Cut Federal Spending
This is what I want Congress, the House and the Senate, and the Executive Branch to do regarding the size and scope of federal government. If I were to run for President this would be my platform and if elected this is what I would use my power and influence to accomplish. In some cases I specifically name Departments and programs I would try to cut significantly and the ones I would try to eliminate quickly.
First, the General Platform:
1. Stop deficit spending immediately. Cut all Federal spending by 10% from last year’s authorization.
Limit all Federal budgets to 90% of previous years experience rate, as quickly as possible, cut all programs, cut all planned acquisitions and stop all construction not already underway.
Immediately direct all budget surpluses to retire national debt and restore all contingency funds.
Immediately form a working group to review all off-budget entitlements for reforms that reduce costs by any means. The goal; limit benefit costs to expected revenue, not increase taxes to fund run away benefits. All spending is discretionary.
2. Pay off the National Debt in 4 years.
Eliminate all unjustified programs and projects, including all archaic, bureaus and commissions.
Cut all research by 10%, cut all scientific study by 10%, cut all government travel by 10%, cut all funding for government conferences and conventions by 50%.
Accumulate contingency funds and protect them from erosion from legislation, policy or politics.
3. Stop all foreign aid using American taxpayer money immediately, and direct the saved money to pay down the national debt and lower all Federal taxes. When disasters occur around the world, ask the American people if they want to donate to a disaster fund allowing each citizen to decide if it's a worthy cause; borrowed from Bill Cosby.
4. Do much more to prevent unlawful immigration. Significantly improve border, coast and port surveillance for human smuggling and illegal incursions. Immediately begin searching for and finding illegal immigrants. Begin deporting those determined to be illegal immigrants using travel and transport contractors. Allow legal children to remain in the US in the custody of legal relatives, in an institution, or return with a parent to their country of origin until the child can legally chose national citizenship.
5. Limit Senate and House sessions to 6 weeks in mid-summer, except for declared National Emergencies. The remainder of the year they should have real full-time jobs. Reduce their benefits, staff, privileges and pay. Eliminate their special insurances. Prohibit them from having any benefits, paid for by tax money, not also available to any taxpayer.
All new laws will be vetoed if;
A. they do not list at least two existing outdated laws that are being simultaneously cancelled;
B. they contain exceptions to this law or any Federal laws;
C. they do not show conclusively a source of available funding which could not otherwise be used to retire debt or offset any Federal taxes (i.e. income, excise, fuel, etc.) or fees.
6. All Departments and programs not specifically enumerated in the Constitution, or its subsequent lawful amendments, or decreed specifically by Federal Appellate Courts or the Supreme Court; will be cancelled, disband, closed and their facilities, equipment and property used by a lawful department or program, or sold at public auction within one year with all proceeds retiring Federal debt or reducing all Federal taxes.
7. All Federal tax exempt organization, activities, clubs, associations, education institutions, advocacy groups, religions, churches, schools, or individuals will be reviewed and required to prove which funds and activities are eligible for tax exemption. All activities and funds found not eligible for exemption will be immediately taxed. Taxes due will be immediately payable, and all previous years of suspected Federal Tax fraud are subject to audit and payment or attachment, regardless the statute of limitations.
8. A moratorium on the creation of any new national parks or protected lands or protected species of any kind until all surplus Federal lands, or any Federal lands combined exceeding 15% by area of any state, are sold to taxpaying individuals at an otherwise unrestricted public Internet auction. Use the revenue to immediately pay down the “National Debt” only.
9. 'Press 1 for English' is immediately banned. English is the official language; speak it or wait at the border until you can; borrowed from Bill Cosby.
10. Use the Internal Revenue “Collection” Service to collect taxes only. Stop using it to redistribute wealth, grant favors to rich donors, or failing businesses.
Greatly simplify individual, business, and corporate income tax calculation and remittance. Seriously consider eliminating Income Taxes, replacing some of the lost revenue by a low national sales tax with no exemptions, and the rest by spending cuts. Severely limit tax exemptions. Greatly reduce the number and then restrict allowable amount of individual and business deductions, for instance, restrict the home interest deduction to the average interest on the national mean priced home regardless of purchase price; no regional variations.
Stop taxing business processes and activities. It just artificially increases the price of goods and services and costs potential employees jobs.
Stop taxing the transfer of wealth to rightful heirs. The deceased have all ready paid enormous taxes while they lived.
11. Tax all political contributions regardless their source. Prohibit political contributions of any tax exempt money.
Prohibit political contributions by Unions, except as determined by and apportioned to political parties or candidates by a vote of the members, then only if taxed. Allow individual members to elect to prohibit any political contributions from their dues.
12. Review all Federal licensing, permitting and approval processes and fees, with emphasis on eliminating, reducing or consolidating any and all. Fees cannot exceed provable administrative and process costs.
