Missouri's 7th District, U.S. House of
Representatives
Bringing LIBERTY to
Capitol Hill -- 2008 OZARKS
VIRTUAL TOWN
HALL
Saturday Morning, January 31,
2009, 10:30am
A Discussion of The President's Saturday Morning
Radio Address
Click here
to listen to a replay of the January 31, 2009 Ozarks Virtual
Town Hall
Notes and Summary of the President's Address:
"Moving Forward?"
THE
PRESIDENT: This morning I'd like to talk about some good news and
some bad news as we confront our economic crisis. The good news is that
we are moving forward with a sense of urgency equal to the challenge.
This week the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Plan.... (continued below)
How the President Differs from the American vision of
"Liberty Under God":
This morning I'd like to talk
about some good news and some bad news as we confront our economic
crisis.
The bad news is well known to
Americans across our country as we continue to struggle through
unprecedented economic turmoil. Yesterday we learned that our
economy shrank by nearly 4 percent from October through December.
That decline was the largest in over a quarter century, and it
underscores the seriousness of the economic crisis that my
administration found when we took office.
Already the slowdown has cost us
tens of thousands of jobs in January alone. And the picture is
likely to get worse before it gets better.
Make no mistake, these are not
just numbers. Behind every statistic there's a story. Many
Americans have seen their lives turned upside down. Families have
been forced to make painful choices. Parents are struggling to pay
the bills. Patients can't afford care. Students can't keep pace
with tuition. And workers don't know whether their retirement will
be dignified and secure.
The good news is that we are
moving forward with a sense of urgency equal to the challenge.
This week the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Plan, which will save or create more than 3 million jobs over the
next few years. It puts a tax cut into the pockets of working
families, and places a down payment on America's future by
investing in energy independence and education, affordable health
care, and American infrastructure.
Now this recovery plan moves to
the Senate. I will continue working with both parties so that the
strongest possible bill gets to my desk. With the stakes so high
we simply cannot afford the same old gridlock and partisan
posturing in Washington. It's time to move in a new direction.
Americans know that our economic
recovery will take years -- not months. But they will have little
patience if we allow politics to get in the way of action, and our
economy continues to slide. That's why I am calling on the Senate
to pass this plan, so that we can put people back to work and
begin the long, hard work of lifting our economy out of this
crisis. No one bill, no matter how comprehensive, can cure what
ails our economy. So just as we jumpstart job creation, we must
also ensure that markets are stable, credit
is flowing, and families can stay in their homes.
Why does "credit"
have to flow? Why does the government have to create money and
give it to banks to loan? Why doesn't the government
just give the newly-created money to borrowers directly without
charging them interest?
Last year Congress passed a plan
to rescue the financial system. While the package helped avoid a
financial collapse, many are frustrated by the results -- and
rightfully so. Too often taxpayer dollars have been spent without
transparency or accountability. Banks have been extended a hand,
but homeowners, students, and small businesses that need loans
have been left to fend on their own.
This paragraph does not really
address the question above.
And adding to this outrage, we
learned this week that even as they petitioned for taxpayer
assistance, Wall Street firms shamefully paid out nearly $20
billion in bonuses for 2008. While I'm committed to doing what it
takes to maintain the flow of credit, the American people will not
excuse or tolerate such arrogance and greed. The road to recovery
demands that we all act responsibly, from Main Street to
Washington to Wall Street.
The Wall St. bailout rewards the
culture of Wall Street. These bankers should have been allowed to
fail.
Soon my Treasury Secretary, Tim
Geithner, will announce a new strategy for reviving our financial
system that gets credit flowing to businesses and families. We'll
help lower mortgage costs
and extend loans to
small businesses so they can create jobs. We'll ensure that CEOs
are not draining funds that should be advancing our recovery. And
we will insist on unprecedented transparency, rigorous oversight,
and clear accountability -- so taxpayers know how their money is
being spent and whether it is achieving results.
Why not eliminate all mortgage
costs by giving small businesses the money created by the Federal
Reserve? Why give it to bankers so they can lend it at interest?
Why not let taxpayers spend their own money the way they want?
Rarely in history has our country
faced economic problems as devastating as this crisis. But the
strength of the American people compels us to come
together. The road ahead will be long, but I promise you that
every day that I go to work in the Oval Office I carry with me
your stories, and my administration is dedicated to alleviating
your struggles and advancing your dreams. You
are calling for action. Now is the time for those of us in
Washington to live up to our responsibilities.
Last year the people
overwhelming called for Congress to reject the bailout.
Kevin Craig's Platform:
"Vine & Fig
Tree" - the original American Dream - work,
profit, save, invest, enjoy - not "easy to borrow,"
perpetual debt; not "invade other nations" to secure our
own wealth.
Making the New Year Extraordinary by
Celebrating Christmas
all year long
The Message of Christmas and the Principles set forth by the Christ
(the Messiah) who came that first Christmas are the real solution to
America's problems. The Federal Government is at war with Christmas and
"The
Way of Peace" announced by the Prince
of Peace.
The Word became flesh. The Creator of the universe becomes a
human being. He came to His own, but His own did not receive
Him, preferring darkness rather than light.
