Growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, I learned early on how to work.
I had a paper route for several years, riding my bike six or seven miles six days a week for $7 or $8. When in Boy Scouts, I, like the other Scouts, sold light bulbs, popcorn and first aid kits door to door, and our Troop mowed a cemetary so that we could raise enough money to attend the week-long summer camp. The motivation was pretty simple: Those who didn't work to raise the funds didn't attend summer camp. On Saturday mornings, while other children were watching cartoons, I worked with my father clearing brush from an eight-acre briar patch we turned into a farm on which we raised a few cattle.
Today, when I drive down to the four-way stop in my community on almost any given Saturday, I see a group of children and their parents standing at the intersection with their hands out. From soccer teams to cheerleading squads, they all have signs asking for the community to support their activities. Perhaps some will think I'm a grumpy old man, but I never give anything to these children being trained to be beggers. However, I will often stop at a car wash to support young people working to support their organization.
Oh, how things have changed in America. A country that once encouraged work and made one embarrassed when one didn't now appears to be doing exactly the opposite. Even from the leader of our country, our President, Barack Obama, we're receiving messaging that seems to downplay the role the role of personal responsibility such as hard work in the determination of one's success.
"There are a lot of wealthy, successful Americans who agree with me — because they want to give something back. They know they didn’t — look, if you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn’t get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet."
Some will argue that the President was talking about roads and bridges when he said "you didn't build that," but they are missing the most important point entirely. Instead of praising those who are successful for their hard work, intelligence and courage to start a business, the President downplays the role that those individual atrtributes played in their success, focusing instead on the "help" they received from government along the way and essentially providing excuses for those who aren't successful.
I recently led an activity for our company. I asked the employees to name the reasons why we were so successful during an economy that, generously, could be called bad. Interestly, not one employee cited "help from the government" as a reason for our success.
Maybe I am a grumpy old man, but I remember fondly when asking the government for help wasn't something that Americans wanted to do and it certainly wasn't encouraged. There was a stigma attached to receiving government help, and this was ingrained in our psyches. Someone receiving help was expected to do everything they could to accept this help for as short of a time as was necessary to turn their lives around.
Remember when the government-issued food stamps program actually issued "food stamps?" Well, today, those benefits are provided via a debit card so that those who receive them aren't embarrassed by handing the well-recognized food stamps to the cashier. To exacerbate the situation, the Obama Administration spent $3 million this year on advertising to encourage more people to apply for foodstamps and to make the program more socially acceptable. The budget for food stamps has more than doubled under this President, and he wants more people to sign up?
Remember when those on unemployment actually had to verify that they were looking for a job, providing the names of those companies and organizations contacted? Well, you don't have to do this anymore, as this would require someone to actually prove that they are looking for a job. I'm sure this stringent requirement was changed because some government bureaucrat thought it was demeaning for someone to actually look for a job while on unemployment.
Remember the highly-successful welfare reform instituted by President Bill Clinton and the Republican-controlled Congress? The centerpiece of this program was that people actually had to transition to work. Millions moved from welfare to work under this program, which was one of the most successful government programs in the history of our country. Well, the Obama Administration recently gutted the requirements for this program, giving states the ability to replace work for such strenuous activities as participating in weight control programs or reading.
Sadly, if America doesn't reverse its course soon, we will soon be a nation with the majority of people not working. As the ranks of those on government programs grow ever larger and those who work become smaller, the few who continue to work will have to pay ever higher taxes in order to pay for the growing number who have come to expect their free, government check. This isn't sustainable. Although this dynamic creates more and more Americans prone to vote for Democrats, it will soon bankrupt our once great country and result in a standard of living for all Americans moving us closer to becoming a poor, third world country.
The Presidential Election in 2012 may be the most important decision point in our nation's history. November can't come soon enough.
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work. Show all posts
Friday, August 3, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Voice of Reason: What Has Happened to the America I Love?
The change had been gradual over several decades until 2009, when President Barack Obama took office and promised to "fundamentally transform" America.
He's changed it all right. America has changed from a nation of achievers to a country of whiners with their hands out, expecting the government to support them. It's not all his fault, of course, but he quickened the pace of change from a slow crawl to warp speed, all in just three and a half years.
One doesn't have to look any further than the June jobs report. In June, more people were added to the rolls of disability than got jobs.
Want another example? Under Obama's leadership our food stamps budget has increased by 110%. In other words, the budget has more than doubled.
But that's not good enough for the Obama Administration. They've spent $3 million on radio advertising to encourage even more people to sign up for food stamps. This week, we also learned that the Obama Administration has been working with the Mexican government to increase participation among Mexicans who are living or working in the United States.
