This past week I had some work done on my house. A few zones of my sprinkler system needed to be redone and I needed a pool company to come out because I had a malfunction of the filter. I tried on my own to fix the pool problem but after hours and hours of attempts I could not diagnose and remedy the problem. The sprinkler guy came with a team of six workers, all Mexican. The main guy, an Italian guy, told me the price and said he was only there for one thing, to collect the money. The Mexicans did all the work in 2 hours and did an excellent job. It was back breaking work requiring a lot of digging. The pool company sent out a team of two, both Mexican. They fixed the problem in twenty minutes (yes, I felt like an idiot) and paid 200 dollars for the visit.
I was thinking to myself what if these Mexicans weren't around. I suspect they are all illegal and get paid in cash from the employer. The employer sits in an office, gets the jobs, and sends out Mexicans ( cheap labor) to do the actual work. If the employer had to hire Americans to do the work, assuming any would take the job, it probably would cost me at least double the amount and the work would likely not be the quality as performed by the illegal Mexicans. So I benefit from the cheap available labor of the Mexicans in the form of lower prices and excellent workmanship.
I honestly believe you would not be able to find Americans to do these types of jobs. It is much better for them to be unemployed and collect a check from the government. The American employee would need to be paid much more than the illegal, would require periodic breaks and sick time, demand health care and probably be out on disability after three weeks of back breaking labor. The truth is we need these Mexicans and we all benefit from there presence.
To those who would say they do not pay taxes, that is a ridiculous argument. It is unlikely they make enough to pay income tax but they pay sales tax on everything they buy. If they actually had to fill out a tax return it is likely in this era of redistribution that they would receive more as a rebate than would actually have to pay.
Some would argue that they use social programs such as hospital emergency rooms and the prison system to incarcerate criminal illegals. Yes, they do drain some valuable resources but I think they add more to the economy than they take. If we were tried to eliminate the illegals we would likely lose the positive aspects the law abiding ones have on the economy but the bad apples would still find a way to get here retaining the negative aspects. We might as well keep both and attempt to reduce the negative as much as possible.
I do not agree with the anti-immigrant stance. I do not think the illegal immigrants should be given amnesty or be offered citizenship but I do not believe they should be deported either. They should be allowed to stay to fill jobs Americans do not want but not have access to the social benefits they would receive if offered amnesty (especially voting rights). We have the demand and they have the supply. If the jobs are available they will come in and fill them. If the jobs dry up then they will return to Mexico. In other words, things should stay exactly as they are. We benefit and they benefit.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Newt in 2012
It seems to be getting clearer and clearer that the time is perfect for Newt Gingrich to assume the leadership position in the Republican party. The right is yearning for a conservative figure to lead the republicans and he has the ability to rally all the various factions including the tea partyers, the evangelicals, the moderates and the more intellectual right leaning voters. I believe he also has strong appeal to the independents as the their main issue is fiscal responsibility and that is his strength. One fear regarding the tea partyers is that they would push the Republicans too far to the right shrinking the republican tent. I think Newt could capture their support as well as keeping a broad tent.
The 2012 election compares to the 1980 election when Ronald Reagan was chosen over Jimmy Carter. Carter was elected after the voters grew tired of Republican impropriety and were ready for a change. Carter was elected only because he was the non-Republican, not because of his policies. The voters rapidly tired of his left leaning policies. The people were ready for a true conservative to step up and assume leadership, hence Reagan was elected. Similarly now BO was elected only because of the circumstances surrounding the election including an unpopular war and economic collapse. The voters were not looking for a radical leftist to recreate America and now are rapidly moving away from him. This sets the stage for a strong conservative to step in and Newt is the one.
There is really no competition for him. Palin, although she has strong appeal to a certain sector of the population has been stereotyped as an unintelligent red neck and will fail terribly against the smooth BO. Romney will lose because he instituted Obamacare into Massachusettes which is very unpopular amongst the right leaning voters. He is not to the right enough for the tea partyers. Jindal, Huckabee, Sanford and Pawelnty all have potential but none have the appeal, the name recognition, and the ability to unite the Republican party.
In the 2008 campaign there was very little to discuss about BO's record especially since he voted present on so many issues. Now he has to defend a record. His only answer is it's Bush's fault. That will not stand and the American people are tired of that excuse. Newt will be awesome against BO in the campaign and the debates and will dramatically expand the Republican tent. He will win against BO in a landslide election. I am really excited for his campaign to start and to eventually rescue this country from the radical left.
