When your boyfriend makes you feel more frustrated than loved, your heart sputters out of control and your body goes off on an emotional rampage. You become that dangerous, wild elephant from the hot Sub-African desert; where millions of people get their laughs from watching a mammoth size beast on the discovery channel trample an innocent man to death with your big, stinky feet.

Yeah, I find myself in the same inescapable situation (me being the wild elephant, of course)--more so than most people find themselves taking a bath each week.

Hello, everyone. Today is a new day for Washington Hill to do something! I'm sure many of you still remember my last entry about the confrontation with the Democrats' proposed federal budget. Yes, it was only after one week that the news media finally decided to inform the American people about the new tax hike. I heard on CNN that the Democrats' proposed federal budget will not only increase the taxes for the rich, but also for the middle-class Americans and low-income families. Now, that, to me, doesn't seem quite fair because the rich have had years to enjoy their little "tax cuts", while the average American is still going to be subjugated to these horrendous tax burdens; however, this time, the only difference is that it'll not only be the middle class who will receive this tax increase, but it'll be something like a joint venture with the wealthy who are in the top 1% bracket - basically, everyone suffers. Aside from being ironic that the news media presented us with this pertinent information long after it was announced in the U.S. House a week beforehand, the bigger question we must ask ourselves, 'Do the Democrats actually understand what the American people want? Are they able to perceive the injustice they are about to bring upon the middle-class and low-income families?

I haven't been watching the news lately because I've been kind of lazy. However, I've noticed something worth mentioning during political debates concerning the passing of legislations, is that many politicians are intellectualizing about certain commendable characteristics of more conservative politicians and the sound values of Libertarian ideals. Now, that's quite interesting because with the presidential election going on, the Democrats assuming majority control over Congress, the Bush administration failing in its foreign-policy and having continual low public approval ratings, rapid collapse of the US housing economy due to the housing bubble (inflation), the US dollar continuing to fall well below record-historical lows, and gas prices rising far beyond the $3.50 mark, it seems like many politicians are taking into consideration a much-needed revisal of the current American philosophy and turning it into a more "constructive" political practice.

I only wanted to write a short entry about my opinions concerning the current political condition of U. S. government. Perhaps I will write more tomorrow after I brief myself over last week's U.S. House meetings. Everyone take care and have a good week!

C-SPAN, the U.S. House.

Today, during the one minute presentations in the US House of Representatives, the Foreign Electronics Surveillance (FISA) underwent one hour of general debate with no changes allowed.

Many Democrats -and a few Republicans- stood up for very important issues concerning the falsity of the invasion of Iraq (Democrat), the end result of the high spending carelessly conducted by the Bush administration that left the US with $5 trillion in debt and $53 trillion in liabilities (Rep. Frank Wolf from Virginia, 10th District, Republican), the Gallatin Plan concerning the quality of United States' infrastructure (Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon, 3rd District, Democrat), strong opposition against the majorities [Democrats] proposed federal budget (Rep. Virginia Foxx, North Carolina, 5th District, Republican), secrecies and political power fueling the corrupt nature of the U.S. House (Rep. Lloyd Doggett, Texas, 25th District, Democrat), $5 million in taxpayer money being given to contractors requiring them to report fraud (Rep. Peter Welch, Democrat from Vermont), the safety and security of American citizens in relation to our nation's borders and strengthening immigration laws (Rep. Thelma Drake, Virginia, 2nd District, Republican), and the White House and Congressional Republicans continuing to play games with our National Security rather than working to modernize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (the House Speaker addressed him as a man from New Jersey and nothing else).

Apparently, today was filled with honest, caring representatives from around the country. Well, of course, these were only one minute speeches addressed by representatives who were elected into office through the citizens in their district. You would think they'd say something like that only to portray themselves as individuals really wanting to represent the American people's major concerns. However, my assumptions could be false in that they could actually be honest politicians desiring to make a difference in America. For better or worse? Who knows. We must let their actions speak for them, because only time can tell if the politician we elected into office is really the politician we want representing us on Washington Hill.