13. There is no such thing as non-discretionary Federal spending, all Federal spending is discretionary.
Cancel all new Social Security benefits begun after 1950. Stop all Medicare benefits originated after 1984. If that doesn’t balance revenue with predicted outlays forever, then reduce benefit levels until there is a projected surplus forever.
Put all entitlement programs back on the budget, there is no such thing as “Off-budget” for any Federal spending.
14. Next, departments, bureaus, commissions, agencies, programs and activities I would want cut entirely and immediately.
A. Department of Education; National Commission on Libraries and Information Science; Stop providing federal aid to Universities; completely unnecessary, violates 10th Amendment.
B. National Public Radio; Public Broadcasting System - completely unnecessary, competes unfairly with duly licensed and authorized private enterprises, violates 10th Amendment.
D. National Endowment for the Arts; National Endowment for the Humanities; Commission of Fine Arts; completely unnecessary, violates 10th Amendment.
F. Natural Resources Conservation Service; Conservation Reserve Program; Energy Information Agency; U.S. Geological Survey; Maritime Administration; Marine Mammal Commission.
G. International Trade Commission; Economic Development Administration; Historic Whaling and Trading Partners Exchange Program; International Trade administration; end farm subsidies, most of which go to the wealthiest 10 percent of farms; eliminate all direct corporate welfare payments; Overseas Private Investment Corporation; Trade and Development Agency; Market Access Program; Export-Import Bank; Repeal the Davis-Bacon and Service Contract Acts.
H. Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, AmeriCorps; Office of Navajo and Hopi Relocation; State Justice Institute; East-West Center; Legal Services Corporation; Minority Business Development Agency, and Many others.
I. Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; Rural Utilities Service; Essential Air Service Program; Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service; Agricultural Research Service.
J. Non-emergency international food programs; U.S. Institute of Peace.
K. Eliminate all federal advisory committees and commissions spread across 52 agencies, and many, many others.
15. Next, significant changes in needed programs like the following:
Restrict federal housing assistance to those with the greatest need;
Stop funding research that directly benefits private industry;
Enact user fees that recover all the costs of programs from identifiable users;
Require farmers to pay a larger portion of their crop insurance premiums;
Raise flood insurance premiums on repeatedly flooded lands;
Limit Congress's franking privilege to non-election years to prevent taxpayer funding of campaign mailings;
Verify parent income of school lunch recipients, 20 percent of current school lunch participants are ineligible.
And many, many more.
Note: some of the above courtesy of The Heritage Foundation.
30 June 2009
27 June 2009
Artificial Fertility
Unethical Medicine
Human women have birthed children for around 80 million years without medical assistance. The human race had grown to more than 1.8 billion by 1920, the dawn of modern medicine. Today billions are spent on hospital child birth, infant care, premature rescue, fertility treatment, implantation, and artificial insemination. The world population is 6.4 billion and estimated to double to 12.8 billion in about 40 years. Recently, deliberate high-count multiple births have made the news with as many as 8 births from implanted eggs from one birth event.
This idiocy must stop! We are wasting medical resources that ailing, sick and infirm people need. More than enough women are capable of having children without any hospital care or medical assistance. Not every female needs to give birth to a child, not every male needs to father a child. Those who cannot produce children naturally should move on to other meaningful contributions. There are currently millions, perhaps a billion surplus children worldwide, in need of adoption. If someone wishes to be responsible for a child’s growth and development into a constructive, productive, useful adult, then many potential human adults are available.
Many who can have natural children should not. Just because you can reproduce, doesn’t mean you should. Many couples capable of producing children are not fit to educate children, provide for them financially, or serve as good examples. There is plenty of willing biological baby factories and sperm donors; more unwitting participants are completely unnecessary.
Quality is another matter. Survival of the fittest and natural selection don’t necessarily eliminate undesirable characteristics quickly enough; often they successfully reproduce before fate eliminates one or both of their characteristics from the gene pool.
I’m not proposing a license to reproduce. I’m proposing that artificial fertility, medically assisted conception, fetal rescue (except to save the mother) be eliminated as medical procedures and prohibited from any kind of insurance coverage.
I’m also proposing that hospitalization for child birth be eliminated except to save the mothers life. For most of human existence women have given birth to healthy offspring without any assistance. For thousands of years women have given birth with a little assistance from an experienced mother, often her own, or mid-wives, paid and volunteer. It worked well. Today many still come into the world in this way.
Some would say extraordinary efforts should be made to save every fetus and every newborn. I say that’s not the natural way. A potential person and existing persons are not the same, and should not be treated the same medically. Not all conceptions should survive, not all born should survive. Some are ghastly genetic errors, some are horribly flawed, some, if they survive, will need extreme medical support for basic life-like functions.
Some say the world may miss out on some great contribution by the loss of one of these potential humans. I guess the argument is that we should save every flawed fetus or newborn, because one of them may become a brilliant, useful, loving contributor to all mankind.
