Does America Owe You a Free Ride?

My election ballot came this today and over the next week I will do my civic duty. My civic duty includes doing the research necessary to make an informed decision. It is my hope that my liberal friends will take the time to really investigate what there voting for and why. As Obama told the Republican party prior to taking the oath of office, elections have consequences.

What type of America do you want to live in? When your looking at your ballot have you really taken the time to study the issues and truly understand the type of America you want? If you watch MSNBC or listen to liberal radio station 620, KPOJ, you would naturally think that conservative Republicans are cold hearted bastards that don't give a rip about people or our community. The impression is we only care about low income tax rates so we can pocket the money like Mr. Potter from "It's a wonderful Life".

You might find that we have more in common than we don't. So let's attempt to put an end to the notion that we don't care:

• Poor: We have a moral and civic responsibility to provide financial assistance to the people who are not capable of helping themselves. If someone loses their job due to no fault of their own, those people should be entitled to unemployment insurance for a period of time. However that does not mean that they should be in titled to endless unemployment insurance. That also does not mean that they do not have a responsibility to seek out new employment. The Governments role is pretty simple. If your unemployed you get six months of unemployment insurance, however instead of calling a 1-800 hot line, you should be required to meet with a State employment Officer who's primary responsibility is to ensure each person is attempting to seek employment. If it is determined that you have not done everything in your power to obtain a job, then you will not receive benefits.
• Food Stamps: 44 million people are receiving this benefit. The question that should be asked is pretty simple, is this designed to be a lifetime benefit for every American? Should there be a point in the process that people are expected to take care of themselves and their families? Is it fair to society as a whole that the people who are working and paying into the system be forced to support generations after generations of people who receive a free handout?

America has created and is embracing an entitlement culture. Is it fair for society to have to pay for the decisions made by people who have no regard for the consequences of their actions? The America that my parents grew up in and instilled in me, it was shameful to accept government handouts. There once was a period of time where people took pride in self reliance. You did not rely on society for food, clothing, housing and even health care. It was the responsibility of the family bread winner to ensure their family had all they needed to achieve success.

There are without question people who will never be able to help themselves. Society should provide a safety net for the people who can not compete in the market place due to no fault of their own. People with real medical disabilities that would not allow them to compete in the workplace, we should help them. However the question that needs to be answered, if you are physically and mentally healthy, at what point does society not owe you a free ride?

Assume for a moment that your teenage child becomes pregnant with a child and they choose to have the baby. If both parents are under the age of 21 are they really going to have the same advantages that someone with a college education have in terms of income levels? We all know the answer to that question, NO! In the current system today, we give them low cost housing, food stamps, and the Oregon Health Plan. What incentive do they have to get off the public support system? We need to make it a requirement that for people to obtain public benefits, they have to demonstrate that they are doing everything within their power to help themselves. That means, the parents are required to obtain job training or continuing education that will give them an opportunity to raise their market value in the work place.

If you were born or come to the United States of America, that does not mean your entitled to cradle to grave entitlements. America does not owe you a free ride. America is the land where you can become anything you want, so long as you do the work to achieve success. What we will promise you is a hand up should situations beyond your control happen to you. The benefits will not be forever, however we will be reasonable.

Does America need medical health care reform? Yes. There is a solution to the problem to be found, however everyone who has a stake should be at the table to have a healthy debate. What I will say, no one in America should ever under any circumstances be denied the right of medical care. Society has a responsibility to help the people who can not help themselves due to life circumstances. What needs to be debated is, how can we achieve that goal?

President Obama often says that he wants everyone to have a fair shot. I agree! However that does not mean that people don't have a personal responsibility to help themselves. At the end of the day I am accountable to my Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus gave talents and gifts to each of us to use for the body of Christ. We are expected to work as we are serving the body. Christ also said that we have personal responsibility to help the less fortunate. When we assist the poor or less advantaged, we are actually giving to him, our Savior.

It is not the responsibility of Government to manage our lives and provide equality of lifestyles. As free people we have the choice to become anything we want, as long as we work for it. The time has come where we need to return to the values of our parents and grand parents generation or our children will not have the same opportunity for the American dream.

Mike

Why is it so hard for the President and Vice President to tell the truth? Without a doubt there are supporters who believe everything that is proclaimed from the White House. In their eyes, the administration can do no wrong. However I challenge my liberal friends to focus only on the facts.

Libya: Within 24 hours the White House was briefed by the intelligence department as to what happened in Libya. The administration knew that the American Ambassador was murdered by terrorists. Don't you find it odd that for over a week the administration blamed the event on a video and that the video created a spontaneous riot? Why would Secretary Clinton give a press briefing giving that as the reason? Why would the President of the United States speak in front of the United Nations and give this explanation? The White House Press Secretary for days spilled this as the reason?

But the truth of the matter appears to be lost in the administration. On the 11th anniversary of 9/11 would it not be common sense for the State Department to add additional security in a region where it is know to have terrorist cells? Weeks prior to the assassination, the State Department was warned that Ambassador Stevens was on a hit list. The terrorists had already had hit the compound with attacks prior to 9/11. Two days prior the Vice Presidential debate, the State Department spoke in front of Congress and told the committee that they requested additional security on two occasions only to be turned back. Not only turned back, but the State Department reduced their security.

