It's time for ACTION!

Yesterday, 3% of the Republicans in Alabama stood up for decency and integrity and stopped the Trump/Bannon populism cancer in its tracks.

Yes, the seat went to the Democrats.  But that’s OK.   For all real Republicans know that truth, honesty, and ethics are far more important than populism, politics, policies, positions, and party.

We all should have learned in Kindergarten that it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game.  The Bannon/Trump gang trumpeted their populism using systematic lies, false allegations, fearmongering, and other and unethical actions.  They produced some short-term wins, but they will eventually destroy the entire party if we continue to let them lead through threats and intimidation.

We cannot let that happen!

During this next year, we need to ensure that our voices are heard loud and clear.  All true Republicans who believe in the fundamental values under which the party was founded can no longer stand for far-right, out of touch, and offensive views being pushed by the current leadership.  If the GOP candidates in the general election refuse to disavow the Trump/Bannon agenda, we MUST NOT VOTE FOR THEM.  

Alabama showed us last night that it will only take a small percentage of GOP voters to do what is right to send the message loud and clear.

Losing one seat to the Democrats is probably not enough to rid the party of its cancer.  It may take a catastrophic loss in 2018 or 2020.  But once the cancer is removed, the party can return to its roots, rebuild itself, and once again reflect the values of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower.

And what are the fundamental values of the Republican Party?   What does the party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower really stand for?

 “Basic to governmental integrity are unimpeachable ethical standards and irreproachable personal conduct by all people in government. We shall continue our insistence on honesty as an indispensable requirement of public service.“

That’s verbatim from the 1956 Republican Platform.  That means NO MORE LIES, THREATS, INTIMIDATIONS, ATTACKS ON THE MEDIA, ATTACKS ON OTHER BRANCHES OF THE GOVERNMENT.

We Republicans believe in liberty.  For the first part of our history, our country denied our basic right of liberty to an entire class of people. The Republican Party was founded primarily to correct that injustice, and ensure that all persons were able to enjoy this basic human right.  As Republicans, this must be our guiding principle.  We should never support any type of policy that excludes any class of people.  Period.  This is our “Prime Directive”. Everything else we stand for must build and support this basic idea.  We are the party of Inclusion.  Everybody is welcome!

We Republicans also believe in the right to pursue happiness.  This is probably the least understood of our rights.  Many people think that we have the right to be happy.  That is not true.  We have the right to PURSUE happiness.  This means that it is up to US to be happy.  It is OUR responsibility to ensure our own happiness.   Neither the government nor anyone else owes us anything.

But it is our right to PURSUE happiness that gives us our freedoms.  It’s our freedoms that give us the ability to make the decisions and take the actions that we feel necessary to achieve our goals.

The need to pursue happiness is part of our basic human nature.  It is a need that is as important as the need for food and shelter.  No matter how many things are given to us, we are never really happy until we work for our own rewards. The only things we truly appreciate are the things we worked and sacrificed to achieve.  It’s this desire to achieve on our own that drives mankind.

Any society that attempts to deprive men of the opportunity and responsibility to provide for themselves is doomed to failure.  That is why Socialism as a system will never survive.

We all know the analogy that to give a man a fish will feed him for a day, but to teach a man to fish will feed him for a lifetime.

As Republicans, we do not want to give people fish; we want to teach them to fish.  But’s it a little more than just that.  Before we will teach them to fish, they must want to learn.  We are not going to force-feed our ways on anybody; that would be taking away their freedoms.  We also realize that a few people don’t want to put up the effort needed to achieve happiness; they want everything handed to them. We will not cater to these people.  For just as it is one’s right to pursue happiness, one also has the right to do nothing and be unhappy.

In other words, we believe that when somebody is willing to work for their goals, we have a responsibility to ensure that they have access to the basic tools needed to achieve those goals.  We have this responsibility because we cannot tolerate or allow conditions to exist where classes or segments in our society are oppressed and cannot even pursue happiness no matter how hard they try.

What does all that mean?  

Perhaps Ike said it best: 

“In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people's money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative."

We must stop moving to the right and move back to the center, for it’s the center that allows us to reach and serve the most Americans.  We were founded to be the Party of Inclusion; but we cannot be that party and be far-right at the same time.

Our country was founded on the principles that everyone has the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  These are our core beliefs, and every law from our Constitution on down builds, or should build, on these beliefs.  No valid law should arbitrability take away any of these fundamental rights.

Before we take a position on any issue, we ask ourselves, “Does this position support or infringe on our core beliefs?”   If it infringes on our core beliefs, we must step back and reexamine our position.  If we cannot reconcile and justify our position so that it supports our core beliefs, we must change our position.

We must apply this high standard to EACH AND EVERY ISSUE we face.  Sometimes that means that we must do things we do not like.  But we must have the courage to uphold our convictions and do the right thing.  EVERY TIME.

Wedding Cakes and the Supreme Court

The Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of the Baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple.  It will be interesting to see how they rule, and how they reason out their opinion.

Here is my take on the issue:

Generally, businesses should not be allowed to discriminate. If you offer widgets for sale to the public, you are not allowed refuse to sell to customers based on race, religion, or sexual orientation.   The key is when you are engaged in commerce and offering your goods to the public.  When you make your choice to go into business, you must accept the responsibilities that go with it.

This is fair to all involved, because both parties have a choice:

The merchant is free to create the widget in any way he wants.  He does not have to violate any of his beliefs when creating the widget.  He can choose to make only those widgets that he is comfortable with.

But once he creates the widget, he cannot discriminate WHO he sells it to.  Now, it’s the customer who has the right to decide whether or not to buy one of the widgets. 

But where the issue gets complicated is when you are not selling widgets, but products custom made for each customer.  If the couple came in and wanted to buy a standard cake off display, I would say that they had every right to buy that cake.

But, if the couple wanted something different, even something as minor as having two grooms statuettes on top, I would then side with the baker, since they are no longer desiring to buy what the merchant has offered to other customers.  They are wanted something that he has not offered to other customers.

Ultimately, merchants should have the freedom to sell only items they want to sell, but customers should have to freedom to buy that item once the merchant has decided to offer it to the public.  When the customer wants to buy what the merchant sells, the merchant must sell it.  But when the customer wants the merchant to create something new, or alter what he has already created, the decision then shifts back to the merchant.

Judging Roy Moore

I have been giving some though to the allegations against Roy Moore.

Even before these allegations were made, I already believed Roy Moore is one of the few politicians around even less qualified for office than Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, Roy Moore has already been removed from office for misconduct not once, but twice. His misconduct was not some trivial nonsense not related to his job – he was removed because he refused to follow orders from higher courts. When any government official refuses to obey lawful court orders, that’s bad enough. But Moore was a Justice on the State Supreme Court whose refusal to follow orders disrespected the very office he held, and that shows a lack of character and integrity.

Now, I do not for one minute think the Washington Post made these allegations up in an effort to discredit the judge. Their investigation was very thorough. They interviewed over 30 people in order to corroborate the allegations. They were very transparent and complete in their reporting. Regardless of whether you agree with their editorial board on its opinions, the news department at the Post is completely separate from the editorial board, and has a stellar reputation for its integrity and professionalism that runs back many decades.

I also believe the women who made these allegations. They have nothing to gain by coming forward at this time. Their stories are believable, and the dates and times match up with verified events. What makes these women even more believable is that their allegations do not include actual rape or forced sexual acts other than one attempt to get the girl to touch his underwear. If one were to make these stories up, the more lurid and outrageous the behavior, the greater the slander would be.

But here is where I have some issues:

In this country, we are innocent until proven guilty. Since the statute of limitations has long since run out on all of these allegations, there will be no criminal charges, and no trial to prove his guilt.
I realize that we are not talking about legal prosecutions. We are talking about public opinion and an upcoming election. But I would still like to know the whole story before passing judgement.

The timing of these allegations immediately arouses some suspicion. After all, it’s been 40 years. Why now? It’s easy to think that these women came forward because of a political agenda, but I doubt that. At least one of them appears to be Republican and voted for Trump in the past election. A more credible explanation for the timing is that it seems to coincide with the current changing of attitudes toward sexual harassment we are seeing with the release of allegations against other public figures in the past few weeks.

