Powers of Congress


“Put me in charge of food stamps. I’d get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Hos, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, THEN GET A JOB.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I’d do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or even better tubal ligations. Also calling 911 for an ambulance because you stumped your toe and all the attention cost’s them nothing, what a shame!! Then, we’ll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, THEN GET A JOB.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your ‘home’ will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, THEN GET A JOB and YOUR OWN PLACE.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a ‘government’ job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the ‘common good.’

Before you write that I’ve violated someone’s rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be ‘demeaning’ and ruin their ‘self esteem,’ consider that it wasn’t that long ago that taking someone else’s money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people’s mistakes (and life styles—my addition) we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

AND While you are on Government subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Government welfare check. If you want to vote, THEN GET A JOB.”

I received the above from one of my regular contributors. He did not give me a source. The author may be from Texas since he makes reference to Lone Star cards (Texas is the Lone Star State) which seems to be the equivalent of the “link” card used in Illinois by select individuals to make purchases of food and related items at local stores.

Powers of the Congress of the United States:

Constitution of the United States, Article I, Section 8, Congressional Powers

“The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imports and Excise, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

[What do the writers of the Constitution mean by the phrase “provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States?’ Note first that it is the general welfare of the United States. It is not and was NEVER meant to mean “provide for the individual welfare of select groups of people within the United States.” If that was the intent, it could have been and would have been written into the Constitution. The States certainly had poor people within them at the time of the writing of the Constitution. The States certainly had uneducated people within them at the time of the writing of the Constitution. The States certainly had unhealthy people within them at the time of the writing of the Constitution.

The concept of providing the “common defense and general welfare of the United States” is determined by the remaining powers prescribed to Congress. Each one listed deals with either the defense of the United States, the general welfare of the United States, or both. Therefore if a power is not listed, it was not and is not considered a power belonging to Congress to provide for the common defense and the general welfare of the United States. The writers of the Constitution agreed upon certain powers for the federal government in relation to these two items. Those listed are the ONLY legitimate powers Congress has in these areas unless additional powers are given through Constitutional Amendment!]

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repeal Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; — And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

The thirteen original States were all considered to be sovereign, independent nations. These thirteen States willing ceded a portion of their own sovereignty to form the United States of America. However, these States deliberated and knowingly limited the power of that newly created federal government. The powers given to the Congress of that new government—Congress having the law making power—are specifically and distinctly listed. Congress HAS NO POWER beyond the specific powers listed in the Constitution unless provided by Constitutional Amendment.

So, where exactly in the listed powers does Congress have the power to give money to the poor or anyone else (Lone Star cards), provide healthcare to the poor or anyone else outside of the military (Medicaid), provide housing to the poor or anyone else outside of the military (government housing), finance and control education, and a vast number of other things that the federal government is now involved in? None of these things were originally done by the federal government. None of these things constitutionally should be done by the federal government.

And yet, for the 2008-2009 federal budget spending included: Social programs 21%

Social programs: About 13% of total outlays were for Medicaid, food stamps, temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and related programs; and the remaining outlays were for health research and public health programs, unemployment compensation, assisted housing, and social services.

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,738,780,000,000 = amount for social programs
That is, seven hundred thirty eight billion, seven hundred eighty million dollars

The federal government is NOT a centralized, national government. It has only those powers delegated to it by the States through the Constitution of the United States. Why have the States allowed the federal government to seize such centralized power and authority? Why have we, the people allowed the federal government to seize such centralized power and authority? Isn’t it time to TAKE BACK THE NATION and limit the federal government to the constitutional powers given?

Hurray for Indiana!!! Putting the MURDERERS on notice!!!


I didn’t have time yesterday to write a post about the budget. I was going to post the following Saturday so I am switching them. Back to the budget Saturday! (I hope!)

From: The 9/12 Project Network

“FIRST STATE EVER! Indiana Legislature Votes To Completely Cut Planned Parenthood Off From Taxpayer Funds!

Posted by Jared Law on April 28, 2011 at 12:35pm in Activism/Events

Planned Parenthood is a stain on America (It is more than a stain! It is the MOST MURDEROUS organization in the history of the United States—my addition). It has actively participated in the effort to murder (GOOD! Someone else is calling Planned MURDERHOOD’S actions what it is—MURDER!!!—my addition) TENS OF MILLIONS of unborn American citizens. No matter how one looks at it, the blood of the innocent unborn who have been slain cries from the dust for vengeance upon Planned Parenthood and other abortion mills, and also upon those who built them up, and who legalized infanticide, (And all who support this MURDER—my addition) or in other words, the wholesale slaughter of the unborn. De-funding them is THE LEAST WE CAN DO!!! (Amen!!!—my addition)

If we fail to strongly advocate to cut off their funding, to the convincing of our representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, and also in the U.S. Senate, and in our state Capitol Buildings, are we then guiltless?

I say that we are not guiltless if we fail to do our best to stop the taxpayer-funded slaughter.

We bear a solemn responsibility to remove the taxpayers from the list of those financially and legally supporting the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of unborn Americans each and every year. Planned Parenthood is just one of many abortion mill operations, but they are the largest, with nearly a third of a million unborn Americans cut down before they had the chance to ever stand on their own two feet, much less walk, run, jump, or play, as young children.

With that in mind, I CELEBRATE the Indiana legislature, I salute them for having the COURAGE to STAND UP to the evil supporters of infanticide within our government and within the walls of each Planned Parenthood location! GO INDIANA! Shame on every other state that hasn’t done the same! (However, all is not lost. It’s time to lobby every State legislature which provides funds to Planned MURDERHOOD to STOP the funding! It’s time to renew our efforts at the federal level and VOTE out those who support and protect Planned MURDERHOOD!!!—my addition) Here’s the welcome news from The Blaze:

“The Blaze

FIRST STATE EVER: INDIANA VOTES TO CUT PLANNED PARENTHOOD

Posted on April 27, 2011 at 8:23pm by Emily Esfahani Smith

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana is poised to become the first state to cut off all government funding for the Planned Parenthood organization, providing a significant victory for the anti-abortion movement but presenting a political predicament for the state’s governor, Mitch Daniels, as he considers running for president. (He’d better sign the bill!!!—my addition)

The Indiana House voted 66-32 Wednesday to approve a bill cutting the $3 million in federal money the state distributes to the organization for family planning and health programs.

The measure also ban abortions after the 20th week of pregnancy unless there is a substantial threat to the woman’s life or health and requires women seeking an abortion be told that life begins at conception and that doctors performing abortions have admitting privileges in a nearby hospital. The Senate approved the measure earlier this month.

The action opens a new legislative front in the conservative assault on Planned Parenthood, which has been targeted for its abortion services. Efforts to cut off federal funds in Congress failed this month, but bills are moving in a number of statehouses.

Indiana’s measure is now in Daniels hands, which could force him to make a decision between the state’s fiscal interests and a prime goal of his party’s social conservatives.

If he signs the measure, Indiana risks losing $4 million in federal grants for family planning services. (MURDER!!!—my addition) If he vetoes it, Daniels could (NOT COULD but rather WOULD!—my addition) antagonize ardent social conservatives already wary of his public statements about the importance of focusing on economic issues this year. (Daniels made the truce comment last June)

But signing it also could provide Daniels with the political cover he needs from those who question his commitment to social conservative causes. He could point to it throughout the presidential campaign as evidence that opposition to abortion rights and other social causes are part of his political makeup.

A Daniels spokeswoman said the governor would not comment until the bill arrives on his desk for action. He’ll have seven calendar days once he receives the bill to take action. He also could allow it to become law without his signature once those seven days pass.

Daniels has said he will decide on a run for president after the Legislature adjourns, which is expected Friday.

Planned Parenthood says abortions account for just 3 percent of the services it provides. (SO WHAT!!! They are still the largest MURDER factory in the nation!!!—my addition) Planned Parenthood clinics across the country perform 1 million screenings for cervical cancer, 830,000 breast exams and some 4 million tests and treatments for sexually transmitted diseases. (And doctors, hospitals, and non-MURDEROUS clinics can and do do the same thing!!! NO MONEY FOR PLANNED MURDERHOOD!!! NONE!!! “Sure, he murdered someone but he‘s a good teacher of young children! He should not go to prison just because he made a mistake. He does some good!” That’s NONSENSE! And giving money to Planned MURDERHOOD because they might do some good in other areas is also NONSENSE!!!—my addition) Abortion-rights supporters say cutting funding for Planned Parenthood would primarily hurt poor women (NONSENSE!!!—my addition) who often have few choices for health care (MURDER IS NOT HEALTH CARE!!!—my addition).

