The Lyin Kings: The Wannabe World Leaders

States

I

Those Blogging Liberals

When I finished my second book Sell Your Soul, my publisher set me up with a blog. If anybody that is a Republican or an Independent has ever blogged, you will know what I am talking about. Blogging is an experience in itself. It is another world made up of Liberals who are educated, I am guessing at Columbia University, or at least a very liberal college. They sit at their computers all day, on their blogs, waiting for bait. And that is putting it mildly.

The truth is it is like walking into a pit full of vipers that are ready to strike, and strike they do. They are vicious, malicious, venomous, spiteful and just plain brutal. And they think nothing of it. It is their nature. It is like isn’t everyone like that? And to some it means if you are here you deserve whatever nasty I can hand out and don’t go away, I am not done. A true Liberal is not Liberal at all. They are the most close-minded people of all. At least a Conservative person will admit their faults and strive to be a better person. A Liberal wants to take away all of your God-given rights.

Needless to say, in the blogging world, if you are not a Liberal, you can only take it in very small doses. But every once in a while it pays off and you are blessed. Every once in a while one of these individuals opens up just enough that you get to witness about God and everything goes quiet, and it was all worthwhile, and you know they listened, even if just for a second.

I am from the old school. I was raised conservatively and religiously. All of my friends were raised in that manner. It has only been in the past few years that I have run across the terms Liberal and Progressive and to find out that the people who are Liberals and Progressives are attempting to do away with our Constitution and religion is a little more than I can handle. I like our Constitution and I like it the way that it is. I do not think it needs to be changed.

Liberal and conservative values in conflict

If you listen to Liberal or conservative commentators exclusively, you may think there is only one correct point of view, and the other end of the political spectrum is populated by wackos, evil schemers, and fools. It is comfortable to think that truth resides exclusively on your side of the divide—but let’s try a mental experiment. Let’s assume that most people, whatever their politics, sincerely believe in their ideals, and that those ideals are not all misguided. Let’s look across the gorge and try to see what those other people are thinking.

[Note: Not all Liberals and conservatives would agree with every tenet listed here—but these are the beliefs that generally define the two groups.]

On the social safety net

The Liberal view

There are people in this world who need help. They struggle to put food on the table, or cannot afford medical care—and many of them live in the United States. A civilized society would try to help them, instead of leaving them to fend for themselves. (Someday, the one who needs a helping hand may be you, or someone you love. All it takes is a serious illness, an injury, a lay-off, or a death in the family.)

The conservative view

People are responsible for themselves—and, given the chance, they are capable of supporting themselves and their families. If the government makes a practice of providing for people (with welfare, for example), they become weak and dependent, and lose their will to work. Nothing could be more destructive to the health of our society.

On wealth, taxes, and the role of government

The conservative view

Government should serve the people—not the other way around.

That government is best which governs least. In business, this means letting the free market (the most efficient economic system ever devised) generate wealth without a heavy hand trying to direct it.

Governments tend to grow like snowballs rolling downhill. We must work to reverse this trend, or the government will expand and intrude on our lives even more than it does now.

A rising tide lifts all boats. When we allow the most dynamic, successful members of society to do what they do best, they create jobs and general prosperity. In other words, lowering taxes benefits everyone. The best way to improve America’s standard of living is to let people pursue their own goals, and reduce the bureaucratic obstacles that stand in their way.

The legitimate functions of our national government are to provide security through a strong defense and to protect freedom for the individual, so that people can pursue their own goals.

Private property means that what belongs to you is yours; if the government confiscates your property that is tyranny. Our most productive citizens—the top 10% of earners—already pay 68% of the tax revenues collected. These rates should be cut, not raised.

No one has an obligation to help a stranger involuntarily. Charity should be a personal decision. Encouraging voluntary giving would be better for America’s soul than seizing our money against our will, for purposes we don’t approve of.

The Liberal view

The proper function of government is to solve problems: to reduce poverty, protect civil rights and civil liberties, keep us safe from preventable harm and, as much as possible, and ensure that all Americans have an equal chance to succeed.

We are not isolated individuals, struggling for survival: we live together, in a society. Ignoring the problems around us is a narrow-minded way to live. A society in which everyone has enough is better than a society where some are rich and others starve.

There is not enough charity to take care of everyone who needs it; therefore, government has an important role to play. The alternative is letting people go hungry, homeless, or without medical care, and that is not acceptable in a country with as much wealth as ours.

