Gas Prices

May 4th, 2011 was the day that I paid $3.99 a gallon for 87 octane gasoline. This was the most I had ever paid for a gallon of gasoline. The president of the United States was Barack Obama and the Vice-President was Joe Biden.

After this the price of gas declined a little, but then about 10 months later in March of 2012, the price increased to $3.99 a gallon again, but didn't break the $4.00 mark (at least in my area).

Here we are about 10 years later in March of 2022, after relatively low inflation and stable gas prices for at least 4 years, the price of 87 octane shoots up to a new record of $4.29 a gallon.

For those of you who don't pay attention to the news, the current president is none other than Joe Biden who basically campaigned on no more drilling on federal lands, including offshore drilling. So there you have it, in the words of the Vice-President Kamala Harris the voters "got what they asked for."

Letter to Rep Struzzi

Below is an email that I sent to Representative Struzzi regarding the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement law that will be implemented.



Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement

I can't imagine that this program will be upheld in the court system. There is no way to prove who was driving, so why should the owner of the car be penalized? Other states have done similar programs like this and the courts do not uphold the tickets.

Let's make no mistake about this program, it is not about saving lives, it is about making money.

Part of the reason why people speed through work zones is because they have traffic blocked off for months at a time when there is absolutely no work being done on the road.

A good example of this was 119 through Indiana (286 to 422) last summer. It was coned off for about 4 months and they only worked on it for maybe 2 weeks.

Make a law that says once they start a road project they need to work on it 24 hours a day until it is completed. 

Letter to Government Officials regarding Health Care

The letter below was sent to the following government officials:

• President Trump
• Senators Grassley, Casey, and Toomey
• Representative Thompson
• Governor Wolf
• State Representatives Struzzi and White

Our healthcare system is corrupted and needs to be fixed. Please make this a priority on the legislative agenda.

In August of 2018, I went to my doctor and she ordered routine blood work for me to have done. A few days later I went to the Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) to have the lab work done. At the time, IRMC said insurance would not pay for it because it wasn't coded correctly. IRMC told me they would contact my doctor and have them recode the order and it should be fine.

Approximately six weeks later I get a bill from IRMC in the amount of $161.62. I contacted IRMC and they said insurance did not pay for the entire amount and I needed to pay the rest. I contacted the insurance company and they said that part of the blood work was not covered because I am healthy. I contacted the doctor's office and they said it is all routine blood work that gets done and should be covered.

IRMC blamed the insurance. The insurance blamed the doctor's office. The doctor's office said there was nothing they could do because they are part of a different hospital group. Finally, at the end of November I gave up and just paid the bill. I made it clear to IRMC, my doctor's office, and the insurance company that I will no longer be participating in wellness type visits. All of my care will now go through Urgentcare or Emergency room care visits, which will ultimately cost the insurance company more than if they would just cover routine care.

But here is where the true corruption lies:
IRMC billed the insurance for $340.
Insurance paid $46.08.
I paid $161.62.
The discounted insurance rate was apparently equal to $132.30.

However, the ultimate corruption is in the fact that I could have just walked in off the street with no doctor's order and requested the lab work for $40 at IRMC.

So, how much does this routine blood work really cost? $340 as billed by IRMC? $207.70 as paid for by myself and the insurance? Or $40 if I just walk in to the lab and request the blood work? Even better, I found out that my employer is now providing a free wellness blood work program sponsored by non other than IRMC! Truly amazing and corrupted. I would be interested to hear Stephen Wolfe, the President and CEO of IRMC who makes over $500,000 a year, try to explain this to me or other people trying to make sense of the healthcare system.

Once again, our healthcare system is corrupted and needs fixed. Please make this a priority on the legislative agenda in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Wolf Line Item Veto's PA Budget

Today, Gov. Wolf line item vetoed the PA budget and blamed the Republicans in the house for the problem. Here is an email a sent to Wolf.

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I just watched your line item veto of the 15-16 budget and wanted to let you know that the legislature is doing their job. The people of Pennsylvania do not want your tax increases.

Furthermore, it was very nice of you to release the Federal Funds for school districts, which you had no right to hold anyway.

My next emails and phone calls will be going to Dave Reed and Don White to tell them to stay strong and fight for the future of Pennsylvania.

Looking forward to the next gubernatorial election.

PA State Budget

As most Pennsylvania's know, the state budget is way overdue. It looks like the Republicans are going to give into the Governor and raise sales or income taxes without addressing property taxes.

Please contact your local representatives now and tell them we need property tax reform now!

