The Government And Money…

One of the biggest issues here in the US, and probably all over the World right now is about money, taxes, and benefits in general. And with reason. Money is tight for everyone right now, be it an individual, a family, a city, state or the national government.

This is an issue we need to look at very closely. But the subject is a VERY touchy subject for many of the wrong reasons, as it deals with individuals and their goals.

This is were I see things as it deals with the US, my family and I…

First off, we need to start at the bottom and at the top of the structure concurrently. I will start here with the “top”, national government of the US, and work down to my family and finally me.

Having worked in the US Government initially in the US Army, and now as a Veterans Administration Employee (as well as one other position) I have seen how the US Government spends money and how small or big it is. Many aspects of our US government are WAY too large, while in a few they are way to small. We spend too much money on financing and looking at entitlement programs for individuals and “groups” (those groups beings social/racial/sexual) and in managing those programs once they are set up. Once we realize that EVERYONE is a human, and treat everyone the same, regardless of their race/creed/sexual preference, and get rid of a vast majority of the entitlement programs out there, our national budget will start (but not get there) to get under control. At the same time, because we are doing away with the programs, the size of the over reaching government will shrink. (Don’t worry, I’ll talk about jobs as well!)

The Government, at the top levels needs to start participating in the health and retirement programs, which probably should stay in place, just like their constituents are required to. And once they leave office, they should have the same benefits that would be given on the “civilian side”, meaning they don’t get their non-contributing pension when they leave, even if they served for only one or two terms. Speaking of terms, ALL positions in the US Government should be term limited, with no more than eight (8) years of service before moving on. Since the majority (ALL?) of the members of Congress are not farmers or active business people anymore, we need to do away with the long term breaks, which were set up to allow the original members to go back to their farms and plant, harvest, etc. They are paid full time salaries now, work full time like the rest of us. They should have the same leave (vacation) practices that the rest of the Government employees have. In just these steps, several millions of dollars are actually saved.

Our law making process needs to be looked at, and in many cases cut back on. Funding the “investigation” into laws that “protect the individual from themselves” needs to be cut out, and the emphasis should be on laws that protect the citizen from others. Removing laws that protect an individual from themselves (what they can eat, where they can get it, adults wearing seat belts (although I think every person should wear one, that should not be a law that requires monitoring, etc.), etc. should happen immediately. Laws should deal with protecting someone from someone else. Requiring children to wear seat belts makes since, as they do not have the reasoning capability to understand the dangers of not doing so. Laws on toy manufactures restricting what they can use in the production of toys that may harm kids makes since. This change in our law system will save even more money, and help focus the time spent on the floors of Congress being reviewed and in-acted.

There are some government organizations that do need to be increased in size. Our military as it makes since for readiness and ability to respond to US issues and, in a somewhat more limited fashion, global issues. Our intelligence agencies should be properly funded and staff to meet our need for proper intelligence for the safety of our nation. And laws should be review, rewritten and/or deleted to better focus on the national protection of citizens, more so than individual protections as it seems to currently be.

Now, how do we fund these things? First off, EVERYONE, individually, not business (more on them shortly), in every State of the US should be taxed the same. My recommendation is a flat 10% of gross income, across the board, for all income levels. Eliminate all the tax loopholes that are out there that stop people from getting breaks, which will reduce the need for such a large collection agency we call the IRS, reducing it’s size significantly, although not getting rid of it, as it has a valid function, allowing only charitable donations as a reduction of taxes up to 25% of the total tax paid. Tax should be done on gross income, before expenses. This is earned income, including on investments, etc. Once you earn it, you pay the taxes. If you reinvest that earnings, after taxes, be ready to pay taxes on the earnings that investment garnishes later! No deferment till you actually put it in your pocket, because when you invest it again, you put it in your pocket for a second before you re-invested it!

Business should be taxed at a flat rate of 10% as well, after operating expenses are deducted. Again, aside from operating expenses, get rid of all loopholes to reduce taxes. Public companies should pay their taxes BEFORE paying dividends, which should not count as operating expenses, but benefits to investors. Buying back stock is NOT an operating expense in this case either. However, assisting employees in medical expenses IS an operational expense!

