An Email from Senator John Cornyn 3/30
March 30, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under News
Update from U.S. Senator John Cornyn
Monday, March 30, 2009
In Washington, Congress continues to focus on President Obama’s proposed budget. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released an alarming report indicating that the President’s budget will create deficits averaging nearly $1 trillion a year for the next decade, and it would double the national debt in five years and nearly triple it in 10 years.
Not only does this budget spend too much and tax our nation’s hard-working families and small businesses, it borrows far too much from future generations of Texans. I spoke on the Senate floor about the implications of this budget for students. Under the President’s budget, students who start college this year will see their share of the national debt grow from $19,000 per student to more than $36,000 per student after graduation from a four-year program. That is a tremendous burden to place on college graduates as they enter the workforce and begin their careers.
Despite my concerns with the Democrats’ budget and its reckless spending and misguided priorities, I was encouraged that my amendment to bring a little Texas sunshine to Washington unanimously passed the Budget Committee. My measure, based on the successful Texas model, which has led to the elimination of more than 50 agencies and saved Texans more than $700 million, lays the groundwork for the establishment of a Federal Sunset Commission to review federal programs. It will determine their efficiency, and make recommendations on whether they need reform or should be eliminated all together. This bipartisan commission is critical because it will shed light on unnecessary government spending and eliminate ineffective and unnecessary programs.
I was happy to get out of Washington and head back home to Texas this last weekend. Many of the best ideas and solutions I hear stem from the local level – from Texas men and women who are on the front lines dealing with our nation’s challenges every day. I am always encouraged after meeting with Texans, and renewed by what I’ve learned from them as I return to Washington.
Lastly, I wanted to remind you that this month is Red Cross Month. We Texans know firsthand the vital role the Red Cross plays in rebuilding lives and communities disrupted by natural disasters. Whether it’s donating blood or volunteering your time, I encourage everyone to give something back to this crucial organization. More information on what you can do to help is available on the Red Cross website.
For more information on these and other topics, go directly to my Web site. To view floor speeches, interviews and other video messages from me, please visit my YouTube Channel. To receive additional updates, please select the issues that interest you listed on the right. It’s an honor to serve you in the United States Senate.
Sincerely,
U.S. Senator John Cornyn
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Socialism: Why is this bad for America?
February 12, 2009 by OpinionHead
Filed under Political Rants
For those of you that do not “Get It”, socialism is where control of your life, your business, your family, and everything else, is taken away from you and given to the government. Socialism always starts out looking like a nice thing, Free Stuff for Everybody! Welfare for all! However, somebody has to pay for it!
I am sure that everyone has seen that the government CANNOT be trusted to spend money wisely, look at what happened with the TARP program, you know, the first wave of the bailouts, they have already “misplaced” $78 Billion! Had this program been handled the way it was said that they would, this money would now be helping things in the housing market, did it work? Obviously not, now they want more! So, where were you on the first one? Did you agree with it? Did it do you any good? Now, “President” Obama is trying to get a new spending bill shoved through the system, under the guise “Stimulous”, even Obama himself has called it a spending plan! So, why should We the People, let the government spend another Trillion or two, or three, or whatever it ends up being? We shouldn’t!
What is the plan? Well, at this point, Obama’s idea is to create jobs through re-building the infrastructure, you know, old government buildings, roads, bridges, and so on, sounds good right? Have you ever noticed who is doing the construction work? I don’t know about where you live, but here in Texas, you don’t see too many Americans actually doing the work, so, who will this help?
Here is another part, Obama is going to make the Unions have even more power, you know who runs the unions, right? So, if you combine Unions, and labor jobs, to get this “job” you will have to join a union! I have seen what happens when they are in charge, the cost of the job is more than double what the private sector could do the work for, that sounds wasteful to me. Does the $700 hammer come to mind yet? I thank God I live in Texas, those Pro Union states will be the one that waste the most money!
Back to the main topic, socialism, these union jobs are a perfect example of socialism at its best, in order to get these jobs, you must pay an additional tax, called “Union Dues”, since I am not in a union, I don’t know what the percentage is, but I do know it is like paying double the FICA tax you already pay! Now, lets look at this from the consumer side, do you know how much “extra” a car costs you because of the union? Well, the last I read, there is an addition $1000, just to cover the health care costs of the workers! Think about this, how many cars are built each day? Lets just say it is one car per employee average, that is what $30,000 a month, per employee, just for health care! Here in Texas, you can get health insurance for a whole family for maybe $600, per month! See where I am headed? It is called waste!