John the Baptist prepares the way for the Messiah, as
prophesied of Elijah.
As you read the Gospel
accounts, ask yourself how you would react if you knew these
accounts were really true. Not just true in some
"religious" sense, but reported in the New York Times, proven
in a court of law, or acknowledged by your personal hero. (How
do you know something is true? Do you even have any
"heroes?") How should you change your life if your Creator
became a human being? How should Washington D.C. react if this human
being claimed to be the true Ruler?
The Prophet Micah predicted
that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Jesus' parents
lived in Nazereth. Therefore God predestined
Caesar to issue a decree (probably relating to taxes) that would
bring Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem before Jesus was born.
Bush claims the same global power
of confiscation and migration as Caesar did. Thousands of Christians
have been forced to move out of Iraq to make way for Bush's Islamic
Theocracy.
An army of angels announces the birth of the Messiah, saying,
“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace to those
with whom He is pleased!”
Man's chief
end is to glorify God and live in peace.
The Bush Administration's chief end is to erect a "wall
of separation" between God and government so that the State
gives no glory to God, and to wage war, thereby "stimulating
the economy."
“Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known
the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all
those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them
by the shepherds.”
When Herod got word of the birth of a rival king, he behaved
in a perfectly logical way (for someone who wants to protect
his power): he massacred all male babies the age of
Jesus. Herod recognized that Jesus was a threat to Herod's
power.
Every day in America 4,000 unborn
babies are murdered. These babies must threaten something.
Millions of Americans who call themselves Christians, on the
other hand, are no threat to tyranny.
None of them are being killed. Bush has killed a thousand times
more human beings than Herod did, and confiscated a billion times
more wealth than Herod did.
"This is Senate Republican
Leader Mitch McConnell. Earlier this week, President Obama came
to Capitol Hill to speak with members of my party about his plan
for an economic recovery bill. The President said that a
stimulus package is needed to revive the nation's troubled
economy, and to help the millions of Americans who've been
affected by it. And
Republicans in Congress agree.
"Every day brings more
news of layoffs, home foreclosures, and shuttered businesses.
The Labor Department this week reported job losses in all 50
states in the month of December. In California alone, almost
80,000 people are newly out of work. And across the country,
employers are cutting to the bone even at businesses that most
Americans never thought were vulnerable.
"A problem that started on
Wall Street is reaching deeper and deeper into Main Street. And
the President is counting on members of Congress to come
together in a spirit of bipartisanship to act. Unfortunately,
the plan that Democrats in Congress put forward this week falls
far short of the President's vision for a bill that creates jobs
and puts us on a path to long-term economic health.
"Turning aside Republican
ideas, Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives
produced a massive bill that many analysts say is unlikely to
create new jobs or boost the economy anytime soon. Most of the
infrastructure projects it includes won't impact the economy for
at least another year. Permanent spending would be expanded by
about $240 billion, an increase that would lock in bigger and
bigger deficits every year. And the bill is loaded with wasteful
spending:
[Pork barrel projects listed -
not in transcript.]
"The task for Democrats in
the House was to craft a stimulus plan that was timely,
targeted, and temporary. Apparently, they didn't get the memo.
The bill they presented -- and which House Democrats approved
this week along a party line vote -- looks more like a $1
trillion Christmas list.
"At a time when Americans
are worried about holding onto their jobs and their homes, and
learning to live with less, politicians in Washington shouldn't
be spending taxpayer dollars on new cars for government workers
or sprucing up federal buildings in Washington. And that's why
Republicans are suggesting a simpler, more targeted plan that
gets right at the heart of the economic crisis.
"Most economists agree
that falling home values are the underlying cause of the recent
downturn. Republicans think we need to fix this problem before
we do anything else. So first, we propose providing
government-backed, 4% fixed mortgages to any credit-worthy
borrower. The availability of these low-interest loans would
increase demand for houses significantly. And low interest
mortgages would boost household income. The average family would
see its monthly mortgage payment drop by $466 a month, or $5,600
a year. Over the life of a 30-year loan, that's a savings of
$167,760.
"Next, in order to get
money into the economy quickly, Republicans would cut income tax
rates for working Americans right away. The federal government
currently imposes a 10% tax on married couples for income up to
$16,700. Republicans would cut that rate in half, putting about
$500 into the pocket of every working family. Income between
$16,700 and $67,900 is now taxed at 15%. Republicans would cut
that rate to 10%. This would put another $1,100 into the pockets
of working couples. Single filers would get similar rate
reductions. But either way, everyone who works and pays income
tax would see an immediate increase in pay.
"Republicans are committed
to working with President Obama to steer Americans out of the
current economic troubles. We believe the best way to do that is
to stabilize housing prices, cut your mortgage payments, and let
you keep more of what you earn. And as Congress considers the
best way forward, on behalf of the American taxpayer, these are
the principles Republicans will pursue.
Thanks for listening.
What Would America's Founding Fathers Do?
The men who threw tea into the Boston Harbor over a tax of 3 pence
per pound would not be happy with a tax ten times greater on
every gallon of gas. Those who took up muskets over a total tax burden
of less than 3% would not be happy with the
fact that the federal government now takes more
than half of everything you earn.
