9/29/2009 09:57:00 PM
Tully Mars
It really does suck being poor! But why is it my problem or yours? I am continousily hearing how we in America need to “level the playing field”, thus implying there is some way to create financial equality between two people on this planet. Another assumption with this ideology is by creating laws, regulations or restrictions on your performance or actions, society can promote the well being of individuals who are “less fortunate” than others. I feel great when I am able to help out my friends, family and strangers who need and want my help, both financially, physically or however they appreciate assistance. Everywhere I look today I see my government wanting to justify spreading my hard work and wealth to those THEY DESIGNATE as needy!
A study is out by ASU documenting an interesting fact; poorer neighborhoods in the Phoenix area are hotter than moderate income or higher income neighborhoods. They spent $1.4 million to figure out that due to heat island effect and landscaping designs in poorer neighborhoods the temperature is anywhere between 1 to 3 degrees higher than other nicer neighborhoods. I know for a fact, I could have saved them $1.3 million, because I would have written them a report for $100K that says the same thing. It’s COMMON SENSE!
Additionally, if you read the article the government is providing close to $7.8 million in federal stimulus dollars to help these “poorer” neighborhoods by granting duct work, insulation and other weatherizing materials. Effectively taking your taxes and spreading it around to the “less fortunate” based on overpriced studies that we all know based on our own common sense. How about taking that same $7.8 million and teaching those in the designated neighborhoods how to get better jobs, promotions or effectively educating them to move themselves up in society? The old folk wisdom of “give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime” comes to mind.
We all must be responsible for our own decisions in life and ultimately accountable for those decisions. Those in the poorest neighborhoods have opportunities to better themselves. Why do you think we have such a problem with immigration and controlling our national borders. Millions of people on this planet what to move here, BECAUSE of the opportunities for them to succeed and become more than they can in their present location or position in life. There are those in our society today, that simply don’t care and want to live off the government hand-out system that has been created to provide “temporary” help for those who have run into hard times for one reason or another. To expand this flagrant policy that leads this nation into a more socialistic society where everyone benefits from markets or industry by distribution of wealth thru taxation of those mechanisms that produce.
Today there is a truly scary thought that is gaining popularity because of simple ignorance or to put it more “PC” – uneducated. That thought is; profit, capitalism, free market economics, and individuals who are successful (thus wealthy) are evil, bad or otherwise corrupt for our nation. I hate to break it to you, but you are employed by someone wealthier than you! Those illegal immigrants who are coming across our borders are looking for the opportunity to become one of these evil wealthy people. HELL – I’m one of those who want to be an evil wealthy person! Don’t lie to me and tell me you don’t want to be one of those folks too. We must pull our collective craniums from our rectums and realize that by the creation of wealth through our capitalistic economy we all benefit. It’s NOT through the government taxing the crap out of those in the system and redistributing that money.
Right now, TODAY, you have the very same opportunities that I do to become one of those evil rich people. In fact, I’m willing to bet you may have more of an opportunity than I do, except for one thing. I know that those opportunities exist and when I begin to search those chances or openings I can find them. With hard work on my part and persistence, I WILL SUCCEED! I am confident of that fact and you can too! Now go learn to fish for yourself and stop sitting on your ass taking from me and your neighbors.
Parting thought I found as I was putting my thoughts together – “Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.”
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9/22/2009 09:46:00 PM
Tully Mars
Sitting where I usually do when parching through this month’s Reader’s Digest, I literally get Outraged (pun intended – pick up the digest to figure it out). The current buzz in the nation is health care and the article pushes my buttons to the point where I need to unload on the blog. So here goes my current rant on the health care issue. First understand, I believe in small government. In fact, the smaller the better. I am a free market entrepreneur and if there is truly a free market without government interference or other artificial meddling, the market will ensure the lowest price with the highest quality. I don’t care what you think about capitalism, it has been proven to work time and time again, PERIOD.
“The Administration” wants to fix our nation’s health care system. When did it get broken? I hear stories about folks who have problems with health care and getting coverage, but if I understand the situation correctly we have a system that does not allow for competition between health providers. Government rules and regulations prevent providers from offering coverage everywhere in the United States. Special interest groups have gotten legislation passed to prevent true competition in health care providers, thus artificially meddling in the market. The same theory holds true for drug companies and the research for new cures in medicine. There are numerous other issues with today’s health care system that will prove my point even further, but …
The overall proposed answer is to have the government take over the health care industry. You have got to be kidding me! Do those who propose this answer live in the same United States that I do? This brings in the article I was reading. Performing a simple Google Search about Medicare Fraud will yield you a massive result of articles where literally millions of dollars are flowing out of the system into the hands of criminals. Medicare is a government run program and it’s not working! In one article, the Miami FBI is charging eight individuals with Medicare Fraud and conspiracy to launder money in a $100 MILIION dollar scheme! The Reader’s Digest article sites other crimes and fraudulent schemes in excess of $60 BILLION dollars!