Here is the letter I sent to my reps.

Please do not increase taxes (income or sales) for school districts WITHOUT capping or eliminating property taxes!

Don't cave to the Governor's tax and spend liberal demands. He is wrong and bad for Pennsylvania.

Thank you

Response from Rep. White

I knew when (if) I got a response from Representative Don White it would not be supporting my position. Rep. White is a cosponsor of the legislation that will raise the gas tax for Pennsylvanians. For whatever reason he does not e-mail. He chooses to use the postal service with his fancy bonded letterhead. It seems to me, that is just another waste of taxpayer money.

Response from Rep. Reed

Below is the response I received from our local PA Representaive Dave Reed regarding my email to him about the gas tax. I wonder what other states do to finance their roads and infrastructure?

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Wesley –

Thank you very much for your follow-up e-mail to our town hall meeting with your support for fixing our roads and bridges as well as your opposition to raising the gasoline tax.  I certainly agree that before any fees or taxes are raised that more efficiencies should be implemented within government and especially within the Department of Transportation.  Do you have any thoughts or ideas on how the additional dollars to fund such upgrades should be raised once such efficiencies are enacted?  I am more than open to any suggestions you may have since the maintenance of our infrastructure is a core function of government as well as one of proper places for government to invest in supporting our free market economy.

Thanks,
Dave

Gas Tax

Here is a quick email I sent to our local representatives for the PA House and Senate regarding the Governor's proposal to raise the gasoline tax in Pennsylvania. If the Governor gets his wishes, Pennsylvania will have the most expensive gas in the continental United States.

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The idea of raising the tax on gasoline has been floating around Harrisburg. This is not something we need. I do not support increasing the tax on gasoline. Yes, we need funding for transportation, but we cannot continue to throw money at the inefficiencies and corruption of government. Thank you
Wes

Response from the White House

Below is the response I received from the White House regarding my email after the election.

Dear Wesley:

Thank you for sharing your perspective.  I appreciate your taking the time to offer your comments on the issues facing our Nation.

My Administration will continue to take bold action to move our country forward and secure a brighter future for our children and grandchildren.  In our democracy, each of us has our own opinions and deeply held beliefs, and it is not necessary for everyone to always agree.  But in the days and months ahead, we must all remain engaged and committed to work together as we build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous America.  

To learn more about my Administration or to contact me in the future, please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov.  Thank you, again, for writing.

Sincerely,

Barack Obama

Response from Sen. Casey #3

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with your thoughts and concerns about the national debt.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I understand you are concerned about the health of the American economy and our national debt.  I share these concerns.  Despite a balanced budget as recently as 2001, the budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year was $1.1 trillion.  Two wars, unpaid-for tax cuts for the rich and other policies have put us on a path that is unsustainable.  In addition, the economic recession has triggered increased federal spending on social safety net programs such as unemployment insurance and food stamps, as well as decreased revenues as millions of Americans have been thrown out of work.

 

Economists agree the most significant factor in any Nation’s budget outlook is the strength of its economy.  Unfortunately, nearly 13.1 million people in the United States are unemployed, including 530,000  in Pennsylvania.  Therefore, we must continue efforts to boost job creation while simultaneously exercising greater fiscal responsibility.  It is critical that the 112th Congress works in a bipartisan fashion to reduce the deficit in a manner that does not hamper the economic recovery or place unfair burdens on hard-working Pennsylvania families.

 

As required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 enacted in August, leaders in both chambers appointed twelve members of Congress to the bipartisan Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.  This committee was responsible for identifying $1.5 trillion in spending cuts by November 23, 2011, and failed to do so.  Since they failed to reach an agreement, automatic across-the-board spending cuts of at least $1.2 trillion will go into effect beginning in January 2013.  Generally, the spending reductions will be made equally from defense spending and from all other spending.

 

Cutting spending and reducing the deficit is vital to our long-term economic security.  It is also what families across Pennsylvania and across the country are doing in these hard fiscal times: making tough choices about what is important.  I have supported a trillion dollars in spending cuts, and I am disappointed that the members of the supercommittee could not come together to reach agreement to further cut spending and reduce the deficit.  

