"The Proposal"

When a company falls on difficult times, one of the things that seems to happen is they reduce their staff and workers. The remaining workers need to find ways to continue to do a good job or risk that their job would be eliminated as well. Wall street, and the media normally congratulate the CEO for making this type of "tough decision", and his board of directors gives him a big bonus.

Our government should not be immune from similar risks.

Therefore: Reduce the House of Representatives from the current 435 members to 218 members and Senate members from 100 to 50 (one per State). Also reduce remaining staff by 25%.

Accomplish this over the next 8 years. (two steps / two elections) and of course this would require some redistricting.

Some Yearly Monetary Gains Include:

$44,108,400 for elimination of base pay for congress. (267 members X $165,200 pay / member / yr.)

$97,175,000 for elimination of the above people's staff. (estimate $1.3 Million in staff per each member of the House, and $3 Million in staff per each member of the Senate every year)

$240,294 for the reduction in remaining staff by 25%.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork barrel ear-marks each year. (those members whose jobs are gone. Current estimates for total government pork earmarks are at $15 Billion / yr)

The remaining representatives would need to work smarter and would need to improve efficiencies. It might even be in their best interests to work together for the good of our country?

We may also expect that smaller committees might lead to a more efficient resolution of issues as well. It might even be easier to keep track of what your representative is doing.

Congress has more tools available to do their jobs than it had back in 1911 when the current number of representatives was established. (telephone, computers, cell phones to name a few)

Note:
Congress did not hesitate to head home when it was a holiday, when the nation needed a real fix to the economic problems. Also, we have 3 senators that have not been doing their jobs for the past 18+ months (on the campaign trail) and still they all have been accepting full pay.. These facts alone support a reduction in senators & congress.

Summary of opportunity:

$ 44,108,400 reduction of congress members.

$282,100,000 for elimination of the reduced house member staff.

$150,000,000 for elimination of reduced senate member staff.

$59,675,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining house members.

$37,500,000 for 25% reduction of staff for remaining senate members.

$7,500,000,000 reduction in pork added to bills by the reduction of congress members.

$8,073,383,400 per year, estimated total savings. (that's 8-BILLION just to start!)

Big business does these types of cuts all the time.

If Congresspersons were required to serve 20, 25 or 30 years (like everyone else) in order to collect retirement benefits there is no telling how much we would save. Now they get full retirement after serving only ONE term.

HR 4040

I don't think this is the apocolyptic end to used children's clothing and books. Personally I think there are a lot of people with the alarmist mentality right now because of the incoming POTUS. I will admit that there are a LOT of things to be alarmed about but I really don't think this is one of them. It will not be the end of mom & pop thrift stores and resale shops.

According to the release from the CPSC, resellers will have to exercise good judgement on the items that they sale becasue they still have the responsibility to not sell potentially hazardous stuff.



NEWS from CPSC
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207
________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2009
Release #09-086 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

CPSC Clarifies Requirements of New Children’s Product Safety Laws Taking Effect in February
Guidance Intended for Resellers of Children’s Products, Thrift and Consignment Stores
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In February 2009, new requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) take effect. Manufacturers, importers and retailers are expected to comply with the new Congressionally-mandated laws. Beginning February 10, 2009, children’s products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million (ppm) total lead. Certain children’s products manufactured on or after February 10, 2009 cannot be sold if they contain more than 0.1% of certain specific phthalates or if they fail to meet new mandatory standards for toys.
Under the new law, children’s products with more than 600 ppm total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the United States on or after February 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on August 14, 2009.
The new law requires that domestic manufacturers and importers certify that children’s products made after February 10 meet all the new safety standards and the lead ban. Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards.
The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.
While CPSC expects every company to comply fully with the new laws resellers should pay special attention to certain product categories. Among these are recalled children’s products, particularly cribs and play yards; children’s products that may contain lead, such as children’s jewelry and painted wooden or metal toys; flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts; toys that lack the required age warnings; and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children.
The agency has underway a number of rulemaking proposals intended to provide guidance on the new lead limit requirements. Please visit the CPSC website at www.cpsc.gov for more information.

Are McCain and Obama Different from each other?

The simple answer is no.

Both McCain AND Obama are committed to the NWO as is Bush... Bush signed (on HIS own & without a vote) an agreement with Mexico and Canada to create the North American Union and committed to having it done by 2010. This ABSOLUTELY and TOTALLY does away with the sovereignty of OUR country. THAT alone is why nothing has been done about our borders and nothing will be done. Look at our borders, nobody is protecting us from invasion right now... Instead, Bush committed to protecting Mexico's SOUTHERN border. How much sense does that make? Mexico's Southern border is more important than our own Southern border. That is what King Jorge Bush is sayng. There is no intention to seal our borders regardless of what they try to tell us. If they were worried about it they would've sealed the border immediately after 9/11 (or before) but instead the passed the "Patriot Act" as feel good legislation. The Patriot Act (under another name) had been voted down every time it was up for vote 2-3 YEARS before 9/11 ever happened. In reality, all the Patriot Act did was give the gov't the power to strip away our liberties. We're not any "safer" because of it we only have less freedom.