In other news, Brave New Films sent out a mass e-mail requesting its subscribers to sign a petition against Fox News for broadcasting blasphemous, lying, unethical, and misconstruing information to the American public. Their slanderous lies and propaganda-filled television network needs to be boycotted. And I happen to agree with their perspective on Fox News, and the necessary steps needed to take place before this dream can truly become a reality. I, myself, am sick and tired of Fox News spewing out useless junk out every night. If anyone is interested in signing this petition, please visit this web site:

http://bravenewfilms.org/watch/22066065/32376?utm_source=rgemail

That's all for the moment. More will be written later either tomorrow or the next day.

Democrats are sabotaging the American people!

Hello, today is a new day. Right now, I'm watching the U.S. Senate on C-SPAN II. There's a senator from New Hampshire who is a ranking member on the budget committee, talking about how the Democrats will actually cause us to pay more taxes. First, you hear one thing about the Republicans not being good enough for the American people, then you hear about the Democrats not being good for the American people... I mean, what is going on? Which of the parties is the most qualified to lead America? If we cannot trust the Democrats, nor can we trust the Republicans, then who can we to put all our faith in?

Senator Judd Gregg is saying the Democrats don't know what they're doing when it comes to creating a federal budget. He points out in his speech, Democrats may say they don't want to raise taxes; however, what they are actually proposing in their federal budget will raise the national deficit to approximately $1.2 trillion. He states, "The Democrats say they don't want to raise taxes for the American people nor do they want to increase the national debt, but where do you think they're going to get the necessary funds to do this? Even if they start taxing on the wealthy (the top 1% in America), the revenue they will receive will only provide them with $29 billion a year." He further leads us to question, what possible good could $29 billion do for America? Now the $1.2 trillion will result out of Senator Obama's proposed spending after he obtains office. This Senatorial Republican is calling out both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama.

Note: What I just quoted is not a word-for-word transcription of Senator Judd Gregg's presentation, but something I paraphrased of what he was saying during the first five minutes of his argument.

Now back to the issue of the $29 billion. I don't know about you but to me, $29 billion is a lot of money and that could potentially go to better things, such as a paying for our national debt or investing into more environmentally-friendlier, renewable resources (for cleaner means of production). It's somewhat surprising to hear the senator question the potential spending of an extra "$29 billion" a year from taxes. Obviously, we're at a point in our history where billions of dollars don't really matter; it's the trillions of dollars that were trying to reach now! Coincidentally, the Republican ideology (or political philosophy when dealing with money) has incorporated the well-known cliché, "The sky's the limit!"

"The Democrats' proposed budget will entail higher taxes for the American people," so says the senator. I would like to state for the record that I'm not sure if this is true or not , but it does make me question the motives of the Democratic Party. I mean, that's what every American citizen must do when a new administration comes into office or a political party occasionally assumes majority control of Congress or in the Senate. It is the responsibility of the American people to make sure the government is doing its proper job of providing for and protecting the American people. If we don't stand up to our corrupt government, then we can kiss all of our constitutional rights and civil liberties goodbye. Our legacy on earth will be forgotten and tossed away into the black shadows of history. Only to be remembered as some great nation that "had"a democracy where people were free and man was believed to be created equal.

However, I can't be too hard on the Republican Senator, because I've seen him on the federal budget committee several times now. I think he does a great job (from want I can tell based on his physical demeanor and ability to make sense), and perhaps he is telling the truth about the Democrats proposed federal budget. I mean, only our elected representatives can decide if he is telling the truth or not. One thing does bother me, however, and that is his use of the term "supporting our troops" in his argument against the Democrats federal budget. Everyone listening on TV and in the live audience could hear him hesitate momentarily as he realized in that split-second what he just blurted out. He attempted to make a recovery from his little stumble by advocating integrity, strong disciplined initiatives, and a federal budget that will do some good rather than further expand the size of government and propagate corruptness.

I think I'm going to e-mail him about his presentation today, telling him that if he doesn't like taxes and what it is doing to the American people, then he can join in cooperation with another senator and promote the idea of instituting a flat tax. Because the flat tax will ensure that every American pays the same amount no matter how rich or poor you may be, and it will not fluctuate according to the declarations of Congress or the Senate. It's worth a try.

