President Barack Obama has begun pushing for a raise in federal minimum wage. He has proposed raising it to $10.10 an hour. While to some this may seem like a good idea, in reality, and economics, it makes little sense.
An undeniable fact is that raising the minimum wage makes it more difficult for businesses to hire labor. During a time when our economy is struggling as much as it has been, raising the minimum wage not only would be ineffective, but also could produce very costly results.
Businesses are, in fact, in business to make money. That seems to be lost on many liberals who seem to think that businesses just appear out of thin air. However, it is the risk, hard work, and entrepreneurship of the American people who create businesses, which creates jobs. By raising the minimum wage, employers instantly have to increase their costs. To make this possible, only one thing can alleviate this problem. Raise prices, which in turn, effects YOU, the consumer. To offset rising labor costs, an increase in prices will be passed along to you.
A recent study suggested that only 11.3% of workers who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage are in poverty. Many people who live in poverty do not work. Workers who earn minimum wage, generally, are not the main earners in the home either. Nearly half of all who earn minimum wage are under the age of 25. This would include high school students and college students who are working fast food stores while attending school.
The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office recently released a study which stated that an increase in the minimum wage would eliminate nearly 500,000 jobs. An idea, which is championed by those who claim to want to help those in need, will do the exact opposite. The people they claim to help, they do harm to. But in many ways, it seems that the desire to raise the minimum wage is to increase their voting bloc, and to paint those who oppose this as hating the poor and only looking out for the rich. Its pretty disgusting, actually.
In the end, the amount of money earned should be determined by the demand for the job. The compensation for services rendered should be based on what the market dictates, not lawyers and community organizers in Washington, DC.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Happy Anniversary to the Tea Party
Today, February 27, 2014, the Tea Party in America is celebrating its fifth anniversary. A grassroots group rooted in liberty and a return to what made America great, the Tea Party has been the most influential conservative movement since the Newt Gingrich-led Republicans took over the House in 1994.
Many Americans identify with the Tea Party because they too oppose government bailouts, government ran health care, and spying on American citizens. The Tea Party's popularity has grown and looks to continue. Thanks to the Tea Party, the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 2010 and Nancy Pelosi is no longer the Speaker.
The most identifiable members of the Tea Party are Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, and of course former Alaska Governor and former Vice President-nominee, Sarah Palin. Some would say that Palin is toxic and some establishment Republicans tend to turn away from her. But you can't ignore the crowds she draws and the money she can raise.
The only true remaining hope for a return a government in line with the U.S. Constitution and sound fiscal responsibility is the Tea Party. The establishment Republican Party is in many ways "Republican in name only". The Tea Party on the other hand, stands for the true conservative principles which the Republican Party used to champion.
"In a sense, it wasn't five years ago—it was in 1773," Utah Senator Mike Lee today said, referring to the Boston Tea Party. It is time for the tea party to "move beyond our mere Boston moments," he said, and "put our hearts and our hands toward Philadelphia."
The fight continues...
Many Americans identify with the Tea Party because they too oppose government bailouts, government ran health care, and spying on American citizens. The Tea Party's popularity has grown and looks to continue. Thanks to the Tea Party, the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in 2010 and Nancy Pelosi is no longer the Speaker.
The most identifiable members of the Tea Party are Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, and of course former Alaska Governor and former Vice President-nominee, Sarah Palin. Some would say that Palin is toxic and some establishment Republicans tend to turn away from her. But you can't ignore the crowds she draws and the money she can raise.
The only true remaining hope for a return a government in line with the U.S. Constitution and sound fiscal responsibility is the Tea Party. The establishment Republican Party is in many ways "Republican in name only". The Tea Party on the other hand, stands for the true conservative principles which the Republican Party used to champion.
"In a sense, it wasn't five years ago—it was in 1773," Utah Senator Mike Lee today said, referring to the Boston Tea Party. It is time for the tea party to "move beyond our mere Boston moments," he said, and "put our hearts and our hands toward Philadelphia."
The fight continues...
Monday, February 17, 2014
Obamacare Meets Reality
On March 23, 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Afforadable Care Act into law. This was sold to the American people as a way to bring health care costs down, and many people believed they would get free health care. Many Americans were mesmerized by this liberal utopia and bought into the spin. However, it is becoming apparent to most that Obamacare is not what it was made out to be.
