Made in  CHINA UTAH?

Utah’s Governor, Gary Herbert, just hosted a five day trade conference with several high ranking Chinese Officials here in SLC.  He signed a trade agreement which he hasn’t made public yet, but holds that...  China is destined to become the world’s economic leader soon.  Therefore Herbert thinks it’s prudent to get in bed with China. 

Herbert, historic agreements with China

Our Governor also wants to establish a student trade program.  Bring their brightest Chinese students to our Universities to further their education and skills.

Will someday history write about America's ...“Trojan Ships”?

This five day event is expected to cost $1.5 million, money that was raised privately, mostly by corporations in Utah and elsewhere in the US.  That raises even more questions, why?

I challenged the Governor on his Facebook page on those issues and asked for his comments.  The Governor did not respond but one of his supporters did by saying: 

“Dave, remember that China is as dependent on us as we are them. There will always be a rivalry, but only between governments, not the citizens. And the way to out-do the Chinese is not by turning away their people, it's by improving our own country and education.  In fact, the more their citizens come here to study and work, the more likely they will return to China with a desire to reform their own government.  Hats off to the governor.”

I have to admit I posted back to that individual that I guess the Governor will next invite Taliban, al-Qaeda and Mexican Drug Lords to Utah for the same purpose of “converting them” and making them productive democratic free citizens.  Maybe that is why he so strongly supported HB 116 the Illegal Alien amnesty bill passed and signed by him this year.  Alright, I know that was sarcastic but how could I resist. 

What I found interesting was that within a few hours, all of my posts had been deleted by the Governor on his Facebook page.  I guess he can’t take a joke or answer questions about his opinions.  But wait, isn’t that what they do in China, censorship?  So I guess he’s learning fast?  [That was sarcastic also, for those who don’t know me that well]

            This is why I have a problem with what the Governor is doing.  China is a COMMUNIST country and the goods and services they produce are made by maybe the most oppressed people in the world.  China is strong and shows no inclination of changing.  In fact just the opposite, they are more determined than ever about the dominance over their people and eventually the control over us… without firing a shot.  Should we be supporting that kind of regime? 

            The Governor said: “We look at China as a country that has 1.3 billion customers of products that we can manufacture in Utah and sell.” 

            I’m not really sure I understand his statement. 

Military Might ... paid for by American's

           

          Is he saying that the huge population of Chinese people earning 75 cents per hour will purchase goods made here in Utah (with our manufacturing and labor costs, taxes, fees and regulations) including the costs to be shipped to China?  Really, they will find them affordable?  

I am sure there are items made here that could possibly not be available in China that someone over there could want at any cost.  I can think of at least a couple of items like Krispy-Kream Donuts [ok, we didn’t create KKD’s] but we did Café Rio and even my kids would cross an ocean for that meal.  (No I haven’t forgotten about KFC, but that’s old news)  Just seems crazy that Utah’s global might would be created with Mexican fast-food.  Is that what the Governor was talking about?  Or might one honestly think that whatever we do here that is unique, the Chinese will find a way to create over there… that’s what America use to do, the masters of innovation!  

            Besides, China has never played fair with trade agreements and the financial equality of the currencies.  In fact it is so unbalanced that America is now indebted to China for Trillions of dollars.  It is estimated that forty cents of every dollar we produce in tax revenue is used to pay the interest on these debts.  Why would we want to increase that equation?

China Cyber Attacks US Daily

            China steals technology.  According to a recent government report by our own U.S. Defense Department; “China is developing [disruptive] technologies for nuclear, space and cyber warfare.  We were just hit this year by a cyber attack that netted 25,000 documents from a contractor about our Pentagon, and China is the top suspect.  Reports say that we receive thousands of cyber attacks every day by guess who… China.  Let’s teach their brightest students in our Utah Universities, that makes total sense.  (Sarcasm again, sorry)

            Lastly, what is China’s history in working with American manufactures?   They either reverse-engineer, steel or purchase the technologies, ok the last one is kind of a myth.  They just purchase our equipment and reassemble it in China, then send the goods we use to make back over here at “roll-back” Wal-Mart prices and put our companies and jobs out of business.  Call the former president of West Bend (blenders, toasters, irons…) he will tell you the whore-stories first hand.  Our one incredible industrial manufacturing might has now been dismantled and moved to China alone with the jobs. We currently have an unemployment rate of 9.2% by the government’s fuzzy calculations.  It is estimated that the actual number is at least double that.  Does anyone think these trade agreements with China haven’t had a profound effect where the economy is today?  