I doubt it. Those things happen very rarely; Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Jesus Christ, Louis Pasteur, Mahatma Gandhi, Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates etc. Most non-viable fetuses and newborns will never become an independent human life. And some of those who may survive are at least as likely to become terrible humans; Hitler, Charles Manson, Clyde Barrow, John Wayne Gacy Jr., Bernie Madoff, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi or some child molester, mass murdering terrorist, or other subhuman creature.
As sad as it maybe to lose a fetus, newborn, or a child, it is more terrible to waste medical resources on artificial fertility enhancements, when humans already proven viable, self sufficient and productive are awaiting medical resources to continue their productive, thoughtful, loving lives.
Stop the foolish waste of medical resources on fertility enhancements, hospitalization only to rescue fetuses, and extreme care for newborn survival. Sadly, some must be allowed to perish.
There are millions of recently born viable humans making their own way toward wondrous adult human beings, many with very little help from anyone.
Human women have birthed children for around 80 million years without medical assistance. The human race had grown to more than 1.8 billion by 1920, the dawn of modern medicine. Today billions are spent on hospital child birth, infant care, premature rescue, fertility treatment, implantation, and artificial insemination. The world population is 6.4 billion and estimated to double to 12.8 billion in about 40 years. Recently, deliberate high-count multiple births have made the news with as many as 8 births from implanted eggs from one birth event.
This idiocy must stop! We are wasting medical resources that ailing, sick and infirm people need. More than enough women are capable of having children without any hospital care or medical assistance. Not every female needs to give birth to a child, not every male needs to father a child. Those who cannot produce children naturally should move on to other meaningful contributions. There are currently millions, perhaps a billion surplus children worldwide, in need of adoption. If someone wishes to be responsible for a child’s growth and development into a constructive, productive, useful adult, then many potential human adults are available.
Many who can have natural children should not. Just because you can reproduce, doesn’t mean you should. Many couples capable of producing children are not fit to educate children, provide for them financially, or serve as good examples. There is plenty of willing biological baby factories and sperm donors; more unwitting participants are completely unnecessary.
Quality is another matter. Survival of the fittest and natural selection don’t necessarily eliminate undesirable characteristics quickly enough; often they successfully reproduce before fate eliminates one or both of their characteristics from the gene pool.
I’m not proposing a license to reproduce. I’m proposing that artificial fertility, medically assisted conception, fetal rescue (except to save the mother) be eliminated as medical procedures and prohibited from any kind of insurance coverage.
I’m also proposing that hospitalization for child birth be eliminated except to save the mothers life. For most of human existence women have given birth to healthy offspring without any assistance. For thousands of years women have given birth with a little assistance from an experienced mother, often her own, or mid-wives, paid and volunteer. It worked well. Today many still come into the world in this way.
Some would say extraordinary efforts should be made to save every fetus and every newborn. I say that’s not the natural way. A potential person and existing persons are not the same, and should not be treated the same medically. Not all conceptions should survive, not all born should survive. Some are ghastly genetic errors, some are horribly flawed, some, if they survive, will need extreme medical support for basic life-like functions.
Some say the world may miss out on some great contribution by the loss of one of these potential humans. I guess the argument is that we should save every flawed fetus or newborn, because one of them may become a brilliant, useful, loving contributor to all mankind.
I doubt it. Those things happen very rarely; Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Jesus Christ, Louis Pasteur, Mahatma Gandhi, Benjamin Franklin, Ronald Reagan, Bill Gates etc. Most non-viable fetuses and newborns will never become an independent human life. And some of those who may survive are at least as likely to become terrible humans; Hitler, Charles Manson, Clyde Barrow, John Wayne Gacy Jr., Bernie Madoff, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi or some child molester, mass murdering terrorist, or other subhuman creature.
As sad as it maybe to lose a fetus, newborn, or a child, it is more terrible to waste medical resources on artificial fertility enhancements, when humans already proven viable, self sufficient and productive are awaiting medical resources to continue their productive, thoughtful, loving lives.
Stop the foolish waste of medical resources on fertility enhancements, hospitalization only to rescue fetuses, and extreme care for newborn survival. Sadly, some must be allowed to perish.
There are millions of recently born viable humans making their own way toward wondrous adult human beings, many with very little help from anyone.
25 June 2009
Don’t Fight Global Climate Changes
Prepare for Them
Don’t waste effort and resources trying to manipulate future climates; the history of science facts shows few notable successes. People have been trying to start rain, bring rain, or make rain by various means, even scientific methods, with very little success. Even today with our best science, we can only make it rain when the precursors are perfect for seeding, and then not very often. We do not know how to diminish large storms, stop deserts, start rain forests, melt polar ice caps, change the earth’s rotation speed, cool the molten core, stop volcanoes, or move the sun, nor can we have any predictable effect upon climate or atmospheric temperatures globally.
