Shutting It All Down

I went quiet for a few years.  I did so, at first, to take some time to learn.  I sat here at my desk and at the office and had my opinions but I wanted to know more about the perspectives of others.  So in 2012 and 2013 I went quiet and I just listened, asked questions, went to meetings and places that I would not normally have gone to and I learned.

 It was in 2014 that life, as it does, caught up with me and all of my time and attention had to go to it.  For the past two years I have been dedicating myself to my work and family with little time for much else.

I have learned a lot in the past two years.  Have my fiscal conservative roots changed.  No.  Has my socially moderate leanings changed.  Slightly.  What I have seen change is the party that I grew up a part of.  The party of Lincoln and Reagan has become overly hawkish and demanding.  Rather than being the party of limited government and lower taxes, it has become the party of big defense and big spending.  In fact, the only difference between the Republicans and the Democrats is that the Republicans want to spend money on national defense and the NSA while the Democrats want to spend it on entitlement programs.  Both parties talk of fiscal responsibility but both want to just kick the can down the road.

When Rand Paul declared his run for president I was hopeful.  Here was a man that was talking about limited government and had practiced it during his time in the Senate.  He talked of a stronger defense but a smaller budget to the defense department.  He talked about lowering entitlement but also getting rid of huge sentencing for petty drug convictions.  He reached out to minorities and those that the Republicans did not talk to.  Early on he was the guy to beat, but then the Republican establishment and the clown Donald Trump stepped in.

Now, the only candidate worth a damn is gone and the rest of the Republicans are talking about defense and low taxes with no real way to do things like balance the budget or get us out of all of these wars.

The Tea Party movement and those of us involved early on were a movement of people that were tired of the government as it was.  We were tired of a bloated piglet suckling on the nipple of the American taxpayer.  We were mad at both Republicans and Democrats.  We protested and we voted.  In doing so we brought about change.  Unfortunately, our two party system has warped some of those individuals into falling in line and not standing up for the people that elected them.

Then, the Tea Party movement was infiltrated and warped into a division of the Christian Right who insisted on using it as a platform for God and country.  The Tea Party movement was never about God or Christianity.  It was about low taxes and the government staying out of our business.

Now, all those original Tea Party individuals are flocking to either Ted Cruz, who has some streaks of smaller government and individualism or the clown Donald Trump who talks a good game and is the "outsider" that people have been requesting.

Short of a miracle, this country is screwed.  We are either going to have a criminal and liar as our president or a reality show narcissist.

Maybe our country has gotten too large to govern the way it needs to be.  Or maybe we have been manipulated into believing that we must fall into a two party system that are two wings of the same buzzard.

It is for this reason, I believe that we MUST shut it all down.  We must break away from the two party system.  We must hold our elected officials accountable for their inaction.

We are like the Greeks and the Romans.  We, as a nation, are fat and happy and have little disregard for what is around us.  We are not paying attention and holding our government accountable for its actions.  It is because of us and our lack of action that we too, as a nation, will fall.

If you want to change this, then break away from the two party system.  Vote Green Party, Constitution Party, Libertarian or something else.  If you do not know how you really side, go ISideWith.com and take their poll to see where you should fall.  Quit settling for the best of the worst.

Labels

Hello all,

First of all Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, Happy New Year and Happy Festivus.

It has been awhile since I blogged and that has been because I have been spending a majority of my time with my wife and kids. Everything I do, all of the political activism, my job, etc. is to help my family live the life that we want to live. With that said, I believe it is good for the body, mind and soul to occasionally take a step away and just relax. So, that is what I have been and will probably continue to do for awhile.

As always, with that said, there is something that I want to get off my chest that has been weighing heavily on me. I am probably going to get flamed for this, but so be it.

