Incompetent U.S. Congress ‘kicks can’ . . . and ‘passes buck’ to next President and Congress . . . Passes short-term spending bill to fund Federal Government thru Dec 9

Captain Rick: The Senate and House passed a short-term spending bill that prevented a government shutdown at the end of the week. It has White House backing.

This legislation allows Congress to ‘kick the can down the road’ until after America elects a new President and new members of Congress. With a bunch of ‘lame ducks’ residing in congress at that time, you can bet they will again ‘kick the can down the road’ with another short-term spending bill to fund the government until after a new President and Congress take office in January. That’s when the excitement begins …

Fights over raising the debt limit broke out between the Obama White House and ruling Republicans in Congress in 2011 and 2013, unsettling Wall Street and foreign investors. The two sides struck a deal in 2015 to suspend the debt limit until Obama left office. The federal debt limit has been suspended since late 2015, but the law is set to be reinstated on March 16, 2017. The current debt limit of $20.1 trillion will be breached and another funding emergency will be at hand to prevent another U.S. government shutdown.

Government shutdowns in the past have become a ‘joke’ in that certain federal employees are told to stay home without pay, until Congress passed legislation to fund the government, which often included increasing the national debt and awarded compensation for all lost pay … meaning their time off was really an extra paid vacation; an insult to hard working employees of ‘Main Street’ America. The ‘Shutdown Game’ can not continue much longer because America is coming ever so close to falling off of the real and pending ‘Fiscal Cliff’. Many federal programs like Obamacare, Medicaid, Medicare and even Social Security are projected to implode in coming years without serious spending/taxation reform.

The U.S. National Debt has more than doubled since President Obama took office; from $9 trillion to $19.5 today. It is exploding at rate of $1.35 trillion each year. More than $10 trillion of ‘red ink debt dollars’ have been spent to keep the federal government functioning during the Obama Administration.

About 15% of money spent by the federal government has no revenue to support the expenditure and thus adds to the national debt. Much of this debt spending goes to states and cities in the form of federal grants. Our states and cities ‘drink up’ the grants like it is ‘free money coming from heaven’. Their philosophy is ‘if we don’t get the grant, some other city or state will’. What an awesomely greedy and fiscally reckless way to think. Shame on every city and state in America for slurping up these slush grants which add to the mushrooming U.S. National Debt. Our cities and states are a main contributors to the growing problem of America’s National Debt … debt which will be placed upon future generations to pay back … including our children and grand children. It’s a serious matter to think about.

I hope the next President and Congress will begin to balance the budget and curtail deficit spending. Saving America from falling off of the real and pending ‘Fiscal Cliff’, will not be easy. It will require ‘belt tightening’ by people, cities and states across America and most importantly by the U.S. Federal Government and our elected representatives in the U.S. Congress.

Captain Rick ranks Candidate Performance ~ 1st Republican Presidential Debate of 2016

Captain Rick : I have watched every presidential debate since 1960 when John F. Kennedy was elected and became one of America’s greatest presidents. I will always remember the day I was eating lunch in the high school cafeteria and those terrifying words came over the school PA system that President Kennedy was shot and killed. It was a day that planet earth stood completely still, frozen in shock. That day had a profound effect on my thinking. It marked the day I became seriously interested in the candidates that run for President of the United States of America. 

Fox News hosted the first Republican presidential debate on August 6, 2015.  Sadly, it was only broadcast live to cable TV subscribers. Watch the official Fox News video rerun by clicking the image above.

As I have done for most presidential debates for decades, I kept score of how each candidate answered the questions. Each candidate started off each question with 5 points on a scale of 10. As they answered each question, I adjusted their score up or down based on what they said as it related to how I believe the mainstream voter would judge the answer. Their body language and audience reaction factored in. After the debate I averaged the scores for each candidate.

Captain Rick’s Scorecard of 2016 Republican Presidential Debate Contenders:

8.1 Donald Trump

6.7 Rand Paul

6.3 Mike Huckabee

6.2 Ted Cruz

5.7 John Kasich

5.6 Marco Rubio

5.2 Scott Walker

5.1 Ben Carson

5.0 Jeb Bush

4.8 Chris Christie

Donald Trump dominated the debate, in spite of loaded questions thrown at him by Fox News host Meagan Kelly, scoring considerably higher than all other candidates. Rand Paul came in a distant second, weaker than I had expected. Mike Huckabee’s third place performance was a surprise. I have a hunch we will be seeing more press on him in coming weeks. It squeaked Ted Cruz to a close fourth. The rest of the candidates all scored within a point of neutral 5.0. Scott Walker’s drop was a surprise. Ben Carson, with his excellent comment about the ‘brain of congress’ helped him fair a notch above Jeb Bush. Chris Christie came in last. I think he needs to excuse himself from the race.

I recognize that there is lots of commentary on how the candidates faired that is being broadcast across social media. I am honored to be one intelligent voice for your consideration.  

Captain Rick’s Closing Thought … I think America is sick and tired of both parties (Republican and Democrat) because of their poor ability to have a positive effect in the Presidency and Congress of the United States of America … which continues to ‘kick Americas debt can down the road’ for our grandchildren to pay for. They can not afford the bill of debt. Unless America begins to elect an intelligent president and members of Congress, America will soon witness the world’s largest catastrophe … the United States of America becoming a third world country. 

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Today, if Dorothy met men with no brains, no hearts and no courage, she wouldn’t be in OZ, she would be in the U.S. Congress !