Other weather, temperature and climate interactions are far less well understood. Atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics have made some progress the past thirty years, but there is still very little data upon which to determine the impacts of human activities beyond the sources and interactions of a few of the most harmful contaminants, little has been learned regarding others, like atmospheric heat. Human produced heat can easily be estimated accurately. Heat from other sources like solar radiance, volcanic lava flow and magma temperature migrations are much less well known.
Much less data is available to support the conjecture that global climate changes are induced, made worse, or triggered somehow by greenhouse gases from human activities. Evidence exists indicating six to twelve percent of this planets greenhouse gases may come from all human activity combined. Far more comes from terrestrial sources like volcanoes, swamps, jungle and forest rot, and animal gases, urine and feces. Greenhouse gases, their causes and effects, human contribution, solar radiance, magma and volcano impacts, cyclic astrophysics are far from the settle science that some have implied. Incidentally, there is no such thing as “settled science” science is never settled, just a demonstrable fact with a percentage probability, based on the current state of knowledge.
The world should not be picking an uninformed fight with air or sea temperatures on this planet, bankrupting world economies to attain a scientifically unsubstantiated goal.
So what should the world be doing about impending global climate changes? First, do no harm. Second, do much more scientific study and analysis of existing data before determining a culprit or culprits. Once we are sure what is taking place, change the models and back test it to see if it replicates historical fact. If not, do not proceed, something is wrong with your process facts and the model or both. Once your model is right develop many courses of action and test them. Pick several of the best ones and try them in small measurable test circumstances, look for negative consequences not just hopeful outcomes.
While the reliable modern science is underway, governments and cultures should decide what provisions and systems they want to invest in to protect human life from extreme future conditions. Things like super insulated living structures, mega heating and cooling systems, artificial environments for food production and long-term food storage facilities, solar screens, ice barricades, or adjustable sea walls. Medical and life system and infrastructure decisions and long term investments must be made. Societal value changes regarding disease, famine, mass migrations, forced relocations, handling increased death rates from freezing, heat stroke; plant species survival and available food and diet changes; and animal behavior, food source and migration changes; and a host of legal and economic systems that will need vastly different processes and reactions. National defense, border protection, commerce, wealth protection, and personal security will all change substantially.
These program changes and provisions cannot wait until the last moments to be financed and tested. Contingency funds must begin being set aside, preserved and adjusted. Vast efforts made and resources sequestered and secured exclusively for these purposes only, for long periods into the future, so they are there to meet the most severe impacts to planetary life forms from global climate changes, warming or freezing, as they occur.
Don’t waste effort and resources trying to manipulate future climates; the history of science facts shows few notable successes. People have been trying to start rain, bring rain, or make rain by various means, even scientific methods, with very little success. Even today with our best science, we can only make it rain when the precursors are perfect for seeding, and then not very often. We do not know how to diminish large storms, stop deserts, start rain forests, melt polar ice caps, change the earth’s rotation speed, cool the molten core, stop volcanoes, or move the sun, nor can we have any predictable effect upon climate or atmospheric temperatures globally.
Other weather, temperature and climate interactions are far less well understood. Atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics have made some progress the past thirty years, but there is still very little data upon which to determine the impacts of human activities beyond the sources and interactions of a few of the most harmful contaminants, little has been learned regarding others, like atmospheric heat. Human produced heat can easily be estimated accurately. Heat from other sources like solar radiance, volcanic lava flow and magma temperature migrations are much less well known.
Much less data is available to support the conjecture that global climate changes are induced, made worse, or triggered somehow by greenhouse gases from human activities. Evidence exists indicating six to twelve percent of this planets greenhouse gases may come from all human activity combined. Far more comes from terrestrial sources like volcanoes, swamps, jungle and forest rot, and animal gases, urine and feces. Greenhouse gases, their causes and effects, human contribution, solar radiance, magma and volcano impacts, cyclic astrophysics are far from the settle science that some have implied. Incidentally, there is no such thing as “settled science” science is never settled, just a demonstrable fact with a percentage probability, based on the current state of knowledge.
The world should not be picking an uninformed fight with air or sea temperatures on this planet, bankrupting world economies to attain a scientifically unsubstantiated goal.
So what should the world be doing about impending global climate changes? First, do no harm. Second, do much more scientific study and analysis of existing data before determining a culprit or culprits. Once we are sure what is taking place, change the models and back test it to see if it replicates historical fact. If not, do not proceed, something is wrong with your process facts and the model or both. Once your model is right develop many courses of action and test them. Pick several of the best ones and try them in small measurable test circumstances, look for negative consequences not just hopeful outcomes.
While the reliable modern science is underway, governments and cultures should decide what provisions and systems they want to invest in to protect human life from extreme future conditions. Things like super insulated living structures, mega heating and cooling systems, artificial environments for food production and long-term food storage facilities, solar screens, ice barricades, or adjustable sea walls. Medical and life system and infrastructure decisions and long term investments must be made. Societal value changes regarding disease, famine, mass migrations, forced relocations, handling increased death rates from freezing, heat stroke; plant species survival and available food and diet changes; and animal behavior, food source and migration changes; and a host of legal and economic systems that will need vastly different processes and reactions. National defense, border protection, commerce, wealth protection, and personal security will all change substantially.