Maybe it is just me, but I have been noticing that people and the media are really looking to be labeled lately. It harkens back to high school and everyone wanting to choose what group you are/want to belong to. We have people saying they are Conservatives, Republicans, Tea Partiers, Moderates, Liberals, Fiscal Conservatives, Democrats, Blue Dogs, etc. Why do we feel the need for these labels? I understand that as we know it today there is a two party system and that the rule of government is broken up based upon party lines. That I can deal with, but now we are dealing with people who want to continue to fractionalize those groups. Lindsey Grahm is a RINO, Jim DeMint is a Conservative, Michelle Backman is a Tea Partier, Ben Nelson is a Blue Dog Democrat and on and on and on. Why?

Does it really matter?

There are fellow bloggers that will call out Lindsey Grahm for taking a moderate position and say he is a RINO, he is not a true conservative. There are Democrats who are calling out Claire McCaskill for wanting to ban earmarks as not a true Democrat. Whatever.

Let's face it people, there is no true conservative. There is no litmus test for being a Republican or Democrat. We need to get over the labels and the name calling. Period.

If you are fiscally conservative, but believe in gay marriage and allowing abortion in some cases, you can still be a Republican.
If you are progressive in your social beliefs but believe in a strong military and defense, you can still be a Democrat.

Both parties and its members want to say they are big tent parties. We welcome all sides and will listen to all points of view. It seems to be that way until you join, when you are told to sit down, shut up and follow our party positions.

As bloggers and as politically active members of our society, we need to each get beyond these labels and talk about the root of the matter. Say what you believe in and what you expect of your representatives. Understand that other representatives may make different decisions or have different opinions based upon the people they represent. Remember, this is a BIG country and not everyone thinks like a North County Blue Collar Republican, a South County White Collar Democrat, a St. Charles Catholic Conservative or a Ladue Jewish Progressive (Don't you just love the labels). Because of the desires of others around the country, our Congressman/women and Senators have to negotiate to get things done. Pure and simple. We cannot start calling people names and labels because they do not conform to what we think they should be.

That said, there are times when people have had enough. That is where the Tea Party came in. The Tea Party was a name for a group of people that were tired of government as is. They were a group of people that are against something. They are the party of NO. Because the Tea Party is not a true party, but a label of people that are sick of the standard government. The Tea Party should stay that way but instead it is being converted and twisted into a part of the Republican party. It is becoming and being twisted into some sort of alternate ego for fiscal and in some cases social conservatives. Those that say they run the Tea Party should be wary of allowing this. The Tea Party label, if we must have one, should continue to be independent of Conservatives, Progressives, Republicans and Democrats. It should be no different than the NRA or any other advocacy group. The Tea Party should be the label for the people who are saying NO to big government. No more, no less.

So, after saying this, let me tell you who I am. Not in a label that can be summarized, but in words.

• I am someone who usually votes Republican but has voted Democrat.
• I am someone who votes based upon the issues and the stances taken by the candidates.
• I am someone who believes in a small and limited government.
• I am someone who believes that the best offense is a good defense (and if we are talking sports a good QB or Albert Pujols helps).
• I am someone that wants you and everyone else to stay out of my and everyone else's bedroom.
• I do not think the government should be able to license marriage. Marriage is a religious act. I personally believe that the government can license civil union contracts between a man & woman, a man & man, and a woman & woman. Let the churches decide how they want to or do not want to define marriage.
• I think the best way to have equality is to get rid of any and all social programs that push one race, gender, religion or sexual preference over another
• I think America is one of the most perfect places to live because of our liberties.

So, are you just a label or are you more?

It's Time For Us To Go John Galt

My friends, whenever I go away for work I always bring a book with me. You never know if you are going to be stuck in a terminal, a hotel room, waiting room, etc. You cannot always guarantee Internet coverage on your phone or an interesting movie in your hotel room. With this past week, even though it had not been that long, I decided to pull out my well worn copy of Atlas Shrugged. It being one of my favorites, I thought I would re-read it as time allowed. Considering what was supposed to be a 1 week trip turned out to be much longer, I was glad I did.

