More on politics..yawn..

Lately there's been a lot of chatter about the immigration issue. Should we build a fence? Should we position troops to enforce the borders? Should we make it a felony to enter this country illegally? What about the drain on healthcare and government assistance programs caused by illegal immigrants? "But they're only taking jobs Americans don't want. They're only trying to start a better life than what they had in Mexico. They're only trying to pursue the American dream."

The problem isn't that there are millions of immigrants here in the U.S. The problem is the government is ill equipped to handle the mass inflow of illegals coming to America every year. As such there is a toll taken on the ability of government programs to administer to all the people that have come here illegally. To want to come to the U.S. to start a better life for yourself and family is admirable, to break the U.S. law to do so is ironic. That is a portentous way to start your new life, under the shadow of darkness and evasion.

So what happens when the generosity of the federal government and it's funding of several programs is strained by the inflow of illegal immigrants who require medical treatment, living expenses, child care, food stamps, and social security? Larger debt, higher taxes, reduced economic growth, and a decrease in the governments ability to fund programs such as education, social security, defense, disaster relief and other programs that are essential. What happens when the demands of a population exceed the ability to finance those demands? Debt. When that debt becomes so heavy that there is no possible way that it will be repaid, there will be a day of reckoning that could cause serious financial consequences. It's a scenario that could affect countries across the globe unless this issue is addressed by clear, forward thinking people. What is needed is an immigration policy that allows the opportunity for immigrants to come here, while making sure they do so legally.

Now this may sound like a rally against immigrants but it's not. I support immigrants coming to the U.S. to start a new life, enjoy the freedoms we have, and participate in making our country stronger, but I favor it being done orderly and legally. There are people from other countries who do not share a border with the U.S. who have been waiting their turn to begin a life in the United States. After all we are a stronger nation for the diversity. However, we need to have a way to control the mass of people who are intent on coming to this country. To do any less could mean the deterioration of the country that has come to be known as the most prosperous nation on earth.

Are we concerned?

Lately it seems we should be more concerned than we are. There are several things that put this country in jeopardy but it seems everyone is afraid to address them with any sort of conviction. Of course there are the scholars and academia who publish opinions and research meant to try and enlighten us to the storm on the horizon but there are also many who raise warning flags so often we tend to ignore them as we would an irritating buzz. Here are a few things I think are issues that need to be addressed.

National Debt. Most of it is owned by countries that are not friendly to the US. What would happen if they decided to dump their holdings in a short span of time? We need to control spending and get our debt under control. Raising the debt ceiling every time we get close is not a solution, it's part of the problem. Kinda like a credit card company raising how much you can borrow because you're close to maxing out your debt. Of course the way congress spends our money is just like a teenager with a new credit card.

Our Borders. We need to gain control of our borders. Right now it's porous and we as a nation cannot maintain our security and economy by allowing so many people to sneak into our country without knowing who they are and if they mean harm to our nation. We have too many enemies to allow this to continue. We are a sovereign nation and as such we need to control who is allowed into our country.

Energy Dependence. We need to allow drilling in more areas inside our country. Right now the biggest threat to our economy and security is our dependence upon countries who open acknowledge their disdain for the US. We are, at any time, open to attack. Maybe not from a military force, but an economic one. What would happen if Venezuela, Iran, Russia, and Nigeria either decided to reduce or eliminate their exports to the US? We import most of our oil from Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia. If you think the price is high now, what happens when we lose all or part of Saudi Arabia's imports due to some type of geographical instability event?
Reducing our daily consumption in the form of alternative fuels and more efficient autos would go a long way to reducing our exposure. Think it won't happen? Consider this, Iran gets a nuke and is crazy enough to launch it at Israel. Israel responds in kind and them boom, we have a major event in the middle east. Do we believe that Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia won't be drawn into the conflict? The political and economic effect will cascade throughout the world.

China as a developing Country. The US is currently the undisputed only Superpower in the world. But that is changing. China is developing economically and militarily. They have the resources and manpower to become a second super power. They are already flexing their muscle behind the Iran controversy and have been supplying the US with cheap goods for years making the US consumer dependent upon those products. China could become a valued ally or an equal super power. We have been pressing for reform in China for decades and it seems those efforts are making progress. Although they have a long way to come to become trusted, they seem to be making the effort to engage the US and the world in meaningful cooperation economically. They compete for the resources with the US and have shown that they realize the future can be one of cooperation between the two countries. Their regime may be oppressive to their population, but that is also giving way. When Nixon went to China he started us down a long road of subtly pressuring them to join the modern world. Unfortunately they are still communist and as such we are unable to trust their leadership. When freedoms are prevalent and they elect a government freely, then China could become a true friend. It goes to show the power of economics when it comes to encouraging change.

