Have some coffee with me so I can rant!

Obama's campaign pledged no new taxes on the middle class. For those of us looking at all he promised to do we doubted very much he would be able to do it and put very little trust in his "hope and change" promises. You can't create government programs without revenue and you can't get revenue from many other places than those of us who are the government via taxes. So how did some of us figure this out BEFORE we went to the polls? It is not rocket science.

Now let me think about this....if I want to buy something and I don't have money and I don't want to go in debt what do I do? hmmmmm.......oh I cut back on something so I have the money for what I want. Yeah, that is what I do. So WHY does our government not do the same thing. No, instead they are now talking about new taxes. This Cap and Trade, that is now going to go before the Senate, will raise taxes- oh we may not see it all as taxes but when you raise energy costs and tax producers we inevitably pay those taxes in higher costs to us, the consumers. Again, common sense. Why are so many Americans oblivious to this???

OK, so back to the new taxes. In order to accomplish all Obama wants in terms of healthcare reform he needs to find a way to pay for it. Since we all know that ANYTHING the government grabs hold of costs more than if it were in the private sector, we are talking about a big chunk of change. Since we know that the government never cuts back or eliminates in order to create new programs guess how this new healthcare reform will be tackled. By reforming our personal bottom lines- taxes on OUR health benefits! Oh, excuse me, if you happen to be a union member they are saying more than likely you will be exempt from taxation of your health benefits. (ok, OK, I will save THAT RANT for another day- I am so angered over unions- do a good job and you get to keep it, do a lousy job and you lose it- no protection for those who become complacent)

One more note on the Cap and Trade. I watched a White House spokesperson, Carol Browner interviewed this morning about the Cap and Trade. First of all what she said was hogwash- double speak- the programs and incentives she talks about cost money-our money. (wind farms are only here because of government -our- subsidies - another whole post someday; why are we not drilling here now!)

Secondly she was asked if she has read the full bill. She said she was "very familiar with it." When asked again if she read it, she admitted no when she said that she has read "vast portions of it." She then claimed the reporter was unfair to ask this. I SAY IT IS UNFAIR, A DIS-SERVICE for our representatives in Washington to vote for a bill they have NEVER read!!!! So much for change. I hold out little hope for this current administration- it is worse than the last yet those who voted for it will not admit it! Friends assure me the pendulum will swing the other way. I am not so confident in that when I see what the average American is thinking about and how willing they are to be led astray like sheep. Come on people, wake up!!

My husband has been reading Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. He just can't get over how much it is like our country today despite having been written more than 50 years ago. Truly scary! I think I will read it when he is done BUT am taken back by its length- sort of like those representatives who won't read Cap and Trade (and they get paid to do so!). Maybe they would be better off reading Atlas Shrugged!

On a lighter note, I am looking forward to a visit to the Biltmore Estate with friends. I will take pictures to share!