trillion in 2009! Think of that football field stacked over 8 feet high! For just one year! And now Congress wants to boost it to $1.8 Trillion! Bush did much of this, but Obama’s profligate spending plus planned spending takes a terrible deficit to an unbelievable level. He just again said we must “SPEND our way out of this recession!” That must truly inspire our lenders. It took 191 years (1791-1982) to get our National Debt up to $1 Trillion. The 2nd and 3rd Trillion took 4 years each. Bush rang up $4.9 Trillion in 8 years. Obama will beat that easily in 4 years. 1969 was the last year the Federal Gov’t spent less than it brought in - 40 years ago. In 2009 we (Fed Gov’t) spent $383 BILLION just paying INTEREST to the holders of our National Debt! That football field almost 2-1/2 ft high! Those holders are rightfully upset when we just print more money and pay them with those diluted “cheaper” dollars. It’s like watered-down whiskey for the same price. You could get shot for that in the old west. Their investments are worth less. They aren’t likely to loan again. What will we do then? Print more money?

Some tidbits: The U.S. NIH (National Institutes of Health) paid $2.6 Million to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly on the job. The Gov’t Accountability Office (GAO) said nearly HALF of all purchases on Gov’t credit cards are improper, fraudulent or embezzled, including gambling, mortgage payments, internet dating, vacations etc. The (in the red) Postal Service spent $13,500 on one dinner for 81 guests ($167 of food & drink apiece). Federal agencies are delinquent on 20% of employee charge cards costing taxpayers hundreds of millions in penalties annually. The SEC spent $3.9 Mill rearranging desks and offices in D.C.. A South Carolina parts supplier bilked the Pentagon for over $20.5 Mill (over 6 years) in fraudulent shipping costs like $998,798 to send two 19 cent washers to an Army base in Texas! They also paid $455,009 to ship 3 screws at $1.31 each to Marines in Iraq and $293,451 to ship an 89 cent washer to Patrick AFB in Florida! Twin sisters in business found a “flaw in the system.” It doesn’t matter what. 6 years? $68,000 in merchandise - over $20 Mill in shipping! What overseeing! Think there might be others? Over half of all antiquated farm subsidies go to commercial farms averaging over $200,000 income! A GAO audit shows 95 Pentagon weapons systems had a combined $295 Billion in overruns! The refusal of many Gov’t employees to fly “coach” costs us about $146 Mill /year in upgrades! That’s enough asinine tidbits for now (more later) but there were 10,169 earmarks last year PLUS the fraud and abuse. Make those maimed soldiers with missing limbs pay for their own injuries, Obama, to HELP with the Nation’s deficit, those “whining selfish” ingrates. They “volunteered” to go. “Nobody made them” (Obama’s pathetic words). What did YOU do about deficits and Gov't squandering of our money?

Our Gov’t is spending money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. No thought of tomorrow or the consequences. But we all will surely pay with the worst hangover ever experienced and find ourselves not just broke, but in deep debt for many years - maybe irreparably. There is a point you know, where you can’t even pay the interest charges with cash on hand. And we can’t just go to court, file bankruptcy and start over. If that doesn’t scare you with all the upcoming spending on the horizon, you’re in La-La Land and beyond help. Did we have enough fun to justify all this, or just spend stupidly, all we have and all we could borrow? It took over 200 years to bring this Nation’s debt up to $9 Trillion. That is simple accumulation of irresponsible, inexcusable spending (by Congress) of more money than they earned (taxing the people). If Congress had demanded payment from us (the people) on delivery of those “goodies” we would have refused delivery! We are as culpable as they. NOW we (the clear majority and ones PAYING the taxes) want to stop it, but they won’t. The tail is wagging the dog. Congress is maxing out credit cards and applying for more - they are addicted - don’t care what WE want!

