Thank you so much for hosting the health care summit February 25, 2010. It was very informative. It clearly illustrated how out of touch you are with the American people and disproved any claim that you are not an ideologue.
I only need cite one example as proof. You agreed that the CBO stated health care premiums would increase for the average American. But you insisted this was a good thing because we would get better coverage for that increased premium. In fact, I believe you stated, in a patronizing manner, that we would be happy that our lousy coverage would be replaced by better coverage. This statement is not only incorrect, it is arrogant.
The stated purpose of health care reform is to reduce cost so that more Americans can be covered. And all polls show that 85% of Americans are happy with their health care. So how is it a good thing to increase cost for better coverage when the goal is to reduce costs and 85% of Americans that have health care are happy with their coverage?
I understand that I am not as smart as you are. But I think one of us does not understand the issue.
Further, you correctly stated that this is what elections are for. Elections do have consequences - often unintended. I did not vote for you because I studied your background and understood where you would take us. I tried to convince everyone I knew. But they voted for change. Unfortunately, the change you are bringing is an unintended consequence of the American people voting without research. I do not believe that will happen again. This is why you are a one term president.
Sincerely,
Wilke Renwick
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
They Just Don't Get It
I have been communicating with my Senators and Congressional Representative more than ever over the last year. The most common subject has been health care reform. It has been very interesting to see how little their responses have changed even as the opinion of the American people has changed dramatically over the course of the debate. As the American people have learned more and more about the health care reform proposed by the Democrat majority, the more they know they do not want it. Sure, we all know we need reform. But it is not a health care problem. We have the best health care in the world. The problem is access. We need to lower the cost and make health care more accessible to all Americans. But neither the House, nor the Senate bill address this. They are attempting to use a chain saw to fix what needs a scalpel.
Here is what I wrote to my Senators today. Since I live in Virginia, I wrote to Senators Webb and Warner. But you can substitute the name of any Democrat Senator, and virtually any Democrat Congressional Representative and the fit is perfect. If every American who believes the "leadership" in Washington is going the wrong direction communicates with their representatives two things can happen. They will listen and say no to the mess they call reform, or they will not listen and we will say no to them when they ask for our vote.
Senator Virgina Senator,
Thank you for your reply regarding the health care debate that is continuing on Capitol Hill. I understand you support the Senate plan rather than the House plan. However, you should know that the majority of your constituents, and the majority of Americans across the nation, do not support either plan. The reason is simple. Both plans are variants on a theme and the theme is an unashamed power grab by the elitists in Washington who believe that only they, and not the American people, have the intelligence, the common sense, and the right to decide how our nation is run.
Virginia Senator, you are wrong. You work for the people of Virginia. We are not unintelligent. We balance our check books and pay our bills, which is more than can be said about the Federal Government. And we are watching.
You need to do what is right for America. Congress needs to hit the reset button and take the health care debate back to square one. The President has continued to say that the Republican party is the party of NO and that the GOP has no ideas or vision. You know that is not true. What you do not seem to recognize is that the ideas proposed by the GOP have much greater chance of success than anything proposed by the Democrat majority.
What we need in health care reform is inter-state competition, true tort reform (tough one because the Democrats are beholden to the defense lawyers of America), a move away from employer based (legislated by big government) insurance by providing tax breaks for individuals so they can afford to purchase their own insurance (in the free marketplace with interstate competition) and tax incentives for health savings accounts so that individuals can save money for their basic health care and only need insurance for catastrophic care.
Analogies have been made between auto insurance and health insurance. Most of these to not hold up under close scrutiny. But as healthy competition between automobile insurers continues to bring down the cost and improve the coverage, so too could healthy competition between health insurers.
Virginia Senator, the Senate and House both have it all wrong. What we need is not Universal Health Care. What we need is not more big government intervention into our lives. What we need is a free market based system free from government intervention. This is what has made America the most prosperous country in the world over the last two hundred plus years, and it is the model being employed by the most successful emerging economies today. Failure to recognize this will not only doom your future in the Senate, it will also doom our great nation once and for all.
Wake up! Do the right thing! Stand up to the President and the Senate majority leader! Vote no on any health care plan currently under consideration! Hit the RESET button! Go back to square one! Our nation depends upon it.
Here is what I wrote to my Senators today. Since I live in Virginia, I wrote to Senators Webb and Warner. But you can substitute the name of any Democrat Senator, and virtually any Democrat Congressional Representative and the fit is perfect. If every American who believes the "leadership" in Washington is going the wrong direction communicates with their representatives two things can happen. They will listen and say no to the mess they call reform, or they will not listen and we will say no to them when they ask for our vote.