I bring this up because as I read about this and the more I think about it, the more I think it is time for each of us to go John Galt. No, I am not saying that we need to disappear in the cloak of night and come together in some secret society. No. Instead what I feel we should each do is start to disassociate ourselves from our communities. Instead, we should make do with what we can without using that which any government has to offer. Are you or your spouse a stay at home parent, then home school and make the educational choices for your children instead of having the government make them for you. Teach them the way that you think they should be taught. Give them the education they deserve instead of the education that the school system has elected to give them. This is just one of many ways you can unplug yourself from the shackles of the government. If you can, restrict your usage of any government buildings and properties. Do not purchase from companies that support non-defense government agencies. The more you remove yourself from the government, the free-er you become.

I know this sounds seperationist, but it is not. You see, the more that you become reliant on the government, the more you become enslaved by it. That is the beauty of a book like "Atlas Shrugged". Those doers of society, those of us who work hard, pay our taxes and do what we can to improve ourselves are constantly penalized by a government that is trying to create some sort of equality that is not possible or plausible. By removing yourself and as many dependencies as you have from the government, you are taking away their power and influence.

The government, and I mean all forms of government from Federal to state and local, has made each of us dependent upon them. This was done in order to make the government and each of those government employees necessary. Unlike working in the private sector where streamlining and cost efficiency is paramount to survival, the government works with what they believe is a limitless check book. They can justify their spending because of each one of us and the way we use them. By removing ourselves from them, their need becomes less and more prevalent.

The US Constitution is a set of rules and limitations on the government, not a set of rights for its citizens. This is a powerful thing. The way the government has gotten around this is by making each of us more and more addicted to what it has to offer. As of now, there is no way that I know of to be a part of a community that completely disassociates ourselves from the government, but we can slowly remove ourselves. So, as we go into the upcoming elections, vote for smaller government, vote for less government intervention and work to remove yourself as much as you can from the use of any government program.

Go Galt.

Post Script
I wrote this article late in the evening on 9/30. I decided not to post it so I could have a close friend read this article and give me any feedback. This is something I normally do when I write an article at night. This way another set of eyes can look at it and make sure I do not ramble or I made my points. After reading this article, he called me laughing,
"So you listened to Glenn Beck?"
"No", I told him, "I could not find a station it is on down there"
"Are you sure", he said.
"Yeah."
"Well then you two must be mind melding. Check out the link I just sent you."
Opening it, I read the link and started to laugh.
"Well", I said, "Maybe Glenn just got done re-reading Atlas Shrugged too."
I am glad to know that I am not the only one thinking this way.

Space Exploration - The REAL Stimulus Plan

Space

A little over 41 years ago, man first walked on the moon. For the first time in probably centuries, a human being was walking on terrain that had never been touched by a human being. And during that time, the whole world was united in watching as a man gently floated down to the surface of the moon, implanting his footprint into the dusty surface.

As we all should know, the lunar race was sparked by a call to action from John F. Kennedy. He called for man to break the bonds of Earth and move into the stars. Unfortunately he was not able to live to see that, but his call to action was answered. That call to action also brought forth economic prosperity and technological advances that are still in use today or spawned greater advances in technology. I could write a whole post on that, but Computerworld did a great article on this which I will occasionally reference. It can be found HERE.

The beauty of the 60’s space program was that it was similar to the early days of America. It is almost fitting that popular culture moved from Westerns to Science Fiction/Space. I say this because; space exploration is the wild west of now. Much like the early explorers of the Americas, whether it be the Spanish and French explorers, discovering the new lands or those on the East Coast looking for land and prosperity and exploring the “wild west”, the journey into space is the journey into the unknown.

