Travis Hart's Political Corner
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Travis Hart |
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We have several problems that we need to address. We need to balance the budget. We have been told that the yearly deficit is being reduced. When Clinton took office the National Debt was $4.2 Trillion. The last debt ceiling was raised to $5.2 Trillion. The yearly deficit may be going down but this is an horrendous increase with more to come. It must be addressed.
We need to set up some plan to reduce the National Debt. This is approximately $20,000 for every person living in the USA.
We need to come to grips with Medicare and Social Security. If we do it now we can spare our children and grandchildren the tremendous strain of the additional taxes that would be levied on them.
It does not have to be done with a bipartison committee. If necessary, do it and then try to sell it as being more fair to your children than the horrendous debt load will be.
We must convince people that the massive increases that would be necessary on our children is unjust and that we are mortgaging their future for our own immediate gain. It can be done. I just don't see anyone trying it yet.
We must convince people that it is the Liberals that are heartless and mortgaging our children and their children's future by not being fiscally responsible. Presented in the proper fashion I feel that we can turn the tide.
I am becoming more and more concerned that we are being lulled into accepting Big Government as the big brother to all of us. I had an acquaintance that had spent some time in the hospital with lung problems. Her hospital bill alone was over $28,000. She was furious that her insurance was not picking up more of the tab. Her comment to me was that Countries overseas paid for the medical costs.
As you can see, so many people believe that when the Government pays for something it is free. She felt that her tax dollars were enough to see that the Government could provide for her health needs. She was probably right. The problem is, as I explained to her, that you have so many people at the public trough that pay nothing or very little into the system.
I know that the very poor need help, but it does not have to be as massive as we now have it. I have yet to see a woman, on food stamps, being interviewed on TV that does not seem to be grossly overweight. The people on Medicaid do not have to go to a Doctor. They can go to an emergency room for something as simple as a headache and have the Government pick up the tab. Government comprised of we the people, us gullible fools. If you are on an HMO try going to the emergency room without your Doctor's permission and see who picks up the tab. You will, not the Insurance Provider.
How did we get in this mess? We are constantly being bombarded by the sight of overweight people being starved to death by our lack of compassion. We are required to pay poor people to have more children so they can collect more while we that complain are told that we have no compassion. Let's call this practice what it really is. Vote Buying! Can we correct some of it? Yes. By voting for the Conservative Candidate and not listening to the pack of lies spewed by the National News Media day after day.
He seemed to think that if politicians had to live only with Medicare when they retired they would be certain to make it solvent. He also believed that they should have no retirement benefit for serving in Congress but should have to retire on Social Security. He felt that this would cause them to be more receptive to the needs of the people and join the real world.
I am concerned with the Social Health Program that will reemerge if Clinton is elected. I feel that the only way to be certain that it will work is to make it mandatory for all politicians to be unable to acquire any Medical Aid other than on the programs they mandate for the people. Make themselves have to wait in line also. I feel that this will never happen, however. But wouldn't it be nice?
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Clinton has yet to release his health records. I remember when he was in Washington before becoming President that he asked a Doctor to give him a shot for his illness. The Doctor informed him that he would be happy to give him the shot as soon as he could review his Medical Records. The Medical Records were not made available.
Bob Dole has asked that Clinton make his Medical Records available. The records have still not been released.
Since the News Media is so interested in other politicians' health, why are they not interested in the President's health? He is certainly more vital to us than Yeltsin. Could there be something in Clinton's health records that would be damaging to his political fortunes? Get real, News Media! Don't expect me to believe that everyone is interested in Dole and Yeltsin's health and no one is interested in Clinton's health. Pressure him to release his records.
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The states are sueing the Tobacco Companies for the health problems that cigarettes cause. My problem with this is that when I hear people like Al Gore tell how tobacco causes death at an early age, as in his sister's case, that it appears that people who smoke die earlier and do not draw as much Social Security and do not load down the Medicare system. It would appear to me that the Government should refund money to the Tobacco Companies and to the people who smoke as they are helping to relieve a problem, and reducing the Medicare payout. Also, Social Security receipts that these people paid in do not go to them in their old age as they are dead. Therefore, the Government has their monies without the outlay. Why not teach every kid to smoke and take care of the Medicare problem and the Social Security problem in a couple of generations?
Back to being serious. I have heard the News Media rake Bob Dole over the coals for his statement that he does not know whether tobacco is addictive or not. He thinks that for a lot of people it is merely the habit. I will have to agree with him. I have seen people quit cold turkey and tell me that they never even had the desire to smoke again. I have also seen people that went almost bonkers until they could get another cigarette. My conclusion is that to some people it is addictive while to others it is not. If science can find the gene that causes homosexuality surely they can find the gene that causes nicotine addiction.
Why don't we let people exercise their first amendment right to smoke if they wish? If any harm is being done it is only to them. I definitely do not want the Government to go after overweight people next as sometimes I am somewhat obese.
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This was brought forcibly to my attention while watching Wolf Blitzer, CNN, interview Al Gore. Al Gore stated that Dole had voted against Medicare when it was established. This occurred in the 1960's. That makes it over 30 years ago. Okay to talk about this. Shortly after this Clinton was dodging the draft. Dirty politics to talk about this and besides, the American public does not want to discuss it, according to the News Media. We don't even want to hear about his sexcapades, according to the News Media. Why should one candidate be held accountable for all his past actions and another not be held accountable for any actions?
During the Medicare debate to establish it, I seem to remember that the Democrats were mainly against it. At about this time the Republicans became conservative and the Democrats became liberal. Kennedy was assassinated. The great society was established. There was a great deal of flux in politics. The general concensus, whether you were for it or against it, was that it would greatly increase hospital and medical costs. Inflation set in on these commodities immediately, never to this day stopping. There was justification, in my opinion, both for and against it.
