Letters
Letters to the editor, March 7
TBO.com
Published: March 7, 2012
A U.S. House debatePublished: March 7, 2012
I spent part of my evening, a few days ago, listening to the Majority Party Rep. Eric Cantor and Steny Hoyer from the Democratic Minority Party discussing the Payroll Tax Holiday bill. They did this for some time and ended up in a stalemate trying to compare income taxes and payroll taxes.
They are different, just like apples and oranges Cantor wants the bill, to cut payroll taxes, that steals money from the Social Security trust fund to be paid for. You pay for this by taking funding from some pork project or from some large spending project that is not needed right now. Give up a freebee gift to a company like Solyndra and put that money in the trust fund to replace the 4 percent that you want to steal from it. Makes sense to me.
Hoyer on the other hand wants to put another "IOU" in the till to replace the money. Now I know that means that somewhere down the road the taxpayer, that's us folks, has to come up with the money to pay off the "IOU."
He went to great lengths, and showed his great ignorance, trying to tie the Bush income tax reductions of the early 2000's to the Payroll Tax Holiday. They have effects on two different things. The "income tax reductions "kept money in the hands of the people and not in the "General Slush Fund" that congress uses to fund their pork projects and other "important" things.
The "Payroll Tax Holiday" takes money away from a "guaranteed" fund meant to support Social Security for the elder among us. It is also meant to keep the fund solvent for the people now working that pay into it during their working lives.
The hard cold fact is that the "Payroll Tax Holiday" steals funds that support the Social Security Fund. This is a ploy to get people to vote for them. If that's what Hoyer wants, he should take it from the general fund by giving a "tax break" to everyone that works and pays income taxes. This is to give the 49 percent of workers who don't pay income taxes a little present this year for their vote. Guess what, these idiots will give their vote to them.
Hoyer tried and tried to say that they are the same. How this supposedly intelligent Liberal Democratic Representative can put forth an argument that the people keeping some of their income tax money is equal to raiding the Social Security Trust Fund is idiotic on its face.
The "Income Tax Reductions" stopped the fools in Congress from spending it on their own pay increases and retirement pensions and, lest we forget, their pet pork projects. He is trying to say this reduction of payroll taxes that are mandated to the Social security trust fund are the same. He is saying the income tax general fund and the Social Security Trust Funds are mandated funds for "his use" to be used as he wants. This guy is a real stone cold fool if he thinks that works. I know that the hard core leftist liberals all think that the workers money is theirs to play with. I, however, do not.
My idea is we will keep our money and they can go scratch. We will pay our 6 and ¾ percent into the Social Security fund and they can keep their dirty paws off of it. The Social Security Trust Fund is not theirs to play with. The Democratic controlled Congress of 60 years ago changed the rules to allow them to use the funds. Now they want to steal from it to buy votes. They also want us to pick up their "IOU." It is time to kick their, "dust" for brains, butts to the street.
Gerald Lesmeister
Weeki Wachee
Time for change
As I'm certain you are aware, gas is up to $3.81 a gallon. Food prices are escalating daily in major supermarkets, discount stores and even at Dunkin' Donuts where a toasted bagel with cream cheese sells for $2.19.
Gas and food; two non-debatable, non-negotiable essentials don't even qualify for a "we the people" priority conversation conducted by this President.
"Talk is cheap" especially in The White House when it comes to us. "King Barack The Apologetic Transformer" has other fish-to-fry and we the taxpayers pay for that fish! Why does the "King" do nothing to reduce the cost of gas and food for his "subjects" when he doesn't pay for Obama family gas and food? We do that!
Actions speak louder than words politically. Nonetheless, permit me to urge you to take note of Obama's latest inexplicable "shift to the left." Perhaps he will advise why he paid twice as much as any other adviser and or czar; 56-year-old Iran born Valerie Jarrett; ($330,000 annually plus luxury benefits); reportedly allowing her alone secret service protection!
On July 15, 1960 in the Democratic National Convention Nomination Acceptance Address-Los Angeles; revered, heroic former President John F. Kennedy confirmed his vigorous support of Separation of Church and State by stating, "I am saying to you that my decisions on every public policy will be my own, as a Democrat, as an American, and as a free man."
Rick Santorum after he viewed it said; "I almost threw-up," an inexcusable shoddy choice of "loser" words. Is it any wonder Santorum after serving two terms in the U.S. Senate lost his 2006 third run by a whopping 18 percentage points?
When Fox News Jesse Waters interviewed Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet antecedent the Academy Awards; he questioned actor James Cromwell about "Occupy Wall Street." Cromwell replied, "It's the start of the revolution." Such a comment surfaces when leadership is trumped by none at all.
Furthermore, Obama has been silent concerning Separation of Church and State. Additionally, why has Obama stayed silent on Israel's successful bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in July 1981 as well as Israel's bombing of Iran's nuclear installations in 2003, when then Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush respectively were not notified beforehand to the best of my recollection.
We as the great nation regrettably remain adrift thanks to President Obama ineffective administration. I firmly believe this elitist politician is not watching the "store" as he was elected to do. Otherwise, he would have capsulated a consistent message of comfort for "we the people" during this era of Obama induced uncertainty. I say this in my view as a former lifetime Democrat and now a 2010 minted NPA Florida.
America desperately needs a change in the Oval Office! Accordingly, my suggestion is to do everything within your power to insure the presidential nomination of a proven, exceptional governor and businessman Mitt Romney. Thereafter, hastening America's return to normalcy at home and a bona fide leadership abroad via a President-Elect Romney victory as our 45th President and legitimate Commander-in-Chief having clearly defeated a failed "I.O.U." President come election day Nov. 6, 2012!
Chuck Schlakman
Spring Hill