With the journey into the unknown, there is a price. This price is an investment in the future and an investment into discovering the unknown. Much like the Spaniards of old, they invested gold into exploration of the western hemisphere. The reward, they believed, would be faster trade routes. What instead they found were lands full of riches. These riches included new foods, animals, minerals and land. Seeing the investment pay off, the kingdoms increased their investment and expanded their expeditions. These early kingdoms, Spain, France, England, etc., saw the value of investing in these ventures as they provided benefit for now and the future.

Fast forward several hundred years and we see that our government is not looking towards the future. Since mothballing the Apollo program, NASA has been asked assigned to manage flights for the delivery of satellites and to limit the true exploration to the use of satellites. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is smart to use satellite technology to act as our “scouts”, but we are not following that scouting up with additional exploration. The investment in space exploration and colonization is essential for our long term growth.

First, let’s talk turkey. Space exploration is expensive. It is really expensive. It is really, really, really expensive. That said it is completely worth it. According to Scott Hubbard of Stanford University where he is a professor in the aeronautics and astronautics department, $7 or $8 in goods and services are produced for every $1 that the government invests in NASA. Scott should know, he used to work for NASA for 20 years. Right now, NASA is set to receive just 0.52% of the overall national budget or 18.7 billion dollars. Imagine what could happen to our economy if the US Government were to initiate a true space exploration program or an aggressive lunar or mars mission. The money needed would be great, but the rewards could be tremendous.

NASA does it right when they work with various companies. They provided some “seed” money to get the various companies to solve various needs. In doing so, these companies are allowed to keep the patent on whatever they create. In 1998 a study was done on the impact of this process. Of the 15 companies that agree to participate it was found that NASA gave $64 million, these companies invested and addition $200 million and the return on that investment is conservatively estimated at $1.5 billion. This does not even include the social benefits that come from these discoveries. That means that about $23.4 dollars per dollar was generated off of NASA’s initial investment. More information on this can be found HERE

In regards to MO 1st district, McDonnell Douglas played a big part in the early space program. All of the Mercury and Gemini space capsules were actually built by McDonnell Douglas here in St. Louis. Specifically, they were engineered and built at the MD facilities just north of Lambert Airport. While I could not find any studies done to give specific impact, I would have to believe there was some. Personally I know of many former McDonnell engineers and technicians who do or used to live in the North County St. Louis area. Anecdotally, those people lived there because it was close to work.

Just think of what advances and economic stimulus the country would have if the government were to truly re-invest in space technology. All presidents have spoken with words, but few have chosen true action. An aggressive space agency would help bring major innovation to technology, bio-science, aerodynamics, and propulsion technologies, just to name a few. By letting these companies keep the patents, we could see consumer ready variations of these products in the market in just a few years. An investment in an aggressive space program, similar to what NASA received in 1966, 5.5% of total budget, would give the US space program $198 billion dollars which is less than the total committed to TARP.

This type of funding would help employ jobs at all levels and should yield substantial increases and technology.

Moving beyond the economic impact, think of the social impact that this type of program would bring. With the jobs, would come greater prosperity for many people. Using the current NASA model, many companies would be able to offer additional services. Daniel Lockney, the editor of Spinoff, NASA's annual publication that reports on the use of the agency's technologies in the private sector, said the advancements during the Apollo missions were staggering.

"There were remarkable discoveries in civil, electrical, aeronautical and engineering science, as well as rocketry and the development of core technologies that really pushed technology into the industry it is today. It was perhaps one of the greatest engineering and scientific feats of all time. It was huge. The engineering required to leave Earth and move to another heavenly body required the development of new technologies that before hadn't even been thought of. It has yet to be rivaled."

Imagine what would be created for a manned mission to Mars, or a true lunar base. We would need to create all of these things along with green, renewable energy and more importantly sustainable nutritional technology to sustain such missions.

Instead of looking to future, our government and politicians have grown short sighted. Rather than looking at investments, they are too worried about the here and the now, the special interest groups and the party politics. During the 60’s we were united on a cause of reaching where no human had gone before. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped on the moon, all of mankind watched. It was a spectacle to behold. It was to be the first step of many. It was a promise to the future.