The vast difference in income and lifestyle between the wealthiest and the poorest in our society is damaging the social fabric. We would not tolerate an America where 1% lived in luxury while 99% couldn’t feed their families; but America today comes closer to that than we have ever come before. (Today, the richest 1% earns 24% of the income in the U.S., and the top 20% own 85% of the wealth.) Membership in a society that makes wealth possible comes with obligations. Those who benefit most from our freedoms must contribute their fair share to help those who haven’t been as fortunate.

The rising tide analogy is misleading. While poorer Americans have made very modest gains since the 1970s, income inequality has surged. The richest fifth’s income has grown at a rate eleven times greater than the poorest fifth’s, and the proportion of families living below the official poverty line has stayed in the 12-15% range.

Large corporations, if unregulated, will do whatever they think will maximize profits, even if that wreaks havoc on the environment or on the welfare of ordinary citizens. Even the most courageous individual cannot prevent or stop corporate abuses; only the government has the power to do that.

If the government can help create job opportunities during a time of high unemployment (as it did during the Great Depression), that is a perfect use of tax dollars.

On war and defense

The Liberal view

War means violence against innocent people, death and injury to young soldiers, and more pain and suffering than the news ever shows. We are too quick to use our armed forces.

The conservative view

There are violent people in this world, who hate this country and mean us harm. We have a right and a responsibility to defend ourselves. This is true on the national level, and on the personal level. If someone wants to keep a gun in the house to defend against intruders, that’s his or her right and it is guaranteed by our Constitution.

On families

The conservative view

The family is the primary unit of society, and a sacred institution. People don’t have the right to define the word family any way they please, and to demand legal recognition for their personal preference.

Officially recognizing a same-sex relationship as a marriage violates the moral and religious beliefs of millions of Americans.

The Liberal view

Not every family resembles the traditional model. Many include only one parent; others have two parents of the same gender. These are families, too, and deserve the same respect and recognition that traditional families receive.

Sexual orientation is inborn, not a sinful choice. When heterosexual people get to know gay coworkers and neighbors, they usually learn to accept this, and move beyond anti-gay prejudice.

Many families are under stress as never before, due to divorce, unemployment, financial strains, and disabilities. Instead of paying lip service to family values, our society needs to help families that are struggling.

On immigration

The Liberal view

Unless you’re a Native American, your ancestors came from somewhere else. As much as possible, we should welcome immigrants, who come here to escape poverty and oppression, instead of treating them like criminals.

The conservative view

Past generations of immigrants came here legally; most present immigrants broke the law by entering the U.S., and therefore do not have the right to be here, let alone to use social services that the rest of us have to pay for.

There are not enough jobs in the U.S. for our legal citizens. Much as we might like to welcome newcomers, we have to draw the line somewhere. We must secure our borders.

On the environment

The conservative view

The earth is ours to use responsibly. Some people make a religion out of preserving wild lands, but they do not realize how much of the earth remains untouched. We are nowhere near using it up.

When clean energy can compete with fossil fuels in the marketplace—i.e., when it becomes affordable—then it may be widely adopted. Forcing people to pay a premium for environmentally correct energy is the wrong way to go.

The Liberal view

Our health, and our children’s, depends on the quality of the air we breathe and the water we drink. The environment is infinitely precious—and it is not infinitely capable of healing itself. We need to protect our air and water from pollution, and to preserve unspoiled wilderness from thoughtless development.

The challenge of global warming presents us with an opportunity: by investing in clean energy technology (as China already has done), we can prevent the worst consequences of climate change and reinvigorate our economy.

On overcoming racism

The Liberal view

The difference in income between white people and African-Americans is still significant, and directly linked to centuries of oppression. We haven’t overcome the legacy of slavery yet. Even if we can point to successful individuals, there’s still a long way to go.

The conservative view

Past injustices are in the past. Current law protects equal rights for all races, and it’s up to individuals to work hard and succeed according to their abilities. There is no longer a need to tip the balance in minorities’ favor to make up for what happened long ago. To do so is reverse discrimination and creates new injustices.

On women

The conservative view

Women are biologically different from men. To pretend otherwise is a mistake. Of course women should be free to pursue careers if they wish—but they should also be respected for choosing to take on the traditional roles of wife, mother, and homemaker.

The Liberal view

Women deserve the same rights and opportunities that society grants to men. We’ve made progress, but when it comes to income and representation in elected offices, equality is still far off.

