2009 recap

This came to mail from a friend, thought it was worth sharing...

IN GOD WE TRUST & GOD BLESS AMERICA

Let's Recap "2009".........what a year!

1. The American people inaugurate a president with a total of 142 days experience as a US Senator from the most politically corrupt state (city) in America whose governors have been ousted from office.

The President's first official act is to order the close of Gitmo and make sure terrorists civil rights are not violated. (honest mistake?)

2. The U.S. Congress rushes to confirm an Attorney General, Eric Holder, whose law firm we later find out represents seventeen Gitmo Terrorists.
(An honest mistake?!)

3. The CIA Boss appointee, Leon Panetta, has absolutely no experience, has a daughter Linda, we find out, who is a true radical anti-American activist and a supporter of all the Anti-American regimes in the western hemisphere.
(There were socio-economic factors involved!)

4. We got the second most corrupt American woman (Pelosi is #1) as Secretary of State; bought and paid for. (You can put lipstick on a pig, but it still stinks!)

5. We got a Tax Cheat for Treasury Secretary who did not properly file his own taxes for 12 years.
(He misspoke!)

6. A Commerce Secretary nominee who withdrew due to corruption charges.
(Another honest mistake???)

7. A Tax cheat nominee for Chief Performance Officer who withdrew under charges.
(Hmmm... another screw-up?)

8. A Labor Secretary nominee who withdrew under charges of unethical conduct.
(Ok, maybe this person was just plain stupid.)

9. A Secretary HHS nominee (Daschle) who withdrew under charges of cheating on his taxes.
(I'm running out of excuses for these idiots!!)

10. Multiple appointments of former lobbyists after an absolute campaign statement that no lobbyists would be appointed.
(Dear God, I am getting a headache!)

All this occurred just during the first three weeks. . . but who's counting?


America is being run by the modern-day Three Stooges ; Barry, Nancy and Harry and they are still trying to define stimulus..."it's spending!!!"

The congress passes the $800,000,000,000 (that's $800 billion) pork-loaded spending bill where the government gives you a smidgen of your tax dollars ($13 per week), making you feel so good about yourself [stimulated], that you want to run out to Wal-Mart and buy a new Chinese-made HDTV!

Only with the Liberals...

Pray for our country.

Here's the good news though - Obama took Air Force One to Denver to sign the stimulus package, wasting as much as 10,000 gallons of fuel OR 24 JOBS FOR ONE YEAR.

Don't you just love hypocrites?

Obama went to the International Olympic Committee to have them choose Chicago for a host city, he failed.

Obama went to Copenhagen to lecture them on global warming, he failed.

Obama went to new Jersey to promote the Democratic candidate for governor, he failed.

Obama went to Virginia to promote the Democratic candidate for governor, he failed.

Obama went to Massachusetts to promote the Democratic candidate for senator, he failed.

Speaking of praying, Obama has now been president for a full year and yet he & wife (first lady) Michelle, the Christian family they claim to be, have not attended church since the inauguration.


Obama is the 1st president in history who did not attend any Christmas religious observance.

He must miss Reverend Wright!

And finally, he is the 1st president to remain on vacation after a terrorist attack.

In these times 'I'll keep my God, my freedom, my gun and my money.

Anyone that supports this insanity can keep

"THE CHANGE".

Generation ZERO

I watched Shawn Hannity last night, the CPAC showed the movie "Generation ZERO", very powerful, poignant, and frightening. This film is an Economic Tsunami! A must see lesson for all.

I have long been concerned with the Baby Boomer Generation, which I lovingly call the "Italian Opera Generation", because all I hear is "Me, me, me!" when they talk, and their impact upon America. It was a direct, contrasting reflection of their parents' generation, which suffered hardships, wars, depressions, sacrifice and strife.

This film traces the roots of our recent economic depression far back to societal and cultural issues as a result of WW2. These Americans who sacrificed so much for our country wanted to insulate their children from the horrors they lived through. The end result is that this loving, caring and well meaning demographic has raised a generation of self-indulgent, spoiled children. They have no concept of sacrifice for the greater good, leaving the world a better place for the next generation. These people are now our leaders, Wall st execs taking undeserved bonuses, politicians who pretend there is no solvency problem with Social Security or Medicare, etc.