Recently, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released some figures that I am sure has the Obama Administration franticly drafting a response for. By 2017, it is predicted that, in effect, there will be 2 million fewer workers than had the law not been passed. By 2024, that number is expected to swell to 2.5 million. It is believed that those who are working, will be working less hours due to new taxes and the fact that tax-payer subsidized insurance is available. A major concern is that they will be less people working while the number receiving this government benefit will grow.
One of the most ridiculed statement by President Obama and his chief legislative achievement (and there are many things to ridicule) was his statement that if you liked your health care plan, you could keep it. He said countless times that if you were pleased with your current plan, you would not lose it or have to change it. This has, unfortunately, been proven to be innacurate at best, deceitful at worst. As Obamacare is implemented, Americans are slowly learning that they are either having their coverages changed, the premiums rising, or worse, losing their coverage overall.
You would think if this was such a grand idea, and was going to do wonders for American health care, that the President would not continue to delay parts of the law going into effect. Yet, here we are right as the 2014 midterm elections are soon to kick off, the employer mandate has been delayed one again.
It is ironic that the party that claims to be the one for the working person and the little man, is the one who defend this job killing legislation. To give relief to the American worker and to halt any more damage to the economy that is inevitable, we must repeal Obamacare. And whatever legislation replaces it, a note of all Congressmen and Senators... please read every bit of it this time!!!
Recently, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released some figures that I am sure has the Obama Administration franticly drafting a response for. By 2017, it is predicted that, in effect, there will be 2 million fewer workers than had the law not been passed. By 2024, that number is expected to swell to 2.5 million. It is believed that those who are working, will be working less hours due to new taxes and the fact that tax-payer subsidized insurance is available. A major concern is that they will be less people working while the number receiving this government benefit will grow.
One of the most ridiculed statement by President Obama and his chief legislative achievement (and there are many things to ridicule) was his statement that if you liked your health care plan, you could keep it. He said countless times that if you were pleased with your current plan, you would not lose it or have to change it. This has, unfortunately, been proven to be innacurate at best, deceitful at worst. As Obamacare is implemented, Americans are slowly learning that they are either having their coverages changed, the premiums rising, or worse, losing their coverage overall.
You would think if this was such a grand idea, and was going to do wonders for American health care, that the President would not continue to delay parts of the law going into effect. Yet, here we are right as the 2014 midterm elections are soon to kick off, the employer mandate has been delayed one again.
It is ironic that the party that claims to be the one for the working person and the little man, is the one who defend this job killing legislation. To give relief to the American worker and to halt any more damage to the economy that is inevitable, we must repeal Obamacare. And whatever legislation replaces it, a note of all Congressmen and Senators... please read every bit of it this time!!!
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
In Defense of the Second Amendment...
"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
There may not be a more important debate for the future and security of the United States than the fight over the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This Amendment guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms and prohibits the federal government from confiscating the weapons. To understand the importance of this, you have to go back to the birth of this country. The Founding Fathers understood that no freedom could be safe from a tyrannical government if the people could not bear arms. However, when these brave and heroic Americans began to rise up against the tyrants in the British government, this right was taken from them.
Fast forward to today. After surviving attack after attack from the left throughout the last twenty years, this basic human right is under attack once again. For example, the center of corrupt Democrat politics and the home of President Barack Obama, Chicago has recently banned all sales and transfers within its city limits. Thankfully this blatant, unconstitutional act was shot down recently by the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois.
The elimination of firearms may not come just from an outright confiscation. It appears that some governments are attacking responsible, law-abiding firearms owners by enacting a $25-a-gun sales tax, as Cook County, Illinois did in 2012. This law, obviously, would add $25 to every firearm bought in the county. The thought to the gun confiscating liberals would be to make it so that everyday Americans simply could not afford to purchase a firearm or ammunition.
A name that regularly sends chills down any human with an ounce of decency is Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Prior to Nazi takeover, all firearms were ordered to be registered by the German government. This was under the guise of "public safety". These records were later taken over by the Hitler-led Nazi's and used to attack political opponents and ethnic minorities. The Nazis searched and seized all weapons. The rest of the story is well known to most.
The brave Founding Fathers of this country did not write the Second Amendment in defense of deer hunting. They did not write the Amendment so that we could enjoy a Saturday afternoon with friends skeet shooting. This right was written into the Bill of Rights to protect each of us from a tyrannical government. So many people say, "We'll that would never happen here." Don't best so sure. Keep in mind the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, opponents of the Administration are curiously finding themselves under prosecution from the federal government. I certainly never thought I would see an American government targeting its own citizens like has been happening in the last few years either. This is not a right to be taken for granted. Without the Second Amendment, the rest are pointless and irrelevant.