Gov’t programs started it off, like Social Security, then Medicare and Medicaid. They got more and more loose and sloppily run, full of fraud and abuse. When you have to pay cash, you are a lot slower to your wallet. When you can “charge it” - well, here we are. If YOU are paying the doctor or hospital yourself, you will demand an accounting for every charge. If someone else (Gov’t - Insurer) is paying - who cares? That is human nature, easy to understand, common sense. If the Gov’t was to give you, or allow you tax free money (whatever sum necessary) for your family’s health care for YOU to deal directly with doctor and hospital, you'll keep them honest. They can’t cheat and neither can crooked patients. Whatever you save or don’t spend from that pool (no foolish running to the doctor for sniffles) can be added to your retirement account. That is incentive, and using human nature for good. Insurance could be purchased from hundreds of companies competing for catastrophic coverage (cancer, etc). This is where Gov’t could possibly help - subsidizing large premiums for those in need. YOU pay extra for obvious liability (smoking, obesity etc) creating incentive to improve your health status. Solutions are not that difficult and don’t take 2000 pages unless you’re purposely hiding something. The Gov’t is there only to give incentives, educate, and subsidize (pay a percentage of) catastrophic or pre-existing conditions for those in financial need - and perhaps oversee a selected panel that decides (fair to all) malpractice awards.

As we get nearer the passage of this sorry health care Bill that will cost us (in recession) a fortune, and give Obama vast control of our personal lives, I remind you of how he bribes influential groups. He gave huge pharmaceuticals his word that they could continue to gouge us (even Gov’t care) on high-priced drugs and he would clamp down on our ability to get them cheaper from Canada. The big drug companies merely had to commit millions to advertising, promoting Gov’t control of health care. Obama got AARP’s support (selling out their own seniors) by assuring them that he would eliminate the popular (meaning cheaper) “Medicare Advantage” plan, forcing seniors to buy AARP’s (and others) more expensive medigap plans. Yeah, he and Pelosi really care about us and health costs! They will then mandate all kinds of things (taking away our rights) in the name of “for the overall good” or “betterment of the Nation’s health” or “to control cost to the taxpayers” that’s denial of care and tests - rationing). 80% of the People and 80% of the Doctors against it? Too bad! We're doing it anyway!

In 1970 the media warned us of the coming “ice age.” The Polar Bear population numbered 500 (until the hunting ban was enacted). And the hypocrite, Al Gore was learning about girls. The same ignorant Gore that says the earth’s core is “millions of degrees,” and the polar ice will be gone in 5 -7 years, among other nonsensical things. His manufactured fear (for profit) went from “Global Warming” to “Climate Change” when facts said we cooled 8 years in a row. The poor Polar Bear numbers are now 2500 and rising (except that one emaciated bear we keep seeing re-run on TV). There is a constant ebb and flow in Nature, but the constant nature of Man is to scam for profit, at least some men! Even to cover up e-mails between scientists revealing the hoax, if they are “inconvenient” truths. Scientists that don’t go along with the agenda don’t get grants or funding - or get fired. The left-leaning, left-owned Media exaggerates or stifles, as necessary to keep the ruse going The scary images they want to leave you with (with guilt of course) is a screaming little girl hanging on for dear life, a sad looking polar bear, or raining polar bears. Lies, with pictures, told and shown over and over somehow become “truth” in time. It is called indoctrination! Obama and his kind are experts. Now, we are being told CO2 (the breath we exhale) is a pollutant - bad for the earth! Will you believe it in time? I thought trees and plants liked and needed it. Copenhagen, where 140 jet planes and 1200 limousines were used said we need to commit $10 TRILLION to green energy. You do know who most of “WE” is, don’t you? Do we start the presses, or maybe tithe 10% of our unemployment compensation to the World Church of Obama? We choose to learn nothing from those that go before us. Spain did a study and learned, for every green job they created, 2.2 jobs were lost -but it will be great for us! California spends like the Fed - they're bankrupt! Massachusetts has a state-run health care plan like the Fed. wants - disaster in 4 years!

If Iran gets nuclear capability it is not only Israel in danger. Suitcase bombs capable of killing 100,000 Americans will come across that open Mexican border to our home-grown terrorists. To think otherwise is naive. Iran hates us, second only to the Jews, and would happily give them to our enemies to use against us. Those people are nuts, treat us like idiots, and still we TALK!

When we talk about Social Security not being there for us when we retire it is because it is being played like a Ponzi Scheme by our politicians. All S.S. payments (taxes) go into an originally designed Trust Fund for later payments, except you can't trust politicians. They "borrow" those funds from the Trust, leaving I.O.U.s (California style) and spend it just as the General Fund. Although, even now, more is coming in than is payed out, it has never been allowed to accumulate as designed. There will never be more in there than their immediate obligations. The rest is paper debt to be rounded up only when needed, from some other imaginative source (print more)? The last ones IN on this Ponzi will have to sue the Gov't - good luck!