There is another point to consider. Unlike the allegations against Weinstein, Spacey, Trump, C.K., and others whose sexual improprieties were much more recent and continued until the allegations were made public, all of the allegations against Moore allegedly occurred 40 years ago, and there are no allegations of his behaving inappropriately (sexually) since that time. By all accounts, he has been happily married and faithful for over 35 years.

However, he was no kid when these acts allegedly happened. He was 30 years old, and an attorney. He definitely should have known better.

But how appropriate is it to judge and punish someone for alleged bad acts that occurred forty years ago, but has led an exemplary life since that time? There is a reason we have statutes of limitations on almost all crimes except murder. Had any of these women come forward back then, he could have been properly tried, convicted, punished, and given a chance to rebuild his life.

In this case, however, it may indeed be appropriate to consider these allegations. For, if they are true, we are not talking about a mistake or a lapse in judgement. We are talking about a man in a position of power taking sexual advantage of children. This shows a complete lack of character. While you can atone for bad acts and not repeat them, you cannot change your character; you can only mask it. And let’s not forget it was the children’s fear of his power over them that prevented them from coming forward at the time.

I don’t live in Alabama, and I won’t be voting in that election. The voters of Alabama will have to make up their own minds as whether to believe the women or believe Judge Moore. It may come down to a question of character, and, as I stated at the beginning of this post, Judge Moore already demonstrated on at least two occasions that he is not a man of character and integrity.

Use Common Sense, People: Demand Universal Background Checks

I thank God that a good and decent citizen was armed and willing to take on that madman in Texas yesterday.  If he had not intervened, who knows how many more people would have died?   We are blessed to live in a free country.  But freedom is not free.  We have the right and the duty to defend ourselves, and I’ll be damned if I will allow any politician to ever force me into a position where I have to take a knife to a gunfight.  Don’t ever doubt my support for the Second Amendment. 

But I also believe in common sense gun control laws. Background checks must be universal and without exception.  There should be a reasonable waiting period before you can take possession of a gun.  Last month, I stated this on my Facebook page and asked for comments from anybody who disagreed.  None did.  Even the NRA once supported universal background checks. 

In 1999, Wayne LaPierre, head of the NRA, stated to a Congressional Panel, “We think it’s reasonable to provide mandatory instant criminal background checks for every sale at every gun show. No loopholes anywhere for anyone.”

Supporting background checks does not mean you don’t support the Second Amendment. Supporting background checks does not mean you want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Background checks cannot take guns away in any event since they are done before you even get the weapon.

Last month, the Las Vegas shooter used bump-stocks in his shooting spree, which allowed him to kill many more people. Bump-stocks are legal because of a loophole in the law outlawing automatic weapons.  This could have been fixed by a one-page bill that could have been passed quickly and easily by Congress.  Several such bills were introduced.

But Paul Ryan blocked them.  His reason?  “This is better handled at the regulatory level.”  What a crock!  Isn’t this one of the same politicians who is constantly complaining about over-regulation and government bureaucracy?   He is just scared to do the right thing and has taken the coward’s way out by trying to pass the buck. 

What even worse, The Trump Administration has actually WEAKENED laws already on the books.  Earlier this year they REMOVED a requirement that the SSA coordinate with law enforcement to insure that those with disqualifying mental health issues would be flagged when a background check was performed.

We ALL need to take action.  

Call or write your congressman.   

Call or write the White House.    

Call or write the NRA.   

Now, anybody can complain about what is not working, but few have any answers. 

But I do have an IDEA.  Here is what I would like to see implemented:

First, let’s distinguish between the needs of most gun owners and the needs of gun enthusiasts.

I would propose that a background check be required before any one is allowed to purchase or possess a firearm.  That would not only include gun shows, but private transactions as well, even including gifts from family members and friends. No exceptions. Second, I would enact a 30-day waiting period before anyone could take possession of a firearm.  The 30-day waiting period could be waived by a judge if circumstances warranted.  Once you pass a background check and wait 30 days, you can purchase a firearm, but not an assault rifle or military-grade weapon.  You would also be limited to four guns per year.

Now, for the gun enthusiasts and collectors, I would propose a second program.  There would be a National Permit and would replace state concealed weapon permits.  To get the permit, you would have to pass a much more thorough background check with stricter requirements, take a gun safety course, and carry liability insurance.  But, once you have the permit, you could purchase a gun without any waiting period, and the merchant would only have to make a quick call to verify that the permit is still valid.  Permit holders could also take an extended safety course and would be allowed to purchase assault military-grade weapons, and would not be limited to four guns per year.  These National Permits be valid nationwide and would permit holders to carry concealed weapons wherever concealed weapons are allowed to be carried in each state. (States would still have to right to limit locations where they could be carried.)

All the background checks would be done through a single process, and all law enforcement agencies and courts would be required to report arrests and convictions to this single point. THIS IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO.  Private companies that provide background checks to employers already do this on their own.


Now, before people start writing their objections, read the remarks below:

I know we will never completely prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands.   But every time we do prevent one, that means lives have been potentially saved.

I also realize that the only time we seem to talk about gun control is after one of these mass shootings.  It’s ironic that, in most cases, gun control laws probably would not stop them. These madman are crazy, but usually not stupid. They have the determination, time, and are willing to spent the effort to get guns illegally. They know they are probably going to die during the act, so they are not worried about breaking any laws.  (In yesterday’s case, a better background system might have prevented this tragedy.  This was a person who should never have passed a check.)

Background checks will not stop people who have no criminal past or history of mental illness.  But Universal Background checks will prevent common criminals from easily obtaining access.  They have already stopped over 3 million of them.  If we close the loopholes, we could stop many more. 

Waiting Periods will allow enraged persons time to cool down, and possibly allow deranged people more time to be noticed and helped by those around them.  A 30 day waiting period for the average person is not unreasonable.  If you are in a situation where you need a gun quicker than that, you probably are in a situation where you need more help than a gun would provide.  If you have time to get to a gun store, you have time to get to take actions that will not require the immediate use of a gun. 

The Great GOP Tax Cut Scheme of 2017

It looks like Trump’s tax scheme, if passed into law, will save me a bunch of money next year!

But what is good for me is not always good for the country.

I am a true Republican, and I am a fiscal conservative.  But being a conservative does NOT mean that we simply want to cut taxes willy-nilly.  A conservative is a good steward of the public’s money, and is fiscally responsible, ensuring all funds spend are necessary and efficiently used.  But it is NOT fiscally responsible to cut taxes to the point that the deficit skyrockets.  It is NOT fiscally responsible to cut taxes to the point that essential services must be cut back.

Our leaders have a fiduciary duty to put the good of the country over their own personal wants and needs, and today the GOP has failed this test miserably. In fact, this tax cut scheme fails the smell test in almost every way.

The GOP is pushing this scheme for two reasons, both of which are self-serving and bad for America:

(1) The GOP has failed to pass any major legislation this year, and is desperate to be able to claim to have done something, regardless of whether it helps  the average American or not, and

(2) It delivers huge tax cuts to the Trump family, as well as the wealthy donors who bought and paid for the GOP politicians.

Even worse, the GOP is attempting to push this scheme through quickly before people figure it out.

They are doing this by selling us LIES.


LIE #1:  Donald Trump stated that this plan would NOT benefit him.  But the elimination of the Estate tax will save his family over $1 BILLION dollars.  That sounds like a benefit to me.   This scheme also eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax.  The purpose of this tax is to ensure that wealthy people cannot take advantage of so many loopholes that they would owe little or no taxes.  It guarantees that they will pay SOME taxes based on actual cash flow.  In 2005, Donald Trump would have personally paid NO taxes if it had not been for the Alternative Minimum Tax.

These two taxes only effect the wealthy.   Estates under $5 million ($10 million for married couples) are not taxed at all.   Eliminating these two taxes does NOTHING to help the middle class.  It only helps the rich!


LIE #2:  We need these tax cuts to get our economy going again.  But our economy is ALREADY going great!  It was been growing at a steady rate for over 100 months now; one of the longest sustained growth periods in our history.  It has continued its growth since President Trump took office, maybe even growing a little faster!   Indeed, Trump himself tweets often about how great the economy is and how low unemployment is, usually taking credit for all of it.

The GOP is saying that the economy is great except when talking about their tax scheme.  Then, the economy sucks and needs a boost!   Well, GOP, which is it?

