My Plan For America

Having seen nomination exception speeches from both President Obama and Governor Romney I decided that since I will be eligible to be president on Election day I should let America know what my platform would be if I were president.   

• Reform the tax code:  Either a flat or fair tax.  I might even be wiling to consider a VAT tax, as long as income ceases to be a consideration in taxation.   The progressive tax system has become so progressive that politically it is impossible to propose tax cuts without being accused of giving tax cuts to millionaires.  Of course the critics are right, since those are the only people actually paying taxes anymore.
  
• Resolve the housing crisis overnight by privatizing Freddie Mac and Fannie May while repealing the Community Reinvestment Act.  I would also appoint Chris Dodd and Barney Frank as their respective CEO’s.  Without federal funding those companies would immediately collapse.  As soon as bad mortgages stopped being issued, the housing market rebounds.
  
• Deal with Iran… indirectly.  Since we are already planning to leave Iran and Afganistan I would park some of our bombers, tanks and other military equipment over in Isreal… maybe even leave the keys in the ignition of some B-1 Bombers.  Isreal, Do what you have to do… We’ll look the other way.
  
• Open up drilling EVERYWHERE.  This creates jobs and affordable energy.
  
• Healthcare:
• Repeal Obamacare. 
• Enable individuals to buy insurance across state lines 
• Allow portability of insurance over an individual’s lifetime.
• A policy is opened at 18 years of age
• As long as that policy is maintained
• Covers 99% of pre-existing conditions (because most 18 year olds are healthy)
• Keep it until you die.
• No unreasonable penalties for changing your plan attribute over time.
• This creates competition, individual responsibility and lowers healthcare costs while increasing service through the free market.

(Yes, this is a de-facto healthcare savings account with the added benefit of economies of scale.)

• And give more people access to Healthcare Savings Accounts
•  Medicare
• If you are over 40, you can opt to keep Medicare.
• If you are under 40, see the above Healthcare point.
• Debt:
• Reduce spending to 2006 levels
• Federal Spending  freeze for 10 years
• Pay down national debt
• If that doesn’t work, sell California (and everything in it) to the Chinese.  They’re practically communist there already. Should be a smooth transition

On my second day in office I’ll take Air Force 1 to Cuba, open up trade, smoke Cigars and drink margaritas on the beach. 

I Only Eat Free-Market Chicken

Boycotts never work… just sayin’

So a private citizen who owns a private company makes public his personal opinions on an issue and a couple of mayors don’t want him doing business in their cities.

What the hell happened?

It all started in Chicago where an alderman wanted to block the opening of a Chick-fil-a restaurant because of the CEO’s public support of “The biblical definition of marriage” 

But the restaurant chain had already obtained zoning and other licensure for the opening of the store.  So, what real grounds does this statist really have to evoke this power?   Well that’s a whole other issue…

But what I really enjoyed was this quote from Mayor Rham Emmanual, “Chick-Fil-A’s values are not Chicago values”  Really, Mr. Mayor.  If dozens of people were murdered at Chick-Fil-A stores would you then approve?  

I know some gay people.  For the most part they've been pretty cool around me.  But having first-hand experience with divorce I would say that I really wouldn't want anyone to have to go through that.  Maybe it's a little callus but I honestly believe that the true motivation behind the gay marriage initiative is gay divorce (male same-sexmarriages are 50 percent more likely to end in divorce than heterosexualmarriages, and female same-sex marriages are an astonishing 167 percent morelikely to be dissolved).  Remember: always follow the money.  Also, another issue…

But what really gets under my skin is liberal politicians who want to limit free enterprise on unrelated political statements! 

Why I am going to Chick-Fil-A for lunch today is to prove that the free market is more powerful than political ideology.  

Let me give you some more instances where this applies:  

Apple has a well documented history of liberal leadership;  But I still have an iPhone.
Jos Wheaton   is pretty much a socialist, but I still saw Avengers opening night in the theater.
Dan Rooney II is currently Obama's ambassador to Ireland, but the Pittsburgh Steelers are still my favorite sports franchise

I have an iPhone because it is a superior product.
I saw Avengers because it was a great movie.
I root for the Steelers because they are awesome! 

And what their ownership thinks about any issue does not affect the product they provide to me. 

So I will visit Chick-Fil-A today because I support free markets more than I care about the gay marriage issue (or any issue for that matter). 

To Van Halen or not to Van Halen?!?!

That is the question.

It was a late Christmas gift I received when I logged onto facebook and saw an announcement from the official Van Halen website about tickets for a new tour going on sale in mid January.

Lets back this up for a moment.  Van Halen is my favorite band of all time!  In fact I pretty much don’t even listen to music if it’s not Van Halen. I saw them twice on their last tour, and at least once on every tour since 1995. If you are keeping track, that’s’ 5 shows, plus the Daive Lee Roth/Sammy Hagar show dubbed the “Sans Halen” tour.  I even once painted my computer to look like Eddie Van Halen’s guitar.   I should find photos of that.

But I digress…

I am left with a dilemma.  When I bought my first Van Halen album back in 1991, I had two  options: Cassette or Compact Disc. Having just received a CD player for Christmas that year I opted for CD.  Come to think about it, I think I got that one through one of those Columbia house deals in a magazine. Do they still have those?   You get your first 7 CD’s for a penny, then you buy 3 more at regular price, unless you sign up a friend, then you get two more at half price.  But if it’s a Tuesday and you are wearing green pants there’s a bonus disc you get for half price if you buy two more at regular price…

What can I say… It was the 90’s.  That’s the decade when Nirvana was popular.  A lot of bad decisions were made.

But I digress… again.

Times, and technology have changed.  I honestly cannot remember the last time I actually loaded a CD into any type of device for listening purpose. Come to think of it, I don’t remember the last CD I purchased in physical form!  Why? Because ever since iTunes, I can download music faster and cheaper than it would take me to drive to Wal Mart, purchase it and even if I play it in my car, let alone bring it home to play it on my Bose system.

Speaking of playing CD’s in my car.  The Neil Diamond Christmas (do you get the irony?!?) album has been the only disc in  my car stereo for at least two years now.  

But I digress...  Oh you should be used to it by now.

At one point I had a shelf with every Van Halen album sitting on it in order of release date.  So aside from greatest hits compilations in which I only downloaded the newest songs,  I have the complete set.  But what’s the point of physically owning music? Will “A Different Kind Of Truth” be the first Van Halen album that won’t be on my shelf… not that I still have that shelf, all my CD’s are in a box in a closet.  But I do like to read liner notes.

What do I do!?!?!

Please vote in my poll!

Van Halen’s new album “A Different Kind of Truth” will be released on February 7, 2012