3 Things to think about it!

I do not know if anyone has been paying attention but there are three issues being discussed in congress that make me very sad. One, there are talks about not extending unemployment (im pretty sure it will not be extended, might of even decided that already) to those who need it meaning a whole lot of people will be get last check on the 13^th or so and be without money for Christmas. Two, there are talks about doing away with the mortgage interest deduction. For those of you who do not know what that is, it basically takes the amount someone is paying in interest on a property loan and allows that person to reduce their taxable income by that amount. For example, one makes 40K a year, and pays 11K in interest on his or her home; they would only be taxed as if their income was 29K a year if he or she chose to write that 11K off on the tax report. Lets face it; it is common sense that those who do not make enough money to need a loan with interest are those who need this reduction in taxable income. 

Money Troubles 

And finally three, as I mentioned in a prior post, the Bush tax cuts are set to expire on the 31^st of this month. Democrats would like to extend said tax breaks for those who make less that 250,000 dollars per year, while Republicans say they would only support the extension in the tax cuts if it is extended for all. If the tax cuts are not extended, people should notice that a huge chunk of their checks is missing as early as January. Logically, I would say yes, cut back and lets get this deficit down, but my heart says that we are moving towards making the life of people who are just making it by as it is even worse when we are spending billions on a war that to most, makes no sense. Honesty, it is making me sad having to think about people suffering even more in the months to come. 

This Federal Deficit.

Talking to people at work during lunch today, I realized that most do not understand how this federal deficit came to be. Well, I will try to explain this in the most elementary of ways. Here we go, Bush took office in 2001 with the country booming, then 5 month later he passed The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which lowered taxes for retirement plans, income rates, and property. 4 month later we got attacked, 9/11. We needed to go to war; a poorly planned war was launched in early 2003. Three month into the war Bush passed The Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, which pretty much sped up the tax breaks that the previous act introduced when it came to income. We have been at war for about over 7 years now, the two wars, the one in Iraq and the one in Afghanistan, yes they are two separate wars, cost about 700 million dollars a day collectively. The combination of tax cuts with increased spending spawned federal deficit. Come the latter part of the decade, inflation, economic deficit and a crash in the housing and the credit market brought on an economic recession. Obama comes in to office in 2008, he cuts taxes for those with income under 250 thousand per year, installs stimulus measures to restart the economy, borrows money to work on his energy and health care plans. All this along with the tax cuts Bush passed (which both expire on December 31^st of 2010 btw) and the wars of course and you have a federal deficit. Hope this clears things up.  

Possible 2012 Candidates.

With the 2010 election behind us, I decided to look at possible Republican candidates for 2012. We have, Jeb Bush, Mike Bloomberg, Donald Trump, Ron Paul, Charlie Crist, Mitch Daniels and the four I will look at more closely, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Mitt Romney.

Sarah Palin

She has a lot going for her right now, she has the support of the ever-growing Tea Party. Her name and face are known by people all over the country and internationally. She is a great fundraiser. And finally she has had the chance to prepare against Obama in 2008.

Newt Gingrich

Former speaker of the house, he is very highly viewed of in the Republican ranks. He is a greater speaker and debater, he is very issue orientated and to the point which I think people will like come 2012, someone who knows what’s going on and does not play around as much as others.

Mike Huckabee

Won the ever-important Iowa Caucus in 2008. He finished just behind John McCain. He is very big on social issues, which I think will hurt him. I doubt he runs in 2012 but if he does he could be a dark horse.

Mitt Romney

Also very highly touted in the ranks of the Republican Party. Some tell me he is the favorite to be their choice in 2012. I think he wants to run and has been preparing. He has already put his face out there in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. As of now, he’s the clear-cut front-runner. 

Barack is Done.