That promise has turned into a lie. Instead of moving forward, we have become stale. Rather than moving out the way, government has made spaceflight a bureaucracy. Rather than see the potential for jump starting innovation, we have become mired in the politics of it. In regards to blame, it is across the board. Both Republicans and Democrats have cut funding to this agency, routing it instead to their pork barrel projects or social programs.

If the government is not going to move forward, then they need to get out of the way and let private enterprise move forward. The problem is private enterprise can’t. In the United States, there is so much red tape that someone has to go through to test and launch a vehicle; it becomes nearly impossible to do it without government intervention.

While kingdoms sponsored the early exploration to the western hemisphere, it was the small groups, individuals and private industry that helped pave the way to western America. These explorers and pioneers went west to discover and lay claim to the untapped land and resources that were out there. These people/parties did so by financing projects on their own and just moving forward. It was their work that helped pave the way for the rest of the country. They were able to do so because the government encouraged them and staid out of their way. The same could be done for the space program.

By loosening up the restrictions on space flight, allowing companies access to closed military bases for storage and launch sites or even allowing limited land, discovery or mining rights for interplanetary travel, companies would be willing to invest in space exploration using their own money.

While we may not see the economic increase that a government sponsored program would bring, loosening restrictions as well as incentivizing participation would create opportunities that many companies would be willing to take the risks on.

Now, there will be some that say that this is too risky and dangerous and not worth the costs. Space travel should be limited and left to the government. To that I say this. If we had lived by those standards over all these years, we may just now be discovering the Americas.

Man is a wanderer and explorer by nature. We yearn to see what else is in store for us and what is on the other side of the mountain. Curiosity is part of our makeup. You can see it in babies. They take their first steps and immediately begin going to the places they were told not too. They do this because they want to see and know more. Space is the next frontier. It is an infinite place, filled with wonder and danger, where we can go, “what’s next.”

Those who participate know the danger they are exposed too. Those brave men and women who have died in the name of space, knew the dangers that were inherent with space travel. They knew it and went anyway. We cannot and should not try and overly protect those who are willing to go forward. We should encourage that growth and discovery balanced with safety, whether it be via a government sponsored program or private industry. I long for the day that I can sit on my sofa and watch as a human being takes steps off of some Martian lander and makes the first imprint on Martian soil.

In closing, I ask you to think about this as budgets and politics are discussed. Think about tomorrow and the greatness that could be achieved. Think about the potential that an aggressive space program could give us. And think of the promise of a future among the stars for our children. While you are doing that, watch the following videos and just think of what could be.

My Interview with Candice Britton

There has not been any press that I have heard on this, so I guess you could say you are hearing it here first. Lacy Clay has some competition for the 1st District of Missouri in the House of Representatives. That competition is coming from one Candice Britton or "Britt".

Candice first emailed me after reading a few of my articles on the corruption that is Lacy Clay. I went over to her campaign website and read through her info and stances on the various topics. Since the St. Louis Post Disgrace Dispatch has failed once again to do their job and report the news, I thought I would take it upon myself to reach out to Candice.

The following is an interview I did with Candice online over the course of several days. This is strictly an interview. I am not giving my opinion or am I commenting on anything that Candice has to say. I think it is only fair to let Candice speak her points without comment by me or anyone else. Let you and the people in District 1 make their decisions. While the questions have been rearranged for better reading, all of her answers are verbatim.

Q. Why are you running for the seat currently occupied by Lacy Clay for the 1st District of Missouri?
A. I am running for the seat that is currently occupied by Lacy Clay for the 1st District of Missouri because I feel that Government spending is out of control. Both parties are responsible for the dangerously huge Debt and Deficit. Senators and Congresspersons have forgotten whom they work for…we the people. Democrats and Republicans refuse to work together to set a good example for our children. The deliberate feud between the parties keeps this Country and her people divided. Due to this they are free to do as they please, such as, enact legislation the majority of the people are against. I want to return our Government back to the people.