Senator Virgina Senator,
Thank you for your reply regarding the health care debate that is continuing on Capitol Hill. I understand you support the Senate plan rather than the House plan. However, you should know that the majority of your constituents, and the majority of Americans across the nation, do not support either plan. The reason is simple. Both plans are variants on a theme and the theme is an unashamed power grab by the elitists in Washington who believe that only they, and not the American people, have the intelligence, the common sense, and the right to decide how our nation is run.
Virginia Senator, you are wrong. You work for the people of Virginia. We are not unintelligent. We balance our check books and pay our bills, which is more than can be said about the Federal Government. And we are watching.
You need to do what is right for America. Congress needs to hit the reset button and take the health care debate back to square one. The President has continued to say that the Republican party is the party of NO and that the GOP has no ideas or vision. You know that is not true. What you do not seem to recognize is that the ideas proposed by the GOP have much greater chance of success than anything proposed by the Democrat majority.
What we need in health care reform is inter-state competition, true tort reform (tough one because the Democrats are beholden to the defense lawyers of America), a move away from employer based (legislated by big government) insurance by providing tax breaks for individuals so they can afford to purchase their own insurance (in the free marketplace with interstate competition) and tax incentives for health savings accounts so that individuals can save money for their basic health care and only need insurance for catastrophic care.
Analogies have been made between auto insurance and health insurance. Most of these to not hold up under close scrutiny. But as healthy competition between automobile insurers continues to bring down the cost and improve the coverage, so too could healthy competition between health insurers.
Virginia Senator, the Senate and House both have it all wrong. What we need is not Universal Health Care. What we need is not more big government intervention into our lives. What we need is a free market based system free from government intervention. This is what has made America the most prosperous country in the world over the last two hundred plus years, and it is the model being employed by the most successful emerging economies today. Failure to recognize this will not only doom your future in the Senate, it will also doom our great nation once and for all.
Wake up! Do the right thing! Stand up to the President and the Senate majority leader! Vote no on any health care plan currently under consideration! Hit the RESET button! Go back to square one! Our nation depends upon it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Home Ownership RESET
I read an interesting article today in the Wall Street Journal entitled "Home Ownership Declines". I believe a more appropriate name for this article would be "Home Ownership Reset". The title that was chosen would be appropriate if home ownership had declined to unreasonable levels. But home ownership has, in fact, only been reset to reasonable levels.
This is similar to the President's idea of a spending "freeze". He promises to freeze spending, but that only means no further increases. The increases of an out of control Democrat Congress and administration are already in place, and so spending will be frozen at a level that is far from sustainable. He needs a reset button to make the freeze meaningful.
Similarly, home ownership has only declined from artificially inflated levels to more realistic levels. The Democrat controlled Congress and administration of the early '90s passed legislation to "encourage" lenders to make homes more affordable so that an increasing number of Americans could live the American Dream of home ownership. This "encouragement" was so compelling - translate "threatening" - that financial institutions made mortgages available to borrowers with no hope of paying them. Additionally, lenders became very creative with new mortgage instruments that would make it possible for even more Americans who could not afford homes to buy them. Adjustable rate (ARMS), interest only and no money down mortgages made home ownership seem possible for almost anybody with a pulse.
Unfortunately, this strategy backfired when the housing bubble burst and we experienced the recent housing crisis. What we had was a political and cultural crisis. Politicians made it seem possible for anybody to live the dream, and Americans used to buying everything from cars to cigarettes on credit dreamed big! As reality set in with the burst of the bubble, artificially inflated home prices dropped back to reasonable levels leaving many home "owners" under water in their mortgages. Many more could not continue to pay their mortgage payments at all as the bill continued to balloon when the rates adjusted.
As a result, those who really could not afford a home at all, and those with eyes bigger than their budget, lost their homes. Therefore we see the reported rate of home ownership decline. The truth is, home ownership rates have simply reset to a realistic and sustainable level.
See what happens when the government gets involved in the free market? Not only do individual citizens lose, but we also get a great news story out of it.
This is similar to the President's idea of a spending "freeze". He promises to freeze spending, but that only means no further increases. The increases of an out of control Democrat Congress and administration are already in place, and so spending will be frozen at a level that is far from sustainable. He needs a reset button to make the freeze meaningful.