Today it is illegal for public school teachers to teach their
students that the Declaration of Independence is really true (and not
just an outdated historical document). The federal government is clearly
at war with everything the Founding Fathers stood for.
America's greatest Americans would abolish
today's federal government.
Muskets are Not an Option
There are two reasons why we should not take up arms to pull off the
violent overthrow of the federal government, even if America's Founders
would surely do so. First, the feds have nukes. Second, violent
revolution is unChristian and unBiblical. We must beat our swords
into plowshares and use persuasion to
abolish tyranny. This is time for a revolution
of ideas.
Revolution Won't Come in a Day
John Adams once wrote that the American
Revolution began in 1761, when Massachusetts attorney James Otis
began legal challenges to the Writs
of Assistance. He lost the case, but "American
independence," Adams wrote, "was
then and there born." Now do the math. That means it took 15
years to convince the rest of America to declare Independence
(1776). Then another seven years of war was required before a
Peace Treaty was signed (1783), and then six years before the
Constitution was finally ratified (1789). That's almost 30 years. (And
Jefferson said we shouldn't go 20
years without another rebellion!) How can we hope to convince
Americans to fight for principles they were never taught in government
schools? We need to be in this battle for the long term. "Eternal
Vigilance is the Price of Liberty."
Contact Congress -- this
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Action E-List Sign up for the JBS Action E-List and be notified when you can
make a critical difference on important issues.
Help End the Mexican Civil
War
Black-market profits caused by drug prohibition fund a civil war
in Mexico that's threatening to spill over our borders. Drug
profits also fuel the terrorists who are killing U.S. soldiers
in Afghanistan. It's time to dry up the black-market profits.
It's time to end drug prohibition.
Make
Congress Read Their Bills Before Voting
Make Congress read every word of every bill they create before
they vote on it.
Urge your Representative and your Senators to sponsor
DownsizeDC.org's “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA).
End
the FED
The Federal Reserve System constantly inflates and deflates the
supply of money and credit, causing booms and busts. It's time to
get off this roller-coaster. It's time to end the Fed.
No
Bailouts!
No government money, whether borrowed or taxed, should ever be
used to bailout private financial interests. If you agree, please
send Congress a message telling them so.
TWIC
- A Backdoor Real ID Card
Real ID is dying. But the Department of Homeland Security has a
new plan to subject every American to a national ID card anyway.
They plan to pick off one occupational field at a time, starting
with the maritime industry. One man is fighting back. Meet him,
and help stop this backdoor Real ID plan.
Stop
the Killer Horse Hormones
The FDA "outlawed" the use of Estriol, an estrogen
medication that's bio-identical to human estrogen. Doctors must
now prescribe animal-derived estrogen instead. Are bio-identical
hormones dangerous, while animal-derived hormones are safe? No.
The practice of medicine is moving to chemically identical to
human hormones and away from animal hormones. Learn why the FDA
decided to endanger women's health in this way, and take action.
End
Asset Forfeiture
If the government suspects you used your house or car in a crime,
they can take it and sell it at auction. They don't even have to
prove your guilt. They call this practice civil asset forfeiture,
but it's really theft. It violates the 4th, 5th, 6th, 8th, 9th and
14th Amendments. It also encourages law enforcement to put profits
before justice. Tell Congress to end civil asset forfeiture.
Support
an Iraq Referendum
Americans keep debating when, how, or if to leave Iraq. Maybe we
should ask the Iraqi people what they want. After all, it's
their country. Tell Congress to request that the Iraqi
government hold a public referendum on the U.S. occupation. Learn
more »
Make Congress read every word of
every bill they create before they vote on it.
Urge your Representative and your Senators to sponsor
DownsizeDC.org's “Read the Bills Act” (RTBA).
Unelected bureaucrats create
tens-of-thousands of new dictates each year. Making rules is
the job of Congress, not bureaucrats.
DownsizeDC.org has drafted the “Write the Laws Act” to end
bureaucratic “legislation without representation.” Click
here . . .
"Cap
and Trade" is not the way
The politicians seem to be unifying around "cap and
trade" as a way to cut CO2 emissions. If they take this
step it may be the largest increase in the size, scope, and
intrusiveness of government since the creation of Medicare.
Worse still, it may not even achieve its purpose. Please tell
Congress to oppose "cap and trade." Learn
more »
Iraq
Waste
Big government prospers through failure. Each new failure is used
to justify more spending and new powers. Wasteful spending in Iraq
is the latest example. One way to change this is to hold
government accountable. A new bill in Congress seeks to provide
some of the needed accountability. Please support it. Learn
more »
Stop
the War for Terror U.S. policy has inflamed the Middle East. It has made
terrorism more likely rather than less. We seem to be fighting a
war for terror, rather than on
terror. This policy must stop. The place to start stopping is
with Iran. We must not attack Iran. War with Iran would
devastate our economy, disrupt world oil supplies, and recruit
more terrorists. Click
here to stop this war before it starts.
Click herefor a replay of this edition of the Ozarks Virtual
Town Hall