Q. You said that you want to represent the first district? Lacy Clay claims that he does. how would you go about ensuring you are?
A. Not be an insider. I don’t know all the ends and outs of Congress. What I would like to do if permitted is to set up a special 800- phone line just for the District 1 constituents in the Washington D.C. office and the offices in Missouri.

• I would assign staff to all the different areas that government covers to aide my constituents with their needs.
• I also would answer the phone myself as much as possible (the special constituent phone line).
• I would meet with my constituents one-on-one if needed. (Of course, I would screen for safety matters.)
• I would hold as many town hall events as I could. I would also answer their e-mails in a manner that lets them know what my thinking is on the topic that they e-mailed me about. I will be trying to find the best way to keep communications open with my constituents.

Q. What differentiates you from Lacy Clay in your beliefs and stances?
A. I can’t tell you what Mr. Clays beliefs are because I do not know them. I can only tell you what are my beliefs and stances.

I believe the Government is of the people and for the people of this great country. I believe our legislators are to work for us. Mr. Clay and I are different in the following areas:

• Most, not all, of his votes are along the Democratic Party line. My votes will not be for party or self-political gain. I will vote for the will of District 1 constituents and consider the will of the majority of the Country and use common sense.
• We also differ on many other issues, such as, Immigration, the closing of Guantanamo Military Prison, Healthcare reform and Government Ethics.
• Mr. Clay voted No on H. Res. 895, which establishes an Office of Congressional Ethics within the House of Representatives. I would vote yes.
• Mr. Clay voted No on S 1: A bill to provide greater transparency in the legislative process. I would vote yes.
• I believe my voting record would be very different from his on many issues. Before I would vote on ANY legislation, I would read the legislation with my staff. I would research the legislation to make sure that I have a good sound knowledge and understanding of the legislation before I voted. If the majority leader would not give sufficient time to research and understand the legislation before a vote, I will vote “NO”. I will use common sense and NEVER forget whom I work for.

Q. You are not a Washington or even a St. Louis political insider. What makes you qualified for this position?
A. It’s because I’m NOT a Washington D.C. or Political party insider that I’m qualified. My question to everyone is…how’s Mr. Clay doing? How are the Congresspersons doing? Are you happy with the job that they’re doing for you and our country? Some are Lawyers’, Businesspersons, graduates from Harvard, Yale, Millionaires’, Career politicians etc….

My education is 15 years of school. I have life experience and common sense. I know how every Social Entitlement program works or don’t work. I’m you, just a regular person, who wants to try to make a difference in the lives of the District 1 constituents and my fellow American brothers and sisters. I feel that our founding fathers wanted people just like you and me to represent each other as far as our government is concerned. I think our founding fathers want regular folks like you and me to make the laws and regulations that govern all Americans. I believe that I’m what the founding fathers had in mind.

“We The People Of The United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America”

Each constituent in District 1 will have to decide if they feel I am qualified to represent them and their needs in Washington D.C. I will
respect their decision.

Q. What is your platform?
A. My political platform is democratic with a strong belief that our country can’t survive without a strong manufacturing base. We must produce the majority of our own goods to survive and compete with other countries.

Q. Are there any committees that you would especially want to participate in, should you be elected?
A. I will have no say over the committee assignments. Though, if I could choose, I would choose from the following:

• House Committee on Education and Labor
• House Committee on Small Business
• Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
• Subcommittee on Rural Development, Entrepreneurship and Trade
• Subcommittee on Regulations and Healthcare
• Subcommittee on Elections
• Committee on Housing

Q. Reading your website, it reads like some of your positions are things we have heard from the St. Louis Tea Party; is that what you are running under or as a part of?
A. I’m a Democrat that has participated in several St. Louis Tea Party events. I agree with some of the Tea Party positions as well as with some of the Republican positions and some of the Democrat positions. I’m an independent thinker. I believe no one group, party or person has all the answers.