So this all begs the question, why does our Utah Governor really want to bring Chinese Government Officials and their brightest students here to Utah and open our doors and roll out the red carpet to them?

Is Governor Gary Herbert caught up in the causes of the “New World Order” and “Progressive Social Justice”?  That would fit perfectly with his passing of HB 116 on illegal immigration and pathway to citizenship.  It also fits with his “eco-partnership” day decree with Utah-Qinhai and the signed agreements between the Chinese and the Utah Clean Technology Alliance.  Isn’t China the most polluting nation in the world?  Wait, isn’t Utah fighting to get more coal out of our enormous reserves.  I guess the Governor doesn’t see any conflicts, really?

The only other rational explanation I can think of is this is a golden opportunity for Utah corporations that want to ship more jobs, technology and production over to China.  Why else would corporations in Utah and other states pony up $1.5 million for this event.  So is the Governor looking for the “golden goose” after his term in office expires and just using his power and position to create his own future dynasty at our expense?

            Did the governor travel to Florida and the space center to secure more rocket booster jobs for the hopeful next generation of spacecraft for our Thiokol plant in Tremonton?  Or are we letting that plant close and sit empty like the plant in Brigham City that use to make Lay-Z-Boy’s which is now Made in Mexico?  (There it is again that HB116 connection, amazing). 

If this is happening in the most conservative state in the nation, what will become of America?

Friends and family ask why I blog about my observations.  I am the grandfather of seventeen great kids.  I would like them to be able to live under the divine constitution I grew up with but I fear those days are numbered with the current slate of politicians and their seemingly never ending own personal gain agendas. 

People are busy with jobs, raising kids, texting, World of Warcraft, Angry Birds and Farmville.  Many folks may not have the time to “ponder”, I do.  This blog is my attempt to read between the lines and spew forth thoughts.

They "March" to a different Drum than Americans

I find if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything. 

Lots of people are drinking the cool-aid.  Just look at who we last elected for President and how that “Change” has worked out for most people.  I believe far too many politicians are caught up in their own egos and greed.  This blog is my stand… for my Grand-kids.

Uncle Charly Wants YOU!

       I don't think the Governor is a bad guy, I just can't uncover his real agendas.  But do your own thinking and research.  Find facts not spin.  Start thinking again, get a vision of our future, and if you don’t like it… do something about it.  It is getting a little scary… in my opinion.

        I’ll make it easy:  Please write, text, email or call the Governor’s   Office and voice your opinions on this or any other topic, he needs your input!     

http://governor.utah.gov/goca/form_governor.html   

Phone #’s:   800-705-2464 or 801-538-1000

Dapapa

Only a SMOKE SCREEN

National Debt Crisis is Only a SMOKE SCREEN

   The National Debt ($14 trillion) only accounts for about 5% of the phony DEBT money created in the USA.

   Banks actually create gazillions more every day.

For about every $1,000 dollars you deposit into a bank, they can create $100,000.00 in new loans … worthless money out of thin-air.    (See “How Banks Create Money” below for more information)

If you want to include Wall-street, with tools like hedge funds and margin accounts, the fuzzy money is uncountable.

Now suppose you are able to tax all that fuzzy money through a federally authorized company called the IRS. Just think, you can get at least 10-30% of all that newly created money back every year in tax revenue, and spend it almost any way you want. Sure, you will have to give some of it away maybe even half of it, in social programs to make sure you have enough citizens to keep you in office.

Not too bad getting trillions of dollars out of thin air, if you need more money just raise the debt ceiling, create phony housing loans or come up with more Wall-street scams … the public will never figure it out! It all works the same.

This is what’s tanking this country and why jobs will not come back until we fix the core issues.