We are in danger of the consequences of the generation that was partaking in unique substances at Woodstock and thinks only for themselves. The party will never end, no worries!

Well, I have children, and I am deeply worried about this selfish behavior. I guess if I really wanted to , I could drive a BMW, but I bought a Ford instead, paid cash and am saving for my kids' 529 plan instead. I do not expect the feds or my neighbors to pay for my childrens' college fund, or my mortgage, etc.

You need to sit down with your children and show them this movie. It will be painful, probably more for you than your kids, but we all need to face the music.

(The moral of this story should be that we cannot, no matter how well our intentions, protect and insulate our children from life's ups and downs, it is better to educate them on how to deal with difficulties so that they are prepared when bad things happen. In my next blog, I will share a speech I gave about 15 years ago on the Will to Lead).

http://www.thefoxnation.com/tea-party-convention/2010/02/08/generation-zero-blows-roof-tea-party-convention

This film rocked me back.... it is about as serious as it gets.

Glenn Beck was the closing speaker at the CPAC convention and he was his usual self - he said "It is still morning in America - but the morning after we had a big night of drinking, and we woke up with a hangover!" We have to make some tough, fundamental choices and all the easy decisions are behind us. Only the tough, hard choices remain.

Well, my mood is "cautiously optimistic" about our country. The Tea Party is the only movement that can, and I believe will, succeed in saving America and returning our country to prosperity. I have never been a conspiracy or doom and gloom fan of anything, but I believe in this most strongly - we have to pick and choose very carefully who we elect this year. The Tea Party members are mature enough and have demonstrated that they know they don't want empty promises or slogans, just someone with courage who tells the truth. If these new leaders do not have a superior degree of integrity and wisdom, our country will truly fall into a depression. However, I am betting that a majority of politicians will be fired and new ones will work to the betterment of all with a new sense of maturity and duty. I will do my part, please do yours.

The Letter Everyone is Talking About

Dear Friends, This letter is awesome, and it ties in with my other blog about a question posed to candidates at a recent Tea Party event in Katy, Tx. check it out too at - http://MikeRyanTexas.blogspot.com


The following letter read on Glenn Beck's show, is rapidly circulating around the country. Americans everywhere identify with this 53-year-old woman. She has given us a voice. Once you read this, you will want to forward it to all of your friends...

GLENN BECK: I got a letter from a woman in Arizona . She writes an open letter to our nation's leadership:

"I am a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. Instead, we are burdened with Congressional Dukes and Duchesses who think they know better than the citizens they are supposed to represent.

There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now.
You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would feel so horribly disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut-job am I? Well, these briefly are the views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels.. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution.

P.S., I'm not a racist. This is not to be confused with legal immigration.


Two, the STIMULUS bill. I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you No, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.


Three: Czars. I want the circumvention of our constitutional checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution, and honor it.


Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There are many conflicting opinions and it is too soon for this radical legislation. Quit throwing our nation into politically-correct quicksand.


Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision that will burden me, my children, and grandchildren. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night without even reading it. Slow down! Fix only what is broken -- we have the best health care system in the world -- and test any new program in one or two states first.


Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. More is not better! Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real [Constitutional] obligations. Why don't you start there.


Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes -- how did they pull that one off? Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with any of our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.


Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs -- and that is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person! Why do you want me to hate my employers? And what do you have against shareholders making a profit?


Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.


Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Every company must sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. (Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid?) We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.


Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk.. Please stop trying to manipulate and appease me with clever wording.. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.


Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.
Take a breath. Listen to the people. Slow down and get some input from nonpoliticians and experts on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed-reading our bills into law. I am not an activist.. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent.. I work. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.


I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not.
It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is needless urgency and recklessness in all of your recent spending of our tax dollars.


From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on bringing our concerns to Washington . Our president often knows all the right buzzwords like unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.


