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President Bush’s Accomplishments

Spotted at Rightnation.us and GOPUSA.com reprinted here for your pleasure. I encourage people who support Bush to learn how effective our President has been, and liberals ought to browse this too. Just remember, the liberal media can’t cover up the truth of his accomplishments. The Bush Administration 2001-2004
Abortion & Traditional Values
1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade. 2. Reversed Clinton’s move to strike Reagan’s anti-abortion Mexico Policy. 3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton’s policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act. 4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services. 5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals. 6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004. 7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman. 8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents. 9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools. 10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms). 11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline. 12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs.
Budget, Taxes & Economy
1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history. 2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax. 3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks. 4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority. 5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty. 6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people. 7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts. 8. Killed Clinton’s “ergonomic” rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America. 9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals. 10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains. 11. Signed trade promotion authority. 12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches. 13. Fight Europe’s ban on importing biotech crops from the United States. 14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes. 15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home. 16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled. 17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA’s from $500 to $2,000 per child. 18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000. 19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans. 20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year.
Character & Conduct as President
1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency. 2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse. 3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days:
Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: “War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing.”
On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” The crowd roared with cheers and chants of “USA! USA! USA!” Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation.
Education & Employment Training
1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act. 2. Announced “Jobs for the 21st Century,” a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education. 3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.) 4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight. 5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance. 6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards. 7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems. 8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers.
Environment & Energy
1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty. 2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc. 3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives. 4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops. 5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger. 6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger. 7. Killed Clinton’s CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California. 8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species.
Defense & Foreign Policy
1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom. 2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime’s senior members were killed or captured. 3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden’s second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror. 4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD’s without bribes or bloodshed. 5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists’ funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network. 6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century. 7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses. 8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency. 9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian “Roadmap to Peace,” along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU. 10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year. 11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia. 12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command. 14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs. 15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry. 16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006. 17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy. 18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments. 19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year. 20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports. 21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed.
Globalization & Internationalism
1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant). 2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court. 3. Told the United Nations we weren’t interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).* 4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: “The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?” We all know the outcome and the answer. 5. Told the Congress and the world, “America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.”
Government Reform
1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises. 2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs. 3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.* 4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers. 5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals.
Health
1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free. 2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health. 3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes:
A 10-year privatization option.
Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine.
More health care choices: As President Bush stated, “…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What’s good for members of Congress is also good for seniors.
New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you’ll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford.
Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration
1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush’s leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security. 2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004. 3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield). 4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create “one face at the border.” This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders. 5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity. 6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals. 7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones. 8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America’s ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested. 9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies. 10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability. 11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization. 12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens. 13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications. 14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack.
Judiciary & Tort Reform
1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. 2. Killed the liberal ABA’s unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA. 3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary. 4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims.
Politics
1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency. 2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court’s Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual’s wishes.
Second Amendment
1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined “collective” right. 2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit. 3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers. 4. *See Globalization & Internationalism.
Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism
1. Endorses and promotes “The Responsibility Era.” President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, “In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you’ve got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you’re responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you’re responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you’re responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you’re responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself.” 2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world. 3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families. 4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration’s belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved. 5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court’s Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible. 6. Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them. 7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year’s worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states. 8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa. 9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, “No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity.” As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles:
Equal Justice
Freedom of Speech
Limited Government Power
Private Property Rights
Religious Tolerance
Respect for Women
Rule of Law

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: bushlegacy; bushrecord; georgewbush; gwb2004
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1 posted on 03/12/2004 4:23:27 AM PST by Cincinatus’ Wife
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To: Cincinatus’ Wife
Bush is our President. He fixed our country. He brought back family values. He made us strong in the face of danger. He is looing out for my childrens education. He has reduced my income tax.

That’s why he gets my vote.

2 posted on 03/12/2004 4:43:46 AM PST by EQAndyBuzz (60 Senate seats changes the world!! Bury Kerry in 04!)
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To: Cincinatus’ Wife
someone one point to the Medicare section and the savings accounts, someone scream at the conservatives who cry about drugs and point out $28,000 for ulcer surgery vs $500 for medicine; Medical Savings Accounts as a way to have larger deductibles and more patient responsibility. THESE ARE CONSERVATIVE PROGRAMS!!
Newt was all over TV praising this program one week after they passed it but RUSH who is a headline reader has gotten it wrong and cost Bush 10 points in the polls.

3 posted on 03/12/2004 4:53:54 AM PST by q_an_a
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To: Cincinatus’ Wife
Bookmark for future reference

4 posted on 03/12/2004 5:05:46 AM PST by Semper Vigilantis (1 democrat + 1 democrat = 5 opinions, 6 tax increases, 2 more welfare programs & 0 solutions.)
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To: Cincinatus’ Wife
wide open borders that allow narco terrorists al qaeda and chi coms open easy access to CONUS?