Conservative lawmakers say, however, that any money the organization receives at least indirectly supports abortions.

‘If we’re buying the roof over their head or their paper clips, we’re still subsidizing abortion,’ (Absolutely!—my addition) said Republican Representative Matt Ubelhor, who sponsored a bill to ban state grants or contracts to Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

Planned Parenthood officials urged Daniels to veto the bill and said they would go to court to challenge the funding cut-off. (Off course!!! Which demonstrates it hurts their MURDEROUS activities!!!—my addition)

Indiana social agencies say federal law doesn’t allow states to choose which medical providers receive payments from Medicaid, which pays Planned Parenthood of Indiana about $1.3 million a year.

Republicans in Congress and in state legislatures see state action as an effective new tactic against Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. The push has been intensified since last fall’s midterm ballot elected more Republican governors and larger Republican majorities in many statehouses. Other tough restrictions on abortions have already been approved in many conservative states.

Abortion-rights supporters expect they’ll be fighting the de-funding issue in other state legislatures. (I sure hope so!—my addition)

‘These battles have been going on for decades,’ said Elizabeth Nash, who tracks state legislation for the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive-health research organization that supports abortion rights. ‘They rise and they fall, but right now they seem to be the worst that we’ve seen.’ (Good! It’s about time! It’s past time! Take Back the Nation!—my addition)

In North Carolina, the proposed state budget includes a ban on state contracts with Planned Parenthood for teen pregnancy prevention and family planning. In Texas, the Republican-controlled House stripped more than $60 million from the state budget for family planning services, shifting some of the money to anti-abortion programs and crisis pregnancy centers. Last year, New Jersey’s Republican governor, Chris Christie, cut $7.5 million from the state budget for 58 clinics specializing in women’s reproductive health.

Indiana’s Ubelhor said he campaigned on de-funding Planned Parenthood last year, when he defeated an incumbent Democrat and helped Republicans gain control of the Indiana House. He said state legislatures shouldn’t wait on Congress to act. ‘I think as a state we should do as much as we possibly can,’ he said.

Sue Swayze, a legislative lobbyist for Indiana Right to Life, said she expects more state action.

‘I think it will give folks who might otherwise have been reluctant to either face the controversy, period, or to put their state on the line, motivation to know that there is some support in Congress for it,’ Swayze said.

Nash said abortion rights supporters will argue that the measures hurt state budgets as well as women’s health.

‘Those efforts are not in the interest of public health, they are ideological,’ (These efforts WILL save the life of unborn children! If that‘s ideological, so be it!—my addition) she said.

Although the issue could be politically awkward for Daniels, whose term ends next year, it should be welcome for Indiana Representative Mike Pence, who is considering a run for governor. Pence, a Republican, led the drive in Congress to block Planned Parenthood funding.” (Continue the FIGHT for what is RIGHT!!!—my addition)

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! President Barack Hussein Obama is a natural-born citizen!!!


I debated whether or not to post this today. Decided to do so this morning. I’ll return to the federal budget tomorrow.

I was never a “birther!” I would never be a “birther!” I have never before posted about the so-called “birther” issue. And this is the first and only post on the issue that I will do. (I hope!) It should have NEVER been an issue.

As everyone should know by now, the President has produced a copy of his “original” birth certificate. Of course, that copy—nor any other document—will not satisfy some critics. Nothing would!

This whole thing is ridiculous on so many levels. First, the rumor was emphasized during the primary by the Clinton camp to try to derail the President’s primary campaign. If anyone knows anything about our political history, this type of rumor is a long standing practice by some campaigns. Usually, it is born out of desperation and usually it is NOT successful.

Second, I have never heard or read any statement questioning the citizenship of his mother. Court cases have held that a person whose father is a United States citizen is automatically a natural-born citizen regardless of the physical location of the child’s birth. Do you really believe that the Supreme Court today would make a distinction between a father and a mother in granting natural-born citizen status?

Finally, even if by some remote chance he was not a natural-born citizen, what do these critics expect would happen? The election is over. He won the election. Does anyone really want nine, unelected lawyers reversing an election result after the fact and after the “winner” has served in office for over two years? The can of worms that would cause! But even if he were removed, who would be President? Joe Biden! Or, is the Court going to toss out the whole election and do the election over? Would the Court declare John McCain the winner? What a Constitutional mess that would be!!!

I checked the internet this morning for some confirmation. Guess what. According to one site, Congress by law has defined a natural-born citizen. The pertinent section in the alleged case of Barack Hussein Obama is the following:

“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:

(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years….”

So, until or unless someone can demonstrate that Barack Hussein Obama’s mother is not a U.S. citizen and/or she did not live in the U.S. or its territories for the required time, Barack Hussein Obama ALWAYS HAS been a natural-born citizen regardless of whether or not he was born in Kenya or any other nation.

The website and the law quoted on the website:

From: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2470873/posts

“The governing law is very simple: It is TITLE 8, CHAPTER 12, SUBCHAPTER III, Part I, § 1401

‘The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:

(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;

(b) a person born in the United States to a member of an Indian, Eskimo, Aleutian, or other aboriginal tribe: Provided, That the granting of citizenship under this subsection shall not in any manner impair or otherwise affect the right of such person to tribal or other property;

(c) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;

(d) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the birth of such person, and the other of whom is a national, but not a citizen of the United States;

(e) a person born in an outlying possession of the United States of parents one of whom is a citizen of the United States who has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year at any time prior to the birth of such person;

(f) a person of unknown parentage found in the United States while under the age of five years, until shown, prior to his attaining the age of twenty-one years, not to have been born in the United States;

(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years: Provided, That any periods of honorable service in the Armed Forces of the United States, or periods of employment with the United States Government or with an international organization as that term is defined in section 288 of title 22 by such citizen parent, or any periods during which such citizen parent is physically present abroad as the dependent unmarried son or daughter and a member of the household of a person

(A) honorably serving with the Armed Forces of the United States, or

(B) employed by the United States Government or an international organization as defined in section 288 of title 22, may be included in order to satisfy the physical-presence requirement of this paragraph. This proviso shall be applicable to persons born on or after December 24, 1952, to the same extent as if it had become effective in its present form on that date; and

(h) a person born before noon (Eastern Standard Time) May 24, 1934, outside the limits and jurisdiction of the United States of an alien father and a mother who is a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, had resided in the United States.”

“IMPORTANT: Natural Born does not mean Native Born.

Natural Born means a citizen at the moment of birth by conditions or parentage and birth, not a persona who was made a citizen by application later, i.e. one who was ‘naturalized’ i.e., made as if Natural”

All you “birthers” out there: Get over it!!! We have much more important things to be concerned about. We need to win the White House in 2012 with a PROVEN conservative! We need to win control of the Senate! We need to increase our control of the House of Representatives! WE have work to do! Don’t get distracted by non-issues!

The federal government IS a SPENDOHOLIC!!!


Tucked away in the 2010, 1040 Tax Booklet on page 97 are two pie graphs showing the revenue collected and borrowed by the federal government and the expenditures of the federal government for fiscal year 2009 which began in October of 2008 and ended in September of 2009. Of course, we are currently in the fiscal year 2011 budget. President Obama has sent to Congress the proposed fiscal year 2012 budget and the House of Representatives has already passed its own proposed budget for 2012.

From: 2010, 1040 Tax Booklet, page 97

“Major Categories of Federal Income and Outlays for Fiscal Year 2009”

In fiscal year 2009 (which began on October 1, 2008, and ended on September 30, 2009), federal income was $2.105 trillion and outlays were $3.518 trillion, leaving a deficit of $1.413 trillion.