These program changes and provisions cannot wait until the last moments to be financed and tested. Contingency funds must begin being set aside, preserved and adjusted. Vast efforts made and resources sequestered and secured exclusively for these purposes only, for long periods into the future, so they are there to meet the most severe impacts to planetary life forms from global climate changes, warming or freezing, as they occur.
20 June 2009
Come West, Mr. President.
I mean the real west. Way west of the Mississippi River, to the Middle of the West. Not the Mid-west, that’s what the people back East call everything from Ohio to Iowa, Illinois to Missouri.
I’m talking about the real interior west, from Eastern Oregon to West Texas, North Dakota and Kansas to Arizona and Eastern California. Many interesting towns and cities are there, like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Flagstaff, Helena, Boise, Las Vegas, Barstow, Bishop, but more importantly, the vast beautiful distances in between. Great natural places, National Parks, enormous protected lands, and private property with cities, towns, villages, ranches, and farms where hardy, independent, highly diverse people working hard, raising and educating families, building lives for themselves by farming, ranching, and growing businesses that employ their families, neighbors and friends, and where they gather together to help family, friends and strangers when disasters and hardship come.
Look West. Stop looking back to the tired old ideas from European culture. Stop the cramped myopic thinking that life in the Northeast seems to breed. Come west and breathe in the fresh clean air. Clear your mind and look forward to new and powerful possibilities. Where individuals earn their own dream, not take an unearned part of someone else’s.
You and your staff would be wise to learn as much as you can about this region during the next two years. If I were you I would make many listening and learning trips to the many beautiful places and diverse peoples of the true West.
I’ve noticed that your administrations policies, practices and behavior exhibit a complete lack of understanding of this forty percent of our country. Not just the needs, wants and dreams of its people, but the joy of the wide open spaces, the peace and solitude of natural wonders, the self-esteem and personal satisfaction that comes from making what you need by forethought, quick wits, good sense, ingenuity and your own resources.
The shear space between places may frighten you big city folks in the beginning. In many places towns are a hundred miles apart. Some counties are nearly as large as eastern seaboard states, with the county seats nearly 200 miles away. I’ve been all over the very crowded Northeast through the Megapolitan from Boston to DC by roads. There’s never a place where you can’t see a home, or a business, or government facilities or a human planted tree, unlike the West. I’ve also driven to and around in all fifty states, and have walk around in every major city. Nothing in the Northeast or Chicago is anything like the real west.
You will see that the people of the inland west have almost no interest in the programs you, your administration and your congress seem to think are emergencies, or at least, so critically important they must be enacted without reasonable review, thoughtful discussion or even brief reflection upon unintended consequences. Frankly Sir, the only thing you’ve authorized so far that I support, is the shooting of pirates.
Mr. President, you should get to know the hopes, dreams, values, and experiences of the people of the interior west. You should listen to them tell there stories, see the things they’ve built, walk with them on their lands, feel the warmth of their homes and hearts, taste the aromas of their foods and hospitality, witness important events in their lives and cultures, and drink in the freedom of the vastness of their space, and their sense of place and purpose.
Then perhaps you will understand why some people seem to like you, but strongly disagree with your vision of our future.
I’m talking about the real interior west, from Eastern Oregon to West Texas, North Dakota and Kansas to Arizona and Eastern California. Many interesting towns and cities are there, like Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Denver, Flagstaff, Helena, Boise, Las Vegas, Barstow, Bishop, but more importantly, the vast beautiful distances in between. Great natural places, National Parks, enormous protected lands, and private property with cities, towns, villages, ranches, and farms where hardy, independent, highly diverse people working hard, raising and educating families, building lives for themselves by farming, ranching, and growing businesses that employ their families, neighbors and friends, and where they gather together to help family, friends and strangers when disasters and hardship come.
Look West. Stop looking back to the tired old ideas from European culture. Stop the cramped myopic thinking that life in the Northeast seems to breed. Come west and breathe in the fresh clean air. Clear your mind and look forward to new and powerful possibilities. Where individuals earn their own dream, not take an unearned part of someone else’s.
You and your staff would be wise to learn as much as you can about this region during the next two years. If I were you I would make many listening and learning trips to the many beautiful places and diverse peoples of the true West.
I’ve noticed that your administrations policies, practices and behavior exhibit a complete lack of understanding of this forty percent of our country. Not just the needs, wants and dreams of its people, but the joy of the wide open spaces, the peace and solitude of natural wonders, the self-esteem and personal satisfaction that comes from making what you need by forethought, quick wits, good sense, ingenuity and your own resources.