Similarly, home ownership has only declined from artificially inflated levels to more realistic levels. The Democrat controlled Congress and administration of the early '90s passed legislation to "encourage" lenders to make homes more affordable so that an increasing number of Americans could live the American Dream of home ownership. This "encouragement" was so compelling - translate "threatening" - that financial institutions made mortgages available to borrowers with no hope of paying them. Additionally, lenders became very creative with new mortgage instruments that would make it possible for even more Americans who could not afford homes to buy them. Adjustable rate (ARMS), interest only and no money down mortgages made home ownership seem possible for almost anybody with a pulse.
Unfortunately, this strategy backfired when the housing bubble burst and we experienced the recent housing crisis. What we had was a political and cultural crisis. Politicians made it seem possible for anybody to live the dream, and Americans used to buying everything from cars to cigarettes on credit dreamed big! As reality set in with the burst of the bubble, artificially inflated home prices dropped back to reasonable levels leaving many home "owners" under water in their mortgages. Many more could not continue to pay their mortgage payments at all as the bill continued to balloon when the rates adjusted.
As a result, those who really could not afford a home at all, and those with eyes bigger than their budget, lost their homes. Therefore we see the reported rate of home ownership decline. The truth is, home ownership rates have simply reset to a realistic and sustainable level.
See what happens when the government gets involved in the free market? Not only do individual citizens lose, but we also get a great news story out of it.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
What Price for Clean Energy?
The Clean Energy Act of 2009 does recognize three critical points: we must continue to depend upon nuclear energy; we must develop renewable energy sources; and we must have energy independence. I admit there there are also elements in this act that will create jobs. But energy independence and common sense should not become victims of clean energy.
Nuclear energy is currently the cleanest, most powerful and dependable source of electrical energy. But we have not built a single new reactor in decades. So this is a trend we will have to reverse, and that will require a battle against the Obama administration. This is crucial. We must expand our nuclear energy capability.
In order to be responsible stewards of the planet we must also develop renewable energy sources. Americans have always proven that we innovate and adapt. If this challenge was couched in the same language as Kennedy's race for space, we could expand our renewable energy sources dramatically in the next decade.
However, the third point is the most important. We must be energy independent. At this point, fossil fuels are still absolutely essential. We have a very long way to go before we will have hybrid fighter jets, or hydrogen powered transport aircraft. To think that we can defend our nation without fossil fuels is absurd. So, critical to our national security is energy independence, and currently that means fossil fuels.
Therefore we must drill here and drill now and we must develop more clean coal technologies. We must utilize the oil, natural gas and coal that are found in great abundance right here at home.
Yes, the clean energy act is a good idea. But it is not yet time to turn away from fossil fuels. It would be foolhardy to do this before we truly can sustain - and defend - our nation with nuclear and renewable energy resources alone.
Nuclear energy is currently the cleanest, most powerful and dependable source of electrical energy. But we have not built a single new reactor in decades. So this is a trend we will have to reverse, and that will require a battle against the Obama administration. This is crucial. We must expand our nuclear energy capability.
In order to be responsible stewards of the planet we must also develop renewable energy sources. Americans have always proven that we innovate and adapt. If this challenge was couched in the same language as Kennedy's race for space, we could expand our renewable energy sources dramatically in the next decade.
However, the third point is the most important. We must be energy independent. At this point, fossil fuels are still absolutely essential. We have a very long way to go before we will have hybrid fighter jets, or hydrogen powered transport aircraft. To think that we can defend our nation without fossil fuels is absurd. So, critical to our national security is energy independence, and currently that means fossil fuels.
Therefore we must drill here and drill now and we must develop more clean coal technologies. We must utilize the oil, natural gas and coal that are found in great abundance right here at home.
Yes, the clean energy act is a good idea. But it is not yet time to turn away from fossil fuels. It would be foolhardy to do this before we truly can sustain - and defend - our nation with nuclear and renewable energy resources alone.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Could Hasan Get Away with Murder?
Political correctness has taken yet another turn for the bizarre as the dramatic tragedy at Ft. Hood continues to unfold. There has been great debate as to whether or not these murders could have been prevented if not for political correctness. Some of my favorite journalists have weighed in on the subject: Charles Krauthammer, Ann Coulter, and even one of my favorite action heroes, Chuck Norris. And I agree with each and every one of them. We have become so politically correct, and so afraid of speaking the truth for fear of insulting someone, or some group, that our security is at risk. I believe that our most recent American terrorist (alleged), Hasan, sent up enough red flags to have forewarned his neighbors, patients, fellow doctors and fellow officers to have smoked him out long, long ago. This tragedy truly could have been, and should have been, prevented.
