Christmas Wishes

Good Morning!

I have about 20 minutes before I need to get ready for church so I thought this would be a good time to knock out a blog.

Christmas means many things to many people. For some it seems that the true meaning left town long ago and it has been reduced to shopping, presents, and overindulgence. The celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ has taken a back seat to more secular pursuits. To the other extreme there are those that see Christmas as a solemn occasion and the frivolity of Santa Claus and happy music are almost blasphemous.

To me Christmas is, first and foremost, about the birth of our Savior. What a wondrous gift God gave us so many years ago! It is truly a time for celebration!! Because his birth and subsequent death and resurrection afforded us eternal salvation. You can't get a better gift than that!

Secondly, Christmas is about families. So many of my memories are associated with Christmases growing up, in good times as well as not so good. I can't think of better times I have had than with family at Christmas. So many of my family are now gone but I have them memories of those great times and they almost always bring a smile to my face. God knows we were not a perfect family but we had each other and that counted for a lot.

Finally, Christmas is about giving. Giving of yourself, your blessings, your time. But more importantly, it serves as a reminder that it is our responsibility to be generous and giving throughout the year. Yes, there are a lot of folks that are in need at Christmas. But hunger knows no season and we have neighbors that will be in as much need in June as they are today. Being charitable is as much an act of worship as going to church! It took me a long time to figure this out but now that I have I plan to spread the word.

So I hope each of you will reflect on what the season means to you and always try to put Christ first at Christmas!

God Bless

Larry

The Main Stream

Most of you know me and know I come from a fairly conservative perspective (hence the name of this blog). However I have come to realize that I am not as far out there as I thought.

This recent revelation comes after weeks of reading several "discussion groups" on Facebook primarily dealing with local issues. Here are some of the opinions of some of our local folks:

1. NGO's are the spawn of the devil. For those who do not know what an NGO is, it's a Non Governmental Organization. These organizations are formed to foster cooperation between the various governments in the area to promote a multitude of issues. Apparently governments working together is bad!

2. The United Nations also spawned from the loins of Satan. Of course that goes without saying! Playing the devil's advocate for a minute, The original charter of the UN had some good ideas and while they have strayed somewhat from their original mission I can find some good in some of their programs. Besides, the only power the UN has is that which is granted by it's members so if the weak-kneed politicians would take responsibility the UN would become irrelevant.

3. Our local politicians are the spawn of the devil (notice the trend)

You get the point.

Here is the problem with the black helicopter, Tri-Lateral Commission, One World Order folks. You need to take some Zoloft and chill! First, you are not as smart as you think. You are just feeding a paranoia developed from spending way too much time on the internet and listening to Alex Jones. The government is not out to get you. They couldn't care less about you! All they want from you is your money to feed the monster that supports them. They spend their waking moments thinking of ways to increase their power because that is the narcotic that sustains them. You can write all the blogs you want and wax poetic about the evils of the United Nations but until you can get the sheeple that are the voting (or non-voting) public to pay attention you are just wasting words. And you have to come off all of this conspiracy crap! Of course they are conspiring against us but it's nothing as sinister as you detail. Your credibility goes down the drain the more of these wild theories you espouse. If a 40% annual budget deficit doesn't catch their attention you certainly are not!

So I vote every election, do my best to know what each candidate stands for, and watches what they do when they get in office. Because the turnout is so poor in elections these days my opinion (and vote) counts for at least 5 other people that chose not to participate. If I don't like how they performed I'll take my clout elsewhere. Sounds pretty main stream to me!

What It Means To Be A Veteran

Today is Veteran's Day and for the first time in I don't know how long I have the day off for it. Well, only half a day because I still have a CPA practice to keep going. I can remember when it was a National holiday that closed the schools, parades were held, banks were closed, and of course, there was no mail. Businesses observed the holiday for the most part back then as well. Somewhere after the Vietnam war it lost some of it's significance and has been relegated to a holiday for government workers, banks and the post office. I see an attempt to regain some of its importance as a holiday but that day off, for those that have one, includes very little if any time for a formal recognition of our veterans.