Q. How do you feel the President is performing?
A. At this time, I feel that he lacks experience and leadership skills. I currently don’t feel he is governing in the best direction for our country. I don’t agree with the majority of his policies.
What has he done right?

• Asking Hillary Clinton to be Secretary of State
• and by also asking George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to handle the Haiti disaster.

What has he done wrong?

• Closing Guantanamo Military Prison.
• Prosecuting Terrorists in U.S.Federal courts.
• Half of the 2009 Healthcare reform legislation is not up to par.
• Bad Economy issue decisions, such as, the Stimulus package, bailing out the Auto manufacturers and banks and T.A.R.P.
• The Cap and Trade legislation would increase utilities.

Q. You said half of the Healthcare bill was not up to par. In which ways do you agree and disagree with the bill?
A. These are just a few things I like and don’t like about the Healthcare bill.
PRO'S

• Provide small employers with fewer than 25 employees and average annual wages of less than $40,000 that purchase health insurance for employees with a tax credit.
• For tax years 2011 and 2012, provide a tax credit of up to 35% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium if the employer contributes at least 50% of the total premium cost or 50% of a benchmark premium. The full credit will be available to employers with 10 or fewer employees and average annual wages of less than $20,000. Tax-exempt small businesses meeting these requirements are eligible for tax credits of up to 25% of the employer’s contribution toward the employee’s health insurance premium.
• SEC. 2705 PROHIBITION OF PREEXISTING CONDITION CLUSIONS OR OTHER DISCRIMINATION BASED ON HEALTH STATUS.
• Such rate shall not vary by health status related factors, gender,class of business, claims experience, or any other factor.
• SEC. 2706 PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPANTS AND BENEFICIARIES BASED ON HEALTH STATUS.
• A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage, may not establish rules for eligibility (including continued eligibility) of any individual to enroll under the terms of the plan or coverage based on any of the following health status-related factors in relation to the individual or a dependent of the individual:
• Health status.
• Medical condition (including both physical and mental illnesses).
• Claims experience.
• Receipt of health care.
• Medical history.
• Genetic information.
• Evidence of insurability arising out of acts of domestic violence.
• Disability.

CONS

• Individual mandate. Require U.S. citizens and legal residents to have qualifying health coverage. Enforced through a tax penalty of $750 per adult year.
  Impose a tax on individuals without qualifying coverage of $750 per adult per year to be phased-in beginning in 2014.
• Impose an excise tax in 2013 on insurers of employer-sponsored health plans with aggregate values that exceed $8,000 for individual coverage and $21,000 for family coverage (these threshold values will be indexed to the consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI-U) plus 1%). The threshold amounts will be increased for retired individuals age 55 and up and for employees engaged in high-risk professions by $1,850 for individual coverage and $5,000 for family coverage.
• Impose new fees on segments of the health care sector: $2.3 billion annual fee on the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector; $4 billion annual fee on the medical device manufacturing sector; and $6.7 billion annual fee on the health insurance sector.
• 500 billion in Medicare cuts over 10 years to help offset the enormous cost of providing care to 45 million uninsured Americans.
• SEC. 2701. FAIR INSURANCE COVERAGE. Rate shall vary only by:
• Family structure
• Community rating area;
• The actuarial value of the benefit;
• Age, except that such rate shall not vary by more than 2 to 1.
• United States Preventive Services Task Force.
• Independent Medicare Advisory Boards (named informally the death panel).
• Section 3403 of Senate requires that “it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.”
• Section 3403 of Senator Reid’s legislation also states, “Notwithstanding rule XV of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a committee amendment described in subparagraph (A) may include matter not within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Finance if that matter is relevant to a proposal contained in the bill submitted under subsection (c)(3).” In short, it sets up a rule to ignore another Senate rule.
• No comparative effectiveness research and value-based purchasing.