Now that the 2010 midterm election is over, I think it is safe to say that a clear message was sent to the Democratic party…. Your “change” needs changing. With nine seats still undecided, the Dems have already lost 60 seats in the House, by far the most since 1948 and with more to come. Just looking at the map of how the Senate and House were divided between the two parties from before Tuesday to after, its like night and day. Troubling for Obama to say the least. Two yeas ago, Obama looked unbeatable, looked like he was going to be on top of US Politics for years to come. Today he looks very very beatable and vulnerable. But is it all lost? Obama still has two years to try to save himself from another shellacking in 2012. Obama needs to realize what happened and work towards improving the situation rather than trying to find out why it happened. He needs to forget his about his healthcare and energy solutions because people do not care about them anymore, in a recent poll, a total of 12 percent said that the most important issue is either healthcare or energy, while a whopping 52 percent of those who answered said it was the economy. In the words of the great James Carville: “IT’S THE ECONOMY STUPID.” When the economy is in the crapper, no one gives a crap about any other crap. Did I say crap enough times in the past sentence? That’s not important. Obama spent a fair share of his time and money on healthcare and now no one cares.

Hes Hurting right now im sure. 

I think it will be hard for him to get anything passed in order to improve the economy because Republicans have been clear about the fact that they will be trying to slow down all Democratic efforts over the next two years, so I do not see what Obama can do. At least after losing the House and Senate in 1994, former President Clinton was able to get welfare reform passed and he balanced the Budget, both of which aided him in making a huge comeback in 1996. But I do not see Obama being able to do anything major to improve the economy. I see obama as a dead man walking just waiting for his day to come on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November on 2012. 

Derek Jeter.

Speaking to a friend who is a Yankees fan today, I was told that the Yankees need Derek Jeter, that they must have him, no matter the cost. “Jeter is the Yankees.” “He is our guy.” Since when is an almost 37 year old, coming off his worst season, a defensive liability, going to cost 20 million plus a “MUST” have. I do not get it. If the Yankees pay Derek Jeter the type of money that is being tossed around I would have to call it charity. I know it is the Yankees and they can afford anyone, but from a Yankee fan perspective, why not pay that 20 million a year to Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth. Would you rather have Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford or Cliff Lee and Derek Jeter? I would take Crawford without thinking twice. I mean deep down I do not see Jeter playing anywhere but with the Yankees but I just do not understand why he is viewed as the end all be all of the Yankees, IT IS THE YANKEES. THE NEW YORK YANKEES. If anyone can afford to lose a player like Jeter, wouldn’t it be the Yankees? Are they not a franchise that is bigger than one player? I mean it is not Baltimore with Cal Ripken Jr. where he was your entire franchise and losing him would have been devastating. Do not get me wrong, Jeter will always be a Yankee, but justifying paying him what he has been getting just because he is Derek Jeter is Idiotic. I understand that if they can afford it why not right? It is just really stupid that’s why. 

Icon

Do Not Drop Out!

How sad is it that politicians are asking other politicians to drop out of a race in order to help another politician win? This is just what happened this year in Florida when US Senate Candidate Kendrick Meek was asked by former President Bill Clinton to drop out of the race to allow Charlie Crist to carry the Democratic Vote. Polls show that Crist and Meek are sharing the Democratic support, which allows Republican Candidate Marco Rubio to be ahead of both at the moment. Crist is not far behind so he could use the support of Meek supporters if he does decide to drop out of the race.

left to right- Crist, Clinton, Meek

Until now though, Meek is holding his ground and says that he is still planning to become the next US Senator from Florida. I applaud what Meek is doing. Although I think he is going to get killed in the race this coming Tuesday, I see dropping out of the race as committing political suicide, even if it would be for say the greater good of the Democratic Party. He is not a strong candidate by any means and quitting on this race now will not do wonders for his image. He just needs to stand his ground and take his licking and move on. The fact that Clinton asks him to drop out again shows the desperation is the ranks of the Democratic party, but hey what are they going to do? 

Governors Debate Gaffe.

As you all might of have noticed, the talk of Florida politics this week has been Alex Sink’s gaffe during last Monday gubernatorial debate. It all started when during a commercial break towards the end of the debate with her Republican opponent Rick Scott, Sink glanced at a cell phone text message for about eight seconds. Her makeup artist handed the phone to her, which is obviously a violation of the rules. The message was from campaign aide Brian May (who has since been let go by Sink) asking Sink to stand up to Scott more than she has been. Now, I do not understand how this can be turned in what it has been. Was it a violation of the rules?..  Of course it was, it was wrong and Sink should have refused the message. But this has turned into a mass story and blown completely out of proportion. Why are politicians such Children? I do not get it, if we all just behave as adults, this mistake would have just been brushed off and dismissed. Obviously it had no effect on the debate and will have no effect on the way people vote next Tuesday. Simply just grow up and let it be.