In full disclosure I am one of those veterans so if this appears to be self-serving please read on. For my generation my service was typical. I was 18 years old, graduating high school and faced the decision of what I wanted to do with my life. Oh yeah, the Vietnam war was in full swing and the government was drafting folks left and right. I knew I wanted to go to college but there were no college scholarships or trust funds waiting to pay for it so I was lured to the Navy by the G.I.Bill. For many poor boys that was like a shiny ring out there waiting for us to grab. There was no history of military service in my family with the exception of an uncle by marriage that had just joined the family after two tours in 'Nam. So I went to the recruiter and signed up on March 24th, 1970. I didn't talk to anyone about it until after it was done because I was 18 and could make my own decisions. Yeah right! My announcement was not well received but I held my ground and, 8 days after graduating high school, I was in boot camp in Orlando, Florida. My life was forever changed from that moment on.

My service was for 3 years and 9 months and included a year at the Navy School of Music and the balance of my service on a refrigerated cargo ship, the U.S.S. Rigel. I never served in combat, the most dangerous duty I pulled was as Shore Patrol in Naples, Italy herding drunk sailors back to the ship. I achieved the rank of 3rd Class Boatswain's Mate and refuse any extension of my enlistment to advance to 2nd Class. I made 12 cruises to the Mediterranean, one to the North Atlantic, and one to lovely Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, long before 9/11. I did my job, was honorably discharged, and got on with the rest of my life.

End of story? Not hardly! Little did I know that when I joined and served I was joining a fraternity of some of the finest people on the face of this planet. Our World War II veterans had that fervor to take the fight to Tojo and Hitler and bring us victory. Our current veterans that serve so many tours to Afghanistan and Iraq trying to root out the evils of terrorism. Even when it seems that the politicians that send them there do not have the will to achieve victory. Many of the veterans signed up for the National Guard and that mission changed dramatically after 9/11. But they served alongside regular Army troops with distinction, making the same sacrifices. I have always been proud to call myself a Veteran and very proud to of my brothers and sisters that served our country so well. Without these people willing to step up and serve the defense of our country I shudder to think what this country might have become!

What does it mean to me to be a veteran? I am proud to live in a country that offers the freedoms and opportunities that it does to its people. I am proud to have done my small part in protecting those freedom and feel I owe so much to the Veterans that went before me and after me. It is important to honor those WWII veterans that are leaving our midsts rapidly because they did so much to make this country great. I am honored to be considered with the likes of those that made the ultimate sacrifice, those that served in combat, and those that delivered groceries to the fleet in the Mediterrean. We have a common bond in that we love our country and would give our lives to defend it.

So today as you go about your busy day think of those old guys with the funny hats on. See in their tired eyes the young man that went to war. Pause and reflect on what we would have without our young men and women that served. We owe them a debt that cannot be measured in dollars and we have a responsibility to those that returned home from their service physically and mentally scarred by their service. Honor them, not only today, but whenever you see them because we owe them at least that much!

It's The Economy, Stupid!

Now that we have put Weinergate behind us (hopefully) maybe our politicians can focus on something more important. Not to say that it hasn't been amusing but enough is enough! Let the pervert crawl back into his hole in New York with his camera and do what he does best.

The more important issues have been overshadowed of late and need to come front and center. We are currently experiencing a 9.1% unemployment rate and the housing industry is on life support. Of course the truth of the matter is that is the official rate. The REAL rate of joblessness is closer to 20%, after adding those people that have run out of benefits and those that just gave up looking. So no matter how you spin it the job situation is bad and the government is doing everything it can to keep it that way. How you ask? By the relentless assault on the small businesses of this great land with increasing regulation and a confiscatory tax policy. By a blatant philosophy of wealth redistribution. By having a general attitude that if you are not on the government teet you need to be punished. Is there any wonder that businesses lack the confidence to make hiring and expansion plans with a government that is so openly hostile to them?

As many of you know I recently opened a new business here in Lockhart. I have a couple of ideas for some more businesses but right now I am doing what I know; taxes. Taxpayers need someone to go to bat for them and I'm just the guy to do it. Fortunately for me right now I can stay below the radar because I only have my time to sell and am not likely to become one of those "evil rich" folks that seem to have a target on their backs. At least not this year. But I have some clients that are and it pains me to see the angst that they must endure to keep some of the money they work hard for. Many of them do not take vacations, work far in excess of 40 hours each week, and worry about their employees and customers all the time. So when they consider a decision that might make them a little more money and they realize that the government is going to take at least half of it, that kind of takes the shine off the apple.