Bought a 500 GB External Drive

I did not watch any political news today. I tried to, but I wasn't in the mood. I found this very interesting program and I also bought something very cool as well. Just a few minutes ago, I bought a five hundred gigabyte hard drive. I'm very excited about receiving it next week. My computer is full of useless junk and it's slowing down a lot. I hope all of you are doing great, aside from the notion that President Bush is making the world even worse. Why do we allow him to do all these miserable things to us? The power to remove him from office is in the hands of Congress. I don't understand why they don't do anything. But I'm very hopeful with a few of the respectable representatives who are trying to represent the American people. I recorded several videos concerning the U.S. House.

Today they passed several amendments concerning taxation and President Bush's federal budget. I still have yet to watch it in its entirety, but rest assured that I will go watch it.

A Concerned Voter - NAFTA Highway and Other Issues

"After watching hours of political debates and reading endless articles devoted to Democratic and Republican “views,” this voter still has many unanswered questions.When more than 1,500 people marched in Texas objecting to the “Super Highway” just hours before the Texas debate, this topic was never addressed. The question was never asked. Why?When Americans came out so strongly against eminent domain, why suddenly will all the land needed for this highway be taken away from the rightful owners using eminent domain?

If NAFTA is so important to our economy and supposedly creates jobs in the United States, why is our trade deficit at an all-time high and our unemployment figures growing every day? John McCain is in favor of NAFTA, Hillary Clinton say it didn’t do what she expected and Barack Obama will renegotiate it.If Social Security is in danger of going bust, how will adding millions of illegal immigrants on the rolls make it better? Obama, Clinton and McCain are all in favor of amnesty to some degree. Won’t that encourage others to follow suit? It did before.

Americans were told we couldn’t buy prescription drugs from Canada because they might not meet our safety standards. There were incidents reported of senior citizens taking a bus to Canada, buying their medications and being arrested when they returned to the U.S. Yet, China has exported tainted food, bad toothpaste, poisonous drugs and lead-laden toys.McCain, Obama and Clinton assure us they are ready to ‘‘keep Americans safe.”

While they campaign day after day in a needlessly long campaign, they are missing important votes in the Senate.Every day, Mexican trucks are crossing our borders and, according to some reports, are not being inspected. The borders are still not adequately protected, and remember the two border patrol agents who are in jail. Did any of the three sign the petition to review their case? If not, why not?

Our technology is still going abroad. The Air Force decision to award the latest contract to a French company will result in the loss of countless good paying American jobs. What do these candidates intend to do about this? We outsource our automobiles, our tanks and our planes. We freely share our technology and rely on others to manufacture it. Are we still in a position to defend our shores if necessary?How do these candidates feel about our existing trade agreements, the Law of the Sea Treaty and the need to maintain our sovereignty? Will any one of them put America first?

Instead of endless speeches about experience vs. charisma, how about getting down to the real issues? It looks like Pennsylvania suddenly has become a big issue in this election campaign. If Pennsylvania does hold debates, I hope it won’t be more of the same old, same old. Won’t somebody please stand up for Americans and demand answers to the real questions?"

Roberta Andersen
Orwigsburg

Doesn't a flat tax sound like a wonderful idea?

I am posting something I heard on TV that I thought would be of interest to the millions of Americans out there who pay annual taxes. Earlier this evening, a representative in the U.S. House urged his fellow comrades to pass a new, reformed tax for the American people. It's not just any normal tax; it's a flat tax with benefits. Yes, his name escapes me at the moment, but he sure convinced me that this would be in the best interest of all Americans. How could you not want this proposal to succeed?

A flat tax would entail everyone paying the same amount each year. There's no complicated paperwork that you need to fill out or money to spend to hire a tax professional to do your taxes. As a result of the flat tax, you will have more time to spend with your family and friends while saving more of your hard earned dollars. He cited a few examples of several states that instituted the same tax method, and guess what; it showed great promise because of the amount of revenue that each state government received.

What would be even better than a flat tax, is no tax at all! Ron Paul wants to do that. Well, it's getting late and I'll close here. If I find any information about the Representative, I'll be sure to post it here as additional text.

