Category Archives: Economy

2010 Election, Economy, Politics

It’s Social Security Season

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The very same Social Security System that people like President Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid say is in fine shape, isn’t. And it hasn’t been for decades. Only now, even the mainstream media seems to admit that is going bankrupt. In Obama’s so-called summer of recovery, what government entitlement program isn’t headed for bankruptcy?

Social Security is brought to the forefront of the discussion every political season. And all attempts to ‘fix’ Social Security is easily and effectively demagogued by the Left  in a new kind of class warfare, age warfare. Question is, what has to happen before all Americans, or at least a majority in Congress, understand the problem and demand that it be fixed? The answer lies not in more taxes, but in less benefits, including means testing. Not because the government is cruel and mean-spirited but because we have to learn to live within our means.

From the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging Report . . .

Although Social Security remains a crucial benefit for millions of seniors, the program was designed to serve an American society of 75 years ago. Much has changed since its inception: Americans are living longer, women’s participation in the labor force has significantly increased, and with a rise in the divorce rate, household composition has changed. In addition, the labor force is growing more slowly and the nature of work and compensation has altered in ways that affect workers’ ability to save for retirement. As a result, under its current design, Social Security may not be as effective as it could be in addressing the needs of our society both now and in the future. Therefore, modernizing the program to reflect America’s evolving demographics is vital to ensuring that benefits are adequate and equitable for generations to come.

Some fun facts about Social Security:

  • Unless Congress acts, Social Security’s combined retirement and disability trust funds are expected to run out of money in 2037. At that point, Social Security will collect enough in payroll taxes to cover about three-fourths of the benefits.
  • Social Security’s short-term finances are being hurt by a recession that shed more than 8 million jobs, reducing revenue from the payroll taxes that support the program. Social Security’s long-term finances will be strained as the 78 million baby boomers reach retirement age – and live longer as life expectancy increases.
  • For the first time since the 1980s, Social Security is paying out more money in benefits than it collects in payroll taxes. The program is projected to post surpluses again in 2012 through 2014 but will return to permanent deficits in 2015, its trustees said in their annual report last week.
  • The disability program is in even worse shape. The disability trust fund is projected to be exhausted by 2018, meaning Congress will have to act soon to address it.
  • The combined trust funds have built up a $2.5 trillion surplus over the past 25 years. But the federal government has borrowed {uh, stolen} that money over the years {Starting with President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘Great Society’} to spend on other programs. The government must now start borrowing money from public debt markets – adding to the federal budget deficit – to repay Social Security.
  • Over the next decade, the federal government will pay Social Security more than $1.5 trillion in interest, though the transfers are essentially an accounting procedure, switching money from one government account to another.

Links: Rhetoric dims hope for Social Security compromise |  Report of The Special Committee On Aging

2010 Election, Economy, Politics

Special Session For ‘Jobs Bill’

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The House is back in a special session to vote on a $26 Billion spending bill to temporarily bail out labor unions. Paying for it by raising taxes and raiding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. That would be the food-stamp program.

The labor unions on the receiving end are the teachers unions and the AFSCME, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.  Not coincidentally, ‘ two key components of the Democrats’ political base whose get-out-the-vote efforts in November could determine whether they hold or lose control of Congress.’

This $26 Billion of new spending will not create one job nor stimulate job creation. All while there is still over $350 Billion of so-called stimulus money that still has not been allocated. Can you say ‘slush fund?’ It’s the Chicago way.

Related Links: AP: House members scurry back to pass jobs bill |  Pensacola, It’s Time To Take Care Of Business

Economy, Pensacola

Pensacola, It’s Time To Take Care Of Business

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Pensacola and Escambia County are in the same economic boat as the rest of the country. The cost of running the government, the overhead, is not sustainable and needs fixing. Then there is the cost of operating facilities that the government need not be involved in, and you see a not so rosy economic picture for the County and the taxpayers who still have jobs.

Something needs to be done locally to turn this around. Waiting on rhetoric from Washington to fix our problem is irresponsible and suicide. What needs to be done is a combination of tightening the government’s belt and selling off ‘assets’ that it does not need.