So that's the dilemma facing the government brain trust. Unfortunately this bunch of knuckleheads do not realize that they are the problem. Nothing is going to happen with the private sector until the atmosphere changes. The good side to that is that the longer we wander about in this malaise of an economy the more likely that the Anointed One will be a one-term president. It appalls me what we have to go through to get this result but just blame it on the voters in 2008.

So the Republicans should focus on the mess we are in. Two years of "get the hell out of the way" economic policy should have been enough time to get us on the right track. But what we have gotten is ineffective government spending that has taken us to the brink of insolvency! Government does not create jobs, the private sector does, and no amount of propping people up is going to change that. If I need to get my Big Chief tablet and No. 2 pencil out I can! It's time to layoff anyone in Washington that does not understand that!

Deal Breakers

I have been following the hubbub in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana related to attempts by Republican governors in those states to balance their budgets. This has resulted in these governors going head-to-head with the public employee unions. These governors are not only seeking cuts in pension and benefit plans to these government workers but also to restrict their collective bargaining rights. The goal of these governors seem to be becoming "right to work" states. This would eliminate the requirement that a worker must join a union to get a job. The trend has been toward this with 22 states currently being "right to work" states.

A little background before I tell you what I think. Years ago working for the government was a financial sacrifice. The benefits were okay, salaries were inferior, but job security was good. However, a funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century. Under the tutelage of Democrat governors in strong union states salaries rose steadily, benefits exploded, and job security got stronger. The public employee unions were in bed politically with the Democrats and were rewarded handsomely. Fast forward to 2009 and the financial crisis. The economy is hammered by the recession and job creation is non-existent. Some adults woke up and saw that the deals made by the unions and the government were of the sweetheart variety and were unsustainable. Many states are facing bankruptcy, primarily as a result of unfunded pension and benefit liabilities. So the voters, led by the Tea Party, elected of those adults to legislatures and governorships with a mandate to get the financial house in order.

This brings us to the current situation. The states, just like the federal government, are broke! The states cannot print money and are constitutionally prohibited to deficit spend. So they are faced with two options : cut spending or raise taxes. The governors have correctly identified the problem being with spending and are steadily trying to cut it as they were elected to do. The government workers say that a deal is a deal and we don't care where you get it, just give it to us. That's the squealing pig you hear in the background.

I always like to boil these situations down to a personal example. Let's say you have a son in high school. He is doing great, really making you proud. At the end of his sophomore year you make a commitment to him that, if he keeps up his grades, you will foot the bill for the prestigious private college that he wants to attend. Why not? You have a great job, a good balance in his college fund, and you want to reward him for his efforts. Then a not-so-funny thing happens midway through his junior year of high school. The great job you have turns to crap and you get laid off. One year later you finally get another job but it at a salary of 40% less than the previous one. In the process of finding that job, you had to use a substantial portion of that college fund to keep the family afloat.

Now comes the moment of truth. You sit your son down and explain the situation to him. Instead of that prestigious private college education he coveted he will have to attend a state-supported university and live at home. On top of that, he will need to work part-time to help with the costs. How does your son react? Sure he is disappointed. Does he scream and yell at you cursing you for "screwing up his life"? Does he demand that private college regardless of the circumstances? If so you have raised a great member of the entitlement society, and an excellent future union member. Wouldn't you just be popping with pride if he reacted that way?

What I hope my son would do is to understand the situation, put on his big-boy britches, and take on the responsibility of the man I raised.

That is the situation faced by the various states. Deals were made that shouldn't have been. The future of the state depends on getting their financial house in order and is going to require sacrifice on everyone's part. Yes that means cutting government spending as well as probably raising some taxes. It is time for all of us to put on the above mentioned big-boy britches and assume the responsibility. It will not be fun but it is a mess we made and it shouldn't be left to our children and grandchildren to clean up!