This huge national debate between President Obama, the DNC and the GOP is nothing but a SMOKE SCREEN. While America is all concerned about the “National Debt Crisis”, politicians are roaring with laughter because it doesn’t matter… we fell for the scams once again.

Unfortunately, most Americans have no idea how our banking system works and how corrupt our political system has become.

How Banks Create Money

A simple view:

If a new bank is started, and let’s say with $1,111.12 in deposits, what amount in loans can it make under today’s Federal Reserve Bank guidelines of a 9:1 ratio?

It can loan 9 times the amount on that deposit … or about $10,000.00. Almost $9,000 dollars is created by the bank out of thin air. Is that’s a little scary? It gets worse.

The bank doesn’t give you cash, they deposit that amount into your account, so now they have another $10,000 in deposits and can loan on that amount as well.

The bank can’t loan another 9 times on that amount, that would be crazy and the FED knew that, so they just allow the bank to deduct the original amount and use a true 9:1 ratio over infinity.

The math works out this way: A bank can take $1,111.12 in deposit and turn it into $100,000 in new loan money (new currency) that is put into circulation… fuzzy money.

Bankers then charge interest on these huge sums of money that was created totally out of thin-air! Nothing was made, sold or purchased its all phantom numbers (money).

Even worse, Wall-street bankers can do the same thing with hedge funds and margin accounts and it’s all legal. Come-on think, how could all those wall-street bankers lose billions and yet that same year payout billions in bonuses to themselves?

All this CRAZYNESS really began in 1913 with

President Woodrow Wilson

Up until the 1900’s banks had gold in their vaults that backed-up loans, not a 100% but it was guided by conservative ratios along with old fashion traditional principals.

Remember the Boy Scout Law: Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent? We use to be a God fearing people with “In God We Trust” and “One Nation under God” as mottoes to work and live by … their bygone today, sadly.
 
We also had a lot of independent banks, so the power and control of money (wealth) wasn’t in the hands of just a few select people.

Wall-street didn’t have hedge funds and margin accounts.

In 1913 President Woodrow Wilson signed two laws that are killing America:

1) [The Federal Reserve Act] 1913

A central banking system, self-controlled without scrutiny or regulation by any publicly elected individuals. It set its own guidelines and standards and established how much money could be created and who received it. It also determined who could be members and owners, a closed secret group that creates our currency.

2) [Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution] 1913

     “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.”
This new amendment brought about the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

Was it a CONSPIRACY or just CORRUPTION?

Now banks could create an unlimited supply of money that it could charge interest and fees on, and government Politians could tax that same money and collect a large portion of it for political use.

Look around, where did all the money come from to build all these huge bank buildings on every corner and huge skyscrapers … from interest on loans from the old family farms or the new automobiles, do the math it doesn’t work?

How did government put a man on the moon and build all the roads and huge court buildings and post offices on 5 cent stamps? How does the government wage all these wars and build all the ships and billion dollar airplanes, from the tax on Christmas toys?

Since 1913 the government has been creating an unlimited supply of money, formally in print-shops and now digitally in computers.

How much gold is backing all this up virtually none after the mid 1900’s. We completely left the gold standard because it was felt that our country produced so much food and industrial wealth it was no longer necessary.

That is why we are in such dire conditions today. We no longer produce anything. We can’t even put our own astronauts into space the Russians do. We can’t even build a bridge that falls down in San Francisco, China makes it for us. Our food is imported from Mexico and around the world.

If we do not get rid of the liberal corruption in government today we will become a third-world nation. Biased on the number of Americans receiving food-stamps, welfare, free health-care maybe we all ready are. The problem is the world will no longer let us print fuzzy money and that is all coming to an end very soon.

This is going to be difficult and here is why:

Politian’s [Democrat & Republican] have been using about half of all that “fuzzy money” the past 100 years to secure our votes, all of us! We are ALL guilty of the free-ride. They have passed laws and created an enormous structure of “Entitlement Programs”, College loans, Small Business loans, Social Security, Medicare, Farmer subsidies, Oil subsidies, Welfare, Food Stamps, Business Subsidies… the list is endless.

