Ed & Kay Bejarana

I have been so busy working on my business websites that I’ve not had the time to write my thoughts here…  This means it is time to Get Political!

Is a job a right or a goal?

To listen to the politicians running Congress and the Whitehouse, you could conclude that a job is a right.  Of course, you would say, every one has a right to get a job, why not make it a goal?

If someone does not have a job, then the government seems to be taking the position that the rich owes them a paycheck.  “Those making over $250,000 a year will see their taxes increase a little.”  President Obama said that during his speech before congress last week.

The idea is the money will go towards paying health care costs for the uninsured and that sounds nobel.  Poor people with out health insurance are much more susceptible to disease and physical ailments.  Who doesn’t want to help them?  Not those in power who are suggesting we take money from the rich and give to the poor, in my humble opinion.

Taking an extra 10% in taxes from someone making $250,000+ does give the poor some money.  Using simple numbers, lets explore the idea.  If the top 2% of our nation make more than $250,000, then lets assume an average income by the upper 2% at around $500,000.  The number is probably MUCH higher.

2% of 303 million (the population of the US) equals 6 million people making an average of $500,000 a year.  That equals $3 trillion.  These 6 million people are already paying $1.35 trillion dollars in taxes, so a 10% increase in tax burden increases the government cash register by $300 billion.

Best estimate I can find for uninsured is 45 million.  I doubt the number is that high, but for our purposes we’ll accept the the number.  $300 billion divided by 45 million equals $6,667.

President Obama during his speech before congress said the uninsured will see an extra $2400 as a result of these increased taxes.  What happens to the other $4200?  That will be addressed in a future article.  For now, lets look at another approach to taking from the rich.

Not all 6 million of the top 2% own their own business, so we can not make a direct employment comparison, but lets have some fun with the idea of forcing 6 million people to give up $25,000 for the good of the country.

What if the 6 million rich folks were given a choice to either pay the extra 10% in taxes OR hire a new American employee with a minimum take home pay of $25,000 a year?  Which would the rich choose?

I believe the rich would hire a worker.  Because then the rich can turn the $31,000 ($25,000 take home plus payroll expenses) into a revenue generating operation and expand operations.

Lets assume only HALF of the 6 million rich people took the hire an employee route.  The government would have instantly created 3 million jobs and generated more than $163 billion in increased tax revenue ($13.5 billion in new employee income taxes and $150 billion in rich people taxes).  PLUS there is now $75 billion in the form of payroll checks going out to people who didn’t have a job.  That $75 billion goes to buy more milk, cars, and homes.  Now the Farmer, Manufacturer and Home Builder can buy raw materials which put other people to work…

Food for thought…Making a job a right kills productivity because the poor has less incentive to lift a finger.  Making a job a goal gets the poor to become a revenue generating resource that drives the economic engine of our country.

Ed

When a ship is taking on water, the first thing you do is seal the compartment with the hole.  If your row boat is taking on water, then you start bailing.  Which analogy better describes the American economy?  A row boat with a leak or a ship taking on water?

Even in deep waters a sunken ship can be salvaged.  To hear the political experts talk about the American auto industry one can conclude the sky will fall if one fails.  Are these the same political experts that felt Freddy and Fanny were “solid moving forward” just six months ago?  If so, I think I’d rather have a second opinion.

The big argument for bailing out the be three American auto giants is one in ten jobs are impacted by the auto industry.  Please correct me if I’m not mistaken, but there are more than three auto makers building cars in the United States.  GM is positioned to collapsed and Ford possibly declare bankruptcy.  I remember when K-Mart filed bankruptcy some 15 years ago…Isn’t K-Mart still around?  Yup, drove by an open Kmart yesterday.

Lets stop bailing out the stupid.  GM’s ship is sunk.  Let it sink and allow capitalism to salvage the wreckage.  Building cars will not go way of the doedoe bird or the dinosaur (not yet anyway).  What’s next, are we going to save all the home builders because new home starts are off?  How about medical schools because student enrollment is way down?  How about the food industry because people have cut way back on eating out?  Where do we stop?

Those who lean towards socialism believe industry failure is permanent.  Capitalists believe where there is a void, some enterprising entrepreneur will fill the gap–provided greed is not legislated away!

Let’s hold on to our money, stop borrowing beyond our means and enjoy a modest life style for a while.  Yes, lots of people will lose their jobs, but in time, those who want work will find new jobs.  I believe in the ideals of America.  While I’d rather make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, I can live on very little if need be.  Proping up failing companies only delays the inevitable.  If GM is going to sink, then it is because there business model has too many holes.  If the government becomes a partial owner in the company (as is being proposed by congress) what will be done to FIX the hole currently sinking GM?  The government doesn’t have a very good track record at fixing things that are broken, unless it happen to be a real hole in a real ship.