Income Outlays

1) Borrowing to cover deficit 40%

Amount borrowed: $1,413,000,000,000 = one trillion, four hundred thirteen billion dollars

2) Personal income taxes 26%

Amount from personal income tax: $914,680,000,000 = nine hundred fourteen billion, six hundred eighty million dollars

3) Social security, Medicare, and unemployment and other retirement taxes 25%

Social security, etc. taxes: $879,500,000,000 = eight hundred seventy nine billion, five hundred million dollars

4) Excise, customs, estate, gift, and miscellaneous taxes 5%

Excise, etc. taxes: $175,900,000,000 = one hundred seventy five billion, nine hundred million dollars

5) Corporate income taxes 4%

Corporate income taxes: $140,720,000,000 = one hundred forty billion, seven hundred twenty million dollars

Total taxes collected: $2,110,800,000,000 = two trillion, one hundred ten billion, eight hundred million dollars (Difference due to rounding.)

NOTE:

$2,110,800,000,000 = amount collected in taxes
$1,413,000,000,000 = amount borrowed (increase in national debt!)
$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
(The amount of taxes collected and amount borrowed do not equal total spending due to rounding.)

Outlays
(The percentages for outlays do not total 100% due to rounding.)

1) Social security, Medicare, and other retirement 34%

Social security, Medicare, and other retirement: These programs provide income support for the retired and disabled and medical care for the elderly.

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$1,196,120,000,000 = amount for social security etc

That is, one trillion, one hundred ninety six billon, one hundred twenty million dollars (NOTE: the amount taken in in taxes for this same specific category is “Social security, etc. taxes: $879,500,000,000 = eight hundred seventy nine billion, five hundred million dollars” leading to a deficit in this category of -$316, 620,000,000. That is, the deficit in this category is over three hundred sixteen billion dollars!

2) National defense, veterans, and foreign affairs 22%

National defense, veterans, and foreign affairs: About 18% of outlays were to equip, modernize, and pay our armed forces and to fund national defense activities; about 3% were for veterans benefits and services; and about 1% were for international activities, including military and economic assistance to foreign countries and the maintenance of U.S. embassies abroad.

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,773,960,000,000 = amount for national defense etc

That is, seven hundred seventy three billion, nine hundred sixty million dollars

3) Social programs 21%

Social programs: About 13% of total outlays were for Medicaid, food stamps, temporary assistance for needy families, supplemental security income, and related programs; and the remaining outlays were for health research and public health programs, unemployment compensation, assisted housing, and social services.

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,738,780,000,000 = amount for social programs

That is, seven hundred thirty eight billion, seven hundred eighty million dollars

4) Physical, human, and community development 15%

Physical, human, and community development: These outlays were for agriculture; natural resources; environment; transportation; aid for elementary and secondary education and direct assistance to college students; job training; deposit insurance, commerce and housing credit, and community development; and space, energy, and general science programs.

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,527,700,000,000 = amount for Physical, human, and community development

That is, five hundred twenty seven billion, seven hundred million dollars

5) Net interest on the debt 5%

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,175,900,000,000 = amount for interest on the debt

That is, one hundred seventy five billion, nine hundred million dollars just in interest payments!!!

This amount would be even higher if interest rates weren’t at historically low rates. The problem is, extremely low interest rates help the federal government in keeping its cost lower but the same low interest rates is a form of stealing from we, the people who are savers. Since savings income is at such a low rate, it discourages traditional savings [encourages hoarding in such forms as gold and art collections] and decreases the amount of taxes collected on savings income.

6) Law enforcement and general government 2%

$3,518,000,000,000 = total spending
$0,070,360,000,000 = amount for law enforcement etc

That is, seventy billion, three hundred sixty million dollars

NOTE that the federal government borrowed 40% of ALL the money spent. Let’s simplify the spending problem involved in this budget. If a household had an annual income of $60,000 (sixty thousand dollars) and spent $100,000, that household would have to borrow $40,000 to spend that much money. That household has then borrowed 40% of the money it spent. If that household continued to do that year, after year, after year; what would be the result?

The House of Representatives recently cut the fiscal 2011 budget by 61 billion dollars. [This cut, of course, did not pass the Senate. The compromise was $38 billion dollars in vastly different areas than originally intended.] Using the figures for total expenditures for 2009 which is lower than the total expenditures that will occur for the 2011 budget, what kind of cut would this had been?

It would look like this: $61,000,000,000 divided by $3,518,000,000,000 = .0173. That’s right! A 61 billion dollar cut in the fiscal year 2011 budget is a cut of LESS than 2%. A cut of less than two percent of a budget that will borrow over 40% of the money spent. That’s not even a drop in the bucket in comparison to what NEEDS to be cut from the budget.

And yet, all you heard from the Democrats were complaints about the extreme and excessive cuts! Are they serious! WE need to CUT much more of the 2011-2012 proposed budget. NO ONE, not even nations, can continually spend more than earned, collected without major, detrimental consequences.

Spending above income may have TEMPORARY, SHORT TERM benefits for economic growth. However, the long term harm IS devastating. If a person or a nation could borrow itself out of debt, we should finance all of government by borrowing. That, of course, is NONSENSE!!! There is an old saying, pay me now or pay me later. To wait, to procrastinate, to borrow even more is to multiple the ultimate PAIN!!!

WE MUST stop borrowing! WE MUST stop spending more than we have! It will only stop if demanded by we, the people!! An alcoholic is not cured by drinking more alcohol! A spendoholic is NOT cured by spending more money! STOP the SPENDING!!!

President Barack Hussein Obama’s proposed 2011-2012 federal budget vs. the Republican controlled House of Representatives’ proposed budget


First, let’s clarify a few things in relation to the federal budget.

1) The President proposes the federal budget.

2) Congress writes and passes the federal budget.

3) At the present time, the fiscal year begins on October 1 of the current year and continues until September 30 of the next year.

4) President Bush’s first proposed budget was for fiscal year October 1, 2001-September 30, 2002.

5) President Obama’s first proposed budget was for fiscal year October 1, 2009-September 30, 2010.

6) Once a President takes office in January after his election the previous November, he may propose changes to the current budget. However, it is Congress which must approve those proposed changes.

7) IT IS CONGRESS WHICH HAS ULTIMATE CONTROL OF THE FEDERAL BUDGET!!! NOT THE PRESIDENT!!!

This fiscal year—October 1, 2011-September 30, 2012—Congress has two distinct budgets from which to choose. The one proposed by the Republican controlled House of Representatives which primarily attempts to lower the budgetary debt by cutting spending and the one proposed by President Barack Hussein Obama which attempts to lower the budgetary debt by cutting primarily military spending, raising taxes on the wealthiest, and increasing spending in other areas at a slower pace than is presently occurring. I can not analysis each budget in one post. Therefore, I am providing links that provide analysis of each proposed budget.

For President Obama’s budget:

From: Tax Policy Center

http://taxpolicycenter.org/

“Analysis of President Obama’s 2012 Budget

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/2012-Budget.cfm

(March 21, 2011)
TPC’s analysis of revenue provisions in the president’s 2012 budget describes the proposals and offers distributional tables showing the impact of various provisions.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/2012-budget-tables.cfm”

For the House of Representatives’ budget:

http://budget.house.gov/fy2012budget/

At this site, links are provided for PDF files in the following areas:

2011-2012 budget—Contrast in Budgets

2011-2012 budget—Heritage Foundation analysis

2011-2012 budget—Key Facts Summary

2011-2012 budget—Path to Prosperity

Probably, a hybrid of these two distinctly different budgets will eventually be passed since neither party controls all of government. The question is, which of the two will be the more dominant? Or, will a compromise not be reached at all?

The WORD of GOD! JESUS’ DEATH, BURIAL, RESURRECTION!!!


I heard this on TV Sunday morning. I decided to post it today and had to wait until it was posted on the website. Prayerfully, I will return to the budget series tomorrow.

From: http://www.searchtv.com/

“The Gospel

I Corinthians 5: 1-5

Each year the world turns its eyes toward Jerusalem, to remember the most important event of all history. Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and this is a Bible study, ‘In SEARCH of the Lord’s Way.’ I’m excited about our study today, so stay with us.

Hello, I’m Phil Sanders and we’re here to search God’s Word for the Lord’s Way. We’re interested in being like the noble Bereans of Acts 17 and verse 11, who examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul was teaching was true. We want to know the truth, and the Scriptures give us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And for this reason, we regard the Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures, as the standard by which we judge all our beliefs and practices. We hope you too want to know the truth. We hope you’ll join with us each week in this noble search for the Lord’s Way.

