Minnesota BPOU 39a Republicans have brought health care policy expert Twila Brase to Inver Grove Heights tomorrow evening for an informative meeting on health care and the law.
The Town Hall will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial Community Center, 8055 Barbara Ave Inver Grove Heights, MN 55077 Thursday, May 12 at 6:30 p.m
Come to the town hall. Bring a friend. See you there!
May 12 Flyer
It is said that one of the sources of the tremendous prosperity of Hong Kong was the refusal of one of the early governors of the colony to keep economic statistics. The story says that he dismantled the government economic statistics organization to prevent the misuse of the resulting statistics, and government meddling in the Hong Kong economy. The result was one of the most amazing economic success stories in history.
Our federal government is deeply involved in our economy, and gathers lots of statistics. We define our times as good or bad depending on what we now call our GDP. Oddly enough, we count in the GDP the money that is borrowed and spent by the federal government. This would be like someone who loses his job, but increases his spending, putting everything on his credit cards. His “income”, including his borrowing, is going up! Unfortunately, it’s all a lie. He has no income. He is producing nothing. All he is really doing is destroying his own financial future.
That’s how our federal government is measuring our GDP.
Like the unemployed man, the federal government is racking up massive debt, and counting its borrowing and spending in our GDP. The complaints of the GDP shrinking if the federal deficit is cut are valid because the borrowing and spending is counted in the GDP. Reductions of federal spending come directly off the GDP number.
It is vital that we call this what it is – nonsense.
There is a great article about this in a newsletter I get from John Mauldin, here:
http://www.johnmauldin.com/outsidethebox/does-unreal-gdp-drive-our-policy-choices
Our debt is a threat to our future. Playing games with the numbers to confuse the issue is dishonest and destructive. On the part of politicians who use their spending to buy votes and maintain position and power, it is also self-serving.
Kicking the debt habit will be painful, but cannot be avoided. The pain only gets worse the longer we avoid facing it.
It’s always wonderful when someone does something clever and creative that also has a vital and informative message.
John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek are giants in the world of economics, and their theories have been the foundation of many subsequent economists, and government policies, with conservatives generally following Hayek, and “progressives” generally following Keynes.
This video is a wonderful parody of the issues and conflicts in theory between the two.
Enjoy.
The first public word on how the Minnesota legislature is going to redraw the state’s district lines has emerged in the last couple of days. I hope that the leadership in the Minnesota legislature sees this as the opportunity it is – to show how statesmen and stewards behave, not the raw politics of partisan advantage.
The DFL has tied itself closely to the idea that every problem can and should be solved by growth of government. This unavoidably boils down to the irresponsible idea that all government spending is good, and every problem should be solved with higher taxes. This is becoming apparent to the average voter.
The GOP is trying to be the grown-up in the room, but if the GOP allows its members to indulge in high-sounding rhetoric about prudence, responsibility, and fairness, while actually seeking raw partisan advantage, the voters will rightly see hypocrisy. They can be expected to punish that GOP in 2012.
We cannot afford to allow this to happen.
The GOP is in charge in the Minnesota legislature. The GOP must show how they can do their duty as good stewards, and not as partisan hacks. The People rule, here. Efforts to “tilt” the table to give advantage to one party or the other may seem like sweet justice for past abuse, but we must not give in to that temptation.
I call on the GOP leadership in the Minnesota Legislature to do their level best to draw the 2010 districts in the most fair, non-partisan way possible. This may be hard, but it is the right thing to do, both politically and morally.
The federal budget deficit is of great concern. There are no easy answers, but it is important to understand where the money is going. The American Thinker has a good article on the deficit here.
There is an excellent article on “humanitarian wars” here.
Every day I thank God for his blessings and the chance to serve him one more day. Each day that goes by is a gift. I never know what is in it until it unfolds.
The 2012 elections are fast approaching, and in all of life, preparation is key. It is not yet time for me to announce a run, but it is time to prepare.
In 2012, redistricting will re-draw all the legislative district boundaries, and who runs in what district is a conversation to be had after that process is done. The conversation to start now is whether we will have the money, the organization, and the vision to prevail in 2012.
Much will be at stake. Mr. Obama thought he had a mandate, and he took it seriously. He has piled on more debt, more oppressive government, and more statist rhetoric than we could have imagined, and as a result, in the 2010 congressional election, the voters said “enough!”, but this is not going to do the job.
In Minnesota, the voters also said “Enough!” and elected a very different legislature, but chose to seat a governor who is committed to the very overspending and government overreach that brought us to where we are today.
In both the state and federal governments, the last two years has been spent passing laws that expand and extend the reach of government. At the federal level, the expansion has been massive. At the state level, thanks to Gov. Pawlenty and a united GOP caucus in the legislature, some of the most damaging initiatives were stopped.
Laws are easy to pass, and very difficult to repeal. Every “entitlement” worms its way into our culture, and encourages people to be dependent. Dependents do not stand up and fight overbearing government, they fight to keep their benefits. Dependents should not be surprised when their freedom – sold to government – is lost.
The 2010 election showed that we are still a strong people, and that we still believe that personal responsibility, individual liberty, and independence are at the core of our culture. In 2012, we will have to face up to the mammoth debts we have racked up, and pay our bills. This will require huge sacrifices. Frankly, I would compare it to the hangover after a long bender. We must throw out the politicians who still see government as a giant cookie jar, and politicians as those who decide who gets what.
Debt is intoxicating. It tempts us to delay the pain, to “kick the can down the road”, but the road has an end, and like with the bender, it has to end. The sooner it ends, the less painful it will be.
We must return government to its proper, limited role. It should protect our God-given liberties, not invent new ones that it can distribute and control. We cannot keep our liberty when government is deeply into the business of picking winners and losers. We keep our liberty when we are responsible, independent, and involved in governance.
I am not announcing a run for office in 2012, but I plan to do everything I can to strengthen the Minnesota GOP (http://mngop.com), the local GOP in BPOU 39a (http://39agop.com). My primary goal is to encourage as many people as I can in the next 18 months to take seriously the duty to be involved in the duties of citizenship.
Our future and the future of our children depend on it.
The election is over, and my opponent prevailed. This time, the voters did not embrace our message.
Thanks to all the volunteers, donors, and supporters. I value your help and friendship.