Free Minds Wondering (March 2005)

• Congress wants to hold some hearings. For what reason you ask? Discuss ways to govern more efficiently? Cut wasteful government programs? Better protect us all from the threats of terrorism? Nope. Congress wants to hold hearings to clean up the steroid mess in Major League Baseball. I am so glad our legislators have their priorities straight.

• On a similar issue with government trying to put its nose where it doesn’t belong, Senator John McCain wants the government to mandate that your cable provider only gives you the channels you want in an effort to lower the price of cable. Thanks for looking out for me again John, but why not let the free market do its thing? Cable companies already have competition from satellite providers. If the cable companies continue to raise prices while the satellite companies hold prices steady, the cable companies will lose customers. I do agree with the senator that cable providers should give customers more options but I think that sooner or later, the cable/satellite providers will wise up and offer this choice on their own. The first company which does this will attract the most customers.

• A mere 3 to 4 weeks ago, Democrats were all singing the chorus “there is no Social Security crisis.” Now the Democrats say they will work with President Bush to reform Social Security if he takes private accounts off the table. If there is no Social Security crisis, why do Democrats want to fix Social Security?

• The Fair Tax movement seems to be picking up momentum. It has reasonably strong support among Republicans in the House and Senate, Alan Greenspan likes the idea in-principle and President Bush seems to be interested in this idea. I’m sold on most of the idea because the current income tax system is inherently unfair. As you make more and more money, the IRS takes more and more therefore punishing success. The Fair Tax would only tax consumer spending. No longer would saving money in IRA’s and 401K’s or any other investment vehicle be taxed. The only part that I have some reservations about is that people below the poverty line would pay absolutely no taxes. Everyone should pay some taxes because we all have a stake in how the government spends taxes. Those who are not taxed would benefit from the government handouts while contributing nothing. This objection aside, on balance it is a much better system than we have now and I urge all of my readers to study it and write their congressmen to make the Fair Tax a reality.

• This abuse of eminent domain has got to stop; if only we were all as exercised about this issue as we seem to be, to the point of amending the constitution, on gay marriage. State and city governments across the country are taking property from citizens and transferring that property to other citizens because the new development ‘serves the public interest’ meaning the government can acquire higher property taxes. It is about time we all took a stand for property rights. You may not care so much about this issue now but be warned: if the government can take someone else’s home, yours could be next.

• Are you angry about the price of gas lately? Before you start spinning your Michael Moore conspiracy theories about the Bush family ties to the Saudi Royal family, remember this: four years ago we had the opportunity to drill in ANWR. Had this oil exploration been allowed to move forward, OPEC would not have quite as much of a death-grip as it does now on our economy and our national security. If anyone is to blame it is the radical environmentalist movement and those in congress who genuflected to them. Independence from foreign oil would be a boon for our economy and would give our leaders another free hand to fight the war on terror. Between the caribou and our national security, national security must take priority.

• With all of this coverage on Michael Jackson and Martha Stuart, is it any wonder the public is looking to alternative news sources such as talk radio an the bloggosphere?

• I’ve added 2 BLOGs to my roll that I think you will enjoy. The writing for both are superb: Eric Cowperthwaite’s BLOG, Eric’s Random Musings and Brad’s The Unrepentant Individual. Tell them I sent you!