The shear space between places may frighten you big city folks in the beginning. In many places towns are a hundred miles apart. Some counties are nearly as large as eastern seaboard states, with the county seats nearly 200 miles away. I’ve been all over the very crowded Northeast through the Megapolitan from Boston to DC by roads. There’s never a place where you can’t see a home, or a business, or government facilities or a human planted tree, unlike the West. I’ve also driven to and around in all fifty states, and have walk around in every major city. Nothing in the Northeast or Chicago is anything like the real west.
You will see that the people of the inland west have almost no interest in the programs you, your administration and your congress seem to think are emergencies, or at least, so critically important they must be enacted without reasonable review, thoughtful discussion or even brief reflection upon unintended consequences. Frankly Sir, the only thing you’ve authorized so far that I support, is the shooting of pirates.
Mr. President, you should get to know the hopes, dreams, values, and experiences of the people of the interior west. You should listen to them tell there stories, see the things they’ve built, walk with them on their lands, feel the warmth of their homes and hearts, taste the aromas of their foods and hospitality, witness important events in their lives and cultures, and drink in the freedom of the vastness of their space, and their sense of place and purpose.
Then perhaps you will understand why some people seem to like you, but strongly disagree with your vision of our future.
16 June 2009
Poor TV Commercials
I’m not sure of when FCC rules were changed or laws were passed by Congress that allowed certain kinds of advertising to be on TV. I suspect about the time cigarette ads were prohibited, feminine hygiene products were allowed. Then, I think attorneys were allowed to advertise beyond phone book listings, then tacky newspaper ads, then hideous TV commercials. Then, I think prescription drug commercials began showing up on TV. I may not be completely accurate on when or who approved and it’s probably good that I don’t recall who is to blame. I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to name them by organization and person.
First, I must confess I object to all product and service commercials on broadcast TV, even institutional ads, public service announcements, programming ads, etc; if it isn’t content, I object to it’s being on citizen owned government licensed broadcast frequencies.
My specific objections are: feminine hygiene products, sexual stimulation and protection products, prescription drugs, any attorneys or firms of attorneys for any purpose, and so called Public Service Ads, especially those that are demonstrably inaccurate or false.
In reverse order let me offer an example; US Forest Service’s “Smokey the Bear” ads stating, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
You, even if you occasionally light campfires, can do absolutely nothing about the vast majority of forest and grassland fires which are caused by lightning strikes and wind downed electrical power lines. Most of the others are malicious or arson caused fires which are started on purpose by foolish, ignorant, stupid, or mental diseased individuals on whom these pronouncements are meaningless. Why would they care or even know what a cartoon bear on TV is trying to tell them. Accidents do cause a few fires each year and sometimes they do enormous damage to public infrastructure, interrupt services, and destroy private property that many people depend upon for life, health and safety. To the extent that non-malicious accidents can be reduced they certainly should be. Even with elaborate precautions accidents do occur. No amount of coaxing by Smokey on late night TV will help you prevent them.
Attorney commercials; I think good taste and sound judgment prevented them for most of my lifetime. I think the National Bar Association, who knew their members better than anyone else, thought it would be a bad idea thinking perhaps it would degrade into cheap tacky ambulance chasers and medical malpractice ads traipsing out victims on their deathbeds and promising vast award settlements for fringe or self-aided ailments. Wheezing old geezers or accident victims looking pathetic on national TV may be exactly why the Bar Associations opposed it for many years. Carefully word smithed video presentations and cleverly worded promises of vast awards, so easily seen through by all but the most gullible, may be another tasteless reason they were once avoided. Whoever is responsible for unleashing this shameful parade, and those who take money for this public spectacle should hope they remain nameless forever.
Prescription drugs; until some time in the 1990’s commercials for prescription drugs began appearing. Apparently the FCC, FDA, or FTC decided they could if they followed a script outline. The outline included benefits, side effects, and warnings with pictures of active healthy people enjoying life, and an admonition to “Ask your doctor” if X, Y, or Z is right for you. Initially, there was just an occasional one or two Diabetes or Heart Disease medications. Since then dozens of diseases, disorders, syndromes, and ailments have been identified and named, and medications created to treat them. Now there is several each evening in prime time, many about erectile dysfunction. Often the side effects sound worse than the disease that it supposedly treats. All are unnecessary. If you that one of these diseases wouldn’t you expect your doctor to prescribe the proper medication. Sure you should be active participant in your treatment, but propose your own medication based upon a TV commercial, I don’t think so!
Sex aids and sexual hygiene products; I’m in favor of anything that helps people have satisfying, safe, enjoyable gratifying sex with consenting adults and life partners, I just don’t think broadcast television is the right place to take advantage of the opportunity for commerce. I don’t object to home parties, mailed brochures, print media, internet ads, or word of mouth and anything else that requires approval, informed consent, transaction, or deliberate effort that allows access to product information. It’s not that I’m offended, nervous or bothered by the subject.
