Joe vs. Jose

In our time living in Massachussetts we were witnesses to tons of misaapropraition of enitlements; from selling food stamps to family members to purchase cigarettes and drugs with the proceeds, to an employee of mine refusing a raise so she could remain below the income level necessary to keep her subsidized apartment. I even had another employee call in sick to work with the following message "I can't come into work today because I need to move my boyfriend out before the welfare inspectors arrive, if they find out he is living with me I will lose my apartment, thanks..."; She needed to move her boyfriend out in time for her ANNOUNCED surprise inspection, certainly an actual surprise inspection would be un-American. These situations are real and happen everday, I couldn't makle this stuff up if I tried.

I saw the following online in a comment thread and have no idea who to attribute it to...but it is a very telling story of some realities even I have witnessed, albeit an extreme example...but very plausable.

"Joe Legal works in construction, has a Social Security Number and makes $25.00 per hour with taxes deducted.

Jose Illegal also works in construction, has NO Social Security Number, and gets paid $15.00 cash "under the table".

Ready? Now pay attention...

Joe Legal: $25.00 per hour x 40 hours = $1000.00 per week, or $52,000.00 per year. Now take 30% away for state and federal tax; Joe Legal now has $31,231.00.

Jose Illegal: $15.00 per hour x 40 hours = $600.00 per week, or $31,200.0
0 per year. Jose Illegal pays no taxes. Jose Illegal now has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays medical and dental insurance with limited coverage for his family at $600.00 per month, or $7,200.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $24,031.00.

Jose Illegal has full medical and dental coverage through the state and local clinics at a cost of $0.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal makes too much money and is not eligible for food stamps or welfare. Joe Legal pays $500.00 per month for food, or $6,000.00 per year.. Joe Legal now has $18,031.00.

Jose Illegal has no documented income and is eligible for food stamps and welfare. Jose Illegal still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays rent of $1,200.00 per month, or $14,400.00 per year. Joe Legal now has $9,631 .00.

Jose Illegal receives a $500.00 per month federal rent subsidy. Jose Illegal pays out that $500.00 per month, or $6,000.00 per year. Jose Illegal still has $ 31,200.00.

Joe Legal pays $200.00 per month, or $2,400.00 for insurance. Joe Legal now has $7,231.00.

Jose Illegal says, "We don't need no stinkin' insurance!" and still has $31,200.00.

Joe Legal has to make his $7,231.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, etc.

Jose Illegal has to make his $31,200.00 stretch to pay utilities, gasoline, and what he sends out of the country every month.."actually Jose illegal doesn't pay for most utilities in many states as he gets county assistance to pay the bills and his late fees"

Joe Legal now works overtime on Saturdays or gets a part time job after work. "and pays a higher tax rate if he earns above a certain amount"

Jose Illegal has nights and weekends off to enjoy with his family.

Joe Legal's and Jose Illegal's children both attend the same school. Joe Legal pays for his children's lunches while Jose Illegal's children get a government sponsored lunch. Jose Illegal's children have an after school ESL program. Joe Legal's children go home.

Joe Legal and Jose Illegal both enjoy the same police and fire services, but Joe paid for them and Jose did not pay.

Do you get it, now?"

Author- Unknown

History...doomed to repeat it

1. You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity.
2. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving.
3. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.
4. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.
5. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.
-Adrian Rogers, 1931

Why doesn’t anyone ask why?

Why is the illegal immigrations efforts all about Mexico? Why is it all about the poor Mexicans? And, why are the Latinos so fired up?

Let’s take a look at the problem from another point of view. Let’s pretend, pretend now, that you are an Asian illegal immigrant. How does one group get to be so large, anyway? Wouldn’t you want to know why millions of Mexicans can get into this country without a screening? Wouldn’t you, for one moment, wonder why this is a Mexican issue when you are just as illegal as a Mexican illegal immigrant?

What if you were an Australian, Swede, Indian, or even a Brit, who has over stayed their visa (which by the way is another large reason people are in this country illegally, overstayed visas, not because they crossed the border from Mexico) Wouldn’t you be concerned that this issue seems to be just a Mexican issue? You want a path to citizenship as well, but no one is hearing your cries. Want to know why? The answer: Volume…

You aren’t the likely voter, and there just isn’t enough of you yet…plain and simple. Fair, nope. Racist, perhaps. Nevertheless...it is what it is.

Hispanics make up the single largest growth of voters from any other racial voting block. The Hispanic voters are growing so quickly they could potentially outnumber the African American voters within the next few years. So why is it a hot button issue? Your politicians want their votes. By pandering to this voting block, whether right or wrong, and don’t get me wrong, it’s coming out of both parties…they think they can win over the likely voters of this group.

Black, White, Asian, Evangelical, Jewish, Right Wing/Left Wing, doesn’t matter. Sure, they want your votes too, but they see their keys to the capitol coming from the Hispanic Voting block.

So America, it’d be good for you to learn Spanish, so you can be able to speak appropriately to your new neighbors. Why? It’s the neighborly thing to do…Adios!

Herd vs. Heard...a lesson in homonyms

Homonym: Two words that sound the same, and may even be spelled the same, but have two different meanings: Ex Trunk, as in an Elephant's Trunk or the Trunk of a Car (Maybe that's why the British call it a Boot...another Homonym by the way)

Being Heard is what I am most concerned with these days. The Tea Party seems to have it right; they are rallying together to be Heard. But the MSM would have you beleive thay are a different kind of...herd. A mob even...but mob is not a homonym and that would not be as much fun ;-)

The true Herd, I can honestly say, are the Sheeple who mindlessly vote for candidates based on what they've heard rather than going out and doing actual research. Like looking up voting records, or considering who is backing a particular candidate, or where is the campaign money coming from? Always follow the money, that's what I say. The money will tell you who the candidate will be working for in the long run.

