A Time and a Place

English: Canvass for a Cause field organizers working on the ground in Maryland to build support for the upcoming initiative to Legalize marriage equality. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I make no bones about the fact that I tend to lean a little bit to the right in regards to my political affiliations. OK, there are those that might label me a "right wing extremist." It is a badge that I wear with honor.  Just take a quick gander through this blog and read through my Twitter feed, and you will no doubt come to the conclusion that I am 100% conservative.

Though I am proudly and unabashedly conservative, there are certain areas of my life where I do not wear my conservatism on sleeve.  For instance, I do not broadcast my political views in the office place for all the world to see.  That is not to say that if it comes up in conversation with a coworker that I won't express my leanings, but I do not go out of my way to express those views.  There are some places where I just don't feel it's appropriate.

Most of the places that I have worked have more or less had a policy in place that basically instructed employees not to discuss political issues.  As the old saying goes, there are two things you don't want to discuss in polite company, politics and religion.  I think it is probably a wise policy to have in place as it can help to keep the peace.

So, it has surprised me to see one particular individual boldly showing her support for a political issue, and a controversial one at that.  On a regular basis, she wears a button urging people to "Vote for Marriage Equality" in support of ballot question 6 on Maryland's ballot on whether or not the state should allow same sex marriage.

Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't seem to me to be appropriate to be wearing in an office setting.  It isn't the subject matter of the button that bothers me.  It just doesn't seem professional to me.  I would have no problem with her sporting a bumper sticker on her car or campaigning for her cause outside of the office.  One should be involved in causes they believe in.

It would probably be inappropriate of me to make a comment about how her appearance matches the stereotypical look of a butch lesbian but I won't go there.  Oops, I just did.  Seriously though, I am not sure how I will vote on this particular issue.  I don't have strong feelings either way, though I might be leaning a bit one side based on this post.

In all seriousness though, do you think it is appropriate to wear any type of political button/statement in the work place?  I wouldn't wear a button or have a plaque on my desk promoting the Romney/Ryan ticket.  Nor would I express my support or opposition to a ballot initiative like Question 6 here in Maryland.  Now, if we could have another Ronald Reagan, that would be another matter entirely.

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And Then There Were Four

Image via Wikipedia

When the week began, there were still six candidates vying for the nomination to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States.  Early Monday, prior to the Fox News debate that night, Jon Huntsman suspended his candidacy and threw his support behind Mitt Romney.  Huntsman was polling so low, I am not sure his supporters will help Romney that much.

It is funny to hear these candidates speak, because as a candidate, Huntsman had said Romney was "not electable."  After dropping out of the race, and announcing his support for Romney, Huntsman now says that Romney is the only candidate that is "electable" and can defeat Barack Obama.  Yes, politicians do make strange bedfellows.

With only five candidates on the stage for the Fox News debate that night, it made for a much more intense debate in my opinion.  Newt Gingrich once again had a very strong debate, and for a change, I thought Romney stumbled a bit.  Since that debate, Gingrich has been gaining on Romney in the polls for the upcoming primary in South Carolina on Saturday.

As Gingrich has surged in the polls, he has called on supporters of Rick Santorum and Rick Perry to consider voting for him as the conservative Republican option as opposed to the moderate Romney.  This morning, Gingrich may have gotten a few more voters as Rick Perry announced that he is dropping out of the race and endorsing Gingrich for the nomination.

Image via Wikipedia

Perry was showing quite a bit more support than Huntsman had been getting, so his departure may actually help Gingrich.  Tonight, there will be another debate in South Carolina to be televised on CNN.  Another strong performance by Gingrich could put him over the top in South Carolina and make a race of the nomination.  With only four people on stage, there should be ample opportunity for all to make their case.

Of course, all of this could be a moot point depending on how the public reacts to a television interview to be broadcast after tonight's debate.  Newt's second wife, the one he was married to when he was carrying on an affair with his current wife, will be interviewed on ABC. Will people give any credence to what she has to say, or will she come across as someone trying to even the score after a bitter divorce?

As of this moment, however, there are currently three separate camps vying for the nomination.  There is the moderate Mitt Romney, that seems to have the support of the so called "GOP establishment," the Ron Paul Libertarian camp, and the Conservative camp being split between Gingrich and Santorum.  A strong showing on Saturday by Gingrich and a poor performance by Santorum could whittle the field down some more.