I recommend you go to NEWT.ORG to check out his newsletter as well as the video portions to see his recent speeches. You can use this link to see his most recent speech. Paste into the address bar.
http://www.newt.org/video/becoming-party-yes-newt-gingrich-speaks-southern-republican-leadership-conference
The 2012 election compares to the 1980 election when Ronald Reagan was chosen over Jimmy Carter. Carter was elected after the voters grew tired of Republican impropriety and were ready for a change. Carter was elected only because he was the non-Republican, not because of his policies. The voters rapidly tired of his left leaning policies. The people were ready for a true conservative to step up and assume leadership, hence Reagan was elected. Similarly now BO was elected only because of the circumstances surrounding the election including an unpopular war and economic collapse. The voters were not looking for a radical leftist to recreate America and now are rapidly moving away from him. This sets the stage for a strong conservative to step in and Newt is the one.
There is really no competition for him. Palin, although she has strong appeal to a certain sector of the population has been stereotyped as an unintelligent red neck and will fail terribly against the smooth BO. Romney will lose because he instituted Obamacare into Massachusettes which is very unpopular amongst the right leaning voters. He is not to the right enough for the tea partyers. Jindal, Huckabee, Sanford and Pawelnty all have potential but none have the appeal, the name recognition, and the ability to unite the Republican party.
In the 2008 campaign there was very little to discuss about BO's record especially since he voted present on so many issues. Now he has to defend a record. His only answer is it's Bush's fault. That will not stand and the American people are tired of that excuse. Newt will be awesome against BO in the campaign and the debates and will dramatically expand the Republican tent. He will win against BO in a landslide election. I am really excited for his campaign to start and to eventually rescue this country from the radical left.
I recommend you go to NEWT.ORG to check out his newsletter as well as the video portions to see his recent speeches. You can use this link to see his most recent speech. Paste into the address bar.
http://www.newt.org/video/becoming-party-yes-newt-gingrich-speaks-southern-republican-leadership-conference
Monday, May 10, 2010
New Jersey and Greece, Perfect Together
There is a glaring similarity between the financial crisis in Greece and the crisis in several states in this country. Both belong to a larger union which have a single currency. Both are unable to print money. Both have borrowed way too much to fund their spending. Public employment is bloated with too many employees with unrealistic salaries, undeliverable benefits, and retirement packages which are completely out of line with the private sector.
In both situations they are are seeking the other more responsible states/countries in the union to bail them out. In the case of the US the Obama administration is funding bankrupt states with stimulus funds to prop up their failed bloated governments. This money is raised by taxation of all of the states including those that have made fiscally responsible choices. Additionally, there is no demand to control spending and effectively encourages the failed state's irresponsible behavior as a bailout is always around the corner.
In the case of Greece the European Union is offering a bailout. These funds are obtained from other countries in the union including Spain which itself is on the verge of needing a bailout. In addition the International Monetary Fund is offering a bailout and the irony is the IMF is funded by countries who themselves are running ridiculous deficits. The US would contribute to the IMF bailout while it is has a deficit of 12 trillion dollars. The American taxpayer will effectively be giving their money to some Greek public worker so he/she can have his promised benefits. Ridiculous.
And finally, both are having a very difficult time trying to institute changes in their public work force in order to be fiscally responsible. As Greece attempts to decrease its expenditures and cut the public workforce it is met with violent riots. In New Jersey when the new governor tries to bring the budget into balance and cut expenses he is met with radical protests, threats and demands that taxes be increased to cover the public jobs.
Taxes can no longer be increased to cover government runaway spending. The only option is to cut expenses and both the Greek and New Jersey public worker will have to suffer for the mistakes made by its government that expanded beyond what was realistic. It is not the fault of the current government trying to cut costs or the fault of the public employee who obtained the job. It is the fault of the government that was in place when the expansion took place and made promises to people that could not be fulfilled.
Ultimately, it is the idea of big government that has brought this pain to so many. It is a fault of the democratic system where government can spend money it doesn't have in order to garner votes to maintain power. This is happening all over the world. It will be very interesting to follow how the financial situations of Greece, New Jersey and elsewhere get resolved.
In both situations they are are seeking the other more responsible states/countries in the union to bail them out. In the case of the US the Obama administration is funding bankrupt states with stimulus funds to prop up their failed bloated governments. This money is raised by taxation of all of the states including those that have made fiscally responsible choices. Additionally, there is no demand to control spending and effectively encourages the failed state's irresponsible behavior as a bailout is always around the corner.