During this interview Blitzer asked him about his speech, concerning his sister who had died of a smoking related disease, as to whether it was political or not. Gore stated that his family had asked him to share it. Blitzer did not ask him about his campaign for President in 1988 in which he tried to acquire tobacco money. His sister died in 1984.
I would like for the News Media to ask Hard Ball questions of all candidates. I want to hear the answers and make my own decisions. I want a Level Playing Field.
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We managed to see that all my children received a College education. We helped in every way that we could but required that all three of them have jobs while attending College. We knew that their grades would suffer somewhat but felt that the experience would better prepare them for their future lives. All three are successful in their endeavors.
I do appreciate the help that Big Government gave me. They left me enough of my own money to see that my children received an adequate education. I feel sorry for future generations, however, as the Democratic response is to provide for mainly disadvantaged children, while trying to make me feel guilty of not being taxed more to provide for the underprivileged.
Will the Democrats leave enough money in the hands of the working class to let us continue to provide a quality education for our children? Alice Rivlen, Whitehouse Staff, said that my grandchildrens' generation would be taxed at 84 % unless something was done to the system.
The Democrat motto seems to be: Let's stick it to the working class. They will continue to vote for us while we bankrupt our country and ourselves.
Maybe it is time we, the people, woke up.
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After four years the solutions seem to be escaping the best and brightest people, as he is still campaigning with this as his solution. At least he is not floating the 50 cent a gallon gas tax yet. Why not have some idea, at least, of something to correct the problems he says we have. I definitely do not want a Hillary Clinton style committee set up working on these problems, accountable to no one, and being unable to even acquire the names of the people on the committee.
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The other day I noticed that her hair was becoming white, so I jokingly asked her if her hair coloring was becoming too expensive. She informed me in an irritated voice, that her favorite brand of dye had gone up since 1993 from $4.50 to $6.95. She was refusing to buy it. Then later she returned from grocery shopping. First, let me explain that she makes up a grocery list and it is about the same menu from week to week. So the groceries purchased are about the same each time. I asked her how much it had cost. She informed me that I did not want to know. I persisted. She informed me that it was over $300.00. She was very irritated because in 1993 it had been about $200.00 for the same amount.
There is no point in disagreeing with my wife. She is convinced that inflation is running about
15% a year. I can't convince her that there are other things that determine inflation.
You and I know that it is only 2-3 % a year. Social Security recipients also know as that is
their COLA. We know if inflation were truly 15% a year every senior citizen in America would
be complaining. The AARP would be livid. But I still can't convince my wife.
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This left me looking over the Republican candidates. The news media was trying to kill Pat Buchanan so I decided it might be to my advantage to look closely at him. I found out that he was a conservative populist and immediately gave my support to him. I did not approve of the way the Republican Party decided that Buchanan was an extremist and pulled out all stops to stop him in South Carolina and throughout the South. I felt that the people should be the only ones deciding who their candidate should be.
This turned me against Bob Dole. I knew that he was a man of honor and integrity and had served our country well. But he also believes in compromise. Sometimes it is necessary, but he seemed to believe in it for almost any bills. It seemed to me that this sacrificed principle. So I had about made up my mind to skip voting for President and vote for the other positions on the ballot.
And then came the Republican Convention! I have watched CNN try to destroy Dole and
Jack Kemp. So I have taken a second look at Dole. It seems that he is a private man
and all of my information about him comes from the news media. I approve of the message
of personal responsibility that is resounding throughout the convention. You can still
mention GOD and no one reproves you. He seems to have a fine wife who will not attempt
to run the country. He selected a good man to run as Vice President. He will reinstate the
Reagan revolution. Bob Dole now has my full support. Thank you, CNN!
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I watched a report showing the breakdown of prices for a gallon of gasoline at the pump. It seems, according to this report, that it costs approximately 54 cents per gallon to produce, market, and distribute. The dealer makes around 10% profit. The Government tax, on average nationwide, is approximately 42.5 cents per gallon.
What does the Government do in the production and marketing phase to allow it this stupendous profit? How much money does it provide for the production of gasoline?
The final question is obvious. Who is greedy?
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The Democratic Party also met and had as its plank abortion, including partial birth abortions. There is no disclaimer saying that it is a party of divergent views. There was no apparent media coverage of this, either.
Is there a possibility that Americans do not approve of partial birth murder?
Or would they believe that they were not welcome in the Democratic Party if they
did not believe in partial birth murder? Where is the 50/50 coverage to ensure fairness? Is fairness only when you wish to present
your own views? Or sway opinion to your own views? Or to keep your views from becoming public knowledge?
Don't let Americans know what is going on. The news media knows what is best.
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Why don't we first have "Fair Trade" to get other countries attention, and then
attempt free trade? We have our EPA standards that we must abide by and other
Countries do not. There should be a tariff imposed on imports to equalize this,
or more jobs will be lost. This is just one example. There are many more.
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Let me tell you something that occurred recently. An elderly lady went to her family doctor with heart trouble. He checked her and prescribed appropriate medication. She was not satisfied and self referred herself to an Heart Specialist. Many batteries of tests and thousands of dollars later he told her that he was keeping her on the same medication that her family doctor had prescribed. Medicare paid for it.
I have elected for my family a PPO Insurance plan. It is cheaper and my
choice of doctors is limited. I must have approval to see a Specialist from my family doctor.
However, I feel that my coverage is adequate.
I ask myself why Congess cannot give the elderly the same kind of care that
the people paying for the system have.
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