We want a strong economy that grows steadily.  What we do NOT want is a roller-coaster economy, also known as a boom-and-bust economy.  When the economy is strong, the LAST thing you want to do is add additional stimulation.  That is the time to RAISE taxes, not cut them.   The time to cut taxes is when the economy is on a down-slide or in a recession.

But there is another, even more important reason NOT to cut taxes during a period of economic growth:   If you cut taxes now, you lose the option to cut them later during the next recession.


LIE #3: Donald Trump promised to eliminate the deficit, reduce the debt, and improve our infrastructure.  This tax scheme does just the opposite!  Even conservative economists acknowledge that the deficit will skyrocket under this tax scheme.  To improve our infrastructure, we need to raise MORE revenue, not cut taxes.  That’s common sense 101!  The same goes for eliminating the budget deficit.  If you cannot balance the budget under a strong economy, how the hell do you propose to ever balance it?   But Trump’s scheme that should not surprise us.  He built his fortune by taking on huge debts, filing bankruptcy, and leaving other people holding the bag.  But the U.S. is not a casino. We can’t declare bankruptcy.  Every year the debt increases means we are leaving even more debt to our kids.


LIE #4:  They are selling Trickle-down Economics.  BUT TRICKLE-DOWN ECONOMICS DOES NOT WORK!   It has been theorized that reducing taxes on the wealth will actually result in increased tax revenues, as the wealthy will take their tax savings and reinvest them into their businesses, resulting in increased revenues and increased taxes.  Economist Arthur Laffer first proposed this back in the 1974, and Regain based his tax reform plan in the 80’s on it.  This theory has been called “Trickle Down Economics” and “Voodoo Economics”.

But, time has shown that this theory DOES NOT WORK!  Deficits soared after Reagan’s tax reforms.  In fact, looking back over the past 40 years, whenever taxes have been raised, deficits are reduced, and deficits increase when taxes are cut.  We have had only four years of surplus in the past 40 years, and three of those years were after Bill Clinton raised taxes. The last year we had a surplus was George W. Bush’s first year in office, before he had time to cut taxes.  As soon as he did, it was back to deficits again!

So, if we want to increase spending on our infrastructure and reduce the deficit at the same time, taxes must be increased, not decreased.

There is also another, simpler, reason why this theory is flawed.  Our government spends all of the taxes it collects.  Voodoo Economics suggest that the economy will spurred by the wealth taking their tax savings and putting it back into the economy.  But, our government is already doing that with those tax dollars!   For example, if our government collects $100 in taxes, it spends that money, resulting in $100 being put back into the economy.  But, if taxes are reduced to $80, the government only puts $80 back into the economy.  The rich person who now has an extra $20 because of reduced taxes can choose to put some or all of that $20 back into the economy.  If he puts ALL of it back into the economy, that means that the total amount put back into the economy is $100, which is exactly the same as it had been before the tax cuts.  But, if the rich guy chooses not to put ALL of his tax savings back into the economy, the result is LESS money is put back into the economy than before the tax cuts!


LIE #5:  It will reduce taxes for the middle class.   Maybe.  But a lot of middle-class folks will pay MORE under this tax scheme, especially families with multiple children.


LIE #6:  Eliminating many of the tax deduction loopholes hurts the rich more than the poor.  The fact is that many of the deductions, such as student loan interest, are phased out when incomes rise over $150,000 or so.  Someone paying $7,500 in student loan interest making $75,000 per year can take a $7,500 deduction under the current tax law.  Someone making $200,000 cannot take this deduction at all under the current tax law.  Under Trump’s scheme, NO ONE can take the deduction.  So who loses?  Not the rich guy who never got the deduction in the first place.  The one who loses is the guy who is struggling to pay student interest payments that are 10% of his total income!


LIE #7: We need to reduce taxes on businesses because we are the highest taxed nation in the world.  Although the nominal tax rate is 35%, the effective tax rate, which is the actual rate business pay after all of their deductions and loopholes, is only 14% (22% when you add state, local and foreign taxes), which is among the lower rates in the industrialized world.

We need REAL TAX REFORM that will address our REAL ISSUES:

(1) We need to balance the budget.
(2) We need to improve our infrastructure.
(3) We need to address the growing gap between the rich and poor, and the shrinking middle class.

It’s time for the public to stand up and DEMAND that our leaders do what’s RIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY.   Call your Representatives and Senators and make your voice heard.   Tell them that they can listen to us now and do the right thing, or they will hear us loud and clear next November!

Trump's attack on Birth Control

The failing Trump Administration today changed the rules to make it more difficult for many women to obtain birth control.

The Administration has apparently bought into the ridiculous argument that a business should not be forced to pay for insurance which includes birth control because it violates their freedom of religion. By that same logic, they could refuse to pay their employees because the employees might use that money to buy birth control. What about businesses that are opposed to killing? Could they refuse to pay taxes because the government might use their tax money to build a bomb?

Now, here is where logic goes completely out the window:

These are the same people who want to ban abortions. If you make it more difficult for women to get birth control, you will end up with even MORE women who will be looking to get abortions.

If you really want to reduce abortions, make birth control even easier for women to get. I am fairly sure that most women would rather take a pill each day or use some other form of birth control to prevent pregnancy rather than having to submit to a surgical procedure to abort one.

These are also the same people who want to reduce or eliminate children’s health insurance, food stamps, Medicaid, subsidized daycare, and other programs. They want to prevent access to birth control and ban abortions. If they succeed, the result will be more babies born to mothers who will be unable to support them and will no longer have access to government assistance.

If you are really so worried about babies before they are born, why are you not so concerned about taking care of them after they are born?

Personally, I abhor the very idea of abortion. But I also believe it’s not the government’s place to tell a woman what she can do with her body. So what’s the answer?

Why not put in place a system that will reduce the demand for abortions?

First, let’s make sure that birth control is readily and easily available to ANY woman who wants it. That will reduce unwanted pregnancies and subsequently reduce the demand for abortions.

Second, let’s make sure that those women who do become pregnant will be more willing to keep their baby because they know that they will have a path available that will allow them to raise their child in a decent home and adequately provide for that child.

People, THIS IS JUST COMMON SENSE. If you don't like my suggestions, show me a better one. But taking a position that just makes the entire problem worse is NOT a solution.

Republican Party Doomed

An Open Letter to all true Republicans

Republican Senators have been working all week to pass a healthcare bill just so that they can brag that they kept their promise to repeal Obamacare, even though this bill will leave our health care system in far worse shape than it is now.

What’s even worse, several senators from both parties were already working on a bi-partisan solution that would have resulted in an immediate end to the uncertainty in the insurance market today and would have led to a long-term solution that would be much more acceptable to all of the American People.

But to admit that they could not pass the bill without bi-partisan support would have wounded their pride.  So, to save face, they are trying to ramrod this disaster of a bill to a vote before even getting a score from the CBO on its costs and effects just so that they can beat their September 30th deadline.

Their only concern is to ensure that they can say, “See, we told you we could repeal Obamacare, and we did.”  The fact that this bill will result in the loss of health coverage for millions of people, and will ensure skyrocketing costs for millions of others does not seem to bother them in the least.

They don’t seem to care that most Americans, by a healthy (no pun intended) margin OPPOSE this bill.  They don’t care that almost the entire health-care community opposes it.  The American Medical Association warns it violates doctors' oath to “first do no harm.” Kaiser Permanente says that any changes to health-care law should “increase access to high-quality, affordable care and coverage for as many people as possible” and that “the Cassidy-Graham bill does not meet any of those tests.”

It would be bad enough if this were an isolated incident, but it’s not.  It’s part of a pattern that started years ago and has steadily worsened with each election cycle.

IT’S TIME WE STEPPED BACK AND
TOOK A LOOK AT WHO WE REALLY ARE.

As Americans, we believe in equal rights for all, including the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as set forth in our Declaration of Independence and guaranteed under our Constitution and Bill of Rights.

As Republicans, we believe in the free market and limited government, and we support personal liberties and the responsibilities that come along with them.  We believe and support equal rights for all regardless of sex, race, religion, or sexual orientation.