In the case of Greece the European Union is offering a bailout. These funds are obtained from other countries in the union including Spain which itself is on the verge of needing a bailout. In addition the International Monetary Fund is offering a bailout and the irony is the IMF is funded by countries who themselves are running ridiculous deficits. The US would contribute to the IMF bailout while it is has a deficit of 12 trillion dollars. The American taxpayer will effectively be giving their money to some Greek public worker so he/she can have his promised benefits. Ridiculous.
And finally, both are having a very difficult time trying to institute changes in their public work force in order to be fiscally responsible. As Greece attempts to decrease its expenditures and cut the public workforce it is met with violent riots. In New Jersey when the new governor tries to bring the budget into balance and cut expenses he is met with radical protests, threats and demands that taxes be increased to cover the public jobs.
Taxes can no longer be increased to cover government runaway spending. The only option is to cut expenses and both the Greek and New Jersey public worker will have to suffer for the mistakes made by its government that expanded beyond what was realistic. It is not the fault of the current government trying to cut costs or the fault of the public employee who obtained the job. It is the fault of the government that was in place when the expansion took place and made promises to people that could not be fulfilled.
Ultimately, it is the idea of big government that has brought this pain to so many. It is a fault of the democratic system where government can spend money it doesn't have in order to garner votes to maintain power. This is happening all over the world. It will be very interesting to follow how the financial situations of Greece, New Jersey and elsewhere get resolved.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Reverse Boycott of Arizona
For all those people who believe it is the right of Arizona to protect its people when the federal government is derelict in its duty, we should make it our business to demonstrate this with our dollars. It is ridiculous that the people of Arizona have to endure the financial burden as well as the elevated crime created by the Mexican druggies coming across the border.
It is the federal government's responsibility to control the borders and it is clearly not willing to do so. It is crazy that the media is portraying this as a racial issue. It is a national security issue, an illegal foreign invasion, and a threat to individual tax paying Americans. BO should take the lead on this and loudly declare that the US will not tolerate this behavior and will protect Arizonans from this threat. BO will not make that choice to protect US citizens and would rather protect the Mexican drug lord illegally crossing the border. He clearly is throwing Arizona under the bus by not allowing them to protect themselves only for political reasons, to pander to the Hispanic community. He is so pathetic to not have the courage to stand up for the Arizonan tax payer.
The boycott against Arizona should be offset by a reverse boycott by those who agree with allowing Arizona to crack down on illegal immigrant criminals. Those looking to go on vacation should consider going to Arizona to spend their dollars. A trip to the Grand Canyon this summer would be a perfect getaway. Go to a convention in Arizona. If you are going to a baseball game this year make a statement and go to a Diamondbacks game. And when you are food shopping pick up some extra Arizona iced tea. Yeah, I know it is made in Long Island but it would still be a great message if Arizona iced tea sales increased. We need to demonstrate with cash our support for the citizens of Arizona.
It is the federal government's responsibility to control the borders and it is clearly not willing to do so. It is crazy that the media is portraying this as a racial issue. It is a national security issue, an illegal foreign invasion, and a threat to individual tax paying Americans. BO should take the lead on this and loudly declare that the US will not tolerate this behavior and will protect Arizonans from this threat. BO will not make that choice to protect US citizens and would rather protect the Mexican drug lord illegally crossing the border. He clearly is throwing Arizona under the bus by not allowing them to protect themselves only for political reasons, to pander to the Hispanic community. He is so pathetic to not have the courage to stand up for the Arizonan tax payer.
The boycott against Arizona should be offset by a reverse boycott by those who agree with allowing Arizona to crack down on illegal immigrant criminals. Those looking to go on vacation should consider going to Arizona to spend their dollars. A trip to the Grand Canyon this summer would be a perfect getaway. Go to a convention in Arizona. If you are going to a baseball game this year make a statement and go to a Diamondbacks game. And when you are food shopping pick up some extra Arizona iced tea. Yeah, I know it is made in Long Island but it would still be a great message if Arizona iced tea sales increased. We need to demonstrate with cash our support for the citizens of Arizona.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Where to Get News
It is ironic that with so many media outlets including tv, cable, and print it is actually difficult to get accurate and reliable news. A lot of the news just skims the surface and it is difficult to find resources that look deeper into stories. In depth news about Israel seems quite hard to come by. These are a few of the sources that I go to on a regular basis.
I get the Wall Street Journal everyday and I usually turn to the back of the first section where the editorials, commentary, and letters are written. I find these to be very informative and consistent with my political bias. Beyond that, if I have time, I read the personal finance pages which often have good advice on my own financial situation. Then, the front pages and finally the financial data pages which I rarely get to.
