Just for a minute let us assume Cain is elected.  Let us also assume congress is will to take up the issue in his first year in office.  I would be willing to bet my next peanut butter and honey sandwich that it would take years to develop and implement a tax plan like this and it is conceivable that Cain would be out of office prior to it reaching his desk.  This assumes that he is a two term president.

I think he would make a good president.   I think he can beat Obama in 2012 if he can secure the nomination.  My 2¢ for Cain today is try to broaden your message.  Focus on the budget as a whole and not just the revenue side of your plan.  Develop a list of cuts that you can accomplish in the first year.  The American people want to see some quick changes, not a long arduous process.

It may be too late for Cain.  The eggs have been placed and the basket is swaying.  I am not sure he can survive this one issue gamble but if he does I think Americans will benefit from having a man like him in office.

The legislation gave an exemption to those contractors who work directly for owners or who were performing work on their own property.  What this amounted to was a death sentence for sub-contractors because they work for general contractors and not owners.   This meant every plumber, electrician, carpenter, painter and one man shop were now going to be forced to carry workers comp insurance on themselves.  This legislation had only one intent and that was to prop up the workers comp fund.  The truth is sole proprietors do not make claims on themselves because claims affect your rating in the system and subsequently increases your premiums.

Well today I received an email from Senator Andy Berke with news that this provision had been suspended till 2011.  This was like one of those little messages you get when you’re down in the gutter and you just need something to keep you going.

Most people will never know about this legislation and the changes made to it.  Even the sub-contractors who it would have directly affected will probably never know of these events.  Over the past year I blogged and tried to tell as many contractors and sub-contractors as I could about it but soon realized my voice didn’t seem to make a difference.  Apparently what I didn’t know was there were many voices out there just like mine and the system worked.

I would like to thank Senator Andy Berke D-Chattanooga, for co-sponsoring the bill.  I would also like to thank Rep. Joe Pitts D-Clarksville, for submitting the House Bill and Senator Bill Ketron R-Murfreesboro, for submitting the Senate Bill. There were other co-sponsors and you can see them here.

Our challenge now is to keep this legislation from becoming law in 2011.  If you are a contractor or sub-contractor please contact your state representatives and let them know how damaging this legislation will be.  Please spread the word and maybe we can get this change permanently removed.

I will never know exactly how this all transpired but what I do have now is a renewed since that my voice and opinion do make a difference and we should never give up the good fight.

The funny thing is, the very first email you find has questionable activity in it.  The conversation involves a discussion on how money will be transferred to avoid being noticed and how to avoid being taxed.  This alone seems to be a crime.

From: “Tatiana M. Dedkova” <tatm@xxxxxxxxx.xxx> To: K.Briffa@xxxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: schijatov
Date: Thu, 7 Mar 96 09:41:07 +0500

“. . .it is important for us if you can transfer the ADVANCE money on the personal accounts which we gave you earlier and the sum for one occasion transfer (for example, during one day) will not be more than 10,000 USD. Only in this case we can avoid big taxes. . . “

I guess I am in the wrong business.  I am a general contractor and pay my taxes.  I suppose I could become a climate scientist and have money wired to me and decide later if I was going to pay tax on it.

You or I would be jailed for the email alone.  But since these guys are elitist and right in the middle of a global scam they can have their cake and eat it too.  Maybe that will be a statement in the next email I research. “Let them eat cake”.

Creepy Girl

I am wondering if I need to worry more about 2012 or 1984.  In the video citizens of LA are ask to keep a watchful eye for terrorist. This is really kind of humorous if  you think about it.  Why are the citizens watching for terrorists when more people are killed by gangs and drug crime every year than terrorism.

We live in the greatest country in the world and should not have to be “watchful”.  My neighbor is not a terrorist.  When I go to the market I am not concerned and watch other people. I am enjoying life in my free country.

The real threat to our freedom is the current political establishment not my neighbor or the nice lady who helps me at the market.

I was reading content produced by a local “green” contractor who basically said we all should live in tiny homes to reduce the impact on the environment.  Well I for one am not giving up my 4,000 square foot bungalow which I  built with SIP’s and other energy efficient construction methods.

I have questions regarding this concept. Looking at density; If you make homes smaller, will this encourage more homes per acre?  Does this really help the environment if now you have the capacity to put more families per acre?  More families per acre equals more “consumption” and trash per acre.  The idea that developers would simply spread these smaller homes out over a wider area is not realistic.

The idea that sustainability is not scalable also bothers me.  The premise that only a small home can be sustainable is just not logical.  Design, construction methods and materials determines whether a home will be sustainable not its square footage.

The thing that really bothers me is the Orwellian feel of the whole idea.  The idea that now we will have the size of our homes dictated to us just goes against my grain.  Or that, to be a good citizen you must live in a  little pink house.  I am not buying it.

I also see the reoccurring theme of “too much consumption” in the content of this material.  This is a red flag for a libertarian or conservative.   This is a favorite mantra of those trying to guilt you into living they way they think you should live.

I can give my two cents on this subject without any doubt.  I have been in the construction industry for thirty years.  I have always built with the concept of longevity and energy efficiency leading me.  Materials have changed for the better over the years so of course we have more energy efficient homes today and I expect the industry to keep improving as it has.  All of these changes were made by good people trying to make improvements to the industry.

Don’t get me wrong, my company installs solar power and rain water harvesting systems so I am no stranger to sustainability.  I have had LEED training and am currently taking Photovoltaic classes to improve my knowledge in solar power technology. I do these things by choice and also because the market is demanding them.  Market forces are always ignored by those who think government should mandate every aspect of our lives.