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Medicare and Social Security

I tend to be a worrier.  It is one of the traits that I guess I inherited from my mother.  My folks are both retired and getting to the age where there are a lot of ailments that they are dealing with on an almost daily basis.

Like a lot of more mature Americans, my parents rely heavily on their Social Security and Medicare benefits.  They paid into the program their entire lives, and as such, should be able to use those benefits.  Unfortunately, Medicare just doesn't cover enough and they have to also rely on Medicare supplement insurance plan.

As a worrier, I always worry about things that will impact the benefits they need.  While both of those programs are in desperate need of reform, denying or reducing benefits to those that truly need them should be off the table.  I do think that some sort of means testing should be done so that those that need the benefits the most will be able to retain them.

I do not pretend to know the solutions for what needs to be done to preserve these benefits for current and future beneficiaries of these programs.  It is one of those things that the politicians will have to actually work on, rather than fight.  I expect in the coming months we will be hearing more on Medicare and Social Security as the politicians rev up their campaign rhetoric.

Paul Ryan and Herman Cain's 999 Plan

Image via WikipediaThis morning, I was heading to work listening to WMAL talk radio as is my custom during my commute to work.  When I first started listening to the program, former Congressman Fred "Gopher" Grandy was the main host of the show.  After he left due to a dispute with the station, they kept Bryan Nehman who then cohosted the program with a series of guest hosts.

After a couple of months, I was ready to give up on the show because Nehman just wasn't strong enough to carry the show on his own, and the never ending parade of guest hosts gave no real consistency to the program.  Finally, they hired Brian Wilson, who used to work on the local Fox affiliate and then Fox News Channel and Mary Katherine Ham to be permanent cohosts on the "Morning Majority."  The show has been much better ever since.  On a side note, am I the only one that thinks Mary Katherine Ham is the total package?  The woman is smart, funny, and attractive to boot.

Anyway, back to the show.  This morning, one of their guests was Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.  Ryan is also Chairman of the House Budget Committee.  I love listening to Paul Ryan talk about the budget and the number crunching.  You would think that all the numbers talk would be boring, but Ryan makes it interesting.  The man really knows his stuff.

One of the questions that the hosts asked the Congressman was his thoughts about Herman Cain's 999 Plan.  Cain's plan eliminates the payroll tax and has a 9% tax on income, corporations, and a 9% sales tax.  Cain also claims that his plan would be revenue neutral. Ryan said that he has looked at the numbers, and he believes that the plan would bring in the same amount of revenue as the current tax structure, or at least be very close.

Ryan gave Cain credit for putting forth a bold and credible plan.  For his own part, Ryan said during the show, that he prefers a straight flat tax.  Ryan stated that he believes that Cain's 999 plan will shift the focus of the debate for all of the candidates towards ideas and solutions.  It is that sort of focus that Ryan believes the campaigns need to be focused on rather than attacks at past actions.  I for one would also like to see that shift as well.  It is one of the reasons that I believe Cain is gaining traction as a candidate.

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Herman Cain's 999 Plan

Image by Gage Skidmore via FlickrI first heard of Herman Cain in 2007 when Neal Boortz's book "Somebody's Gotta Say It" came out.  I read Boort's book and started listening to his radio show on the internet in my office.  Cain was a frequent guest and substitute host on Boortz's show.

Herman Cain has been a big proponent of the FairTax as advocated by Boortz.  In the past, I have generally been a supporter of the FairTax plan, though I do have some questions regarding some of the assumptions and the transition to the FairTax.  Cain's support of the FairTax is one of the reasons he intrigues me as a potential Presidential candidate.

Under the FairTax, all payroll (FICA) and federal income tax withholding is eliminated, along with eliminating the IRS.  You get to keep your entire paycheck.  You also get a prebate each month based on the size of your household.  Taxes are collected through a national consumption tax of 23% embedded in the cost of all goods.  It is designed to be revenue neutral.