 

We need to move forward immediately to create jobs and grow the economy.  There was a welcome example of bipartisanship when a bill that I cosponsored to provide tax incentives for companies to hire unemployed veterans was signed into law in last November. The Senate also passed another bipartisan measure which I championed, that would crack down on China’s currency manipulation.  Bills like these are the kind of commonsense measures that we need to protect Pennsylvania’s workers, create jobs and get the economy back on track.  Congress should continue pass other job creation measures, like the effort I have been leading to pass legislation to provide tax incentives to companies to hire workers.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #2

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding proposed changes to military benefits.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

I have the deepest respect and gratitude for American servicemembers and their contributions to our national security.  Our brave men and women make incredible sacrifices so that we may live in peace and safety here at home, and I believe strongly that the U.S. government should support our servicemembers even in times of fiscal restraint.  As your United States Senator, I have consistently advocated for fair compensation for American military personnel.  

 

In the past year, I have introduced, cosponsored and voted for a variety of legislation in support of our active and retired servicemembers and their families.

 

Helping Veterans Transition to Civilian Life

 

· S. 1104, the Veteran Transition Assistance Program Audit Act of 2011, which would improve the effectiveness of programs that provide job training, benefits and transitional services to veterans.

· S. 951, the Hiring Heroes Act of 2011, which would provide the job skills training that veterans and severely injured members of the Armed Forces need when entering the workforce.

· S. 1540, the Help Veterans Own Franchises Act, which would provide a business-related tax credit for a percentage of the fees incurred by a veteran for the purchase of a franchise.

· S. 411, the Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011, which would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to collaborate with state or local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to expand and improve housing services and related outreach for veterans.

· S. 745, a bill to protect certain veterans who would otherwise be subject to a reduction in educational assistance benefits.

 

Improving Mental and Physical Health Services for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S.AMDT. 1253, which would allow members of the reserve components to continue to receive pay, benefits and reintegration services such as physical and mental health evaluations following an extended deployment.

· S. Res. 202 and S. Res. 455, designating June 27, 2011, and June 27, 2012, respectively, as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Day.”

· S. 1018, the Defense Sexual Trauma Response Oversight and Good Governance Act, which would increase the number of full-time Sexual Assault Response Coordinators and Victim Advocates within military units, provide for the inclusion of sexual assault prevention and response training in professional military education and first responder courses, and entitle all members of the Armed Forces and their dependents who are victims of sexual assault to legal assistance and confidentiality.

· S. 1798, the Open Burn Pit Registry Act of 2011, which would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish an open burn pit registry to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces who may have been exposed to toxic chemicals caused by open burn pits while deployed are able to obtain information regarding this exposure.

· S. 1629, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011, which would extend presumptive coverage for herbicide-related medical conditions to certain Vietnam veterans, called blue water veterans, who served up to 12 miles off shore.

 

Ensuring Fair Compensation for Servicemembers and Veterans

 

· S. 855, the Pay Our Troops Act, and S. 724, the Ensuring Pay for Our Military Act, both of which would guarantee that service members receive their pay and allowances in the event of a government shutdown.

· S. 344, the Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2011, which allows service-disabled veterans to collect both military retired pay and disability compensation.

· S. 260, a bill to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation.

· S. 2112, the Space-Available Act of 2012, which authorizes transportation on military aircraft for active duty, reserve, and retired members of the Armed Forces and their dependents on a space-available basis.

 

Supporting Military Families

 

· S. 697, the Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 2011, which would provide a tax credit to servicemembers’ spouses to ease the heavy burden placed on our military families when they are required to move across state lines.

· S. 842, the Military Spouse Employment Programs Evaluation Act, which would require the Department of Defense to report annually on the results of military spouse employment programs (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Supporting the National Guard and Reserve Component

 

· S. 3354, the Transition Assistance Advisor Act, which would create a Transition Assistance Advisor program to assist members of the National Guard in each state in accessing benefits and health care, discovering employment and educational opportunities, and obtaining information on other services available to members of the National Guard and their families from federal, state, and local agencies;

· S. 866, the Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act, which would allow servicemembers to collect retirement pay three months sooner than the sixty year eligibility age for each ninety days of active duty performed in two consecutive fiscal years.

· S. 1025, the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of  2011, which would promote the Chief of the National Guard Bureau to a position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, enhance the National Guard’s capacity to prepare for and respond to domestic emergencies, and authorize funding for the State Partnership Program (became law as part of the NDAA for 2012).

 

Recognizing Veterans’ Service

 

· S. 1348, the Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act, which would direct the President to issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation.

 

Finally, I have consistently voted in favor of pay raises for servicemembers.  For a compilation of resources available to servicemembers and veterans, please visit my website.