On prayer in schools

The Liberal view

Not everyone in every classroom has the same religious beliefs. Forcing every child to say the same prayer, or any prayer at all amounts to coercion. Our Founding Fathers were careful to protect the religious freedom of minorities by making religion a private matter, separate from government.

The conservative view

The Founding Fathers were not atheists. To forbid as innocent and commendable an act as praying in school for fear of offending a small number of people goes beyond separation of church and state, into the realm of suppressing religion.

On abortion

The conservative view

Life begins at conception. No matter how inconvenient the pregnancy is for the mother, killing the unborn child is murder. If she can’t raise the child herself, adoption is the ethical alternative.

Young people need to understand that sex is how people reproduce, and if they’re not ready to have babies, they shouldn’t have sex. Those who seek pleasure irresponsibly will eventually have to face the consequences.

The Liberal view

What begins at conception is not a human life but a process of development that culminates in the birth of a person. If a young girl or a woman becomes pregnant but is not prepared to be a mother, or to go through the process of bearing a child, she has the right to end the pregnancy. A fetus is not a baby.

If you outlaw abortion, women will still abort unwanted pregnancies, as they have for centuries—and many of them will be injured in the process, for lack of qualified medical care.

You can lecture teenagers forever about abstinence, but biology is stronger than lectures. Most people have sex by age 18, long before they want children. No sermons can change that. But we can reduce the number of abortions performed in the U.S. by teaching teens about birth control and making it easily available. That’s the ethical alternative.

On human nature and justice

The conservative view

We have the power to choose between right and wrong, and are responsible for our choices. Those who violate the law must pay the penalties. Too much leniency results in a culture of disrespect for the law, and social disorder.

The Liberal view

Human beings are capable of both selflessness and brutality. Even the best of us is far from perfect. Knowing this, we rely on the rule of law—and ask that justice be tempered with mercy.

On America’s future

The Liberal view

Most of the world’s most successful, prosperous nations are Liberal democracies that provide their citizens with a strong safety net. This represents the natural progress of civilization. It’s time for us to catch up.

The conservative view

What made America great—what makes this the country so many people around the world yearn to live in—is the vastness of opportunity here. Freedom of opportunity requires freedom from government interference. We are not Europe, and would be wrong to follow in Europe’s footsteps. We can do better by going our own way.

The values we cherish Conservatives

Duty, honesty, hard work, self-sacrifice, loves of country, loyalty, and self-restraint.

Liberals

Justice, compassion, equality of opportunity, and honesty about what is great in our country, and what could be better.

(News-Basics). http://news-basics.com/2010/Liberal-vs-conservative-values.

So what rules now? Is it the President that we have in office? When Barack Obama got into office our country did change and every Liberal felt free to express their opinions where everyone was quiet previously. When Obama championed gay rights, every gay and lesbian in the country came out of the closet and was invited to visit the White House and waived a flag and certainly voted Obama in for a second term. When Obama championed immigration reform instead of enforcement of the laws presently on the books, he secured the votes of the Mexican population in America. When Obama championed those of color he said I will give you free phones, food stamps or an EBT card, free housing that includes new flat screen TVs and new furniture, Medicaid, and 99 weeks of unemployment and all of the free education you want whether you attend school or not. All you have to do is buy yourself a new truck. So you tell me if being a Liberal is better. Free stuff is better than going out and working for a living and having self-respect.

Just giving 12 million potential new citizen’s free healthcare alone could overwhelm the system and bankrupt America. But it adds 12 million reliable new Democratic voters who can be counted on to support big government. Add another few trillion dollars in welfare, aid to dependent children, food stamps, free medical, education, tax credits for the poor, and eventually Social Security.

When will this President stand up and tell all immigrants that they are now in the United States of America and if they want to live and work in the United States of America, then they must learn to speak English and respect our laws. That if they want to live here, they must fly the American flag, not the flag of Mexico. The United States will not grant them special privileges or change our laws no matter how loudly they yell discrimination or if they are offended. They will no longer get free handouts from this government and if they want to live in this country, they will need to apply for citizenship and assimilate into the communities as American citizens.

II

Congress

And now is there any wonder why Congress cannot get anything accomplished? Why is it that there is no partisanship in Congress, and that Congress has to make a deal on everything instead of voting on something just because it is the right thing to do? A Democrat and a Republican is so inexplicably different in ideas and thinking that it is a miracle that anything is ever accomplished in Washington. No bill can be passed without adding pork, or the Senators being paid behind the scenes for their votes. That pork is our tax dollars.