Captain Rick : Today, if Dorothy met men with no brains, no hearts and no courage, she wouldn’t be in OZ, she would be in the U.S. Congress !

These are definitely ‘Words of Wisdom’ for Americans who witness the majority of representatives in the U.S. Congress make decisions that continue to spend like drunkards on all kinds of things America can not afford, using dollars printed with red ink that grow America’s world record $18 trillion national debt … with no courage to produce an honest plan to stop it … and no heart to protect our children from inheriting an unsolvable pending fiscal disaster.

The U.S. Congress is today’s ‘OZ’ and President Obama is the ‘wizard’.

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U.S. Job Creation crawls above break-even with population growth … Jobs lost in Great Recession not likely to return any time soon

Captain Rick: U.S. Job Growth has crawled upward to pass the break-even rate with with population growth. The trend is in the right direction. The jobs being added are mostly low wage. There is little hope of regaining the 8.7 million medium to high wage jobs lost during the Great Recession any time soon.

The chart below shows the new jobs added during each month of the the past year. 

GREEN LINE: an average of 214,000 new jobs have been created each month during the past year

BLUE LINE: an average of 185,000 new jobs need to be created each month to keep up with U.S. Population growth of 0.7%

REAL JOB GROWTH: is represented by the difference between the Green and Blue lines … 29,000 new jobs each month that exceed population growth.

How long will it take to recover the 8.7 million jobs lost during the Great Recession: At the ‘Real Job Growth Rate’ of 29,000 new jobs per month, it will require 300 months … or 25 years. That is a long time, during which many other significant concerns will come into play … like the U.S. Debt crisis … on track to explode during the next decade.

Wages remain stagnated: Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen has said she wants to see wages rise faster than inflation so American households will have more buying power. That has yet to happen. I personally think Janet and the entire Fed are living in a ‘dream cloud’.

New poll show majority rating the U.S. economy as ‘Poor’: Many Americans still think the economy is not fully recovered. According to the results of a CNN/ORC International poll released Friday, 41% of people surveyed rate the economy as "good", while 58% rate the economy as "poor."

Perceptions about the U.S. economy will be a key factor in November’s midterm elections: More than a third of the Senate and the entire House are up for grabs. Both sides of the aisle are blaming each other for holding back the recovery. I blame almost all of them. I hope the American voters will exercise their thoughts and register their voices in the upcoming elections and vote out of office the majority of those now in office.

Captain Rick’s Prognosis: America is traveling into uncharted territory, which if not handled properly by the U.S. Congress (which is very unlikely, based on performance in the past decade), has the potential to drive America over the pending ‘real fiscal cliff’ and reduce America to a ‘third world nation’.

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USA Flag Day … Fly it proudly across America

Captain Rick: The American flag…Old Glory…The Star-Spangled Banner flies proudly over my Arizona Oasis every Flag Day. It reminds me of the great land in which all Americans have the privilege of living in freedom. 

Flag Day…a brief history:

In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated on June 14. It commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, which happened on that day in 1777 by resolution of the Second Continental Congress.

On June 14, 1777, less than one year after Betsy Ross had received the order from General Washington to make the first flag, the Second Continental Congress passed a flag resolution stating:

Resolved, That the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation.

The first national observance of Flag Day was on June 14, 1877; 100 years after the flag resolution was adopted by the Continental Congress.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation stating that June 14 shall be National Flag Day, and in 1949, it was made official by an Act of Congress.

Captain Rick’s inspiration: Your help is needed to keep the Flag flying

Do not take the American Flag and its representation of freedom for granted. The United States of America is entering very difficult fiscal times with the US National Debt approaching $18 Trillion…far greater than US GDP.  America is spending $1 Trillion more per year than it receives in revenue. Its going to get worse. Millions of ‘baby boomers’ are retiring that will result in sky-rocketing Social Security costs. Obamacare will massively expand the number receiving Medicaid and its mushrooming costs. Social Security and Medicaid will become insolvent in the next 10 or so years. Simply put, there is not enough revenue to sustain the United States of America’ spending binge indefinitely. Our President and Congress have demonstrated nothing but a ‘kick the can down the road’ approach…which if continued much longer will guarantee the fall of America over the pending real ‘fiscal cliff’…of which at the bottom lies America as a ‘third world nation’.

What can you do to help?

There are lots of ways you can help. Research the candidates running for office. Support and vote for those you feel will do a better job than the vast majority of do-nothing, ‘kick-the-can-down-the-road’, politically-motivated ‘clowns’ in the current ‘Washington Circus’.

Many states and districts have no credible candidate on the roster. Consider taking the noble step of running for an office. Do not worry about the money it takes to run. If you have a voice that deserves to be heard, I am confident there are ways to address that.

I do not have all of the answers of how to fix the gigantic mess that America faces. I urge everyone to get involved. Join one of a zillion Facebook groups discussing the issues. I recommend one that focuses on finding solutions, rather than just gossiping…such as Captain Rick’s WORLD THINK TANK: https://www.facebook.com/groups/WorldThinkTank/

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‘Compact For America’ … a test to see if Americans can guide its future … or be content to see America continue decline … States can amend the U.S. Constitution to fix U.S. debt problem … that Congress won’t

Captain Rick: Thomas C. Patterson, a former Arizona State Senator, sees the Compact for America as a test to see if Americans are still able to take their future in their hands or if they are content to see America continue its decline. States have constitutional authority to amend the U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget. This is a ‘long shot’ but it offers a ray of hope to save America from pending fiscal decline.