It’s been years since I’ve been embarrassed or offended by any subject. What I’m opposed to is being bombarded unwilling by those taking commercial advantage of unsuspecting watchers of program content. Very few people watch TV commercials seeking accurate data on which to initiate important purchases. Some, not mentally well people, may choose foolishly to act on the exaggerated, frequently false, and often misrepresented images and words by cleaver Neuro-Linguistic Programming and other petty tricks of the eye and mind presented in TV Ads.
Broadcasters and businesses should be ashamed of themselves for collaborating to trick the ignorant poor and the mentally crippled out of their scant personal resources via the public airways.
Broadcast and public service TV content should be completely free of any form of interruptions, especially any advertising commercial opportunity.
First, I must confess I object to all product and service commercials on broadcast TV, even institutional ads, public service announcements, programming ads, etc; if it isn’t content, I object to it’s being on citizen owned government licensed broadcast frequencies.
My specific objections are: feminine hygiene products, sexual stimulation and protection products, prescription drugs, any attorneys or firms of attorneys for any purpose, and so called Public Service Ads, especially those that are demonstrably inaccurate or false.
In reverse order let me offer an example; US Forest Service’s “Smokey the Bear” ads stating, “Only you can prevent wildfires.”
You, even if you occasionally light campfires, can do absolutely nothing about the vast majority of forest and grassland fires which are caused by lightning strikes and wind downed electrical power lines. Most of the others are malicious or arson caused fires which are started on purpose by foolish, ignorant, stupid, or mental diseased individuals on whom these pronouncements are meaningless. Why would they care or even know what a cartoon bear on TV is trying to tell them. Accidents do cause a few fires each year and sometimes they do enormous damage to public infrastructure, interrupt services, and destroy private property that many people depend upon for life, health and safety. To the extent that non-malicious accidents can be reduced they certainly should be. Even with elaborate precautions accidents do occur. No amount of coaxing by Smokey on late night TV will help you prevent them.
Attorney commercials; I think good taste and sound judgment prevented them for most of my lifetime. I think the National Bar Association, who knew their members better than anyone else, thought it would be a bad idea thinking perhaps it would degrade into cheap tacky ambulance chasers and medical malpractice ads traipsing out victims on their deathbeds and promising vast award settlements for fringe or self-aided ailments. Wheezing old geezers or accident victims looking pathetic on national TV may be exactly why the Bar Associations opposed it for many years. Carefully word smithed video presentations and cleverly worded promises of vast awards, so easily seen through by all but the most gullible, may be another tasteless reason they were once avoided. Whoever is responsible for unleashing this shameful parade, and those who take money for this public spectacle should hope they remain nameless forever.
Prescription drugs; until some time in the 1990’s commercials for prescription drugs began appearing. Apparently the FCC, FDA, or FTC decided they could if they followed a script outline. The outline included benefits, side effects, and warnings with pictures of active healthy people enjoying life, and an admonition to “Ask your doctor” if X, Y, or Z is right for you. Initially, there was just an occasional one or two Diabetes or Heart Disease medications. Since then dozens of diseases, disorders, syndromes, and ailments have been identified and named, and medications created to treat them. Now there is several each evening in prime time, many about erectile dysfunction. Often the side effects sound worse than the disease that it supposedly treats. All are unnecessary. If you that one of these diseases wouldn’t you expect your doctor to prescribe the proper medication. Sure you should be active participant in your treatment, but propose your own medication based upon a TV commercial, I don’t think so!
Sex aids and sexual hygiene products; I’m in favor of anything that helps people have satisfying, safe, enjoyable gratifying sex with consenting adults and life partners, I just don’t think broadcast television is the right place to take advantage of the opportunity for commerce. I don’t object to home parties, mailed brochures, print media, internet ads, or word of mouth and anything else that requires approval, informed consent, transaction, or deliberate effort that allows access to product information. It’s not that I’m offended, nervous or bothered by the subject.
It’s been years since I’ve been embarrassed or offended by any subject. What I’m opposed to is being bombarded unwilling by those taking commercial advantage of unsuspecting watchers of program content. Very few people watch TV commercials seeking accurate data on which to initiate important purchases. Some, not mentally well people, may choose foolishly to act on the exaggerated, frequently false, and often misrepresented images and words by cleaver Neuro-Linguistic Programming and other petty tricks of the eye and mind presented in TV Ads.
Broadcasters and businesses should be ashamed of themselves for collaborating to trick the ignorant poor and the mentally crippled out of their scant personal resources via the public airways.
Broadcast and public service TV content should be completely free of any form of interruptions, especially any advertising commercial opportunity.