Election Projections

Governor

Rick Scott- 52%

Alex Sink- 48%

US Senate Seat

Marco Rubio- 46%

Charlie Crist- 43%

Kendrick Meek- 11%  

Regarding Last Post

A friend of mine raised a good point that I did not take into account as to why colleges are not paying athletes. I am almost quoting him word for word when I say this….. a possible reason as to why schools are not paying athletes is that the schools are tax exempt and athletes must maintain an “amateur” status for the schools to continue qualifying for that tax exemption, they are not allowed to pay athletes above what a scholarship is worth. Unless that policy is changed, change in the current system is unlikely. A very valid reason that I did not consider going in. 

Agents Paying Players!

As long as agents are willing to pay college players money and the players are willing to take that money, what right does the NCAA have to try and stop it? I say none. “Student Athletes” should be getting paid by their schools and the NCAA, but this is not going to happen because the NCAA is still trying to hold on to this idea that they are students first and athletes second, and that its about students getting their education and not about expanding their brand and going on to win games and become professionals. But it is obvious that most athletes playing the sports that lead to huge professional careers (the ones who are getting targeted by these agents) are at school as athletes. The schools and the NCAA are making millions and millions off the back of these athletes and they should pay them. But the point of this post is that the NCAA should back off and let agents pay players if players are willing to take the money.

NCAA Logo

Lets say a quarterback for the University of Southern California is getting paid by an agent, does that money give USC a competitive edge over their Pac 10 rivals or nationwide? I do not see how players living comfortably or even lavishly can give a school an advantage on the field of play over another. And if anyone reading this posts has any idea how it would, please let me know. It might not be fair because it will lead to top players getting better treatment and more money than others but hey, life is not fair, the best people at anything get what they deserve, Peyton Manning makes more than Curtis Painter. Let agents pay the players. Let them take the risk, at the end of the day it might not work out for them. Players may choose to sign with other agents or may just end up not being very good. The players get the benefits. They do not have to promise anything. Even the military pays college tuition to some that promise service upon graduation, it is kind of the same deal. Let the agents take on the risk of trying to pursue these players. Leave it all out in the open and with few exceptions the system will regulate itself.

everyone wants that money

To stop college players from taking money, you have to stop them from either wanting to take, or most likely needing to take money, and that means you have to pay them. To stop agents from willing to hand out money, you have to stop them from wanting to pursue clients, and that will never happen. The system as it stands now is almost impossible to regulate. 

Palin Making Dough!

I have always thought that Sarah Palin was a very successful fundraiser, but I did not know that she was that good. The former Alaska governor has raised more than $1.2 million from July through the end of September. According to her PAC she now has about $1.3 million in cash around. How could she be raising so much money? And how come people are endorsing her this early? She hasn’t even announced that she will launch a presidential bid in 2012. Why are people giving her money?

Palin

Palin has been giving out considerable donations to Republican candidates in tight midterm election races. She has also spent the midterm election season endorsing candidates through her facebook page and making speeches across the country. To date, she has endorsed 22 candidates by name and encouraged support for 91 candidates. The more I look at it, the more I think that she will have a really solid and very highly endorsed bid for the presidency in 2012. If she is raising all that money to support other candidates in “low-stimulus” midterm elections, I have to believe that she will be able to raise huge amounts of money for herself in the “high-stimulus” election in 2012. Also, all the support she is lending to these candidates will in turn lead to them supporting her in 2012. I have to conclude by saying that she will have a strong run in 2012 and if she wins the Republican nomination, she will go up against a much weaker Democratic party by their standards. Sarah Palin as president in 2012 is very much a possibility. 

Obama/Hillary in 2012?

Rumor in the political world today has it that President Obama might be swapping out Joe Biden for Hillary Clinton as his running mate in 2012. Hillary Clinton has denied this and the word out of the white house is that it is not happening.

