With China growing ever stronger in every way, people in Washington tend to turn the other cheek. After all, according to them the USA is still the most innovative country in the world. We have the most patents filed each year and that innovative spirit will keep us ahead of the game, despite that we are loosing out in many other areas.
While there is some truth to this, we should not get to comfortable Last year the USA filed 44,855 patents with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a 1.7% decline from last year. Although much less than the USA, China filed a respectable 12,337 patents with WIPO. However, that is a 56% increase from last year. Even more disturbing is that this is America's 3rd consecutive year of declining patents. Between 2003-2009, while the US only has a net 5.5% patent growth, China has maintained at 26.1%. It is predicted that China will surpass the USA this year in total patents.While China's investment in science and technology grew by 20% as proportion of GDP from 1999-2006, while America has stagnated with only 1% growth.
This is a very disturbing trend. Perhaps our superiority in such fields isn't as strong as we are told. The effects of loosing this edge are uncertain, but it surely cannot be good.
(Source: China Daily)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Obama Legacy: And it's only just begining!
$46 Trillion: Amount of Spending Contained In Obama's Latest Budget Over Ten Years (Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)
$26.3 Trillion: Amount of Debt Expected In 2021 (Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)
$15.48 Trillion: Estimated Amount of Debt This Year (Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)
$7.2 Trillion: Ten-Year Deficits Under Obama's Budget (Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)
$1.65 Trillion: Estimated FY 2011 Deficit (Office Of Management And Budget, 2/14/11)
$2 Billion: Amount of Stimulus Funds That Have Gone To Foreign
Manufacturers of Wind Turbines (ABC News, 2/9/10)
43.6 Million: Number of People on Food Stamps (The Wall Street Journal, 2/2/11)
$6 Million: Amount of Stimulus Funds Used To Make Snow In Snowy Duluth, MN (The Wall Street Journal, 10/28/09)
3.8 Million: Increase In The Number Of People Who Fell Into Poverty In 2009 (NPR, 9/16/10)
$325,394: Amount of Stimulus Funds to Study How Environment Affects The Mating Decisions of Female Cactus Bugs (The Orlando Sentinel, 2/16/10)
$219,000: Amount of Stimulus Funds to Study the Sex Life Of Female College Freshmen (The Daily Orange, 3/7/10)
102.6 Percent: Debt to GDP Ratio to Be Reached This Year (The Washington Times, 2/14/11)
68 Percent: Number of Americans Who Disapprove Of Obama's Handling Of The Budget (Gallup, 1015A, MoE 4%, 2/2-5/11)
9 Percent: Current Unemployment Rate (U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed: 2/16/11)
8 Percent: Unemployment Rate Obama Promised We'd Stay under if the Stimulus was passed
0: Number of White House Officials Who Agreed To Testify Regarding The Stimulus (The Wall Street Journal, 2/16/11)
0: Number of Shovel-Ready Projects Obama Now Admits Exist. (The New York Times, 10/13/10)
Friday, February 11, 2011
President Obama on Egypt
I must say, Obama played Egypt smart. In the end, America must stand for principle over convenience. We cannot afford to support tyranny, even if tyranny is our ally. A pig with lipstick is still a pig. In the end, turning from our principles tarnishes our world image.
The pundits say that Egypt may fall to radicalism - I DON'T BUY IT! The Egyptian Army is westernized, American trained, and professionals. It seems that they will hold the line to create an orderly transition, thereby giving time to the moderate political factions to organize and oppose the radical few.
Obama's speech today was very appropriate and was the first time he seemed like a statesmen. He assured Egyptians that we will support their transition to democracy and denounced the violence of the few.
The pundits say that Egypt may fall to radicalism - I DON'T BUY IT! The Egyptian Army is westernized, American trained, and professionals. It seems that they will hold the line to create an orderly transition, thereby giving time to the moderate political factions to organize and oppose the radical few.
Obama's speech today was very appropriate and was the first time he seemed like a statesmen. He assured Egyptians that we will support their transition to democracy and denounced the violence of the few.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Patriot Act Fails in House
ACCORDING TO HERITAGE FOUNDATION:
Last night, despite a strong majority vote in favor of the bill, the House of Representatives fell seven votes short of the two-thirds they needed to suspend the rules and pass three key counterterrorism amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Many of the headlines you will read today will say things like “Patriot Act Extension Fails in House,” but the reality is that much of the PATRIOT Act was already permanently enacted. Of the three amendments to FISA at issue in last night’s vote, two were part of the original PATRIOT Act, one was part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and all are set to expire at the end of this month.
