I've lived in Mtn Home since 1989, so that's...hold on...I'm thinking...WOW! Exactly 25 years! Boy, I think I can almost declare myself an Idahoan. But my family is British and I grew up in Louisiana around lots of other Brits so I still think I'm a little bit of a mutt. Those of you who have been around awhile may remember when I used to blog all the time. My opinions weren't very accepted and there was always an issue because I work for the county. That really wasn't fair because I NEVER blog at work! And I am still entitled to my opinions and thoughts about city and county issues, right? However, it stirred a lot of pots and those pots certainly can make a lot of noise! Since I'm a writer, I took what I wrote in my blog seriously so I spent a lot of time researching things which got exhausting to do when you're not even get a paycheck for it. So I stopped. That was a blessing to many! However, to this day, I still have people stop me and ask me why I wasn't blogging and t! hey missed it. I've missed it. Mainly because there are so many issues that come up and I have no voice except around my friends and I'm sure they are tired of it.

Monday's Worry List

Posted Monday, November 9, 2009, at 8:01 AM

1. Healthcare reform-surtax of 5.4% on individual incomes over $500,000. I certainly don't have to worry about that since I don't make anything near that much however, small business owners will be hit and they employ a large majority of the public. And a big worry for Americans is that this tax doesn't index for inflation which therefore means that the higher incomes that people make for inflation will only make them poorer. And once again, taxing the "rich" affects us all. That money that will now be owed in taxes is money that can't be used to employ people or invest in their business in order to grow and employ more people.

2. Abortion funded by the government-certainly makes Planned Parenthood happy and profitable. This provision may be the one thing that keeps the Senate from passing it. So yeah for that!

3. Amnesty Bill! Big Big Big problem. We, taxpayers will foot the bill for illegal aliens to get everything that many have waited forever to get as legal immigrants. Like an illegal can file for citizenship and be granted it 24hours later. They also get tuition paid for when Americans can't get it. Oh well, there ya go! Dems will now have even more voters to help them take over Congress.

4. Unemployment is now over 10% and that is just the people that they can track who are filing for unemployment. It doesn't count those who are still unemployed and not getting benefits. And the percentage of people who are underemployed is well over 12%. These people have a job but paying less than what they need. Those getting benefits have been given extensions while those who were booted off are out in the dark. Matter of fact, one person I know has to pay unemployment back money because he was offered a job at McDonalds which wouldn't pay enough to pay his rent let alone his car so he turned it down to look for another job. They revoked his payments. He got a job that paid alittle more than McDonalds shortly thereafter but unemployment is garnishing his wages 25% to get their money back. He walks everywhere cause he lost his car and if he didn't do work for his landlord, he's be out on the street. He didn't get amnesty or grace or an extension.

5. So many who will not have a Christmas. And too many will grow up not really understanding what Christmas really is.

6. The craziness over the Ft. Hood incident. I know that we are all super-sensitive to terrorism and extremist Muslims. I was just as shocked and upset when it happened. I was angry. However, I didn't write about it because I wanted to wait and hear all the facts. The facts are not all in yet. There are wild speculations and I am not going to add to it. I am praying for all of them. I'm sick over it to the point of not being able to talk about it.

7. I'm concerned and have been concerned forever it seems, over the sex, sex, sex in everything. Movies and TV that show such a disregard for the specialness of sex that a generation has no concept of what they are losing. Young people who don't value their bodies and give it without thought to how precious it is. Sex that is casual and meaningless. Young teens sexting on cell phones. Sending provocative pictures over cell phones. Easy access to porn on the internet. Scenes in movies and TV that show couples who meet and are in bed withing seconds. Girls who are depicted as freaks if they are not sexually active. I am sick to death over it all! It will become so meaningless to many and that type of sex will continue to ruin lives. I know sex sells in every campaign but the cost is far greater than can be comprehended.

8. Taxes, taxes and more taxes.

9. The Climate Bill that will give power to the UN or some other governing body yet to be formed.

10. Last worry! Drumroll, please...I am still clicking my heels whispering, there's no place like home. My prayer that somehow, we will find our way back. Yet when I open my eyes and look at the news or read the papers, I see that I am still not home and the road back is not paved in yellow bricks. God bless and have a great week.