During the recent GOP Presidential debates, Herman Cain has introduced his 999 plan to help the economy.  The plan imposes a 9% income tax on everybody, a 9% tax on business, and a 9% national sales tax.  It eliminates  the payroll tax for everybody.  Cain's 999 plan is designed to be a transition to the FairTax by, as he put it, bringing the supporters of the FairTax together with the supporters of the Flat Tax.

I heard Cain yesterday on the Sean Hannity radio program discussing the meat of his plan.  On the surface, I liked the general premise, however, the more I think about it, the more questions that I have.  I would like to see some sort of calculator similar to the FairTax calculator to ascertain whether or not the plan would negatively impact me financially.  I always do a little better under the FairTax than under the current system.

With the elimination of the payroll tax and the flat 9% rate on income, I would lower my combined tax burden considerably.  The remaining question would be whether or not the new 9% sales tax would in the end cause my total tax burden to increase or not.  It could be close.  Still, Cain is one of the few people out there with specific plans and proposals as opposed to making general statements of "we need to reform the tax code." 

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News Blackout

Before I started blogging, I didn't follow the political world with as much passion as I did after I started this blog.  During that time, I became a bit of a political junkie.  For the better part of two years my routine consisted of listening to talk radio in the morning, and then watching The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity, and On the Record on Fox News.

Back in December, during all of the fussing and fighting in DC regarding extending the Bush era tax cuts, I decided to cut back on the amount of news programming that I had been taking in.  I had grown tired of all the political fighting, and I had grown tired of the shows of both Bill O'Reilly and Greta Van Susteren.

After I implemented my self imposed news blackout, I basically stopped watching the nightly lineup on the Fox News Channel.  I also stopped watching any national network news, as their left leaning bias always infuriated me.  The only thing that I did continue was listening to talk radio during my commute to an from work.

A funny thing happened during my news blackout.  I found out that I really didn't miss it.  I started watching a couple comedies on network channels.  When there wasn't anything entertaining on network television, I started watching old comedies like Sanford and Son, All in the Family, and reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.

It is so much more enjoyable to spend my evenings relaxing and laughing instead of getting angry at the talking heads on television.  I still get my fair share of news from talk radio, but I have even started to pare that back a little bit listening to a wider variety of radio programming while in the car. 

Like Father, Like Son?

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Like father, like son.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  These are just a couple of old sayings used to describe the similarities between father and son.  Apparently, or should I say allegedly, these sayings ring true in regards to former DC Mayor and current DC Councilman Marion Barry and his son Christopher.

Barry's career in DC politics has been colorful, to say the least.  A review of his Wikipedia biography can give you a real good summary of his career.  He was first elected to be mayor of DC in 1979 and served three consecutive terms.  His administrations always had a hint of impropriety in regards to graft and corruption.  Near the end of his third term, Barry was caught smoking crack cocaine on video during an FBI sting operation.  He ended up spending six months in prison.

Those of us who lived outside of the world of local DC politics, would sit in wonder at how the Mayor for Life managed to continuously get elected.  After he got out of prison, he ran for mayor again in 1994 and won.  He served that term but did not seek reelection.  In 2002 he was going to run for city council, but cancelled those plans when traces of marijuana and cocaine in his car.  Two years later, he ran, and was elected to the city council.

In addition to his issues with the law regarding drugs, Barry has had other run ins with the law.  On multiple occasions he has been charged with failure to file and pay his income taxes.  He had been accused of several traffic violations and at one point had a boot put on his car for failing to pay parking tickets.  Not only did we wonder how Barry kept managing to get elected, we also wondered how he managed to stay out of jail.

Now, his son Christopher is facing drug charges of his own.  The younger Barry was charged with possession of marijuana and PCP with the intent to distribute.  Now, I know that one is innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.  However, there is another old saying, "where there is smoke, there is fire."

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Arnold

Last week, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced that they were separating after 25 years of marriage.  Sadly, this is not at all uncommon for famous couples, but at the time, it sounded like they were going to work out their differences.  Today, it was revealed that Arnold had an affair and a child with a staff member 10 years ago.

Well with that type of revelation, I can understand the reason behind the split.  I also would not expect any reconciliation any time soon.  I had already heard the news when I was getting ready to go to work this morning, but my wife called me at the office to tell me that Ah-nold was a pig.  I agreed with her that he was definitely a jerk.  He is quite fortunate that Maria didn't perform a Lorena Bobbitt on him.