It would have extended until December provisions on wiretaps, access to business records, and surveillance of terror suspects without a warrant.
Last night, despite a strong majority vote in favor of the bill, the House of Representatives fell seven votes short of the two-thirds they needed to suspend the rules and pass three key counterterrorism amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Many of the headlines you will read today will say things like “Patriot Act Extension Fails in House,” but the reality is that much of the PATRIOT Act was already permanently enacted. Of the three amendments to FISA at issue in last night’s vote, two were part of the original PATRIOT Act, one was part of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, and all are set to expire at the end of this month.
It would have extended until December provisions on wiretaps, access to business records, and surveillance of terror suspects without a warrant.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Op Ed: The Erosion of the State
With President Ronald Reagan’s 100th Birthday a day away, one cannot help but reflect on his wisdom and political philosophy. One of Reagan’s strongest beliefs was that the U.S. Constitution separates government powers so that the voters can hold government officials accountable. Government power is separated in two ways - the first being the legislative, executive, and judicial branches and the second separation being federal, state, and local levels.
However, with the radical growth of federal programs and federal money in state budgets since the late 1990s, the separation of powers among federal, state, and local levels has become blurred and accountability thereby diminished. In 2008, federal aid to states and state matching funds accounted for an average of 45 percent of government spending within states according to the Heritage Foundation, and that share has continued to rise. As a result, states are slowly becoming subservient to federal whims and federal spending programs. Even when looking at raw state budgets alone, on average about a third is directly federally funded. This has led to a two fold problem in state budgeting, (1) an inefficient allocation of money and (2) inflexibility within state budgets leading to complete state dependence on federal money.
The inefficient allocation of money benefits some of the states and hurts the others, depending upon if you are on the surplus or deficit side of things. In New York’s FY 2011 budget briefing book (pg. 133), it notes that over the last decade NY taxpayers paid $600 billion more to the federal government in taxes than it has received back in aid. Of course, such a number cannot be equal as there are legitimate national expenditures – but $600 billion is quite an imbalance, the highest nationally. For 2008 alone, the imbalance was negative $55.5 billion in New York, $50 billion in NJ, and $42 billion in Minnesota. Meanwhile smaller states have seen massive surpluses. Virginia’s surplus in federal funding in 2008 compared to what it paid out was $51 billion, Kentucky $27 billion, and Maryland $23 billion. Florida also makes the 2008 top 10 surplus list at $15 billion.
These inefficient allocations leave states unable to handle there own internal affairs. People often ask why states like NY have such a large budget deficit. The simple answer is that the Feds got their hands on the money of NY’ers before the state could! States in NY’s deficit condition are being choked by Washington.
There is great inflexibility within state budgets due to what amounts to federal bribery. While Federal intrusions into state systems are unwarranted in any case, it would be political suicide not to participate in federally funded or aided programs. From large programs like Medicaid, food stamps, race-to-the-top, or the interstate highway system; to small programs like school lunch programs and the National Shellfish Sanitation Program – are all federally funded or aided. When states are trying to cut their budgets and reign in deficits, the sheer volume of these programs makes it very hard. No one wants to lose free Federal money since a state will pay out to the Federal Government the same amount of money no matter how much it gets in return. Therefore, the goal is to maximize that return. That means spending state dollars on federally aided programs. It is quite the task to find large state programs that are purely state funded in order to make the needed cuts in these days of budget shortfalls.
The Federal Government has gotten itself into all areas of the state budget and the lines of accountability are now blurred. If a state spends more on Medicaid, is that because the state voters demanded that their state government expand Medicaid or because the voters gave the federal government a mandate to expand the program nationwide? If state voters want to restrain state spending, should they turn to their State Capitol or Washington?
Once the Federal Government got its hands on the people’s purses via the income tax, there was no going back to our state dominated system. The tables have turned, contrary to what our founding fathers wanted, and the Federal Government is in the driver’s seat. Without federal aid and match programs, states no longer have enough internal revenue to function. Unlike the Federal Government, states cannot print their own money as needed. This trend of forcing states to spend more with participation in “voluntary” programs if not halted, will lead to states becoming nothing more than administrators and the eventual erosion of state power.