How about another example? Under our President's leadership and the leadership of a Democratically-controlled Congress, unemployment benefits were extended to 99 weeks, just five weeks short of two full years. And if you haven't received unemployment benefits for a few decades, you would be suprised to learn how easy it is to continue receiving benefits. Gone are the days of proving that you actually applied for jobs in order to continue receiving benefits.
As of 2010, nearly one out of every two Americans received some sort of assistance or support from the federal goverment, compared to one in four in 2008.
http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/10/great-news-nearly-half-of-americans-receive-some-form-of-government-assistance/
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/07/news/economy/government_assistance/index.htm
As one see, it's almost as if our federal government has done everything possible to encourage people not to work.
Want another example of this backward thinking? Take a single mother with two kids and earning $29,000 per year. Let's say that the mother is offered a job earning $69,000 per year, but the job is more demanding. Surely, she would want to take the higher-paying job, wouldn't she, as she would more than double her salary?
Actually, she might want to stay where she is. As the example in the link shows, the single mother has a financial disincentive to take the better-paying job, because she would lose benefits from the federal government that would not be made up with the higher salary.
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/07/julias-mother-why-a-single-mom-is-better-off-on-welfare-than-taking-a-69000-a-year-job/
If the President's goal were to create a society of Americans who rely on the federal government, he's succeeded like no other President before him.
The problem is that pretty soon there will be more people receiving government assistance than those working and paying taxes to support them. At that point, America will become a socialist state of mediocrity and the country we love will be long gone.
The election in November can't come soon enough.
He's changed it all right. America has changed from a nation of achievers to a country of whiners with their hands out, expecting the government to support them. It's not all his fault, of course, but he quickened the pace of change from a slow crawl to warp speed, all in just three and a half years.
One doesn't have to look any further than the June jobs report. In June, more people were added to the rolls of disability than got jobs.
Want another example? Under Obama's leadership our food stamps budget has increased by 110%. In other words, the budget has more than doubled.
But that's not good enough for the Obama Administration. They've spent $3 million on radio advertising to encourage even more people to sign up for food stamps. This week, we also learned that the Obama Administration has been working with the Mexican government to increase participation among Mexicans who are living or working in the United States.
How about another example? Under our President's leadership and the leadership of a Democratically-controlled Congress, unemployment benefits were extended to 99 weeks, just five weeks short of two full years. And if you haven't received unemployment benefits for a few decades, you would be suprised to learn how easy it is to continue receiving benefits. Gone are the days of proving that you actually applied for jobs in order to continue receiving benefits.
As of 2010, nearly one out of every two Americans received some sort of assistance or support from the federal goverment, compared to one in four in 2008.
http://lonelyconservative.com/2011/10/great-news-nearly-half-of-americans-receive-some-form-of-government-assistance/
http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/07/news/economy/government_assistance/index.htm
As one see, it's almost as if our federal government has done everything possible to encourage people not to work.
Want another example of this backward thinking? Take a single mother with two kids and earning $29,000 per year. Let's say that the mother is offered a job earning $69,000 per year, but the job is more demanding. Surely, she would want to take the higher-paying job, wouldn't she, as she would more than double her salary?
Actually, she might want to stay where she is. As the example in the link shows, the single mother has a financial disincentive to take the better-paying job, because she would lose benefits from the federal government that would not be made up with the higher salary.
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/07/julias-mother-why-a-single-mom-is-better-off-on-welfare-than-taking-a-69000-a-year-job/
If the President's goal were to create a society of Americans who rely on the federal government, he's succeeded like no other President before him.
The problem is that pretty soon there will be more people receiving government assistance than those working and paying taxes to support them. At that point, America will become a socialist state of mediocrity and the country we love will be long gone.
The election in November can't come soon enough.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Voice of Reason: Top Five Reasons Why You Should Vote for Obama
With millions of Americans out of work or underemployed, record numbers of our fellow citizens on foodstamps and our country $5 trillion more in debt in just the past three and one-half years, it's difficult to find reasons why anyone would vote to reelect Barack Obama.
But for every coin, there are two sides, and I believe there are reasons why some voters would cast their ballot to keep President Obama in office. Here are the top five reasons why I believe someone would vote to reelect Barack Obama:
He's a person of color.
America prides itself as a country of equal opportunity and electing a person of color in 2008 signified an important shift in this country's racial history. Notwithstanding that under his leadership the economy has gotten worse with millions more are out of work or underemployed, some voters will simply vote for him again because of his skin color.
You don't work, don't want to work and want the government to support you.
Under the President's leadership, the number of people on unemployment insurance, disability and food stamps has exploded. Unemployment benefits were extended to 99 weeks, nearly two full years, and the government is now paying to broadcast ads encouraging thousands more to sign up for food stamps. More people than ever before in our country's history are looking to our federal government for a check to support them and their families.