With the reduction of Government jobs as outlined above, there will be some people “on the streets” without work. We need, as a nation, to get back to providing our own food. Farming needs to become an important business again, and that will require many hands and bodies to work the fields and make things grow. This will do several things. It will decrease, in the long run the cost of food. We need to open our own oil fields. This will further reduce the cost of food, while it helps reduce the cost of oil products as well. Both of these two endeavors will increase the need for labor pools. We need to get back to being the innovative nation we use to be, bringing our industries back within our shores and building things again, from the ground up!

All of this requires that we begin re-building our education system as well. Which will require more teachers, again more jobs. Our education system should get back to the basics, focus on the foundations of business and innovation, reading, math, history (to learn from past mistakes and good events), and social studies. It should include the arts: music and art, which should be MANDATORY up to a certain age, and start early to get the foundation there.

This nation was built on “faith” in God. That faith needs to come back as well. This will cause ripples, but it is fact, and should be looked at closely, as the departure of that faith has caused many of the problems we now see here in the states!

I STILL don’t get it…

Ok, when you go to any countries President/King/Queen/Religious Leaders/etc., you go in your “Sunday Best” as it use to be called. Well, everyone but the US sports teams of course… And possibly our President and his wife when they visit important people…

That said, Christians call God our King. So when we go to His house the Church, why are we no longer wearing our “Sunday Best”? Yes, I know, the important thing is to come to Church in the first place. I get that, and I understand that. BUT!! And that is a big BUT!!

But, you are going to visit and listen to your King. Wear your best cloths, even if they are not great, wear them. This normally doesn’t mean your rattiest shorts, beach flip flops, tank tops, holey blue jeans, etc. In today’s economy, at least here in the US, almost everyone has better cloths than what I just described.

When I was a child, in the 60s and 70s I don’t think I ever saw anyone go to Church in play cloths. Just today I saw someone at Church in her pajama bottoms and fluffy slippers! Yes, you read that right, in pajamas and slippers!! FLUFFY slippers!

Dressing down for God just doesn’t make since to me, although it shows to me further signs of secularization and further rot in our societies. Not a pretty sight in my eyes…

In Christ,

Don

A Special Post for a Friend, and an area in need!

Our FREE Plush Memories Lost Toy Search Service wants to help with the search for toys lost during the monster tornado outbreak in the South on April 27, 2011!!

We are lifelong Alabamians, and our hearts ache for all those in our state who were not as fortunate as we were. We praise God for his Mercy toward us. There are over 250 confirmed deaths in Alabama, and sadly more will be found in the rubble.

Alabamians are helping each other during this time of great need, as whole cities and towns have been demolished. Collection points are all over the place for people to bring bottled water, food, charcoal and grills, toiletries, diapers, formula, and other basic necessities.

There are too many organizations collecting relief donations to name them all, but since we’re Baptist, here’s the link to donate through the Baptist State Mission Board. The Salvation Army and many other charitable organizations are also busy helping with relief efforts across the South.

The time to help with clothing, furniture, and toys has not come yet, but it will soon, when life-saving needs are met. When that time comes, these surviving families are going to want to replace the special lovies that will help their little ones feel secure again.

This is where we can help, if people just find out about us. We’ve been helping people find lovies for almost 6 years now, and we have over 150 Fabulous Finders who help with the search for lovies, so PLEASE PASS THE WORD ALONG TO ANYONE WHO HAS FAMILY OR FRIENDS IN AN AREA STRUCK BY WEDNESDAY’S TORNADOES – WE WILL MAKE YOUR SEARCH A TOP PRIORITY!!!

Please tell people about us on your Facebook page, Twitter page, Forums, and other Social Networks you may belong to. Tell your friends and family, too.

Thanks so much all your help in spreading the word about us, so relatives of tornado survivors will have a source for finding that special lovie for the little ones who have been through this horrible disaster!