You have to also include all the “Perk” benefits for school teachers, fire and police, city workers and federal employees. Retirement funds, healthcare, vacation and training bonuses. No one wants to “lose” their benefits and perks. But these were all paid for and promised to you for life with phony money.

Those days have come to an end. Not because we can’t keep doing the same old thing, we could. But the rest of the world has figured out what we started and will no longer let us. China now has all our great industrial might of the past 200 years.  The Middle East has replaced our oil production. Other nations are emerging and want what we have squandered.
 
We need to fix it fast or lose it all. It’s time we find leaders that understand and will make the hard choices to pull us back into production and prosperity.

Rome didn’t fall in a day… it got corrupt. So did every civilization that has fallen. Will America be next? I hope not.

In his last days

President Wilson

wrote regarding his actions:

"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country.
A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit.
Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation,
therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.
We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completely
controlled and dominated governments in the civilized world.
No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by
conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by
the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men."

DO YOUR OWN HOME WORK – DO YOU OWN THINKING – POST YOUR COMMENTS IF YOU WANT. BUT DO SOMETHING!

SF Bay Bridge now “Made in China”

Are we insane?

In 1989 an enormous 6.9 earthquake hit San Francisco and damaged the SF Bay Bridge, causing a section to pancake onto the lower structure. It was an older bridge built in 1936 by American craftsman engineers of a lost era. Bids soon went out to find a replacement. Estimates at the time were 2.6 billion for the project and it was felt it could be completed sometime in the mid-1990’s.

Delays, starts, stops, restarts and hundreds of millions of dollars in re-evaluations along with years of political combat committee discussions, the bridge isn’t scheduled to be finished until sometime in 2013. The cost overruns now exceed 2 ½ times the original estimate and will cost hopefully only $6.3 billion. Who’s getting the money, yup CHINA?

Through the bidding process it became evident that America no longer had the facilities to build and replace this bridge. China and Japan now have superior production capabilities with China now the major steel producer and consumer of over 40% of the cement in the world, a major component of the bridge.

Has anyone noticed that California is not only hurting financially but also has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, yet they let China and Japan build their broken bridge? California’s early pioneers must be rolling over in their graves. Their former industrial infrastructure should be embarrassed to be overtaken by so many other countries. As Americans we should be ashamed to have elected politicians that have let this happen.

In our new world of progressive social justice, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised to further read that one other provision about this bridge put forth by the San Francisco Board of supervisors was to rename the new portion of the bridge in honor and after the self-proclaimed “Imperial Majesty Josua A. Norton, Emperor of these the United States and Protector of Mexico”. According to Wikipedia: “Though he was considered insane, or at least highly eccentric, the citizens of San Francisco celebrated his regal presence and his proclamations, most famously, his “order” that the United States congress be dissolved by force.” He died in 1880. It took some effort but that idea was finally rejected.

Weren’t we the country that put a man on the moon from scratch in less than a decade using three wooden sticks as a calculator? Now we can’t even build a damn bridge! It seems every week there is a new pathetic announcement of what we can no longer accomplish in this once great nation.

This week in the news we watched the lights being dimed on NASA and now find ourselves paying Russians $62 million dollars to send our astronauts to our space station. President Obama and the DNC and GOP are in heated discussions over a $14.4 trillion dollar debt and then this week we hear that unemployment hits a new high this year of 9.2%. I won’t address the myriad of problems facing California. I guess it’s no wonder we are in this condition with these kinds of decisions being made by our political representatives.

However, in China today there were fireworks and celebrations as the final structures of the new SF Bay Bridge were completed and slated for overseas transport to America. The old Neil Diamond song “We’re Coming to America” is giving me a whole new feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Hate the Salesman?

Just for fun call a good friend and tell them you want to come over and share information about a network marking company … the old “MLM ponzi scheme”. Knock on someone’s door and ask if you can come in to demonstrate the latest time saving widget. Stand on a street corner hocking a one-of-a-kind doohickey, these scenarios will get you treated like the scum of the earth, why?

Today, with our 9.2% unemployment, over $14 trillion dollar debts and social programs like Medicare and Social Security are in trouble … that same opinion of salespeople is now projected on millionaires. Is there a correlation?