After hearing the news about Ah-nold and his infidelity, it reminded me of this scene of The Terminator from the movie "Pumping Iron." More after the clip.


It is apparent from looking at the clip and recent photos of Arnold, that he doesn't spend us much time pumping iron as he did in his competitive bodybuilding and acting days.  That is to be somewhat expected as one ages and takes on other responsibilities.  Perhaps if he had spent more time in the gym that sensation of cumming from working out would have satisfied him enough to keep it in his pants.  Perhaps, but probably not.

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So Much for Civility

Ever since the shooting in Tucson, the left and the media have been calling for a more civil discourse.  I must have missed the memo where comparing Republicans to Joseph Goebbels and the Nazis is considered "civil discourse" as Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) does here while debating the bill to repeal the health care reform bill.

The bill easily passed the House 245-189.  Speaking of the health care repeal bill, can you tell me what the following list of Congressmen have in common?

• Ben Chandler (D-KY)
• Collin Peterson (D-MN)
• Dan Lipinski (D-IL)
• Heath Shuler (D-NC)
• Jason Altmire (D-PA)
• Jim Matheson (D-UT)
• John Barrow (D-GA)
• Larry Kissell (D-NC)
• Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
• Tim Holden (D-PA)

Besides the fact that all of these Congressman have a "D" after their name, all are members of the House that voted against the original health care reform bill, and they voted against the repeal bill.  If the original bill was so bad that you felt compelled to vote against it, what has changed that now makes you vote to keep the bill in place?  Doesn't seem logical to me.

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Taxes and Political Gamesmanship

I have to say, that while my own political views are definitely right of center on most issues, I am really getting fed up with the political posturing of both sides of the aisle.  All you have to do is take a look at what is going on in regards to extending the current tax rates as established under the Bush tax cuts.  Their actions show that all they are concerned with is their own political power and not the negative impact the higher tax rates will have on those that can least afford them.

My personal opinion is that the government does not have a tax revenue problem, but rather a spending problem.  Consequently, my personal preference would be that all of the current tax rates be extended for everybody.  Yes, even for those evil rich folk.  After all, I have never gotten a job from a poor person.

Both sides seem to be digging in their heals on the issue of taxes.  The Democrats insist on raising taxes on those that make $250k a year or more.  The Republicans don't want anybody to have to pay the higher tax rates.  Unfortunately, right now, the Democrats still have control of both Houses of Congress.  Today, Nancy Pelosi held a vote to extend the tax rates for those making less than $250k.  Most believe that it will never make it out of the Senate.

While I fundamentally agree with the Republican position, we are getting dangerously close to not resolving this issue, at least not before January 1st.  Eventually, I think the Bush tax rates will be extended, at least temporarily, for all earners.  If a compromise isn't reached, it will have a negative impact on the people that both sides say they want to help. 

For example, a person making between $58-68k per year could see their tax rate rise from 15% to 28% if the rates aren't extended by January 1st.  I like what I heard Congressman Paul Ryan say tonight on Hannity.  He said if the rates do not get extended before January 1st, when the GOP take control of the House in January, they will introduce legislation to reinstate all the current rates back to January 1st.  That is all well and good, but that person making $60k per year will have a harder time absorbing even a temporary increase in withholding compared to the person making $250k.

I have to decide by the end of next week what I want to do with my open enrollment for health care.  As I said previously, my share of my current insurance is going up 23%. The decision on whether or not to stay with my current health plan could be greatly influenced by the status of the tax rates.  If the rates stay the same, it would be tough, but I might be able to absorb the increased insurance premiums for a couple months until my annual review when I would be scheduled to get a pay increase.

If the tax situation is not resolved, I figure that my withholding would increase by at least $100 per pay period.  I know that I could not absorb both an increase in insurance premiums and an increase in taxes, even for one pay period.  However, if I had to switch to a lesser health insurance plan, I would run the risk of further financial hardship if anybody in my family would happen to get sick or need any tests.  These people are fucking with the financial well being of myself and others like me, and it is pissing me off.