Even worse, because post incident, politicians and prosecutors are afraid to call this terror attack a terror attack and hence, call a terrorist a terrorist, Hasan may actually get away with murder. If Major Hasan (I truly abhor even using the United States Army rank in his title) were called a terrorist, he would be tried as an enemy combatant and, if found guilty, chances are he would receive the appropriate sentence. However, it is clear that his criminal defense lawyers may use an insanity defense. Headlines, even in the Wall Street Journal, have already called him psychotic. And if he is deemed mentally ill, due to harassment and PTSD (PRE Traumatic Stress Syndrome) we may even see a not guilty verdict. With the trial in criminal court, it is a crap shoot. One thing is certain. He will not be convicted of terrorism. But as we all watch this fiasco, this miscarriage of justice, let's all be open minded and wait until all the evidence is in. Then let us all decide whether, based upon the evidence, he receives the appropriate sentence from criminal proceedings, and weigh the verdict and sentence against what may have been the result of a military tribunal for crimes of high terror. Perhaps the evidence in a criminal trial will exonerate him completely. You never can tell with eye witnesses.
Even worse, because post incident, politicians and prosecutors are afraid to call this terror attack a terror attack and hence, call a terrorist a terrorist, Hasan may actually get away with murder. If Major Hasan (I truly abhor even using the United States Army rank in his title) were called a terrorist, he would be tried as an enemy combatant and, if found guilty, chances are he would receive the appropriate sentence. However, it is clear that his criminal defense lawyers may use an insanity defense. Headlines, even in the Wall Street Journal, have already called him psychotic. And if he is deemed mentally ill, due to harassment and PTSD (PRE Traumatic Stress Syndrome) we may even see a not guilty verdict. With the trial in criminal court, it is a crap shoot. One thing is certain. He will not be convicted of terrorism. But as we all watch this fiasco, this miscarriage of justice, let's all be open minded and wait until all the evidence is in. Then let us all decide whether, based upon the evidence, he receives the appropriate sentence from criminal proceedings, and weigh the verdict and sentence against what may have been the result of a military tribunal for crimes of high terror. Perhaps the evidence in a criminal trial will exonerate him completely. You never can tell with eye witnesses.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Here's A Surprise
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation CEO Robert Kelly has reportedly declined an offer to become the next CEO of Bank of America when current CEO Ken Lewis retires. What a surprise! Imagine that! Two years ago, the CEO position at Bank of America was probably one of the most coveted in the industry. But now, who in their right mind would want the job? Since Bank of America was compelled to accept TARP funds it did not need, and then was strong-armed to complete a deal to purchase failing Merrill Lynch, it's stock price has plummeted as has it's reputation! Though analysts still believe in the strength of the institution, the board will be hard pressed to find a replacement for Lewis, who is expected to retire at years end.
Why? I could exhaust pages documenting how U.S. government regulation and policies meddling in the market makes this position undesirable. I could speak of how the close scrutiny of any actions by the banking industry's major players makes deal-making nearly impossible. But that is not my point.
The point is that Ken Lewis, who has built the strongest, most diversified financial institution in the nation, has been vilified by the government and the press. But the actions taken to punish Lewis have far greater implications. This is the first sign of what has been argued will be the negative consequences of government interference. The top talent in the banking industry, or any industry, will steer clear of any position in any institution beholden -whether by force or choice - to the Obama administration. The administration will keep pay from being competitive, keep decision makers under a microscope, and prevent them from making decisions that are good for the business because success and profit are considered evils by those in political power. This is how insidious socialism is. Those with political power will succeed in stifling competition in many ways. This is only the beginning.
Why? I could exhaust pages documenting how U.S. government regulation and policies meddling in the market makes this position undesirable. I could speak of how the close scrutiny of any actions by the banking industry's major players makes deal-making nearly impossible. But that is not my point.
The point is that Ken Lewis, who has built the strongest, most diversified financial institution in the nation, has been vilified by the government and the press. But the actions taken to punish Lewis have far greater implications. This is the first sign of what has been argued will be the negative consequences of government interference. The top talent in the banking industry, or any industry, will steer clear of any position in any institution beholden -whether by force or choice - to the Obama administration. The administration will keep pay from being competitive, keep decision makers under a microscope, and prevent them from making decisions that are good for the business because success and profit are considered evils by those in political power. This is how insidious socialism is. Those with political power will succeed in stifling competition in many ways. This is only the beginning.
