Paying our Debt

The war that was to cost a few billion dollars is projected to consume most of the 160 Billion that the armed forces are asking for in 2007. Now i have always disagreed with this war and would be happy to get the troops home tomorrow. However, this is not going to happen. One thing I hate even more is not paying for the things I am responsible for unless it is a gift. The debt we are passing on to further generations has not been okayed by them and we have no right fostering our costs onto them. I suggest we institute a freedom tax. This tax should be on gross income and calculated to pay for our war. If you do not want to call it a freedom tax, then call it a patriot tax. Everyone needs to write their congressman, senators, and the president to encourage them to initiate this tax. Let us show our support for the troops by actually supporting them with something else besides hot air.

Global Warming

Senator Inhofe does not believe mankind is causing global warming. This is a bit strange because he says the debate is being driven by fear. Since this is one of the two pillars ( Fear and Hate) of the Republican party , I would have thought he would have embraced it.

However, he is against it. He brings forward groups of scientist that also oppose the idea. My son says that they are all paid by the energy companies and are tainted. I am not positive, maybe mankind is not causing damage. But here is a thought.

People are against abortion ( I'm sure Inhofe is anti-abortion). Why because they say we are killing a human being. Now, no one can say that a fetus is human, that it has a soul, or will even reach term. The argument is that it is better to err on the safe side and not abort.

We have invaded Iraq. Why did we invade Iraq? Well, we thought that they had WMD's and we did not want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud. So we decided to err on the side of safety and invade.

Now we have global warming. The consequence of which are much more dire than abortion or WMD's. The current theory says if we do not act soon we will reach a tipping point. At that time there will be nothing that we can do. So perhaps it is time to err on the side of safety again.

Insanity

A favorite current option for Iraq is to increase troop levels to train Iraqi's to handle their security.

One definition of insanity to to keep repeating the same behavior and expect a different outcome.

Feb 2005 - -Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said about one-third of Iraqi soldiers and police are capable of fighting Shi'ite or Sunni insurgents. Myers said the U.S.-led coalition has trained 125,000 Iraqi soldiers and police officers.

"About 40,000 can go anywhere in the country and take on any threat," Myers told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday. "That does not mean the rest of them aren't useful."

July 2005 - WASHINGTON — None of the 10,000 American-trained Iraqi troops in western Iraq are yet capable of fighting the insurgency without U.S. support, but some should be ready by next year, a senior U.S. commander said Friday.

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson (search), in charge of the 30,000 U.S. forces in western Iraq, said he is encouraged about prospects for stabilizing a region that has been among the most troubled in the country.

Nov 2005 - BAGHDAD, Nov. 15, 2005 — The U.S. military said today that more than 112,000 Iraqi police and nearly 100,000 Iraqi troops have been trained and equipped so far. While the numbers seem impressive, the greater concern is whether those Iraqi forces are capable of effectively securing their country.

Today's report from the Pentagon says only one battalion — about 700 Iraqi troops — has reached level one, meaning the soldiers can operate independently. 19

October 2006 (AFP) - Iraq's newly-minted army will be ready to take over the security of the war-torn state from US and allied troops by late next year or early 2008, Iraq's oil minister said during a visit to Australia.

Getting What you voted for

Well it looks like the supreme court is going to march backwards into time. I hope all those people, especially the minorities are happy with the decision. By those people I mean all those who minority people who voted Republican. Perhaps I am wrong and this is a good thing, but I think not. I also wonder how they will fill magnet schools. If a school is over subscribe why is it any different in discrimination to discriminate by where you live and not by color. I guess the only fair way is to go to a lottery system. This may be a good thing for the Democratic party. If the court continues in this direction and the Democrat's can make the public see that the court is a result of the Republicans. Perhaps we will end up with another forty years of Democratic control. Better yet the Republican party could disappear and some third party come into play.

GOP party of Fisical Reponsibility and Small Government --NOT

Well the new GOP dominated legislature in Florida is about to convene. In true GOP tradition, they have created two new positions. These positions, of course, do not have a typical Florida salary. No, they are $120,000 and $100,008 jobs. Who is getting these jobs - two long time Republican allies. Who created these jobs - Marco Rubino who faults steady growth in the size of government. In typical GOP double speak they say that it will actually save money. The reasoning is that the taxpayer will have a friend on their side? With friends like this who needs enemies.

Rubino says they are needed to train all the new house members. So in the past who trained them? Rubino says this will help maintain the institutions memory. I think that was part of what the voters were trying to get away from with term limits.