Then, when the power is restored and the South has healed enough for parents to start thinking about such things, they will know that we are here to help them replace those special lovies.

If we can help someone find a lost lovie, please CONTACT US.

Rosemary

Plush Memories Lost Toy Search Service

“But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:16 KJV

The Sabbath…

Many years ago, when I was a child, I wondered why the Bible showed us that the 7th day of the week was a Holy Day, but the Churches my family went to all had the “Holy Day” on Sunday, the 1st day of the week. I never understood it. I asked a minister when I was in my early twenties, why we went to Church on Sunday instead of Saturday as decreed by God in the Bible in giving us the 10 Commandments. The answers I was given didn’t ring right with me, and consisted of “We are celebrating the Resurrection of Christ”.

When Jesus was alive, He kept the Sabbath on Saturday. In fact, the second earliest document that states a change to Sunday was in 74AD for a few small groups, but the general exception of the Christian faith “moving” the Sabbath to Sunday was over 300 years after Jesus passed away. It was not founded on any comments in the Bible, or any such decree from God.

God clearly said that He was celebrating the completion of His work of Creation of the Universe and human kind. The Sabbath was given to all man to be the 7th day of the week, Saturday on the current calender, not Sunday. Why does the Catholic Church and most Protestant Churches celebrate on Sunday?

My research shows a few reasons for this:

The more I pray on this and the more I read the Bible, the more I feel compelled to follow the Commandments of God and take Saturday as the Sabbath. I am still Catholic, will still go to Sunday Mass (and soon to Mass every day with a change in my work schedule), but from sundown on Friday, till sundown on Saturday I will be refraining from work, reading the Bible, and meditating on Christ, the Bible and life. During this time frame, I will not be on my computer, will not be using the phone to check emails, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This does open Sunday to work, such as mowing the lawn as needed, and any other work I have been refraining from doing on Sunday. I feel confident this is what God has told us to do.

In Christ,

D.

Spring Time…

While there is still a bit over 6 weeks left to Winter, I feel the beginnings of Spring in the air. Spring is my most favorite time of the year, as I see more of God’s work each day in the re-blooming earth! I love the colors of Spring as the flowers bloom, the grass greens up, and the animals come out to play.

This Winter has been a cold and wet one, which will be good for the plants and grass, while it may been bad for some species of animals and some humans, it is a good thing to have a lot of snow in the Winter. It brings great nutrients to the ground, causing better growth in the new Spring.

This snow and cold SHOULD also have brought mankind closer to their neighbors. I have seen it in some cases, and missed it in other cases.

As we come into Spring, we will have rain and mud, which may cause even more problems. Now is the time to prepare for that, and to get ready to help your neighbors if they should need it!

2010 Goals in Review – 2011 Goals

Last year my goals for the year were:

Goal 1: Continue to loose body fat, and get my weight down to at least 210 this year.

Goal 2: Continue to live a life in God’s good graces and with God foremost in my mind.

Goal 3: To get Circular Wind Ryu and Hasumi Ryu Kendo up and running as strong, respected schools of Martial Arts in the US.

Goal 4: Get totally out of debt!

Goal 5: Find GOOD things to write here at least weekly, if not daily!

Results:

Goal 1: My body fat is down to 19, and my weight is down to 258. I’m not down to 210 yet, but I am getting there… Lost over 30 lbs this past year! And I have given up sodas (coke/etc), candy, and as of a week ago, except for deserts after dinner, and “special breakfasts”, I’ve given up most sweets in general. Not a 100% success, but good advances!

Goal 2: I continue to live a life of Christ, and am working on walking away from sin. This is a hard road to travel, but I am happy traveling it!

Goal 3: This goal has gone the way of the dodo birds. It isn’t happening, because I’m not focusing on it.

Goal 4: I have one bill left. It will take a while to finish this bill off, but I have done a great job of not getting new long term bills, or even mid term bills. My finances are finally getting in order!