You might think I was talking about Easter a moment ago, as an important event, but the celebration of Easter as a holiday is not really a Biblical matter. Easter as a holiday arose many years after the Bible was written. No, I have no interest in bunnies or eggs or the traditions of men. On the other hand, the Bible devotes many chapters in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John along with many verses in the New Testament to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. These are the most important events in all history, but they are also most important to you and the future of your soul.

The cross of Christ reveals the worst of men and the best of God. On the cross Jesus became sin that we might become righteous, He became poor that we might be rich, and became obedient that we might have life. Jesus died on the cross that He might live again. God raised Him from the dead to declare to all that Jesus was His Son. Because He lived again, we have hope of life beyond the grave. Because He lives, we can have confidence in Him as our Lord and Savior. Oh, nothing is more important than the gospel story of His death and resurrection.

We offer copies of this program free. If you would like a transcript, a CD or tape of this study or those in the past, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us at searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, call our toll-free telephone number. That number is 1 (800) 321-8633. We also stream this program on our website at http://www.searchtv.org/. The Edmond church will now worship in song, and then we’ll read from 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1 to 5.

Our reading today from God’s Holy Word, comes from the Epistle of Paul 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 1 to 5. ‘Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He arose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.’ That’s a reading from God’s Word. Let’s pray together. Heavenly Father, we’re so thankful that Jesus was willing to die for our sins. And we are so grateful that you caused him to be raised from the dead, that we might have hope of eternal life. Help us to love you and to live for you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

The word gospel means ‘good news,’ and the gospel is indeed good news for everyone. We’ve all heard good news at some point in our lives. It might be a doctor’s report of good health or a successful surgery. It might be the announcement of a birth, a marriage, a new job, or some victory. We rejoice at good news. The greatest news, however, is the good news that God reveals to us about our salvation from sin and our future hope in heaven. You’ll never hear a message more important and more necessary for you to know.

You can lose your health and still go to heaven. You can lose every penny you have and still be right with God. You can lose every loved one you treasure, and still have the love of God. But if you lose your soul to sin, all your money, all your good health, and all your loved ones cannot save you. The gospel is your hope of forgiveness and your hope for eternal life. There are no substitutes for the gospel of Jesus Christ, nor is there hope from some other source. And that’s why the gospel is so vital to you.

The inspired apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 to 5, ‘For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.’ Paul’s message was not his alone. He received it from God and faithfully delivered everywhere he preached. In Galatians 1: verses 11 and 12, Paul said, ‘For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.’

Now he said some things were of first importance. It’s not that other things were not important to know or even necessary, but these things were of first importance. First, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Now all of the Old Testament looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. That a man died on a cross is sad news, but this message that He died in order to atone for our sins is something that we cannot ignore. We need God’s forgiveness to be right with Him and to be able to enter eternal life in heaven.

First Peter 2 and verse 24 says, ‘that He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.’ We can never say too much about all the love and grace the Lord Jesus showed us when He died upon the cross.

Sin is not some small problem that will go away by itself. Sin is the most critical problem we face. Sin will cost us our souls. Sin ruins lives, breaks up homes, and separates people from God our Father. The Bible says in Isaiah 59: verses 1 and 2, ‘Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.’

The second thing that has first importance is ‘that He was buried.’ They buried Jesus in a tomb after they took Him down from the cross. Pilate would not allow Him to be buried until the soldiers verified that He had died. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus prepared his body for burial, and He was placed in Joseph’s new tomb.

Sin causes us to die in sin, and of course we die in sin, by spiritually separating us from God. Physical death is when the body and the spirit are separated. Spiritual death takes place when we are separated from God and His grace. Spiritual death means we are lost in sin and have no hope of eternal life. Many people don’t know they are dead in sin and that they need a new life. The Bible describes people who are spiritually dead and lost in sin. The church at Ephesus needed reminding, and so do many of us. Ephesians 2 and verse 12 says, ‘Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.’ That is what it means to be dead in sin; we have no hope and no God to help in times of trouble.

The third thing that has first importance is ‘that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.’ The prophet and king David, said about the resurrection in Psalm 16 verses 8 to 11. That the body of Jesus did not undergo decay, because He came out of the grave victorious over death. Death couldn’t hold Him! You remember Romans 6 verses 8 and 9 says, ‘Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death is no longer master over Him.’ Because Jesus conquered death, you and I can have confidence of life beyond the grave. Romans 8 and verse 11 says, ‘If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.’ Because Jesus arose, we believe we can be raised from the dead on the last day.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is vital to our faith. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 16 to 17, ‘For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.’ The resurrection gives us hope for eternal life. Without this hope we have nothing. Again the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 19, ‘If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.’ But Jesus did rise from the dead, and we can have confidence in our forgiveness and in our resurrection.

The fourth thing that has first importance is ‘that He appeared’ to the disciples. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 5 to 8, ‘that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, (Paul said that) he appeared also to me.’ Now if Paul had lied, people were alive to have caught him in that lie. Jesus did not merely appear to a few; He appeared to hundreds!

The Bible says this in Luke’s opening to the book of Acts. Acts 1: 1 to 3 says Jesus ‘presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.’ Now the Lord Jesus had to prove His resurrection to His disciples. They despaired and doubted at first, but Jesus showed Himself alive with many convincing proofs. And so convinced were they that nothing could keep them quiet. They went everywhere preaching Jesus as Lord, risen from the dead. And they couldn’t stop speaking what they had seen and heard. (Acts 4 and verse 20)

Now this message of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus cries to us and it awaits an answer. You see, the gospel demands a response. I don’t understand how anyone could hear these precious, life-changing truths and then walk away in apathy. When the disciples preached Jesus, they preached with urgency, because they wanted to persuade people to follow the Lord Jesus. They took abuse, they endured persecution, they abandoned everything to preach Jesus crucified for our sins and risen from the dead.

And even when they had been persecuted for their faith, everyday they went to the temple and from house to house and kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (Acts 5 and verse 42) Paul said in Romans 1 verse 5, that he ‘received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith.’ Later on he said, knowing the fear of the Lord, Paul sought to persuade people to come to Christ. (2 Corinthians 5 and verse 11) You see, they realized the urgency of their message and how it affected people’s souls and their eternity. And so nothing silenced them!

The Bible makes it clear how the gospel message captured their hearts and their lives. 1 Corinthians 15 verses 1 and 2 says, ‘Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.’ You see, they knew they must not let anything stop this message from making a difference in their lives.

The gospel was a ‘preached’ message, it was preached good news. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 21 says, ‘For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.’ They proclaimed to everyone who would listen, because they knew that this message could save souls and give them eternal life.

And people ‘received’ this good news. That is, they welcomed or accepted it as the truth. They let its message sink deep into their hearts and they acted upon it. Now not everyone accepts Jesus as risen Lord, but those who do will be blessed. When the inspired apostle Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, people listened to his message and responded.

Oh, they were guilt-ridden because they knew they were responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, whom God had made both Lord and Christ. And so they cried out, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Now this is an important question, and perhaps you too should be asking what to do in response to the message of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

Peter answered them and said in Acts 2: 38, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ He pleaded with them! Acts 2 and verse 40 says, ‘And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’’ Well, verse 41 gives the response, ‘So then those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.’

Early Christians didn’t merely agree Jesus is the risen Lord, they took a ‘stand’ on the good news. They denied themselves, and took up their crosses daily, and followed Jesus. Though popular opinion was against them, they kept right on preaching. Though the authorities punished them, they kept right on preaching Jesus as the Christ. Though some were imprisoned and others died for their faith, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus. (And as the book of Acts says throughout the book, they preached JESUS CHRIST and HIM crucified, buried, and raised from the dead BOLDLY!!!—my addition)

They knew they would be saved by His message if they ‘held fast to the word He preached.’ The Lord Jesus predicted that his followers would face serious problems. He said in Matthew 10 verses 21 to 22, ‘Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.’

My friend, what about you? Have you received this marvelous good news of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross for your sins and His resurrection from the dead. Have you taken your stand on it? Have you held fast to the gospel or have you fallen away from the Lord and quit the church? The gospel is crying out for you to listen and to respond to it in faith. I hope and pray you will today.

