The Case for US Border Security. What most will NOT say. Or Admit.

The attached video is a fair recap of US Border Security and issues around having a wall. The video asks questions that should be considered. Watch the video:

Often left out of the debate around US Mexican border security is the right of American "Citizens" to be protected from threats to their safety. It is true that border security creates adverse consequences. However, the lack of border security also creates adverse consequences to American Citizens.

Voter Fraud, Suppression & Poor Turnout

Here is a great article regarding concerns with voter fraud, suppression and hacking.  I have excerpted a portion of the entire article which is relevant to the media hysteria regarding Russian activities. It is simpler to believe the Russians changed the results of the Presidential election,  but that belief is not a simple fact.

Three key facts:
1- Whoever gained access to DNC emails or John Podesta emails only revealed what our politicians thought in private. If that impacted voters, maybe it was properly relevant to voter choices. The key "hack" only accessed private emails which showed these private conversations.

2- A significant number of eligible voters in America did not vote at all. Some protesters have admitted they did not vote. Over 30% of eligible voters did not participate.

3- Many votes were cast by voters with limited information about important issues. Voter misinformation resulted from media bias, poor knowledge of history and civics, lack of effort to be informed, and "fake news."

Below is a valuable excerpt on voter fraud and suppression. Consider reading entire article in the link.

Bernie: "America Not Compassionate" WRONG!

Bernie Sanders said today that "America is not a Compassionate Society" This is what is wrong with Progressives, Liberals and Some Democrats. And Bernie.

Our "society" has agreed to $trillions in taxes used to pay benefits in America to people that need help. It takes the form of food stamps, Section 8 housing, Medicaid (health care for the poor), and hundreds of other programs for people in need. We also provide an array of programs to educate and retrain people.

The values that made America the country it is today is liberty and self-reliance. And Compassion. When Europeans came across the Atlantic, they did not have a government to refuel their ships. When settlers traveled through the West, they had little or nothing from the US government to support them. They survived on self-reliance and grit. We have never been a country that values government supporting "everyone". Most businesses have thrived on sheer determination, not government support.

And yet, we (as an American Society) have been willing to provide these $trillions to help our fellow man. And that doesn't include $trillions more than come through private donations and contributions.

And, while we are at it, who but America shows up all over the world to help those in need. Have these progressives forgot about Europe and Hitler, or our disaster relief in Thailand, Earthquake relief in Pakistan, or never ending offers of aid to China, Russia and other countries. And don't overlook the military commitments to keep the world safe paid for by America.

Bernie Sanders is wrong! If you support him you are ignorant or subscribe to un-American values. Condemn his comments or choose another more compassionate country to live in.

Economic Reality and Tax Policy; Revisit Reagan Tax Cuts

Tax policy pundits and left leaning ideologues prefer to malign Reagan Tax Cuts and Supply Side Economics. However, their criticism is often devoid of facts and analysis. Oftentimes they confuse other influences on the economy. In a more recent revisiting of tax policy, many left leaning policy makers prefer to blame low tax rates for the economic crises and recession of 2007 through 2009. (We need an adult conversation on the "Great Recession" which has not been part of the media dialogue.)

With a new administration in Washington, DC and a focus on economic growth, an informed awareness of the effects of tax policies is very important. While data supports the arguments that lower taxes lead to greater economic growth, there is also a role for common sense.

People want more of what they keep. If government confiscates more of your effort and production with higher taxes, than most people will be less motivated to produce income and wealth. Is that not just common sense?

Simple Truth -
Lower taxes are good policy especially when current rates place workers or businesses at a competitive disadvantage. 

The economist most associated with advocacy for lower tax rates is Dr. Art Laffer who is associated with "Supply Side Economics." Here is his analysis of the economic impacts of Reagan Tax Cuts. It is worth reading and understanding.

Link to Laffer Paper on Reagan Tax Cuts

Holding the Media Accountable for Bias

The media apologists are out in full force, outraged over the recent "President-Elect" tongue lashing given to some in the media. While there are no official reports about the meeting, other media outlets have whined about PEOTUS "clearing the air". The point of this analysis is not to defend PEOTUS but simply point out the role of the media in our public discourse. Here are the Simple Facts:

Best Books; Hillbilly Elegy - Crises in the Culture of Poor White America

From American Conservative
By Rod Dreher - July 22, 2016

"I wrote last week about the new nonfiction book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance, the Yale Law School graduate who grew up in the poverty and chaos of an Appalachian clan. The book is an American classic, an extraordinary testimony to the brokenness of the white working class, but also its strengths. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. With the possible exception of Yuval Levin’s The Fractured Republic, for Americans who care about politics and the future of our country, Hillbilly Elegy is the most important book of 2016. You cannot understand what’s happening now without first reading J.D. Vance. His book does for poor white people what Ta-Nehisi Coates’s book did for poor black people: give them voice and presence in the public square. This interview I just did with Vance in two parts (the final question I asked after Trump’s convention speech) shows why."

Trump: Tribune of Poor White People - American Conservative

Apprenticeships - An Option for America's Youth

A college education is not everyone’s cup of tea. The United States needs other ways to instill job skills in the younger generation. Could apprenticeships be the answer?


Cato: Are Apprenticeships the New College?

America's Debt Crises Explained - Prager U

America has nearly $20 Trillion in Debt which is expected to increase $500 billion per year. The total debt increased $10 trillion in last 8 years. A significant amount of additional debt obligations are not recorded for Medicare, Social Security and other entitlement programs.

Prager U - America's Debt Crises Explained

Do You Understand The Electoral College

A common discussion after some Presidential elections (and this year) is whether the Electoral College is an effective process to elect Presidents. Here are some Simple Facts:

1. The Constitution establishes the Electoral College; it is the Supreme law of the US.
2. The Electoral College has been in place since the founding of the Country in 1786 (230 years).
3. If citizens don't like it, citizens may AMEND the Constitution.
4. Protesters who engage in violence and anarchy, you will go to Jail.
5. The purpose of the Electoral College was to protect smaller states from tyranny of large states.

If you want to learn something, read/watch the following essays about the reasons for the Electoral College.

Prager U - The Electoral College

WSJ - Excellent Electoral College (may require subscription)

Storing Nuclear Waste In America

In the Wall Street Journal November 15, 2016, an article discussed the political stonewalling of a number of issues including how do we store nuclear waste. The following article describes the issue over the years and the need to make policy decisions. This is one of many issues that languished in an era that doing nothing was preferable to making important decisions.

Wired.Com - Storing Nuclear Waste