Not to over simplify, but I contend in the business world there are three categories I define as; [administrators], [workers] and [sales people]. [Workers] are the secretaries, tellers, fry cook, tire changers, accounts, clerks, brick layers, assembly lineman in other words those people that punch a time clock for an hourly wage and do a job. [Administrators] are the managers, supervisors, company owners, and the boss; most often on salaries with sometimes a percentage of income through stock options, bonuses and the net profits. They are typically credited for the success or failure, of the business or organization. [Salespeople] I define as those that generate and are responsible for the growth of the company. Don’t confuse these with the “order takers” which I do not consider salespeople. To be a sales person, your lively hood is over 80% dependent on your personal efforts and success; no sales no paycheck. You take the risks, work the hours and make the sacrifices necessary to be successful. Most often a startup owner is all three or remains the administrator and salesperson through at least, the initial period. Sorry for the long description, but necessary.

Having been in all three positions, I wish to share some insights. As a former fry cook and teller, a bank officer and hospital comptroller, two startup companies and then into sales and marketing. Not only have I flipped burgers, but also been a senior VP for a NASDAQ publicly traded company, worked as a full-time MLM’er and sales person hocking pots and pans at county fairs. I have worked for nothing as a missionary; I have earned $1.50 an hour which at the time, I thought that was great, been on salary and more than once earned commission sales of mid-six figures biased on my efforts. So maybe I’m experienced enough to offer some observations.

What has been enlightening to me, are the amazing variances to my own self-esteem and the opinion I see reflected back to me from others … as I have simply answered the question “and what do you do for a living”? As a Bank Officer or Corporate VP the response is usually very nice … but as a salesman or network marketer… you fill in the blanks.

That’s not really the topic for this blog but it leads into the discussion. I think there is a direct corollary to our current US financial crisis and how the public and political administration perceives and treats millionaires that is affecting the non-recovery to our country.
I have a good friend who once worked as a car salesman. On more than one occasion he would express enraged frustration about his commissions being cut, changed or adjusted because, according to the “boss”, he was making too much! The contention was it wasn’t fair to the other “workers”, the guys in the shop who fixed the cars and the secretaries who did the paperwork and/or to the dealership who provided the foundation for his success. My friend was very successful and this occurred at more than one dealership, always with the same result.

The dealership had perceived expectations and biased his performance and compensation on those goals. And be assured, they always assumed that the top rewards could never be reached, but when they did he was punished. Even though, at no time were the structures put forth where the dealership didn’t also receive huge benefits as well. He was so successful often his commission structure would literally be cut in half before it was paid to him, he left the car industry… so who lost?

Another acquaintance, who I also partnered up with therefore I have an in-depth knowledge of the forthcoming experiences, has a similar story. He started in the unsavory industry of network marketing selling vitamin supplements. It was with a new start-up MLM company. It was so new they didn’t even have an annual convention, training seminars, newsletter or any literature, just a good product.

The owners [Administration] had developed a good non-unique product, had a few employees [workers], some of them their own kids to start their business. They decided that an MLM structure would give them the distributors [Salespeople] to market the product and make the company grow. We both saw an opportunity, but realized we didn’t get paid one cent unless we made a sale. We put together training materials, held conventions, and developed a newsletter all at our own time and expense. Sometimes we would drive all night to meetings and crash with friends to save a buck. Within months we were making thousands and latter hundreds of thousands, as did the company.

Management was weak but growth had been good, so after three years I found solid investors and introduced them to this company. The investor company offered to invest and help manage and grow it to the next level, with an offer of several million dollars. However, the owners had determined that they had built an amazing company that was on the verge of exploding. They asked for double the valued price of the company, required total control and did not want any other management intervention. The deal fell through. The owners, mostly one family, didn’t blink an eye at how great their success was and where it emanated from, it was their management skills that made it all successful.

In truth the sales and the growth of the company were solid and the owners proceeded to hire people left and right. I could walk into offices and warehouse and see hordes of people on breaks standing around doing nothing but the money still rolled in. The family bought fancy new homes and cars and took amazing vacations. Soon a whole new mega structure building was up and functioning with even more people. New computer systems and gadgets and gizmos were abundant. They even started giving money away to causes and having company sponsored charity events. There is nothing better than a little ego boosting by giving hard earned money away in your own name.
The infrastructure exploded and some of this new growth was debt financed. But who cared, the sales were strong and more distributors [salespeople] were being brought on every month. Who should be concerned about a little debt?