Rep. Jerry Weller: Another Big-Government, ALL Corporate Business Supporter?

Today in the House of Legislative, Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Illinois, 11th District) urged the acceptance of the United States/Columbia Promotion Trade Agreement (USCPTA). In his speech, he commented on the benefits that will result out of the agreement's fruition and what noticeable effects (if any) it will have on his home state of Illinois, "It's good for the state that I represent; it's good for Columbia; it's good for the United States; it's good for Illinois farmers; it's good for Illinois workers; it's good for Illinois manufacturers." Discernibly, Rep. Jerry Weller is overly enthusiastic about the trade agreement's "incontrovertible" benefits, which he believes the residents of Illinois will undoubtedly experience as an end result from the USCPTA's acceptance.

Rep. Jerry Weller states that he has 8,000 Caterpillar workers (CAT) working in Illinois. Now, wait just a minute, that is an interesting piece of information. I never knew about CAT before, so today I decided to look up its history. I checked out Wiki's definition of what CAT was and why in the world Rep. Weller would urge this trade agreement to go through. Apparently, he wants to cut down the costs of the corporate companies' manufacturing costs even though they make more than enough in revenue and assets.

Wiki explains this in its introduction and throughout its webpage:

"Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT) is a United States-based corporation headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. Caterpillar (commonly referred to simply as Cat or CAT) is, according to their corporate website, "the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines.

Famous for their products featuring caterpillar tracks and a distinctive yellow paint scheme, Caterpillar produces a wide range of heavy equipment, mainly engineering vehicles, including the Caterpillar D9 bulldozer. Caterpillar (CAT) is one of the 30 companies whose stock is tracked in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. It is a Fortune 100 company ranked first in its industry, with more than $40 billion in assets."

Let's take a look at what he is saying very carefully.

I presumed, with all the talks about change on Capitol Hill, that we, the American people and the individuals who represent us, would want to turn in the direction of a more environmentally friendlier means of powering our automobiles and protecting the environment. As you can see here, the information about CAT provided by Wiki states,

"Caterpillar has been criticized by many environmental groups. Products produced by the company includes forestry equipment, mining equipment, and diesel engines. While providing higher fuel efficiency than gasoline engines, diesel engines usually produce higher levels of NOx and particulates." However, in an attempt to dissway all the bad publicity, CAT took it upon itself to contribute more to environmental organizations for over a decade.

The real confrontation is this: Rep. Weller supports corporate businesses that aid Israel, who, in all honesty, provide their government with state-of-the-art military weapons, which are, of course, manufactured by CAT. A law suit was brought up a few years ago, when a woman wanted to sue the company from Illinois for selling weapons to Israel. If you're not familiar with our government's involvement in Isreal, then I would advise you to look into it, and how we, the American people, continue to let our government get away with all this.

"The suit was dismissed by a U.S. District Court judge in Tacoma in 2005. The dismissal was upheld on appeal to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on September 17, 2007, saying it is not the court's role to criticize foreign policy. "The executive branch has made a policy determination that Israel should purchase Caterpillar bulldozers," the appeals court decision stated. "A court could not find in favor of the plaintiffs without explicitly questioning, and even condemning, United States foreign policy toward Israel."

This year, it's no wonder why I am suspecting the motives of the Republican Party and its representatives therein. Rep. Jerry Weller, being a Republican himself, is in full support of the same trade agreement (USCPTA) that president bush himself tried to urge into passing.

Shocking, isn't it? I know, I'm quite surprised myself - NOT. To be honest with all you, I don't, and never will, trust president bush. Furthermore, I don't see a point in capitalizing his title anymore, because it already lacks any ounce of respectable meaning. Anyway, aside from my distrust in the president, this FTA has already been denied by Congress. Congress viewed the country of Columbia as still being unstable; also noting that further progress is needed in the country's development before any trade agreement can be settled (2007).

Yet, here we are, with the Republicans once again trying to push this FTA down the throats of Congress. The majority of Republicans are indeed for bigger government, higher spending, and making the wealthy even wealthier.