One County commissioner, Gene Valentino, has suggested selling off  the Pensacola Civic Center.

The bed tax provides money to promote tourism, but only after it pays more than $1 million a year to help subsidize the Pensacola Civic Center.  County commissioners, unhappy that the subsidy may soar to $1.6 million this year, would like to change that.

Gene Valentino suggested selling it, but that idea has gone nowhere in better economic times, and it’s unlikely to draw many bids now.

But let’s not stop there. Put the Port of Pensacola on the market too!

What else are we paying for that could be better done in the private sector that would reduce our tax burden and improve our economic outlook? Leave nothing off the table. Include other real estate, policies, benefits, and procedures that will trim the cost of government, ie, the taxpayers’ overhead.

1. Pensacola Civic Center

2. Port of Pensacola

Add your suggestions in the comments below.

Link: Tourism By The Numbers by Mark O’Brien  |  Cash Cow Milked Enough by Reginald T. Dogan

Economy, Politics

What Joe Biden Said, A Reminder

Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

In what was the biggest political head-fake of the Obama campaign, or just dumb luck, then VP candidate Joe Biden said that Obama will be tested as President. He didn’t know how right he was. Or did he?

“It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you – not financially to help him – we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

The context of his statement was regarding national defense issues on the global stage. But the economic recession and millions of jobs lost became his real test. Creating jobs, he said, was going to be his number one priority if elected. Getting Americans back to work. And his fix has deliberately ‘generated’ continued joblessness for the longest period since the Great Depression.

It’s safe to say that as President, Obama failed his biggest test. He failed it to the point that his advisers created a new measure for jobs. They called it ‘saved or created.’ But Biden was right. The resulting economic crisis became an international one, and it was generated right here by Obama and his party.

Links: Ben Smith’s Blog: Biden: Obama will be tested – Politico.com.  |  What Caused The Economic Crisis?

Economy, Fair Tax

aSide Order

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In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the Constitution, which gave the government the authority to tax people’s income (up to 100% of it), was sold to the public as only taxing the rich. Sound familiar?

By 1913, 36 States had ratified the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. In October, Congress passed a new income tax law with rates beginning at 1 percent and rising to 7 percent for taxpayers with income in excess of $500,000. Less than 1 percent of the population paid income tax at the time.

Number of Americans Paying Zero Federal Income Tax Grows to 43.4 Million

There is a growing number of Americans who pay zero federal income tax after taking advantage of deductions and credits. This, a result of morphing the income tax system into spending programs. Prior to The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, tax relief was generally given in the form of lower tax rates or increased deductions or exemptions. The 1997 Act really launched the modern proliferation of individual tax credits and refundable credits that are in essence spending programs operating through the tax system. This 43.4 million number is as of 2006. No doubt that number is higher now due to record unemployment and more wealth-spreading going on.

Large Number of Non-Payers Make Tax Reform Difficult

Federal tax reform requires that the base of the federal income tax be widened, so that overall tax rates can be reduced. However, because of the large number of Americans currently paying zero federal income tax, any attempt to broaden the tax base will be a difficult sell for lawmakers. The millions of Americans who have no federal income tax liability will either be indifferent about tax reform or will positively oppose it, as it would require bringing them into the federal tax base.

When more people don’t pay taxes than pay taxes under the current system, why would anyone think that these non-payers would vote for anyone who would make them pay? Similar problems are bankrupting European countries over benefits. Any reforms there means taking benefits away.

These findings raise serious questions about the future of the U.S. income tax system, and the possibility of base-broadening tax reform when the majority of the federal tax burden is borne by a shrinking pool of taxpayers. As Congress considers tax reform proposals during the coming year, this is an issue lawmakers should begin to debate.

I got your base-broadening tax reform right here. It’s called the FairTax Act of 2009. It broadens the tax base from 136 million people to every living human being within the borders of the United States. Under the FairTax, the tax base includes our population of 320 million, plus foreign tourists, diplomats, and illegal aliens. You can’t get a broader tax base nor a better stimulus for job creation, economic growth, personal economic security, national economic security, and general economic growth overall.

In the beginning there was a void. The void moveth to Washington whereupon it surroundeth itself with a sphincter muscle.

