New Testament Democrat

Red states get your tax dollars

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/jan/26/blog-posting/red-state-socialism-graphic-says-gop-leaning-state/

This is an old chart but still relevant. Red states, characterized by people who hate government handouts, are receiving more in federal funds than blue states. Citizens who declare themselves to be followers of Jesus rail against programs that care for the least of these, such as HeadStar and extended unemployment insurance. But, even worse, they are perfectly able to suspend their ideology and gleefully receive government funding for schools, parks, golf courses paid for by taxpayers in our areas of the country.

To me, this Is one of the most telling pieces of information about our culture. While many live in houses they did not build and drink water from wells they did not dig, they curse others who are less fortunate through no fault of their own.

This is the latest data available, according to Politifact.com. And while the stimulus spending has probably had some impact, it’s venture that the trend continues.

Lying vs. Truthiness

Don’t fall for the Devil’s lies: 

1) Its not a lie if you believe it. Yes it is. If you tell someone something that you didn’t know was false, that’s ignorance. If you keep saying it over and over again, then you’re a liar. 

2) Its not a lie if you keep saying it. Yes it is. The earth is not flat no matter how many times you proclaim that “fact” or you believe it.

3) Its not a lie if everyone believes it.  Yes, it is. See number 2.  It is your personal responsibility to assure that the truth is told to those around you.

How to pick a president

Confused about who to support this election cycle?

Here’s the short path to choosing your candidate.

Look at Obama, note what he has said in the last four years (a lot). Discard the retoric. Examine the actual promises he made and see if he actually worked toward any of them. Perhaps he didn’t accomplish everything he promised, but he has been there for three years and should have something to show for his tenure. Especially if he wants another term.

Look at the Republicans. Because they are out of office, they can promise anything they want. And they will. But observe what they say carefully. Discount all the promises that you know cannot happen. Ask yourself if anything they say will make a difference in the future of our country.

Note what past administrations have been able to do.

Its very important that you select a candidate, work for his election, and vote. Why? Because maybe died for your ability to freely elect your leaders. You owe it to them.

Earth as home

Earth shot 2012. This picture, released today by NASA, should remind us what a finite marble our earth is. And, more importantly, how all humans are part of one family, from the richest mogul on Wall Street to the smallest malnourished child on the streets of Calcutta. As far as we know, no other planet in our universe has the wonderful diversity of life that we do on Earth. God has given us a beautiful home. We need to cherish it. protect it, keep it for our children. Download the image at the NASA site.

Treating the feds like family

I want to disavow Newt Gingrich of this insane notion that our national budget works like a family budget. It does not. And should not.

Let me explain the difference.

Families should run a budget that incurs no debt. That is true. That is because the family budget is the nucleus of our economic system. Things get out of whack at this level when we live beyond our means.

But, even though we all agree that families should live within their means where possible, the truth is we don’t. Sometimes extended payments are necessary and can be even positive. For example, if the prospect of income looks good over the next several years, you may feel that you can extend payments to, let’s say, build a pool in the backyard. Nothing wrong with that. And, there are unexpected expenses, such as surgery that requires a family to borrow beyond their income. This is true.

But since the family is autonomous and independent, it should be lived “in the black.”

Cities and states should live within their means, too. But the needs of citizens are always changing. Roads need to be built, city centers financed, mass transit installed. Often, these governments borrow money (bonds) or get federal funds to pay for  long-term improvements. But in theory, and as a matter of practice, cities and states should live their means. Sometimes they are mandated by law to do so.  

Now we come to the federal budget. The US government cannot live within its means. And shouldn’t. There are several reasons.

The most obvious is that the government’s two most basic missions, according to the Constitution, is to protect its citizens from foreign invasion and promote the general welfare.

Promoting the general welfare means tweaking the tools of the economy to encourage trade, keep inflation low, issue currency, and be the national bank for enterprises.

Since the Great Depression, we have adhered to the theory that when business is too timid to invest in new opportunities that create jobs, the government sets up and fills the void. This has worked for 50 years. It saved the country from a depression in the last decade. Recently, it saved GM. It provides unemployment benefits to millions of citizens who would otherwise have been put onto the street. It has funded millions in relief and rebuilding loans for victims of natural disasters.

Unlike a business, it doesn’t seek a profit for it’s investment. But this is just what we expect from the federal government to keep the country going. To expect the government to act like a family budget would mean the demise of entire towns because there would be no money for temporary loans and grants.

But the main reason preventing us from having a more balanced budget is defense spending.

Almost all military costs are spent costs. Ammunition, transportation, even personnel are funded in the hope that they will never be used — and, therefore, like insurance, the cost over time is a spent cost, not an investment. And maintenance is expensive. After all, war heads do not maintain themselves. Readiness is not something that can be made to appear from scratch as needed.

If you factor in the real cost of military expenses, you find that the cost accounts for more than 50% of the federal budget. Let me be clear. More than half the national budget is devoted to non-recoverable expenditures that cannot be considered an investment in any real sense. Threats to our country and natural disasters do not fit any kind of schedule. They often seem to happen at the worst possible times.

So, if Newt and conservatives are really serious about protecting the future of our country and want to slash the budget where we could get the “most bang for the buck”, the place to begin would be defense spending. Remember, the US spends more on defense than the next 15 nations combined. Could we assume that there is some waste and redundancy here that could be curtailed before we have to fire any more teachers and police officers? #newt #economy #ntd #newtestamentdemocrat

Something stinks

There’s something wrong with the American electoral system when a party has to abandon it’s beliefs, it’s morals, it’s long-held principles in order to find a candidate that can beat the other party.

Chances of Wealth: Poor

Its official. Western Europe is now more upwardly mobile in terms of moving up the class ladder than the U.S. As someone said the other day, “there’s a highway from the middle class to the poor house and a bicycle path back.” If you aren’t born into money, your chances of accumulating lots of it are shrinking. Republicants don’t want to talk about class warfare because they have no cover. From Willie Horton to Joe the Plumber, they are the ones who pit one class against another. Instead, let’s celebrate education over ignorance. Prosperity over survival. Openness over secret deals. And a culture of everybody winning instead of a “zero sum” economy.

Happy talk

#DanBuettner, studying happiness says people making $40-$70 are the happiest, if you measuring them real time. Higher-income people say they are happier in retrospect because they tend to forget the bad stuff and remember the good. #bizville

(Source: bizville.com)