Please wake up PEOPLE! You want to turn over our health care system to the same government that gave us the U.S. Post Office that is losing $7 BILLION dollars this year! How about the same government that gave us Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, both of which have lost money and failed miserably. (Some argue that due to pressure in changing the legislation on how these organizations authorized loans, is the root cause of the current economy.) … but wait there’s more … How about the economic bail out or stimulus package? Seriously, has it worked? Do you have a job? Is it the same job you had 5 years ago or how about your friend and neighbors, they have the same jobs? Or did they move away or have to sell their home? Or worst yet, the bank foreclosed on their mortgage and they no longer are your neighbor and your house value is in the toilet!
PLEASE someone tell me ONE TIME THE GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED A PROGRAM THAT WORKED and didn’t cost the tax payers millions or billions of dollars. Every time the government gets involved in my life (from the IRS to the FAA to Homeland Security) my ass puckers so dam tight, I wish I put coal up there! I would be rich by now with diamonds! I know if you think about it, you feel the same way. How many times have you said, “Hey Honey, let’s go down to the DMV office and have a good time”. Get real!
If the government wants to fix the problem, then get the hell out of the health care system now. It makes common sense that if competition between providers is truly open and the judicial system is fixed that eliminates stupid civil law suits (create the “loser pays” laws and pass them) you can have system that provides a service at a low price that is really the best. Now please remember, health care is not a right, it’s a product. You need to decide if you want to have health care or insurance to cover you in case something happens, based on your own economic circumstances. If you want better health care in a free market system, then improve your economic status. Don’t sit on your ass and complain that the world is tough. Fix your own situation, man up and make a better life for you and your own. We as a nation are not required to provide for those who have decided to live a life as on society’s edge or to support individuals who chose to “fit” into the norm. YOU HAVE A CHOICE! Live with your choices and stop looking for handouts from those who make other choices. We live a nation that promotes capitalism and free trade; everyone who chooses to participate in that system has the same opportunity to prosper. If you don’t like it, move somewhere else.
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9/17/2009 09:20:00 PM
Tully Mars
Out with Mrs. Mars at one of our favorite restaurants, B-Line, the Tucson Weekly catchs my eye with a story about Chico and the Monkey. Now I normally will completely ignore the normally extremely liberal slanted paper. But the story has my cat like curiosity going so I grab the copy and bring it home. The story is a factual accounting of the crimes of smugglers and criminals coming thru the Chiricahua corridor thru the eyes of the area residents. You can use the link above to familiarize yourself with the story, but the facts point directly toward what is wrong with this nation's view of immigration and border security.
Congress has seen fit to try to appease critics about border security by funding border fence projects in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. I have personally been professionally involved with these projects (from an environmental aspect) and can tell you the designs are simply a joke. The projects were simply “vehicle” barriers and anyone can simply walk across the border; and we were within walking distance of El Paso and other small towns in Southern New Mexico. To state these barriers are there to control access into this country is an insult to anyone with any common sense.
How can we expect to control illegal activities and access to this country without effective NON-ACCESSABLE borders? It is truly a sad statement when we have to build “Great Walls of the U.S.” to control access to this country because we don’t enforce current laws which would deter illegal immigration to begin with. If building impenetrable barriers is the intent of border fencing then design and build them that way. To spend my tax dollars on an “open fence” line along the border is appalling to say the least. Build the fence right so NOTHING can cross and don't cry about "it cost too much"! Sell some of those famous $500 hammers!
All sides of the immigration issue have demanded more laws, rules and regulations to help control illegal immigration. There are enough laws already on the books to adequately stop illegal immigration. The problem lies in the judicial system with the extremely liberal judges and lawyers. We have over the years skewed the intent and purpose of our laws, so anyone with a third world law degree can argue the meaning of the word “is”. COME ON! Where did we get derailed off the “American Dream”? Why is it every person's (legal and illegal) right to hire an attorney to twist the law to meet their needs? Again common sense must prevail here.
Vigorous enforcement of our current laws, including taking down businesses that break these laws, is another easy way to get a handle on the issue. Read the story that started this post … it tells you exactly how the system is broken. I understand the overcrowding and other issues with law enforcement. But again, those issues reflect directly from a liberal acceptance that everyone gets multiple chances to help themselves or worst yet, get help from the public trough because they are either too stupid to change or are not required to change. At one time in our nation’s history, we simply threw a rope around the nearest tree and took care of the offender in one swift move. Now that’s true deterrence and a prime motivator that if you get a second chance you don’t blow it! I’m tired of hearing why I have to give them third, fourth … etc. chances or my favorite, “it’s not their fault, they have a disease, mental defect, or their mother didn’t love them in the right way”.
