Taxes

It is a blessing to live in the United States of America and to be an American citizen.  We have a better life than most other people who live elsewhere.  It is reasonable that we pay fair taxes, to provide what is needed to help sustain our way of life.  Our taxes are set by our elected representatives, and it is a duty and a privilege to pay taxes.

When I was a kid, I had a paper route.  My mother was a widow.  She couldn’t afford to buy me a car or give me spending money.  The paper I worked for helped me to save some of the money I earned, and that is how I got my first car.  It was older, but it was in good condition.  Some of the other kids’ parents bought their cars for them; nicer cars, too.  They usually didn’t treat their cars as well as I treated mine.  It took a lot of delivering papers in the summer heat and winter snow to buy my car, and I had an investment in keeping it nice.  I knew that there was no way to fix it or replace it if I tore it up, because we didn’t have the money.

A side benefit of paying taxes is that it gives us a sense of ownership in our community and nation, a feeling of being useful and productive, and a stake in the outcomes of government policies. (Luke 12:34) I feel that each adult American citizen should pay taxes. Our most important duty is to God and His kingdom, however, we owe our fair share of taxes to the support of our country. (Luke 20:20-25)

We all pay sales taxes, property taxes, gasoline taxes, and so on. However, some people do not pay income taxes; either because they are lower income, or because they are rich enough to hire experts to help them avoid paying.  I think each adult who earns money in the United States should pay a minimum income tax of $100.00 for most of us, and $10,000.00 for those with incomes over $250,000.00 per year; regardless of how the deductions, exemptions, loop holes and so on play out.  No one should be refunded money that they did not pay in.

I would be happier to pay taxes if tax preparation was simpler. I seem to recall being told in college that, when the income tax amendment was passed, Americans were promised that filing their tax returns would never become so complicated that they would need professional help to do it.  (I think we were similarly promised that our social security number would never be used as a general identification number.)  Well, I prepare my own tax return every year, without professional help, however, I need professional (psychiatric) help after I am finished.

I expect the government to spend our tax money for the public benefit in accordance with the limits of government established in the constitution.  I expect the government to be careful not to waste my tax dollars.  Lastly, I want no public money, at any level of government, to be spent on providing abortions; here or abroad.

Warning

The big shots in Washington, D. C. are all calling each other liars, criminals and traitors.  They are all correct.

To paraphrase Donald Trump, the press is corrupt, deceitful, and dishonest.  I certainly will not dispute that, either.

On his TV show, last night Hal Lindsey spoke of what God has told us in the Bible:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be

lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive,

disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,

slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous,

rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God – having a

form of godliness but denying its power. (2Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)

Please pray with me:

Precious Lord Jesus, I see some of these things in myself.  I am sorry for

The way I have been living.  I turn away from my sinful way of life. I don’t

want to live that way anymore. Please save me.  Please fill me with your

Holy Spirit, and help me to surrender my life completely to you and your

will, so that I can become more like Jesus every day.  When you come in

the Rapture to call all believers to be with you, Lord Jesus, let me be

included with those who are called; and my whole family with me.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen

Those who see the truth here, please act now.  Tomorrow is not promised to any of us.

"Not My President's Day"

I have made no secret of the fact that when he was President I disagreed with almost every thing that Barack Obama said and everything that he did.  One of the few statements he made that I agreed with was, "Elections have consequences."

However, I never disrespected the Office of the President.  I recognized that Mr. Obama was the duly elected President of the United States.  Elections have consequences, and in a constitutional republic like ours you live with the results of our elections until the next one.

If you have read my previous posts, you know that I have misgivings about President Trump.  I have been clear, however, that I agree with him on most of the issues, and you should know that I think he has done a lot better, so far, than I expected.

President's Day is a holiday during which we remember George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on the occasion of their birthdays.  These days it is common to remember other great presidents as well.  It is disrespectful to the Office of the President to twist the meaning of the holiday for political purposes to protest a duly elected President of the United States.

I respect the right of citizens to peacefully assemble, speak freely, and to petition their government.  During a time when soldiers were often scorned; I served.  I did it to defend the rights guaranteed to us by the constitution.

I know those of you who took part in "Not My President's Day" think you are in the right, but the way you are expressing your opposition to President Trump is wrong.  As we used to say in the Army, if you can't respect the man respect the rank.  Elections have consequences.

Riches

We Americans have more individual freedom than the citizens of most other countries.  We have a higher standard of living than many people in other parts of the world.  Most people in the poorer countries would consider even the poorest of us wealthy.  There is nothing new in saying this, and most of us would agree to it.

President Trump says that he wants to, “Make America great again.”  Certainly, there is still a lot of room for improvement in our circumstances; especially after eight years of Progressive government under President Obama.  We all hope that “The high tide raises all boats.” and that all Americans will benefit from a better economy.

However, we will not be saved by wealth; as individuals or as a nation.  We need a strong military, but even then we are still vulnerable.  Only God can preserve our country and continue our existence as a free and prosperous people.  Fellow Americans, please place your trust in God, and not in earthly things.

Jesus gave us the following teaching:

Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. (Luke 12:15 NIV)

The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop.  He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do?  I have no place to store my crops.’

     Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do.  I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.  And I’ll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years.  Take life easy; eat, drink, and be merry.'