We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented.. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work, pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone... and we are now looking at you.


You have awakened us, the patriotic freedom spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office.

We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us who will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.


Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this.. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution, and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them.. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you.

If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one.

We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent?

Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

OMG! LOL!

Hi to all you texters out there.

I thought about doing an entire post just using text abbreviations, that would be fun, but I think I would lose everyone over 30!

- OMG!
- WITW?
- IDK.
- PLOS!
-LMAO!
- 4COL!

Now back to sad reality. OMG is pretty well understood, but I am afraid that LOL does not mean Laughing-out-loud. In this case it means either Land-of-Lincoln or the more derisive term Land-of-Lawyers. This week in the Wall St. Journal editorial pages, pg A12, 2/6/10, there appears this article:

There are many plaintiffs lawyers flying back and forth to Chicago now in very expensive suits. Apparently in the case Lebron vs. Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, a 4-2 majority (Illinois Supreme Court) ruled that the state's 2005 Medical Malpractice Reform Act was unconstitutional because it interfered with judges' ability to "reduce" monetary verdicts. This interfered with the separation of powers. Before this law was ruled unconstitutional, the medical malpractice awards for pain and suffering were capped at $500,000.00 for docs and $1 million for hospitals. Now, they say, all bets are off.

Before the 2005 tort reform law, Illinois was a lawsuit lottery bonanza for lawyers. Between 1998 and 2003 when there were no caps on damages and awards, damage awards grew in Cook County (Chicago city within this county) by over 247%. Chicago physicians saw their insurance premiums rise 10-12% per year. Many specialists left the state or ceased to practice.

The tort reform laws reversed the trend, malpractice lawsuits dropped 25% and doctors returned. According to the Congressional Budget office, which is supposed to be neutral, these reforms will save more than $54 billion in health care costs over the next 10 years.

Here's the problem in a nutshell - the judges just told the elected state politicians that they have no power over the judges. They cannot regulate them. HUH? Because Illinois Democrats included and passed a non-severability clause in the law (all-or-nothing) the entire tort reform law is now void. Oopsie.

This now also invalidates some very good and wise provisions, which should be considered as part of ALL tort reforms -
a) provisions to regulate insurance rates
b) provisions to encourage doctors to admit mistakes and make doctor's disciplinary records PUBLICLY AVAILABLE to patients.
c) reasonable limits to non-monetary awards

Here's a much bigger problem - Plaintiffs lawyers have launched constitutional challenges in dozens of states to overturn similar laws - cases are currently being heard or pending in TEXAS -OMG!, Wisconsin, Indiana, Florida, Maryland, and Georgia. Usually they argue about equal protection or lack of due process.

This exact reasoning of separation of powers has been rejected in Maryland, Utah, Alaska, (Thanks, Sarah!) Colorado and Nebraska. WSJ states that this reason usually gets lawyers laughed out of court. As it should.

Lessons learned -
1. Hire smarter legislators who know how to write laws and what a non-severability clause means (unless they planned it that way.)
2. Pay attention to your elected judge positions, they matter also.

My personal note - when I was injured in my car accident, I felt very unfairly treated by my insurance company. I had a very difficult time just trying to get reimbursed for legitimate medical, documented expenses, so I personally think Texas laws need to be modified in favor of the patient. I spoke with several attorneys and they told me that unless I died and my family suffered millions of dollars in damages, it was not worth suing anyone. Apparently , no lawyer gets out of bed these days for less than one million dollars and a cases involving brutal death..

These attorneys said that in Texas, many of their case knowledge is filled with patients who were injured and suffered tens of thousands of medical expense fees and even after settlement, did not have enough to pay their documented bills. Suing for pain and suffering was not even a thought anymore. Texas law goes a little too far, we stopped the lawyer lottery but went too far - so much so that the patients are bearing the burden, and the insurance companies are making the money. Tort reform in Texas means taking on the insurance special interests.

That is why we need laws which are well thought out, all reasonable potential outcomes debated in public, and voted on when there is a consensus.

TTFN!