I also believe the whole thing about the White House tours is one big freaking lie. When I was in high school, I was able to tour the White House. We were given a guided tour and even got to witness the presidential helicopter land on the White House lawn. I know because of 9-11 everything changed; however, when my son went with a school group two years ago, the group had to make the request to our congresswoman months in advance, jump through a whole bunch of security hoops, and then the tour they got was beyond pathetic. It is now a self-guided tour and only includes a small section of the east wing, which is not much more then a museum tour. Now, the President has cancelled White House tours, because of the sequester, yet the tours are run by volunteers. There is no doubt in my mind that President Obama wants to inflict maximum pain upon the American people.
Another week has come and gone and we still don’t know how the sequester will effect this household and my husband’s income. The waiting and wondering is what has me tied up in knots. I just wish we knew what was coming, so we are better prepared for when it comes. Most employees are looking at four-day weekends every other week, but for the transportation department nothing has been announced other then today bus service around the base has been suspended indefinitely. Still ticking me off when people say we federal employees are living beyond our means. If you say rent, utilities, food, and insurance is beyond our means – then I guess we're living beyond it. Sigh! Some say to save up money – would be nice if overtime had not been the first thing cut. We are now literary living paycheck to paycheck. In addition, we have some medical bills that could choke a horse (thanks to a hysterectomy and couple cardiology visits in the last few months) and I have no clue how we are going to cover said bills. Also, one of our teenagers just started braces and the other one is supposed to be starting in six months. Not now. Nope, don’t have it. Yes, I stress about money. Makes me so mad when the amount proposed to be cut isn’t even a drop in the scope of federal dollars spent, yet the military and those who support the military are getting the rawest of deals. Yes, I am the first to say there needs to be cuts and also agree there could be cuts in the military, but I think these ‘draconian’ cuts are nothing more then to punish those who do not agree with the current administration and who are pro-military. Why else would congress take away daycare hours for military families, limit hours of the fitness centers on base, close down the commissary to two days a week, stop military tuition assistance?
I also believe the whole thing about the White House tours is one big freaking lie. When I was in high school, I was able to tour the White House. We were given a guided tour and even got to witness the presidential helicopter land on the White House lawn. I know because of 9-11 everything changed; however, when my son went with a school group two years ago, the group had to make the request to our congresswoman months in advance, jump through a whole bunch of security hoops, and then the tour they got was beyond pathetic. It is now a self-guided tour and only includes a small section of the east wing, which is not much more then a museum tour. Now, the President has cancelled White House tours, because of the sequester, yet the tours are run by volunteers. There is no doubt in my mind that President Obama wants to inflict maximum pain upon the American people.
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I don't know who to blame, although I lean more towards blaming the democrats and the President; however, I feel the Republicans are just as much at fault for where we are today with massive debt and outrageous overspending. I also just do not understand, President Obama supported sequestration and even signed it into law, but now he is against it and blaming the Republicans for not stopping it. Ugh! All I do know is the "do nothing" Senate, which has been controlled by the Democrats for the last four years, has not passed a budget and it's ticking me off that both parities are playing political hardball with our livelihood.
My husband is a federal employee and it makes me righteously indignant when the general public assumes all federal employees make $100,000 a year. I wish!! My husband is a good man, who works hard for what he earns. He appreciates having a job, never calls in sick, always shows up on time, and frankly works his butt off to support his family. He works overtime when asked and does job that some might think were beneath them. Yes, he makes a decent wage, but a large chuck of that goes towards federal taxes, medicare, medical, vision, and dental insurance, social security, and a small retirement savings plan. There are those who assume we don't live within our means. We pay rent and utilities, buy groceries and clothes for for three growing teenage boys, purchase fuel for the vehicles, and do occasional house and vehicle maintenance. We drive a 7-year-old pick-up truck and borrow my parents van from time to time. How are we overspending? Unlike the government - we can't print more money or live beyond our budget. We have been given advice to make cuts in our spending - not to go out to movies or dinner, bring lunch from home, cut out extras (i.e. premium cable channels) - but why do we have to make sacrifices when Congress doesn't? We were also told to FIND money - take a second job or sell unwanted items. Any one want a 1996 Bayliner Capri Bowrider boat? It also makes me mad when talk show hosts like Rush Limbaugh poo-poo the fears of us federal workers. Yes, I know there is a lot of fear mongering going on at there on both sides of the aisle, I also understand there is a lot of misinformation floating around, i.e. teachers losing their jobs, and police and firefighters losing their job - when that is not possible, since their salaries are controlled by state and local taxes and not the federal government. However, what about those who work supporting our armed forces? Why the cuts in our wages? Why not cuts in foreign aid, especially those countries who want to destroy us? What about no free rides for those who are in this county illegally? Now, before I am called a racist or worse - I have ZERO problem with immigration. America is the great melting pot - my problem is ILLEGAL immigration. And I don't think taxpayers should pay for food stamps, medical, housing, schools, etc. for those who are breaking the law. Period. Yes, I am worried. I am worried how to pay for the surgery I had in January. I am worried about feeding the boys, although if furloughs hit, our income could be reduced enough to qualify for reduced school lunch. How's that hope and change? Yes, the federal government must get a handle on spending and it is well past time that the President begin working with Congress to find real budget solutions, but why take it out on those of us who work hard at keeping America running? You would think someone who has had to go through bankruptcy twice, due to outrageously high medical bills after catastrophic events would support the new health care mandate—that could not be further from the truth.