The U.S. Congress recently raised the U.S. National Debt Ceiling to an astronomical $17.2 Trillion, exceeding U.S. Gross National Product … a wake-up call for any nation. The U.S. Congress raised the debt ceiling to accommodate current spending levels and thus kicked ‘America’s debt can’ down the road again for the Nth time to deal with after the fall election.  The sad fact is that with the cost of entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare and pure welfare programs like Medicaid, greatly expanded by Obamacare… U.S. spending is mushrooming at an alarming pace, while revenue is increasing at a snail’s pace that can not keep up. I see this resulting in America sailing over the real ‘fiscal cliff’ in the not too distant future… an event that has the potential to reduce America to a third world country.

I invited Thomas, whom I have long admired for his excellence in thinking, to present guest commentary. With his acceptance, I asked him to tell us why his commentary is important to Americans. His reply:

Thomas C. Patterson: “I see the Compact–a constitutional convention of the states–as a test for Americans.  Are we still able to take our future into our hands, like our founders did, to forge the nation we want or are we content to see America continue its decline?  Do we care enough about our posterity, as our founders did, to undertake the most difficult, improbable shared national initiative in our time or will history judge us as standing by while a nation founded in liberty slides into oblivion?”

ABOUT: Thomas C. Patterson is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Nebraska. He was elected to the Arizona State Senate in 1989, serving as minority leader from 1991 to 1992 and majority leader from 1993 to 1996. Patterson was the author of legislation creating Arizona’s charter school system and welfare reform program. Until 1998, he was a practicing physician and president of Emergency Physicians, Inc.. Patterson also served as president of the Arizona chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians. In 2000 he became chairman of the Goldwater Institute. Thomas is a retired physician and resident of Paradise Valley, Arizona.

ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL

Guest Commentary

by

Thomas C. Patterson

More Americans than ever feel our federal government has been permanently taken over by special interests and collectivists.

Dependency on government is reaching ominous levels. Spending that exceeds income has become part of our political culture. We feel like shouting that our debt is dangerously high and that it’s immoral to pass on to future generations the consequences for our self-indulgence.

Yet realistically, there doesn’t seem to be much we can do about it. Until maybe, just maybe, now.

The answer to our despair may well lie in the Compact for America, an agreement among the states to come together to propose a Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution. This idea is so promising and dynamic that is gathering momentum across the states, including ours, where it is known as HB 2305.

Here’s the skinny. The U.S. Constitution gives the states the power to call a constitutional convention, as a protection against central government overreach. The framers’ expectation was that once every generation or so, states would need to convene and tweak the Constitution to respond to evolving conditions and to protect the rights of people from the inevitable tendency of power to centralize.

The framers were prescient in understanding that the states would need this privilege, but for one reason or another the states have never called a convention. Every amendment proposed to the Constitution has come through Congress, the other authorized pathway.

It is said that the founders didn’t include a balanced budget provision in the founding documents because they thought it unnecessary. Now that incomprehensible levels of fiscal recklessness have become the norm, the potential need for the states to intervene is clear.

The problem is that, since the states have no experience with a convention, several concerns have arisen over its execution. How would the convention delegates be selected, how would votes be apportioned, how would leadership be chosen? More importantly, what about a runaway convention? What would stop interest groups from taking over the convention and bending the Constitution for their own hot-button issues?

It’s worth remembering that any proposed amendment would have to be ratified by three-fourths of the state Legislatures. But these are serious questions asked by serious people and they deserve answers.

Here’s the genius of the Compact for America. It allows states to know the answers to all the pertinent questions, including exactly which amendments may be considered, before they sign on. When state Legislatures pass a resolution agreeing to the contact, they become part of a constitutionally recognized organization of states created for the express purpose of proposing constitutional amendments. The selection process for delegates, convention logistics and even the text of the amendment would be in the compact document itself.

Would this be difficult? Would there be opposition from all sides? Are there still questions to be answered? Yes, yes and yes. Vast private and government interests are heavily invested in business as usual. Moreover, compacts require the blessing of Congress, although this has been previously granted.

But the Compact for America isn’t constitutional craziness, like annulment or secession. This isn’t some sort of redneck revolt. It’s an opportunity for states to use the clear intent and language of the Constitution to rein in the federal government and put the republic on a more sustainable course.

Unquestionably, the Compact for America would represent change and innovation on a scale many may find unsettling. But this is our challenge. Are we, the political descendants of founders who risked everything to create the most free and prosperous government in the history of the planet, now so timid that we are afraid to use the tools they gave us to defend ourselves from tyranny and decay?

The risk larger than the Compact is the continuation of politics as usual. If we continue doing the same thing, it’s highly probable we’ll get the same results.

Our present predicament was anticipated by the founders. It is precisely the reason they gave the states the power to amend the Constitution. They would very much urge us to use it.

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Tom’s previous ANJ Commentary: “Look behind the Obamacare Curtain”

U.S. Senate approves bill to raise debt ceiling to $17.2 Trillion and continue debt spending like ‘there is no tomorrow’

Captain Rick: The U.S. Senate gave its approval to raise the nation’s debt ceiling to $17.2 Trillion, allowing the government to continue spending like ‘drunkards’ by borrowing more money to pay its bills through March 2015.