So how can Vice President of the United State go out in front of the public and tell us in a debate that he did not know anything? He did not know they asked for help? It is not possible. The Vice President of the United States obtains a copy of the morning intelligence briefing like the President everyday. Also, an American Ambassador is assassinated and the story has hit all of the major news networks. Do they actually believe the American people are stupid not to believe they knew?

Here is the truth. The Obama Administration believe your stupid. There Middle East policy is going up in smoke because the American public will soon discover that leading from behind gets people killed. In fact, America is weaker and more at risk today than prior to Bush leaving office. The Administration wants you to believe that they have created alliances with other nations, but the truth of the matter, they foreign countries do not respect Obama.

An American Embassy and American Ambassador is assassinated and what does President Obama do? He flies to Las Vegas on a campaign stop. World leaders come to America to speak at the United Nations and the President can make time for Whoopee Goldberg, but can't meet with one Middle East leader? Then he gives a speech to the United Nations and talks about a video causing the assassination?

It is impossible to make this up. The President of the United States has met with the Brotherhood of Muslims, however he can not share dinner with America's biggest ally in the Middle East, Israel? All true. Iran is probably less than a year away from having nuclear weapons and he shuns the Israeli Prime Minister?

I was in college during the Reagan Administration and what ended the cold was Regan's view of peace thru strength. The communist block collapsed because they knew that the United States was the strongest military power on earth. President Clinton benefited from the Reagan policies which allowed America to expand and prosper. But one this Clinton did was shrink our military and reduced our intelligence gathering. The impact of that decision? 9/11/2001. What does Obama do with our military? He clearly demonstrates to our allies that we can not be counted on. He makes an apology tour of the Middle East that America was wrong. He calls the water boarding of key informants who led us to Osama Bin Laden as terrorists. And he def errs our foreign policy to the United Nations.

If your an American, you need to be angry. No country has given more to the world. If it were not for America. Germany would have won World War 2. America has a moral responsibility to lead the world if for no other reason, it is in our best interest. It is not the role of the President of United States to defer our national security issues to the United Nations. Do we really think Putin will support us? If Obama's apology tour was viewed as positive, then why is Egypt in chaos? Do you really think the Brotherhood of Muslims who number 1 mission is to kill the infidels going to support the United States? Has hope and change given us peace in Syria? If Iran was really afraid of us, why would they continue seeking the nuclear bomb?

Where do the facts take you? Is hope and change a good thing for America?

It is truly amazing to hear President Obama’s henchman go out in front of the media and proclaim that Mitt Romney lied during the debates. Mitt Romney is better man than I because I would look the President in the eye and say, Mr. President you’re the liar!

When Obama Care is fully enacted in 2014, 716 billion dollars will be cut from the Medicare program and here is the impact. Senior citizens are going to be stuck with an insurance plan that will not be accepted by doctors and hospitals!

What Obama Care is going to do two things in regards to Medicare benefits. First off they are going to drastically cut what they will pay doctors for their visits and further reduce to hospitals the payments for services used. When a hospital and doctor agree to accept Medicare insurance, they agree to a fee schedule for every aspect of services provided. For example assume the cost of a doctor’s visit is $200.00.  Medicare could reduce the reimbursement to $60.00 and the doctor would have to accept it.

Medical practices today are limiting the number of Medicare patients they will accept and in the future there is a very strong possibility they will not accept it.

This could be the reality for the people who have Medicare in the future. Assume you have worked your entire life and built up a nest egg for retirement and you own your own home. It is discovered during your annual physical that there is a possibility that you have prostate cancer. So you go to a Gastroenterology group and they tell you, we don’t accept Medicare, your will be responsible for the entire bill. After the test are done, it is confirmed you have cancer but there is one little problem. The doctors who specialize in this type of medicine don’t accept Medicare. Maybe you live in community where there is not one doctor who accepts these patients? What are you going to do? Obviously you’re going to liquidate your savings, mortgage or sell your home, and liquidate all of your personal assets to pay for your treatments.

Assume you are truly blessed and you become cancer free. Guess what, the only income you have is social security and maybe a retirement check from your employer. That is all you have. No savings. No family home. Imagine if you owe more than you have? You’re looking at bankruptcy!

Does medical insurance need to be reformed? Yes. Obama Care is not the solution. President Obama has proclaimed that is has given tax breaks to the middle class and not raised taxes. Guess what, he lied. Obama Care will have the highest increase in taxes to the middle class than any program created by government.

I am not proud to call the President of the United States a liar. Obama knows that he can’t win any debates based on the truth. The only thing he can do is make up lies and hope that they will stick.

My wonderful liberal friends, if you love your country and you want to protect the seniors in our community, do not support Barack Obama.  In times of national crisis, Obama travels to Vegas to give another fundraising speech as opposed to being the President of the United States.  Your children deserve a leader, not someone who has put 6 trillion dollars on the countries credit card. Obama cries for us to be patriotic and make sacrifices. Why should I make sacrifices for a President who driving granny down a dark road to meet the end of a cliff? I should sacrifice while he gives 540 million dollars to Solyndra (who just happen to contribute to his campaign)?

America deserves a real leader and I know it is not the empty chair sitting in the White House today!

Mike