5 posted on 03/12/2004 5:26:59 AM PST by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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________________________________________
To: Cincinatus’ Wife
Abortion & Traditional Values 1. Banned Partial Birth Abortion — by far the most significant roll-back of abortion on demand since Roe v. Wade.
2. Reversed Clinton’s move to strike Reagan’s anti-abortion Mexico Policy.
3. By Executive Order (EO), reversed Clinton’s policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act.
4. By EO, prohibited federal funds for international family planning groups that provide abortions and related services.
5. Upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals.
6. Made $33 million available for abstinence education programs in 2004.
7. Supports the Defense of Marriage Act — and a Constitutional amendment saying marriage is between one man and one woman.
8. Requires states to conduct criminal background checks on prospective foster and adoptive parents.
9. Requires districts to let students transfer out of dangerous schools.
10. Requires schools to have a zero-tolerance policy for classroom disruption (reintroducing discipline into classrooms).
11. Signed the Teacher Protection Act, which protects teachers from lawsuits related to student discipline.
12. Expanded the role of faith-based and community organizations in after-school programs.
Budget, Taxes & Economy
1. Signed two income tax cuts, one of which was the largest dollar-value tax cut in world history.
2. Supports permanent elimination of the death tax.
3. Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession, and deeply shocked as a result of the 9/11 attacks.
4. Is seeking legislation to amend the Constitution to give the president line-item veto authority.
5. In process of permanently eliminating IRS marriage penalty.
6. Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people.
7. Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.
8. Killed Clinton’s “ergonomic” rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules would have shut down every home business in America.
9. Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.
10. Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains.
11. Signed trade promotion authority.
12. Reduced and is working to ultimately eliminate the estate tax for family farms and ranches.
13. Fight Europe’s ban on importing biotech crops from the United States.
14. Exempt food from unilateral trade sanctions and embargoes.
15. Provided $20 million to states to help people with disabilities work from home.
16. Created a fund to encourage technologies that help the disabled.
17. Increased the annual contribution limit on Education IRA’s from $500 to $2,000 per child.
18. Make permanent the $5,000 adoption tax credit and provide $1 billion over five years to increase the credit to $10,000.
19. Grant a complete tax exemption for prepaid or college tuition savings plans.
20. Reduced H1B visas from a high of 195,000 per year to 66,000 per year.
Character & Conduct as President
1. Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the presidency.
2. Has reintroduced the mention of God and faith into public discourse.
3. Handled himself with enormous courage, dignity, grace, determination, and leadership in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 hijackings and anthrax attacks. He almost single-handedly held this country together during those searing days:
Just three days after the attacks, in his address at the National Cathedral, the President reassured the nation when he said: “War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing.”
On Friday, September 14, 2001, President Bush visited Ground Zero. Standing on a crushed and burned fire engine atop the smoldering pile at Ground Zero, he put his arm around a retired firefighter who had volunteered to help, and began speaking to the crowd. Rescue workers shouted that they could not hear him. Someone handed him a small American flag and bullhorn. The President spontaneously shouted: “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” The crowd roared with cheers and chants of “USA! USA! USA!” Then he raised that American flag and rallied a nation.
Education & Employment Training
1. Signed the No Child Left Behind Act, delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations). The very liberal California Teachers union is currently running radio ads against the accountability provisions of this Act.
2. Announced “Jobs for the 21st Century,” a comprehensive plan to better prepare workers for jobs in the new millennium by strengthening post-secondary education and job training, and by improving high school education.
3. Is working to provide vouchers to low-income students in persistently failing schools to help with costs of attending private schools. (Blocked in the Senate.)
4. Requires annual reading and math tests in grades three through eight.
5. Requires states to participate in the National Assessment of Education Progress, or an equivalent program, to establish a national benchmark for academic performance.
6. Requires school-by-school accountability report cards.
7. Established a $2.4 billion fund to help states implement teacher accountability systems.
8. Increased funding for the Troops-to-Teachers program, which recruits former military personnel to become teachers.
Environment & Energy
1. Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.
2. Submitted a comprehensive Energy Plan (awaits Congressional action). The plan works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.
3. Established a $10 million grant program to promote private conservation initiatives.
4. Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.
5. Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary cleanup of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.
6. Part of national forests cleanup: Restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges), and removed the need for an Environmental Impact Statement before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
7. Killed Clinton’s CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.
8. Provided matching grants for state programs that help private landowners protect rare species.
Defense & Foreign Policy
1. Successfully executed two wars in the aftermath of 9/11/01: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.
2. Saddam Hussein is now in prison. His two murderous sons are dead. All but a handful of the regime’s senior members were killed or captured.
3. Leader by leader and member by member, al Maida is being hunted down in dozens of countries around the world. Of the senior al Qaeda leaders, operational managers, and key facilitators the U.S. Government has been tracking, nearly two-thirds have been taken into custody or killed. The detentions or deaths of senior al Qaeda leaders, including Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, the mastermind of 9/11, and Muhammad Atef, Osama bin Laden’s second-in-command until his death in late 2001, have been important in the War on Terror.
4. Disarmed Libya of its chemical, nuclear and biological WMD’s without bribes or bloodshed.
5. Continues to execute the War On Terror, getting worldwide cooperation to track funds/terrorists. Has cut off much of the terrorists’ funding, and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network.
6. Initiated a comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, and which accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE capabilities were critical in the 21st Century.
7. Killed the old US/Soviet Union ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.
8. Has been one of the strongest, if not THE strongest friend Israel has ever hand in the U.S. presidency.
9. Part of the coalition for an Israeli/Palestinian “Roadmap to Peace,” along with Great Britain, Russia and the EU.
10. Pushed through THREE raises for our military. Increased military pay by more than $1 billion a year.
11. Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia.
12. Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia, and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ. 13. Prohibited putting U.S. troops under U.N. command.
14. Paid back UN dues only in return for reforms and reduction of U.S. share of the costs.
15. Earmarked at least 20 percent of the Defense procurement budget for next-generation weaponry.
16. Increased defense research and development spending by at least $20 billion from fiscal 2002 to 2006.
17. Ordered a comprehensive review of military weapons and strategy.
18. Ordered a review of overseas deployments.
19. Ordered renovation of military housing. The military has already upgraded about 10 percent of its inventory and expects to modernize 76,000 additional homes this year.
20. Is working to tighten restrictions on military-technology exports.
21. Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed.
Globalization & Internationalism
1. Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become another League of Nations (in other words, showed the UN to be completely irrelevant).
2. Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.
3. Told the United Nations we weren’t interested in their plans for gun control (i.e., the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty).
4. The only President since the founding of the UN to essentially tell that organization it is irrelevant. He said: “The conduct of the Iraqi regime is a threat to the authority of the United Nations, and a threat to peace. Iraq has answered a decade of UN demands with a decade of defiance. All the world now faces a test, and the United Nations a difficult and defining moment. Are Security Council resolutions to be honored and enforced, or cast aside without consequence? Will the United Nations serve the purpose of its founding, or will it be irrelevant?” We all know the outcome and the answer.
5. Told the Congress and the world, “America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our country.”
Government Reform
