Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Ultimate Nanny State! - Parents Should Lose Custody of Obses Kids

I heard today that Boston area "experts" have issued an opinion that parents of very obese children should have the children taken away and put in foster care.  If this isn't the ultimate in a Nanny State, I don;t know what is.  I can just see the headlines now, "Governor Patrick Sign First-In-Nation Legislation..."  He'll probably have his buddy's wife Michelle Obama at his side as he signs it!

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/07/12/local-expert-proposes-that-parents-should-lose-custody-of-super-obese-kids/

While obesity is something that we should be concerned about, the way to go about it is through education and the people will decide on their own what should be done about it.  Personally I don't have an issue with having restaurants provide nutritional information similar to packaged foods.  Give me the information and I will make an informed decision as to what I want to eat or not,  Let supply and demand dictate what restaurants and food producers offer and tell government to stay away. 

It is not good to indulge in fatty, high caloric foods once in a while, but doing it everyday is the issue.  Even our Nanny-In-Chief, Michelle Obama would be forced to agree as she just ordered a 1,700 meal for herself at the opening of a burger joint in Washington DC this past Monday.  Although, I do have to laugh, she ordered BOTH a Diet Coke AND a Chocolate Shake!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/michelle-obama-has-1556-calories-meal-at-shake-shack-outing/2011/07/11/gIQAgwPE9H_blog.html

Saturday, July 9, 2011

The Debt Crisis

Make no mistake about it, I am not an economist or wel versed in the details of the current debt crisis but, while there are complicated underlying facts, the basics are simple, our country is living beyond it's means.  If run into the same situation in our own personl lives that simply means, cut spending and increase income.  Asking the credit card companies to raise the limits on our credit cards simply provides a temporary release of pressure and extends the extent of the problem.

Many politicians (on both sides of the aisle) are too ennamored with re-election concerns or hopes of advancing that they are not doing what we need them to do.  I think the theory of what needs to be done is somewhat simple, someone needs to review expenses (budgets) and income (the tax code) and try to simplify things as much as possible as the problem is that no one really knows how much we are spending or collecting.

As for the tax code, it truly needs to be simplified.  I'm not saying that we should raise taxes, but simply ensure that everyone is paying their fair share.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

A Nation of (Legal) Immigrants

When the discussion turns to illegal aliens (or, for the PC crowd, undocumented individuals) if one has views that these people should not be rewarded for coming here illegally, then one is considered anti-immigration.

I am pro-immigration but anti illegal immigration.  Our nation was built on immigration and will continue to prosper and grow by welcoming productive new citizens from around the world, of which, there is no shortage.  The process to come here legally is difficult, as it should be.  We want to continue to be known as the land of the free, not the land of the free-loaders.

While reading the Boston Globe yesterday I came across an article about newly minted citizens taking their oath on board the USS Constitution yesterday.  To these people, some of whom have already served in our armed forces prior to becoming citizens, I say, “Welcome.”


In the same paper was a column talking about the “injustices” perpetrated on illegal aliens by them facing deportation when caught up in legal system. 


The columnist makes the point that they are not bad people and we should feel bad for them and eliminate a program put into place to identify illegals.  Trust me, I do feel bad for the population of hard-working illegal aliens, but, the issue is that they are here ILLEGALLY, not that a lot of them are nice people.  I cannot blame a single one of them for wanting to come here from whatever terrible life they and their families have elsewhere.  If I were in their position, I would probably try to do the same.

We need to set consequences and deterrent to people trying to come here illegally.  If you do not want to go through the proper steps to come here legally, then prepare to suffer the consequences when you are discovered.  By coddling the people in the second article, we are only spitting in the face of the people in the first article.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Spot On Editorial

Hope all had a great Independence Day yesterday!  Yesterday's Editorial in the Boston Herald perfectly sums up Independence Day for me.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view/2011_0704a_beacon_to_the_world/

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Happy Independence Day!

This is my very first Blog post and find it very appropriate that it is Independence Day.  The Fourth of July is our nation's birthday and I want to be one of the first to say, "Happy Birthday America.!"  This is probably one of my favorite holidays.  The weather is usually nice, there are no presents to buy and traditional meals are cooked on a grill.  It is a no fuss holiday!

To paraphrase a quote I have heard before, our nation has to be the worst on the planet, except for all others!  Our nation is certainly not perfect but there is no other place on Earth that I would want to live.  God Bless America!