Other Countries. We should be concerned about the other countries that lately have tilted to the far left of Democracy and are openly expressing their dislike of the United States. Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, and Peru are all countries in our hemisphere that are openly expressing discontent with the US. It's a pattern that is growing lately and if we don't figure out how to counter it we could become more isolated as the years go by. Even Mexico hasn't been as good of a neighbor as usual with the illegal immigrant issue. A good neighbor doesn't tell it citizens to disobey another countries laws or proved them assistance to do so.

So that's my dissertation on why the glass is half empty.
I'll post later why the glass if half full.

And so it goes for the Wings

As so it goes, another hockey season cut short by a younger, faster, more desperate team.
As Edmonton goes on to the next round, the Red Wings return home silently with heads hung low, weary from the weight of our hopes on their shoulders. It has become a pattern in the last few years. The Wings place at the top of their league only to be swept away in the first round of the playoffs. Anyone who said the playoffs are a different game looks quite intelligent right now. Discipline out played by desperation. Puck control passed up by speed. You only have to look at the amount of times an Oiler lay his body into the path of a 100 MPH slapshot to realize who was willing to go the farthest in the quest for Lord Stanleys Cup. As our hearts slow and our thoughts turn to other things to help us forget the season we must remember that they are our Red Wings. We also need to thank them. They gave us a great season, albeit one cut short by a team who gave everything they had to move up.
No sooner had I turned off the TV when I was already thinking of next year and what changes will be made to ensure this bad karma is cured. I can’t imagine Steve Yzerman returning next year. He gave it everything he had, but in the end sheer will was not enough to overcome the challenge he faced. He is and always will be The Captain. Our Captain. His mark will be left on the team for years to come as all other Captains will be measured against his shadow. His leadership will serve as an example of how to lead, and for that we are grateful. We wish it could have been while holding the Cup but it wasn’t meant to be. He has earned his retirement and with it our respect.

So Detroit, what will it be when they return home? A scowl or a cheer? I for one will be cheering them. It’s the least I can do for my Detroit Red Wings.

Let's show them the class they deserve as we look toward next year...

Pork, the other tax.

Social Security, will it be there when I retire? I can tell you I don't plan on expecting it and I would venture to guess that if you asked most employed mid-life people they would say the same thing. I'm trying to make sure that my family's financial future will be secure when I retire. To wait for the government to fix the fiscal hole social security is quickly becoming is a fools gambit. The politicians are too busy figuring out new ways to inject pork projects into must pass bills because they believe that we elect them to swipe as much federal bounty as they can. The funny thing is, I would prefer a congressman who is honest when it comes to federal funds. Who do they think pays for all the pork? We do. So if congressman "Smith" attaches an amendment saying the government is to allot $100 million to measure and compare the amount of methane gas produced by grass fed and grain fed cows in the state of Texas, I still pay for that. Do they really believe that since I live in Texas and they procure that money for this project in my state I will cast my vote in their favor? Not likely. Imagine what could be accomplished if our congressional delegation all had the best interests of the United States as a whole in mind when they make decisions. An elected government representative is an honorable position, it's too bad we haven't elected many honorable people to fill that position.

Immigration

Blogging away

What’s going on in DC on Immigration?


I don’t profess to be a journalist and I readily admit I do not have all of the answers but I find myself asking over and over again why DC is so bogged down making decisions.

Immigration is the soup of the day and it’s become nothing but chicken. Our borders are in need of serious repair and we need a comprehensive solution to illegal immigration while taking into consideration that our economy is affected by the number of workers who cross the border under cover of night to work in this country. I have to ask myself though, if all of these illegal immigrants are taking our jobs why is unemployment at an all time low of 4.7%? The illegal mantra of “Today we March, Tomorrow we vote” may be true but I would like to remind our elected representatives that their constituents vote today. Since our elected representatives are unable to come up with a solution I would like to offer them a plan to get the ball rolling.