1. Improved government efficiency by putting hundreds of thousands of jobs put up for bid. This weakens public-sector unions and cuts undeserved pay raises.
2. Initiated review of all federal agencies with the goal of eliminating federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of the federal government while increasing private sector jobs.
3. Led the most extensive reorganization the Federal bureaucracy in over 50 years: After 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency, the Department of Homeland Security.
4. Ordered each agency to draft a five-year plan to restructure itself, with fewer managers.
5. Converted federal service contracts to performance-based contracts wherever possible so that the contractor has measurable performance goals.
Health<
1. Strengthen the National Health Service Corps to put more physicians in the neediest areas, and make its scholarship funds tax-free.
2. Double the research budget of the National Institutes of Health.
3. Signed Medicare Reform, which includes:
A 10-year privatization option.
Prescription drug benefits: Prior to this reform, Medicare paid for extended hospital stays for ulcer surgery, for example, at a cost of about $28,000 per patient. Yet Medicare would not pay for the drugs that eliminate the cause of most ulcers, drugs that cost about $500 a year. Now, drug coverage under Medicare will allow seniors to replace more expensive surgeries and hospitalizations with less expensive prescription medicine.
More health care choices: As President Bush stated, "…when seniors have the ability to make choices, health care plans within Medicare will have to compete for their business by offering higher quality service [at lower cost]. For the seniors of America, more choices and more control will mean better health care. These are the kinds of health care options we give to the members of Congress and federal employees. What's good for members of Congress is also good for seniors.
New Health Savings Accounts: Effective January 1, 2004, Americans can set aside up to $4,500 every year, tax free, to save for medical expenses. Depending on your tax bracket, that means you'll save between 10 to 35 percent on any costs covered by money in your account. Every year, the money not spent would stay in the account and gain interest tax-free, just like an IRA. These accounts will be good for small business owners, and employees. More businesses can focus on covering workers for major medical problems, such as hospitalization for an injury or illness. At the same time, employees and their families will use these accounts to cover doctors visits, or lab tests, or other smaller costs. Some employers will contribute to employee health accounts. This will help more American families get the health care they need at the price they can afford.
Homeland Security, Border Enforcement & Immigration
1. *See Government Reform above. Under President Bush's leadership, America has made an unprecedented commitment to homeland security.
2. Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first 10 ABM silos in Alaska so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes. Has ordered national and theater ballistic missile defenses to be deployed by 2004.
3. Announced a 9.7% increase in government-wide homeland security funding in his FY 2005 budget, nearly tripling the FY 2001 levels (excluding the Department of Defense and Project BioShield).
4. Before DHS was created, there were inspectors from three different agencies of the Federal Government and Border Patrol officers protecting our borders. Through DHS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) now consolidates all border activities into a single agency to create "one face at the border." This not only better secures the borders of the United States, but it also eliminates many of the inefficiencies that occurred under the old system. With over 18,000 CBP inspectors and 11,000 Border Patrol agents, CBP has 29,000 uniformed officers on our borders.
5. The Border Patrol is continuing installation of monitoring devices along the borders to detect illegal activity.
6. Launched Operation Tarmac to investigate businesses and workers in the secure areas of domestic airports and ensure immigration law compliance. Since 9/11, DHS has audited 3,640 businesses, examined 259,037 employee records, arrested 1,030 unauthorized workers, and participated in the criminal indictment of 774 individuals.
7. Since September 11, 2001, the Coast Guard has conducted more than 124,000 port security patrols, 13,000 air patrols, boarded more than 92,000 vessels, interdicted over 14,000 individuals attempting to enter the United States illegally, and created and maintained more than 90 Maritime Security Zones.
8. Announced the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), an internet-based system that is improving America's ability to track and monitor foreign students and exchange visitors. Over 870,000 students are registered in SEVIS. Of 285 completed field investigations, 71 aliens were arrested.
9. This week, the US-VISIT program began to digitally collect biometric identifiers to record the entry and exit of aliens who travel into the U.S on a visa. Together with the standard information, this new program will confirm compliance with visa and immigration policies.
10. Eliminated INS bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.
11. Split the Immigration and Naturalization Service into two agencies: one to protect the border and interior, the other to deal with naturalization.
12. Signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal aliens.
13. Established a six-month deadline for processing immigration applications.
14. Information regarding nearly 100% of all containerized cargo is carefully screened by DHS before it arrives in the United States. Higher risk shipments are physically inspected for terrorist weapons and contraband prior to being released from the port of entry. Advanced technologies are being deployed to identify warning signs of chemical, biological, or radiological attacks. Since September 11, 2001, hundreds of thousands of first responders across America have been trained to recognize and respond to the effects of a WMD attack.
Judiciary & Tort Reform
1. Is urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits.
2. Killed the liberal ABA's unconstitutional role in vetting federal judges. The Senate is supposed to advise and consent, not the ABA.
3. Is nominating strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.
4. Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims.
Politics
1. His leadership resulted in Republican gains in the House and Senate, solidifying Republican control of both houses of Congress and the presidency.
2. Signed an EO enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision regarding union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes.
Second Amendment
1. Ordered Attorney General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, and is NOT a Leftist-imagined "collective" right.
2. Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit.
3. Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers.
4. *See Globalization & Internationalism.
Traditional Values, Compassion & Volunteerism
1. Endorses and promotes "The Responsibility Era." President Bush often speaks of the necessity of personal responsibility and civic volunteerism. He said, "In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else — to one in which every single American understands that he or she is responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself."
2. Started the USA Freedom Corps, the most comprehensive clearinghouse of volunteer opportunities ever offered. For the first time in history, Americans can enter geographic information about where they want to get involved, such as state or zip code, as well as areas of interest ranging from education to the environment, and they can access volunteer opportunities offered by more than 50,000 organizations across the country and around the world.
3. Established the The White House Office and the Centers for the Faith-Based and Community Initiative — located in seven Federal agencies. The faith-based initiative supports the essential work of these important organizations. The goal is to make sure that grassroots leaders can compete on an equal footing for federal dollars, receive greater private support, and face fewer bureaucratic barriers. Work focuses on at-risk youth, ex-offenders, the homeless and hungry, substance abusers, those with HIV/AIDS, and welfare-to-work families.
4. The White House released a guidebook fully describing the Administration's belief that faith-based groups have a Constitutionally-protected right to maintain their religious identity through hiring — even when Federal funds are involved.
5. Issued an EO implementing the Supreme Court's Olmstead ruling, which requires moving disabled people from institutions to community-based facilities when possible.
6.Increased funding for low-interest loan programs to help people with disabilities purchase devices to assist them.
7. Revised the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 8 rent subsidies to disabled people, permitting them to use up to a year's worth of vouchers to finance down payments on homes. HUD has started pilot programs in 11 states.
8. Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men, women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa.
9. Heeding the words of our own Declaration of Independence, the president laid out the non-negotiable demands of human dignity for all people everywhere. On January 29, 2002, he said, "No nation owns these aspirations, and no nation is exempt from them. We have no intention of imposing our culture. But America will always stand firm for the non-negotiable demands of human dignity." As stated by the President, they are a virtual manifesto of conservative principles:
Equal Justice
Freedom of Speech
Limited Government Power
Private Property Rights
Religious Tolerance
Respect for Women
Rule of Law