For the first 100 years of our existence, the Republican Party was progressive and liberal on social issues. We were the ones who freed the slaves.  We passed the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.  Republican-controlled Wyoming was the first state to give women the right to vote, and we introduced the 19th Amendment that gave that right to women across the country.  We started the Civil Rights movement in the late 50’s.  With the socially responsible Republican Teddy Roosevelt, we put the people over big business and stepped in and broke up the Business Trusts that were impeding the free market.  Under Eisenhower, we expanded Social Security, increased the minimum wage, and created the Interstate Highway System.  Under Nixon, we created the EPA.  Under G. H. Bush, we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

From the Civil War through the 1920’s, the Republicans were known as the party of Inclusion, and this is what allowed the Republicans to control both houses of Congress and the Presidency for most of the election cycles during that period. We maintained our dominance because our leaders our leaders were moderate and progressive.  They recognized that radical factions on either the left or the right served only to divide.

But the Republican Party has slowly drifted away from it roots.  It has changed from being socially liberal and fiscally conservative to just being conservative.  As a result, the Republican Party has slowly lost its heart and soul.

The Republican Party went from being known as the party of Inclusion to simply being known as the Conservative party.  It has moved farther and father to the right, and with each shift, it has pushed people away. This change is most readily apparent when  you consider that most blacks were Republican for most of our first 100 years.  Now, not only have we have lost support from most blacks and other minorities vote, they actively oppose us!

In fact, we have become the party of EXCLUSION! Just look at our positions on immigration. Not only have we supported a system that makes people wait as long at 25 YEARS to get in, and then only if you have a close relative already here, our current President wants to make it even more difficult by adding further restrictions.  While it is certainly proper to deport any immigrant who has committed a felony or violent crime, what is the logic in deporting those who entered years ago, have established roots here, contribute to our economy, have not committed any serious crimes, and have generally acted more responsibly than many of our own citizens?  Certainly, there needs to be a penalty and they need to pay any back-taxes they owe.  But, as with any criminal act, the punishment must be reasonable. Can any person with a conscious actually defend breaking a family apart because one of them entered American illegally many years ago?

Our current policy of exclusion is ever more shameful when you look at how we are currently turning our back on those most in need. When our party was first created, over 350,000 Americans died to eliminate slavery. In World War II, almost 500,000 Americans died to defeat tyranny in Europe.  Almost 100,000 Americans gave their lives for freedom in Korea and Vietnam.  We truly were the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave!  Now, we are supporting a policy that refuses to accept refugees fleeing tyranny on the irrational fear that a handful of them might try to do us harm!  Has cowardice replaced bravery?  

As Republicans, we should be LIBERAL on social issues and CONSERVATIVE on issues involving money.  There are those in our party today that refuse to accept the idea that we could be liberal on any issues, but this is not true.  Our great President Dwight D. Eisenhower, stated, "In all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with people's money, or their economy, or their form of government, be conservative."

Now, not only do most minorities vote Democrat, our current Republican leaders don’t even seem to care.  In fact, they are adopting some of the same types of policies designed to suppress minorities that the Democrats embraced so many years ago. Put another way, over the past 80 years, the Democratic and Republican parties have essentially switched places!

We hear Republican leaders today talking about their “core” supporters, and introducing policies designed specially to appease this increasingly smaller group while ignoring the rest of the people.  Our leaders have forgotten that our party must serve ALL of the people, not just a “core” group.

It should be the goal of any political party to be as close to the center as possible while embracing a platform that adheres to its core principles.  We should NOT be trying to move to the right.  We should be trying to move to the CENTER, because that is where we can include and serve the most people.

Indeed, as a party, we want to serve all Americans. We must be willing to look at all sides of every issue, and choose a position that will best serve all Americans.  We must realize that we will not always agree on every issue, and many of us will be on opposite sides of some issues.  This is normal and democratic.  When setting up our platform, we must give greatest weight and priorities to those policies that are closest to the center, and give much less emphasis on those policies which are farthest to the right.

Our founding fathers designed our legislature to be made up of 535 individuals, each of whom has sworn an oath to the Constitution. It is not only proper, but mandatory, that each Representative and Senator either vote for or against a bill based on its own merits and their own understanding on whether that bill will benefit America and help the American people or not.  They should never vote simply because it’s the party line.  When a Representative or Senator votes on an issue solely because it’s the party line, they are violating their oath to the Constitution and are a disgrace to their office.

Today’s Republican Party is now so far to the right that many of us tried and true Republicans fail to recognize it.  We are ashamed even to be called Republicans.

We cannot win the trust of the American people if we are not trustworthy.  We must be HONEST at all times, even when the truth hurts.  We must admit our mistakes.  The American people are very forgiving of those who own up to their mistakes, but they do not forgive being lied to.

We now have a President who lies almost on a daily basis. He uses his official Twitter account to make personal attacks on those who oppose him. He labels all media that disagrees with him as “Fake News”.  He has mocked the other branches of our government when they have opposed him.  He makes allegations without any proof, even if he knows them to be false. He has lost the trust of most of the American People, and this is completely unacceptable.  Not only is this is a disgrace to our party and to the entire country, it represents a severe threat to our National Security when allies cannot trust us, and our enemies do not believe us.

Donald Trump ran a very dishonest campaign. He personally attacked his opponents and made allegations against them that had no basis in fact. He labelled any of those who opposed him as “lying”, “crooked”, “goofy”, “crazy”, or worse.  He refused to disavow racists and hate groups.  He complimented our country’s enemies and insulted our friends. In short, he abandoned all sense of decency and decorum.  Yes, he won the election, but is this the message we want to send to our young people?  That winning at all costs is the right thing to do?   

As Americans, we can support a President that on whose policies we disagree, but we cannot support a President that we cannot trust.  It is not enough to remain silent.  As Republicans, we ALL must actively oppose his deviant behavior, disavow his lies, and stand up for truth.  Anything less, and we are just as guilty and disgraceful as he.

HERE IS WHAT WE MUST DO RIGHT NOW

For too long, we have allowed a small, but vocal, radical faction to control our party.  It's time we took it back, return to our roots and once again embrace our core values.   

We can no longer allow right-wing radical bigots to continue to impose their narrow-minded supremacist views on our party.  The “Tea Party” and the “Alt-Right” are CANCERS that have invaded our party, and they must be eradicated from our party.

We must once again be the party of INCLUSION.

We must reach out to people of all races, sexual orientations, religions, and creeds and welcome them as equals.  We must put an end to Gerrymandering and support bi-partisan efforts to draw lines that are fair.  Never should lines be drawn to exclude anybody or to favor any politician or political party.  We need to make it easier for every American to vote, not harder.

We must support reasonable immigration reform.  While illegal immigrants who have committed violent crimes or felonies must be deported, we must provide a path to citizenship for others who have been here for years, have contributed to our society and economy,  and have committed no serious crimes.

We must stop opposing every policy the Democrats favor.  There is nothing wrong with agreeing with the Democrats on various issues.  In fact, if both parties really were trying to serve ALL of the American People, they would be in general agreement on most major issues!

We must NEVER PASS A BILL WITHOUT AT LEAST SOME DEMOCRATIC SUPPORT.  No major legislation have ever succeeded without bi-partisan support.  Just look at the Affordable Care Act!  The Democrats passed it without any Republican Support, and it has major flaws as a result. Had the Democrats waited until they could get bi-partisan support, we would have ended up with a much better system today.  But now we are about to make the SAME MISTAKE and make major changes to the law without any Democratic Support.  This is foolish to the extreme.  THIS HAS TO STOP NOW!

We must get rid of this ridiculous idea that our entire party must vote as a block on every issue.  Every Representative and Senator must vote for or against any bill based on its own merits and not simply because it’s the party line.

We must continue to be fiscally conservative, but not to the point where we are not meeting our social responsibilities. People do NOT have a RIGHT to an Education.  They do not have a RIGHT to health care. We do not believe in entitlements.  But we do have a RESPONSIBILITY to ensure that every American has the OPPORTUNITY to receive an education, and ACCESS to health care based on his or her ability to pay.  This does NOT mean we create entitlements and simply give these benefits to everybody.  It means so long as people are willing to put in their best efforts and pay what they can afford to pay, we have a responsibility to ensure that nobody is denied an education or health care simply because it is beyond their ability to pay.  THIS MUST START NOW!

Finally, before we take any action, or support any bill or motion, we need to simply ask ourselves, “Is this the right thing to do and are we doing this for the right reasons?”