The politically charged issue cleared the chamber 55-43 after winning House approval Tuesday. The measure now goes to ‘debt loving’ President Barack Obama for his guaranteed signature. Approval removes the prospect of another protracted political fight over fiscal policy as Democrats and Republicans gear up for November’s midterm elections. How politically convenient is this?
It was a ‘clean’ bill…meaning there were no strings attached that would mandate new spending cuts. It gives approval to continue spending like ‘there is no tomorrow’. Our representatives in DC have kicked America’s ‘debt can’ down the road again for the N’th time. How much farther can it be kicked? I suspect…not much.

I wonder with dismay as to how Americans can stand for this total disregard of fiscal common sense? How can Americans continue to elect such fiscally reckless representatives to the U.S. Legislature. I see this tragic event bringing America one step closer to the edge of the real ‘fiscal cliff’. At the bottom…I envision America as a ‘third world country.’

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U.S. Debt Crisis

Fed Financial Policy

Economy

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

President Obama

Obama’s 2014 State of the Union … a new low

Captain Rick: Obama’s 2014 ‘State of the Union struck a new low among my unbroken record of watching every one since 1960. Obama’s meaningless hype, wishful thinking and the constant bobbing of his head from side to side to view the teleprompters…looking like he was watching a tennis match…almost hypnotized me. It was a nice try on his part…but it just put me to sleep. 

Credits: Thanks Ken of California for contributing the above graphic

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President Obama

U.S. Budget Act of 2013 … Congress kicks the ‘U.S. Debt Can’ down the road … again

Captain Rick: The Budget Act of 2013 kicks the ‘U.S. Debt Can’ down the road yet again. Passed by the U.S. House and expected to be passed by the U.S. Senate next week, I sense renewed concern for the fiscal demise of America. This act does not stop Americas insatiable thirst for debt spending. Debt will continue to rise at a reckless pace. The U.S. debt ceiling will again be reached in February 2014. I would wager it will again be raised. I would also wager that America’s train will plunge over the real fiscal cliff in the coming years. At the bottom lies America as a third world nation. The frustration I feel is well summed up by Matt Salmon, my Arizona representative in the U.S. Congress. Matt is a person that uses intelligence and wisdom to speak and vote … a very rare find in Washington DC these days.

ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Guest Report

Salmon Statement on the Budget Act of 2013

Washington—Today, Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) released the following statement on the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 (Amendment to H.J. Res. 59):

“I applaud Chairman Ryan and our Republican Budget Conferees for working under difficult circumstances to negotiate a compromise with Senate Democrats, and I appreciate that this deal offers some positive items, such as helping to bring back regular order for the appropriations process, approving the Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement, restoring badly needed resources for our military, and making small changes to some mandatory spending programs.

“However, for me and most of the constituents I have heard from in my district, this deal falls short of something I could support.

“Unfortunately, this deal fails to even make modest reforms to our nearly bankrupted entitlement programs and it, once again, increases government spending  in the short-term with only a promise to make spending cuts in the long-term.

“If we are not willing to make tough choices now, then how can we expect future Congresses to stop kicking the can down the road?

“This was a grand opportunity for our nation’s leaders to reform and preserve the fiscal longevity of our entitlement programs, and this deal does not rise to that challenge.

“Furthermore, I have never believed that Congress should raise taxes or increase fees to justify more government spending. Sadly, this deal does exactly this by raising fees on air travelers.

“As we move forward under these new spending caps, my hope is that Congress and President Obama will finally recognize that our fiscal problems are not solved by raising more revenue and increasing spending, but by cutting spending and addressing our biggest crisis – unsustainable entitlement spending.

“We must make do with less government or our children and grandchildren will pay the heavy price as we continue to see a skyrocketing debt and runaway government spending.

“We must make big strides in the direction of a smaller and more efficient government in order to get our country back on the right path.”

Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs as Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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Economy

Guest Commentary

U.S. Government Shutdown looming again on October 1, 2013 … Likelihood it will: 99%

Captain Rick: A shutdown of the U.S. Government will most likely begin on October 1, 2013, the beginning of the new fiscal year. There is currently no budget agreement to fund the U.S. Government for the coming year. The Democrat led Senate and the the Republican led House are in a stalemate that does not appear likely will be rectified by October 1. The real showdown will come on or before October 17, when the U.S. Government reaches the debt ceiling of $16.699 trillion and will begin defaulting on its financial obligations, an event that has never before occurred.

The last threat of shutdown occurred on March 27, 2013. It was averted by an agreement to allow Sequester spending cut’s (part of the ‘Fiscal Cliff’ legislation that became effective on January 1, 2013) to gain some flexibility regarding where to make spending cuts, in lieu of the mandatory across the board cuts.

My goal is to help increase understanding of the extremely important events that are unfolding…

U.S. Government Shutdown … What will happen? Non essential elements of the government will begin shutting down. These are things like National Parks and Monuments and the federal employees and contractors that support them. The employees would be furloughed. Contractors would have their payments delayed. At no time in the past has a shutdown lasted for more than a month. In every case the contractors eventually got paid and the furloughed employees were awarded back pay, so in essence, they received a nice long paid vacation, compliments of the U.S. taxpayers. In every previous case of shutdown, it ended up costing tax payers more than if the government had remained open.

What does a shutdown accomplish? Nothing, except increased cost. It is however, a necessary reminder that our government needs spending to remain less than revenue. In reality the U.S. has been spending far more than it receives in revenue, especially in recent years.