The dissention between the people of our country will not ease while Obama is in office. Obama is an agitator. I accept that this is part of God’s Plan, although I do not like living in this day and age. The Communist Party, USA endorsed Barack Obama when he ran for office in 2012. It will not get any better as long as we have all of the Communists in the House and Senate.

The Socialist Party of America recently released a list of their members. The list included seventy (70) of our Democratic Congressmen. Yes, I repeat, Seventy (70) of our United States Congressmen are Communists. And the Socialist Party of America has the same emblem as does Obama, except their Emblem includes a sickle and hammer in the center. You may review a list of those Congressmen and see a picture of the Emblem by going here to this website as well as see a list below. http://sadhillnews.com/2011/08/19/socialist-party-of-america-publishes-member-list-includes-70-democrat-congressmen-and-congresswomen.

Florida Congressman Allan West has made public the names of 80 members of the Democratic Party that belong to the Communist Party, USA. Our President was one of them. When you think about these men representing our nation and making our laws, that is pretty shocking. You can now understand why they walked out of the Capital Building on the first day that Congress was in Session and the Constitution was being read. They, as our President, did not want any part of our Constitution.

Allen West neglected to mention the fact that members of the GOP were actually working with communists in the development of the gang of eight immigration bill. Why? The Communist Party USA is as deeply entrenched in the GOP as it is in the Democrat Party.

The radical Marxist-progressives (Communists) took control of the democrat party some time ago. They’ve only become more emboldened with the election of Barack Obama, who was raised as a communist from birth. With their new found leader, Obama, they feel secure enough that they can announce the names of some of their members. The Socialist Party of America Publishes a Member List which Includes 70 Democrat Congressmen And Congresswomen: Other than Bernie Sanders, who ran as a Socialist, the rest ran as Moderate Democrats. They are all Marxists, or have Marxists leanings. They all are big government totalitarians hell-bent on destroying America, the Constitution, and our way of life. One needs no other proof than the way Congress has acted since the Marxist-democrats took control four years ago, and the tyranny that has been championed since Obama was sworn in.

This is a list of socialists in the U.S. House from the Progressive Caucus which is affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America and is the largest socialist organization in the United States and principle U.S. affiliate of the Socialist International. All are Democrats.

Notable Past Member:

Barack Hussein Obama

Co-Chairs:

Hon. Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-07)

Hon. Lynn Woolsey (CA-06)

Vice Chairs:

Hon. Diane Watson (CA-33)

Hon. Keith Ellison (MN-05)

Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX-18)

Hon. Mazie Hirono (HI-02)

Hon. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)

Hon. Donna F. Edwards (MD-04)

Hon. Alan Grayson (FL-08)

Senate Members:

Hon. Roland Burris (IL)

Hon. Bernie Sanders (VT)

Hon. Tom Udall (NM)

House Members:

Hon. Tammy Baldwin (WI-02)

Hon. Xavier Becerra (CA-31)

Hon. Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Hon. Robert Brady (PA-01)

Hon. Corrine Brown (FL-03)

Hon. Michael Capuano (MA-08)

Hon. André Carson (IN-07)

Hon. Donna Christensen (VI-AL)

Hon. Judy Chu (CA-32)

Hon. Yvette Clarke (NY-11)

Hon. William Lacy Clay (MO-01)

Hon. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)

Hon. Steve Cohen (TN-09)

Hon. John Conyers (MI-14)

Hon. Elijah Cummings (MD-07)

Hon. Danny Davis (IL-07)

Hon. Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Hon. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

Hon. Sam Farr (CA-17)

Hon. Chaka Fattah (PA-02)

Hon. Bob Filner (CA-51)

Hon. Barney Frank (MA-04)

Hon. Jim Moran (VA-08)

Hon. Jerrold Nadler (NY-08)

Hon. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (DC-AL)

Hon. John Oliver (MA-01)

Hon. Frank Pallone (NJ-06)

Hon. Ed Pastor (AZ-04)

Hon. Donald Payne (NJ-10)

Hon. Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

Hon. Jared Polis (CO-02)

Hon. Charles Rangel (NY-15)

Hon. Laura Richardson (CA-37)

Hon. Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34)

Hon. Bobby Rush (IL-01)

Hon. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11)

Hon. Luis Gutierrez (IL-04)

Hon. John Hall (NY-19)

Hon. Phil Hare (IL-17)

Hon. Alcee Hastings (FL-23)