Economy, Fair Tax, Politics, Uncategorized

Want More? Tax Less. Tax More? Get Less.

That about sums up the one an only truism about taxation. That politicians become drunk with power once they have the ‘tax hammer’ in their hot little hand is another. But that is more of a moral issue than an economic one. I came across this publication from the U.S. Treasury called The History of the U.S. Tax System. It’s something that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner should read. As Congress and the Obama administration seem to be on a mad dash to tax us into prosperity and borrow our way out of debt, this piece from the Treasury Dept. should be required reading.

Lower marginal tax rates were ‘essential to a strong economy.’ Meddling with the system with that ‘tax hammer’ can make it worse.

The economic boom following the 1982 recession convinced many political leaders of both parties that lower marginal tax rates were essential to a strong economy, while the constant changing of the law instilled in policy makers an appreciation for the complexity of the tax system. Further, the debates during this period led to a general understanding of the distortions imposed on the economy, and the lost jobs and wages, arising from the many peculiarities in the definition of the tax base.

History demonstrates, whether you want to learn from it or not, that taxing business excessively, ‘over-reaching,’ leads to collapse.

The 1986 Tax Reform Act was roughly revenue neutral, that is, it was not intended to raise or lower taxes, but it shifted some of the tax burden from individuals to businesses. Much of the increase in the tax on business was the result of an increase in the tax on business capital formation. It achieved some simplifications for individuals through the elimination of such things as income averaging, the deduction for consumer interest, and the deduction for state and local sales taxes. But in many respects the Act greatly added to the complexity of business taxation, especially in the area of international taxation. Some of the over-reaching provisions of the Act also led to a downturn in the real estate markets which played a significant role in the subsequent collapse of the Savings and Loan industry.

The power trip, aka tax hammer, became addictive for the politicos. It never occurred to them to quit increasing government spending. Only how and where and what to raise taxes on.

Between 1986 and 1990 the Federal tax burden rose as a share of GDP from 17.5 to 18 percent. Despite this increase in the overall tax burden, persistent budget deficits due to even higher levels of government spending created near constant pressure to increase taxes. Thus, in 1990 the Congress enacted a significant tax increase featuring an increase in the top tax rate to 31 percent. Shortly after his election, President Clinton insisted on and the Congress enacted a second major tax increase in 1993 in which the top tax rate was raised to 36 percent and a 10 percent surcharge was added, leaving the effective top tax rate at 39.6 percent. Clearly, the trend toward lower marginal tax rates had been reversed, but, as it turns out, only temporarily.

The tax code becomes a vehicle for spending programs. Wielding the tax hammer for social engineering increases public debt. Lesson not learned here is that money doesn’t grow on trees and, stop increasing the spending. But it’s OK if you can use the tax code to buy votes. What? This is where the class envy/class warfare tactic, as connected to the tax code, was taken to a higher level.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 made additional changes to the tax code providing a modest tax cut. The centerpiece of the 1997 Act was a significant new tax benefit to certain families with children through the Per Child Tax credit. The truly significant feature of this tax relief, however, was that the credit was refundable for many lower-income families. That is, in many cases the family paid a “negative” income tax, or received a credit in excess of their pre-credit tax liability. Though the tax system had provided for individual tax credits before, such as the Earned Income Tax credit, the Per Child Tax credit began a new trend in federal tax policy. Previously tax relief was generally given in the form of lower tax rates or increased deductions or exemptions. The 1997 Act really launched the modern proliferation of individual tax credits and especially refundable credits that are in essence spending programs operating through the tax system.

“There’s no difference at all in terms of the effects on the federal deficit,” says Roberton Williams of the Tax Policy Center. “It’s perfectly equivalent. It’s just easier to say, ‘I cut your taxes’ as opposed to ‘I created a new federal program to send money to people.'”

Reducing taxes helped, not hurt, economic recovery.

The 2001 tax cut will provide additional strength to the economy in the coming years as more and more of its provisions are phased in, and indeed one argument for its enactment had always been as a form of insurance against an economic downturn. However, unbeknownst to the Bush Administration and the Congress, the economy was already in a downturn as the Act was being debated. Thankfully, the downturn was brief and shallow, but it is already clear that the tax cuts that were enacted and went into effect in 2001 played a significant role in supporting the economy, shortening the duration of the downturn, and preparing the economy for a robust recovery.