 

The Department of Defense (DOD) is under intense pressure to reduce its expenditures.  In January 2012, the DOD released a proposal to reduce future spending by $487 billion over the next decade, as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.  This proposal includes general recommendations for changes to military personnel policies.  In February, the Obama Administration released its budget request for the 2013 fiscal year, which outlines specific proposals for changes to the military’s compensation, health care and retirement systems.  Although military compensation currently accounts for approximately one third of the DOD’s budget, the administration’s proposal would derive only about ten percent of the required spending cuts from  these programs.  The Administration’s budget request has not yet been debated through the appropriations process in the Senate.

 

Military Pay

 

The Department of Defense’s budget request does not propose pay cuts for military personnel.  In 2013 and 2014, the DOD proposes increases in basic pay of 1.7 percent per year, equivalent to the Employment Cost Index and similar to the expected growth of pay in the private sector.  In an effort to control costs, the rate of pay increases would decrease gradually beginning in January 2015.  The budget request also proposes that the basic allowance for housing (BAH) and the basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) be increased annually beginning in January 2013 based on a “by location” housing market analysis and a food cost index, respectively.  The average increases in 2013 are expected to be 4.2 percent for the BAH and 3.4 percent for the BAS.

 

Military Health Care

 

The military’s budget for health care for servicemembers, retirees and their dependents exceeded $50 billion in 2011, amounting to nearly ten percent of total defense spending.  This is partially attributable to the increase in eligible beneficiaries and the expansion of care over the past several years.  In addition, the amount that beneficiaries pay for Tricare has not kept pace with the costs of care, as healthcare costs in both the military and civilian sectors have increased more rapidly than overall inflation.  

 

In order to reduce the growth of military health care costs while maintaining benefits, the DOD has examined several changes to the military’s health care system.  According to the DOD, these proposed changes would not affect active-duty servicemembers or their families.  In addition, medically retired servicemembers and survivors of those who died on active duty would be exempted from all proposed changes.  

 

· Tricare: Under the proposed changes, military retirees under age 65 would pay additional enrollment fees to participate in the Tricare program.  The DOD has proposed a tiered approach to fees based on retired pay, under which senior-grade retirees would pay more than junior-grade retirees.  All retirees would continue to pay lower fees than comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare-For-Life: Military retirees ages 65 and older would pay a new enrollment fee to participate in the Tricare-for-Life program.  The same tiered approach proposed for Tricare would be used for Tricare-for-Life.  The resulting fees would be well below comparable civilian equivalents.

· Tricare Prescription Drug Plan: Tricare beneficiaries would be encouraged to use generic medications and mail-order prescription services through increased pharmacy co-pays.  

 

On May 24, 2012, the Senate Committee on Armed Services passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2013.  This bill does not authorize the establishment of enrollment fees for Tricare Standard or Tricare-for-Life.  Please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind when the NDAA comes before the full Senate for consideration.

 

Military Retirement

 

Rather than proposing specific changes to the military retirement system in its 2013 budget request, the DOD requests that Congress create a commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the military retirement system within the context of overall military compensation.  The proposed commission would determine whether there are cost-effective changes that should be made to the current military retirement system.  The DOD recommends that all current military personnel and veterans be grandfathered into the existing system — that is, any changes to retirement benefits would affect only future recruits.  

 

I am gravely concerned about any proposal that would reduce retirement compensation for our servicemembers.  Our servicemembers and their families make enormous sacrifices, and our Nation is committed to supporting them after they have completed their service.  The current military retirement system is also an important incentive for the recruitment and retention of servicemembers, and changes to this system may undermine the future of our Nation’s all-volunteer force.  For these reasons, in 2011 I sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, urging him not to undertake any detrimental changes or reductions in military retirement system.  I also wrote a Letter to the Editor of the New York Times, available here, emphasizing the sacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families and the importance of upholding our commitment to them.  

 

Based on the administration’s request, the current Senate version of the NDAA for FY 2013 bill would establish a Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission “to review elements of military compensation and retirement benefits to ensure the long-term viability of the All-Volunteer Force, enable a high quality of life for military families, and to modernize and achieve sustainability of the compensation and retirement systems, while grandfathering current service members and retirees.”  The bill is currently under consideration by the full Senate.

 

I understand that some of the proposed changes to military compensation, health care and retirement benefits would have a significant impact on our retired servicemembers and their families.  As your United States Senator, I believe strongly that we must not balance the budget on the backs of American servicemembers and their families.  As the Senate considers reductions in defense spending, I will work to identify areas in which spending can be reduced without compromising our national security or undermining our commitment to our servicemembers.  