I urge each and every one of you to contact your Representative and Senator and demand that they oppose any legislation attacking the Second Amendment. They must know that the American people oppose any amount of gun control that the liberal elites in Washington DC want to force on us. But that simply will not be enough. Join the oldest civil rights group in the United States, the National Rifle Association. This group fights daily to defend our rights as Americans to "keep and bear arms." Convince your friends also, even if they are not gun owners. It is not just about gun owners, but freedom in general.
There may not be a more important debate for the future and security of the United States than the fight over the Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This Amendment guarantees Americans the right to keep and bear arms and prohibits the federal government from confiscating the weapons. To understand the importance of this, you have to go back to the birth of this country. The Founding Fathers understood that no freedom could be safe from a tyrannical government if the people could not bear arms. However, when these brave and heroic Americans began to rise up against the tyrants in the British government, this right was taken from them.
Fast forward to today. After surviving attack after attack from the left throughout the last twenty years, this basic human right is under attack once again. For example, the center of corrupt Democrat politics and the home of President Barack Obama, Chicago has recently banned all sales and transfers within its city limits. Thankfully this blatant, unconstitutional act was shot down recently by the U.S. District Court of Northern Illinois.
The elimination of firearms may not come just from an outright confiscation. It appears that some governments are attacking responsible, law-abiding firearms owners by enacting a $25-a-gun sales tax, as Cook County, Illinois did in 2012. This law, obviously, would add $25 to every firearm bought in the county. The thought to the gun confiscating liberals would be to make it so that everyday Americans simply could not afford to purchase a firearm or ammunition.
A name that regularly sends chills down any human with an ounce of decency is Adolf Hitler and his Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Prior to Nazi takeover, all firearms were ordered to be registered by the German government. This was under the guise of "public safety". These records were later taken over by the Hitler-led Nazi's and used to attack political opponents and ethnic minorities. The Nazis searched and seized all weapons. The rest of the story is well known to most.
The brave Founding Fathers of this country did not write the Second Amendment in defense of deer hunting. They did not write the Amendment so that we could enjoy a Saturday afternoon with friends skeet shooting. This right was written into the Bill of Rights to protect each of us from a tyrannical government. So many people say, "We'll that would never happen here." Don't best so sure. Keep in mind the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, opponents of the Administration are curiously finding themselves under prosecution from the federal government. I certainly never thought I would see an American government targeting its own citizens like has been happening in the last few years either. This is not a right to be taken for granted. Without the Second Amendment, the rest are pointless and irrelevant.
I urge each and every one of you to contact your Representative and Senator and demand that they oppose any legislation attacking the Second Amendment. They must know that the American people oppose any amount of gun control that the liberal elites in Washington DC want to force on us. But that simply will not be enough. Join the oldest civil rights group in the United States, the National Rifle Association. This group fights daily to defend our rights as Americans to "keep and bear arms." Convince your friends also, even if they are not gun owners. It is not just about gun owners, but freedom in general.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Welcome to the Shining City on a Hill blog
"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That's how I saw it and see it still."
Ronald Reagan is without a doubt one of the greatest presidents this great country has ever had. The above quote is from President Reagan's farewell address to the American people on January 11, 1989. He was describing his view of America in his lifetime and his hope for the future of America. Indeed President Reagan left America in much better shape then what he inherited. However, President Reagan also knew that there was still much work to be done.
Some progress has been made but in many ways, especially in the last five years, we have taken steps backwards from the great country we once were. In fact, many of the ideas that made this country great, we have turned completely away from. Hard work has been replaced by handouts. In fact, the American government actively advertises food stamp enrollment! Responsibility and accountability seems to be a foreign word in today's media and government. While looking to decipher a recent shooting, many look to blame a gun, rather than the heart of the individual who has committed such heinous crimes. Until we look at the sole reason of these acts, which is the devaluing of human life, any other "fix" to the problem will serve as nothing more than a bandaid on a major flesh wound.
When we look at the problems facing this country, and the rapid decline of our morals and standard of American living, it may seem that all is lost. However, I urge you to not give up hope. I am reminded of the quote above from President Reagan. America is still a shining city on a hill and is still worth fighting for. There are still many great young Americans who can make a difference in this fight. All is not lost. And that is partly the reason for the existence of this blog. I intend to write about things that are important to me as a conservative American who isn't ready to waive the white flag just yet. I hope this blog will be viewed by many as I discuss the important topics of our day. And maybe, just maybe, we can make a difference and restore the shining city on a hill.
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