One can only hope that the next generation of political leaders will have learned something from the past and not repeat that which has failed before. Here’s hoping that the next chapter in The History of the U.S. Tax System describes unprecedented economic recovery after abolishing  the current income-based tax system and going to the consumption-based tax system called the FairTax.

Links: History of the U.S. Tax System |  The Income Tax System Is Broken

2010 Election, Economy, Fair Tax, Media, Politics

What Happens When Bush Tax Cuts Expire?

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Income taxes punish work, stifle innovation (except in ways to avoid a tax liability) and risk-taking. Coming to a network news outlet near you, in addition to all the racial stirrings provoked by the ‘post-racial’ Obama administration, prepare yourself for the next chapter in the Obama administration’s (aka Saul Alinsky) handbook; class envy/warfare.

It comes around in election seasons, which seem to never end nowadays. And it comes around whenever tax reform is discussed in the form of ‘tax cuts for the rich.’

Barring any intervening legislation, these are the numbers by income tax bracket of how the tax rates will change when ‘the Bush tax cuts’ expire.

• Up to $16,750: Rises from 10 percent to 15 percent
• From $16,751 to $58,200: Stays same at 15 percent, but entire bracket pays 5 percent additional on the first $16,750
• From $58,201 to $68,000: Rises from 15 percent to 28 percent
• From $68,001 to $137,300: Rises from 25 percent to 28 percent
• From $137,301 to $209,250: Rises from 28 percent to 31 percent
• From $209,251 to $373,650: Rises from 33 percent to 36 percent
• $373,651 and up: Rises from 35 percent to 39.6 percent

The spreadsheet below shows how much more of your income (not counting all the income credits and re-distribution schemes contained in the 75,000+ page Internal Revenue Code) you will owe Uncle Sam on every dollar you earn beginning January 1, 2011. Note the gimmick in the second tax bracket, where the poor and not as poor ‘working people’ reside. You know, the one class that Obama claims to advocate for. These brackets capture the majority of the income earning population. The tax rate remains the same, but the entire bracket pays 5 percent additional on the first $16,750. The consequence of this magic trick is putting the largest tax burden, as a percentage of income, square on the backs of the poor. The rate of increase on the next bracket, those whose income falls between $58,201 and $68,000, goes up by a massive 86.67 percent. The so-called ‘working people.’ I add ‘so-called’ to the discussion because this administration would like the dumb masses to believe that rich people don’t work. ‘Working people’ is class envy for the poor aimed at the rich, by the ‘uniter’ himself. It is a necessary function of class envy, which this administration so effortlessly employs. And so far gets away with.

From $ To $ From % To % $ Increase % Increase Increase as % of Income
$0 $16,750 10.00% 15.00% $838 50.00% 5.00%
$16,751 $58,200 15.00% 15.00% $9,568 0.00% 16.44%
$58,201 $68,000 15.00% 28.00% $8,840 86.67% 13.00%
$68,001 $137,300 25.00% 28.00% $4,119 12.00% 3.00%
$137,301 $209,250 28.00% 31.00% $6,278 10.71% 3.00%
$209,251 $373,650 33.00% 36.00% $11,210 9.09% 3.00%
$373,651 $500,000 35.00% 39.60% $23,000 13.14% 4.60%

Obama’s Tax based on his 2009 income. $5,505,409 35.00% 39.60% $253,249 13.14% 4.60%

Don’t be fooled by the tax brackets or these numbers either. They give the illusion that everybody is actually paying taxes. Everyone is not paying taxes. The truth is, for 2005, the top 1% of income earners paid 39% of all tax revenue. That’s up 2% since President Bush took office in 2000. 86% of all federal income taxes were paid by the top 25% of income earners. And 97% of all taxes paid are paid by the top 50% of income earners.

The power to use the ‘tax hammer’ to micro-manage voting, social and economic behavior is the drug the politicians must be weaned from. The FairTax takes that tax hammer away by putting the economic power where it belongs, with the people. All the people. Not Washington politicians and lobbyists. Because the FairTax is transparent, the FUD factor goes away. The Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt goes away, and citizens and entrepreneurs can make business decisions with some certainty of risk and tax consequences. 