Every time a crisis hits we learn more about crisis management. When the hurricane ravaged New Orleans the country was ripped apart. People died because no one was prepared for a disaster of that scale. The morning of 9/11 stunned the world. We believed there was no way to prevent the tragedies, but since those days we have learned vital lessons about crisis management.

Pass The Buck

Both of these disasters were worse than they should have been because no one created a plan of action. FEMA had a plan. The government had some independent strategies. But no one got together.

Private citizens donated tanks for water and fuel. Unfortunately, because there was no emergency plan the ‘inspectors’ wouldn’t let them be installed because they couldn’t be ‘legally’ installed above ground and the equipment to bury them had been destroyed.

People died for lack of clean water, and succumbed to cold.

The same thing happened on 9/11. The food tents at the ground level were run by one government official who had no training. Volunteers travelled from as far away as Vancouver, BC to help, but were turned away because they were not ‘official.’

Firefighters went hungry. Volunteers went hungry. And Good Samaritans were told to go home because they were not needed, while food rotted because no one had time to prepare and serve it.

The first rule of crisis management is to create a plan. The plan should include everything, including a plan to close the business. One public speaker that talks on this subject tells audiences how it cost them $30 000 to go out of business – something they could have avoided with an exit strategy.

Network

The world watched in horror as the waters swept over New Orleans. Videos were shot when the bridge collapsed bringing down dozens of cars and leaving a school bus load of children trapped in the middle of a river.

What happened next is the stuff that fills ‘disaster fiction’ novels.

Heroes emerged and went to the aid of the children in the river. Private citizens drove to New Orleans and ‘took over’ where officials failed.

Busses drove hundreds of survivors to Texas where they stayed in shelters.

A lesson was learned by the Canadian Military. When the US skies were closed on 9/11 the planes were diverted to a small military base in Nova Scotia, Canada. Within hours the people were off the plans, and comfortable in people’s homes. They were fed and cared for.

This lesson is a vital one for small business owners. People are always willing to help. Networking with other business professionals is one way to have a concerned friend help you out of a situation when it happens. Not everyone has the ‘hero’ mentality. It may take time to find help, but make sure you know who to call when something goes wrong.

Make a Plan

Project Managers and Systems Analysis are taught to create plans of actions in case of emergency. It is hard for a small business or ecommerce business owner to understand what might go wrong. But they can still create a plan of action.

This should include managing family affairs, financial difficulties, and health issues. The biggest threat to most small businesses is the failing health of the business owners. It is amazing how many managers do not create an emergency package so someone else can control the business if they have a heart attack or are in an auto accident.

Learn

There are dozens of crisis management books written about 9/11 and the New Orleans disaster. Take the time to read them. Learn from the professionals. Understanding the basic concepts of crisis management can help business owners learn how to handle their own problems.

A small business owner will hopefully never face a problem the level of the above situations, but their failure to plan for emergencies can leave their loyal employees without a job, and cost them their savings. It can also leave the business owner facing the loss of their house, or even bankruptcy.

Not all business management strategies are learned in business school. They are learned in the real world, where real people live, mistakes are made, and disasters strike.

As long as the world runs on oil, prospects for oil rig employment will remain bright. Whether for use as energy or in the chemical industry, there is still no replacement for oil despite billions of dollars of research. With the International Energy Agency projecting that oil companies worldwide will spend $20 trillion in the next 25 years on oil exploration, there will be plenty of oil rig jobs. Even if one company lets go of its workers, another will take up the slack. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will have no trouble finding offshore oil rig jobs.

1. Get Yourself Trained For Offshore Oil Rig Jobs

When you don’t have actual working experience, getting yourself trained is a good way to get ahead of all the other job seekers without experience. Too many people are reluctant to spend money on their own self-development, education and training. Instead, they expect handouts from the government and their employers. So this is a good way to stand out from the crowd.

Training can be expensive, but when you consider that the oil industry pays double the average salary of nearly every other industry, it is clearly a good investment. So how do you get this training?

Nowadays, community colleges and vocational colleges are partnering with companies in the oil industry to provide relevant training. In the USA, the Department of Labor has a program called JobCorps which subsidizes the vocational training for disadvantaged youths. In the UK, servicemen leaving active service also have subsidized training for the oil industry.

2. Clear All The Paperwork And Red Tape

Unfortunately, offshore oil rigs are subject to a lot of government red tape. Some of this is due to international treaties, and some due to the usual federal government interference. Then the state governments, the unions, lawyers and lobbyists also want a piece of the pie.

If you have previous offshore oil rig job experience, you probably already have some of the paperwork and certifications needed. If not, you may want to get your offshore survival certificate, helicopter underwater escape training certificate, first aid certification, firefighting certification, passport, vaccinations, medical fitness certificate, union membership, trade certifications (e.g. welding, mechanic, electrician, etc.).

Are all these pieces of paper really necessary? That depends on where you want to work.