Let’s pray. Oh Father, may each of us hear the gospel and receive it into our hearts. And may we be obedient to it, so that we may please you. Father, we love you and we’re thankful for your grace and mercy. This we pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Since Jesus rose from the dead, He is truly Worthy of your faith and confidence. The gospel is crying out to you today to take your stand on Him and to hold fast to Him. The good news of the gospel won’t do you any good unless you receive it, unless you are saved by it, and unless you hold fast to it. God wants to save you, to give you eternal life, and bless you forever; but He won’t bless you if you believe in vain. You have to make a commitment for a lifetime.

The Bible speaks three times of the necessity of obeying the gospel if we want to be saved, first in Romans 10 verse16; then in 2 Thessalonians 1 verse 9; and a third time in 1 Peter 4 and verse 17. My friend, have you obeyed the gospel by believing Jesus is the Christ, by repenting of your sins, by confessing the name of Jesus, and by being baptized into the death of Christ? Since baptism is called a burial in Romans 6 and verse 4 and also again in Colossians 2 and verse 12, we would expect to cover a person completely in water. The very word ‘baptism’ means an immersion, a dipping in water. And, anyone who loves the Lord, he’s not going to quibble about doing His will, and doing it the way the Lord desires. And so these conditions for our salvation are urgent and necessary. This is why the people at Pentecost were baptized that very day. (And guess what, the government CAN NOT save you!!! It is your personal responsibility!!! It is the personal responsibility of each of us!!! The government CAN NOT save us!!!—my addition)

Now, once you become a Christian, you’ve got to stay faithful in your obedience to the Lord. Some people fall away from the Lord and His church. If you are one of them, you need to come home. If you drift away from this good news, you will have believed in vain. Hold fast to your faith lest you believe in vain. Go back to church, get your life right with the Lord, and stay faithful for the rest of your life. Don’t let anyone or anything come between you and God.

We hope you’ve been blessed by today’s study of God’s Word. If you want a free printed copy, a CD, or a tape of this message, mail your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083 or e-mail us, that address is searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you can call the Search office toll-free at 1 (800) 321-8633. Our programs appear on our website at http://www.searchtv.org/. You can access or download them in a printed, audio, or video format. We also offer Correspondence courses. Just call or write and we’ll send them to you. You can also find free study sheets to go along with our programs online, and they’re free. They will help you study God’s Word with us.

Please attend worship at one of the churches of Christ in the area served by this station. They love guests, and you’ll be glad you visited. If you’re looking for a church home, call us and let us help you find one. Well, Mack and I will be back next week, Lord willing. Keep searching God’s Word with us and tell a friend. God bless you and we love you from all of us at In Search of the Lord’s Way.”

Petition—DO NOT grant amnesty to illegal immigrants through executive order


NOTE: I received this e-mail yesterday and after much thought decided to post it today. Like most petitions I receive, it asks for a donation at the end. My policy is to not make a donation. When I hit the submit button of which there are three, nothing seemed to happen. The e-mail said the petition may be submitted without a donate. I don’t know if my petition was accepted.

I’m posting the petition for several reasons.

1) Without question, the Obama Administration wants and needs amnesty for illegal immigrants. I DO NOT!

2) The Obama Administration, time after time, has demonstrated a wanton disregard for the Constitution of the United States. I have no doubt that he would try to circumvent the Constitution if he thought he could be successful.

3) The Obama Administration has already UNCONSTITUTIONALLY sued the State of Arizona for trying to enforce its own laws in relation to trying to protect itself from illegal immigrants

From: http://www.minutemanpac.com/

“STOP OBAMNESTY!

Sign the Citizens Petition Today!

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

Fellow Patriot,

Are you prepared for Obama to grant over 20 MILLION illegals (including dangerous criminals) American citizenship? You better be—or you better be prepared to ACT NOW to stop it. Because TODAY, Obama is holding meetings that could determine if each and every illegal alien will be granted amnesty!

Right now, Washington is buzzing with the rumors that Obama is planning to circumvent Congress enacting stroke-of-the-pen AMNESTY for ALL illegal aliens in the United States via Executive Orders and Administrative Directives! Obama will once more defy the majority of Americans and DICTATE his narcissistic brand of tyrannical ‘democratic socialism’ that I like to call OBAMALISM—doing the exact opposite of what the people demand. This is an overt violation of the Constitution!

I urge you today to fill out the electronic CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

—right away!

Please, do it now. This is extremely urgent.

Your CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

will DEMAND that Congress stop Barack Obama from sneaking his amnesty plans past Congress.

Obama WILL issue his plan via ‘Executive Orders’ to bypass Congress! You see, despite what he claims, Obama hates being ‘transparent.’ He loves to weasel his fanatical ideas right past everybody—before people like you and me have the chance to stop him.

BUT NOT THIS TIME! THIS IS OUR CHANCE AND WE WILL STOP HIM! We will not let Obama get away with putting our safety in jeopardy while he turns a blind eye to the real problems in our country.

So far, Congress has blocked Obama’s freedom crushing plans. But, by abusing the ‘Executive Order’ loop-hole, he can get away with giving illegal aliens a free pass into our country without even going to the Congress first.

That is—unless the Congress stops him dead in his tracks!

And without your help now, along with the help of thousands of other vigilant and informed citizen voters, Congress won’t act to defend the integrity of American citizenship. Contrary to what they might believe, the truth is this: Congress works for us.

And we won’t rest until they’re WORKING HARD to stop Obama’s assault on our Constitution.

Your CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

will urge Congress to:

1) EXPOSE Obama’s planned use of his Executive powers to give Amnesty to over 20 million illegals.

2) PUBLICLY DENOUNCE Obama’s back door immigration plans that threaten our Constitution, our Bill of Rights, and our institutions of ordered liberty.

3) LEAD A BATTLE in Congress to void each and every pro-illegal immigration Executive Order and Directive that Barack Obama issues.

At this very moment, the White House staffs, along with radical pro-immigration groups, are working overtime on scores of Amnesty proposals that Obama could enact by Executive Order—at any minute!

According to a well-placed Homeland Security Administrator (who obviously prefers to remain anonymous), ‘The plan is to incrementally remove all obstacles for immigration reform without a public debate.’ The confidential source said, ‘Amnesty is a 100% done deal already.’ [I don’t like anonymous sources!!! However, I expect anything from this Administration to get its way!—my addition]

Obama and the Democrats have already put the Amnesty wheels in motion as orders are out to scuttle ICE raids of companies hiring illegal workers, removing key elements of 287G policies that give local law enforcement the ability to arrest illegal aliens. And that’s not all. The liberals have already set the stage for the intake processing of the illegal alien population in order to grant mass AMNESTY TO MILLIONS OF NEW ILLEGAL ‘CITIZENS’ IN TIME FOR THE 2012 GENERAL ELECTION.

Obama has directed the Department of Homeland Security to enact an AMNESTY program. U. S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has circulated a shocking Memorandum defining the details of the DHS plan to circumvent Congressional Authorization.

In summary it says, ‘In the absence of Comprehensive Immigration Reform [AKA AMNESTY], USCIS can extend benefits and/or protections to … applicants who entered the United States without inspection … and would allow thousands [likely millions] to become lawful residents … individual applicants deemed inadmissible under the Immigration and Nationality Act having entered without inspection [AKA ILLEGALLY] … the USCIS could grant ‘parole-in-place’ [AKA AMNESTY].’

The message is clear: unless you and I compel Congress to act TODAY, Amnesty for illegals will soon be Executive Ordered by Barack Obama.

But, Congress can pull the plug on Obama’s ANTI-CONSTITUTIONAL scheme and stop him.

So again, please sign your CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

today.

You MUST tell Congress to be FORCEFUL in furiously rejecting this strategy by the Obama and his rogue Administration. Congress MUST do everything within their power to stop the President from ignoring the laws of the land. And they MUST hold him accountable to Americans—not illegals.

Obama is testing the waters right now. But you only have to ask yourself one question. Is this President, and is this government capable of doing something so profoundly in violation of the spirit and letter of the U.S. Constitution?

The answer is a resounding YES! Obama will do anything to bypass the Senate, just like he did when he had Pelosi and Reid cut DEALS to railroad OBAMACARE through bypassing a final Senate vote.

Executive Orders have been abused in the past to create laws, even though law-making is CONSTITUTIONALLY reserved through the power of the people’s representatives: Congress.

Nowhere in the Constitution does it grant this power to the president under Executive Orders. Executive Orders are a favorite tactic of presidents who care little for the Constitution, and willfully abuse and exploit their power over the American people.