Tidbits of a putrid form: Barney Frank wants a couple billion of the returned bank bailout funds to give to the unemployed for their mortgages. The latest wind farm in Texas (green energy - green jobs?) had all its turbines built in China. Prison inmates making 50 cents an hour displaced 80 employees to build solar panels - just like the Communist, Van Jones said would happen. And we’re giving (while destitute) over $5 Billion in treaty reparations to the Indians, like he said. Does he have a secret room in the White House? Michelle Obama has a STAFF of 22 to assist and attend to her every whim. No first lady in history had more than 3 - it explains a lot. If you criticize our president or his policies you are RACIST and bashed by the Media - we have never had that problem before. Harry Reid said those opposed to this health care plan and say, slow down, stop, let’s not go so fast - that was the same things they said when they resisted setting the slaves free. Jessie Jackson said, you can’t be a black man and be against this health care plan. Nancy Pelosi was almost in tears (scared) when she described the “angry” tea party masses (hundreds of thousands) marching in D.C.. No incidents, not even any litter left behind. The Republicans in the Senate have billions of pork in their version of health care too - damn them all! 83% of the stimulus funds sent to Ohio went to democrat districts - 17% to republican. Recovery.gov the watchdog/transparency site, listed jobs created in districts that didn’t even exist. Three of the Navy Seals who captured the animal that shot 4 Americans, then burned dragged and hung them on display, go on trial in NY City for punching him! The top dogs in this administration (including Obama) follow precisely the “Rules for Radicals” precepts of Saul Alinsky AND the outlined program for takeover in a book “Stand up Straight: How Progressives can win” by Robert Creamer (an admitted disciple of Alinsky) - written while in prison. He was at the latest W.H. dinner. David Axelrod, Obama’s top advisor and personal friend says this book is “a blueprint for future victories.” It is a “how to” book on intimidating and scaring people to do what you want. Also explains why it is endorsed by Unions and Andy Stern? Obama said he and the SEIU would “paint the Nation purple” - any doubts? Creamer was tied to ACORN through “Citizen Action Illinois” (there’s that ACORN and Illinois politics again). He was their leader. The FBI was investigating him for bank fraud and tax evasion. He stepped down. In 2006 he was convicted and spent 1 1/2 years in prison where he wrote his book. Note that his wife, US Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois said on video, “A Public Option will put the private insurance industry out of business and lead to Single-Payer.” (applause) “My single-payer friends, he was right!” Obama said on video HE was for Single-payer insurance, "but it might take awhile to get there." Then, while campaigning, he denied ever saying that. It’s on tape, liar! Now they say in the Health Bill that IF the program doesn’t work (but only if) there IS a provision (the “trigger” I warned you about) that it will revert to Public Option - then we’re on their homeward path to Single-payer. All they have to do now is make it NOT work. That’s so easy for Gov’t! But to wind this up, Creamer outlined a 10 point plan to force universal health care on the people (while in prison) that the White House is following to the letter! I can’t give you all the details here, but all the filthy connections between dirty, conniving liars, tax cheats and even criminals emanating from that political cesspool of Illinois are real. Throw in stinking rotten, sleazy ACORN and the SEIU being tight to Obama - and a Media okay with it all and it becomes almost too much to bear in our America. This is disgraceful and disgusting beyond words!

The “Audacity of Power” or RULE by "Bureaucratic Dictatorship" is being hinted at - Strongly! The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has declared carbon dioxide (CO2) dangerous. 6 billion people in the world must be damaging it by breathing. Hold your breath as much as possible? Obama is prodding Congress to act on controlling greenhouse gasses (Cap & Trade). He would prefer he says that they do it legislatively, but if they resist, he will use his rule-making power (the EPA) and MAKE IT LAW - will of the People (and Congress) be damned! But you FORCE him to do it. He doesn’t want to. Just like he didn’t want to take over the Banks and Auto Industry. You just won’t play along. Get used to this rationale. You’ll see it in Health Care too! This is how he will regulate every aspect of our lives - reluctantly, but absolutely. A senior official of the White House told Congress, and I quote, “If you don’t pass this legislation, then... the EPA is going to have to regulate in this area... in a command control way.”

One American’s View. Thanks for listening. Please tell others about my website. Phil Faustman