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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Governor Swann
The next Governor of Pennsylvania?
Check it.
2/24/2005 03:09:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Wednesday, February 16, 2005
More audio books
Just finished the book "How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life" by Peter Robinson. Robinson was a speechwriter for President Reagan's administration.
Reagan's boldness and character are fascinating to me.
February 5, 1981 address to nation on economy
"There were always those who told us that taxes couldn't be cut until spending was reduced. Well you know, we can lecture our children about exravagance until we run out of voice and breath, or we can cure their extravagance by simply reducing their allowance."
Right on! Obviously he's talking about reducing taxes and taking money out of the hands of congress who always seems to need more money.
At a 1982 economic policy board meeting regarding the looming deficit, they wanted to persuade President Reagan to take the tax cuts back. James Baker, Bob Dole and Tip O'Neal had basically indicated that IF the president would raise taxes, then congress would agree to cut $3 in spending for every additional $1 that the tax increase raised. Arthur Burns, a member of the advisory board, counsels President Reagan on the deal offered and urges the president to accept the deal:
"My best advice to you Mr. President, is that you should accept a revenue enhancer in order to get congress to agree to these major cuts in spending."
President Reagan's response: "You know Arthur, I can't tell you how much I enjoy these advisory board meetings. But you know, I made a promise when I ran for office that I wouldn't raise taxes, and I intend to do all I can to keep it. So every minute you spend in these meetings talking about a tax increase is a minute I don't get the pleasure of discussing something I might actually do."
Then, according to those present, President Reagan leans over to Burns and states, "Never mention a tax increase in my presence again. Is that clear?"
Reagan's full tax rate cuts finally took effect in 1983, beginning the well documented economic boom.
In his 8 years, the Reagan administration added 1.4 trillion dollars to the national debt. Results?
1. Prompted military buildup that ended in the collapse of the Soviet Union.
2. Created an expansion of 18 million U.S. jobs.
3. Interest rates actually FELL, spurring incredible economic growth.
4. Total stocks, assets of the United States when Reagan left office increased 17 trillion dollars - 12 times larger than the amount borrowed.
President Reagan was effective in implementing effective policy. I'm sad that I was an ignorant, apathetic teenager during his administration.
2/16/2005 11:19:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Still Good Stuff
"If you believe the government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican.
If you believe that this country, not the United Nations, is best hope for a democracy, then you are a Republican.
And ladies and gentlemen, and ladies and gentlemen, if you believe that we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican.
"But there is another way you can tell you are a Republican, your faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people, and faith in the U.S. economy, and to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say, 'Don't be economic girlie-men!'"
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 2004 Republican National Convention
2/15/2005 09:29:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Walk Like a Man
Lyrics to Bruce Springsteen's "Walk Like a Man" never fail to "get me." Tunnel of Love is one of three LP's I ever purchased as a kid. (The other two were Dead Milkmen LPs!) I played that Tunnel of Love album over and over while my dad was wasting away from cancer at age 43.
Some lines that never fail to get me emotional, thinking about my father (which is pretty rare, because his absence is still painful.)
"I remember how rough your hand felt on mine, on my wedding day..." Dad passed away 5 1/2 years before Jenny and I married.
"So much has happened to me, that I don't understand. All I can think of is being five years old following behind you at the beach, tracing your footprints in the sand; trying to walk like a man."
"Well, tonight you step away from me and alone at the altar I stand, as I watch my bride coming down the aisle I pray for the strength to walk like a man."
"Well now the years have gone and I've grown, from that seed you've sown.
But I didn't think there'd been so many steps, I'd have to learn on my own.
Well, I was young and I didn't know what to do, when I saw your best steps stolen away from you.
Now I'll do what I can, I'll walk like a man."
I used to listen to this song and think that things weren't fair, that I missed out, that it just wasn't right that Dad was taken from our family so early - other negative thoughts.
Praise God that through the years He's shown me that I don't have to "learn on my own" and that I've not been slighted in not having my earthly father with me at my highschool/college graduation, my wedding, birth of my children etc., because my heavenly father has always been there and always will be.
Springsteen is a Democrat. He's a secular artist. I probably should throw this CD away, but I don't really see it happening.
You can play a bit of the song by clicking on the yellow "play song clip" icon here.
2/09/2005 10:24:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Friday, February 04, 2005
Freedom
"The Almighty God has blessed our land in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth. He has given to our country a faith which has become the hope of all peoples in an anguished world." --- FDR, fourth inaugural in 1945
"... Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
John F. Kennedy, 1961 inaugural address
"Whatever we have achieved in Afghanistan - the peace, the election, the reconstruction, the life that the Afghans are living today in peace, the children going to school, the businesses, the fact that Afghanistan is again a respected member of the international community - is from the help that the United States of America gave us. Without that help Afghanistan would be in the hands of terrorists - destroyed, poverty-stricken, and without its children going to school or getting an education. We are very, very grateful, to put it in the simple words that we know, to the people of the United States of America for bringing us this day." --- Hamid Karzai, inaugural address, Kabul, December 7
2/04/2005 09:38:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, February 03, 2005
SOU
President George W. Bush's February 2, 2005 state of the union address.
2/03/2005 09:19:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The King wants you to save gas
As the snow flies,
at a used carlot on the edge of town a liberal guy and a liberal gal buy a yugo. (buy a yugo)
And they drive with pride,
cause if there's one thing that this world needs it's environmental friends who'll take the lead, in a yugo. (in a yugo)
They say, "People don't you understand?! Those Suburbans are ruinin' the land!"
But they'll wish they had a full size van one day.
They point fingers at you and me, cause they were too blind to see.
But do we simply use our heads and choose a better way.. in a yugo.
(can't find the rest of the lyrics... but towards the end of the song they lose control and their yugo gets demolished by a semi and the line goes...
"..they saved a lot of gas, but they didn't get far, in their yugo."
2/02/2005 10:37:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, February 01, 2005
W. Still the President.
2/01/2005 11:58:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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You are WRONG Ted Kennedy
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's president said Tuesday it would be "complete nonsense" to ask foreign troops to leave the country now, although some could depart by year's end. Officials began the final vote tally from elections to produce a government to confront the insurgency.
2/01/2005 09:03:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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