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Open Enrollment and Health Care Reform-Update

Two weeks ago, I was getting concerned about the lateness of the open enrollment period for health insurance for the company I work for.  I had been concerned that the lateness of the enrollment period had something to do with the health care bill that was passed earlier in the year.  I was also concerned that the lateness was an indication that our share of the cost of insurance was going to go up significantly or our choices would be curtailed significantly.  Today, I received a letter from my company regarding open enrollment.  Below is the basic text of the letter.

Dear Medical Plan Participant:

As you have been hearing in the news, the Health Care Reform Bill mandates substanial changes for health care industry as well as employer-sponsored health plans over the next several years.  Accordingly, the medical plan changes XYZ Company must make for 2011 include;

• the removal of lifetime and annual limits on certain benefits,
• coverage for certain preventative care services at 100%, and
• offering of coverage for children to age 26 regardless of student status.

Since the enactment of the Bill in March, there has been intense focus by XYZ Company Senior Management on health reform and the related cost increases.  Significant analysis has been completed to determine the impact on our associates, the medical plans, and the business.  In order to make all of the necessary changes to the health care plans, the timing for annual enrollment has changed and will begin on November 29th.


In keeping with our current strategy, the Company will continue to share in the increased cost of medical inflation for 2011.  However, in these difficult economic times, the Company cannot fully absorb the combined increases of health care reform and medical inflation.  Therefore, the XYZ Company medical plan rates listed on your Annual Enrollment Worksheet will be higher than in previous years.  Increases will vary based on the medical plan and coverage level you elect.

There were a couple concluding sentences about considering all your choices and your personal situation when making your choices, but the above is the pertinent info from the letter.  It basically confirmed the bulk of the my suspicions that the delay was due to the the health care bill and that we were going to stuck with an increase of our share of the bill.  The question remains as to how much of an increase.  Though I must say after receiving a letter like this, I suspect it will not be a small increase.  Another reason I expect to see the GOP regain control of the House tonight.

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Call Me Senator

Remember when (Hopefully soon to be ex) Senator Barbara Boxer chastised General Michael Walsh for calling her "Ma'am" instead of "Senator" during a hearing before a Senate committee?  If you want to see my reaction to that particular incident, you can see it at my post entitled "What a Bitch."

The reason I bring up that matter again is because Right Change has posted a new video by film maker David Zucker of "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" fame.  It is just too funny not to post here.  I heard the audio last night on the Mark Levin Show.  He was right when he said you get the full effect watching the video.

Right Change says that Zucker was upset with Boxer's showing of disrespect to the military and made the video "to apologize for having voted for her in previous elections."  I think the video is hilarious but makes a potent statement as well.  Hope you enjoy it.

Call Me Senator from RightChange on Vimeo.

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Open Enrollment and Health Care Reform

Image via WikipediaEvery company that I have ever worked for has had open enrollment for signing up or changing your health insurance benefits in early October.  With the passage of the health care reform bill earlier this year, I have been anxiously waiting to see how the bill would impact me this fall.
 
Since the passage of the bill, most of the news stories that I have seen have not been encouraging.  There have been numerous reports of higher increases in premiums than in recent years.  Other stories highlighted businesses debating whether or not they would be better off dropping employee coverage due to the higher costs of complying with the new federal law.

With my current financial situation, I have been dreading the prospect of having significantly higher insurance premiums.  I have been checking my mailbox, visiting the company benefits website, and browsing the company HR intranet site to find any information on the upcoming open enrollment and any changes that I might occur.  I finally found an update stating that the open enrollment would not start until November 27th, almost two full months later than normal.

Maybe I am being paranoid, but this delay has me concerned.  I fear that our portion of the premium will be going up significantly, or that our choices of plans will be curtailed greatly.  The other thing that adds to my concern is a conversation I overheard in the elevator while leaving the office today.  One person was apparently working on a presentation because she made a comment about how to make "health reform" interesting.  The other person replied, "and all that comes with it."  Uh-oh!

I am wondering if anybody else has gotten their information yet on open enrollment.  Were there a lot of changes within your company in regards to cost increases or reductions in choices?

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Georgia Inmate Executed After Suicide Attempt

Image by BlatantNews.com via FlickrFor years, I was a staunch supporter of the death penalty.  As for the argument that the death penalty really wasn't a deterrent, I was in agreement with Don Imus.  It would serve as a deterrent to the person who was executed because they would not have the opportunity to kill again.