Ed Bejarana

I originally planned on writing about the media and the Presidential candidates, but after church today I have a new direction for this important question.

What does it mean when we say separation between church and state?  Keep the religious leaders out of politics or out of the state?  We’ve all heard, during this past campaign, the term “religious right” used as the punching bag for the secularists, but does that mean there are no “religious left?”  Senator Obama attended church.  He worshiped in a building where the senior pastor condemned our nation for racial intolerance.  The same country that just elected a Black Man President of the USA.

It seems when losing an argument, pointing to the “Religious Right” becomes is the deflector.  Some of my liberal friends point to Religious Republicans and conclude their bad behavior some how justifies anther’s.  Condemning anyone or any nation from a religious bully pulpit is wrong–no matter which direction the podium is pointing.

The Left is crying for the Right to stand behind our new President: asking for our nation to heal the great divide.  I have no doubt that the Right will do just that; but not because the Left asked, but rather because that is our nature.  One must ask, however, why such advice wasn’t warranted for our last President?

Yes, please, lets heal the great divide.  Let’s put away our blow horns and protest signs and form a chain of unity for all our political leaders: not just now, but after all future elections!  Let’s not hear surprising words of pride (at last) for recent political steps; be proud of our country always.  Or should we be concerned with the direction those who are just recently feeling pride for our nation might take?  To not believe the past was good is to ignore the blood shed that got us this far.

I hope those with the controls don’t opt for separation of church FROM the state because I fear religion is the last historical reference point of things that are good.  With out the measure of good from our past, I fear we are doomed for evil to take root in our future.

I’ll pray for our new President and all of his old friends.  God, may you help them get this one Right.

Ed Bejarana

I am writing this at a quarter past 7 on Tuesday evening as Iowa was just called for Senator Obama; which pretty much seals the deal.  President Elect Obama ran an amazing campaign and has been rewarded with the Presidency.

While I’ve been against the Democrats retaking the Whitehouse and controlling Congress, the fact is they are now in total control.  I hope they do a better job than my party did!

America has spoken and have placed the democrats behind the wheel.  Our job now, as Americans, is to pull together and support our new President and Legislative leaders.  While I will openly disagree with policies proposed by the Democratically controled political machine, I will also stand proud of my nation.

God bless us and god bless our new President.

Ed Bejarana

My god, this was way too long of a political season.  I’ve been an active political observer since Carter ran against Ford.  I have never witness such an election as the one that has consumed the last TWO years.  Heck, half of Obama’s entire term in the senate has been out campaigning for President, and today he may become President of the United States.

Two weeks ago I started weening myself from the new broadcasts.  It had gotten to the point where all the news commentators could talk about where daily tracking poll numbers.  I would check in on a few news programs on a daily basis, just in case something informative was actually being reported.  Over the last few days the story has been on the difference between the Polls and how appearances on various networks might have effected the numbers.

Today, finally, we get to see the number from the ONLY poll that matters.  While I suspect a tight race will draw out well into the morning hours, it could also be over by 7pm Pacific Standard Time.  Once the decision is made, our next media challenge will be dealing with assumptions and predictions of the first hundred days.

It seems like everyone is concerned over mostly the same issues (high energy prices, broken stock market, war, economic conditions, taxes), but the debate gets stuck on political bickering and posturing.  Both of the last Presidents (Bush Sr. and Clinton) said they would lower taxes and both had to eat their words.  Our next President will be faced with a far more daunting task than dealing with the assumed issues.  The next President needs to work to bring our country back together.

Over the last eight years, the party OUT of power ha been creating reasons for separation in order to re-gain the White House.  Referring to a sitting President as dumb adds nothing to the American Political system, yet sitting Congress men and women have made such statements.  Lets assume, just for argument sake, that NOBODY can be elected to a national seat of any sorts if they are dumb, please?  In stead, lets try and focus on the core issues and over the next four years try to find common ground where we, as a nation, can plant our feet and step forward.

While it scares me to see one party take all three branches of government, I believe the American spirit (the sleeping dragon as stated by Admiral Yamamoto) will awake to stand against any assult on our freedoms.  We have over come adversity many times before, even survived a civil war; to think America is so fragile as to fail because of political posturing is to under estimate the people.

At the conclusion of the never ending race, let us all say a prayer for our new leader and look forward to a new day as citizens of the United States of America.

Ed Bejarana