I lived in Germany for almost 10 years, and at that time, I paid 10% of my gross pay for health insurance, a couple of years ago, my daughter, who lives there, told me it was up to 15%, then, she will be here in a few days and I will ask again what it is now, but regardless, 15% of your paycheck gone for insurance, that doesn’t sound bad if you only make a couple of bucks a month, but, this is per person, so, if you are married, husband and wife pay 15% each. What this boils down to, is myself and my ex, together were paying between 6-800 per month at 10%, at 15%, that would be 9-1200, per month, and yes, I was in my 20’s then! This is just for health insurance, the income tax is astronomical as well!
Once the government has control of everything, do you think prices will go down? Look at Luftansa airlines, owned by the German Government, to fly with them it costs double or triple the rate of an american airline like Delta, once the government bails out the airlines, who will be able to fly? What will happen to the cost of a new car? What about a government owned home? Is socialism sounding like a good thing? America is supposed to be free, the right to life, liberty, justice and the pursuit of happiness and all of that right? As Glenn Beck has pointed out, the pursuit of happiness is not a guarantee of happiness, just the right to pursue it! We all have different levels of skill, intelligence, and ability, should the person who can earn millions be responible to pay for people like me that don’t? There is no such thing as a free ride, and if your boss has to pay more, just to have you as an employee, will you be the one he has to get rid of, to pay for keeping someone else? Remember, it is the dead weight that goes first, if you want a free ride, are you a productive employee?
Maybe you noticed, all of the big layoffs started when it became obvious that Obama would win, these companies were just getting ready for what was coming! Once you add in all of the Welfare and Entitlements, this country will be like France, in other words, a really big mess! Since it is these companies that pay the most in taxes, what else can they do?
Tax cuts are the answer, not more spending, if you are in debt and cannot pay your credit cards, do you go out and buy a new car? I don’t think so, but that is what this spending bill amounts to! If your neighbor does this, should you make his or her car payment? Well, that is what is coming, welcome to socialism!
If Obama gets his spending bill passed, and I am sure that he will, this country will be in debt at the tune of $37,000, per person, per year, are you ready to write that check? With the government bailing out, or buying, private companies, increasing entitlements, not just social security, but welfare as well, what will this do? Just get out that checkbook and don’t worry about it, the government will fix it, with your money!
Oh, I almost forgot, remember that tax cut for 95% of Americans? Well, I hope you enjoy that extra $13 on your paycheck!
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What is up with Health Care? Where is the Crisis? Why all the hype? Health Insurance is Cheap!
April 15, 2008 by OpinionHead
Filed under Opinions and Attitudes
This is 2008, and where is the best health care available? Here in the U.S.A.!
Have you ever lived in Europe? Have you ever actually paid for “Government” enforced health care? I have! I lived in Germany, as a civilian for about 5 years, and they took 10% of my pay to cover the cost of the “health insurance”, if you make $600 a month, that doesn’t sound bad, but, I made about 4K a month! That equates to what, 400 a month, that was just for me! My now late, ex wife, another example of the health care, also paid about the same, that is about 800 a month! Yes, my daughter, then a baby, was covered “free” under either one of us, what a bargain. At that time I was under 30 years old! Full heath insurance here in America would have been less than $200 a month, for all three of us! Wow, national health care is a great thing! Yeah right!
Here in the U.S.A. we have it made! If you have a “real” job, with benefits, you get it FREE! If you have a job, but not with a big company, still making a living, in the best country in the world, depending on your age, health insurance is still like $200 for an individual or less, that is cheap! My daughter, now almost 25, and still a student, in Germany, pays 15% of her part time paycheck! Her boyfriend, practically husband, is a banker, and also pays 15%, together, that is enough to cover at least twice if not 4 times what it would cost here, and that is if you are older, and unhealthy!
Here in America, the U.S.A., if you have no job, and no income, MEDICAID, is available! So, what is the problem? If you are like me, and served in the military, honorably, you have the VA to lean on! Thank God for that! I wrecked my back and can’t work, but, it is getting better, so I will soon. Anyway, what is the complaint? Are people too stupid? Maybe too lazy? Or, do they just want the government to do it for them? I don’t know, you tell me! Read more
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Most Obnoxious Blogger! Vote Now!
January 23, 2008 by OpinionHead
Filed under Introductions, Opinions and Attitudes
Here we are, the first month of the year and it is time to start drumming up votes! Yes, This site has been nominated for most Obnoxious Blogger, and yes, I did it! Come on, go there and vote for me!
If you have a site in the running for one of the categories, just post a comment and i will go vote for it! Hey, this is all about fun!
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