Now, I believe we need health care reform, but not what was passed two years ago, and not what is currently being argued in front of the Supreme Court of the United States. I believe in portability, affordability, and tort reform. First, we need to allow health insurers to compete across state lines to be able to reduce costs. People move and people change jobs. Our insurance should move with us. Second, insurance should be more affordable. When my husband was working for a small logging company, we had no health insurance—not that is was not able, because it was, but the premiums were too high compared with his income. Now, if small independent companies (i.e. several small logging companies) could form a co-op, and were treated like larger companies, the savings would be passed on to the consumer. Third, I think there should be a requirement to eliminate some of the huge tort costs from medical care. The number one thing I believe keeps healthcare cuts high is litigation and run-away settlements. Sure, I believe we have the right as citizens to sue for medical malpractice, but I also believe there should be limits on payouts. I had a wonderful ob/gyn who delivered my oldest son and although a young doctor, he gave up the practice, because of the high costs of liability insurance. I have several issues with Obamacare itself. First, I do not like it was pushed through without being read. Nancy Pelosi said, “We must pass it, to see what is in it.” What!? In addition, if the plan is so great, why does it exempt Muslims, Native Americans, the president, congress, senators and their families? Nor do not like the government ‘telling’ us what to do. If they can force us to buy health care, what else could they force us to buy? I thought we were a nation formed on the principals of freedom. Now people are required to buy health insurance or they will be fined and the IRS will hire over 16,000 people to help enforce this mandate. I am a strong believer in smaller, less intrusive government. Lastly, as long as a country, we continue to allow illegal aliens access to free health care, I cannot and will not support any form of health care initiative. I also think the whole argument of car insurance versus health insurance is invalid. Auto-insurance places requirements on the voluntary act of driving and not on life itself. Second, states impose the insurance requirement, not the federal government, because states license drivers and vehicles. Driving is a privilege and not a right. Most states require car owners to purchase liability insurance that protects other people from damages caused by the at-fault driver. However, states do not require drivers to have collision and comprehensive insurance. In addition, what about those who choice not to own a car, they are not required to buy car insurance. Finally, there are risk factors included. If you are a teenager or drive a sports car, your insurance is going to be higher than a 30-year-old woman driving a minivan is. In other words, one size does not fit all. For these reasons I do not support the Health Care Mandate. Welcome to the Socialist Republic of Amerika.
I’m not talking socialist ideals like universal health care or even cap and trade. No, I’m talking about San Francisco’s insane city government that has been a few fries short of a Happy Meal for years now, and has decided to ban toys from Happy Meals. Whatever happened to the good old days when Americans were responsible for themselves? What makes me righteously indignant is when the government intrudes in our lives. Most everyone knows that eating at McDonalds on a regular basis is bad for you, but should it be up to the government to tell us what we can and cannot eat? Hang personal responsibility, because parents can’t be responsible for the food choices for own their children. Heck when my boys were little they were more interested in the toy to begin with then the food, and usually left half their meal uneaten on the table. Happy Meals are not the root of all-evil. Families are not breaking up, careers are not being ruined, I don’t know too many families in therapy over Happy Meals, and how many people are injured or killed because someone had one too many Big Macs and got behind the wheel? This is infringement on the right of a business to run the company the way it sees fit. It is censorship, and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen in America! If you don’t want your children to eat at McDonalds, then don’t go there!! However, if a parent wants to take there child to McDonalds as an occasional treat, it is their right. Thanks a lot Burger Meister Meister Burger for banning our toys!! I promise this will be the last time I bring up the new cell phone law, but I read this morning the Washington State Highway Patrol reported they wrote 670 cell phone violations in the first 20 days.