Goal 5: Didn’t post weekly at all. Not good of me, but I hope I haven’t chased everyone off. I, with the help of a few others, did create a blog exchange where bloggers can read other peoples blogs in exchange for them reading the bloggers. (http://exposeyoublog.com) This has taken a lot of my time, which isn’t an excuse, but is part of why I didn’t post weekly or daily. I do have four blogs in play though… (http://www.tdbellenterprises.com/dbblog, http://www.circularwindryu.com/blog/, http://tdbellwatkins.blogspot.com, and http://donmbell.blogspot.com/)

Over all this has been a good year. I should have put more effort in the school, but focused on getting in better shape, loosing weight and other related issues.

So, what are my goals for 2011? They are:

Goal 1: Continue my process of getting down to 210 lbs, and a 10% body fat.

Goal 2: Work on shrinking my debt, and begin building my credit score at the same time. It is too low to make me happy.

Goal 3: Increase my religious studies and reading.

And there are a couple of private ones as well….

The New York Mosque – Part 2…

Ok, in an earlier post, I stated that legally we can’t stop the Mosque from being built in that location should they have the legally acquired funds to do so.

Now let me state where I stand on this issue:

There are currently roughly 20 Islamic Mosque within a two mile radius of this location, one just one or almost two blocks away from this desired location. Is the area that heavily populated by Muslims that each of those Mosque are overflowing and needing an new place to expand their worship? (If so, it is time to more loudly proclaim the Word of God as given to His people, as promised to Abraham.)

It is the history of the Islamic nation to build a Mosque in each area of importance that they “conquer” and it is even required in the Quran 018:21 states, in a rough translation, that those areas they conquer they are to erect a Mosque over that area. You see this in history in many places, but to name just three times, look in Jerusalem where they tore down the Temple built by the Jewish people and where now stands the Great Dome Mosque, then look to Damascus where there once was a great Orthodox Christian Cathedral, which is now an even greater Mosque, and finally look at Mecca, which was once a pagan holy ground and is now a VERY large High Holy Ground of the Islamic nation, one in which all males for sure, and all Muslims in general are required to go to at least once in their life time. In each case, these sites were once Christian or pagan holy places or icons and when destroyed, were replaced with a Mosque.

My fear here is that the Islamic Nation is now saying, we destroyed you here, and we are now building our Mosque to show ownership of this area. If you listen to Rauf’s comments in 2009, he called the location iconic to his faith, and now he wants to put a Mosque there. See where I am coming from?

The Muslim faith is a peaceful faith, provided you follow their laws and rules, but if you question them on their laws and rules, they will fight to the death or outright kill you. This is NOT the will of the One God we both pray to, Muslims through the family of Ishmael first born of Abraham, Christians through the family of Isaac and the Covenant given to Abraham through Isaac.

This Mosque is not needed, and is a bad sign for those not of the Muslim faith and a sign of conquering and success in the eyes of the Muslims, were there was no success, as we survived the attack and have kept them from doing more open attacks on our Nation, in our Nation. There was no success or conquering here in the US by the Islamic Nation.

NY Mosque Controversy…

While I am not overly happy that a Mosque is going to be built that close to a place that was destroyed, and in which many people were killed, by people claiming to be Muslim, I do feel that the right to purchase land, and build what you want there, be it religious or not, is your right. We should not be fighting this building, but rather, should be building a Christian Church across the street or in the same area with a “Rec area” as well. Have all faiths build a site there to bring faith back to the area.

I know this won’t sit well with many people, especially here in the US, but freedom of religion is a right given to us by our Constitution and something I hold close to my heart. Presuming that the owners are US Citizens, regardless of where they are getting the money to build it, that they are using local talent to build it, and they are obeying the laws of the US on the property, it is their right to do so.

Now, if we come to find that they are training terrorist there, or doing other illegal actions there, then the State should come in, close it down, confiscate it, if they legally can over the actions performed, and go from there.

Let’s all live in God, we appear to be praying to the same one, even if in different ways, and live in peace and love instead of in war!