3. Settle Your Personal Affairs

Once you get hired, you’ll want to start work immediately. So you should get all your personal affairs settled ahead of time. Arrange for your home mortgage, property taxes, utilities bills, phone bills, personal insurance and any other payments to be automatically deducted from your bank account. Check with an accountant or tax lawyer if there are any special claims you can make for your income tax. At one time, US citizens working overseas were tax-exempt. And remember to pack your bags ahead of time. It’s a hell of a thing to remember that you forgot your spare underwear when you are in the middle of the ocean.

If you are serious about looking for oil rig employment, then you’ll do whatever it takes to get hired. Settle your training requirements, legal paperwork and personal affairs ahead of time.

Do you ever feel powerless about what is going on in the world?

I know I do. There are so many issues going on in the world, it’s almost impossible not to let yourself think “What am I doing here? Shouldn’t I be helping…?”
What about my own country? America is hated by everyone. I feel ashamed sometimes of my country. Some particular Americans ruin it for everyone. Sometimes I wish I could slap them because some of us are NOT rude. Some of us are NOT ignorant. Some of us are NOT like all the sterotypes people give us.
Example… Some claim one of our closest allies (Canada) did nothing when 9/11 struck. Guys this is wrong. Canadians were at the towers helping any way they could (S&R dogs, search and rescue personnel, firefighters, police, medical workers, etc.) to find survivors and help victims. Yet were they ever recognized by the US government for their contributions – no.
Not only that but they also fought in our war.
I often emerge myself in other countries politics. Mainly Canada, but also UK, Australia, China etc. etc. I join Politics forum, Australia forums, Canadian forums etc. etc. to inform myself of other countries.
I want to apologize sometimes to others because of my fellow American’s ignorance. We are not all like that. I am very ashamed of my friends and fellow classmates who thought Europe was a country. Some even thought California or Utah was a country. I think the lack of education is showing greatly upon us.
It seems like all we do (not just Americans also) is complain. We want the newest mp4 or iPhone or Wii. Will we stop complaining? Probably not. Place yourself in a 3rd world country. Wait, you don’t even have to go that far…just imagine yourself evicted out of your home like thousands of others already have. Granted, some of them did that to themselves spending too much on things they didn’t need but not all.

I’m asking you all what can I do to help? I’m only 12 years old though, keep in mind. What can I do to help solve problems in the world or my own country. Or, do I just have to sit back and watch?

my boyfirend recently got custody papers signed and he feels he still has to bend over backwards and wlk on egg shell for her and make her happy to see his son still. We have a rent house in a city an hour and 45 min away from where the lil boy and his family are. He now stays there all the time at his moms or dads house. And his job, he was suppose to change is there too. he’s a firefighter and works 24 hour shift and off for two days and mon. tues. and thursdays he has emt school till 9pm so you can imagine how much i get to see him. the only way i can see him or him and his lil boy is if i go over there and either stay at his dads, who steadily putting him down and snores so loud coughs through the night that i barely sleep or at his controling have to put her two cents into everything with us house. Did i mention she has 6 small to medium dogs who shed and 2 of them have to sleep with us. I wake up with hair in my mouth or on my clothes that have been in my overnight bag. Im 22 and he’s 27 and i feel more like the adult then him. He listens to everything his mom tells him and bends over backwards for his ex still and i feel like he doesnt have my back or in my corner for anything. like his mother and ex come before me. He tries to say the reason he acts that way to his ex is so she doesnt bring him to court and take his boy away which i think would be highly unlikely bc she lives with her parents with no job no vehicle and he has a career home and two vehicles between me and him. He told me not to write anything about his son on his facebook, “per his mothers advice” because it could get back to her somehow and she can get mad and take his son away from him. Like anything i say doesnt matter or help.. Last night he was suppose to come home after EMT class and called to say he wasnt bc his mom called his ex and wanted to have his lil boy that night but after the lil boy got there told brandon he needed to stay to help her so i was alone at ‘OUR HOUSE” again and his word broken to me…. What can i do to make him realize the only people he neeeds to make happy is me and his son….? help please!!!!!
we have been together for 6 months and found out a month ago now that the lil boy is his through DNA test because the ex slept with two other guys while they were together, which was two months… i love his son like he was my own and i do everything for him and she does not take care of the baby like she should not bathing him cleaning his stuffy nose not giving his medicine like the doc said feeding a 1mo at the time 3oz of cereal!!! he ended up with all kinds of problems because of it not sleeping for days and did it without asking her doctor first!
I DONT WANT TO COME FIRST!!! I UNDERSTAND HIS CHILD IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HIMI AND ME! IVE DEALT WITH ALOT HIM LYING TO ME, TRYING TO PUSH ME AWAY THINKING HE CAN ONLY HAVE HIS SON IN HIS LIFE, HIM BREAK PROMISE AFTER PROMISE AND BREAK HIS WORD ON SO MANY THINGS. I LOVE HIM AND HIS SON! HIS MOTHER IS USING HIS SON TO MAKE HIM STAY THERE! WE WANT TO MOVE CLOSER AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR PLACES UP THERE! BUT WE CAN MOVE IF HE CANT COME HOME ONE NIGHT TO HELP PACK AND HELP ME GET ALL THE WIREING AND BIG PAINTINGS OFF THE WALL BECAUSE WHEN HE PLANS TO HIS MOTHER SAYS I WANT THE BABY TONIGHT THEN EXSPECTS HIM TO STAY. WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO WHEN WE MOVE UP THERE AND WE HAVE THE BABY OR SHE WANTS HIM.. EXPECT US TO LEAVE OUR HOME TO COME STAY THEIR WHEN SHE HAS A HUSBAND TO HELP AND SHE DOESNT EVEN WORK.IM NOT SAYING TO BE A B**** TO HIS EX BUT I MEAN SOME KIND OF BACK BONE. IT SHOULD BE WHEN WE TAKE HIM THATS IT NO ASKING HER WHERE WE CAN TAKE HIM AND A MILLION PHONE CALLS TO HIM!!!
And you know what melissa how selfish of me? how selfish of his mother that she wont let him be a man and start his life with me and using her grandson to keep her son their!!!

According to current RNC Chairman Michael Steele,
and I quote:

“…government doesn’t create jobs. Let’s get this notion out of our heads that the government creates jobs. Not in the history of mankind has the government ever created a job.”

