Happy Birthday!!!!

I'm a day early on this, but with a busy work weekend ahead, I decided to do this today. If I don't, it'll be late, and I can't have that.

On February 6, 1911, a bouncing baby boy entered the world. Though not much fanfare was made early on, he went on to do great things. He became an actor, a governor, and, most importantly, a great President. Ronald Reagan went on to change the political landscape of this country and the world like none before him and none since. Happy Birthday, Dutch!

On February 6, 1966, another baby boy entered the world. Though he has led a humble, simple life, he has produced a fine family with his beautiful, intelligent wife (:-D). Hard-working and smart, he has left a footprint in this world like no other. Happy Birthday, Hubby!

On February 6, 1995, yet another baby boy was born. Weighing in at 8 pounds 7 ounces, this baby boy has grown into a young man. With a lust for life and big dreams, he has overcome what some would call a disability. I call it a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. He's definitely his mother's pride and joy. Happy Birthday, Noah!!!

On this day, I usually buy two cakes to celebrate two birthdays. I hope the hubby wasn't counting on getting one. ;-D

Reagan on Education

If you believe your local school district is better qualified to run your schools than is the federal government you’d better get ready to do battle. … [The proposed education department would] create a bureaucracy of gigantic size to oversee thousands and thousands of public schools now administered by local school districts. -- Ronald Reagan, April 16, 1979, in a radio address made before the formation of the Department of Education.

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Personally, I believe in academic freedom but oppose limiting it to any one segment of academe. The teacher who interprets it as covering only the teacher’s right to teach is ignoring the student’s academic freedom and the right of parents to have some say as to what their children are learning. Then there is the academic freedom of those who finance the whole operation and have some beliefs about the kind of schooling they wish to make available with their contributions — all these are entitled to some share of academic freedom (letter to the editor of PEGASUS, Eureka, Illinois, March 31, 1971). -- Ronald Reagan in a letter to the editor of his alma mater's newspaper.

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For those of you with kids, please remember that tomorrow is BHO indoctrination day!!!

A Tale of Two Cities 2009

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. For there were but two cities people could hold as examples.

The first city sat perched upon a hilltop, emitting a beacon for all to see. The city was guarded by she who proclaimed: "Give me your huddled masses..." Her torch beckoned to all around the world to come and see the wondrous beauty of that city. She stood as an example of the possibility of one's dreams. Fair Lady inspired those who came to live their lives in freedom and goodwill to one another. And so they came.

The lady's lamp inspired a simple man to the call of his country. "Here I am. I will spread your message, Fair Lady." And so he did, and life was good.

The man's enemies labeled him as an ally to the "evil rich" whose taxes were cut by the Simple Man. Despite the eight years of success the Simple Man endured, he was often the subject of belittlement and derision from his enemies. Still, he continued delivering the lady's message: "Give me your huddled masses..." Her torch burned strong.

Peace seemed to follow the Simple Man. He was a gentle soul but never showed weakness to those around the world whose mission was to destroy the message of his Fair Lady. With one sentence, the Simple Man brought true change to a country with a history of mistrust of his beloved homeland and Fair Lady: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall." And so was the end of the oppression of many people.

The Simple Man fell victim to a horrible disease. Those who mocked him in success continued to degrade him in illness. He succumbed to Death, but he left a legacy that will never die. To this day, he is loved, revered, and remembered. The day will come when we can thank him in the mansion of Our Father.

Out of the second city came a young idealist. Not born of this land, he aspired to claim the same leadership position held by the Simple Man. His arrogance overrode his respect for the law. And so he dreamed of preaching "The Audacity of Hope".

The Idealist became world-wise early in life. Being moved to Indonesia at a young age, he became schooled in different cultures; cultures that sought to destroy the Simple Man's dream and the message of his Fair Lady. She trembled.

He studied the paragons of his ideals: Alinsky, Davis, Ayres. The Idealist draped their message of power and destruction around him akin to the robe of the Simple Man's Fair Lady. He studied how to obliterate political opponents who may speak the message "Give me your huddled masses...". The Fair Lady wept.

Power became the religion of the Idealist; political submission his eucharist. The Idealist used the power of the same office held by the Simple Man to pillage and plunder the huddled masses. His message of "hope and change" deceived the people into blind obedience. The Fair Lady's torch flickered.

Those who sought to bring down the city on the hilltop were placated by the Idealist. "We apologize" became his greeting to foreigners. And the huddled masses became angry.

We, the huddled masses who still believe in the Simple Man's message, have now become the angry huddled masses. Fair Lady's message will never die with us. We pass it from generation to generation; we educate, not indoctrinate. Let us do right by the Simple Man and his Fair Lady.

Fair Tax: The New Republican Weapon to Defeat the Dems?

Image via Wikipedia

Let me begin by saying that I don't talk about economics much. I find the subject very dry and very boring. I learn what I have to to stay afloat. Aside from that, forget it.

The Fair Tax subject doesn't scare me. It's simple and easy to understand. That fits in perfectly for a busy mom with three kids and a house to run.

Over at newsmax.com, Matt Towery has written a piece about how the Republicans could use this subject to beat the Dems. Tax reform was the one issue that made Ronald Reagan so wildly popular, and, done right, the ideals of Reagan could once again rear their heads. Towery has made some wonderful points concerning how the GOP could sell the Fair Tax to moderates.

The Fair Tax would eliminate the need for those headache-causing forms we fill out every year. How convenient would that be! Half an hour (tops), and you're done. All it takes is figuring what percentage of your income (depending on what the rate would be set at) you need to pay. That's it.

I also feel it would eliminate the God-awful Earned Income Credit (EIC). This tax credit is designed to act as a sort of welfare for those whose income isn't very high. I know of people who have taken the EIC, and it makes me sick when they say that they got back almost double what they paid for taxes. If they got back everything they paid in, great. But why should they get back more than that?

The need for companies to hide their money would disappear. As the present system stands today, I would venture a guess to say that after tax deductions, credits, and loopholes, companies today pay a lower percentage of taxes than the average American. The percentage RATE a major corporation would pay would be the same as the middle class, but the AMOUNT of their contribution into the system would be much greater. If a corporation could keep more of its money, they would invest in and expand their business. Everyone wins.

Towery says if the Fair Tax was to be marketed as "Elimination of the U.S. Tax Return Act of 2012", people would probably be more willing to support it. Americans love comfort and convenience.

The Fair Tax is long overdue.