U.S annual spending: $3.52 trillion

U.S. annual revenue: $2.69 trillion

U.S. annual deficit: $825 billion

Total U.S. National debt: $16.95 trillion

U.S. GDP: $15.91 trillion (U.S. Debt exceeds GDP…a wake up call to get the fiscal house in order…or prepare for economic destruction)

Who is to blame? First and foremost to blame is President Obama. He is our president, elected to lead our nation in a positive direction…yet he has demonstrated the most reckless spending in American history, especially with his Fed’s continuation of pumping $85 billion per month of ‘Quantitative Easing’ debt dollars into the American Economy (adding directly to the U.S. National Debt) in an effort to make an economically sick nation look just anemic. It is all ‘smoke and mirrors’ that is doing nothing more than increasing America’s debt at an astronomic expense and burden to future generations.  Second to blame is the entire U.S. Legislature, including the Senate and House, Republicans and Democrats. None of them impress me as having the intelligence or ability to agree on a plan to withdraw America from its insatiable addiction for debt spending far beyond its revenue. I believe most of them have their ‘pockets’ fed by ‘big money’.

Obama passes blame and creates fear in news conference: Today I listened to President Obama speak in a news conference casting fear upon Americans by placing blame for his reckless spending on the shoulders of the U.S. House:
“If Congress chooses not to pass a budget by Monday, the end of the fiscal year, they will shut down the government along with many vital services that the American people depend on,” The Senate “acted responsibly” by passing its bill, and “now it’s up to the Republicans in the House of Representatives to do the same.”
He asked Republicans “to think about who you’re hurting” by letting the government shut down, and said “it would throw a wrench into the gears of our economy at a time when those gears have gained some traction.”
He also made clear that a government shutdown wouldn’t stop the Affordable Care Act from being implemented. “That’s not going to happen. More than 100 million Americans currently already have new benefits and protections under the law. On Tuesday, about 40 million more Americans will be able to finally buy quality affordable health care just like anybody else.”

Reality Check. What really happened: This was one of the most disgusting, fear-causing set of statements I have heard President Obama make recently. What really happened is that the House sent a bill to the Senate that included defunding Obamacare (a program with an enormous cost that America can not afford at this time of financial crisis). The Senate revised the bill to remove the Obamacare defunding and sent it back to the House. In opposition to Obama’s statement, I believe the Senate did not act responsibly. If the House does not pass the bill on Monday (which it should not), it will not be the House that causes the shutdown as Obama warns. It will be the result of the failure of the President and the entire U.S. Legislature combined. Obama said that a shutdown will stop many vital services. This is not true, unless the shutdown lasted for a long period of time…or Obama chooses to focus on certain entities for political gain. Obama’s scare tactics of asking Republicans to ‘think of who they are hurting’ by the government shutdown are absolutely despicable. President Obama should ask himself who he is hurting by spreading such fear and lies. This shutdown does throw a ‘wrench’ into Obamas ‘gears’ to make the economy look ok, when it is really sucking badly. Obama is fixated on Obamacare, a mark he hopes the world will remember him by. He will push it, even if it contributes to the financial destruction of America.  In reality, 40 million Americans are going to find out that ‘affordable health care’ is not really affordable and the majority of them will pay (or evade) the penalty to avoid it. The resultant unexpected, massive costs will lie firmly on the backs of American tax payers and add directly to the U.S. national debt.  I have this on my list of future blog reports. It sounds to me like Obama is running scared and is choosing to hide his fear by casting false fear on Americans. That scares me. Does it scare you?

View the comments (below) for ongoing updates of important happenings at the U.S. Capitol concerning this unfolding story.

I have done my very best to chronicle the events that contributed to this first U.S. government shutdown in nearly 18 years…as displayed in my comment updates below. This report could be among the best chronicles on the web. I am honored that Google and other search engines have picked up on this report.  The views for this report have exceeded those of all other ANJ reports by a factor of 10X+. The view stats from the past week far surpass any previous week. It tells me that there are lots of people that are tuning into this blog post to get the real facts…not the hype found on virtually all web news sites and especially TV news casts.

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U.S. Government Shutdown

Obamacare

U.S. Debt Crisis

Fed Financial Policy

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

Economy

Captain Rick listens to friends discuss hot topic of defunding Obamacare to prevent U.S. Government Shutdown on Oct. 1, 2013

Captain Rick: An email I sent to my world-wide list of e-friends about defunding Obamacare to prevent U.S. Government shutdown on October 1 went wild. I have never witnessed such an enthusiastic response.

I share the conversation below. I welcome everyone reading this to join in this conversation by placing a comment below.

I am listening to what you have to say…

How this discussion began on September 19, 2013: I shared the following with my email audience in an email publication called ‘Atridim Breaking News’.

ATRIDIM BREAKING NEWS: Rep. Salmon Stands with Senators Cruz and Lee and House Conservatives in Support of Defunding Obamacare

 

Captain Rick: I think this effort in the U.S. House is noble but will fail when it is passed to the ‘dead beat’ U.S. Senate…but I give my Arizona friend Rep Matt Salmon a ‘thumbs up’ for his outstanding efforts to defeat Obamacare…which is on course to help bankrupt America…even more so than it already is.

This is all part of the program to reach an agreement to prevent a U.S. government shutdown on October 1. I have a strong hunch that a shut down will happen…the first since 1995. It should happen. It needs to happen. It must happen to wake up America to realize that our wildly, drunken debt spending to make a sick economy look OK must end to protect America’s future…if one even exists.

The U.S. has been spending stimulus (debt) dollars at the rate of $85 billion per month. It is ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’. Its making our economy look OK in the short term, but is doing untold damage for our economy in the coming years…setting up a U.S. economic train wreck that will have the magnitude to reduce America to a third world country. If you think I am kidding…stay tuned. It will all unfold before our eyes in the coming years.

