A New, CRIPPLING, Tax Plan Announced by Obama...

Do you receive company-paid health benefits? Should you have to pay taxes on those benefits as if they were income? President Obama seems to think so, or at least he said as much this weekend. Aside from the personal cost to you (and the fact that Obama deeply criticized Sen. McCain during the campaign last fall when McCain made almost the EXACT same proposal), what are the ramifications of this proposal?

I've been reading a lot of blogs and comments about this latest announcement coming from the Oval Office, and some are missing the point, although only slightly. These aren't taxes on health care YOU BUY. These are taxes on BENEFITS from your employer. If you BUY YOUR OWN, you won't be taxed (remember this key point, it will be important later). Taking that into account, consider the following... The average cost for my wife's school district to pay for health benefits (medical, dental, vision) for a family of 4 is about $1,000 a month. That works out to approximately $12,000 a year. Taking into account that the top marginal tax rate will rise to over 38% (although I believe that the actual final number will be MUCH higher) under the current administration, that works out to potentially an extra $4,560 ($380 per month, or $414.55 if you are a teacher who only gets paid 11 months out of the year) in taxes being deducted from people's paychecks. Now also remember that if the FEDERAL government decides to do this, that many states will most likely follow suit in short order. So, if you live in California, that's an approximate extra 11% per year potentially...

That KILLS many folks financially. That's a car payment that they cannot afford anymore, etc... What hurts American families' saving/spending, hurts the American economy in a very impactful way by killing the ability of consumers to consume and thus for companies to remain solvent and to help pull us out of this economic quagmire.

There are two realities to this proposed plan:

1) Following this announcement I fully expect the DOW to have a loss, most likely a SUBSTANTIAL one, on Monday the 16th of March. Should the plan become reality, WATCH OUT BELOW!!! Could I be wrong? Sure. Some good news could come out before tomorrow morning which could counter this devestation, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Also, remember what caused this past week's uptick in the DOW: the administration finally put a lid on all this "gloom and doom" about the economy (for the most part), and there was very good news coming out of Detroit (Ford reworking their UAW agreement and eliminating the "jobs bank") and CitiGroup announcing they expect to turn a profit.

2) People could actually SAVE money under this plan by purchasing their own health care insurance, and then getting a tax credit the following spring. Although the savings will only be seen when they file their returns, and that added cost per month to their budget for health care will be about the same as the taxes that would have occurred (thus, having the same impact on their wallets AND our economy). Also, does anyone REALLY believe that employers will replace that lost benefit with more pay? Of course not, they will take it as a nice new "profit". And I wonder who will sell the people that insurance? This is all a ploy to further the push of UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE.

Are we sufficiently angry yet folks? I know I am. And as odd as it sounds, I'm also tired of being RIGHT. The evidence keeps mounting... Government control of anything it can touch, a dependent electorate, etc... It is SO obvious what is coming...

Pandering At It's Sleaziest

In recent days, news and political media outlets have been commenting that the "Hispanic Vote" may decide who wins the presidential election in November.  As such, both candidates have been speaking extensively to that very audience.  But one comment by Barack Hussein Obama, showed that despite his attempts to appear as more of a centrist in recent weeks, he is still FAR to the left of most Americans.

Recently, Barack Hussein Obama stated that he believed that it should be MANDATORY that ALL American grade school (K-12) should be taught SPANISH as a second language.   Oh, where do I begin on THIS ONE...

Firstly, Mr. Senator, why should any legal American citizen be forced to learn another language so as to make things in life easier for those who are here illegally and/or who REFUSE to assimilate to our culture the same way that previous generations of immigrants did?  While that may be the BIG question that leads to others, let me attempt to give the junior senator from Illinois a slight lesson government...

The federal government DOES NOT control education.  It may provide some minor oversight, but NOTHING MORE.  The individual STATES control their own government, no matter what your wishes.  As proof of this, consider the controversial (and FEDERAL)  No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).  It has been said that act has "no teeth", and for good reason.  Because NO federal education act really can have any teeth.  NCLB only sets forth goals and guidelines, but leaves to the states to fully define those goals, guidelines, and exactly how to meet them.  No matter what you may WANT, Mr. Senator, your limitations in this matter are quite substantial.

On a more specific note, this to me underscores the ABSOLUTE need we have to federally mandate ENGLISH as the OFFICIAL NATIONAL LANGUAGE of these United States.  Learn it, live it, speak it, write it, or get left behind.  In doing this, The United States would be right in line with certain European nations that democrats and liberals claim to love to much (The Netherlands, for one...).

Personally, this statement not only shows how easily Barack Hussein Obama can jump back and forth from liberal radical to centrist pursuant to the shifting winds of the political day, it also shows his lack of business sense and lack of international knowledge.  If there were ONE other language that our children should be nudged toward learning as a second language, no intelligent person could EVER believe it to be Spanish.  Listen carefully Mr. Senator...  Our children, and any current businessman for that matter, should learn MANDARIN (which is currently the fastest growing language in the business world), but MUST NEVER BE FORCED to do so.  Stating otherwise (as to COERCION), only shows your ignorance and complete ARROGANCE, and only backs up my daily cry should you get elected...  GOD HELP US ALL.

Obama and his family left Trinity United. But does it matter?

Personally, I am so sick and tired of the kid gloves that MUST be used when discussing Barack Obama. So, before I delve into this specific topic of his relationship with Trinity United Church of Christ, I feel it necessary to explain how I feel about Obama, his campaign, and who he is as opposed to who he portrays himself as:

His name is Barack Hussein Obama. Saying his middle name IS NOT RACIST. I am not insinuating that his middle name makes him a terrorist or a dictator in the making. Actually, his POLICIES and PROPOSALS make him a dictator in the making. And until he needed his name for political purposes, he was known as Barry Obama.

He is more liberal than John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, or Hillary Rodham Clinton. That is just scary...

He was born a Muslim, and there is zero public knowledge of him EVER renouncing Islam. According to Islamic law, he is STILL A MUSLIM until he renounces Islam.

Now, after MONTHS of continual reports of drivel emminating from the pulpit of his home church of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, which he and his family have attended for 20 years (his daughters were baptized by the lead pastor, who also officiated his wedding to Michelle Obama), Barack Hussein Obama has announced that he is rescinding his familes' membership. Obama says that in his 20 years at Trinity, he did not know about these sermons, beliefs, afro-centrism, etc.. This is basically akin to stealing a line from former President Bill Clinton ("I didn't inhale...") by saying, "I attended, but I didn't listen." But is it too little too late, and does it really matter at this point?

Note: If you are lost as to the "drivel" at this point, go to YouTube and search for Reverend Wright and/or Pfleger. Watch the videos of these gentlemens' racist tirades.

In short, YES it is too little too late, and NO it does not matter at this point. Ultimately, Obama's membership in this church can only be construed in one of two ways;

Option #1
Obama knew what was going on, and either believed in most if not all of it, or was willing to ignore it. Regardless, this makes him unfit for the office of president!

Option #2
He never agreed with the statements and/or beliefs of the church and its' leadership, and ignored them as he needed this chuch and the connections that came with it in order to attain "black cred" in Chicago. He stuck with Trinity as long as it was politically profitable to him, and is now distancing himself in an attempt to save his campaign heading into the general election. Again, this makes him unfit for the office of president!

No matter how you slice it, Barack Hussein Obama's connection to Trinity United Church of Christ, Jeremiah Wright, Michael Pfleuger, Tony Rezko, convicted terrorist William Ayers, and many others make him unfit for the office of president.

Faithfully Submitted
-Publius X