There was a period of time when I was reading a lot of Buddhist literature, and I tempered my thoughts on the death penalty somewhat, but not completely.  I was sometimes conflicted in my stance that abortion was wrong due to my sanctity of life views, and my support of the death penalty.  I still support the death penalty, especially for the most egregious offenders.

The reason that I bring up the subject of the death penalty is because of an article I saw on The Daily Caller email that I received this morning.  The article was about an execution that took place in Georgia a couple days ago.  The inmate, Brandon Joseph Rhode, was executed, a week after he tried to commit suicide by slashing his arms and throat.  He was rushed to the hospital, stabilized, and retrained so that he could do no further harm to himself.  The original execution date was postponed because of the attempted suicide.

The story brings to mind a couple questions that I have in regards to the entire justice/prison system in regards to capital cases such as Rhode's.  It is not that I question the validity of the execution.  That is the punishment that the state decided to mete out to Rhode's for his heinous crimes, and the punishment he deserves.  My question is this.  If the goal of the state is to kill the perpetrator of the crime, and said perpetrator tries to kill himself, then why should the state take extraordinary means to save the perpetrator only to kill them a week later?

The other question would be those occasions where there is a high profile arrest and they put the suspect on a suicide watch.  Again, if the person decides to kill themselves because they got caught, then why not let them?  Save the state the expense and hassle of a trial and imprisonment.  I don't mean to sound cruel or callous, but seriously, what is the point?  I understand the idea of justice and having their day in court, but if the state wants them dead, and they try to kill themselves, then let them die.

 

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Ray Stevens "God Save Arizona"

Last night, a heavy rain came through the DC area an hour or two before rush hour.  That started the traffic mess.  Then, another wave of heavy rains came through the area right as the rush hour was hitting full force.  Consequently, nobody could remember how to drive and traffic was more hideous than usual.

So, after a much longer than usual commute home that saw me get home at 8pm instead of my usual 6:30, I was feeling rather frazzled.  I was glad to see an email alert from RayStevens.com announcing his latest music video, "God Save Arizona."  I was hoping that it would be another one of Ray's humorous looks at one of the topical issues of the day, the government suing Arizona over their immigration law.  It wasn't his usual humorous treatment of a serious issue, but I thought it worth posting here anyway.

PolitiZoid-"Same as it Ever Was"

Two weeks ago, PolitiZoid released their version of "Money for Nothing" as performed by Mark Knockoffler and Dem Strait.  Now they have come out with The Talking Feds and "Same as it Ever Was."  Another classic.

PolitiZoid-"Money for Nothing"

Last night, I was checking out Nealz Nuze to see the latest happenings that Neil Boortz had posted on his site.  I was glad to see that Boortz says he has Dire Strait's "Money for Nothing" on his iPod.  I do too; I loves me some Dire Straits.  However, he had posted this YouTube video from PolitiZoid from the band Dem Strait and their version of "Money for Nothing."  Classic.  Frankly, I didn't think that Biden, Pelosi, and Reid had that much musical talent.  President Obama even makes a cameo appearance.

The Declaration of Independence and Elena Kagan

Image via Wikipedia

"When in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Thus begins the Declaration of Independence, our founding document.  As high a regard as conservatives have for our Constitution, we hold the Declaration of Independence in equally high regard.  Abraham Lincoln considered the Declaration to be the foundation of his political philosophy and the guiding principal as to how the Constitution should be interpreted.

The 9th Amendment of the Constitution states that other rights that are not listed in the Constitution exist, and those rights can not be violated just because they are not specifically listed.  Among these would be our inalienable rights as declared in the Declaration. 

There are many reasons why Elena Kagan should not be confirmed as a justice to the Supreme Court.  Her statement to Senator Tom Coburn during the confirmation hearings that she "doesn't have a view of natural rights independent of the Constitution," is a clincher for me.  The idea that our rights come only from the Constitution, and therefore the government, runs counter to the Declaration of Independence and our founding as a nation.