1-Enforce the Borders. It seems to me that any other solutions are doomed to fail unless we gain control of our borders. I’m talking Canadian also. We should and will let thousands of people in yearly, but let’s make sure we know who they are, what their intentions will be and if they will able to be a contributing member of this country. Unless we are able to control our borders anything else we do will just bring us back to where we are now.

2-Minimum Wage. The reason illegal immigrants are hired is because they are exploited for wages below the federal minimum. Make sure that any worker is paid according to the law. That means minimum wage. This will allow a decent wage for the immigrants allowed into the U.S. and also make sure job applicants are fairly competitive. If you have two people vying for the same job let the best candidate win. Americans are free to pursue the same job for the same pay.

3-Current Illegal’s. Any illegal immigrant who is here now will be offered the chance to be added to the list for a green card. They will be at the end of the list and must pay a fine for breaking our law (currently a civil infraction) but if they can prove they are steadily employed and contributing to our country in a positive way they can continue to do so. They must also pay taxes according to the law.

4-Join the military. Want to get bumped up on the green card list? Enlist into the United States Military. Complete a normal enlistment and you will be given citizenship upon completion. If you can serve our country, our country should be grateful enough to ensure your residence.

5-Obey the Laws. If you are convicted of any felony you are sent back to where you came. The Statue of Liberty doesn’t say “Give me your convicts”.

6-Be Proud Of the U.S. If you spent numerous days making a trek that would put the cast of survivor to shame and are living in the country you’ve dreamed of, then be proud of this country. Why would anyone come to a country only to criticize and put it down? As Stephen Decatur said, "Our Country, Right or Wrong". At least we have the freedom to be wrong and the opportunity to make it right.

This should allow those who we have elected to represent us to get the ball rolling on how to handle the immigration problems we have at this time. We elected them, we pay them, and now we should demand that they make the tough decisions to ensure the safety and prosperity of our nation. Someone needs to tell Congress they can’t please everyone because I don’t believe they realize it. It could be years before the political posturing provides a real solution.

Battle weary

It's dinnertime. Wifey is working and Connor has a friend over to spend the night and play. Pizza is the dinner time solution for tonight. Connor is a bit of a picky eater but Sara usually eats everything we serve. We have a rule at dinner time though, the kids have to eat at least 2 bites of the main dish. Pizza should be easy but tonight Sara decides she doesn't want any. They've been playing hard all day and I know that hunger will surface if she doesn't eat anything. Playtime can resume as soon as they eat their bites but Sara is getting stubborn. After a few minutes she starts to get cranky so it's time for a time-out. This is a battle I can't afford to lose. We go back and forth with the time-outs for over 40 minutes. Each time-out is only 2-3 minutes because at her age it doesn't serve to make it longer but she is particularly stubborn tonight. I know she likes pizza and breadsticks, she just wants to skip dinner though and go play some more.
After about 30 minutes into it I'm ready to give up but I know I can't. It would come back ten fold later. She really turns it on for me, pulling my heart strings until I think they'll break. The crying, calling Daddy, pouting, kicking her feet and any other thing she thinks will break her out from having to eat first. She knows how close I am to just saying ok and letting her go play. At least it feels like she does. I have to keep telling her that I love her and she needs to eat her dinner first but to no avail. Finally after 40 minutes of going back and forth she agrees to take her 2 bites. We go to the table and she takes the bites. Happily she gets down as if nothing ever happened and runs to the playroom where her brother and his friend are playing. As for me, I need therapy now and a cold beer. Chalk another gray hair up to my 2 year old sweet little girl.

Vacation

Last week the family and I went up to Missouri to visit the in-laws. It was a short visit for wifey and I but the kids get to stay for the week. Needless to say we're taking it worse than the kids. It's too quiet at the house, but at least we take solace in that we are getting some projects done while we can. We called about 7 times that first day. Maybe 3 the next. Today may be 2. Wifey's sister and her family are there so our kids get to spend some quality time with the cousins as well as the grandparents. They'll have a great time. Of course we wouldn't mind a little "we miss you cry" once in a while when talk to them on the phone, at least one that comes from them to us instead of the other way around.
The visit was nice albeit quick. We flew in Friday and returned Tuesday. I think I gained 5 pounds! My mom-in-law is a very good cook. Sometimes a little too good.
We'll go back on next Tuesday to pick them up. Can't wait for that day to come. The silence is killing us!