An email between a friend and me

Infrastructure is an easy solve. First the federal government will provide for national security, as it should based on the US Constitution. Schools should be paid for by the community as they used to be. Actually there is a fair amount of information out there that shows that private schools provide a better education, at a lower cost to student ratio, than government schools do. I really do not think we understand the bureaucracy that exists in schools and the costs associated with that. I believe teachers in general are over paid, I am a big fan of paying teachers well if they deserve it, but if they are crap we should get rid of them. The teachers union has screwed that up totally.

Don't jump all over my last comment about teachers being paid to much. I know of some teachers in our community that are making more money than I do and I have a 4 year degree as well as a professional degree. I work from 7:30 to 5 for 52 weeks a year, and if I have a late night call I do not get to come in late the next morning like the poor teachers do after they stay late for conferences. I do not get snow days, and I pay for my own professional growth. I understand they have work to do when they are not at school, but so do I. It's called reading journals to stay up on things. So I am sick of hearing about the poor teachers, and how they do not get paid enough. When I complain about them making more than me, people shoot back, "you choose your profession." Yes I did and so did they so they should not bitch about making what they would make in a free market.

The infrastructure of roads. I would be okay with the State paying for the highways, but I really think that toll roads are the way to go. That way you pay to use the road. You also have to remember that if the government is not doing all of these things our taxes will be lower, and I don't just mean our income taxes. Sales taxes, property taxes, gas taxes, the whole works will be lower or gone.

As to your point about flooding/natural disasters. The property value of that land will be less/should be less than it currently is. The reason people will put houses in areas that they know may flood, is because they know the government will bail them out. The same is true for farmers planting fields that flood all the time. Either they have not done a risk assessment, or they have decided that the risk of them loosing everything is lower than the possibility of gain. If it isn't they should not be planting the field. People will have to take the increased risk into account when they purchase things such as land and houses. Land that floods will be lower in price etc. I also believe that people will be amazed at the out flowing of support neighbors give. We are already a very generous nation on our own, and that is after we have given at work "taxes". If we have more disposable income then it will be easier for us to help our neighbors. I also believe that the church needs to step this aspect of outreach up. Because the government has taken over doing much of this people have backed off because, on a certain level, why should they help when the government is going to help out?

Remember the overall cost of everything is higher, because companies know people will pay it, because there is some assurance that if trouble happens someone, or something, will step in to pay for it. Much like the cost of healthcare has increased because of third party payers. Since they have deep pockets, companies can charge more, plus companies must charge more to make the same amount when more of what they make is being taken in taxes.

First off I am not a fan of McCain. I do think that Palin would make a good president, because I do not think that she thinks she could do it on her own. She would surround herself with people to help her, and she has the general principles that I think are more important. She has the most EXECUTIVE experience of everyone on the ticket, and it is always different when the buck stops with you than when it stops with a group that you belong to. That is why I think Senators make bad choices for presidential candidates.

Obama is not just going to cause problems for small business, he is going to cause problems for everyone. He is weak on foreign policy. Some of his economic advisors are the same people who voted to prevent regulations on FannyMae and Freddie Mac. He has even consulted the person who ran FannyMae, and found guilty of falsifying financial statements in the organization so he could get bonuses. He had to pay fines and/or give back the bonuses, but the guys at Enron did the same thing and they are in jail. He wants to write a "Second Bill of Rights" that tells us what the government owes us. For instance we all have a right to a job, and a house. That sounds like a little thing they tried in Russia called communism. What makes America great is that we have opportunity to advance ourselves. Everyone does. Why is it that every ethnic group that legally migrates to the US is able to make a good living within a generation or two yet African American's are not? I think the main reason for that is because the government has been paying them to do nothing, and telling them that they can't make it because "the man" is keeping them down. Bull! I am sure that it would be very difficult to make something out of your self if you come from an inner city. The reason being that the education system there sucks, and several people tell you that you can't make it. Clarence Thomas over came a great deal to get where he is but he is vilified by the media instead of celebrated.

An interview Obama had in 2001 when he was in the IL senate has surfaced, and in it he says that the fundamental problem with America is the Constitution because it does not say what the government can do for us. The best thing the government can do for us is to get out of the way and let us succeed.

The movie 300

Just saw this movie this weekend and I was delightfully surprised. There was some totaly unnecessary nudity, and the gore was a little over the top, but the main story was good. The story was based on a true story, at least as much as any hollywood story may be. What I found interesting was the driving force behind the Spartans. It was their freedom! Here were people who were willing to fight, and die, for their freedom, and most of us are to lazy to vote, or contact our officials. I thought this movie could be shown in a civics class to demonstrate how we should view the priveldge that we enjoy of freedom.

Army Navy Surpulus

I work outside during the winter, here in the upper midwest, and at times it can get kind of cold. Since my profession requires a coat that has a zipper in each arm, and there is only one company that makes them to my knowledge, the variety of styles is limited. I like to have a hood, so that the back of my neck stays warm. I have seen those pull on hoods that kind of work like a ski mask, but the neck part is never long enough and my neck always gets exposed to the elements. I got to thinking that if anyone had solved this problem, it was probably the military. That led me to a website that had army and navy surplus on it. Low and behold I found just what I was looking for. I don't think I can describe it adequately so follow this link to see what I am talking about: Military Balaclava

Various thoughts

Tom Brokaw

So yesterday I am watching some of Mr. Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation" on Hulu and I was just amazed at how his world view came across. The first story was about some DDay vets who fought in this small French town, which was eventually destroyed by the Germans when they fought to take it back. Tom repeatedly expressed disbelief at the fact that the townspeople risked their lifes to help the soldiers, and that they did not hold the US responsible for the destruction of their town. It did not even occur to Tom that it was not our fault the town was destroyed. We were there doing good, as usual, and not the source of the evil that was going on. The Nazis were the source of the evil. Believe it or not Tom, the French appreciated that we were there to liberate them and they were willing to suffer with us. He kept acting like the population of the town only suffered because we had military there. No! They suffered because the flippin Nazis had invaded their country and did not want to give it back.

In the next episode I watched Tom talked about the patriotism that the Greatest Generation had. Of course they were patriotic Tom, they did not have a bunch of liberal journalists telling them all the time how nasty our nation was. Because of their patriotism they believed in a bigger cause and thousands of them willingly gave their lives because they believed they owed their country something, not the other way around. One of the interviewed GIs talkd about the letters he had received as CO from the families of his fallen comrades. All the letters were positive and none of them blamed him for the death of their loved ones. Tom could not believe this either. It really saddens me to think that our country has fallen so quickly from that kind of thinking, into the current mind set that the government owes us.

The Bailout

Waste of monney! Do away with capital gains taxes, and drop the tax rate on buisness and watch the markets sore. After a couple of years you can reinstate the capital gains tax if necessary.

Movies

Saw the movie "Fireproof" and it was as good as I hoped. I strongly encourage all of you to see it. I can not wait for "An American Carrol" to come out on DVD so I can see it. No theater within 40 miles of here will show it. It looks very funny. If you have not seen the movie "Obsession" about radical Islam, you need to see it. I bought it a couple of years ago when it first came out but a friend just received a free copy in the mail two days ago, so look for it and watch it. It will spook you.