Q. What is the one thing you want to accomplish should you be elected? –
A. To rebuild our manufacturing base.

Q. How would you go about rebuilding our manufacturing base?
A. I know the above won’t be easy and to get it done will take a lot of like-minded legislators to achieve it. With that said, we must start the process and let folks know how important it is to the well being of the American people.

• I would start by learning everything I can about manufacturing.
• I would visit as many different kinds of manufacturing companies as possible to do the following:
• I would ask them what keeps their company in the U.S.?
• What do they need to compete with China, India or any other foreign countries?
• I would visit the manufacturing companies that have moved their factories to another country and find out why?
• I would ask them what would they need and what would it take for them to return their company back to the U.S.?
• After I gathered all the information, I would then go to work in trying to figure out what I can do as far as with the Federal Government through legislation, tax incentives, tariffs, etc. I then would do what I could to bring our American Companies that left back home.
• Those that left the U.S. to use child labor and create sweatshops for greed will never return. Those companies should be forced to give up their American citizenship.

I will need to educate myself more to gain the knowledge needed to achieve the referenced above.

Q. Running against Lacy Clay, are you afraid that your disease and even your housing and disability will become an issue?
A. No, I’m not afraid. Could the above become an issue for some voters? Yes. Could Mr. Clay make it an issue? Yes. I personally don’t feel it should be an issue. We have many Senators and Congresspersons who have had cancers, strokes and brain tumors while holding office and are re-elected. Anyone including the District 1 voters could become ill (God forbid). President Ronald Regan (who had Alzheimer’s) held the office of the presidency with the very early stages of Alzheimer’s. If I’m not mistaken, Vice President Biden had a brain tumor at one time. The District 1 voters will decide if it is a reason to not vote for me. If that is the case, I will respect their decision.

Q. What is your background? Tell my readers more about you? –
A. My roots are in Sullivan and Bourbon, Missouri. Yes, I’m a country girl.

I grew up on the Meramec River and love outdoor activities, such as, fishing, hiking, boating and all things that growing up on a river can offer a person. I played Varsity softball and volleyball in high school and during my time in high school loved working on my old cars and keeping them running. In my younger years, due to my passion for working and thurst for learning new things, I did various types of work. I have 5 siblings, but none that live in St. Louis.

I attended East Central Junior College and Meramec Community College. When I was 21 years of age, I had to move to the city to find work and have been here ever since. No children of my own. I love life and all the adventures she can offer. Most of all, I love my country (the people) and have a passion that burns deep inside of me to keep her strong for those of us who are here now and for those that are to come in the future.

Writing about myself is the hardest question you have asked me to answer.

Running for Congress is not about me. It’s about “We the People” and giving our government back to its rightful owners, “The People”.

Q. Have you approached or are there any plans for you to debate Lacy Clay? If so, when?
A. I don't know if Mr. Clay knows that he has a Democrat challenger yet. I don't know that he will deem me a threat. I have had no contact with Mr. Clay. I will wait and see how things go. I'm open to debating Mr. Clay. It would be my first debate ever in my life. Mr. Clay would have a huge advantage. If Mr. Clay asks for a debate I will debate him and do my best.

As you can see, Candice has some very interesting points. Please check out her webpage and reach out to her via her website or on Twitter via @Candicebritton.

I hope you found this as informative as I did. Please comment your thoughts on here and let Candice know what you think.

Give to the Troops

This is just something very quick and non-political. I stumbled across it and thought I would share.

The USO has setup a program for soldiers overseas to get pre-paid phone cards. For a small donation, you can help the USO give a soldier a 30 minute or more pre-paid phone card. This is a worthwhile cause that is well worth the money.

Please click HERE and give what you can. What better way to give thanks to those men and women overseas than let them talk with their families back home.