Hillary and Joe

Obama, DO NOT do this. The Obama/Hillary ticket would have been the dream ticket in 2008, but Obama went with Joe Biden. Hillary has a huge following for sure but doing this now spells desperation and disarray in the Democratic Party. Does Obama really think this is needed? Or will it make a difference? I doubt it. It is funny because I was just reading about how something similar happened in 1980 with Ted Kennedy trying to take the reigns and the Democratic Party nomination from the incumbent Jimmy Carter, in no way did this help their cause. Now let’s face it, Reagan would of have beaten either, but this uncertainty in the Democratic ranks played a part in Reagan’s absolute creaming of Carter. Obama put this to bed now, and say that it will not happen. As long as you cannot justify going with Hillary over Biden, it would be seen as a desperate move that will only hurt. 

Andy Reid's Quarterbacks

This past Tuesday, Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles announced that Michael Vick will be starting at quarterback. "Michael Vick will be the starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles," Reid said. "I think his play has even exceeded expectations over the last two weeks. This has nothing to do with Kevin Kolb's injury. He's done a phenomenal job for us here. The future of Kevin Kolb is not slighted by this one bit.” Ok, lets stop and rewind, in November of 2008, Donovan McNabb is benched for only time of his career in a game at Baltimore when the Eagles were only down 10 at half time, Andy Reid decided to go with Kevin Kolb in second half of what ended up being a 36-7 loss. McNabb comes back and leads the Eagles to the playoffs and helps them reach the NFC Championship game, where they ran into the juggernaut that Cardinals were that year and lost a game in which he played nearly perfect. He threw three touchdowns on his way to 375 passing yards and 97.4 passer rating in 32-25 loss at Arizona. This offseason Andy Reid trades McNabb to a division rival, basically saying he thinks that Kevin Kolb will be better than him this year and in the future. Reid banks the future of the Eagles on Kolb, a quarterback they have had for at the time 3 years, enough time to evaluate every aspect of his game, a quarterback they rewarded with a huge new contract, a quarterback they said was more accurate to handle the west coast offense than Donovan McNabb.

Andy Reid

For the first half of this seasons opening game for the Eagles against the Green Bay Packers, Reid kept yanking Kolb out of the game for plays and getting Mike Vick in, if I am not mistaken, Vick got 8 snaps in the first half. Just before half time Kolb suffered a concussion and Vick took over to start the second half. Vick did very well, leading the Eagles back to within 7 points with about 4 minutes to go. In the final minutes, Vick got stopped on fourth-and-1 at the Packers 42, it just always seems that the Eagles cannot convert on those third-and-1 or fourth-and-1, but that’s neither here nor there. The next week, Vick plays well again and leads the Eagles to a win over the Detroit Lions. Reid cited that reasons for starting Vick over Kolb are offensive line problems and mobility issues. Vick still got sacked 6 times vs. the Lions, the Lions, not the best defensive team by any means. Vick beat up on a Packer defense that did not prepare for him and an improved, but still woeful Lions defense. And now Andy Reid is going with Vick over the quarterback he got rid of McNabb for.

Mike Vick

Now do not get me wrong, I am not saying that it is the wrong move, because I do not know if Kolb is better than Vick. What I do know is that you do not tear up your future plan that you decided on just months ago based on 6 quarters of play that Vick would of not even gotten if it was not for Kolb’s injury. I do not know how the Eagles can go back to Kolb, if I am Kevin Kolb I am asking for a trade, the organization betrayed me, they broke the players trust in me, and gave away my job because I got injured. How can Kevin Kolb have any confidence in himself and trust in his coaches now? Kevin Kolb is done in Philly.

Kolb has to be done in Philly

Bottom line is this, the quarterback that should be starting this Sunday for the Eagles, is the same person that is probably sitting back laughing at how all this is going down, and that is Donovan McNabb.

McNabb is your QB Andy

Why So Negative?