The FairTax unleashes the potential for economic activity, innovation, job creation, personal wealth and financial security without the interference of Washington and without increasing the national debt. And as a not insignificant side effect, the class warfare game with taxation becomes a thing of the past. Allowing the elected officials to concentrate their efforts to serving their constituents instead of trying to rob them.

2010 Election, Economy, Immigration

Comprehensive Immigration Reform

A recent editorial about ‘comprehensive’ immigration reform suggested that solving the illegal immigration cancer takes more than laws. It also takes money. And money is a commodity in short supply, not only for Florida but every State except North Dakota and Utah. Here is a version of comprehensive immigration reform that is without cost and does not involve amnesty. The cornerstone of the reform is pulling up the welcome mat where illegal immigrants are concerned.

Pulling up the welcome mat to illegals does not have to cost taxpayers a dime and will reduce the incoming ‘tide’ of illegals. Illegals will self-deport. The tide will go out. Not all, but more than would go back home otherwise. No police state tactics, as the writer suggests, are required.

What’s the welcome mat? Things like employers giving them jobs and landlords (public or private) giving them housing, ‘in-state’ tuition discounts, sanctuary cities, ‘anchor’ babies, all the social, medical, and educational benefits that legal citizens get. Pull it.

Imagine the effect of a financial reform law that allows international transfer of money to legal citizens and legal tourists only? Lacking the tool to send ‘remittances’ back home would be a major ‘mat’ to pull. Pulling the mat is part of immigration reform.

Another part is getting control of the border to the extent that crossing it illegally would be difficult if not impossible. There are hundreds of miles of border control barriers not completed and just as many miles totally unprotected. Complete it. By the time these two phases are completed, the number of illegals remaining would be those who are productive and have a place to live. Then, and only then, the last phase, guest worker status with intent to assimilate into American society can begin. If they just want to use America instead of become American, then they will not meet the minimum requirement to the path to ‘citizenship.’

This is not the amnesty that Reagan tried or that Obama wants. This is getting in line behind the immigration requests filed in accordance with our laws. To do that, they must come out of the closet and register themselves as an illegal seeking to stay here under some earned legal status. It will take as long as it takes for them to get their chance to become an amnestied American citizen. However many years that may take is what it will take. And to remove the political motivation from the equation, amnestied American citizens will not have the right to vote in federal elections. After all, this is supposed to be a humanitarian issue, not a political one.

Although it is a crying shame that Mexico’s state of affairs is as bad as it is, it’s their problem to fix. Maybe the prospect of millions of illegals returning home would help them fix their corruption and economic problems once and for all?

Link: Editorial: Our problems are solved!

2010 Election, Economy, Florida, Pensacola, Politics

Khavari, Florida’s Best Chance And Choice

You are cordially invited to the 2010 Fundraiser Event in support of Dr. Khavari’s gubernatorial campaign. The event will take place on July 24, 2010 from 6pm-8pm at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport on 150 Australian Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. Khavari is an economist who has written nine books and various articles that address solutions to the economic situation in Florida. His economic plan—The Khavari Economic Plan, has been referred to as the most solid economic plan.

Dr. Khavari will be making a presentation at the fundraiser to discuss his plan for Florida in further detail and due to your ongoing support throughout his campaign, will be honored to have you there to support him. The presentation will include a Q&A session, and will be followed by a reception with special guests from the NFL.

If you cannot attend this event but still wish to show your support to Dr. Khavari’s campaign, you can visit http://www.khavariforgovernor.com/contribute/ to make a donation to support our campaign efforts.

Economy, Politics

I Will Not Rest . . .

May 12, 2010, Deepwater Horizon Disaster

My Administration and I will not rest — or be satisfied — until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil on the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of this region are able to go back to their lives and livelihoods.

May 7, 2010, Jobs

We’re not going to rest until we’ve put this difficult chapter behind us.  And I won’t rest until you, and millions of your neighbors caught up in these storms, are able to find a good job and reach a brighter day.