Are You Down for the Struggle?

The president gave his 3rd State of the Union address on Tuesday with predictable results. His supporters loved it and his detractors hated it. I am annoyed and frustrated with all of it! Let me preface this diatribe with admitting that I did not watch the speech when it happened. I was at a meeting and caught the last 10 minutes on the radio. I did watch it later on a replay with my bucket at the ready in case of nausea. The main theme was easy to discern : "I want to be re-elected next year and I want to make you feel good about making the same mistake twice." The speech was optimistic and gave lip service to the deficit but the theme remained the same. This was countered by Paul Ryan, one of the few adults in the picture, with that sexy message telling us we can't afford all this spending and we need to get our government under control. Which message does our credit-addicted society want to believe?

I am not going to waste much of your time telling you the truth because everyone really knows it already. Major changes in the way our government operates have to happen if we are to survive as a strong, independent nation. (see Greece, Ireland, Spain). Sacrifices have to be made by everyone to correct the mistakes of the past. Remember that word : everyone! Entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid cannot be "off limits". They need to be scaled back tremendously to serve as the safety nets they were supposed to be.

The big question is whether our citizens (and illegals that we don't seem to want to send home) are down for the sacrifice? Sure it's great to punish those evil rich people and corporations but when it comes to someone in his 89th week of unemployment benefits sitting on his butt not trying to get a job is it so great? Or the retired person with a six-figure retirement income sucking the last nickel from his government benefits because he is "entitled" to it? They should both ask themselves what their grandparents would think of this behavior. I can remember when a man would do anything to avoid being on the government dole! Now the government not only encourages it but seeks to mandate it. We are the only ones that can change this and the first shot was fired last November. Only time will tell if this was the start of a revolution or just a temper tantrum. The fight is not over!

Have They No Shame?

Can someone please tell me what that spectacle on was on TV last night? Like most of the country I turned it on with the hopes of pelting my mind with some mindless drivel. Unfortunately, I was treated to a campaign rally disguised as a memorial to the victims of the psycho on Saturday in Tucson. I watched it in disbelief with flashbacks to the "memorial" for Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone a few years ago. Same kind of crap!

Then, of course, there was the Teleprompter-In-Chief along with the First Grimmacer. Have you ever noticed that Michelle always looks like she is constipated? I'm sure the Prez, under the direction of David Axelrod, decided that he couldn't buy a better opportunity to kick off his 2012 campaign. So he kicked it off with one of his classics. I kept expecting him to blame this tragedy on George Bush. That is probably in his next campaign speech. And what were Janet Napolatono, Eric Holder, and every other politician that could find an excuse to attend, doing there. They were Obama's warm up acts!

Well, I will answer my question above. No they don't have any shame!!!! Everything to them is a political opportunity. Everything is about them. They practice their "concerned looks" in the mirror while plotting to use the event to their advantage. It was like watching a train wreck and not being able to turn away. Political theater? I guess, but disgusting!!!!

Look, this was a tragedy perpetrated by a madman. This was not caused by a lack of gun control laws, lack of enforcement, or some evil Republican plot. We can examine the chronology leading up to the event and second guess if this person should have done something or that person should have to try to assign blame to someone sane. I'm sure anyone who knew this man has asked themselves what they could have done to prevent this. The answer is nothing! We live in a free society and one of those freedoms allows us to say some pretty crazy stuff without getting locked up for it. Obviously, hindsight allows us to point to his rants and say he is clearly a disturbed individual. Most of us are not psychic so it's not fair to expect us to be. Things like this happen and will happen again. That doesn't diminish the pain of the victims or their families. The best thing that can come from this is for us to recognize abhorrent behavior in our friends and loved ones and do what we can do to get them treatment. Not that they are going to do something like this but to help them get control of their lives. Yes, we are our brothers' keepers and it is time we remembered that! Mentally ill people are out among us and we see them every day. We ignore them, secretly thanking God that we are not so afflicted, and go on our way. Do we know them or their families? Probably. Do they need help. Probably. I like you, go on my way. I hope that I will do something in the future. Not in hopes of preventing such a tragedy as what happened in Tuscon but in hopes of saving a wasted life. After all, he is my brother!