I am not the biggest fan of local network television, but this Sunday as I am sure many of you did, I tuned in to FOX, CBS, and NBC to watch the NFL’s full slate of great football action. To be honest, I always forget how much political campaigning is on television around the time of an election, but watching ad after ad this weekend, I realized why I choose to forget. I simply ask, why so negative?

picture says it all

More often the not, these ads were not about the person who “paid” for them and approved them, but about his or her opponents. Stop telling me why I should not vote for the next person; tell me why I should vote for you. Make me a case that you are the best man or woman for the job instead of making it seem that “hey, at least I am better than that.” I do not want to hear that you disagree with what the other candidate is preaching, I want to know what you have to offer and what you are preaching. All this negative campaigning not only makes all candidates seem unfit and weak; in my opinion it also turns people off politics. No one wants to see these ads two or three times every commercial break. Lets face it, people are not very bright, their perceptions of the candidates attacked in negative ads will be stained by the information they are exposed to. And since all candidates are using negative campaigning, the general public's perception of all candidates is tarnished, thus leaving the people uninterested in and disgruntled with politics. It just wears down people, to the point that they do not care anymore, and just say “screw it” and not vote, especially in the low-stimulus midterm elections, although I have to say that this election in my opinion will not be of the norm, and that we will see a higher turnout than the common midterm election because of the times we are going through right now, people just feel that they need their voice heard. But back to the point, voters dislike this widespread use of negative campaigning, they do not want to see it, read it, or listen to it anymore. Rise up to the occasion, run a clean campaign, be the best person for the job, and go out and earn a victory instead of trying to slander your opponent into losing. 

A Very Simple Plan for Obama.

I think that it is pretty safe to say that Democrats will lose majority in the House of Representatives in November and Nancy Pelosi will not be returning as Speaker of The House come the new congress. This will lead to most, including me to believe that President Obama’s time in the White House will not be extended 4 more years after 2012. Simple things that Obama can do that in my opinion would increase his chances of winning another term are….

President Obama

1) Focus on the economy: The one thing people are concerned most with is their financial security and Jobs. Obama needs to be simple and to be clear, and let the people know that his main priority is the Economy. Most people are not anxious about what’s not in their direct life. The Economy affects most, and if he drives home the fact that he is doing everything he can to improve it, they will listen.

needs fixin

2) Don’t pay attention to the bashing: Obama is already very highly criticized as is, and once the republicans take over the House, Criticism will just keep on coming. With today’s media the way it is, there is no way to avoid it. Obama will hear his name dragged through the mud on a daily basis. Focus on the task at hand and not paying attention to it will defiantly increase his chances of winning in 2012.

3) Fight for his position: Obama’s approval rating is not very good to say the least. He needs to not allow his seat to be taken away, but do all he can for it to not be won away. Obama needs to play his game and rise above all challenges that he may face. He needs to show Americans that the powerful energetic person that they voted for in 2008 can still lead them after 2012.

4) Hope that Sarah Palin wins the Republican nomination: I am certain or at least hope that Palin cannot possibly win a presidential election, and if she does, then its time to get out while we can. If Republicans put Palin up against Obama, I have to say that 4 more years of Obama would not look so bad to most eyes. I say this with caution fearing that it will end up biting me in the rear with our next president being Sarah Palin.

she tries real hard. 

Let me just end by saying this, I think that doing these four, well really only three things will help Obama’s chances come 2012 and by no means am I saying that if he does them he will win the election. Bottom line, I think we will have a new president, likely a Republican president come 2012.

Sixty Minutes of a Slouch

In Randy Moss I trust.

Intensity is Intense

Randy Moss is the best wide receiver I have ever seen play and in my opinion, the best of my generation. He might be a “one-route” runner, but he was by far the best at the running the deep route, and getting the ball down with ease. He was the ultimate game changer and still very much is. He is electrifying and exciting, intense and competitive, and for that he is still one of the best. Jets' All-Pro cornerback, Darrelle Revis called Moss a "slouch" during a word-association game he played with Deion Sanders over the offseason. This Sunday, the Patriots visit the Jets in their new home, and I Believe Randy Moss will overtake Revis Island.