"The purpose of an election is to not pick winners, but to support candidates who reflect our personal principles."
--http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=785948797418421079

"Always vote for Principal,
though you may vote alone;
and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost."
--John Quincy Adams

www.Baldwin08.Com
1-866-99-Baldwin

Lesser of Two Evils

The "lesser of 2 evils" mindset just helps prove that people are SHEEP... The ONLY way to promote change is to voice your opinion that you do not agree with the views/politics of either of the 2 major parties candidates. Most people "assume" they only have 2 choices so the lesser of two evils philosophy has always been used to justify voting for a candidate that they really don't like. That doesn't make it right. We have a responsibility and duty to vote on our principles and beliefs so that our integrity can never be called into question. We will have to answer to God alone for this. We do not have to answer to any man. John McCain has voted against Ron Paul's "Sanctity of Life" bill every time it has been up for vote. He is NOT pro-life as he claims. He is a politician and will say anything to be elected and once he is there we no longer matter.

I HAVE to vote my principles NOT the "lesser of 2 evils"...
If I end up with Obama then I'll still be comfortable knowing that I didn't compromise my principles and values. And that I cast my vote with integrity. I know that I'm right with God and HE is the one that is to protect me NOT the gov't.

If I "settle" for somebody that I don't agree with just so somebody else doesn't win then I'm no better than either of them. That would be the "lesser of 2 evils" and I can't do that. If I used that premise to vote for McCain then how does this grab you:

Based on the "lesser of 2 evils":

Q: If Hitler vs Stalin, who would you vote for?
A: You would have to vote for Hitler just based on the body count alone. Stalin killed MILLIONS more of his OWN people than Hitler did...

Q: If Bill Clinton vs Bush Jr who would you vote for considering what is known about both?
A: You would have to vote for Clinton. Shocking huh? Bush has lied WAY more than Clinton, he has spent more than twice the $$$ that Clinton did in the same amount of time and the list goes on.

We the people are absolutely meaningless to 99% of the people in our gov't... This country of 300 million people is TOTALLY CONTROLLED by 545 people in the House, Senate and White House. I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like "Of the people, by the people and FOR the people" to me. It sounds like tyranny and the sheep of this country have tucked their tails between their legs and HANDED it to the elitists because nobody has the huevos to stand up to them. I have the huevos and will do everything I can to fight against them or by the time my kids are grown, another Stalin, Hitler or worse will be running our country. This country needs a revolution. I would prefer a peaceful revolution but I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to insure the security of the future generations of my family.



"The purpose of an election is to not pick winners, but to support candidates who reflect our personal principles."--http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=785948797418421079

"Always vote for Principal,though you may vote alone;and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." --John Quincy Adams

http://www.baldwin08.com/
1-866-99-Baldwin

What About Deborah?

What do you think of this?


http://www.visionforumministries.org/issues/ballot_box/so_what_about_deborah.aspx#n1


My wife and I have been struggling with this whole election thing even before Palin was announced as McCain's VP nominee. When the announcement (Palin for VP) was first made, my immediate response was anger but it was not for Biblical reasons. I told my wife, "Oh great, he just gave the election to Obama because he chose an unknown woman to be his VP". Later that same day after thinking about it all day long, I came to the conclusion that he chose her to try and get female votes that otherwise would've gone to Hillary.

While there is no way I can vote for Obama and live with myself, I pretty much feel the same way about McCain. I was prepared to vote for McCain purely because I viewed him as the lesser of the two evils (although not by much) and I was worried about throwing my vote away if I voted for a third party candidate. After reading the page linked above, I believe that the struggle that my wife and I were having was based on our consideration of voting "for the lesser of two evils" purely out of the fear of what would happen to our country if Obama is elected rather than seeking what God would have us do. I think that our struggle was really that we have been fighting against the Holy Spirit that is telling us not to vote for either of these candidates.

I will be going to a campaign meeting tonight for the Constitution Party to learn more about them and the candidate that I believe I'm being led to vote for. I think this man is a true conservative. His views on all of the major issues are pretty much exactly the way that I think God would want them as well as the way I think they should be. http://baldwin08.com/

Hope

My beautiful wife read Psalm 12 last night -- She was
looking to quiet a fear that she has had with
regards to the current events that are unfolding
before our very eyes. She shared this with me and
I thought it was too good to not share with whomever
cares to humor me by reading this blog.

