Hurricane Sandy Relief Proposal

Just 21 percent of the total $60.4B, will be directed to Hurricane Sandy response and recovery. The rest is going to fund unrelated projects such as:

Roughly $28 billion of the request is marked for future disaster-mitigation projects on the East Coast, including $3.2 million for erosion control projects and $15 billion for Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grants;

$3 billion for federal departments and agencies to repair or replace federal assets, including $2 million for roof repairs at the Smithsonian;

$200 million for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to be used freely at the discretion of the Secretary;

$6 million to purchase food for food banks, a need that could be better met by local companies and the nonprofit sector.

The "Fiscal Cliff" ?

Over a year ago the Republican leadership caved on a debt-ceiling increase. Democrats got an immediate debt-ceiling increase and Republicans got a promise of spending cuts to be determined by a super-committee. When the bi-partisan group did nothing to cut spending, then automatic spending cuts will happen 1 January.

The Republican leaders - who happen to like big government - were conned again. Even Reagan in the 1980s agreed to amnesty in return for tougher immigration reform. The legislation was passed, but the Democrats had no intention of paying for enforcement.

Obviously sequestration was acceptable to the Republicans and the Democrats because that is what they agreed to over a year ago! At this point the Republicans should let the tax cuts die and across-the-board cuts take place. They have already compromised to get to this point. Admit that last year's deal was bad for America. There should be no other concessions.

2010 Federal Tax Rates by Income

According to 2010 data from the IRS:

people who make $1 million or more had an average tax rate of 20.4 percent;

those who made between $50,000 and $100,000 paid 7.7 percent;

those who earned $30,000 to $50,000 paid an average rate of 4.8 percent;

those making under $30,000 had a negative effective rate, meaning they paid no federal income taxes after deductions and credits.

Put another way, millionaires pay a rate that’s more than four times that of the middle class.

Faux News - Military Votes Lost!

The following is False per Snopes.com:

Sources confirmed today that hundreds of thousands of military absentee ballots were delivered hours after the deadline for them to be counted, with preliminary counts showing that they would have overturned the vote in several states and brought a victory for Governor Mitt Romney.

Officials say the ballots were delivered late due to problems within the military mail system. Tracking invoices show the ballots sat in a warehouse for a month, then they were accidentally labeled as ammunition and shipped to Afghanistan.

The "Crisis" of Global Climate Change?

Some Americans seem to be falling for the “crisis” of “climate change.” This is yet another “crisis” created by politicians in D.C. to increase the take and power of government. It is based on junk science. Cap and trade legislation failed in 2010, but it is a monster which will not die!

Hurricane Sandy is being blamed on climate change. Hurricanes Dennis, Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma in 2005 were also blamed on “global warming.” The problem with this is that more hurricanes would occur every year – otherwise it is just the normal weather cycle. In 2006 and following years there was very light tropical storm activity – especially storms affecting the United States.

Note that the scientists – who depend on politicians for their income – have changed the problem from “global warming” to “global climate change”, since the planet has been cooling for the last decade. In 1975 the Newsweek cover story was “The Coming Ice Age!”

The “worst” greenhouse gas is water vapor. The Sun shines on seas heating the water and causing evaporation. The water vapor forms clouds and eventually falls to Earth as rain. This is the Water Cycle that we studied in Physical Science.

Politicians ignore water vapor because they cannot tax the Sun. Carbon dioxide is blamed instead. It has been claimed that CO2 is produced by man (and woman). This is true. We exhale CO2, plants “breathe” it in and give off O2 which is necessary for human and animal life. Humans also release CO2 every time we open a carbonated beverage. A knee-jerk reaction would be a tax on people for exhaling and on carbonated beverages. Coke and Pepsi might object!

Scientists can be good or bad. They can have no integrity. If I am a climatologist, then I will seek grants to study climate change. If I am morally bankrupt, then I will “prove” the premise of the grant. I may exagerate the true effects of climate change: a sea-level rise of 20 feet instead of the expected 7 inches/century!