Our party did well in the last election, but we cannot fool ourselves into thinking it was because of our policies.  Even with all of the baggage that Hillary Clinton drug with her, the entire election came down to a few thousand votes in a handful of states. Our success was due more to the lackluster turnout of Democratic votes than to our own policies. If you take away the people who voted Republican simply because they always vote the party line or because they didn’t like Hillary, you will find a very small minority that actually support the radical policies being adopted by our current leadership.

The current course being taken by our Republican leadership can only lead to failure. It will result in failed policies, a shrinking Republican base, and an invigorated Democratic one.

It's time to take action. I implore every true Republican out there who is as disgusted as I am to call our GOP Representatives and Senators and DEMAND that they start acting like real Republicans.

Ask them if they will take this pledge.  If they won't, that means that they are not representing Republican values, and we need to vote them out at the next election!

PLEDGE TO RESTORE REPUBLICAN VALUES

I will do my best to protect the free market and will stand up to special interests from both sides that desire to impede the free market,

I will work to limit government overreach, but will not sacrifice or jeopardize those programs that protect and benefit the American People,

I will work to reduce expenses by cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending, but I will not sacrifice essential programs that protect and benefit the American People,

I will work to reform our tax structure to reduce overly heavy burdens on taxpayers, while maintaining a fiscally responsible system that includes a balanced budget,

I will oppose any actions that discriminate against anybody based on their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation,

I will work to keep my party’s position as close as possible to the center of the political spectrum as possible without compromising the fundamental values and philosophies under which our party was founded,

I will not attempt to pass unpopular bills by short-circuiting the normal legislative process,

I will not attempt to block popular bills by taking means to prevent them from coming to a vote,

I will never put my party’s interest over those of the people or the Constitution,

I will not vote to pass any bill that does not at least some bi-partisan support,

I will judge each bill on its own merits before voting for it and will never let party politics influence my decision,

I will oppose any Congressional Redistricting that does not have bipartisan support based, favors any one political party, or that discriminates against any race or religion,

I will actively resists special interest groups and radical factions that try to corrupt our party’s core values,

I will not falsely attack, criticize, or label other elected officials, members of the press, other branches of government, or individual citizens,

I will oppose any bills, statements, or actions that divide out country, 

I will not remain silent, but will actively call out and denounce any such actions committed by my colleagues, and

I will act at all times with the respect, decency, and decorum that my office deserves.

Left, Right, or Center?

We are a democracy, and every person’s opinions and desires county equally.  Most Americans are smart enough to realize that Democracy means COMPROMISE, and COMPROMISE means MEETING IN THE MIDDLE.  No one gets everything they want, but no one walks away empty-handed, either.

Meeting in the middle, of course, means moving toward the CENTER, NOT away from it.

By its very definition, the CENTER represents the median opinion of all Americans, and the goal of both parties should be to get as close as possible to the center. Political parties should NOT be trying to move away from the center.  The farther to one side a party moves, the more it alienates half the population and further divides our country.

Of course, moving to the center will upset the radicals and bigots in both parties. But these radicals and bigots, while vocal and active, DO NOT REPRESENT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT.  Just look at our recent elections. Almost HALF of all eligible votes DID NOT VOTE.  Why?  Because they did not identify with or agree with EITHER party’s positions.  They did not feel that either party represented THEIR wants and needs.

If you cannot see that compromise is necessary in a democracy, you are part of the problem.  If you feel so strongly about a position that you do not want to bend, it is up to you to convince the other side that you are right and to bring them over to your side.  That is Democracy.  On the other hand, forcing the other side to accept your position without compromise simply because you hold a slight majority is an insult to the spirit of democracy, divides our country, and fuels hate and bigotry.

In the past 10 or 15 years, BOTH political parties have moved AWAY from the center.  The have stopped serving the American People and have instead divided the American People. This is why both Congress and the Presidents have had such low approval ratings.  Republicans such as Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, and Mitch McConnell have pulled the Republican Party far to the right.  Democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are actively advocating moving even farther to the left.  As a result, both parties are just shells of their former selves.  They have no clear vision because they are trying to please radical splinter groups instead of serving the American People.

Neither party realizes that they are doing exactly the OPPOSITE of what they need to do.  The current leaders of both parties are actively trying to move each party even farther from the center, and these leaders need to be voted out of office ASAP because they do NOT represent the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

It is a sign of FAILURE when ANY president or political leader is HATED by the other side.  Our most successful presidents, such as Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Ike, JFK, and Reagan, were admired and respected by BOTH sides, and that is why they were successful.  Even Bill Clinton was able to get legislation passed and balance the budget because he was more centrist than any president who has followed him.

Any hope of ending this political divide rests on at least one party recognizing the need to move toward the CENTER and adapting its platform to do so.  I have always been a republican, but my allegiance will be with whatever party starts acting to serve ALL OF THE PEOPLE.  Right now, neither party is deserving of anybody’s vote.

Ironically, today President Trump showed Congress how it is supposed to be done!  He met with the leadership from BOTH parties this morning, listened to what each of them offered, and supported the one proposed by the Democrats, as their plan would meet the immediate deadlines and offered compromises that both sides should be able to live with.

Trump's Disgraceful Dissolution of DACA

Once again, the failing Trump Administration added a new level of hypocrisy to an already scandal-ridden legacy by dissolving the DACA program, citing Constitutional Grounds just days after pardoning Sheriff Arpaio’s criminal contempt of court conviction for ongoing Constitutional Violations.

The DACA program itself, created by President Obama, was arguably a stretch of his executive powers.  With the limited resources available to law enforcement, any cop will tell you that it is impossible to prosecute every crime committed. Instead, they use their discretion when deciding whether to prosecute a crime.  Have you ever been pulled over for a traffic violation and just been given a warning?

But, to put into place a formal program to intentionally ignore an entire class of acts, including implementing a formal application process that even includes paying a $495 registration fee, goes beyond what any reasonable person would describe as prosecutorial discretion. In fact, President Obama himself described the action as a temporary fix to an emergency issue until Congress could address the issue.

So, of course, as President, Trump had every right to take rescind Obama’s action and dissolve the program. He could have dissolved it instantaneously rather than give it six months.  He did not even have to give a reason for his action if he did not want to.

However, as we all know, one can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and here is a perfect example.  Trump claimed that his duties to the Constitution required that he dissolve the program, citing that we are a nation of laws.  This is a very logical, reasonable, and justified explanation, and if it had come from any other President, I could believe it.

But, since almost every action President Trump has taken since becoming President has made a mockery of the Constitution and the Rule of Law, cumulating with the pardon of Sheriff Arpaio less than ten days ago, can anyone really believe that this is the real reason he has dissolved the DACA program?  Really?

The only logical reason for Trump taking this action at this time is to give him leverage over Congress.  He can use this as a way to force Congress to fund his ridiculous wall.  The more cynical among us might even view this as a tactic to further distract Congress, and the country, from the ongoing Russia investigation.

One key insight into his real reason is the timing of his action. The DACA program has been in place for several years, and there was no urgency to take this action right now. Not only did has it not caused problems, it has allowed immigration enforcement agents to concentrate their limited resources on illegal immigrants that had committed crimes and are a danger to our society.  Between Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, the North Korea situation, Congress’ already packed agenda, and the impending Hurricane Irma damage, one would have to be clueless or have an ulterior motive to take such an action now.  So which it is, Mr. President?

If Constitutional concerns were really the issue, President Trump could have taken this action immediately after taking office. But he didn’t.  He waited until this month, when Congress will be dealing with raising the debt ceiling and providing the funding necessary to keep the government operating, including any potential funding of his wall.

Using innocent children as pawns in a political game of cat and mouse is despicable, an abuse of presidential authority, and a disgrace to our country.

When are our other Republican leaders going to stop supporting Trump’s outrageous and un-presidential conduct?   Do they not realize that their silence is just further enabling him?  Do they not realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to get things done?

Republican leaders may think they are protecting the party by not calling out President Trump personally for his unacceptable conduct.  But they are wrong. Their duty is to the Constitution and to the People, and any actions taken that put the Party over the People are short sighted and will only hurt the party in the long term.

Any politician who is defending Trump’s action at this time is equally reprehensible and voters will remember that at the next election.

Stop the HATE. It's up to YOU and ME!

I love America, and it breaks my heart to see the hate that is dividing our country right now.

Some of the hate is obvious on its face, such as the Nazi groups, the KKK, and the White Supremacists. These are the lowest of the low, and we all need to quickly and absolutely disavow them.