Monday, March 9, 2009
"Technologies that aren't proven and cost effective"
I have not been here for a while. Frankly, the whole political process leading up to the election burned me out. I have been watching with dismay as President Obama has begun his assault on all that is good and right in America. But I was not motivated to write until I read the "Morning Bell" from the Heritage Foundation this morning. The subject was Defense spending. The position the president has taken is so ridiculous I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I read about it.
President Obama seems to agree with Barney Frank - one of the architects of the meltdown in the housing market - that one of the greatest threats to fiscal recovery is massive Defense spending! What a hoot! Defense spending over the last number of years has been less than four percent - yes, that's 4% - of our GDP! I wish someone could tell me how spending four percent of the GDP on anything could ruin our hope of recovery. When you consider that Defense spending also drives the economy forward as products are researched, developed, built and fielded, this statement becomes even more comical.
But the statement that gave me the full belly laugh was the assertion of our president himself regarding new and unproven defense technologies! Our esteemed leader stated that we should "invest in technologies that are proven and cost-effective...If a system is not ready to be developed, we should not pour resources into it"! How does our president, who has never served in the military, think that we maintain the premier fighting forces of the world? Does he think that we wait for China, Russia or Japan develop a technology before we are willing to employ it? How can we keep a step ahead of our enemies if we do not explore the newest technologies? But even this is not what got me rolling around on the floor!
The thing that got me laughing so hard I could hardly breathe was thinking about the billions of dollars Mr. Obama wants us to invest in unproven "green" energy technologies! Billions have been spent on these technologies since the term "green" was invented, and the only thing proven about these technologies is that they are nowhere near ready to power our nation. All of the green technologies combined cannot produce even 10% of the power our fuel hungry nation craves!
The president also stated that we should "reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold-War-era systems...". He has obviously taken this approach to the energy world as well with his cap and trade idiocy for the coal industry. He clearly stated during the campaign that any company that wanted to continue to develop coal burning plants would be bankrupted by his plan. This while we sit on coal reserves that surpass all the oil in Saudi Arabia! While coal certainly is not the cleanest energy source in the world, neither is oil. If we bankrupt the coal industry we will never develop the technologies necessary to burn coal more cleanly, and our vast energy reserves, buried under North America in the form of coal, will be wasted.
Our president is clearly showing his lack of understanding of these issues. In between trips on Air Force One he is simply throwing radical left-wing liberal mud on the wall to see what sticks. And in the process he is ruining the greatest nation that has ever existed on this planet!
President Obama seems to agree with Barney Frank - one of the architects of the meltdown in the housing market - that one of the greatest threats to fiscal recovery is massive Defense spending! What a hoot! Defense spending over the last number of years has been less than four percent - yes, that's 4% - of our GDP! I wish someone could tell me how spending four percent of the GDP on anything could ruin our hope of recovery. When you consider that Defense spending also drives the economy forward as products are researched, developed, built and fielded, this statement becomes even more comical.
But the statement that gave me the full belly laugh was the assertion of our president himself regarding new and unproven defense technologies! Our esteemed leader stated that we should "invest in technologies that are proven and cost-effective...If a system is not ready to be developed, we should not pour resources into it"! How does our president, who has never served in the military, think that we maintain the premier fighting forces of the world? Does he think that we wait for China, Russia or Japan develop a technology before we are willing to employ it? How can we keep a step ahead of our enemies if we do not explore the newest technologies? But even this is not what got me rolling around on the floor!
The thing that got me laughing so hard I could hardly breathe was thinking about the billions of dollars Mr. Obama wants us to invest in unproven "green" energy technologies! Billions have been spent on these technologies since the term "green" was invented, and the only thing proven about these technologies is that they are nowhere near ready to power our nation. All of the green technologies combined cannot produce even 10% of the power our fuel hungry nation craves!
The president also stated that we should "reform our defense budget so that we're not paying for Cold-War-era systems...". He has obviously taken this approach to the energy world as well with his cap and trade idiocy for the coal industry. He clearly stated during the campaign that any company that wanted to continue to develop coal burning plants would be bankrupted by his plan. This while we sit on coal reserves that surpass all the oil in Saudi Arabia! While coal certainly is not the cleanest energy source in the world, neither is oil. If we bankrupt the coal industry we will never develop the technologies necessary to burn coal more cleanly, and our vast energy reserves, buried under North America in the form of coal, will be wasted.
Our president is clearly showing his lack of understanding of these issues. In between trips on Air Force One he is simply throwing radical left-wing liberal mud on the wall to see what sticks. And in the process he is ruining the greatest nation that has ever existed on this planet!
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