The United States did not sign the Kyoto (or Copenhagen) treaty because BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) nations and other “developing nations” were not made responsible for climate controls or subsequent costs. This gave them a significant economic advantage over those who had to bear the costs. President Clinton did not send the treaty to the Republican-controlled Senate. President Obama will again agree to climate control through the United Nations and send the treaty to the Democrat-controlled Senate for ratification. American sovereignty will be transferred to bureaucrats at the U.N. by treaty!

"Terrorists" Help Obama Election

Contributions were made using the name Osama bin Laden, listing his occupation as "deceased terrorist" and employer as "al-Qaida." The contributions were accepted by the Team Obama, just as it accepted foreign contributions from the Palestinian Authority in 2008!

My Vietnam-era Veteran Days

When I graduated from college in 1967, career choices were limited to Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. I originally applied for the Navy, but my eyesight prevented me from being a line officer – although I could be a supply officer. I decided to go across the hall and sign up with the Air Force. That was the fall of 1966. I had a reporting date of 22 Aug 67. I had a great summer playing golf 7 days/week from dawn until dark.

At Fort Jackson, SC we were inspected and processed. I flew that night to San Antonio, TX where we were bused to Lackland AFB. We inprocessed all night, got our uniforms, our haircuts, our rooms and had briefings all day. We got to bed about 2300.

I graduated from Officer Training School on 17 Nov 67. Mom and Dad pinned my 2nd Lt bars on – engraved MOM and POP. My next assignment was graduate school, so I was a “pipeline student” awaiting the opening of school in January 1968. I lived in the Visiting Officers Quarters and had to call at 0800 and 1300 for duties of the day. There were none, so I played golf on the nearby base course.

I cut this grueling routine short to be my baby brother's best man.

I drove to Columbia, MO in January 1968. It was raining, but this turned to freezing rain, sleet and then snow as I went north. I finally stopped at Scott AFB in Illinois for the night.

One of the great things about the military is the sponsor program. Mine was 1st Lt Chester D. (Chet) Smith. We had written each other beforehand and, I contacted him as soon as I arrived. We became good friends. Chet renamed me Chuck.

I graduated – just barely – with a M.S. degree in August 1969. I was distracted for the entire 18 months by the abundance of beautiful, sweet young ladies at the University, Stephens and Christian Colleges. I had an apartment on Stephens College.

My next assignment was in Space Systems at the NORAD complex inside Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs, CO. I was there for 3 ½ years. I married Patty Rhoads on 17 Mar 72. We moved into a new house on Enchanted Circle North, and I got orders for Australia. The location was classified, but Chip can figure it out since he was born there on 5 Oct 1973. Mister (surgeon) Robertson delivered him. I had 6 weeks of training in Denver before leaving the states. The high temperature was minus 11 during a two week period. That prepared us well for Hawaii, American Samoa (refueling), Christchurch, N.Z., Sydney (Richmond AB) and finally 118 degrees on 24 Dec 72 in Woomera all by C-141.

Lots of babies were born during the 2 years in Australia. The rumor is that it was caused by drinking Harvey Wallbangers while listening to Neil Diamond's Hot August Night!

We left in December 1974 for Niceville, FL and Eglin AFB. I became a Senior Director at the phased-array radar 20 miles to the east. Tracy was born at Eglin AFB on 28 May 75. Capt Collier delivered her.

I left family and friends in June 1976 for a remote assignment at the top of the world in Thule, Greenland. I was Senior Director for the BMEWS site. Most work on the Air Base and surrounding roads was done by Danes trying to escape the onerous taxes in Denmark. I fell in love with ABBA's music during my year there because most of our entertainment copied this #1 group at the time.

I returned to Niceville and Eglin AFB in June 1977. Marty Glasser and I were the only people eligible for Master of Space Defense. I had Expert ranking in satellite-based, tracking and fan and phased-array detection systems. The 300-question test would have been easy since I had written most of the questions as Chief of Training at Woomera, Eglin and Thule. I did want the trip to Colorado Springs for CINCNORAD to present the award, but I would exit the military in January 1979.