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  When the NDAA or other legislation regarding changes to military benefits comes before the full Senate for consideration, please be assured that I will have your concerns in mind.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Response from Sen. Casey #1

Dear Mr. Matthews:

 

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about abortion.  I appreciate hearing from you about this issue.

 

As you know, I was elected to the United States Senate as a pro-life candidate.  I believe that life begins at conception, and that the role of government is to protect, enrich and value life for everyone, at every moment, from beginning to end.  These principles guide my actions as a public official.  I will work in the Senate toward the goal of reducing the number of abortions by targeting the underlying factors that often lead women to have abortions.  I will also continue to work within my party to ensure that both political parties are welcoming and open to such initiatives.

 

We cannot say we are pro-life without providing support to women who choose to carry their pregnancies to term.  That is why I was proud to reintroduce the Pregnant Women Support Act on May 13, 2009.  Many women who face an unplanned pregnancy do so with little or no support.  Under such circumstances, the decision to continue a pregnancy can seem overwhelming.  The Pregnant Women Support Act offers common ground on how we can reduce abortions by offering pregnant women real and genuine alternatives.  More than anything, this bill is about helping women who are pregnant.  It provides pregnant women more information, better medical care and stronger support during their pregnancies.  It strengthens existing programs and adds new ones that support both mother and child after the baby is born.

 

I am pleased that all the major provisions of the Pregnant Women Support Act were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health care reform bill that became law on March 23, 2010.  Please be assured that I will continue to advocate for resources and support for pregnant and parenting teens and young women.

 

Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

 

For more information on this or other issues, I encourage you to visit my website, http://casey.senate.gov.  I hope you will find this online office a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania..

 

Sincerely,

Bob Casey

United States Senator

Letter to Senator Casey

Dear Senator Casey:

Congratulations on your recent election victory.

Some of the pressing items we are facing today are: elevated levels of unemployment, unprecedented debt levels, the breakdown of the family structure, threats from other countries, destroying our future by aborting our children, dramatic rise in government assistance, drastic cost increases with healthcare, burdensome taxes and many more items that will eventually lead to the downfall of America as we know it if left unchecked.

Here are some ideas to help redirect the country:

1. Our family structure is dissolving. Historically, this has led to the downfall of many countries. We need to defend and support marriage between one man and one women. We need to stop destroying our future generation by using abortion as a form of birth control.

2. Our government spending is out of control. Many people, mostly from the Democratic party, do not believe we have a spending problem, rather we have a revenue problem. They believe the wealthy are not paying their fair share of taxes. One of the quickest and easiest ways to generate revenue and raise taxes on the wealthy is to remove the cap on social security wages. Why stop the social security tax at $110,100? Remove the cap and the wealthy will have higher taxes and this will also help secure social security for years to come. We don't need national health insurance, but we do need affordable health care. People need to take responsibility for their actions. People should not be given handouts, they should be given incentives to get back to work. They should be trained to do a job, rather than given money to sit at home, watch television, smoke cigarettes, and drink beer.

3. We need to protect our nation from other countries. We need to secure our borders. We need to pay attention and act upon any information about threats that we receive. We also need to continue to support our military, not just while they are deployed, but when they return as well. We need to truly be "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Letter to the President

Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your recent election victory. As I am sure you are aware, even though you can't publicly admit it, the state of our union is not good.

Some of the pressing items we are facing today are: elevated levels of unemployment, unprecedented debt levels, the breakdown of the family structure, threats from other countries, destroying our future by aborting our children, dramatic rise in government assistance, drastic cost increases with healthcare, burdensome taxes and many more items that will eventually lead to the downfall of America as we know it if left unchecked.

Now is the time to make a change. Now is the time to step up and be the leader that brings America back on track to independence and prosperity. Don't push the blame onto others, you are the President, you are the leader of what I and many others believe to be the greatest nation on this planet.

Here are some ideas to help redirect the country:

1. Our family structure is dissolving. Historically, this has led to the downfall of many nations. We need to defend and support marriage between one man and one women. We need to stop destroying our future generation by using abortion as a form of birth control.

2. Our government spending is out of control. You have said that we have a revenue problem, not a spending problem. You have said you want to increase taxes on the wealthy. One of the quickest and easiest ways to do this is to remove the cap on social security wages. Why stop the social security tax at $110,100? Remove the cap and the wealthy will have higher taxes and this will also help secure social security for years to come. We don't need national health insurance, but we do need affordable health care. People need to take responsibility for their actions. People should not be given handouts, they should be given incentives to get back to work. They should be trained to do a job, rather than given money to sit at home, watch television, smoke cigarettes, and drink beer.