About this same time the owners [Administration] started to notice that some of the distributors were making too much money. In one of my conversations with the owner he expressed outrage that a “salesman” would earn more than the CEO and owner of the company and that was going to come to an end. Not long after the distributor commission structure was changed and everyone started making less. It didn’t have an immediate effect, but within a year sales and growth had declined.

The sales didn’t rebound but the company didn’t let go of staff or cut infrastructure, they decided to “outsource” products to companies who could make it cheaper with inferior formulations.

All of a sudden the sales people were finding that customers were complaining that products didn’t work and sales declined faster. This information was brought to the attention of the owners, but they had a better idea how to grow the business.

They sent an email to all the distributors announcing a totally new marketing plan to sell direct to people on the internet. They proclaimed it was a huge benefit to the “distributors” because they could now purchase their wonderful products at 10% below retail. However, distributors [salespeople] would no longer be receiving a sales commission.

The company was bankrupt within a year and the building is standing vacant to this day. My associate, who was possibly their top distributor at that time, went on to become a multi-millionaire in another business.

SUMMORY - THE CONNECTION

Salespeople drive growth. The greatest salespeople today, for the most part are the ones that end up becoming millionaires. They are the ones that take the risk, do the things that others won’t do so they can have the things that others won’t have. There is nothing wrong with that. Workers choose not to take the risks and would rather receive a guaranteed sum for the time required for the job. We have a saying about workers… “JOB” stands for Just Over Broke, and a lot of people are content with that position in life, nothing wrong with it.

The battle today is with administration’s who believe the risk takers get more than their fair share. That some of that wealth should go to people that can’t or won’t work and that an “Administrator” can manage that responsibility better than anyone else, especially the salesperson or “millionaires”. But administrators add staff, secretaries, more desks, buildings and infrastructures that consumes a majority of that wealth.
I contend that the individual making the wealth should be able to dispense the charity and become a philanthropists like a Bill Gates, Oprah, Warren Buffett or Jon Huntsman. That way more of the funds would go directly to individuals or worthy causes, and not into administration or dead infrastructure. We need only look at the deplorable example of Katrina or other natural disasters to see how ineffective government run programs can be. We have decades of abuse, greed and corruption with social security and welfare programs for Americans to see how ineffective governmental agencies function.

Billionaires are not the bad guys; they typically pay a lot of tax but still give away huge sums of money to charities, the arts and worthy causes. I have never seen a successful philanthropic government program. Most end up using 90% of the funds on administration and bigger infrastructure.

We have the worst economy in the history of America today and I believe it is the causation of both Democratic and Republican administrations who feel they can spend our money better than the wage earner. How can politicians produce jobs and equalize standards of living for those not willing to work? Without substantial incentives we are stifling America and might soon end up like that little vitamin company. If we over tax the wealthy or remove incentives we will never have growth or a thriving economy.

ATLANTIS SHUTTLE

“Is the Space Program … Going up in Smoke”?

While watching the last shuttle launch of Atlantis today, July 8, 2011, it caused huge flutters to my inner soul.

As a boy of seven watching on a black & white television, I vividly remember the 1957 launch of Sputnik and the Russians opening the frontier of outer-space. Only four years later in 1961, came the moving announcement of President Kennedy telling our nation, while we were in fear of nuclear holocaust that America was going to put a man on the moon within the decade. There was hope, faith and pride that we could do anything and would, we were second to none!

But the tremor in my heart today now asks, will my grandkids look back fifty years from now and write about hearing President Obama telling Brazil to drill for oil and we will be your biggest customers? Will they remember it was Obama that saw wisdom to disband and dismantle NASA and our space program and let Russia ferry our astronauts into space. Or that a plethora of “trade-agreements” will one day soon prove fatal to our once proud industrial manufacturing might in the world.