Believe me, Obama fits that profile, and has and will use an Executive Order to deliberately and purposefully abuse and exploit his power.

FDR used an unconstitutional Executive Order during World War II to put Japanese Americans into detention camps! Don’t let Obama abuse an administrative instrument to destroy this country today!

Help us mobilize common sense, patriotic Americans against this travesty! The Obama Administration’s plan for mass Amnesty MUST BE STOPPED!!

I urge you today to fill out the electronic CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

—right away!

Thanks to Americans like you, who care about the safety and future of our country, there is mounting pressure to stop Obama. But it will take the lead of an emboldened Senate to turn up the pressure. THEY MUST HEAR LOUDLY FROM PATRIOTS LIKE YOU!

Please do not assume that the deceitful Obama Administration and their radical allies in the media will report any of what you are reading right now. They want to keep Americans ignorant and in the dark—while they work behind the scenes to give over 20 million illegals, including dangerous and violent criminals, American citizenships.

Unless Congress steps in, the White House will ruthlessly advance their plan to hand out American citizenships to everyone who breaks the law and crosses our borders illegally.

And unless you and I act today, Barack Obama with the stroke of his presidential pen, could get away with opening our borders to a GREATER tidal wave of illegal aliens than we are already struggling to contain.

You and I can stop Obama’s treacherous and dangerous Amnesty scheme by signing your CITIZENS PETITION FORM.

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

We must DEMAND Congress fight tooth and nail to stop Obama's Executive Order game plan. Then we must create a grassroots uprising of Americans willing to back our stand.

That’s why I'm counting on you to sign your CITIZENS PETITION FORM…

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

… And if you can afford it, please generously give a contribution of $20, $30, $50, $100 or more to Minuteman PAC to get this word out to your fellow Americans!

In fact, my staff has estimated it could take a minimum of 1 to 2 MILLION Injunctions to have a real impact on Capitol Hill.

And, at roughly 36 cents apiece, it will cost us more than $355,000 to distribute and deliver this minimum amount.

What’s more, we will need funds above and beyond this amount to help make our case on radio, TV, in newspapers and on the Internet.

But the threat is very real, and we MUST ACT.

So please sign your CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

today!

But remember, your CITIZENS PETITION FORM

http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

alone will be invaluable. ACT NOW!

For America,

Minuteman PAC

P.S. Please, remember what is at stake—the security, the safety, the sovereignty, the prosperity—very possibly the very survival of not just Americans along our increasingly embattled border, but America herself.”

From: http://www.minutemanpac.com/inner.asp?z=66

“CITIZENS PETITION

By flooding this country with so many immigrants—legal and illegal—controlling our immigration will become impossible, and by dumping that burden onto an already-overburdened system of government benefits, these proposals are a threat to the future of the United States. They must be defeated.

THEREFORE, WE THE UNDERSIGNED DO PETITION CONGRESS, AND SOLEMNLY PLEDGE

That since passing no bill is far better than passing any new amnesty, legalization, guest worker, or foreign worker program of any kind, we PETITION CONGRESS to HALT all such proposals and SECURE THE BORDER, NOW.

We PETITION for INCREASED AND EFFECTIVE federal border security and immigration law enforcement NOW. We favor a policy of attrition of the illegal population through strong enforcement of our nation's immigration laws, which includes, first and foremost, the physical securing of our borders.

We PETITION both Houses of Congress to heed the American people and reject the Gutierrez bill, and any other bill that provides amnesty provision or legalization of illegal aliens, or substantial increases in legal immigration or expansion of "worker" visa programs.

Further, we the undersigned PLEDGE to withhold political support from any Member of Congress who advocates, supports or votes for such legislation.

Finally, we PLEDGE to dedicate ourselves to defeating any candidate for election or reelection of office who supports the Gutierrez bill, the DREAM Act, or any other bill that provides legalization of illegal aliens or substantial increases in legal immigration. We PLEDGE to do so regardless of political party and in both the primaries and the general election.”

earth day—a humanist hoax


This is not my planned post for today. I changed it after receiving the following e-mail.

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1: 20)

From: Vision Forum Ministries

“A Christian Response to Earth Day

All men are religious because all men have an object of worship. All men have faith in something. In the end, men will either worship and serve the creature, or they will worship and serve the Creator. But they will worship something.

In the 18th century, many began to worship the mind. The religion of that day was rationalism. In the 19th century, this god morphed into scientism. But science failed to provide the answers to ultimate questions. The men of the 20th century looked for a more immediate solution to the problems of humanity—they chose to worship the State. This failed. Statism proved to be a harsh taskmaster. In the absence of any real solutions from rationalism, scientism, and statism, men fixed their attention on a new god—or rather, an ancient God that just needed a new facelift.

That god is the earth.

21st-century men are earth worshippers. They are sanitized pantheists. Of course, they don’t call themselves pantheists or earth worshippers, but religious devotion to the material world is the essence of this modern faith.

This religious devotion to the material world as god comes in many shapes and sizes, but it has become ubiquitous in our culture. The new pantheism is at the heart of the green movement. It is reflected in the priorities of Hollywood, in the agenda of politicians, and in the curriculums of the government schools. It is found in the marketing campaign of Madison Avenue, in the reality TV shows of cable television, and sadly, even in pulpits across the nation. The worship of the creation has become a defining undercurrent in our culture, even as it is reshaping many of the cultures of the modern world.

And this is one reason why this Friday, April 22, millions of people (perhaps billions) representing the countries of the United Nations will stop to celebrate the high holy day of this religion as they pay homage to the earth God. Of Earth Day, evolutionary anthropologist Margaret Meade once explained that:

‘EARTH DAY is the first holy day which transcends all national borders, yet preserves all geographical integrities, spans mountains and oceans and time belts, and yet brings people all over the world into one resonating accord, is devoted to the preservation of the harmony in nature and yet draws upon the triumphs of technology, the measurement of time, and instantaneous communication through space. EARTH DAY draws on astronomical phenomena in a new way—which is also the most ancient way—by using the vernal Equinox, the time when the Sun crosses the equator making the length of night and day equal in all parts of the earth. To this point in the annual calendar, EARTH DAY attaches no local or divisive set of symbols, no statement of the truth or superiority of one way of life over another.’

Should Christians care about the earth? Not only must we care about it, we have a holy duty to engage the earth. The difference between the objectives of biblical Christianity and radical environmentalism can be found in the religious assumptions of both groups.

Four Lies of the Radical Environmentalist Movement

With Earth Day comes billions of dollars worth of environmentalist propaganda driven by their religious worldview. Some of the themes you can expect to hear repeated this year include the following:

1) The Earth Is Our Mother:

The very expression ‘Mother Earth’ (Or ‘mother nature’—my addition) is popular parlance in our culture and reflects the old pagan longing to worship the physical world. Modern environmentalists, with their devotion to the idea that man is just another life-form to spring from the womb of the earth on the evolutionary journey of life, speak openly about earth being the mother of man. (Absurd nonsense from humanists who deny GOD, the CREATOR of all things—my addition)

2) Human Life Has No Greater Intrinsic Value Than Animal Life (Think PETA!—my addition):

The notion that man is an insignificant blip in the universe and that our planet is almost as insignificant as man is an oft-repeated concept of the modern environmentalist movement. Radical environmentalists complain about the carbon footprints of humans, and the sin of ‘Speciesism’—man discriminating against lower life-forms.

3) The Greatest Crisis Facing Humans is the Despoiling of the Earth:

From the media campaigns of former Vice President Al Gore, to the film agenda of ‘Avatar,’ radical environmentalists want you to believe that the single greatest problem facing humanity is the environmental destruction of earth. (Which will never happen! GOD himself will destroy this present earth on a day and a time of HIS choosing!—my addition)

4) Absent a Radical Shift in Private Practice and Public Policy, the Environmental Crisis Will Lead to the End of Life on Earth:

Modern pantheists care deeply about the future. One thing is clear: Radical environmentalists have their own eschatology. They see the end of the world coming because of nuclear waste, global warming, the loss of rainforest in the Amazon, or any of a host of perceived environmental hazards.

