Congress in action – Frustration
More Than 30,000 Sign WH Petition Calling for Cut in Congressional Salaries
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: I am sure that most of those signing it realize that it makes not one bit of difference, that Congress AND the White House will come up with some bogus reason it can’t be done – or just ignore it the way they did the secession petitions.  But it is an indication of the anger and frustration, as is this e-mail I received from several people:

Subject: SOAP BOX
Salary of retired US Presidents ………….$180,000 FOR LIFE
Salary of House/Senate …………………..$174,000 FOR LIFE This is stupid
Salary of Speaker of the House ………….$223,500 FOR LIFE This is really stupid
Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders ……. $193,400 FOR LIFE Ditto last line
Average Salary of a teacher ………….. $40,065
Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN ……. $38,000

I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree ….. pass it on, I just did.

Nathan:  These numbers (per About.com) are actually NOT “For Life” as the e-mail claims, but are their annual salaries.  (FYI, the serving president (occupant of 1600 PA) gets $400,000 a year).  It still is stupid, and since more and more (examples: Byrd, Kennedy, Inouye) DO die in office, it is pretty much for life as long as people are STUPID enough to keep them in office. Now, I for one don’t see any reason to have ANYone deployed in Afghanistan any more, at $38K a year or not, and the salary of teachers should be the decision of the teacher and the students (or the parents of the students), but to say that we should be paying G.H.W.Bush (an independently wealthy man) this for all of four years in the White House, or his son (also independently wealthy) this for eight years in DC, or Bill Clinton (rich on the profits of corruption and more) this for 8 years in DC is just encouraging the worst of government.  Of course, I’ve grown more and more radical over the years about what Senators and Representatives should NOT be paid.  Seems to me that as far as retirement goes, a straight 401k plan is the ONLY logical way of doing it.  And NO match from “government” for whatever their contributions are.  However, this illustrates that people are getting fed up.

Mama’s Note: Indeed… but the amount paid for the rope that hangs you is hardly the most important issue. The fact that you are forced to pay for that rope is only a little more relevant. Unfortunately, the discussion often diverts gullible people into forgetting that they get HUNG in either case! Compared to all government spending, and ALL of it actively destroying both the culture of liberty and the economy, the amounts paid to the head thieves is probably really low on the list of things to worry about.

War on some drugs
Study: Fewer AZ teens smoking marijuana since medical legalization
(The Raw Story) “Fewer Arizona teens are trying marijuana since the state legalized the drug for medical uses, a study published recently by the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission revealed. In all, the study (PDF) found that 28.7 percent of students surveyed by the commission admitted to using marijuana at least once. The figure represents a minor drop from 29.9 percent in 2010. Medical marijuana legalization took effect in Arizona in 2011. The study goes on to note that about one in nine students who admitted to using the drug said they obtained it from a medical marijuana patient or caregiver who received the drug legally.” (01/03/13)

Nathan: What?  Is it no longer cool because of all the old fogies in the 40s and 50s taking it for their chemo-induced nausea?  Now 1/2 % isn’t much of a drop, but it IS a drop.  And remember that one of the strongest arguments used most frequently by the prohibitionists is that MMJ would ENCOURAGE and CAUSE an increase in juvenile consumption!

Congress in action – Theft by government
Pelosi, Van Hollen, Durbin: Americans Still Not Taxed Enough
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Yes, until they have it all – and pay out an allowance – then it will NOT be enough.  This is the more and more the common attitude: government LETS us keep some of the money we earn.  Profit is evil, and people are too stupid to spend their money wisely.

Congress in action – Self defense
Democratic Senator: WH Gun-Control Plans ‘Way in Extreme’
(CNSNews.com) Democrat Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) appeared on ABC’s This Week With George Stephanopoulos and said that while she believes everything should be on the table in talks about gun control, what she hears coming from the Obama White House is nothing less than “extreme.” See also.

Nathan: Unfortunately, this is a Democratic senator from North Dakota, which means much the same as a Republican ex-Senator from Nebraska:  who knows where they fall on what issue?  She thinks he is extreme, and he will try to “cut spending” by forcing North and South Dakota to merge, thus eliminating two senators and probably a congressman.  Smell that really raunchy stench?  That’s DC.

First Citizen’s minion-to-be – Congress in action
Hagel Nomination May Have Some Democrats Opposing Obama
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Apparently this Republican ex-Senator from Nebraska, despite being a combat (Nam era) vet is more in favor of Hamas than Israel (and has made it clear that he was NOT the “Senator from Israel” and is not beholden to the “Jewish Lobby.”)  So both some Dems and some GOP types oppose him.  Of course, other people who are equally fixated on the problem in Canaan and nearby areas are willing to overlook ANY of his faults because he appears to be Anti-Israeli or Anti-Jewish.  I figure that, like Bush, anyone nominated to ANYTHING by the present incumbent of 1600 PA is automatically demonstrated to be incompetent for the job and a danger to liberty, freedom, good public hygiene and your little sister’s virginity.  At least there is no chance of Barney Frank being appointed to replace his unfinished term in the Senate, as with John Kerry.

Theft by government – Welfare queens
Federal Food Stamp Program Spent Record $80.4B in FY 2012
(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: Supposedly there are about 50 million people on SNAP, so 80,400,000,000/ 50,000,000 means that each one of those starving, poor, disadvantaged people is getting supposedly $1,608 a year in free food from Uncle Sugar.  Except, of course, they are NOT – because there are a LOT of bureaucrats in charge of passing out those food stamps and doing all the paperwork that are getting $50K a year in salaries plus a bunch more in expenses (rent, utilities, government pens, computers and big flat-monitor screens and all the rest): they are the true welfare queens.  So the average food stamp recipient gets about $135.  Not even 1/10 of the cost of the program.  Guess who gets the money?

Crash of 2009 – Congress in action
Pelosi: Unemployment at 7.8% Shows ‘Good Pace, Going in the Right Direction’(CNSNews.com)

Nathan: But it DIDN’T CHANGE!  Even with all the manipulation the White House is doing, the “official” number didn’t change!  This isn’t the right direction – even IF the numbers were the truth, this is stagnation.

No self-defense
Police: Four women found dead in Tulsa, Okla., apartment
(NBC News)

San Francisco woman set on fire by her boyfriend, police say
(NBC News)

Mama’s Note: No indication any of them had the ability or made an effort to defend themselves.

Nathan:  Today, in our “feminist age” women (or is that womyn?) are supposed to be fully empowered and self-actualized and do everything for themselves – except, of course, protect themselves from violence and understand and deal with dependence on scumbags. Those things are wrong for ALL people, especially for women, or so our Tranzi would-be masters teach.  YES, we need to deal with violence, and the best way to deal with violence is to be prepared to deal with it – not pass laws that disarm victims and not promote mindsets that let victims BE victims.

Mama’s Note: Amen! Through what I write, and the self defense classes I teach, I’m doing my best to help people, women especially, understand that they are responsible for themselves, and to empower them to do something real about it.