Will we soon regret taking our trillions of dollars investment in the space and new technology frontier and have flush them into museums for generations to gawk at the remains of what was once a great nation? Are these great shuttle air ships nothing more today than the symbol of dinosaur bones of years past?

Where once this nation went from a key on the end of a kite to power plants lighting the world are we moving forward or are we headed to a society fraught with total equality for everyone, where we become a third-world nation of poverty and despair? With unemployment over 9% and a national debt of over $14 trillion dollars have we already become a welfare nation because of the ineptitude of leadership?

I project we will know well within this decade the path we have chosen. Will NASA find new life in a private sector of new endeavors reaching even higher vistas and creating comparable achievements of the past such as the “ball-point pen”, “Tang”, the “Micro-wave oven” or computer technology? Only our kids may write the next chapter.

Is corruption in politics so rampant with special interests and special deals that this proposed new private sector space program will invariably create the next GE, FannyMae, Goldman Sacks or AT&T conglomerates of the future? Where unfathomable corporations control so much of the wealth and power of this nation that corruption becomes there mantel instead of innovation and achievement.

It’s not inconceivable, I remember we broke up the telephone “Bell Systems” feeling it created monopolies that were detrimental to our nation, only to see them all come together through mergers and legislation into an even bigger dominant powerful lobbying structure. Was that the plan all along with the demise of NASA? Will a few select individuals end up in control of what were once one of our nation’s proudest assets and achievements only to offer so much less at an ever increasing cost?

Let me close this post by combining a couple of lines in the first paragraph from President Kennedy’s speech?

“If we are to win the battle that is now going on around the world between freedom and tyranny … Now it is time to take longer strides—time for a great new American enterprise—time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in (space) achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on Earth.”

"BegPolites" - (Beggar Polite Politician's)

Democrats want me to sign a petition to remove tax loopholes away from millionaires who have corporate jets and take expensive trips and give themselves huge bonuses. They want me to support them in raising the tax rates for the wealthy, especially the top 5% income earners.

So it begs the question, what are they going to do with the increased money (tax revenue)? Are they proposing to reduce the $14 trillion dollar debt? Or maybe put some solid money behind social security and Medicare? Shore up the value of our currency?

Or do we feel their intention is to create more government programs, hire more government employees to create more government rules and regulations that, in the end, take away more of our freedoms?

Fed-ex and UPS work far-better than the postal system. Charter schools outperform public schools by far. VA Hospitals are a far cry from the quality and service received at private health care facilities. The list is endless. Government should protect and defend us, and then get out of the way. Current tax revenue they receive now is more than sufficient for that purpose. Government needs to stop trying to provide a total social system for America.

We don’t want communism, socialism or even progressive social justice. We want to be rewarded for our efforts and not be tax and regulated into servitude. Maybe more people would choose a church or fraternal organization to participate with as a backup in case something tragic happened. Then the givers could also become the takers, if necessary, in a far more equitable balanced equation, as has been successfully done throughout our history.

The question that bothers me the most is why a “Politician” feels he can better spend someone else’s hard earned money then the guy that worked and earned it? I just finished cancer treatment and gratefully it was the Huntsman Institute’s charitable care that saved my life. That was made possible by the enormous donations of a private family, the Huntsman’s, giving back to society. I know for sure that a government agency could not have done it better.

So on Face Book you post petitions you want me to sign to take money away from others and give it to you, but you never say why. The only reason you give is that “some people” and “corporations” are making too much and that’s not fair.

How I see it, we have created a whole new breed of “Beggars” wanting something for nothing that they didn’t earn. We need a new term for these individuals, maybe something like “BegPolites”, since these politicians always seem soooo nice as they beg for our money to help themselves escalate in the ranks of the down-trodden. (Beggar Polite Politician’s)

LEMONADE HEIST

Outside Cleveland, Ohio recently a group of children selling lemonade were robbed for $13.50 by teenagers driving an old car. It’s not the first or maybe the worst heist of a lemonade stand. However, this news flash brought back some of my own recent memories on the subject.