Gonna be a battle

The Jets have a great defense and Revis is one of the best corners in football, but any corner can be beat if he is targeted and planned against, and that is what I think Tom Brady and Randy Moss will do this Sunday. Since getting the reputation of the best shutdown corner in football, Revis has been rarely targeted, but he is beatable, ask Ted Ginn Jr., just make sure when you do, you approach him with caution or he might bolt for the sidelines. There is nothing like a motivated Randy Moss, I truly believe that Moss is the kind of player who cares what people think of him, and is very emotional. He’s motivated to beat Revis and to show that he still deserves top receiver dollar in this his contract year. What he did to the cowboys on thanksgiving 1998 is a great example of what I mean. He felt they made a mistake by passing him in the draft just seven months before, he caught only three passes against the Cowboys that day, they all went for touchdowns and he finished the day with 163 receiving yards.

Moss and Brady will catch Revis at least once Sunday, if it takes one play or forty plays, they will make it a priority to show Revis that Moss is no slouch.

bet they have a good plan

So this Sunday at 4:15 eastern, tune into CBS to see these two titans clash, I promise you will not be disappointed. I predict Moss to go for about 90 yards on 5 catches and a score. His fantasy owners will rejoice and Jet haters will pile on. The Patriots will win and be on their way to reclaiming their spot a top the AFC East and the Jets will be all but out of it. Enjoy the game and keep a close eye on this great one on one matchup. 

Muslim Community Center

The Cordoba Initiative is an organization designed to cultivate multi-cultural and multi-faith understanding across minds and borders. Its main focus is to strengthen the relationship between Islam and the west. Their project, the Cordoba House project, calls for 15-story Islamic community center (ICC) including a mosque, performance art center, gym, swimming pool and much more. The plan is to place the community center 2 blocks away from ground zero. Now as you have probably heard, this has sparked a great and very emotional debate among residents of the area and people worldwide.

Let me start by saying this, I am ok with this ICC simply because I cannot tell someone what they can and cannot do with their private property. As long as a group has everything in order, and are not breaking any laws by going up with a building, how can one even think of stopping them? The individuals who are planning to build this ICC are private citizens who own private land and can do anything they please with said land, as long as it is legal. They are obeying the law by pursing their rights, how can anyone legally stop them from obeying the law and living by the constitution? You tell me.

The 9/11 occurrings were not carried out in the name of Islam, they were carried out in the name of what a group of mind washed individuals thought Islam expected them to do. I do not understand how Christians and Americans both can blame and condemn such a large group who has this faith, and to say anyone who has this faith is a terrorist. To quote a good friend of mine, “Muslims are not terrorists, the terrorists were Muslim.” Of the over 3000 people that died in the world trade centers that day, about 300 were Muslim, about 10 percent, 10 percent of those who died that day were Muslim. I am sure that they all had families and loved ones who live in as much pain as anyone else who lost someone that day. Every one suffered after 9/11 including those in the Islamic community and maybe they suffered even more due to all the discrimination and ignorance they had to deal with. No one is going to walk by the community center and have to face the horror of that day again. No one is going to think, “the small boy swimming in that pool believes in the same book that those who killed my husband believed in.” Not everything about this community center will be traced back to the attacks of 9/11. In fact nothing should. Black people do not walk by a cross and trace it back to the days of the KKK and it being on fire.

Ignorance 101

In my opinion, this ICC can be a good seed of peace and understanding. Understanding that the people using it had nothing to do with what happened on 9/11. I will also give you a very possible and very solid option that those who oppose the ICC have, make the Cordoba House project an offer, get together, donate, and collect donations, get ignorant politicians like Sarah Palin who firmly oppose this plan to raise money, buy the land, make them an offer they cannot refuse. I am a firm believer in the idea that everyone has a price, no matter how strong their beliefs are, they will take the money if the price is right. 

Thoughts... coming soon.

Hello all, and welcome to my new blog. All the information you need to know about me should be on my profile and if not, then you probably do not need to know it. I am starting this blog to simply share my stance on a current event or an issue that I feel is relevant, or to share my opinion about another person's position on an issue, and sometimes I will just be ranting about something I hate or something I like. Do not expect posts to come in any regular manner, I will post an entry when I think one is needed or simply when I feel like. This is in no way a blog used to create a following, to do business, or to make money. This is just a mechanism I will use to share thoughts. I hope this is something you all can appreciate, if you do like it then bless you and enjoy, if you do not, then bless you too, i could not care less. Comments and suggestions are always welcome, looking forward to my first post.