However, with the radical growth of federal programs and federal money in state budgets since the late 1990s, the separation of powers among federal, state, and local levels has become blurred and accountability thereby diminished. In 2008, federal aid to states and state matching funds accounted for an average of 45 percent of government spending within states according to the Heritage Foundation, and that share has continued to rise. As a result, states are slowly becoming subservient to federal whims and federal spending programs. Even when looking at raw state budgets alone, on average about a third is directly federally funded. This has led to a two fold problem in state budgeting, (1) an inefficient allocation of money and (2) inflexibility within state budgets leading to complete state dependence on federal money.
The inefficient allocation of money benefits some of the states and hurts the others, depending upon if you are on the surplus or deficit side of things. In New York’s FY 2011 budget briefing book (pg. 133), it notes that over the last decade NY taxpayers paid $600 billion more to the federal government in taxes than it has received back in aid. Of course, such a number cannot be equal as there are legitimate national expenditures – but $600 billion is quite an imbalance, the highest nationally. For 2008 alone, the imbalance was negative $55.5 billion in New York, $50 billion in NJ, and $42 billion in Minnesota. Meanwhile smaller states have seen massive surpluses. Virginia’s surplus in federal funding in 2008 compared to what it paid out was $51 billion, Kentucky $27 billion, and Maryland $23 billion. Florida also makes the 2008 top 10 surplus list at $15 billion.
These inefficient allocations leave states unable to handle there own internal affairs. People often ask why states like NY have such a large budget deficit. The simple answer is that the Feds got their hands on the money of NY’ers before the state could! States in NY’s deficit condition are being choked by Washington.
There is great inflexibility within state budgets due to what amounts to federal bribery. While Federal intrusions into state systems are unwarranted in any case, it would be political suicide not to participate in federally funded or aided programs. From large programs like Medicaid, food stamps, race-to-the-top, or the interstate highway system; to small programs like school lunch programs and the National Shellfish Sanitation Program – are all federally funded or aided. When states are trying to cut their budgets and reign in deficits, the sheer volume of these programs makes it very hard. No one wants to lose free Federal money since a state will pay out to the Federal Government the same amount of money no matter how much it gets in return. Therefore, the goal is to maximize that return. That means spending state dollars on federally aided programs. It is quite the task to find large state programs that are purely state funded in order to make the needed cuts in these days of budget shortfalls.
The Federal Government has gotten itself into all areas of the state budget and the lines of accountability are now blurred. If a state spends more on Medicaid, is that because the state voters demanded that their state government expand Medicaid or because the voters gave the federal government a mandate to expand the program nationwide? If state voters want to restrain state spending, should they turn to their State Capitol or Washington?
Once the Federal Government got its hands on the people’s purses via the income tax, there was no going back to our state dominated system. The tables have turned, contrary to what our founding fathers wanted, and the Federal Government is in the driver’s seat. Without federal aid and match programs, states no longer have enough internal revenue to function. Unlike the Federal Government, states cannot print their own money as needed. This trend of forcing states to spend more with participation in “voluntary” programs if not halted, will lead to states becoming nothing more than administrators and the eventual erosion of state power.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Judge holds Obama Administration in Contempt
A New Orleans Judged ruled late on Wednesday that The Obama Administration acted in contempt by continuing its deepwater-drilling moratorium after the policy was struck down.
While the drill-ban policy is no longer formalized, Gulf State lawmakers and offshore drilling interests have accused the Department of Interior for continuing an informal "de facto" ban by not issuing deepwater drill permits. Not a single deepwater permit has been issued in nine months by the Department. The Judge also ordered the government to pay the legal fees of Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC, which filed the initial lawsuit.
Once again the Obama Administration shows complete disregard for the law and is holding American prosperity hostage in order to further his nonsense agendas - in this case his anti-drilling green agenda. As a result of the moratorium thousands are out of work, gas and oil prices are rising, and America is increasing its dependence on oil from the ever unstable Middle East.
Clearly, these ultra-partisan policies are hurting our nation and are something the electorate didn't bargain for in 2008. The Obama Administration's disregard for common citizens and Court rulings seems to be a running theme these last few years.
