Medicare |

My book, “Proud to be American,” is on sale at Amazon and also can be ordered at most bookstores for $16.95. It’s a 300-page paperback book with 68 articles organized into nine categories and with 70 pictures. The book analyzes national, international and domestic problems and also critiques Main-Stream media and the far-left of the Democrat party. # # # #

The Federal budget for this fiscal year (FY 2025) expires on October 1. Since the new budget for the new fiscal year, which begins on October 1, won’t be ready by then, a Continuing Resolution (“CR”) is needed to continue funding the government until a new budget is ready. To date, a “clean” CR has been passed by the House of Representatives to fund the government for seven weeks at the same level that it was funded for the previous fiscal year. The passage by the House only required 50% of the Congressmen and Congresswomen. The House CR was characterized as “clean” because it did not contain any extraneous provisions. The Senate version of the CR requires approval by 60 Senators. There are only 53 Republican Senators (but only 52 voted for it) and Democratic Senators are asking for $1.5 trillion in new spending as their price for approving the CR and keeping the Federal government open. This new spending is mostly to provide for medical care for illegal immigrants. It is important to this issue to know that anyone, including illegal immigrants, receives free medical care (if they can’t afford to pay) in the Emergency Rooms in U.S. hospitals (so no one in America is left without medical care).

President Trump is hanging tough and has said he will not spend the $1.5 trillion that Senate Minority leader, Chuck Shumer, is demanding to approve the CR. What happens if the Federal government is shut down beginning on October 1? Here’s a list of the most important things that will happen come October 1 without a CR:

Federal government employees, including the military, do not get paid for the time that the Federal government is shut down but Congress usually pays them for all of their shutdown time off soon after the government opens back up.
During shutdowns, those employees deemed “essential” (about 2/3 of employees) are asked to continue to work without pay (though they eventually usually do get paid once the government re-opens).
Social Security checks continue to be mailed out uninterrupted.
The U.S. Post Office continues to deliver mail.
Medicare and Medicaid payments continue.

Government shutdowns create needless pain. Currently, the Trump Administration is being held hostage because of the shutdown threat. There are proposals, as well as proposed legislation, to eliminate them. Let’s hope that happens, but don’t hold your breath. As a former Federal employee, I recall with nostalgia my wonderful fully-paid-for three-week government shutdown vacation in the mid-nineties.

All Services

INTRODUCTION

Everyone knows that the Democrat Party is the liberal (or Progressive) party and the Republican Party is the conservative party. But is this true? I don’t think so. Here’s why: the Democrat and Republican parties stake out positions on many issues, most of which are neither liberal nor conservative. It is much more accurate to characterize their positions as being either Democrat or Republican positions rather than liberal or conservative.

BODY

For example, is the $29 trillion U.S. National Debt liberal or conservative? Of course, it’s neither! How about Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid? Once again, a safety net for the elderly and the poor is neither liberal nor conservative. I could continue on but I believe I made my point. However, I can successfully argue that a strong military is favored by the Republican Party and a weak military is favored by the Democrat Party. In addition, non-enforcement of our immigration laws is a tenet of the Democrat Party and strict enforcement is a tenet of the Republican Party. Once again, these are not liberal or conservative positions but are simply political party preferences. Another example, Sanctuary Cities are favored by the Democrat Party but are not favored by the Republican Party. Another, man-made climate change is a Democrat idea, whereas Sun-caused (Solar-Flares, Sun Spots, Weak Solar Cycles 25, 26) climate change is a Republican idea. Abortion is supported by Democrats, anti-abortion by Republicans. None of these positions have anything to do with liberalism or conservatism so why muddy the waters? Call them what there are: positions taken by either the Democrat Party or the Republican Party.

CONCLUSION

I think the language that is thrown around against both liberals and conservatives is sloppy, irresponsible and misleading and it needs to stop because it confuses voters. Voters need to know what each political party stands for with much more precision and clarity so that they know exactly what policies they are supporting. Calling voters names is what some people do when they can’t make intelligent, logical, and cogent arguments to support their positions. I can’t find much to suggest that the Democrat Party is Liberal or Progressive, and that the Republican Party is Conservative so let’s call political party positions Democrat positions or Republican positions and drop the liberal and conservative labels. They are misleading.

All Services