I see little hope from the morons in Washington to solve our extremely sad fiscal problems facing America. There are a few good people fighting to save America. My friend Matt Salmon is one of them. Matt, have you considered running for President of the United States of America in 2016? If not, you should! You would receive my vote above all potential candidates. America desperately needs an intelligent mind at the controls to steer America away from the pending train wreck off of the real fiscal cliff…just ahead.

The conversation begins:

Anita of Arizona: We need our top Republican legislators to take out John McCain and Jeff Flake.   Matt would be a perfect candidate.  He’s clearly a principled, conservative Republican fighter!

Captain Rick: I totally agree. Jeff and John once stood tall representing Arizona…but as two of the ‘gang of 8 idiots’ in the U.S. Senate promoting amnesty for illegal immigrants, they appear to have sold out to liberal interests. If I didn’t know better, I would guess both of them are democrats. They fit in well in the democrat U.S. Senate, which is on track to fiscally destroy America. Hopefully America will come to its senses in the next election and do a general house cleaning of fiscal waste in the U.S. Senate by voting in some conservative blood. Short of that, I envision a continuation of America’s fiscal train ride heading at high speed for a monumental dive off of the real fiscal cliff just ahead.

Steven of Wisconsin: I think you are dead wrong on this issue of health care reform.  Obamacare as it is called will prevent health insurance companies from not giving insurance because pre-existing conditions, from spending less than 80% of the insurance premiums on health care, and from not covering dependents under the age of 27.  These things are already helping the common folk like me.  I don’t know why you and your conservative friends constantly undermine the middle class and support things that are not in our best interest.  Where were your friends when we bailed out the big banks, gave huge tax breaks to oil companies, and started two very costly wars?  Those representatives like Cruz do nothing for America but tear down and obstruct.  They restrict voting rights and women’s rights!  They aren’t the patriots and saviors of America.  They are the ones that caused our economic downturn and do nothing to improve America.  Voting 42 times to repeal Obamacare is insane. It doesn’t help my family or my budget.  But history will repeat itself…those same “conservatives” tried to repeal social security a million times and did not succeed because it helped Americans and is still helping us today.  It has very low overhead and is secure.  This is why I continue to support single payer health insurance.  Obamacare is not perfect….neither was social security when it passed.  Your attitude continues to support and promote the upper 1% of this country while the middle class shrinks to almost nothing.  Of course you blamed much of this shrinkage on unions which I did not respond to at the time because I ignored your comment.  But the lower and middle class will rise up along with the unions because they have no choice.  You continue to listen to yourself and Fox News.  The problem is you believe everything the right wing puts out there.  You will wake up after the next election and realize that America has spoken; you will not like what they said. Remember last election how surprised so many of your conservative friends were when Obama won the election!  They really did believe what they were spouting.

Captain Rick: Steven, thanks for your candid and expounded reply.  My voice (‘attitude’ as you refer to it) via ATRIDIM NEWS is designed to be provocative, to draw people in my world-wide audience out of the ‘woodwork’ to say what is ‘on their mind’. Your reply assures me that the design is working. I trust this will help assure my readers that I listen to, respect and report FEEDBACK received from everyone.

Concerning your statements about ‘my conservative friends,’ I must mention that my audience of friends from over 50 countries around the world represent every ‘walk of life’ and ever ‘point of view’. Not all of them share my ‘point of view’. You are one of those friends…and I am pleased you shared your ‘point of view’.

Ken of California:  Steven of Wisconsin, With respect to your comment “You continue to listen to yourself and Fox News.  The problem is you believe everything the right wing puts out there.”

I listen to the voice of reason!

The liberal notion of giving a free lunch to every bum out there only breeds a society of blood sucking leaches.

We live in the land of opportunity, but the opportunities are up to you! They are not for the government to rob from the working class to give to the lazy.

Kendall of California:  Captain Rick – Really like this email format in which you deliver updates and opinions. It could be just me, but there doesn’t seem to be a link to take me to the post so that I may leave a comment. Not quite sure which post its referring to. Or do I simply leave my comment in this email? Could that be the whole point.

If the ladder is this case, here is my two cents: First, Captain Rick, I really support and enjoy your style of allowing all voices to be heard, but still manage to maintain a civil environment. I appreciate that. It allows a reader to enter the fray without running for cover from unwarranted, off-topic deragotory remarks. That being said Ken of California: The points that you pertain to make are missed by shooting generalizations that each person that finds theirself accepting government assistance, are lazy bums. If you follow the same logic through, than following the Enron era and Bernard Madoff regime, all corporate executives are ruthless villians out simply for themselves. Neither is true. Indiviuals taking advantage of good intentions occur at all levels, in each circuit, every single day. I have read and listened to some very convincing arguments, and understand both sides. But even then, a voter has to choose. Unless you truly believe that every student who takes out a government loan, every family that finds theirselves being unable to make ends meet, and that every person who works can afford health insurance, than labeling the millions of honest, hard-working Americans, both Republicans and Democrats alike, as lazy bums, does nothing to educate those on why you cast your vote. Unless, like I said, that is what you believe. In that case, what fact book are you using so that I may have a look too – Kendall of California.

Captain Rick: Kendall, sincere thanks for your words of kindness for ‘my style’ of allowing voices to be heard while maintaining a civil environment … and for your appreciation. You guessed right in simply commenting by reply to this email. I know it seems very ‘old-fashioned’, but you must keep in mind that the e-friends that I have gathered from around the world over many years do not all partake of the social media that many of us do. Many are not on Facebook or WordPress, etc. The one media that they all do have in common is email. And so, I am pleased to present this seemingly ‘old-fashioned’ means of allowing my friends to join our conversation. Perhaps this is a bit like ‘going back to the future’.