C-SPAN has a show every morning called Washington Journal. It is a call-in show from 7-10 without a screener and the topics are fairly wide-ranging. The reason I like it is that people say what they truly feel. Periodically, they discuss Israel or the Middle East in general and it amazes me the number of calls that come in which are anti-Israel. Often they are discussing an unrelated topic and someone will call in blaming Israel. The guests on the show field questions from the public and the topics are discussed in depth.
Every night from 9-1am the John Batchelor show airs on talk radio 770. He has a very interesting show and has guests which are quite informative on foreign policy. I especially recommend Thursday nights when Malcolm Hoenlein is cohosting. There is usually an in depth conversation regarding the Middle East and Israel in particular. Malcolm Hoenlein can also be heard on JM in the AM on Friday mornings or you can go to the website archives and listen to his update from the computer (Jmintheam.org).
Finally, if I get home in time I like to watch Special Report on Fox News from 6:40-7pm. There is a panel discussion but I really only like to hear what Charles Krauthammer has to say about the events of the day. He has the ability to cut directly to the core of issues and explain them in a simple manner with excellent commentary. If anybody has other outlets, I would love to hear about them.
I get the Wall Street Journal everyday and I usually turn to the back of the first section where the editorials, commentary, and letters are written. I find these to be very informative and consistent with my political bias. Beyond that, if I have time, I read the personal finance pages which often have good advice on my own financial situation. Then, the front pages and finally the financial data pages which I rarely get to.
C-SPAN has a show every morning called Washington Journal. It is a call-in show from 7-10 without a screener and the topics are fairly wide-ranging. The reason I like it is that people say what they truly feel. Periodically, they discuss Israel or the Middle East in general and it amazes me the number of calls that come in which are anti-Israel. Often they are discussing an unrelated topic and someone will call in blaming Israel. The guests on the show field questions from the public and the topics are discussed in depth.
Every night from 9-1am the John Batchelor show airs on talk radio 770. He has a very interesting show and has guests which are quite informative on foreign policy. I especially recommend Thursday nights when Malcolm Hoenlein is cohosting. There is usually an in depth conversation regarding the Middle East and Israel in particular. Malcolm Hoenlein can also be heard on JM in the AM on Friday mornings or you can go to the website archives and listen to his update from the computer (Jmintheam.org).
Finally, if I get home in time I like to watch Special Report on Fox News from 6:40-7pm. There is a panel discussion but I really only like to hear what Charles Krauthammer has to say about the events of the day. He has the ability to cut directly to the core of issues and explain them in a simple manner with excellent commentary. If anybody has other outlets, I would love to hear about them.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
BO vs. Bibi
Ponder the following scenario. Hezbollah instigates Israel by kidnapping a couple of soldiers or sending a suicide bomber or placing their new Syrian/Iranian scuds on the border. Israel retaliates and the confrontation with Hezbollah escalates. Israel has has it with the Syrians supplying weapons to Hezbollah and decide to go after Damascus. Israel depletes its weaponry and asks the US to resupply its forces. Barack Obama must make a decision whether to supply Israel with arms to continues its mission. BO hesitates on the decision, perhaps by demanding tying rearmament to concessions. Iran says okay the US is hesitating on arming Israel, here is our chance and launches an all out attack to finish off Israel. Israel fights for it's existence. Far fetched? I do not think so.
Show me one action BO has done, not words, that demonstrate that he will be there for Israel when the time comes. By his inactions and negative behavior towards Bibi, BO is quietly giving the signal to the Arabs that their next chance to eliminate Israel is coming up. So not only will he stand by while Israel needs him but in effect, by his current behavior, he is instigating a conflict. The tiniest crack in the relationship between the US and Israel will be exploited by the Arabs.
The only reason BO involves himself with the Israel-Arab conflict is for his own self promotion. His mission is solely to put his name onto a peace accord regardless of the effect on the parties, specifically Israel. Just like in the case of health care he doesn't care about the substance of the legislation he just wants to glorify his name and ego by achieving something that has been elusive to previous administrations. It has always been and always will be about BO, not about the effects of his policies on the parties involved. His narcissism supercedes any potential damage to the underlying parties.
I would love to have a private conversation with Bibi and find out what he really thinks about BO. I can hear him saying privately to his wife when no one else listens that he is an antisemite, couldn't care less about Israel and that the American Jews threw Israel under the bus by overwhelmingly voting for this radical. Even though I didn't vote for him, I am ashamed as an American Jew that we assisted in getting him into office. My sincerest apologies to my brothers and sisters in Israel.