3. We need to protect our nation from other countries. We need to secure our borders. We need to pay attention and act upon any information about threats that we receive. We also need to continue to support our military, not just while they are deployed, but when they return as well. We need to truly be "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Gas Prices

3/29/12 - Tied for the highest gas prices ever paid.

$3.99 per gallon on 5/4/11 and 3/29/12.

On 5/4/11 I actually paid $3.99 per gallon. On 3/29/12, I only paid $3.96 per gallon due to the Sheetz discount card.

Job Creation

Okay, when you're done listening to all the blathering by the media, the "experts", and the politicians about job creation read this.

There is only one way for the government to "create" jobs. That way is to take taxpayer money and just make up jobs and projects. In other words spend it. Yes, that's right, take money from those that are earning it and give it to those that are currently not earning it! What does that sound like to you?

Sure, the government can pass laws that can encourage or dampen job creation by businesses, but these laws cannot create jobs. It is as simple as that!

Book Review

A Simple Government by Mike Huckabee

This book is Mike Huckabee's version of what the government should be like. In each chapter, he briefly describes one aspect of what the government should or shouldn't do. The majority of his ideas are nothing new or groundbreaking.

The basic concept is the federal government should do what the constitution says it should do, namely unify the states and protect the borders.

Here are some of the ideas that he covers in various chapters:

• family values
• local vs federal government
• control spending and limit debt
• simple and fair taxation system (based up national sales tax)
• responsible healthcare (meaning take care of yourself)
• improve education (focus on students)
• take responsibility of the environment
• immigration reform
• be tough on terrorism
• effective military strength
• strengthen our global image
• focus on the values of our founding fathers

Overall, this book's timing seemed more like a preparation for the run to the whitehouse. If you are interested in Huckabee's thoughts and what his governing style could be like then check out the book. Otherwise, you can probably skip it.

Revenue Problem or Expenditure Problem

I have heard multiple people (all belonging to the Democratic party) say that we don't have a spending problem, we have a revenue problem. This means the government is spending the right amount of money, it's the taxpayers who aren't giving the government enough.

We'll I'm not going to argue with them anymore. I will simply refer them to the Financial Management Service division of the Treasury website.

Here is what it says in case you don't feel like clicking on the link.

Gifts to the United States Government

How do I make a contribution to the U.S. government?

Citizens who wish to make a general donation to the U.S. government may send contributions to a specific account called "Gifts to the United States." This account was established in 1843 to accept gifts, such as bequests, from individuals wishing to express their patriotism to the United States. Money deposited into this account is for general use by the federal government and can be available for budget needs. These contributions are considered an unconditional gift to the government. Financial gifts can be made by check or money order payable to the United States Treasury and mailed to the address below.

Gifts to the United States
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Credit Accounting Branch
3700 East-West Highway, Room 622D
Hyattsville, MD 20782

There you have it. Anybody that thinks the government has a revenue problem can make a contribution to the government to help alleviate the situation!

Just my thoughts for today!

Cut in Social Security Rate

As most people are aware by now the government decided to cut the employee portion of social security by 2%. This sounds like good news for employees (although long term this will be disastrous for Social Security). More money in our paychecks right?

Here is an example:
A paycheck of $1500 would have about $93 taken out for Social Security (FICA) in 2010. For 2011 the amount is reduced to $63, a savings of $30. Thank you Mr. President and Congressmen.

But wait. That isn't how much of a savings you'll have because the tax tables have changed. So let's look at that scenario.

Same $1500 paycheck (assume withholding of Married - 1 exemption). In 2010, about $5 would be withheld from your paycheck. For 2011 the tax tables show a withholding of $53 or a difference of $48.

So to recap. The government lowered your taxes by $30 then raised your taxes by $48 for a difference of a tax raise of $18!

Again, I say thank you for the wonderful tax cut Mr. President and Congressmen! I can't wait to not spend the $18 I won't have!

It is true what they say, the Republicans come up with some bad ideas and the Democrats somehow make them worse!

Election 2010 - Update

In my last post, I was unable to make really any recommendations because all of the candidates are no good for Pennsylvania.

On Saturday, I received information from the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (this is the political group for our energy supplier, REA).

They too could not make a recommendation for:
Governor
US Senate
US Representative

But they did also recommended Dave Reed.

I will say it again, Pennsylvania is in trouble!