     But God said to him, ‘You fool!  This very night your life will be demanded of you.  Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself.’ (Luke 12:16-20 NIV)

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Luke 12:29-31 NIV)

No servant can serve two masters.  Either he will love one and hate the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money. (Luke 16:13 NIV)

Paul instructed Timothy:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. (1Timothy 6:17 NIV)

Travel Restrictions

In the United States, we are very sheltered.  Excepting those who have actually been to the Middle East, it is very difficult for many Americans to understand what things are like there.  One of the most challenging things for people is to understand something that is totally outside their life experience.

I have not personally been to the Middle East or to East Asia.  I have friends and relatives who have served there.  When I was in the Army in Europe (early 1970’s), I had the opportunity to supervise civilian workers on a small military base who were from North Africa.  I read and listen to news broadcasts to stay informed about current events.  I monitor the opinions of informed persons that I respect.  My religious beliefs originated in the Middle East, and I have become somewhat familiar with the History of the area.

Clearly, I am not an expert.  However, I think I have done what a reasonable person would consider to be enough inquiry and observation to have informed opinions.  I will leave it to the reader to decide whether the conclusions I have drawn from the available information are correct.

To touch on a couple of perceptions, I think that in some parts of The Middle East and East Asia human life is not held in the same high regard that it is in the Western Democracies.  We need to do better, especially in our inner cities, but at least (for the last few centuries) we do not cut peoples’ heads off if they do not worship the way we do.  Unlike much of the Middle East, we do not regard women as the chattel property of their husbands and fathers.  Women can vote, drive cars, work, get educated, marry whom they choose, travel independently, hold elected office, own property, choose the clothes they wear, occupy positions of authority over men, and so on.  Please pay attention, ladies, before you advocate that transformational influences from primitive cultures be introduced into our country.

Recently, there has been a lot of controversy about President Trump’s executive order temporarily restricting aliens from certain countries in the Middle east and North Africa from entering the United States.  The matter is before the courts, but most of those who know the law agree that he had the legal authority to issue the order.  Even the preliminary opinions from the courts seem to be concerned with the fundamental fairness of President Trump’s actions, rather than their legality.

I do not think that fundamental fairness is appropriate grounds for a Federal Judge to intervene, and to temporarily restrain the legal actions of a sitting President of the United States regarding matters of national security.  There is no evidence that the constitutional rights of any U.S. citizens have been directly violated; nor have the constitutional rights of any aliens on U.S. soil.  Therefore, with respect, I say that the court should rule on existing law rather than try to manufacture new law.

Large crowds of demonstrators at home and abroad have taken to the streets to oppose President Trump’s travel restrictions.  If they are nonviolent, do not interfere with the rights of others, and do not destroy property I support their right to freedom of expression.

However, I would remind the reader that for every demonstrator, paid or unpaid, that they see on television throwing a temper tantrum, there are more ordinary Americans who agree with President Trump’s executive order; or even believe it does not go far enough.  They are too busy earning a living, raising children, and paying taxes to go to the streets … but they are very real.  Their voice was heard at the ballot box last November throughout the heartland.

I am glad that President Trump is trying to keep the terrorists out of our country.  One only needs to look to what is happening in Europe to see what happens when terrorists infiltrate refugee populations and can enter countries that do not use appropriate security measures.  I was very distressed when President Obama kept admitting more and more “refugees” into the United States from the Middle East and Northern Africa.  I am relieved that we are taking a different direction now.  I am not without compassion for the innocent victims of war who are trying to get out of harm’s way.  I support public and private humanitarian aid to relieve their suffering … where they are.

To the demonstrators, I say go home and inform yourself before you show your ignorance in public.  President Trump is trying to keep the Radical Islamists out to stop them from killing you.  You ought to thank God for protecting you from your own folly. 

Open Letter on Health Care Insurance

To the President, the U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives:

I support the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care).  I believe that the American public would be best served if the private sector can provide health insurance to our citizens in a free market environment; subject to the following:

1)    Tort law reform to lower liability risk, and therefore insurance costs, to health care providers.

2)    Interstate sale of health insurance plans to lower the cost of health insurance premiums for individuals and groups.

3)    “Health care insurance” should include coverage for vision and dental treatment and for prescriptions.

4)    No preexisting health conditions should bar the purchase of health care plans or increase their cost.

5)    No lifetime limits on claims.

6)    Continuance of Medicare and Medicaid programs in their present form; except the “spend down” of resources for long term care under Medicaid.

7)    Provision of a mandatory long-term care program payroll contribution for a “single payer” long term care insurance program for all citizens.

8)    Prohibition of the provision of health care services to indigent non-citizens who are in the United States illegally.

9)    Persons 18 years of age and older should be responsible to purchase their own health care insurance.  They should be allowed to remain insured by their parents if they remain in college or trade school after graduation from high school, or unless they are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.

10)  All U.S. Citizens should be required to carry health care insurance.

Thank you for considering my suggestions.  Please work toward accessible and affordable health care or all U.S. citizens.

Goodbye

Our best wishes to you, President Obama.  Thank you for trying to do what you thought was right for the country.  We believe that you did the best you could with the light that you have.  However, your presidency proved, that as Ronald Reagan said, “The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so.”

May God, grant you happiness and success as you return to private life.  Please do us all a favor and stay out of public life from now on.  We are not sure how much more of your help the country can stand.

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.

Oscar Wilde