On November 4, 2008, Senator Barack Obama (questionably) of Illinois was elected president of the United States of America. This overcame Senator John McCain of Arizona. Obama became the 44th president, and the first African American to be elected to the most powerful office in the world1. Need-less-to say, how did he, or, did he ever prove his legal residency to the United States of America? He did prove, but; was the Ave. of proof legal? You see Boogeymen have a knack for tapping our right shoulder and then walking (behind us and towards our left), as so, you will not see them. Nonetheless, American individual freedom allows us to turn our heads to the left once such a scenario unfolds. We then see the prankster for whom he really is. Recently the Boogeyman has thrown pranks at us like Healthcare reform, balancing the National Budget and Cutting the National Deficit. All of which should have been seen as a “red herring” to us… the people.
Some of our previous Presidents have many times attempted healthcare reform. Repeatedly America’s Healthcare system has proven too complex for a quick fix. We have the best and most successful healthcare system in the world. It could be polished up some or tweaked (if you will) but should it really be a focus of our President? Well, the Boogeyman would like you to believe that our healthcare system is so disarrayed that if we do not provide the moral and National support to the cause, we will all get sick with the scary H1N1 flu virus and die. When our Healthcare system is not reformed throughout the serving term, the excuse is usually something along the lines of… we could not get everyone onboard (suggesting a lack for a 2/3rd’s vote) and blame is then shifted from the president to a lager body of government. However, is our healthcare system just out there floating around making up its own rules, or unthought-of, except when we see the premiums coming out of our checks? Social Security and Medicare is an American issue—not a partisan issue or a matter of age. Some Boogeymen want to raid Social Security funds for political reasons. We are the majority and we must prevent Congress from enacting cuts. Social Security has made a real and lasting difference in the lives of millions of Americans. It is our duty to protect and defend it, for the good of our families, our communities and our country2. “We can never insure one hundred percent of the population against one hundred percent of the hazards and vicissitudes of life, but we have tried to frame a law which will give some measure of protection to the average citizen and to his family...” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt upon signing the SS Act in 19353. In 1935, Social Security established and became a federal program landmark to help families face the uncertainties brought on by retirement. The new program was a promise made to all working people…from all lifestyles…and for all future generations of America4. Let us take a minute and look at ‘insurance’. Have you ever wondered where it came from or why we have it? When we look back into history and at whom first felt the need for a guarantee against loss… who gave them that guarantee. Way back in Babylonian times, circa 2100 B.C., the Code of Hammurabi was the first basic insurance policy. This paid policy was by the traders in the form of a loan to guarantee the safe arrival of their goods by caravan. Of course, caravans faced the same kind of perils our transportation industry faces today – like robbery, bad weather and breakdowns.
As history progressed, the need for insurance increased. The Phoenicians and the Greeks wanted the same type of insurance with their seaborne commerce. The Romans were the first to have burial insurance – people joined burial clubs that paid funeral expenses to surviving family members. In medieval times, guilds protected their members from loss by fire and shipwreck, paid ransoms to pirates, and provided respectable burials as well as support in times of sickness and poverty5. Then, the very first actual insurance contract came and was signed in Genoa in 1347. Individuals signed policies, either alone or in a group. They each wrote their name and the amount of risk they were willing to assume under the insurance proposal. That is where the term underwriter originated6.
This is all fine but how does it tie into the Boogeymen of today? Well it is to no surprise that we in America are living in the most successful country (for her age) in world history, (mind-some of you have bought into the Boogeyman’s masquerade and will argue with me), the richest and most powerful…and again re-read the parenthesis…Nation, history has known. I find it very hard to believe that we as a people who have pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, has become so reliant on our government that we have forgot who works for who7. Our National budget needs balancing because over the years, we the people have placed in office many presidents. We never check them or (for a lack of better words) put them into check. So regardless of “ill will” or “for the betterment” of us (the people), our money is irresponsibly handled. That is why we the people are still picking up the tab, for our government, while they spend our money!
President Obama is proposing to slash spending at the Agriculture Department by 700 million dollars. This will be achieved through cutting farm subsidies and closing hundreds of tiny, American regional offices. Need I point out the employment rate under this boogeyman’s theater? “For the past decade, the agricultural sector has been extremely strong,” Obama; budget document, said and noting that overall farm incomes were projected to jump $21.8 billion in 2011, the second-highest inflation-adjusted value for farm income in 35 years. The difference is-more federal money for research into human nutrition and obesity reduction, key priorities of first lady Michelle Obama… that is some expensive (shut my mouth!) and is included in the budget proposal as part of a plan to boost agriculture and food research by $325 million8. Tap the right and walk to the left. Now understandably and from a budget point of view: two of the largest USDA programs are food stamps and school lunch programs but morally speaking, should these be phased out? It made sense to not pay people to grow crops or a derivative of that in the past but now with food prices going up and a billion people going hungry worldwide, it is a little hard to justify. Not to mention America is becoming unemployed…that is not the Boogeyman speaking but a cold, hard, fact. What the Boogeyman has done in this scenario is cut further American jobs through this proposal. Much like Pilot of Jerusalem, the Boogeyman “washes his hands of the blood” and now blame transfers over.
The USDA’s operating budget has been slashed by 12 percent or $3 billion since fiscal 2010. To address the cuts, the department plans to close about 260 regional offices located primarily in smaller, American family, rural communities. Where in some cases, the offices sit empty or have only one or two staffers, or are within 20 miles of a larger office. That is, what the USDA said and all reports show it is true9. This shows a Boogeyman trend of saying one thing and doing another or tapping the right shoulder and…yes, walking to the left. Here is another example; the federal government logged a $1.1 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2012 -- marking the fourth straight year of a trillion-dollar shortfall- this according to; NEW YORK, CNNMoney10. We the people has herd our 44th President tell us (since before taking office) that he would cut America’s deficit by half during his 4-year term.
When president Obama entered office on Jan. 20, 2009, the economy was issue No. 1. It still is today. Here is a look at where the economy stood then and what has changed since.
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Job losses peaked in early 2009, and steadily declined throughout the year. The economy finally started creating jobs in the beginning of 2010, but then employers pulled back in the summer. A similar trend occurred in 2011, and then again, in 2012. This strong thrust early in the year only staggered during a later quarter11. What has this done for unemployment? “Boo, Gonn’a get ch’a!” says the boogeyman…
In Obama's first year in office the unemployment rate jumped a surprising 10% but has fallen gradually ever since, landing at 7.8% as of September 2012. Part of this decline is because some Americans have gone back to work, but also because many American workers have dropped out of the American work force! What has this Boogeyman done to our economic growth? Stimulate it or finesse spending? Oh, we saw why and how the gentle strokes of the boogeyman were used on our Agriculture Department. Why then should we expect any difference when it comes to our economic growth12? Let us take a look any way:
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