More of the Herd are the people condemning the Arizona Immigration Bill without having actually read the bill. Those people include some of it's largest critics: Janet Napolitano, BHO, AG Eric Holder and P.J. Crowley, assistant secretary of State for public affairs, who is already apologizing to China for the Bill.

Seriously though, if you can’t read a 2300 page Healthcare Bill, may as well not read a 10 page Immigration Reform Bill…makes sense, right? Left! No! Confusing to me too…

Here's the bill...read it; I have, and nothing appears to go beyond enforcing EXISTING Federal laws. In Fact, that very point is spelled out in the Bill. On the 1st page even.

The best yet is Mexico's President Felipe Calderon; who is joining the herd. Mexico has some of the more extreme anti-immigaration laws in the Western Hemisphere...where does this guy get a leg to stand on here? Shouldn't he be more concerned with why his people are defying the law to enter into the United States illegally? We are soooo oppresive and unfair but people are risking their lives to get here, why is that?

I have a feeling that if our contry keep heading in the direction it has been, we will soon be climbing that fence to get out. Maybe thats what is bothering poor Felipe? Hmmm...

Bottom line; its one thing to be heard, it’s another thing completely if you are just another part of the herd.

Which are you?

I'm a Republican Because...

I BELIEVE the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored.

I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.

I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.

I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.

I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations, and that the best government is that which governs least.

I BELIEVE the most effective, responsible and responsive government is government closest to the people.

I BELIEVE Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times.

I BELIEVE Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.

PC...is not OK

Politically Incorrect Warning; if you really think terrorists are middle aged white men in their 40's, you probably work for the MSM...or the TSA.

MSM got the Times Square terror suspect wrong. In the video grab, the only thing you could say for certain about the suspect, was that he wasn't black. Somehow they came up with a White Male, in his 40's. Turns out he was a 30 year old Pakistani-Born US Citizen. This guy!


Heaven forbid we associate anyone Middle-Eastern with terrorism.

What's more disturbing is this man made it all the way through airport security, onto a plane...which was cleared for take-off. He paid cash, for a one-way ticket to Dubai. He didn't have any luggage.

How does this happen? Simple: the TSA has it all wrong too. I'm sorry, but little old blue-haired ladies are not blowing up planes. They aren't paying cash for one-way airline tickets and mysteriously void of luggage. Yet I am constantly seeing them in the search-me cube at local airports. Why is it not OK to profile in the case of National Security? Why are we so afraid to offend when it could save lives?

I don't know about you, but if I were the Middle-Eastern guy, getting onto an international flight, I think I'd make it a point to let everyone know I was safe. I'd request to be searched, have my luggage in hand, and wear my round-trip ticket in plain view. Just so you would stop looking at me out of the corner of your eye....seriously.

I'm guilty, I intentionally look for he middle eastern guy on any flight I am on...I make eye-contact...I give the nod...I AM profiling...sue me.

I sometimes feel the same way when it comes to the police; if you are dressed like a thug, hanging out in a group of thugs, with your pants hanging half-off your backside wearing a t-shirt that says "F Da Po-Po" or "Snitches get Stitches", you deserve to be pulled over or questioned. Sorry...I'd feel the same way if you were wearing Nazi emblems with shaved heads. It's not a 'color' thing per sey, it's a who's most likely to be up to no good thing...

This brings me to Arizona; How dare they make being in this country illegally a crime. Shame on them for enforcing laws the Federal Government has been falling short on. I think it is unfair that they are being labelled as bigots; There are more than 3 million people in the US who have overstayed their visas. It's not exclusive to Mexicans, and it is just as big of an issue as crossing our porous border. Would it be fair if they asked everyone their citizenship status when making police contact? Yep. Equally unfair is therefore fair...ask away I say. You may just save someone's life.

It’s been a while…

So much has happened since I last put my blogging pen down. Scott Brown was elected (Historic!), Tiger Woods is all over the news (Old news, really...high profile athlete, does something horrible, then asks for forgiveness), Vancouver is hosting the ‘Green’ Olympics (Green, as in no snow…), and well…for as much that has happened, so much is still the same.

A Short list:

• Unemployment is out of control
• Economy is in ruins
• Hope is fading
• BHO is still lying

The last point is significant. BHO recently spoke on the anniversary of the stimulus. He had some facts seriously distorted…about as distorted as making fart noises with your hand and pretending it’s the latest Michael Buble hit.

I'll give you one…because I don't have all day.

President Obama: “economists from across the political spectrum warn that if dramatic action was not taken to break the back of the recession, the United States could spiral into another depression.”

He must have been talking about TARP, right? Yeah…NO?!? I specifically remember that wording when TARP was signed...right? What? He was talking about the Stimulus? No, TARP. What?!? He WAS talking about the stimulus. See where I am going here?

Anyone else remember, before BHO and the Democratic congress presented us with a bill that bankrupted our grandchildren. Before the nearly $0.24 cents of every dollar you make is going to the Government. Do you remember?

He said the stimulus would help stave off unemployment and keep it below 8%. Umm, Mr. Obama, unemployment is now estimated to be above 11%. 11%!!!! And growing….!

Since Obama has signed the stimulus, 4 million jobs have been lost. Let me rephrase that. In the last year, since that historic signing of the stimulus bill in Denver, CO; 4 MILLION JOBS HAVE BEEN LOST!

Glenn Beck said it best "Happy Anniversary, Stimulus"...Happy? Indeed.

I am so blessed to have a job right now…so very blessed; where is the change? Well, I guess from 8% to 11% is a change, its just not exactly the change you folks voted for. Don’t blame me…I voted for the other guy.

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.