While the drill-ban policy is no longer formalized, Gulf State lawmakers and offshore drilling interests have accused the Department of Interior for continuing an informal "de facto" ban by not issuing deepwater drill permits. Not a single deepwater permit has been issued in nine months by the Department. The Judge also ordered the government to pay the legal fees of Hornbeck Offshore Services LLC, which filed the initial lawsuit.
Once again the Obama Administration shows complete disregard for the law and is holding American prosperity hostage in order to further his nonsense agendas - in this case his anti-drilling green agenda. As a result of the moratorium thousands are out of work, gas and oil prices are rising, and America is increasing its dependence on oil from the ever unstable Middle East.
Clearly, these ultra-partisan policies are hurting our nation and are something the electorate didn't bargain for in 2008. The Obama Administration's disregard for common citizens and Court rulings seems to be a running theme these last few years.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Senate Votes Down Obamacare Repeal!
The Senate on Wednesday voted against repealing the health-care overhaul. It was a strict party line vote, 51-47 with Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia and independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut absent for the vote.
51 Democrats once again voted against the will of the American Public. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows 55 percent of likely voters favor repeal of the health care law, while 40% oppose repeal. Not only did the Democrats go against public opinion, they completely disregarded the Florida Court ruling earlier this week declaring the bill unconstitutional.
One good thing did come of this, however. The Senate voted 81-17 to remove a piece of the law that calls for businesses to file a 1099 tax form when they pay a vendor more than $600 in a year.Such a form would have plagued businesses with unnecessary paperwork.
Now that the repeal is voted on, we know who the targets for 2012. Every Democrat Senator up for reelections needs to go!
51 Democrats once again voted against the will of the American Public. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows 55 percent of likely voters favor repeal of the health care law, while 40% oppose repeal. Not only did the Democrats go against public opinion, they completely disregarded the Florida Court ruling earlier this week declaring the bill unconstitutional.
One good thing did come of this, however. The Senate voted 81-17 to remove a piece of the law that calls for businesses to file a 1099 tax form when they pay a vendor more than $600 in a year.Such a form would have plagued businesses with unnecessary paperwork.
Now that the repeal is voted on, we know who the targets for 2012. Every Democrat Senator up for reelections needs to go!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Sean Hannity to Radical Imam: "You are one sick, miserable, evil S.O.B."
Sean Hannity takes on evil incarnate in this vessel called a human being. It calls itself Imam Anjem Choudary. Highlight of his interview include:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3
- The 9/11 Hijackers got their 72 Virgins
- American prison population would be lowered if we stoned adulterers, chop off the hands of thieves, and give 40 lashings to those who drink and gamble
- Everyone is free under Sharia as long as they obey it.
- Sharia is coming to America
Part 1:
Part 2:
Part 3
Iowa House Advances Marriage Protection Amendment
A proposed constitutional amendment protecting Traditional Marriage in Iowa was approved when three Democrats joined 59 Republicans in the Iowa House yesterday to pass the resolution. The resolution would put the question of gay marriage on the 2013 ballot, but still must pass the State Senate.
Liberals really hate when there policies are put in the Court of public opinion because they fail time and time again. Same-sex marriage has been defeated in all 31 states in which it had been directly put to a popular vote and Iowa is hoping to join that pack. Not only are Iowans pushing to protect Traditional Marriage, they are fighting back against the activist judges that created this mess. As I am sure you are aware, Iowa was force to adopt same-sex marriage after all 7 Supreme Court Justices voted for it. In the last election, Iowans rejected all 3 Supreme Court Justices that were up for retention. As for the other 4 Justices, the Iowa House is trying to drum up support to begin impeachment proceedings.
41 states have banned same-sex marriage either by constitutional amendments or statutes thus far. It will be interesting to see how Iowa plays out this issue.
Liberals really hate when there policies are put in the Court of public opinion because they fail time and time again. Same-sex marriage has been defeated in all 31 states in which it had been directly put to a popular vote and Iowa is hoping to join that pack. Not only are Iowans pushing to protect Traditional Marriage, they are fighting back against the activist judges that created this mess. As I am sure you are aware, Iowa was force to adopt same-sex marriage after all 7 Supreme Court Justices voted for it. In the last election, Iowans rejected all 3 Supreme Court Justices that were up for retention. As for the other 4 Justices, the Iowa House is trying to drum up support to begin impeachment proceedings.
