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Back in Nebraska where I was raised most of the residents were very careful not to be overly critical of their neighbors. A term that was used to express disapproval was, “they are different”, and if you really wanted to throw the dagger with a deep insult, you would say, “they or their actions are silly”.
This Nebraska term probably best describes the ruckus these past few weeks on extending the two percent cut on the employee’s Social Security payroll tax. While the clock ticks and increases our 15 trillion national debt at least 4 billion every day, Obama and his cohorts are claiming this is the most important issue of the year.
First of all it is not a boon for just the poorly paid worker as is contended. For a worker making $10,000 per year the tax break is $200. For an executive making $150,000 annually the benefit is over $2,100. Now ask the Wall Street occupiers, is that fair?
The Al Gore fans and other misguided progressives claim there is a Social Security fund that will not be depleted until 2028 or so. There is no such fund, but if there were, this payroll tax break would quickly eat into this phantom fund. Not to worry says the Obama boys; we will make a journal entry transferring money from the general fund to the Social Security fund as if there were no tax decrease. Now that my friends is downright silly. In my old auditing days this type of nonsense wouldn’t be allowed and the effort to conceal would bring suspicion as to the business ethics of the client.
Want some more proof of silliness on the proposed legislation? As explained in the December 11th Dem-Gaz the Democrats are desperately trying to show they are against fraud and anyone trying to take advantage of entitlements. As a part of their payroll tax deduction legislation they proposed food stamps would not be allowed in households where their adjusted gross income was over one million dollars. You read it right – no food stamps if you make over one million.
As further proof of their tight rein on the federal purse strings, an additional provision of the Democrat payroll tax legislation stated a special tax at 50 percent will be levied for households having adjusted gross income over one million and receiving unemployment benefits. Thank goodness all our Republican congressmen from Arkansas voted against this ridiculous legislation.
Is it any wonder our national debt exceeds 15 trillion dollars. There seems to be a complete lack of common sense on liberal legislation and to throw the absolute insult these people are “silly”.
Back in Nebraska where I was raised most of the residents were very careful not to be overly critical of their neighbors. A term that was used to express disapproval was, “they are different”, and if you really wanted to throw the dagger with a deep insult, you would say, “they or their actions are silly”.
This Nebraska term probably best describes the ruckus these past few weeks on extending the two percent cut on the employee’s Social Security payroll tax. While the clock ticks and increases our 15 trillion national debt at least 4 billion every day, Obama and his cohorts are claiming this is the most important issue of the year.
First of all it is not a boon for just the poorly paid worker as is contended. For a worker making $10,000 per year the tax break is $200. For an executive making $150,000 annually the benefit is over $2,100. Now ask the Wall Street occupiers, is that fair?
The Al Gore fans and other misguided progressives claim there is a Social Security fund that will not be depleted until 2028 or so. There is no such fund, but if there were, this payroll tax break would quickly eat into this phantom fund. Not to worry says the Obama boys; we will make a journal entry transferring money from the general fund to the Social Security fund as if there were no tax decrease. Now that my friends is downright silly. In my old auditing days this type of nonsense wouldn’t be allowed and the effort to conceal would bring suspicion as to the business ethics of the client.
Want some more proof of silliness on the proposed legislation? As explained in the December 11th Dem-Gaz the Democrats are desperately trying to show they are against fraud and anyone trying to take advantage of entitlements. As a part of their payroll tax deduction legislation they proposed food stamps would not be allowed in households where their adjusted gross income was over one million dollars. You read it right – no food stamps if you make over one million.
As further proof of their tight rein on the federal purse strings, an additional provision of the Democrat payroll tax legislation stated a special tax at 50 percent will be levied for households having adjusted gross income over one million and receiving unemployment benefits. Thank goodness all our Republican congressmen from Arkansas voted against this ridiculous legislation.
Is it any wonder our national debt exceeds 15 trillion dollars. There seems to be a complete lack of common sense on liberal legislation and to throw the absolute insult these people are “silly”.
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The rest of the story
With all the current political activity it may be difficult to recall the important issues in 2004 and 2006.
In those years we were bombarded by the media and the pro choice Democrats of the amazing potential of embryonic stem cell treatment. This would change the world for spinal cord injury and all kinds of neurological diseases. Year after year the media dutifully informed its readers and viewers that cures were imminent. Commercials by Michael Fox and other prominent citizens tried to shame anyone who didn’t wholeheartedly support wholesale use of embryonic stem cells for testing and research.
Politics were greatly affected. Senate races in Missouri and other states bombarded us proclaiming that those not embracing embryonic stem cell research and treatments were nothing short of evil. President George W. Bush received the brunt of the criticism from those that were progressive and “knowledgeable”.
Now comes the rest of the story. During the last week of November 2011 Geron Corporation issued a terse statement that all studies on embryonic stem cell research are cancelled and they are abandoning the entire field of activity. This is the company, working with the national media, that assured us that cures were imminent. When the FDA finally approved a trial for patients in January 2009, the news exploded around the world. This was it! The era of embryonic stem cell therapy had arrived.
As is so often the case, the biased media who were so excited and positive when stories on embryonic research began were almost completely silent when this miraculous bogus project fell apart. Muted coverage by The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle and other publications gave proof of secular partiality.
Just as President Bush suggested subsequent testing using adult stem cells is now progressing nicely. There is now hopeful treatment for heart disease using adult stem cells. During almost the entire presidency the media continued to hammer Bush for his decision to limit federal research funding to projects using stem cell lines already in existence. This meant no new destruction of human embryos.
Once again policies and action by George W. Bush have proven to be sensible and logical. Add to this the success of the military “surge” in Iraq despite the claims by Democrat leaders that the war was already lost. Remember Obama’s brag that he would immediately close Gitmo and change surveillance and information gathering techniques? He hasn’t.
(Jerry Jackson of Heber Springs writes his “conservative viewpoint” column each Wednesday)