Four Christian Assumptions About the Earth

1) The Earth is Witness to the Power and Authority of God the Creator Who Alone May Be Worshipped:

The Bible teaches that the very existence of the earth is a reminder to all men of the eternal power and Godhood of Christ, so that they are without excuse. (Romans 1: 20) It reminds us that as long as the earth continues, the promises of God will remain faithful. (Genesis 8: 22; Deuteronomy 7: 9) Significantly, the Bible warns us that the consequence for man rejecting the witness of creation is that he worships creation itself. (Romans 1: 22-25)

2) The Earth Was Made for the Glory of God and the Benefit of Man Who Was Made the Pinnacle of Creation and of Infinitely Greater Value than Animals or the Earth Itself:

Man is the pinnacle of creation and has more eternal value than the earth or any of the creatures who live on it (Psalm 8: 5). Man is not a carbon footprint; he is the image-bearer of God. This means that the most ‘insignificant’ human life (insignificant only in the eyes of man) is of inestimably greater value than that of a blue whale, a snail darter, a spotted owl, a mountain, or a tree. (AMEN!!! As is normal, humanists are turned upside down in their reasoning. Protecting the spotted owl while MURDERING unborn babies!—my addition)

3) The Earth Has Been Placed under Man who Has a Moral Obligation to Subdue it and to Exercise Wise Stewardship over the Earth:

Man is God’s appointed steward on earth, and his core mission is to be His agent of dominion over it. Toward this end, God has placed all things under man to be used for his benefit and to be carefully stewarded and cultivated for God’s glory. ‘Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.’ (Psalm 8: 6)

4) The Earth is Not the Problem:

The reason why the earth suffers is because of man’s sin that has plunged the earth into judgment. Man brought death and judgment to earth. In fact, the whole creation is groaning and waiting redemption (Romans 8: 22-23). Despite the righteous judgment of God on earth, He is merciful and promises the continuation of the seasons and the fundamental stability of the planet until the end of time [Absolutely TRUE!!!—my addition] (Genesis 8: 22), at which there will be a new heaven and new earth. (2 Peter 3: 13)

Conclusion

All men are religious because all men have an object of worship. In the end, they will worship and serve the creature, or they will worship and serve the Creator. But they will worship something.

Earth Day, and the radical environmental movement that spawned this high holy day of pantheism, are at war with the Gospel because they perpetuate false worship. The Christian response to the idolatry of Earth Day might be reduced to this simple thought: Jesus Christ is the Creator, and He alone is to be worshipped. He created man as the pinnacle of creation and determined that humans would be the only part of creation to be made in the very image of God, and that man as the image-bearer of God would rule over the earth.

On a practical level, this means that Christians need to stop allowing the radical environmentalist movement to define the issue. We must cease from being the tail and become the head on the question of our duties, privileges, and responsibilities vis-a-vis creation. The Bible has a great deal to say about our use of the resources of the world and our relationship to the earth. Of all people, Christians who honor the Creator should have a passion for creation. We are losing the debate through subversion, silence, lack of vision, and because of the Christian community’s fear of the God-ordained, perpetually valid, creation precept called ‘The Dominion Mandate.’ This mandate directs man is to rule over the earth, subduing it and taking dominion over it for his benefit and for God’s glory. Implicit to the Dominion Mandate is the duty of man to cultivate, wisely manage, and carefully steward the planet.

Finally, man’s problems will never be solved through the elevation of human reason, the power of science, or the interventions of the state. Nor will rescuing the biosphere of planet earth save man or ensure him a future on this planet. You cannot save the earth. (And man can NOT destroy the world!!! GOD will!!!—my addition) But human beings can be saved. And the only hope of salvation is found in Jesus Christ—the Creator! It is this Creator through whom we live and breathe and who by the very power of His word holds the worlds together. He will someday establish a new heaven and a new earth and will bring all of His people into Glory.”

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. (I don’t watch much TV. Is there any television program that doesn’t glorify homosexual behavior? Is there any television program that states the obvious? That homosexual behavior is a sin, is a perversion, is a behavior that condemns the practitioner to eternal torment useless that practitioner repents and turns to GOD [the FATHER], JESUS [the SON], GOD [the HOLY SPIRIT]—the CREATOR of all things!—my addition)

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteousness decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.” Romans 1: 18-32

Sound familiar? It seems that, the more things change; the more they remain the same!

The earth was given to man for man’s use and benefit. Man WAS NOT given to the earth for the earth’s use and benefit. As normal, the humanists have turned reality, have turned the TRUTH upside down!

National Survey on America’s Leadership Crisis, the Assault on Liberty & the Purpose of an Education


I received the following e-mail yesterday. At the conclusion of the e-mail, I was asked to e-mail it to five people I know. I don’t do that. However, I do post e-mails I support on my blog. I’m posting it today least I forget about it and fail to post it. Tomorrow, I plan a follow-up post and then hopefully will return to the budget series.

In a sense, this post also belongs with background material before dealing with the budget. We need members of Congress who know, understand, believe in, and support the Constitution of the United States as written. As a nation, we have gone far astray of the intent and purpose of the Constitution.

From: http://www.hillsdale.edu/
33 E. College Street
Hillsdale, Michigan 49242

“Dear Supporter of Liberty,

This is Sean Hannity writing to you today about Hillsdale College’s campaign to restore constitutional government in America.

I want to tell you about Hillsdale College—America’s premier college that teaches its students about the blessing of liberty and about our nation's founding principles.

I have been a huge fan of Hillsdale College for a long time. Hillsdale is educating a new generation of leaders for America—leaders who understand the principles of limited government that made the United States so prosperous.

I am writing to ask you to please take a few minutes to complete Hillsdale’s

https://www.hillsdaleforliberty.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=32&custom_1=HIP7NAHC&custom_2=e005p

National Survey on America’s Leadership Crisis, the Assault on Liberty & the Purpose of an Education.

I’ll explain more about the importance of this survey in a moment. But first, let me tell you why I support Hillsdale College so strongly and why I hope you will too.

Educating Millions of Americans on the Importance of Liberty

Unlike most other colleges in America, Hillsdale teaches its students:

1) Why the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States are the greatest charters of human liberty ever written, and are responsible for America quickly becoming the freest, most prosperous nation in human history;

2) Why capitalism is essential to American freedom and prosperity; and

3) Why faith in God, far from undermining liberty as many ACLU-style liberals claim, supports liberty. As Thomas Jefferson wrote:

‘[C]an the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?’

These ideas are no longer taught at many American colleges. (Including Harvard which was founded to provide religious training—my addition.)

[Please Go Here to Donate and Complete Survey]

https://www.hillsdaleforliberty.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=32&custom_1=HIP7NAHC&custom_2=e005p

Hillsdale College has completed construction of a new building on Capitol Hill that houses the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship. The mission of this Center is to revive an understanding and appreciation of liberty and limited government among the American people and among our elected leaders.

This 16,000 square-foot building, just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the Supreme Court, serves as the headquarters for all of Hillsdale's efforts to . . .

1) Enable Hillsdale students to serve as interns in congressional offices and leading think tanks so they can gain valuable experience for future leadership;

2) Teach policy makers and opinion leaders about the genius of the Constitution and its importance to liberty; and

3) Provide educational seminars and programs on the Constitution and America’s founding principles to citizens all across the country.

Hillsdale urgently needs contributions right now to expand the reach and influence of its newly opened Kirby Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship—which serves as the headquarters for Hillsdale’s national educational campaign on the blessing of liberty and the importance of the Constitution.

[Please Go Here to Donate and Complete Survey]

https://www.hillsdaleforliberty.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=32&custom_1=HIP7NAHC&custom_2=e005p

Hillsdale Refuses All Federal and State Taxpayer Subsidies

Now, here’s something else I really love about Hillsdale College.

Unlike almost all other colleges and universities, Hillsdale refuses all federal and state taxpayer subsidies—even in the form of student grants or loans. The College does not want the government dictating who it must hire or who it must admit for enrollment (especially if they don’t meet Hillsdale’s tough academic standards) . . . or what is taught in its classrooms. (Something all private universities should do!—my addition)

This means that 100% of Hillsdale College’s funds must come from student tuition and contributions from Americans, like you and me, who care about liberty and the future of our nation.

Contributions from those who believe in liberty help keep tuition affordable for Hillsdale College students. Hillsdale does not want expense to be a barrier for any qualified student to attend. And by the way, Hillsdale’s tuition is less than half the tuition at the Ivy League schools, even though the College accepts no taxpayer subsidies.