But hate comes at us on many levels. It comes in the form of discrimination.  It comes in the form of self-righteousness.  It comes in the form of moral superiority.  Hate comes from both the left and the right, from both the rich and the poor, from all races, from all levels of education.

Hate manifests itself in many subtle ways. When labels such as “Liberal”, “Snowflake”, “Racist”, “Sexist” are applied to people or ideas solely to differentiate and alienate them from the mainstream, that is a form of hatred, AND IT MUST STOP NOW!

The politicians are not the source of our hate; they are a symptom.  Hate starts with the People, and Hate must stop with the People.  THAT MEANS YOU AND ME.  WE HAVE TO STOP THE HATE, AND HERE’S HOW:

• STOP SPREADING HATE.  Stop sharing Facebook Memes that are mean and are designed to spread hate and divide us.  When you share such memes, YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

• STOP SPREADING LIES.  Before you repeat something you have heard, or share something on Facebook, do a little research to verify it is accurate.  A simple SNOPES lookup is usually sufficient.  Many of these lies may be based on, or contain, half-truths, but they are still lies!  Remember, a lie of omission is still a lie!

• CALL OUT HATE when you see it.   There ARE evil people in this world.  Those who think they are superior to others.  Those who think other races are inferior.  Nazis.  The KKK.  White Supremacists.  Terrorists.  Those who promote violence of any kind.  It is NOT ENOUGH to stand idly by. We must SPEAK OUT and denounce them wherever they are.  We must SPEAK OUT and denounce those who support them.  As George W. Bush, you are either with them or with us.  You cannot be both!  

HATE IS BORNE OUT OF MISUNDERSTANDING

Of course, your view of the world is unique to you.  It is completely normal for your opinions and views to differ from others’. But we all have to live together, and we cannot do that by attacking every person who does not agree with our point of view.

We are all a little prejudiced in one way or another. That’s human nature. We are initially suspicious of anyone who differs from us.  But we must learn to control our prejudices. And this is not easy.  But it can be done, and it MUST be done.

• Always try to see an issue from the other person’s point of view.  There is a reason that they feel the way they do, and you might feel the same way if you were in their shoes.  Don’t dismiss their opinions and feelings simply because they do not echo your own.  You cannot fully understand any issue if you do not understand both sides.  Many times, once you take a look at the other person’s viewpoint, your own view may change slightly or completely!   I have changed my views many times once I fully thought through all sides of the issue.

• Weigh the importance of their position to them to the importance of your position to yourself.  In other words, do I feel as strongly about my position as they do about theirs?  

• Does your view fall in line with our basic premise of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”?  Our country was founded on these principles, and sometimes it is hard to realize that our view may be wrong; that our view is not in line with these core beliefs.

• How much will it cost you emotionally, financially, and morally to change your position?  Will your life change significantly?  Will you simply be uncomfortable?   Or will your life continue the same way regardless?

• Last, and certainly not least, just ask yourself this:  “What would Jesus do?”   

“United we stand; divided we fall.”   We all know that saying, but do we really give it any thought?

The United States has been the shining beacon of Hope and Freedom throughout the world. Our strength comes from our Unity. Indeed, our very name is based on that concept!  But it’s more than that. We are known as the “melting pot”.  We are made up of peoples from many different countries. We all have come to America and brought a little of our culture with us.  The term is apropos: If you drop a piece of butter into a pot of boiling water, the butter melts and becomes part of the boiling water. The butter is no longer distinguishable, but the water has been subtly improved.  So it is with our citizenry. So it is with America.   It is this diversity that gives us strength and acceptance.

So let’s stop letting a few individuals divide us.  We have to remain united and fight for our freedoms every single day.  And that starts with fighting hate.

Charlottesville and White Supremacists

Those who promote bigotry and racial hatred disgust me. They are NOT patriots. They are not moral. They are NOT Christians.

The issue in Charlottesville started over the planned removal of a Confederate statue. But Saturday’s demonstration was sponsored by a White Supremacist group. THAT became the focus of the rally. The rally was not about the statue. It was about publicity for the White Supremacists. The very presence of the Nazi flag showed that. If you participated on that side, you supported the White Supremacy cause, and you are NOT A “FINE PERSON”. You are as morally bankrupt as the rest of them. ALL of the people who supported that side disgust me.

Which brings me to my next point: If you WERE there only to protest the removal of the statue, why are you not standing up now and condemning the White Supremacists? Why did you not protest them on Saturday? It was THEIR rally; why were you even there?

I don’t care how good or noble your cause may be. If you need the support of hate groups to get your message across, your cause is lost. If you cannot disavow these hate groups while still promoting your cause, you are weak or morally corrupt yourself. When you fail to disavow a hate group that supports your cause, you sully your own cause, and associate it with the hate groups.

This goes for Donald Trump as well. As soon as David Duke tweeted his comment about them putting him into the White House, he should have IMMEDIATELY disputed that fact and disavowed them.

(I understand that many good and decent people consider those statues a symbol of their southern heritage, and others simply do not want to see history erased or white washed. But these are not the people who were at that rally on Saturday. These are the people who will get up at a City Council meeting and speak intelligently while disavowing the hate groups.)

Statutes and Monuments: Keep or Remove?

There are three points of view concerning statutes, monuments, and other artifacts from the Civil War (and any other past events for that matter):

(1) These are symbols of Southern Heritage,
(2) They are an insult to those who were oppressed at that time,
(3) They are historical references.

Each of these positions are legitimate, and to minimize or ridicule those who embrace one of those positions does nothing to help solve the problem.

So let’s look at each of these positions and weight the pros and cons.

SYMBOLS OF SOUTHERN HERITAGE

I am a Southerner and my own ancestors fought, and some died, in the Civil War.  So I understand how people can feel when these statues are attacked.  Most who fought in the Civil War did so because they thought they were right, based on their values and beliefs at the time.  In today’s society, of course, the concepts of slavery and white supremacy are abhorrent to us, but we must not judge past figures using today’s standards.  By those standards, almost all historical figures would be fail.

What I cannot understand is why, when we Southerners want to honor our heritage, we choose symbols and figures from the darkest past of our past. Why not focus on the positive events and people?   Founding fathers George Washington, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe were all from Virginia.  The first permanent colony in North America, Jamestown, was in the south. Virginia has had more Presidents than any other state.  The United States itself would never have existed at all without the contributions from the South.

CELEBRATING OPPRESSORS

As a white southerner, I cannot even begin to understand the depth of emotions that slavery must provoke in black people today.  To constantly see symbols tied directly to a war whose purpose was to continue slavery must be painful.  Those who wish to celebrate their southern heritage should be able to find other symbols that do not also tend to celebrate slavery.

On the other hand, none of these monuments was erected with the purpose to celebrate slavery or oppression.  There are symbols all around us that may offend someone for some reason.  Just because something offends us does not give us the right to destroy it.  Granted, these symbols are much more offensive to black people than others may be to us.  But a major part of the divide in our country today is a resistance to the “political correctness” movement that tends to label all those who disagree.  It is our very diversity that makes us strong. Once we start taking down monuments that offend, we are starting down a very slippery slope indeed.

HISTORICAL REFERENCES

This is the most emotionally neutral position, and one that can be supported by both sides.  Our history is filled with both bad and good events and people.  Removing the statues will not change the past. Indeed, the very presence of these statues serves as a reminder of both past accomplishments and atrocities. We tend to judge historical figures using today’s standards, and that is a mistake.  Our founding fathers had both good traits and bad, both by standards of the time and by modern standards.

These statues and monuments are a form of art, and like all art, are subject to one’s own interpretation.  Some may see them as a tribute to our southern heritage.  Others can choose to see them as a stark reminder of the evils in our past.

CONCLUSION

There are valid reasons for both removing and for keeping these statues and monuments.  Whether they should be removed or not is a decision that should not be made using a mob mentality. Each statue’s fate should be determined locally by those most effected, and only after civil debate, and perhaps a vote on the next ballot.

Sylvia McMurrain

The sweetest lady I have ever known has gone to be with the angels. Her suffering is over, and her spirit is soaring in the heavens.

The Lord blessed us with a wonderful mother, whose guiding hands helped mold me into the man I am today, and whose spirit will continue to guide me in raising my own children. I don’t remember her ever raising her voice or speaking to me in anger.