Show me one action BO has done, not words, that demonstrate that he will be there for Israel when the time comes. By his inactions and negative behavior towards Bibi, BO is quietly giving the signal to the Arabs that their next chance to eliminate Israel is coming up. So not only will he stand by while Israel needs him but in effect, by his current behavior, he is instigating a conflict. The tiniest crack in the relationship between the US and Israel will be exploited by the Arabs.
The only reason BO involves himself with the Israel-Arab conflict is for his own self promotion. His mission is solely to put his name onto a peace accord regardless of the effect on the parties, specifically Israel. Just like in the case of health care he doesn't care about the substance of the legislation he just wants to glorify his name and ego by achieving something that has been elusive to previous administrations. It has always been and always will be about BO, not about the effects of his policies on the parties involved. His narcissism supercedes any potential damage to the underlying parties.
I would love to have a private conversation with Bibi and find out what he really thinks about BO. I can hear him saying privately to his wife when no one else listens that he is an antisemite, couldn't care less about Israel and that the American Jews threw Israel under the bus by overwhelmingly voting for this radical. Even though I didn't vote for him, I am ashamed as an American Jew that we assisted in getting him into office. My sincerest apologies to my brothers and sisters in Israel.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Your Tax Dollars At Work
I just wanted to inform the readers where their tax dollars are being spent. Let me do that by describing a patient who came to see me this past week. I called in a 35 year old man into the examination room from the waiting area. He walked in without any difficulty and as I looked at his chart I noticed his insurance was medicare, a government insurance for the elderly and disabled. Naturally, since he was not elderly I asked him the nature of his disability since I need to be aware of his past medical history which may be informative regarding his current visit. He informed me that he is disabled due to back problems and has had previous surgery for his back and thus cannot work. Let me repeat that he walked into the office without a cane, walker, or wheelchair. He ambulated without a limp, pain, or hunch.
The visit continued by asking him the reason he had come to see me. He told me he was in Mexico and on the airplane ride back suffered pain to his ears which hadn’t cleared since he returned one week ago. Of course, I inquired what he was doing in Mexico and he responded he was on a trip for R&R. My first thought was R&R from what? You are disabled and supposedly do not work. What do you need to rest from? My second thought was if you are disabled to the point of not being able to work, what were you doing in Mexico? Did you go swimming? Play some tennis? Maybe some beach volleyball? And thirdly, how can you afford a trip to Mexico and be on welfare?
Of course, I didn’t express these thoughts to the patient. I diagnosed and treated him as I would anyone else, and he walked out as sturdy and with the ease that he entered. I was curious to see what car he was driving so I watched as he left the office, entered his late model Lexus and drove away. Probably heading to his job where he gets paid off the books.
I am sure there are thousands of people who abuse and cheat the system like this patient. The government is incapable and/or unwilling to police their programs for cheaters. It is much easier for them to just increase taxes or borrow the money from our kids/China. There is no doubt in my mind this man could hold a real job but it is better for him to collect a government disability check, receive medicare benefits, and find a job off the books. I should be able to report him to the government for fraud and receive a whistleblower’s award. This way I can afford to go to Mexico instead of this thief. Just another example of your tax dollars at work.
The visit continued by asking him the reason he had come to see me. He told me he was in Mexico and on the airplane ride back suffered pain to his ears which hadn’t cleared since he returned one week ago. Of course, I inquired what he was doing in Mexico and he responded he was on a trip for R&R. My first thought was R&R from what? You are disabled and supposedly do not work. What do you need to rest from? My second thought was if you are disabled to the point of not being able to work, what were you doing in Mexico? Did you go swimming? Play some tennis? Maybe some beach volleyball? And thirdly, how can you afford a trip to Mexico and be on welfare?
Of course, I didn’t express these thoughts to the patient. I diagnosed and treated him as I would anyone else, and he walked out as sturdy and with the ease that he entered. I was curious to see what car he was driving so I watched as he left the office, entered his late model Lexus and drove away. Probably heading to his job where he gets paid off the books.
I am sure there are thousands of people who abuse and cheat the system like this patient. The government is incapable and/or unwilling to police their programs for cheaters. It is much easier for them to just increase taxes or borrow the money from our kids/China. There is no doubt in my mind this man could hold a real job but it is better for him to collect a government disability check, receive medicare benefits, and find a job off the books. I should be able to report him to the government for fraud and receive a whistleblower’s award. This way I can afford to go to Mexico instead of this thief. Just another example of your tax dollars at work.
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