PJ of Arizona:  All Steven of Wisconsin needs to know about the fallacy of ObamaCare is contained in this snippet from the most recent Seeing Red Arizona:

 

“In 2008, people in poverty represented 13.2 percent of America’s population. In 2012, the impoverished had risen to 15.0 percent of the population.

An even bleaker picture is painted in the Congressional Budget Office report, which sends an urgent message to Americans, as it says the nation’s debt is on an “unsustainable path.” Implementation of Obamacare will exacerbate the crisis. CBO warns federal debt held by the public will hit 100% of GDP by 2038.

A Fox News report details the results of a new poll showing an overwhelming majority of Americans are concerned about their health care plan under Obamacare. A majority — 68% — want to go back to the 2009 health care system. Concerns are not only shared by Republicans and Independents, but by a 56-percent majority of Democrats.

Gordon of Arizona: I really think that this scare of a shutdown is just another tactic like what happened back in the Bush era. Remember what they said? ”If we do not initiate the stimulus and bail out these large corporations right now, THE SKY IS GOING TO FALL!”. Looking back, we would have been much better off now if we had let them fail. My opinion is: LET THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWD! The local people will pick up the pieces (if that is what it comes to) and do a much better job of running things than Washington.

The conversation continues:

I welcome everyone reading this to join in this conversation by placing a comment below. If you do not see the comment box, click the red title to access the individual blog report. Everyone can comment by simply entering any name you choose and your email address. Your email address will never be shared. Information you choose to share yourself and the thoughts you have… is up to you.

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Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Obamacare

U.S. Debt Crisis

Fed Financial Policy

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

Economy

Dow Jones

Captain Rick’s Investment 101

Stock and Bond Market

Dow + S&P reach new highs as Fed continues bottle feeding American economy with … $85 billion debt dollars each month to make a sick economy look OK … for now

Captain Rick: The Dow Jones and S&P hit new highs on September 18, 2013, as the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it will continue bottle feeding the U.S. economy with $85 billion debt dollars each month…for at least another month…to cast the impression that the American economy is doing well.

The fact is that the American economy is not doing well at all. GDP is limping along at a very anemic rate, not even keeping up with population growth. Real unemployment is near record levels. The Fed’s ‘Quantitative Easing’ program is doing nothing more than covering up a very sick economy that would all but die without the nursing bottle, while significantly increasing the U.S. national debt. The Fed’s continued ‘economic bottle feeding’ is not improving the American economy. It is only prolonging and amplifying America’s monumental financial downfall in the future…one that is shaping up to reduce America to a third world country.

401K’s are posting temporary inflated values.  Intelligent investors will reap what ever ‘phony’ profits have accumulated by switching them to a cash or prime fund before the Fed’s money feeding bottle dries up.

America’s representatives in DC are setting stage to again focus on the staggering $17 trillion U.S. national debt and find a way to prevent yet another pending government shutdown on October 1, 2013. America can not continue spending nearly twice what it receives in revenue for much longer. Those that think that it can…or that these days of phony economic well being will last forever…are simply living in a dream world.

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

U.S. Debt Crisis

Fed Financial Policy

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

Economy

Dow Jones

Captain Rick’s Investment 101

Stock and Bond Market

Mr. President …… I suggest we hire Walmart to fix our broken programs and economy

Captain Rick: Walmart, the world’s largest corporation turns everything it touches into gold, whereas  the U.S. government has succeeded in breaking almost every good program created … and the U.S. economy.

I suggest we hire Walmart to fix the mess that our President and Legislature have demonstrated they are totally incapable of accomplishing.

My email to President Obama:

Mr. President,

I have concluded that you and the 535 members of our legislature are ineffective and incapable of fixing our economy and the many good programs that have been broken. I have a solution, but first I want to remind you of some facts which relate to the many failures of your administration and those that preceded:

a. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 238 years to get it right and it is broke.

b. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 78 years to get it right and it is broke.

c. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 75 years to get it right and it is broke.

d. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 49 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to “the poor” and they only want more…and it is broke.

e. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 48 years to get it right and they are broke.

f. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 43 years to get it right and it is broke.

g. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 36 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure…and it is broke.

You have failed to fix any of the many government service failures, while overspending our tax dollars to drive America $17 trillion into debt, an amount exceeding the combined debt of all other nations on earth.

AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM?

Lets pause and examine an American corporation that has a track record of turning everything it touches into gold.

Photo above shows Walmart’s current logo used since 2008

Walmart was founded by Sam Walton in 1962…when I was in high school, just before the birth of Medicare and Medicaid. Since then the Walton family transformed it into the world’s largest corporation with $469 Billion in revenue, 8500 stores in 15 countries with 2,200,000 employees.

If Walmart were a country it would have the world’s 26th largest GDP…but more importantly, it would be the world’s most profitable country…unlike the U.S. which goes $1 Trillion farther into debt each year, with all of its programs on ‘death row’.

I love my country and hate to see you and our legislature destroying it. With all sincerity, I respectfully urge you to consider hiring Walmart to manage America’s failing economy and programs. But, I think that if that were to happen, the Walton’s would fire you and most of the legislature.