Of course, she did all the things a good mother is supposed to do, but she also did so much more. It is said a parent’s most important job is to teach their kids to make the right decisions, and that is just what she did. She always gave me the freedom to learn while still making sure I was never too far out.

We had a home-cooked meal at the dining table every night as a family. Dinner discussions always involved the whole family, and without distractions from television or telephones.

Our house was the one where the neighborhood kids came to play.

I never missed a Scout meeting. She was never too busy for anything that my brother or I needed.

She cared about everyone. She remembered details about my friends that I had long forgotten. She would see something in a store that would remind her of someone, and would get it for them. She was a great cook; I use her recipes to this day for my favorite meals.

My brother Brett, Mom, and Me

Sitting here thinking back over the years, memory after wonderful memory is as clear to me now as it was so many years ago. Some random memories:

After we started school, she joined a local women’s tennis league, and was a great player. I remember all of the trophies on her dresser.

Her discipline was never unwarranted or excessive, but her expertise with the Wooden Spoon extended beyond cooking! Long after I had grown up, she replaced her refrigerator and found umpteen wooden spoons back there. Wonder how that happened?

A few years ago she gave me a shirt for Christmas that read, “I am my Mom’s favorite son!”. My brother got one as well.

When was about 6 or 7 years old, I found a receptacle plate cover in a kitchen drawer. Knowing I had a cracked one in my room, I proceeded to take a screwdriver and remove the cracked cover plate from the outlet in my bedroom. Just after I took it off, she walked by and I said, “Mommy, look at this.”. She took one look at me with a screwdriver in one hand, and electrical plate in the other, and an exposed outlet on the wall and said, “You put that back together RIGHT NOW!”. I never did let her live that one down!

I turned my sandbox into a mud box on many occasions and got muddier than any kid should be allowed, but it never bothered her in the least. I just hosed off outside and continued playing.

That’s all I can say now. I am having a hard time seeing the screen.

I love you, Mom.

The Alleged Collusion of Donald Trump, Jr.

Up until now, I have held the belief that the Russians DID try to influence our election, but I did NOT believe that President Trump personally colluded with the Russians. I believed it was LIKELY that members of his staff colluded, but had seen no direct evidence of any collusion. 

I have stated that the Russian Investigation is VERY IMPORTANT because we need to understand what they did in order to prevent them from doing it again.  I have NEVER stated that the primary reason for the investigation is to invalidate President Trump’s presidency.  Regardless of whether the Russians interfered or not, Donald Trump WAS elected President and IS the President.

If it could later be provided that members of his staff DID collude with the Russians, then they should be individually prosecuted.  So long as President Trump himself was not involved or aware of such collusion, impeachment is not proper nor warranted.

BUT THIS COULD BE THE “SMOKING GUN”.  

HERE ARE THE FACTS AS I SEE THEM: 

1. Donald Trump, Jr. failed to disclose meeting with Russian operative.

2. New York Times reports that there WAS a meeting with the Russian operative.

3. Donald Trump, Jr. admits that he DID meet with the Russian, but they discussed Adoption Issues.

4. New York Times reports that the meeting was to talk about information Russia allegedly had against Hillary Clinton.

5. Donald Trump, Jr. changes his story to state that he took the meeting because of the alleged information against Hillary, found out that it was just a ruse to get him to attend a meeting where the real agenda was the adoption issue, and abruptly ended the meeting as soon as he found out that the real reason was the adoption issue and not about Hillary.

WHAT THIS MEANS:

While President Trump may or may not have known about this meeting, at least one senior official, Kushner, in the Trump Administration has known about this meeting ever since it happened, since he was there as well.

Donald Trump, Jr. has admitted that he took this meeting with the sole purpose of obtaining information about Hillary Clinton, but stated that he did not know that the meeting was going to be with a Russian operative.

IF Donald Trump, Jr. KNEW IN ADVANCE that this information was coming from Russian operatives, then that is they very definition of COLLUSION.  It does not matter whether he actually obtained any useful information or not.  It does not matter if the Russian operative just made it up to get the meeting with Donald Trump, Jr. to discuss the adoption issue.  The key point is that Donald Trump, Jr. meet with the Russian operative for the purpose of getting information against Hillary Clinton.

On the other hand, IF Donald Trump, Jr. DID NOT KNOW in advance that the meeting was going to be with a Russian Operative, and he immediately terminated the meeting when he discovered the true purpose, then is was NOT collusion.

With Donald Trump, Jr.’s admission that he took the meeting with the sole purpose of getting information against Hillary Clinton, the ONLY ISSUE here is whether he knew in ADVANCE that the meeting was with a Russian Operative or somebody else.

HERE IS THE PROBLEM:

IF Donald Trump, Jr. was innocent:

• WHY did the White House NOT disclose this meeting or even acknowledge it until the New York Times discovered it?  

• Why did Donald Trump, Jr. LIE two days ago and state that the meeting was to discuss Adoption Issues and then CHANGE his story when the New York Times subsequently discovered that the true nature of the meeting was to obtain information against Hillary Clinton?  

• Donald Trump, Jr. stated that he did NOT change his story, but simply provided more details. But this is also a LIE at worst, or an attempt to mislead at best.  In his second statement, he stated that the meeting ending as soon as the Russian brought up the adoption issue.  So WHY did his first statement simply say that the meeting was about adoption when he later admitted that adoption was NOT the purpose of the meeting?

These are NOT THE ACTIONS OF AN INNOCENT PERSON.

Even worse, the New York Times is now reporting that Donald Trump, Jr. was informed via email PRIOR to the meeting that the information was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father’s candidacy.  The New York Times claims that three people confirm this.

IF THAT claim is true, there can be no doubt that Donald Trump, Jr. colluded with the Russians. 

Either the New York Times is right and Donald Trump, Jr. is lying, or the New York Times is wrong on this last claim. Given the facts that the New York Times has been correct when discovering the meeting and again when divulging the true purpose of the meeting, and the Donald Trump, Jr. has either mislead or lied twice, who do you believe?

President Trump has done everything in his power to discourage the Russian Investigation. Concerning the Flynn investigation, he asked Comey to “let it go”.  ALL of the evidence concerning the Russian involvement that has been made public has initially come from the press, mostly from the Washington Post, CNN, and the New York Times, and NOT come from the White House. In fact, the White House has DENIED everything until it was revealed by the media, and then only acknowledged what had been revealed.  The President has waged war against media, particularly The Washington Post, CNN, and the New York Times, calling them "FAKE NEWS".  The White House actively discouraged the appointment of a Special Prosecutor. 

One must ask:   If President Trump really believed that there was no collusion, why is he NOT supporting a full investigation instead of trying to derail it?  At best, it’s just his pride and ego interfering with his judgement, and, at worse, it’s because he knew about Donald Trump, Jr.’s collusion.  And THAT IS an impeachable offense.

President Trump and the Leaker Jim Comey

I am surprised that President Trump chose to make an issue out the fact that Comey “leaked” his own memo.  This should have been the last thing that President Trump would want attention to be paid.

Consider this:

Forty years ago, the Deputy Director of the FBI, Mark Felt, became aware of President Nixon’s attempts to stifle an investigation.  Felt was not in a position to prevent this cover up, since it was ordered by the President.  Instead, he chose to risk his career by exposing the corruption to two Washington Post reporters that he trusted.  Felt did not do this for personal gain, since he insisted that his identity not be revealed.  Felt took this action because he felt that it was the only way to stop the corruption and get the truth out.

What started out as a small story may have remained a small story, and may died had it not been for Felt’s disclosures.  For many months after that, as the Washington Post dug deeper and deeper, the White House continuously denied that there was any corruption.  Nixon chose to go on the offensive by declaring the Press an enemy, and attacking it whenever possible.

But, in the end, the truth came out.  In the end, it was the Press that was vindicated.  In the end, it was the Nixon Administration that was exposed as corrupt.  In the end, Nixon resigned in order to avoid certain impeachment.

Now we have President Trump and the Russians.  There may or may not be any actual collusion between the Trump Administration and the Russians.  At this time, WE DO NOT KNOW.   However, the parallels between the current Administration and the Nixon Administration are readily apparent:

Here is what we DO know, and this is NOT DISPUTED:

(1) The FBI was investigating the Russians, and was also investigating Michael Flynn’s actions as well.