So that begs the question, who employs our US military? I thought that they were employed and paid for by the government, funded through our tax dollars, but Steele says that this is not the case and never in the history of humanity has this ever been the case; so who do they work for and who pays them?

Just last week in Miami, over a thousand people showed up for 35 firefighter positions (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,487139,00.html [pardon the source]). Who exactly pays for these firefighters…small business? charity donations??

Who is paying for things like our military, policemen, firefighter, public schools, teachers, roads, airports, social security, state workers, Congress, the President, etc?

Can someone explain this discrepancy or is Michael Steele just an vacuous, incompetent Republican official?

The United States has been in a recession since December, 2007, as defined by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a private, nonprofit research organization. But the American people, and the Obama administration along with the democrat majority congress, seem to be at odds on how to fix the American economy.

A robust economy means companies expand which results in job creation. Currently, the American people are not spending because many are not working, and those who are working are spending less, most likely due to the possibility of losing their job. Current unemployment rate stands at 9.6% as of August, 2009. A decrease in spending by the American people results in a decrease in company profits, company non expansion, and more layoffs.

Reporting on a survey by Watson Wyatt, a consulting firm, the HRSpecialist.com reported in November of 2008 that one-fourth of U.S. employers plan to have staff reductions during the following calendar year. We are now seeing this come to fruition for 2009.

So how can the US economy improve? Improvement being defined as two consecutive quarters where we do not have negative growth in the GDP (gross domestic product). The following is what we call the Steps to Economic Improvement. These are steps for consideration which hopefully result in a healthy bipartisan discussion between our elected congressman and their constituency. These steps may result in non-recessionary growth of our economy.

You may or may not agree with these steps, but at a bare minimum, these are points to consider, and ideally result in a healthy discussion with our elected congressmen, which at last check, is one of the unchanged notions of a free democratic society.

Steps to Economic Improvement:

1) The first step is to realize that it is business and not government that creates jobs and wealth within the American society.  This is where we believe is the heart of the problem. It is evident that the Obama administration believes it is government that will lead Americans to economic prosperity. This is why the federal government has put forth a $780 billion stimulus package. So where is this money really going. Let’s take a look at the breakdown. (source Republican Senate office, CNN.com AC360)

$780 Billion Stimulus Package:

MORE THAN $43 BILLION IN TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS
$27 BILLION FOR HIGHWAY, ROAD AND BRIDGE INVESTMENTS
$8.4 BILLION FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT INVESTMENT
$2 BILLION FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL
$1.3 BILLION FOR FAA AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
$850 MILLION FOR AMTRAK
$250 MILLION FOR GRANTS TO STATES FOR INVESTMENT IN HIGH SPEED AND INNER CITY PASSENGER RAIL
$100 MILLION TO MARITIME ADMINISTRATION FOR ASSISTANCE TO SMALL SHIPYARDS
$76.8 BILLION IN EDUCATION INVESTMENTS
$39 BILLION FOR STATE FISCAL RELIEF TARGETED DIRECTLY FOR EDUCATION
$13.9 BILLION FOR PELL GRANTS
$13.5 BILLION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING
$10.4 BILLION FOR TITLE I
$6.4 BILLION FOR WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE
$3 BILLION FOR JOB TRAINING
$3.25 BILLION FOR WORKFORCE INVESTMENT PROGRAMS
$160 MILLION FOR JOB CORPS
$87 BILLION IN TEMPORARY AND TARGETED MEDICAID RELIEF TO STATES
$5 BILLION FOR SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS TO PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITIES FOR CAPITAL NEEDS
$4.7 BILLION FOR STATE AND LOCAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY BLOCK GRANTS
$4.4 BILLION FOR SMART GRID
$2.9 BILLION FOR WEATHERIZATION PROGRAMS
$2 BILLION FOR ADVANCED BATTERY MANUFACTURING
$7 BILLION FOR LOAN GUARANTEES FOR STANDARD RENEWABLES
$800 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION OF PORTS OF ENTRY
$500 MILLION FOR FIREFIGHTERS ASSISTANCE GRANTS
$1.2 BILLION FOR NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

As part of the 2010 budget proposal, the Obama administration has also proposed additional measures to attempt to stabilize the economy, including a $2–3 trillion measure aimed at stabilizing the financial system and freeing up credit. In a nutshell, auditors from the Congressional Budget Office have said that Obama’s budget would produce $9.3 trillion in deficits over the next decade.

This is a large chunk of change that needs to be provided by the American taxpayer! But the question is, will all of this spending help the long term growth of the US economy? Growth being during the period of not just the next few years, but rather 10 to 15 years. We believe it will not and here is why.

2) These programs burden the tax payer. History has shown that long sustained economic growth can not take place when the tax payer is over burdened by a federal deficit. Also, when the government spends money they do not have, they print more money, which results in a devaluation of the US dollar. This results in inflation.

3) Small businesses employ just over half of U.S. workers. How do you define a small business. The Office of Advocacy defines a small business for research purposes as an independent business having fewer than 500 employees. In examining the $780 billion stimulus package, you can see that there is no real help for small business. Remember, job creation is needed for economic recovery.

4) The socializing of America will not result in long term economic growth. The massive spending that the Obama administration has proposed will result in an even greater tax burden to the American people.

Most Americans believe in the frame work and meaning of The Constitution of the United States. The first words of the Constitution “We the People” make it clear that our government was established to serve the people. The essence of a democracy was eloquently stated by President Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This simply means that our elected president and congress have a responsibility to listen to the American people.

And it can be said that most Americans do not want a socialistic society for the United States. Government needs to stop spending the American tax dollar, simply because an escalating government deficit will not result in an overall improvement in our economy.

5) Programs such as Cash for Clunkers, auto industry bailouts, and the like, only in the end increase the tax burden on the American people. These massively expensive programs do very little to improve the viability and strength of most small business. Based on 2008 figures, there are 155 million workers in the United States. The car industry accounts for about 13 million of these workers. Therefore, most Americans will not benefit from the bailout of the auto industry. There is only a marginal at best improvement in the economy from such programs.