It's really simple;
- strictly enforce our current laws,
- increase penalties for alien drug smugglers and coyotes,
- vigorously prosecute illegal activities along the border, in effect creating an enforcement zone along both of our borders so criminals quickly realize they will be in jail for a long time or for extreme crimes face capital punishment
- immediately deport those caught crossing the border illegally (if they are simply crossing the border and are not involved with smuggling of any type or other activity),
- increase border security (including building barriers that work as intended),
- conduct business "interviews" and continue the e-verify system for checking citizenship (ACLU it's not a privacy issue, so shut your damn mouths!),
- create a temporary visa system for those who are here now and currently employed AND without ANY criminal fines, arrests or penalties (this includes traffic fines and misdemeanors offenses - they break the law they are immediately deported, no if's, and's, or but's about it),
- all aliens who meet these conditions must register and obtain proper identification paperwork (I have a passport and they need to have proper ID),
- provide a system that allows those with visa's to apply for citizenship and if they don't want citizenship the visa expires in 5 years after which they are deported or they can reapply,
- acceptance of visa's will be similar to the process in New Zealand (go ahead and try to move there and find out how much information you need to provide them!),
- use of our currently laws regarding birth in the U.S. and marriage to citizens remains in place; for those aliens who have U.S. citizen children, those kids retain their citizenship, but will be need to remain with their parents no matter if they choose to stay and apply for citizenship or get deported (we have enough on welfare and don't need more children from alien parents who leave their kids here),
- IT IS NOT A RIGHT TO BECOME A UNITED STATES CITIZEN! I don't care how much you were tourtured, prosecuted or impoverished in your country. It's a privilege to live in this nation and you must prove you will not be a burden on the hard working tax payers of this country. Otherwise we run the risk of turning this great nation into a third world country.
Eventually crossings will go down and the incentive to cross will be diminished as those involved realize the penalties are too great to risk the attempt. Last time I checked in with human nature, if someone gets smacked hard enough they listen. And unfortunately that is the world we live in. Now that leads me to our nation's security and actions to protect us against terrorism ... but I will save that for another posting!
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9/17/2009 04:58:00 PM
Tully Mars
If you don't know, we are preparing for a trip to China. Heading to the Far East on October 5th and returning the 21st. Mrs. Mars brother is getting married in Shanghai, so we thought we would make a vacation around going to the wedding. Booked a tour that will take us to Bejing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and all point in between. Needless to say we are psyched about exploring new cultures, foods, adventures and who knows what else awaits us.
We've purchased a guide book and I've been running myself silly thru a Mandarin or Putonghua CD course. At least I will be able to order beer (ha). Getting our tourist visas has been an experience and I've been worried about sending our passports to the travel company so they could handle it. Just the thought of sending my passport to someone I don't know, gives me pause to say the least.
The trip is also one of the reasons for this blog. Family and friends want to follow along during our adventure, and this is the easiest way to communicate back home. According to the information we have, the hotels we will be in will have internet access and we will be able to post with pictures and video. You can see I am following some other friends during their cycling trip thru Western China and that looks soooo fun!
So keep checking here for updates and information as we head out for our own Shangri-la.
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9/15/2009 09:56:00 PM
Tully Mars
Why Tully Mars? Well, he's one of my favorite characters from a novel I've read. If you don't know who he is just do a Google Search for him and you will just begin to see into a part of my personality. I've dreamed of actually becoming him, without the hang ups of being chased by the law. But just the thought of following the same path to Southern Latitudes is appealing. Just can place my finger on the reason for wanting to that type of life, maybe the freedom to be free. But here I sit, watching Desdemona building rocket ships and waiting for her to use her special gift to make the connection. Now be aware, Tully Mars will speak his mind and hold nothing back. This is not the spot for the policially correct. Any and all topics that breeze across my mind will be dumped across these pages; some funny, some serious, some just meandering of my silly little mind. But everything from the heart and soul of what makes me Tully Mars in some sense. You are here by warned that you certainly won't agree or even like the thoughts dumped here. It's my therapeutic muse allowing a release of energy. Take it all for exactly what it is, a release. Your comments are certainly welcome, in agreement or in annoyance. I will read them all and more than likely ignore them all. On occasion I may respond with additional thoughts, but I will leave it all here on this blog.
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