I have a pragmatic approach to sustainability.  Take solar energy for example.  After the initial installation, your collecting free energy from the sun.  That is smart,  not political.  It doesn’t need to be mandated or taxed.  Given proper incentives the consumer will eventually make smart choices.  They do not need big brother telling them they must do this thing and the other thing.

I just wonder what will be next after we all accept the new Jim Walter paradigm.  Will we be told we can only have “x” amount of energy to “consume”?  How many square feet to live in? Will we be told how many children we can have? What kind of car to drive?  Will we all just go along for the ride?

If you want guilt free living with good design that is built to last and energy efficient, give me a call.   If you prefer being told you consume too much, you only need one garage and you really don’t need that extra child, give the “green” contractor a call.

Carter on Wilson Comments

What can you say about this one.  President Carter is either losing his mind or is being used by the democrat party. Either way I think he is ready for some of Obama’s end-of-life counseling.

It’s amazing how anyone who disagrees with Obama is now a racist.  I have heard people warn of this happening but I really didn’t think the democrats had the kahoonas to actually suggest this.

When I was young and in the process of saving the world I actually liked Carter for his work with Habitat for Humanity.  I had the opportunity to be a part of the group that started Habitat here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I was the first construction coordinator for the non-profit here in our area.

At the time I was willing to ignore his liberal antics because of his work with the non-profit but now it is really becoming hard to give him any slack at all.  To suggest that anyone who disagrees with liberal and socialistic ideals is a racists is just completely asinine.

I think it is time for him to check into Obama’s end-of-life counseling center and get treatment.  Of course I say this in good humor.  I really  do not wish any harm to come to Jimmy Carter but I would love to be a fly on the wall when he is counseled by Obama’s new end-of-life care committee.

I would say twenty minutes with them would cure his liberal leanings.

Federally funded abortion, childhood immunizations, big brother, public education, childhood obesity, poverty and victimization, 2012, Codex Alimentarius, Skull & Bones, Federal Reserve, New World Order, engineered viruses, Tri-Lateral Commission, United Nations’ global population plan, fluoridation of public water, Freemasonry, FEMA death camps, suppression of zero point energy, the war on drugs, Illuminati,  global warming, Jewish world domination, CFR, global cooling, Bilderberg Group, the Antichrist,

and end of life counseling;

Then you might make it in this world.  But don’t hold your breath, there are always aliens!

I agree the “office” of the presidency demands respect.  But it is the responsibility of the person wearing the suit to earn that respect and right now, I “ain’t” feeling it. I have no respect for a man who wants to nationalize so many portions of our economy.  And by saying portions I am being conservative. This is just not right and will not wash with me.

It is disingenuous, as shown in this Baltimore Sun article, for any liberal to say that illegal aliens will not benefit from health care reform.  Some would call this a lie, including me.  They benefit now, why would they not benefit when reform takes its tight grip on us?

The reason Obama can claim this so-called truth is that currently “as written” maybe illegals are not covered.  What Obama will not mention or admit is that once health care is nationalized the next logical step will be to give all illegal aliens amnesty.  This will automatically and retroactively include them in the picture. 

I think from now on I will quiz the current candidate for any political position looking for my vote.  The main question will be; Do you have the kahoonas to question everything and speak out when you have the opportunity? 

If I get the least little resistance I am going to write my own name on the ballet.  Eureka!  Tony for President!!  :]

Every where Van Jones went he was billed as the so called superstar of green. He would woo people with his charisma and good looks. He was what every liberal wanted; a guy who could represent and put the rich white guy in his place.

He spoke about rich white people polluting the earth and the left loved it. Van Jones was the man who was going to bring down capitalism and bring green to the ghetto.

There was only one problem. He was a “Supa Star” He was Michael Jackson, Malcolm X and Louis Farrakhan all rolled into one. With a slight dash of Al Gore to give him green credibility.

His Marxist views even scared Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and that’s an accomplishment.

The bottom line is Van Jones was using the green movement to further his own agenda. His agenda was the same as Obama’s, the redistribution of wealth through socialized programs.

End the end I think his supa star attitude is what brought him down. If you want to make it in Obama’s cabinet, you have to have just enough charisma to keep alive but more not than your fearless leader.

Only Obama can be the true “supa star” and don’t forget it.

(I’ll be interested to see what becomes of Mr. Jones.   Will he continue his green scheme or will he shed his green to expose his true colors?)

Obama to Speak to Students

I have mixed emotions about Obama wanting to address my child directly at school.

I remember as a kid having the TV rolled out in class so we could watch the president address the nation.  I also remember a since of pride about our nation and the direction it was heading. 

But the president was addressing the nation and he was not trying to indoctrinate me.  His speech was usually about the state of the union or some other current issue. I did not feel that I was being recruited for some cause.  I actually felt like I was part of a bigger picture and not the focus of the speech.

I would rather the speech be in the evening when I could sit with my child and be a part of the event.  I think this is what has caused such controversy.  The idea of bypassing parents to indoctrinate the children seems a bit 1984ish.

But I digress, my mixed emotions are this; on the one hand I do not want any politician speaking directly to my child (Republican or Democrat).  There will always be an agenda.  On the other hand, maybe my child needs to see the craziness that has become the federal government.  My child is smart.  I have tried to spare him my political leanings because I want him to have an open mind and make his own decisions.  I do get teary eyed when I hear him speak and ask questions about our great country.

I guess I have to admit I have a bias here.  If it were Ron Paul speaking about liberty and personal freedoms I would not have a problem with it.  But Ron Paul would be reiterating the Constitution and the words of our founding fathers. I honestly do not think anything remotely close to this will be spoken by our current president.  We will see, I guess.