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Election Time

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We are a little more than 4 months away from Election Day 2010.  Locally here in Maryland things are heating up.  According to a recent Rasmussen poll, former Maryland governor Bob Ehrlich has pulled into a dead heat with current governor Martin "I never met a tax I didn't like" O'Malley.  In February, O'Malley had a six point lead over Ehrlich, so this is encouraging news.

As we get closer and closer to election day, we are going to be bombarded with campaign ads.  Living in the DC suburbs, not only will we get bombarded with the Maryland campaigns, we will also get to hear about the elections in DC and VA.  In addition to the Maryland gubernatorial race, there will be a lot of hotly contested campaigns.  At times, some of these campaign ads will be just plain annoying.

In DC, whoever wins the Democrat primary is virtually assured of winning the DC mayoral race.  Current Mayor Adrian Fenty is facing a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Vince Gray.  The other day, I was driving on the beltway when I ended up behind a DC school bus.  In the back of the bus was a Vince Gray for Mayor campaign sign.  I think that a public school bus is a highly inappropriate placement for a campaign ad.

Then there are all of the local races for county council seats.  Those are the one that really annoy me.  Last night we were headed to a Bowie Baysox game.  There were a couple of groups of campaigners holding up campaign signs and waving as the cars drove by.  Harmless enough, but annoying, at least to me.

The most annoying local candidate that I have come across lately is another one that occurred on the beltway.  It was time for the evening rush hour after a long day in the office.  As is usually the case, the beltway in Montgomery County at that time was bumper to bumper.  There was a guy driving in the lane next to me that had his picture and campaign website on a magnetic sign on his car.  As everyone is crawling along, he is honking his horn and waving to the frustrated motorists.  I wanted to flip him the bird, but decided against it.

As excited as I am about some of the upcoming elections, there is also the dread.  We are early into the campaigning and some of it has already annoyed me, but then again I am easily annoyed.  Just wait until it gets going full bore.

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Bob Ehrlich's Entrepreneur Agenda

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When Bob Ehrlich lost his reelection campaign as Governor of the state of Maryland in 2006, Maryland was rated in the middle of the pack (#25) in the Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate report of 2006.  After four years of Martin O'Malley's alleged leadership, Maryland has fallen to #45 in the 2010 report.  I supported Ehrlich in 2006, and am doing so again in 2010.  In fact, I plan to be an even more active supported of Ehrlich this time around.  Below, is an email newsletter I received from the Ehrlich campaign outlining his agenda to help Maryland improve it's climate towards business.  Let's face it, it is business that creates jobs, not government, and Ehrlich wants to get the government out of the way to let entrepreneurs create jobs.


Dear friend,

I wanted you to be among the first to receive “The Entrepreneur Agenda,” a new plan I unveiled today to help Maryland small businesses create jobs and turn the economic tide in Maryland. With 3,000 small businesses closing last year and nearly a quarter million Marylanders unable to find a job, we must have higher expectations for Maryland’s economic future.


My Entrepreneur Agenda, which is product of conversations with more than 100 small business owners, is centered on three big ideas:

First, I will fundamentally change the mindset in government so that we are encouraging entrepreneurs to succeed rather than discouraging them. I will propose a Small Business Bill of Rights that guarantees small business owners a fair, timely, and predictable business environment so they can expand and create jobs.

Second, I will lower Maryland’s tax burden to jump start economic activity and put more money in the pockets of Maryland families. To achieve this goal, I will work to repeal Governor Martin O’Malley’s 20% increase in the sales tax and identify ways to make our corporate income tax more competitive so that Maryland employers stop moving across state lines.

Third, I will shake-up Maryland’s most inefficient programs, especially Maryland’s unemployment insurance system. By streamlining Maryland’s bureaucratic maze we can unleash entrepreneurs to do what they do best: innovate, hire new workers, and help improve our overall quality of life.

To read the entire “Entrepreneur Agenda,” just click here.

Thank you for sharing my interest in turning the economic tide in Maryland. I know you have higher expectations for Maryland’s economy. I do too. Together, we can create a brighter future for Maryland.

Sincerely,

Bob Ehrlich


Our mailing address is:

Bob Ehrlich for Maryland
P.O. Box 2
Timonium, MD 21094-0002


Copyright (C) 2010 Bob Ehrlich for Maryland All rights reserved.