I think this whole passage has a direct relation
to how things are today but Psalm 12:8 really
seemed to stand out. It says: "The wicked walk
on every side, when the vilest men are exalted."

Sounds hopeless given our political climate doesn't it.
There is hope in the form of Jesus Christ. But it
needs to be pointed out that the most vile men are
being exalted right now in our nation as well as
around the world. How did we get to the point that
these men (and women) have been allowed to be the
leaders and/or campaigning to be our leaders? The
leaders of the so called "free world".
Have they have stolen this country from us all or have
we given it to them?

The hand of God has been pried off of our country
and off of our very own hearts. Now we cry out to
our God to save us? What do we expect Him to do
when we won't allow Him in any part of our lives?
Pray that many more begin to cry out to Him!
I don't know how much of God's hand is left on
our country.

Question: What happens when we decide that we are
       NOT obligated to GOD?
Answer: He is not obligated to us!

HOPE = 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then
will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land."

God has all of the answers. He knows the final outcome.
Although we don't, we must exhibit faith and act in a way
that is honoring to Him and humbling to ourselves.

545 People

I'm not sure who wrote this as I only wish that I could articulate this well. The following is very well written and will make absolute PERFECT sense to any sensible person. I wish I could take the credit for writing this but I can't. I hope you "enjoy" it...


Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered why, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered why, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The president does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations, the House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton- picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If the Army & Marines are in IRAQ , it's because they want them in IRAQ .
If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power.

Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like 'the economy,' 'inflation,' or 'politics' that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. That is provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees. We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess!

Brand New Week or Same Old "Stuff"

Well it's been a really great day today. Listening to our pastor preach and spending time with my family and friends at church. As the day winds down and I prepare for another week at work, I can't help but wonder what this week will bring with regards to the financial turmoil that is apparently shaking up Wall Street and the banking industry in general.

After going though hurricane Ike a couple of weeks ago and seeing the damage that was done, still running on generator power at work as well as STILL feeling the effects on traffic (which I've YET to figure out why) it is obvious to me that my family and I didn't suffer. We had a slight inconvenience due to being without power for 8 days and that's it. In reality those 8 days were a blessing. We spent time together and spent time outside with neighbors that we've hardly known for the past 7 years.

You're probably wondering "Whaaaaat are you talking about?"

I'll tell you. We need to get with THE program. I think all the things (natural disasters etc) of the past few years could be better defined as tribulations. There is nothing that we can do to change any of it because God already knows what's going to happen and when it will happen. The only thing we can do is pray and prepare. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says to humble ourselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways. I will forgive their sin and heal their land. I tell you what, I believe the majority of this country is over the edge. They cannot even recognize "their evil ways" let alone turn from them. I truly don't know what it will take to get the attention of the masses...

Time to Pray and Time to Prepare

I don't know if you're familiar with "Agenda 21" or not but it is a worldwide conspiracy being pushed down our throats by the UN. You can read what our own worthless government has committed to by reading the United States Country Profile here. This summit took place in South Africa in 2002. Betcha didn't hear about this on the news did ya? This goes all the way to the local government level as well. Just do a Google search for "Agenda 21" and the information available will blow you away.

The fact is, all of these changes are taking place so subtlety that most people don't even notice. Just like the old saying goes, if you put a frog in boiling water then he'll jump right out but if you put him in the water and slowly bring it to a boil he'll die because he never realizes it's getting too hot to live.

I believe we should pray earnestly for God's grace and mercy and prepare at the same time. There is nothing wrong with stock piling food, fuel, guns, LOTS of ammo and cash. Ammo could be a very good bartering tool in a SHTF situation.


Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it a violation of our Constitution to deploy US military troops against American citizens on American soil? At the very least it's a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act because it puts the US military in a law enforcement role. But I guess GWB and his cronies don't think they have to obey laws since they're "fighting the war on terror" by stripping us of our rights. (See The Patriot Act).

"Beginning in October, the Army plans to station an active unit inside the United States for the first time to serve as an on-call federal response in times of emergency. The 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team has spent thirty-five of the last sixty months in Iraq, but now the unit is training for domestic operations. The unit will soon be under the day-to-day control of US Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command. The Army Times reports this new mission marks the first time an active unit has been given a dedicated assignment to Northern Command. The paper says the Army unit may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control. The soldiers are learning to use so-called nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals and crowds."

The above can be found here. This makes me wanna puke!!! I would say that body armor for every member of your family could be a good investment as well. There's a gun show this weekend in Downtown Houston and I feel the need to go shopping.

Testing the waters?

This is a test of the Texasakm blog. It is only a test. Had this been an actual blog post then there would have been something useful posted but until I figure out what I'm doing, this is all you get!!!

Stay tuned and let's see where this takes us...