Hon. Maurice Hinchey (NY-22)

Hon. Michael Honda (CA-15)

Hon. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-02)

Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)

Hon. Hank Johnson (GA-04)

Hon. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Hon. Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI-13)

Hon. Barbara Lee (CA-09)

Hon. John Lewis (GA-05)

Hon. David Loebsack (IA-02)

Hon. Ben R. Lujan (NM-3)

Hon. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)

Hon. Ed Markey (MA-07)

Hon. Jim McDermott (WA-07)

Hon. James McGovern (MA-03)

Hon. George Miller (CA-07)

Hon. Gwen Moore (WI-04)

Hon. Linda Sánchez (CA-39)

Hon. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)

Hon. José Serrano (NY-16)

Hon. Louise Slaughter (NY-28)

Hon. Pete Stark (CA-13)

Hon. Bennie Thompson (MS-02)

Hon. John Tierney (MA-06)

Hon. Lydia Velazquez (NY-12)

Hon. Maxine Waters (CA-35)

Hon. Mel Watt (NC-12)

Hon. Henry Waxman (CA-30)

Hon. Peter Welch (VT-AL)

The next time you vote for a Senator or Representative, you might want to check to find out if he or she is a conservative or liberal before you vote.

Another reason Congress cannot get anything done is in the year 2012 they were off work 244 days. We pay them a six figure salary, plus expenses, and they were out playing golf 244 days out of 365 days that they did not work. Now I want a job like that.

The calendar for 2013 was released and Congress worked a total of 126 days. In 2013, the House of Representatives took off 239 days. What a life, huh? What a job? In January they worked eight days. That hardly seems worth the effort to get out of bed and fly to Washington. In February they had to work eleven days. In March, April and May they worked twelve days. In June they had to work sixteen days. In July they had to work fourteen days. Awh, in August they only had to work two whole days. In September they had to work nine days. In October they had to work fourteen days. In November and December they had to work eight days. This means they spent roughly two-thirds of the year not working.

The average pay for a Congressman is $174,000 per year, plus expenses, but for a leadership position, the salary is higher. But not everyone is average; the Speaker of the House gets $223,500 a year, while the majority and minority leaders of both the Senate and the House, along with the President Pro Tempore, get paid $193.400 per year. These salary figures come out to nearly $100 million dollars for all 541 members of Congress. That is before we get into benefits, perks, and retirement wages. You have heard about the Congressional Healthcare Plan? How about the travel plans and the security details, and of course, their spending accounts? A percentage of these perks are paid for by the taxpayers. In 2010, these programs accounted for $4.66 Billion in taxpayer funds. Hardly seems worth it for someone that works 126 days out of the year, does it? And to think that the first day they are in session every year, the first thing they do is vote an increase in their salary.

Now Congress is saying they are not making enough money to live on.

That $4.66 Billion does not include payment to the retirement plan or salaries of the former members of Congress if he served at least five years regardless of whether it was in the House or Senate, they receive full pay and health benefits for life. The estimates for these benefits were between $500 million and $1.2 billion. That’s a wide range, but there are people receiving pay that are not former legislators. The wives of prominent Senators Robert Byrd and Ted Kennedy receive a reduced rate of pay under the survivor benefit plan. They can still access the health benefits, but receive between 50 and 75 percent of their late husbands’ salaries. This provides a rough estimate of $6 billion per year spent on Congressional pay and benefits. http://www.examiner.com/article/how-much-does-congressional-pay-and-benefits-cost-taxpayers.

Congress does just enough work to help them keep their jobs. But that is about to end. America is offended with their doing nothing but making deals. Right now the Republicans may control Congress, but only because Americans put them in that position in the last election. Americans gave them the chance to do something great for America. What are they doing? Nothing! Thirty-three times the House of Representatives voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. What good did that do? On September 20th 2013 they finally voted to defund the Affordable Care Act. Now it has to go to the Senate. Will they also vote to defund the Act? Of course not! We know even if they did Obama, would veto it.

You could probably say this is one of the worst Congresses ever. Or maybe I just pay more attention than I ever did before. As Mark Twain once said, Reader, suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress. But I repeat myself. This Congress should be dubbed the do-nothing Congress. When polls were made of things more popular than this Congress, Hugo Chavez tied with this Congress. Everywhere you look there is a poll should Congress repeal ObamaCare? Or Should Congress defund ObamaCare? These polls are put out to appease the public, not because Congress is going to do anything about it.