6) We do applaud the Obama administration for the injection of capital into the financial institutions, because for small business to flourish, there needs to be capital available, and commercial banks and other depository institutions are the largest lenders of capital to small business.

7) The economy will do much better when companies are left to compete in the market place with minimal government involvement. A case in point, the Reagan administration had a policy of less government during the 1980s. This resulted in long term economic growth. This is the exact opposite of what the Obama administration is trying to do.

The Obama administration was given a bad economy when Barack Obama took office. But the Obama administration has taken a bad situation and made it much worse. Many economists believe that our economy would return anyway, with minimal government involvement. In terms of the economy, the government many times creates or prolongs problems and really does not solve them. A case in point, the deregulation of the banking industry which resulted in sub-prime lending. This created an eventual financial collapse, which resulted in the down turn in our economy and our current economic meltdown.

To conclude, the concept of minimal government is an important component for a strong American economy. Letting companies naturally compete within a free democratic society, with minimal government involvement, produces a robust economy, which benefits all Americans. The writers of the Constitution of the United Sates, our founding fathers, believed that the role of government in the lives of people should be minimal. Should we not adhere to the principles of our Constitution?

By letting your voice be heard, it is the American people who in the end control the destiny of the United States. And in the end, it is the American people who will control the destiny of the American economy. Go to your congressman’s website and contact them, discuss these points, express your opinion, and let them know how you feel. It is your right and duty as an American citizen.

If you are seriously committed to the idea of becoming a firefighter, we salute you. The job of being a firefighter is challenging, interesting, rewarding, and very well respected. In fact, there was a survey recently that showed firefighting as the most respected career in the US. Firefighting was even ahead of professions such as doctor and college professor.

But to become a firefighter, you must first understand that there is intense competition for every position that becomes available. For that matter, there are usually numerous candidates for every position – sometimes as many or as 10 or 15 people competing for the same opening.

This means it is critical for you to understand what it takes to win a firefighting position.

The process begins with knowing where to look for firefighting jobs. Obviously, the first place is your local newspaper and the best place to find firefighter positions in its Sunday edition. If you do not live in a major city with a newspaper that has a leadinga Sunday edition, you might go to your local library on Monday and check for classified ads for firefighters in nearby large cities. For example, if you lived in Wray, Colorado, your best bet would be the Sunday edition of the Denver Post.

The next step

The next step in how to become a firefighter is to a get and fill out an application. You can usually get information about the exam and application process from your city’s department of personnel (or HR department) or from your local fire department. You might also be able obtain an application from your school guidance office or your local library.

To begin the application process you should locate the appropriate agencies and give them a call. When you call, be sure to have a pencil and paper ready to write down any instructions or directions you are given. You can explain that you need.

1. Information about the examination

2. The application itself

3. The correct procedure for filling out the application

The written exam

The next step towards winning that coveted badge will be a written examination. The typical written firefighter exam takes about 3 1/2 hours and may include 100 or more questions. The best way to prepare for a written exam is to get a book on firefighter exams. There are several available via the Internet and if you are willing to settle for a used copy, they are generally inexpensive.

Assuming you score high enough on the written exam to continue the process, you’ll next be required to take a physical test. These tests are designed to simulate actual firefighting duties, and include exercises such as hose drag, hose carry, ladder climbing, latter raise and victim removal. You will most likely be required to do these while wearing firefighter clothing and equipment, and to complete the tasks within a stated amount of time.

The physical and psychological evaluation

The next step will be a physical examination, followed by a psychological evaluation. The work of a firefighter is often stressful and performed under harsh conditions. The purpose of the psychological evaluation is to make sure that you can function well under these conditions will and that you will work well with other members of your team.

This, in short, is how to become a firefighter. We congratulate you on your choice of careers and wish you well in your quest.

What are the current standards for American and State flags?
I drove past San Jose’s HP Pavillion this morning and realized that the US and CA flags flying out there were horribly faded. When I was a kid we put up and took down the flag every day outside the schools. Is that no longer done? What are the.

Question about Debt Collection Laws!!?
I have calls 4 times a day on two phone numbers asking for me by my married name. I answered the phone today mostly because this is driving me crazy having all of these unknown number phone calls. The woman tried to make it sound like a family member was having an emergency and.

What are the details of the Canadian Act on homosexuality?
I know Canada has a law or act about homosexuality that disallows their persecution. I was wondering what are the details such as the fines, or what, specifically, is not allowed. I tried to the Canadian government website with no luck. I was wondering if anyone knows where I.

What are the education requirements for lawyers?
*sigh* this is for a project im doing generally, 4 years high school 4 years college three years law school pass the bar exam in the state you want to practice in. – 1 – Graduate high school 2 – Graduate college 3 – Graduate law school And, if they want to.

What are the fines for not having fall arrest protection and who has to pay?
sometimes i work on i-beams at 100 + feet and no fall arrest system is installed in the building your employer is to have fall protection If he’s caught I think It’s around $100,000 but don’t quote me I would call OHSA as all.

What are the fundamental laws of social morality?
Here’s what I think: First Law. Don’t initiate force or fraud. This is absolutely true because people will not voluntarily associate with anyone who coerces or defrauds them. If a group of people don’t obey this law, then they aren’t voluntarily associated, therefore they are not a society, therefore social morality.

What are the laws about moving out of state on probation?
Ask your probation officer. – You will need court approval. – for you to be able to legally leave the state and move away, you have to have a travel permit signed by your P.O. and his permision to move out of state then you have to.

What are the laws against an individual blogging that they wish harm and death on me because they hate me?
I live in Georgia I don’t think wishing you harm is the same as threatening you. Where’s the intent? – Report it to the police or other autorities and they could probably go to jail, or at least get.

What are the laws for shooting animals?
We live on the outskirts of town in Kansas, we are considered rural. What are the laws about shooting animals on your property that are attacking your animals? Is it different if its a dog or a possum or is it all the same? Well, each state has different laws concerning that..

What are the laws if there are no wriiten contracts? Is their still a legal bind?
The client had appointed an architect although it has now come out that he was not a proper architect, there was no written contract and the ‘architect’ had been administering the contract on seperate trades basis with no proper contract. So the client.