(2) Director Jim Comey was the head of the FBI, and in charge of those investigations.

(3) President Trump invited Director Comey to the White House.

(4) President Trump sent the V.P. and the Attorney General, who was Director Comey’s boss, out of the room so that he could talk to Director Comey alone.

(5) Regardless of what President Trump actually said during this meeting, Director Comey FELT that President Trump’s comments were intended to either order him or persuade him to stop the investigation into Flynn.

(6) Director Comey immediately made notes of the meeting and shared those notes with the top staff at the FBI. These notes did not contain classified information.

(7) UNLIKE Mark Felt, Director Comey did NOT go to the Press since, as head of the FBI, Director Comey was in a position to ensure that the investigation would continue without interference.

(8) Accordingly, Director Comey refused to stop the investigation into the Flynn Affair.

(9) THEN President Trump fired Director Comey.

(10) Director Comey made NO PUBLIC statements, other than a simple Good Bye to the FBI, about the firing.

(11) Both Congress (Democrats AND some Republicans) and the public became concerned about the reasons for Director Comey’s firing.

(12) Both President Trump and his administration gave conflicting reasons for Comey’s dismissal.  (Trump’s letter to Comey firing him listed one reason, and Trump gave a different reason to Lester Holt in an interview a couple of days later.)

(13) Both the Public and many members of Congress started calling for a Special Prosecutor to get to the truth.

(14) The Trump Administration DENIED that there was any conspiracy, just as Nixon did forty years earlier.

(15) The Trump Administration active OPPOSED the appointment of a Special Prosecutor.

(16) AT THAT TIME Director Comey authorized a friend to read the memos to a Washington Post Reporter.

(17) Director Comey took this action at that time because, like Mark Felt forty years earlier, Director Comey was no longer in a position to prevent a cover up or interference into the FBI investigation.

(18) Had Director Comey simply called the Washington Post and went public himself, the first reaction of many people would be that Comey was just a disgruntled employee making it up.  But having a third party to confirm the existence of the memos and release the information, the information was taken more seriously by the papers and the public.

(19) The next day, a Special Prosecutor WAS appointed.

While we DO NOT KNOW if there was any collusion or not, we now can rest easier knowing that there is an INDEPENDENT Special Prosecutor who will take whatever time is needed to GET TO THE TRUTH.

The TRUTH about Obama / Trump Care (Part Three - Conclusion)

In Part 1 of this blog, I described the parts of Obamacare that ARE working.  

View Part One Here: https://scottmcmurrain.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-truth-about-obamatrump-care.html

In Part 2 of this blog, I outlined where Obamacare falls short and is in desperate need of repair.

View Part Two Here: https://scottmcmurrain.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-truth-about-obama-trump-care-part.html

In Part 3 of this blog, I recommend SOLUTIONS.  Anybody can complain about what is wrong with the system, but any solution needs to start with some fresh IDEAS, and here are mine.

NOW, PART THREE

Both of above parts were researched, and were factual, unbiased reports.

In this final part, however, I am offering my OPINION on how this system could be fixed.  I am not naive enough to believe a system this simple would solve all of the problems, nor I am naive enough to believe any of our current politicians have the will power to even suggest such a system.  But I am offering my ideas as a starting point for a discussion, with the hope that the will make sense to enough readers that maybe, just maybe, some real solutions could be reached.

SIMPLIFICATION

Right now, we have way too many different health care systems in place. Each state has its own Medicaid program. Elderly people are covered under Medicare. The military has its own network. Veterans have a complete ecosystem of their own. The CHIP program insures children at risk. Employers buy group insurance for their employees. Obamacare regulates individual policies and is intertwined with all of the other systems as well.

I propose we eliminate ALL of them and replace it with the system such as outlined below. This would greatly reduce government bureaucracy. It would vastly simplify the entire system.

Every American citizen would be automatically covered. This will eliminate the entire bureaucracy that currently is needed to determine individual eligibility for millions of Americans. That alone will save billions of dollars!

LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD

The first thing we need to do is fix the pricing and billing systems used by the medical industry. I propose that every provider must maintain a price list for its services, and everyone must be charged the prices that are on the list. However, providers would be allowed to provide any service to anyone without charge at any time. They would also be allowed to discount their prices for no more than 15% of their customers in any given year. This would allow them to service those who truly could not afford to pay while still requiring them to stick to standard prices for everybody else. If they were allowed to discount to everybody, the standard prices would become meaningless.

I believe in the free market, and want to keep it intact as much as possible in the health care industry. Where there is adequate competition, the providers should be free to set their own rates. This would include almost every doctor and small practitioner. Where they is no adequate competition, prices should be regulated to be equivalent to other jurisdictions where adequate competition exists, taking any local variances into consideration.

Since the medical providers must make their prices standard and transparent, market forces will prevent them from overcharging, but would still allow more talented and experienced providers to charge more than younger, less experienced ones.

Next, we need to get rid of the system where everybody and their grandfather sends you a bill whenever you go to the doctor. That’s ridiculous. No other industry does this. When you take your car in for repair, you pay the repair shop and driver your car home. You don’t get a separate bill later from the transmission shop, the radiator shop, or any other company you have never heard of.

If a doctor orders a lab test, then the lab must bill the doctor. The doctor may then add this charge to your bill without markup, providing he has quoted you a price and obtained your authorization prior to ordering the lab work.  (This requirement would be waived in emergencies where prior obtaining prior consent is not practicable.)  The labs, like all other providers, can set their own prices, but must publish this price list and charge all customers the same price. If a doctor owns 5% or more of the lab, he either must give the patient the option (and prices) of an additional lab so that the customer may choose, or he can charge the patient the average price for such lab work as determined by the government. Lab tests that are performed outside the doctor's office, prescription drugs, and equipment costs would still be paid directly by the patient.

Last, but not least, are drug companies and medical equipment providers. They present a different issue, since many of them have no competition, especially when they are marketing a new drug they developed. Once again, I want the free market to prevail as much as possible. So I would allow them to set their own prices, but still require them to charge U.S. customers no more than the average price they charge customers anywhere else in the world. In addition, U.S. Customers would no longer be prohibited from purchasing drugs from outside the U.S.A. if they can get a better price.

PAYING FOR IT

To prevent abuse, all patients need to have some skin in the game. They need to be responsible for their own expenses within the limits of their income.

I would propose a single payer system that would work as follows:

(1) The Federal Government would establish base prices for each type of service based on the average prices charged in each area. The Federal Government will pay for 80% of this price, or 80% of the actual cost, whichever is less. If a provider chooses to charge more than the “standard” price, then the patient will be responsible for that part of the bill in addition to the 20%. This will provide incentives for doctors to keep their prices down, but will allow those in demand to charge more for their services. The Free Market will return.  This includes costs for drugs, external lab tests, equipment, and transportation charges.

(2) Each person, or family, will have a maximum out-of-pocket expense not to exceed 10% of their income each year. Once that is reached, the Government will pay all costs, including any excess charges over the standard should they choose a more expensive provider, which could easily happen when a top-notch surgeon is needed for an extreme case. A medical disaster should not be a cause of bankruptcy!

(3) People will no longer have separate health-insurance premiums. Health-care costs will come out of the General Fund. Of course, Federal Income Tax rates will have to be increased to cover the costs, and it will be up to Congress to set the rates and the brackets.  But without the health insurance premiums to pay, the average taxpayer should SAVE money even after the income tax increase.

It is important to realize that this is a single PAYER system, NOT a single PROVIDER system. The doctors, hospitals, drug companies, and equipment suppliers will be independent businesses just as they are now. They will NOT work for the government, and are free to run their businesses WITHOUT GOVERNMENT CONTROL, just as they do now, except for the new pricing polices described above.

COVERED SERVICES

All medically necessary services will be covered, including dental and vision services, and pre-existing conditions do not matter. Elective procedures, including abortions, would NOT be covered. Contraceptives would be covered. ONLY U.S. citizens would be covered, except for Emergency Services. Legal immigrants who have a job here and pay taxes would also be covered.

THE TOTAL COST

Of course, the CBO has not scored my plan, either.  So we don't know the total costs of the program. But since this program addresses the COSTS of the actual services rather than who pays for them, the total cost for health care in the U.S. should go DOWN under this system, especially when you consider than insurance companies will no longer be taking up to 20% of the costs right off the top.