Did you know our Congress came within seven votes of giving our Constitution away to the United Nations? In a 53-46 vote, the Senate narrowly passed a measure that will stop the United States from entering into the United Nations Small Arms Trade Treaty. The U.N. Small Arms Treaty, which has been championed by the Obama Administration, would have effectively placed a global ban on the import and export of small firearms. The ban would have affected all private gun owners in the U.S., and had language that would have implemented an international gun registry on all private guns and ammo. Forty-Six of our United States Senators were willing to give away our Constitutional rights to a foreign power. One was an Independent from Maine, one was an Independent from Vermont, and the rest were Democrats. These Senators voted to let the United Nations take our Second Amendment Constitutional rights away. They betrayed the American people and need to lose their next election just like the two in Colorado.

Baldwin (D-WI)

Baucus (D-MT)

Bennet (D-CO)

Blumenthal (D-CT)

Boxer (D-CA)

Brown (D-OH)

Cantwell (D-WA)

Cardin (D-MD)

Carper (D-DE)

Casey (D-PA)

Coons (D-DE)

Cowan (D-MA)

Durbin (D-IL)

Feinstein (D-CA)

Franken (D-MN)

Gillibrand (D-NY)

Harkin (D-IA)

Hirono (D-HI)

Johnson (D-SD)

Kaine (D-VA)

King (I-ME)

Klobuchar (D-MN)

Landrieu (D-LA)

Leahy (D-VT)

Levin (D-MI)

McCaskill (D-MO)

Menendez (D-NJ)

Merkley (D-OR)

Mikulski (D-MD)

Murphy (D-CT)

Murray (D-WA)

Nelson (D-FL)

Reed (D-RI)

Reid (D-NV)

Rockefeller (D-WV)

Sanders (I-VT)

Schatz (D-HI)

Schumer (D-NY)

Shaheen (D-NH)

Stabenow (D-MI)

Udall (D-CO)

Udall (D-NM)

Warner (D-VA)

Warren (D-MA)

Whitehouse (D-RI)

Wyden (D-OR)

And now John Kerry has signed the Small Arms Treaty and the vote will come before Congress again. Well, maybe not. It seems that four Democratic Senators got together and sent a letter to President Obama making it clear that he will not get the 67 votes in the Senate that are necessary for ratification of the Treaty. You will note the votes were Democrats. Obviously we cannot allow the Democrats to take over the Senate or we will lose the Second Amendment.

Do you know of any other business in the entire world that if the department heads cannot agree on something that they shut down the whole business and give all the employees full pay while they are off work? Seems like a good reason to fire the entire government. What would happen if AT&T or Xerox Corporation had a budget problem? Do you think they could close their doors and punish the consumers?

Every day each American has to deal with their own budget, yet we elect Congressmen and Presidents, who are supposed to be educated Lawyers and Accountants who want to do nothing but spend our hard-earned money and not deal with a budget. They want us to pay them even when they refuse to work. They talked about cutting costs by closing the monuments in Washington, D.C., but they actually spent thousands of dollars to hire armed guards to keep veterans from visiting the open-air monuments. How does closing an outdoor monument save the government money?

Does anyone check up on the different government departments to see how they are spending the money or how much they have left when budget time comes again? Did you know that if a department does not spend all of the money allotted to them by Congress that the following year they get less money? That means this calls for a lot of wasteful spending by a lot of department heads in our government. This does not just happen in the Federal Government. It occurs at the State and local levels as well. But right now we will discuss the Federal level. Congress is talking about The Affordable Care Act vs. the Budget. The Department Heads did the following:

The Department of Veterans Affairs bought $562,000 worth of artwork with their leftover budget funds.

The Agriculture Department spent $144,000 on toner cartridges with their leftover budget funds. Well, at least it was something useable.

The Coast Guard spent $178,000 on Cubicle Furniture Rehab with their leftover budget fund.

These are just departments and items that can be verified. These were unmistakable signs of use it or lose it purchases in Washington. While Congress was fighting over the budget, Federal workers were trying to spend the rest of this year’s budget before it was too late. It was a system set up by Congress that the allotted agencies had to spend the funds by September 30th each year. If they do not spend the funds, they are docked the funds in future years.

Apparently none of the agencies need the amount of money they are receiving. Is Congress doing their job? No. Can they cut the budget? Yes. There should be at least a 1% plus budget cut across the board for every agency.

Congressional delegates from 29 states