Now let me tell you more about Hillsdale’s National Survey on America’s Leadership Crisis, the Assault on Liberty & the Purpose of an Education.

We want to demonstrate to these political, media, and educational leaders that most Americans want an education that includes American history, teaches the importance of the Constitution to liberty, and supports the moral principles most families teach at home—instead of undermining what most Americans believe.

My Request To You

1) As you can see, Hillsdale has major plans for expansion this year, including . . .

Building on the stunningly successful launch of Hillsdale’s no-cost online webcasts and programs on the genius of the Constitution, how it has been undermined, and how it can be rescued—where more than 50,000 Americans (including political leaders, government officials, journalists, and educators) signed up to participate. This year, we want to have hundreds of thousands (even millions!) of American citizens taking part in Hillsdale’s online seminar program on the importance of liberty this year.

2) Expand the reach and influence of Hillsdale’s new 16,000 square-foot building that houses the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship in Washington, D.C.—that serves as a headquarters for students and for programs aimed at educating Americans (especially students) on the importance of the Constitution to our cherished liberty.

3) Continue to refuse all federal and state taxpayer money so that Hillsdale can continue to provide a strong independent voice in American higher education and maintain the world-class education Hillsdale provides its students—designed to educate a new generation of leaders for America who understand liberty and the principles of limited government.

But Hillsdale College cannot continue to expand its outreach programs without contributions from those who, like you, believe in limited government.

So I hope you will make a contribution to Hillsdale today as part of Hillsdale’s Annual Fund Drive for 2011.

[Please Go Here to Donate and Complete Survey]

https://www.hillsdaleforliberty.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=32&custom_1=HIP7NAHC&custom_2=e005p

I know that some of Hillsdale’s benefactors send gifts of $1,000 or even more, while other friends of Hillsdale are making an equal sacrifice by making gifts of $100, $50 or $25.

But if your contribution is $500 or more, you become eligible to have your name (or the name of a loved one you would like to recognize) engraved permanently in a brick on the Liberty Walkway of Honor on the Hillsdale Campus (where students will see the name every day).

Only you know what the right contribution amount is for you.

What’s most important is for you to give what you can . . . because I can’t think of a project more important than expanding Hillsdale’s efforts to defend liberty and to keep demonstrating that excellence in higher education is possible without dependence on the federal taxpayer.

Thank you for answering my message.

I look forward to hearing back from you in the next few minutes.

Sincerely,

Sean Hannity

https://www.hillsdaleforliberty.com/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&id=32&custom_1=HIP7NAHC&custom_2=e005p”

Note: After you have taken the survey you will be asked for a contribution. However, there is an option to say “no, thank you.” Some response must be given in order to have your survey tallied.

2010 Index of Dependence on Government


From: http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2010/10/the-2010-index-of-dependence-on-government?utm_source=MyHeritage.org_Newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=MyHeritage.org

This post is the foundation for the rational for what the federal budget this year and in future years should entail. The post today is just the first few paragraphs of the report. The full report may be downloaded as a PDF from the above website.

“2010 index of dependence on government
Published on October 14, 2010 by William Beach and Patrick Tyrrell

Abstract: The number of Americans who pay taxes continues to shrink—and the United States is close to the point at which half of the population will not pay taxes for government benefits they receive. In 2009, 64.3 million Americans depended on the government (read: their fellow citizens) for their daily housing, food, and health care.

Starting in 2015, the Social Security program will not receive enough taxes to pay all the promised benefits—which will be hard for all job-holders, but devastating for roughly half the American workforce that has no other retirement program. [Social Security was NOT intended to be either the only or primary source of retirement income. It was supposed to be supplemental!—my addition] Add in last year’s preposterously named American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, spiraling academic grants, flat-out farm socialism, the swelling ranks of Americans who believe themselves entitled to ‘free’ government benefits—and now the government takeover of the nation’s health care system—and the very nature of this country’s republican form of government is called into question. Like they have been doing since 2002, Heritage Foundation policy experts lay out the increasingly gloomy facts. Can Americans pull back from the brink of complete dependence on government?

This year’s publication of the Index of Dependence on Government marks the eighth consecutive year that The Heritage Foundation has flashed warning lights about Americans’ growing dependence on government payments and programs. For eight years, the Index has signaled troubling and rapid increases in the growth of dependence-creating federal programs, and for each of these years Heritage has raised concerns about the challenges that rapidly growing dependence poses to this country’s republican form of government and for the broader civil society.

The 2010 Index results dramatically underscore Heritage’s concerns of years past. According to The Heritage Foundation’s Center for Data Analysis (CDA):

1) The Index of Dependence on Government grew by 13.6 percent in 2009;

2) The Index variables that moved the most over that past year were

– Health care and welfare at 22 percent,
– Rural and agricultural services at 20 percent, and
– Housing at 15 percent;

3) The increase from last year means that the Index has grown by 49 percent just since 2001;

4) The Index begins in 1962 and has increased by more than 14 times over the intervening 47 years through 2009;

5) This rapid growth of the Index has been accompanied by a rapid increase in the percentage of people who do not pay taxes. The percentage of people who do not pay federal income taxes themselves, and who are not claimed as dependents by someone who pays federal income taxes, jumped from 14.8 percent in 1984 to 43.6 percent in 2008. Counted this way, in 1984, 34.8 million tax filers paid no taxes; in 2008, 132.5 million paid nothing.[1] (The latest statistics on this, which I heard on the radio yesterday, is that 40% of those who filed a federal income tax made money through the income tax system. This was accomplished primarily through credits given to filers. Three of the major credits used by individuals are 1) the child tax credit which provides up to $3,000 for having 3 children under 17 years of age 2) the earned income credit which provides up to $5,666 for three children and 3) the making work pay credit which pays up to $800 for a married couple. Some credits end when the taxes owed reach zero. These three continue and provide extra money to the filer. In all, including the previously mentioned 40%, 47% of federal income tax filers paid NO federal income tax!—my addition.)

It is the conjunction of these two trends—higher spending on dependence-creating programs and an ever-shrinking number of taxpayers who pay for these programs—that worries those interested in the fate of the American form of government. Americans have always expressed concern about becoming dependent on government, even while understanding that life’s challenges cause most people, at one time or another, to depend on aid from someone else. Americans’ concern stems partly from deeply held views that life’s blessings are more readily obtained by independent people and that growing dependence on government erodes the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement. These views help explain the broad public support for welfare reform in the 1990s.

This ethic of self-reliance combined with a commitment to the brotherly care of those in need appears threatened in a much greater way today than when this Index first appeared in 2002. This year, 2010, marks the first year that the Index contains significant retirements by baby boomers. Over the next 25 years, more than 77 million boomers will begin collecting Social Security checks, drawing Medicare benefits, and relying on long-term care under Medicaid. No event will financially challenge these important programs over the next two decades more than this shift into retirement of the largest generation in American history.

It is not only financial tests that these programs will face. Certainly, financial challenges will be great over the next several decades, given that none of these ‘entitlement’ programs can easily meet their obligations even now. Doubling the number of people in retirement will constitute a massive growth of the dependent population in the United States and a potentially ruinous drain on federal finances. Perhaps the most important aspect of the boomer retirement is its dramatic reminder of the rapid growth of dependence on government in the United States.

There was such a rapid growth in dependence in 2009 that the twin concerns—how much damage this growth has done to the republican form of government, and how harmful it has been to the country’s financial situation—have deepened significantly. Not only did the federal government effectively take over half of the U.S. economy and expand public-sector debt by more than all previous governments combined, it also oversaw the largest single-year expansion in total government debt in U.S. history. (Approximately 1.6 trillion dollars in one year!—my addition) Much of that growth in new debt can be traced to dependence-creating government programs.”

Biblically, who is responsible for the support, upkeep, and well-being on an adult individual. Here is the order of RESPONSIBILITY:

1) the person himself is responsible for himself

2) if married (man and woman only!), the husband is responsible

3) the immediate family is responsible

4) the extended family is responsible

5) the church is responsible (Since the church is a FAMILY of believers, its responsibility may be involved to some extent throughout.)

6) the local community is responsible

Nowhere in GOD’S equation is the government responsible for the support and upkeep of an individual! NOWHERE!