41 states have banned same-sex marriage either by constitutional amendments or statutes thus far. It will be interesting to see how Iowa plays out this issue.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Florida Judge says: NOBAMACARE!
Before today, there were 3 court rulings on the Federal Healthcare reform package. Two had rule in favor and one struck down the section of the bill requiring the purchase of healthcare. However, the biggest case of them all involving 26 states had finally been decided earlier today. In the words of Justice Roger Vinson of the U.S. District Court in Pensacola, “A declaratory judgment shall be entered separately, declaring ‘The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Act’ unconstitutional.”
After reading the 78 page judicial opinion on Obamacare, Justice Vinson hit this legislation on two fronts. First, he declared the individual mandate to purchase insurance unconstitutional. The Commerce Clause has been used to regulate activities like growing marijuana, navigating waterways, and the like - but had never been used to force someone to do something they weren’t already doing. “It would be a radical departure from existing case law to hold that Congress can regulate inactivity under the Commerce Clause,” he writes.
Secondly, he had to declare the severability of the individual mandate. In legal terms severability decides if a piece of legislation can survive without its unconstitutional language. In this complex bill, Justice Vinson declared that the individual mandate was not severable. Hence, the entire bill was declared VOID. The next step for this lawsuit is the Supreme Court, pending an appeal from the U.S. Justice Department of course.
Finally, a small sigh of relief for small businesses and Americans everywhere – but so much damage is already being done and it’s not even 2014, when this bill comes into full effect. Restrictions on insurers are causing smaller insurance firms to exit the market, thereby, reducing competition. Principle Financial dropped all of their 840,000 health insurance customers last fall. In 2014, small businesses with more than 25 employees to must offer health coverage (as opposed to the current threshold of 50) or pay a $750 penalty per employee and an increased Medicare payroll tax of 3.8% to take effect in 2013. During this unending recession when we need small businesses to start hiring, they are NOW preparing for an onslaught of fees and regulations! While all this is occurring, the Federal Government has begun drafting what Health benefits to dictate to insurance companies.
Justice Vinson has just taken us one step closer to repealing this bill. For the government to dictate what to purchase and for how much is nothing short of tyrannical. What’s next? A government mandate to buy California wine because it’s good for our countries winegrowers or a mandated apple-a-day to keep Obamacare away?
Bravo Justice Vinson for your gavel heard 'round the world proclaiming “NOBAMACARE!”
After reading the 78 page judicial opinion on Obamacare, Justice Vinson hit this legislation on two fronts. First, he declared the individual mandate to purchase insurance unconstitutional. The Commerce Clause has been used to regulate activities like growing marijuana, navigating waterways, and the like - but had never been used to force someone to do something they weren’t already doing. “It would be a radical departure from existing case law to hold that Congress can regulate inactivity under the Commerce Clause,” he writes.
Secondly, he had to declare the severability of the individual mandate. In legal terms severability decides if a piece of legislation can survive without its unconstitutional language. In this complex bill, Justice Vinson declared that the individual mandate was not severable. Hence, the entire bill was declared VOID. The next step for this lawsuit is the Supreme Court, pending an appeal from the U.S. Justice Department of course.
Finally, a small sigh of relief for small businesses and Americans everywhere – but so much damage is already being done and it’s not even 2014, when this bill comes into full effect. Restrictions on insurers are causing smaller insurance firms to exit the market, thereby, reducing competition. Principle Financial dropped all of their 840,000 health insurance customers last fall. In 2014, small businesses with more than 25 employees to must offer health coverage (as opposed to the current threshold of 50) or pay a $750 penalty per employee and an increased Medicare payroll tax of 3.8% to take effect in 2013. During this unending recession when we need small businesses to start hiring, they are NOW preparing for an onslaught of fees and regulations! While all this is occurring, the Federal Government has begun drafting what Health benefits to dictate to insurance companies.
Justice Vinson has just taken us one step closer to repealing this bill. For the government to dictate what to purchase and for how much is nothing short of tyrannical. What’s next? A government mandate to buy California wine because it’s good for our countries winegrowers or a mandated apple-a-day to keep Obamacare away?
Bravo Justice Vinson for your gavel heard 'round the world proclaiming “NOBAMACARE!”
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