I was purchasing a glass of lemonade from kids at a corner stand in California, when an Orange County city official approached and told some kids they had to shut their stand down immediately. The fairground manager had called the city and reported that a business had been set up on a street corner across from the fairgrounds, without a business permit and was not collecting sales tax. That individual actually said that the fair manger complained it would cut into the profits of the fair.

I then watched in amazement as another individual approached and insisted to speak to the parents and demanded that the appropriate sales tax be paid for the sales already made. I couldn’t stand it so I protested and said you have to be kidding. I was informed a law enforcement office would be called if I continued to obstruct justice and these city officials doing their duty. The parents remitted the estimated sales tax amount and promptly closed the 10 year old kids’ lemonade stand to avoid further fines and punishments.

Last year I was at a fair ground in northern California by Shasta Lake. I became friends with a “grandpa” that had a snow-cone booth who loved running this little business during the summer with his son and grandson when they were available to help. On the third day of the fair grandpa had gone to the restroom and the grandson was watching his snow-cone trailer.

A city official with the tax commission approached and talked to the grandson. He asked him if his grandpa ever paid him for helping or watching the booth and the child responded that grandpa sometimes gave him a few dollars. That was all the evidence needed to warrant a $5,000.00 fine to grandpa for not having a workman’s compensation policy on his grandson and not having obtained a school work permit as well, even though it was during summer vacation.

Over ten other small mom & pop booths received the same violations that day at this fair. For the rest of the summer, that was a topic of discussion at all these fun events. Of course no one can afford to bring their grandkids with them anymore so a lot are now leaving; what use to be a “summer of fun” industry with our grandchildren.

A few years ago the wife, kids and I opened a tiny pizza place in a small northern Utah bedroom community. It was only opened Monday through Saturday from 5pm until 10pm. For the first few months our own kids help run the place with us for extra spending money.

The business grew a little and their friends started asking for jobs. We eventually employed over 100 youth during the short five year tenure of our business. Our best workers, the most dedicated hard working on time respectful employees were the 14 and 15 year olds. They were always supervised by an adult but we taught them to work the front counter and take orders, run the cash register, make the pizza’s and work with customers.

We even turned the business over to an 18 year old for a week when we went on vacation. He had been with us since age 14 and really had matured and gained the skills to manage and take responsibility. He did an incredible job. They had a blast, learned some skills and how to communicate with adults with respect.

We believed we had a win-win formula; it was a very small operation and really didn’t make much of a profit but those kids had pocket money they had earned and had a lot better idea of the value of money. The demise of our small business was when the State of Utah enacted a new law that required you to be 18 to work in the “dangerous” profession of making pizzas. Since we were a restaurant we could also pay less than the minimum wage at the time. But they also changed a few laws and then required us to pay at least minimum wage as well.

I don’t believe in slave labor or putting kids into dangerous positions and never felt we took advantage of anyone. Before any youth could work at our business their parents had to see what they would be doing and agree to the wage and working conditions. The parents thought it was fantastic. The kids were ecstatic to get the job and we always had a waiting list of new recruits.

Those days are now gone forever. Governmental agencies have way over reached their bounds in restricting our freedoms and limiting our greatest resource… our youth.

I don’t see kids doing paper routs or much of anything anymore to learn basic life skills in their teenage years. Instead they are on the streets with drugs, guns, in gangs and robbing the lemonade stands they should be creating and running.

The family farms are gone and so are the choirs that teach independence and responsibility. The mom & pop business have been over-taken by the huge “box-mart” stores so there are no stock room, sweeping, delivery or dishwashing positions for the youth anymore. Fast food restaurants have so many regulations that a youth of 14 to 17 can’t even earn pocket money. Law officers will go after you if you hire someone less than 18 years of age, but turn their head and ignore the law if that person is an illegal alien with phony identification.

I guess were just lucky those teenage kids didn’t pull a gun at the lemonade heist. Those kids aren’t the problem or the criminals. The government ideologues that create these never-ending rules that limit our independence and freedoms in a pursuit for control and tax revenue are the danger. So are the city workers and employees that blindly “do their jobs” without thinking or conscious as to what’s right or wrong.

I don’t believe it’s the kids fault; we have stood by and let public officials eliminate the opportunities for our youth, in exchange for what, tax revenue, power and control?