Captain Rick

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Economy

U.S. Debt Crisis

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101

President Obama

Obamacare

Entitlement Reform

Corporations

Obamacare: How affordable will it be?

Captain Rick: California has published prices for its ‘Silver Plan’ for ‘Obamacare’ in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. Some potential participants may be surprised at the figures: $2,000 deductibles, $45 primary care visit co-pays, and $250 emergency room tabs.

Those are just some of the charges enrollees will incur in a silver-level plan in California, which recently unveiled an overview of the benefits and charges associated with its exchange.
That’s on top of the $321 average monthly premium.

For some, this will be great news since it will allow them to see the doctor without breaking the bank. But others may not want to shell out a few thousand bucks in addition to a monthly premium.

Obamacare Refresher

People who don’t have ‘affordable health insurance’ through their employers will be able to sign up for coverage through state-based exchanges.
Enrollment is set to begin in October, with coverage taking effect in January.
You must have some form of coverage next year, or you will face annual penalties of $95 or 1% of family income (whichever is greater) initially and more in subsequent years.

Each state will offer four levels of coverage: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. Platinum plans come with the highest premiums, but lowest out-of-pocket expenses, while bronze plans carry lower monthly charges but require more cost-sharing. Gold and silver fall in the middle.

The federal government will offer premium subsidies to those with incomes of up to four times the federal poverty level. This year, that’s $45,960 for an individual or $94,200 for a family of four.
There will be additional help to cover out-of-pocket expenses for those earning less than 250% of the poverty line: $28,725 for a single person and $58,875 for a family of four. The subsidies are tied to the cost of the state’s silver level plans.

A 40-year-old enrolling in the Bronze Plan, the least expensive, could pay as little as $219 a month. But, if he did get sick, he’d get socked with a $5,000 deductible, $60 co-pays for primary care visits and a $300 emergency room charge.

Obamacare provides protection for those who need a lot of care by placing a cap on out-of-pocket expenses.
The maximum a person in an individual platinum plan will spend a year is $4,000, while those in the other tiers will shell out no more than $6,400.

Whether potential enrollees find these plans affordable will depend on how healthy they are and whether they are currently insured. Those currently insured will experience significant increases in their contribution levels to their healthcare costs in the future as their employers look to offset their added costs. 

Obamacare is on a course to destroy America 

Obamacare is a program that is being financed by debt dollars. Its costs are adding to the U.S. National Debt which now stands a staggering $17 trillion.
Obamacare is a program that will soon explode and help push America over the real ‘Fiscal Cliff’…on a journey to become a third world country. 

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Associated ATRIDIM NEWS JOURNAL Report Categories:

Obamacare: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/obamacare/

U.S. Debt Crisis: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/u-s-debt-crisis/

Captain Rick’s Fiscal Cliff Course 101: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/fiscal-cliff-course-101/

3 Gilbert Arizona Councilmembers achieve Proper Vote Award to stop Federal Grant spending that grows the U.S. National Debt

Captain Rick: Our cities welcome federal grant money, thinking the federal government has an endless supply of money that can be spent on anything its heart desires. The fact is the U.S. general fund is bankrupt, spending $1.1 trillion more than revenue received. Most federal grant dollars dished out by HUD are dollars printed with red ink…that add directly to the U.S. National Debt. Its time local government says NO to spending this red ink.

Three Gilbert Arizona Councilmembers have come forward to set an example for America to follow by placing their vote of NO for receiving federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). They are American pioneers. I hope other state and local representatives across America will pay attention to their lead and join the journey to save America form fiscal ruin.

The issue presented to the Gilbert, Arizona Town Council on April 4, 2013: Item 20: HUD Federal Grant of $748,764 for the benefit of low/medium income residents and to alleviate conditions of slum and blight, of which 20% ($149,753) is approved for administrative costs.

Councilmember statements presented during the meeting

 Jared Taylor

We have 16.8 trillion in national debt. Every day since Sep 28, 2007 we have added $3.86 billion to our national debt. The money for this appropriation doesn’t really exist. It may be something that congress passes on a bill, but the United States government is absolutely broke at the federal level. The local and state levels have constitutions and statutes that require us to have balanced budgets. The national government doesn’t and the are running massive deficits and so while they pass these allocations that say there is money available, it doesn’t exist. We are borrowing money from the Federal Reserve and its loaned money from China. That concerns me. What we are doing is putting a future burden on our children and that is not fair.

 Eddie Cook

The federal government doesn’t have the money. If we believe these are things we need to do, lets do it on our own dime…our own money. Taking federal money is just not the right decision at this point.

 Victor Petersen

Where we have power, we have responsibility. Tonight we have power over some of those funds. If we are going to participate in that federal spending, I don’t think it’s a good choice and I don’t think we can resolve ourselves of that responsibility. We need to temper our anxiety. If we do that I think we loose our moral position to complain about spending at the federal government.

Captain Rick’s PROPER VOTE Award: I have awarded Councilmembers Petersen, Taylor and Cook for their ‘Proper Vote’ of ‘NO’. Their awards have been added to my Gilbert Council Scorecard:

Captain Rick’s Gilbert Council Scorecard: My scorecard keeps track of all of the ‘Proper Votes’ from previous important and controversial votes:  https://atridim.wordpress.com/gilbert-council-scorecard/

I welcome your comments, likes, shares and following of my blog! (If not visible, click the red title above)

Info from previous reports:

Federal Grants: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/federal-grants/

U.S. Debt Crisis: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/u-s-debt-crisis/

Fiscal Cliff 101: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/fiscal-cliff-course-101/