April 2, 2010, Jobs

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood . . .
President Obama and I will not rest until every American who wants a job can find one.

February 10, 2010, Economy

So the economy may be growing again, but that growth has not nearly made up for the terrible pain and dislocations that rocked businesses and families over the course of a very difficult two years.

So we’ve got a lot of work to do.  And I’m here to tell you, I will not rest — I know Harry will not rest — until we’re not just recovering, but we’re prospering.  I don’t want Vegas just to be getting by — I want Vegas to be thriving.  And I know that’s what you want as well.  (Applause.)

February 2, 2010, Economy / Jobs

And the thing, New Hampshire, when I was up here campaigning, I told you — I didn’t run for President to kick these challenges down the road.  I didn’t run for President to play it safe.  I didn’t run just to keep my poll numbers as high as possible for the next election.  I ran to solve problems for the next generation.  (Applause.)  I ran to get the hard things done.  That’s why you elected me.  (Applause.)

So I won’t rest until businesses are hiring again, and wages are rising again, and the middle class is thriving again, and we’ve finally got an economy that works for all Americans, not just some Americans.  I won’t rest until we do what we know has to be done to secure our leadership in the 21st century.  I don’t want to cede our future to China and India and European countries.  I’m not willing to settle for second place — not for the United States of America.  (Applause.)

January 25, 2010, Jobs

But more than 7 million have been lost as a consequence of this recession –- an epidemic that demands our relentless and sustained response.  Now, last month the House passed a new jobs bill.  The Senate, as we speak, is hard at work developing its own job creation package.  Creating good, sustainable jobs is the single most important thing we can do to rebuild the middle class -– and I won’t rest until we’re doing just that.

January 21, 2010, Jobs

I called for the extension of emergency relief to help hurting Americans who’ve lost their jobs.  And you can expect a continued, sustained and relentless effort to create good jobs for the American people.  I will not rest until we’ve gotten there.  (Applause.)

December 4, 2009, Economy / Jobs

So here’s the bottom line.  I know times are tough.  Michelle and I were talking the other day — there are members of our families that are out of work.  We’re not that far removed from struggling to pay the bills.  Five, six years ago, we were still paying off student loans.  Still trying to figure out if we pay this bill this month, what do we have to give up next month.  We’re not that far away from there.  But I promise you this:  I won’t rest until things get better.

November 23, 2009, Economy

Our economy is growing for the first time in more than a year, and we know that economic growth is a prerequisite for job growth.  But, having said that, what I emphasize today is we cannot sit back and be satisfied, given the extraordinarily high unemployment levels that we’ve seen.  We have only taken the first step in curing our economy and making sure that it is moving on the right track.  And I will not rest until businesses are investing again and businesses are hiring again and people have work again.

September 15, 2009, Jobs

I know that’s small consolation when so many people you know are still out of work.  It’s going to take some time to achieve a complete recovery.  But I want you all to know, I will not rest until anybody who’s looking for a job can find one — and I’m not talking about just any job, but good jobs that give every American decent wages and decent benefits and a fair shot at the American Dream.  (Applause.)  That’s what I’m fighting for every single day.  (Applause.)

August 1, 2009, Jobs

Now, I realize that none of this is much comfort for Americans who are still out of work or struggling to make ends meet.  And when we receive our monthly job report next week, it is likely to show that we are continuing to lose far too many jobs in this country.  As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a recovery as long as we keep losing jobs.  And I won’t rest until every American who wants a job can find one.

May 11, 2009, Lowering Health Care Costs

And that’s why I was committed to health care reform as a presidential candidate; that’s why health care reform is a key priority to this presidency; that’s why I will not rest until the dream of health care reform is finally achieved in the United States of America. And that’s why I’m thrilled to have such a broad, diverse group of individuals from all across the health care spectrum representing every constituency and every political predisposition who feel that same sense of urgency and are committing themselves to work diligently to bring down costs so we can achieve the reforms that we seek.

Evidently creating jobs and saving the economy was not the top priority. So far, everything that this administration has done (and wants to do) has stifled the economy and jobs.

How long does it take before hearing what you want to hear takes a back seat to seeing the results that you want to see?