You work for a business that thrives during a terrible economy.
Some businesses thrive when the economy is terrible. With so many people unemployed and underemployed, businesses such as discount stores (people looking for bargains), rental property agencies (people losing their homes and having to rent), and grocery stores (people cooking at home and not eating at restaurants as much) are thriving.
You don't drive a car and don't use electricity.
Under President Obama's leadership, traditional, cheap and reliable sources of energy, including coal, will soon be phased out in favor of more expensive, less reliable energy sources such as solar and wind. President Obama has also discouraged drilling of our domestic oil resources and the completion of the Keystone Pipeline, which will result in fewer barrels of domestic oil and oil from our neighbor, Canada, being processed in our refineries. Less supply means higher prices, but if you don't drive, you may not care.
You are an illegal immigrant, or the family member of an illegal immigrant.
Last week the President essentially ordered immigration authorities to ignore laws on the books for many illegal immigrants between the ages of 16 and 30. If you want to live in this country and are here illegally (yes, some of these illegal immigrants vote), this President is working hard to allow you to live here legally -- irregardless of the laws passed by Congress and signed into law by previous Presidents. In addition, the Obama Administration has quit cooperating with the State of Arizona because that state is actually trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
As you can see, there are people who would benefit from a second term of Barack Obama -- those who don't work and don't want to work, those whose job security is improved during a terrible economy, those who don't use electricity or drive, and those who are in this country illegally or have family members who are here illegally. In addition, there will be voters who cast their ballot for Barack Obama just because of his skin color.
But for the rest of us, those who vote for a President because of his record and policies instead of his skin color; those of us who work hard and want to continue working; those who work or own businesses that thrive only when the American economy is thriving; those of us who pay our hard-earned bucks for gasoline and use electricity in our homes; and for those us who want comprehensive immigration reform and not just an election year political ploy, the choice is very, very clear.
Anybody but Obama. . .Mitt Romney.
But for every coin, there are two sides, and I believe there are reasons why some voters would cast their ballot to keep President Obama in office. Here are the top five reasons why I believe someone would vote to reelect Barack Obama:
He's a person of color.
America prides itself as a country of equal opportunity and electing a person of color in 2008 signified an important shift in this country's racial history. Notwithstanding that under his leadership the economy has gotten worse with millions more are out of work or underemployed, some voters will simply vote for him again because of his skin color.
You don't work, don't want to work and want the government to support you.
Under the President's leadership, the number of people on unemployment insurance, disability and food stamps has exploded. Unemployment benefits were extended to 99 weeks, nearly two full years, and the government is now paying to broadcast ads encouraging thousands more to sign up for food stamps. More people than ever before in our country's history are looking to our federal government for a check to support them and their families.
You work for a business that thrives during a terrible economy.
Some businesses thrive when the economy is terrible. With so many people unemployed and underemployed, businesses such as discount stores (people looking for bargains), rental property agencies (people losing their homes and having to rent), and grocery stores (people cooking at home and not eating at restaurants as much) are thriving.
You don't drive a car and don't use electricity.
Under President Obama's leadership, traditional, cheap and reliable sources of energy, including coal, will soon be phased out in favor of more expensive, less reliable energy sources such as solar and wind. President Obama has also discouraged drilling of our domestic oil resources and the completion of the Keystone Pipeline, which will result in fewer barrels of domestic oil and oil from our neighbor, Canada, being processed in our refineries. Less supply means higher prices, but if you don't drive, you may not care.
You are an illegal immigrant, or the family member of an illegal immigrant.
Last week the President essentially ordered immigration authorities to ignore laws on the books for many illegal immigrants between the ages of 16 and 30. If you want to live in this country and are here illegally (yes, some of these illegal immigrants vote), this President is working hard to allow you to live here legally -- irregardless of the laws passed by Congress and signed into law by previous Presidents. In addition, the Obama Administration has quit cooperating with the State of Arizona because that state is actually trying to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
As you can see, there are people who would benefit from a second term of Barack Obama -- those who don't work and don't want to work, those whose job security is improved during a terrible economy, those who don't use electricity or drive, and those who are in this country illegally or have family members who are here illegally. In addition, there will be voters who cast their ballot for Barack Obama just because of his skin color.
But for the rest of us, those who vote for a President because of his record and policies instead of his skin color; those of us who work hard and want to continue working; those who work or own businesses that thrive only when the American economy is thriving; those of us who pay our hard-earned bucks for gasoline and use electricity in our homes; and for those us who want comprehensive immigration reform and not just an election year political ploy, the choice is very, very clear.
Anybody but Obama. . .Mitt Romney.
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