What are the laws in Wisconsin?
what are the laws in wisconsin on stachatory rape, im fifteen and my boyfriend just turned 18, we dont want to have sex but we want to be together, is this against the law? A person can be charged with and convicted of statutory rape if engaging in sexual activity with a person.

What are the laws of the US constitution?
thanks . there are no laws in the constitution but there are the stuff that protects the people of the country like freedom of speech, free exercise, the right to patition the government, and a lot more. there more like guidelines for creating laws..they arnt actual laws. – Google US Constitution..

What are the laws on foreclosure? Do I have to move out of my house immediatley?
No. It takes quite a while to go through the entire foreclosure process. Approx 9 months. At the very end there is a 75 day redemption period. During this time you can pay the loan off in full and redeem the property..

What are the laws on human taxidermy?
Each state has a set of allowed dispositions of human remains. The only one that could possibly encompass human taxidermy would be ‘scientific use.’ However, scientists wouldn’t perform taxidermy in the traditional sense to preserve a body. Rather, they would use plastination, such as that seen in the Body Worlds exhibits..

What are the laws regarding what an ex employer can say about an ex employee in an employment verification?
Apotential employer informed me that my soon to be ex employer gave me a bad reference. It was personal and unprofessional. Whats are my rights? I use to work for a background screening company and by law (california) employers could.

What are the legal consequences of holding signs outside a business?
Our builder keep our deposit, and didnt pay for work i completed in the home. We were unable to sell or home and had a contingency in the contract. My wife has been protesting outside his office and subdivisions where he builds with signs that say ‘ Dont.

What are the legal penalties for marijuana in California?
The penalties vary based on how much you were caught with and what you were doing with it. Simple possession of less than 1 ounce is generally a misdemeanor requiring a small fine. Transporting, growing, or selling are generally felonies and can result in serious prison time. You can.

What are the legal repercusions for someone swearing at a minor child?(‘shithead’)!?
A ‘parent’ at my sons (7) boy scout meeting called my son a ‘shithead.’ What are the legalalities of this? Why don’t you just have a talk one-on-one with the ‘parent’ ? Handled well, it could help your son, the ‘parent’, any children the ‘parent’ has or.

What are the legal requirements for staging a protest?
Im not talking a march or major demonstration. If you and maybe a couple of friends wanted to protest outside a government building, place of business, church etc. walk around holding signs and maybe a catchy chant or two, what would be required to do this legally? it has to.

What are the legal rights of a 16 year old with divorced parents in kentucky?
There is a situation that has occured to me which involves a 16 year old boy with divorced parents. he wants to get out of his father’s house and live with his mother. his father is remarried and spends all his time with his.

What are the legal rights of a minor vs. parental control?
My parents are habitually overcontrolling. I am 15, and I have had a relationship with an 18 year old for more than 3 months. He and I were both pulling ourselves out of a serious depression, which he coped with by using drugs, and I by cutting. We.

What are the legal rights of somone who is color blind?
Color blindness or color deficiancy are not considered disabilities by the US Government, yet can prevent you from getting certain jobs, everything from firefighter to mechanic. Isn’t that discrimination? I found a case where a man sued a police department and won because even though color blindness is.

What are the legalities with buying a car?
I put in a credit app online. The dealership called me, I went to them to look at the cars.. They worked out how much my downpayment would be and how much my trade in value was. I’m a first time buyer, so I was required to have full coverage insurance..

What are the legislative,technical and administrative measures to protect consumers?
Legislative: 1. Consumer Protection Act 1986 2. Formation of 3-tier system of consumer grievances redressal agencies. The top tier would be the National Consumer Commission at New Delhi. The second is the state consumer commission and the last and most important is the District Forum. these are popularly.

What are the List of amendments of the United States Constitution that people underage have?
What are the List of amendments of the United States Constitution that people underage have? a right to use even if they are underage? This is a very tough question without a good answer. In theory minors have the same rights as any adult,.

What are the main responiblilities for citizenship?like obey laws gimmie about 3main ones thanks?
plz help Oh look! The kids are home from school! – U.S. citizenship? You didn’t state where, so I’ll assume that. The most important right citizens have is the right to vote. By voting, the people have a voice in the government. The people decide.

What are the medicaid rules dealing with transportation for mentally disabled?
i’ve been told medicaid does not cover ambulettes for a person with mental illness . i can’t find info to that effect I don’t believe that’s true. I know for a fact where I live there’s a person who has called 4 times per week, many times over.

What are the minimu requirements for a DNR order,do not resucitate, to be legal?
The requirements vary from state to state. In order to have a DNR order, you need to have an ‘advance health care directive’ or ‘living will’ — recently, both documents have been combined in Pennsylvania by some attorneys. You can have a lawyer prepare.

What are the NY laws for underage ‘dancers’ in strip clubs?
this one girl is 17 and she works as a ‘dancer’ at a DJ company. she says her boss sends girls her age to say they are 21 and older and ‘dance’ (strip) for older men. under NY LAW is this against the law? and what law would.

What are the odds of being put under house arrest at age 15?
Anybody have a clue? House arrest is an option the judge can order. It is dependant on you, what you did and what your living situation is. Its usually used if a parent is around during the day and the judge does not want to put.

What are the penalties for breaking a one year rent lease, is it diff case by case?
Need to review the lease obviously. Most standard leases require the tenant who breaks it must pay the remainder of the lease. The nicer landlords may require X amount of notice with no penalties involved giving them time to secure another.

What are the penalties for underage drinking in PA?
My little sister is 18 years old. Today she was caught drinking at the Philadelphia Phillies game. She wasn’t driving or behind the wheel. The police gave her a ticket for underage drinking. What are the penalties/fines? She currently lives in New Jersey and has a valid driver’s license with.

What are the positive abd negative effects of hitler?
He killed Jews and People think he’s evil – Hitler’s statement: ‘Women should occupy a place only in the kitchen and should b treated as a child bearing machines’ – great thought of ruling the world is possible but he made mistakes..still it is possible if u dont make.

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