12 June 2009
More Government Health Care
14 Million More Government Employees
This nation all ready has an enormous amount of government medicine. Military medicine, veterans care, Federal and state prison and jail care, Medicare, Medicaid, and various studies, research, and Center for Disease Control programs and very high costs. There are a large number of government employed medical doctors, thousands of them, perhaps a hundred thousand very well paid and not providing quality medical care to people. I’ve spoken to approximately 60 medical doctors. Not a single one of them was willing to become a government employee. Does anyone really want another 14 million government employees, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
Supposedly there are 45 million people without health insurance and it’s often implied they cannot get some kinds of medical care. It can't be urgent or emergency care, because it is available to everyone who seeks it by law, even visiting foreigners. It could be routine, specific ailments, or preventative care. Many of the 45 million, perhaps 20 million of them could get health insurance if they wanted it, but they don’t for a variety of reasons including being young and healthy, some for religious reasons.
Many of the remaining uninsured are illegal immigrants, maybe 15 million mostly women and children, and some working men and women. About 5 million are between jobs and temporarily uninsured. About 5 million are ineligible for private health insurance because of preexisting conditions, incurable diseases, or incorrigible behavior, many of them receiving government entitlement benefits including some kinds of medical care.
So, who is it that is clamoring for a massive expansion of government provided medical care? I can’t find them. Who wants the government acting as their agent or provider for any kind of health care? I can’t find them. Who thinks the quality of care will be better provided by government employees? I can’t find anyone. Like the quality delivered at a government facility and with equipment like a Veteran’s Hospital? No Veteran I’ve spoken to wishes that on anyone.
Like many government programs, politicians have imagined a demand for it, seized on the political opportunity, cultivated a constituency for it, and are now trying to fulfill the imaginary needs, as though they were real.
I don’t believe any competent doctors want to be government employees. I don’t think any citizens want to pay extra for government quality medical care. I don’t know of any government program that every provided anything in the needed quantity and quality with the right timeliness for less than the competitive market place. I don’t think they could if they knew how.
At this point it’s probably needless to point out, I’m opposed to all government provided medical care, Medicare, prison care, military care, Medicaid, and not just new size and scope, but any. Some participation and coordination of disease control and research might be an exception, if provided by and through the military as a matter citizen protection.
I believe all currently provided government medical care should be cut severely immediately, and in a few short years replaced entirely by philanthropic, religious, and private medical care, with the only government involvement being those enumerated in the constitution; defending our citizens, protecting our borders, making very few laws, canceling many outdated and special interest laws, and levying much less and many fewer taxes.
Keep healthcare decisions between doctors and patients, all others “Keep Out.”
This nation all ready has an enormous amount of government medicine. Military medicine, veterans care, Federal and state prison and jail care, Medicare, Medicaid, and various studies, research, and Center for Disease Control programs and very high costs. There are a large number of government employed medical doctors, thousands of them, perhaps a hundred thousand very well paid and not providing quality medical care to people. I’ve spoken to approximately 60 medical doctors. Not a single one of them was willing to become a government employee. Does anyone really want another 14 million government employees, according the Bureau of Labor Statistics?
Supposedly there are 45 million people without health insurance and it’s often implied they cannot get some kinds of medical care. It can't be urgent or emergency care, because it is available to everyone who seeks it by law, even visiting foreigners. It could be routine, specific ailments, or preventative care. Many of the 45 million, perhaps 20 million of them could get health insurance if they wanted it, but they don’t for a variety of reasons including being young and healthy, some for religious reasons.
Many of the remaining uninsured are illegal immigrants, maybe 15 million mostly women and children, and some working men and women. About 5 million are between jobs and temporarily uninsured. About 5 million are ineligible for private health insurance because of preexisting conditions, incurable diseases, or incorrigible behavior, many of them receiving government entitlement benefits including some kinds of medical care.
So, who is it that is clamoring for a massive expansion of government provided medical care? I can’t find them. Who wants the government acting as their agent or provider for any kind of health care? I can’t find them. Who thinks the quality of care will be better provided by government employees? I can’t find anyone. Like the quality delivered at a government facility and with equipment like a Veteran’s Hospital? No Veteran I’ve spoken to wishes that on anyone.
Like many government programs, politicians have imagined a demand for it, seized on the political opportunity, cultivated a constituency for it, and are now trying to fulfill the imaginary needs, as though they were real.
I don’t believe any competent doctors want to be government employees. I don’t think any citizens want to pay extra for government quality medical care. I don’t know of any government program that every provided anything in the needed quantity and quality with the right timeliness for less than the competitive market place. I don’t think they could if they knew how.
At this point it’s probably needless to point out, I’m opposed to all government provided medical care, Medicare, prison care, military care, Medicaid, and not just new size and scope, but any. Some participation and coordination of disease control and research might be an exception, if provided by and through the military as a matter citizen protection.
I believe all currently provided government medical care should be cut severely immediately, and in a few short years replaced entirely by philanthropic, religious, and private medical care, with the only government involvement being those enumerated in the constitution; defending our citizens, protecting our borders, making very few laws, canceling many outdated and special interest laws, and levying much less and many fewer taxes.
Keep healthcare decisions between doctors and patients, all others “Keep Out.”
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