Breaking down the numbers, at $124 a ticket that comes to $83,080 in just 20 days, and it's all about safety. . . yeah right. Yep, I knew it, and don't make me tell you I told you so, but I told you so.
The new cell phone law has not even been in effect for two weeks and a woman from Renton was pulled over because she had her hand up to her ear. That's right, she had her hand up to her ear, no phone, but she still received a ticket for the no cell phone violation. What happened to due process? What happened to the state having to be the one with the burden of proof, huh? So now don't you dare scratch your head, put your hair behind your ear, or stretch while driving, because some officer who needs to meet his quota for the month might pull you over. She says she's going to fight it and bring a copy of her cell phone bill as proof she was not on the phone at the time of the incident. Good for her, but it bites that we as citizens have to take time out from our day to go to court and fight bogus tickets like this. Something similar happened to my husband last month. He was driving down the highway, and was pulled over and cited for not wearing his seat belt, yet he WAS belted. He showed the officer the belt clearly over his shoulder and across his lap, but the officer still wrote the citation. He's mad and so am I; even if we comply with the laws of the state, we still get cited! Talk about abuse of power! The only thing I can guess is my husband had on a grey hoodie and the seat belt is grey, so maybe they blended together. We plan to fight it in court, but he will lose a few hours of work, and we have been told if we want the officer to appear in court we have to subpoena him. No wonder why most people don't fight tickets anymore. But I know if the officer at any moment tells the judge he saw the buckle hanging near his shoulder, the officer needs to have his eyes examined, because my husband was driving an older Impala, and when not in use the buckle is near the lap, not the shoulder. But from now on I'm going to drive with a wallet up to my ear. Feel free to eat a burrito, drink a cup of coffee, put on your makeup, read a newspaper, give your kid in the backseat a pacifier. . . but don't you dare put that phone up to your ear!!
I knew when the state legislator passed the cell phone law two years ago; it would only be a matter on time before they changed the law to being a primary offense. Last week, drivers could only get a citation as a secondary offense, meaning that if they were pulled over for speeding, they would get a ticket for speeding as well as talking on the cell phones. Now officers can pull you over for talking on the cell phone. They “say” it’s about safety, but when the ticket is $124 dollars, I don’t believe it’s about safety, it’s about revenue and the state of Washington is strapped for cash. I personally, have had enough with the Nanny State! Where is personal responsibility? Not saying I don’t wear my seat belt at all times, or wear a helmet when riding the quad, or sitting on the back of a motorcycle, because I do, but I don’t think if you pick up your phone while driving you should be treated like a hardened criminal! They “say” it is about distracted drivers, but there are already laws on the books about driving while distracted. Trust me, my husband received a distracted driving ticket not long after we were married, so it has been on the books for a least twenty years. Yet, it’s okay to talk on your cell phone if you are wearing an ear piece, or have the phone on speaker phone—it’s only illegal to hold a phone to your ear. I don’t know about other people, but I hate wearing those earpieces, they never stay in my ear right, and I spend more time fiddling with the thing, when it would be a lot safer having me just hold the phone to me ear. What about other distractions: changing a CD, adjusting the temperature control, talking with the passengers in your car, arguing with you children, eating or drinking? Why not ban all of them? I know there are many people who have the philosophy of “Shut up, and drive.” I was surprised to see how many are in favor of this law. To me, it’s about taking away our civil liberties. I must confess I talk on the cell phone when I drive. Three active boys, keep me on the road most of the day, but talking on the phone has never impeded my ability to maintain my lane, react to slowing traffic ahead, or otherwise lose track of where I am or where I’m going. I also have never been in an accident, while talking on the cell phone (knock on wood). Of course, I am a mother and can multitask three or four things at the same time. I firmly believe this law is NOT aimed at safety, but gaining revenue. Just like the seatbelt laws, helmet laws, and red light ticket cameras. Freedom my A$$!! |
"Hey. . . it's me."I live in the shadows of the Olympic Mountains in the state of Washington and I love camping, boating, kayaking, hiking, and hanging out with my husband, our three adult children, and our Bernese Mountain dog, Henry. Tags
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