I try to post a picture and it gets superimposed over the writing, so sorry. Not sure why. (Time: 7:04am)

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Great, factual worry list Kim.

Here is mine just within the last 30 minutes or so:

1. There is legislation out there designed to rid Americans of their right to own and use guns. Our own Government is going to disarm the public to the point that ONLY criminals (gang members, drug dealers, thieves, etc.) have them.

2. This healthcare "reform." Instead of FIXING the problem with these insuarnace organizations and hospitals/medical providers...we are going to mask the real issues because the insurance industry DONATES so much to our Government that they will not "shoot themselves in the foot" and really fix the problem (God forbid they should get less in "donations" as they sell off America piece by piece to anyone with a little money). Nobody seels to understand that this healthcare reform will have HUGE deductibles. If you cannot afford health coverage----how will you afford the huge deductibles not to mention what this will do to taxes!

3. Banks. Banks have rasied interest rates by more than 150% on credit cards. If you have good credit, you will slowly be "rewarded" with interest rates higher than you have ever imagined which can easily double a payment. Now, if you dodge that bullet (pardon the pun), they are also going to increase minimum payments. So, you can "qualify" for one or both if you are really lucky!

They should have let the banks sink. These bailouts have caused nothing but trouble and mayhem in an already lawless industry.

4. Our Governments total lack of control and accountability on all levels. It makes me sick.

When all of these jobs in the US were being sold off in the name of cheaper labor, we did nothing. Now, look where we are and we did it to ourselves. It started with the steel industry and has continued on through NAFTA. Guess the only thing left to do is move to where the jobs are and land is cheap.

Kim, nice job. I hear there are now islands for sale. You can make your own rules, etc. May not be a bad idea if this crap keeps up. Have a good one Kim.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Mon, Nov 9, 2009, at 9:44 AM
This old man quit worrying about most of your worries a long time ago.Polititions will do whatever makes them money,crazies will still be crazy and thats the first fact of life.As long as I have a place to sleep and food in my belly I figure I'm ahead of the game. Past that I,ll help people when I can.

-- Posted by Happy Haven on Mon, Nov 9, 2009, at 10:42 AM
The unemployment rate is calculated the way it is (leaving out the underemployed, unmotivated, very young, very old, and sick) for a reason. The reason is that we dont expect any contributions from those groups. Collectively as a society, we expect meaningful contributions from the more numerous, working-class, motivated to some degree adult population. Those you wont seek employment or dont care are too difficult to keep track of. Regardless of how difficult it is, some would not sustain employment even if you gave it to them.

-- Posted by twilcox1978 on Mon, Nov 9, 2009, at 2:50 PM
Kim

Your friend could of taken the McDonalds job and then he would of had his unemployment check stop coming to his house. He still could of looked for a job while working at McDonalds. A job is a job! Even if it isn't what your really wanting. If it didn't pay his rent he had other options

Some people can't even get a job ! It worry's me when people are offered a job and then turn it down because it's not the big job they were wanting ............

Matter of fact, one person I know has to pay unemployment back money because he was offered a job at McDonalds which wouldn't pay enough to pay his rent let alone his car so he turned it down to look for another job. They revoked his payments. He got a job that paid alittle more than McDonalds shortly thereafter but unemployment is garnishing his wages 25% to get their money back.

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Mon, Nov 9, 2009, at 4:43 PM
yea unfortunately, he was given bad advice. Some well-meaning friends told him that he didn't have to accept the job if it didn't pay enough to sustain his life. I think that the job wouldn't have paid him even close to what he was getting on unemployment cause the previous job he had paid over 18 an hour. Naturally, he had bills that 18hr paid for and 6hr couldn't come close. I know of plenty of people who manage to collect unemployment until it runs out and then get an extension. Oh well. It has been hard for so many. I remember years ago this same thing happened to my friend's husband. He took the low-paying job and was stuck there for a long time before he could get another job since he worked 6 days a week and didn't have time to go to interviews for another. His income was cut by a third by accepting the job but unemployment told him he had to take it. He's never gotten another job that paid as well as the one he lost back then. He felt type-cast by the low-paying job, I think.

And it is a fact that there are many unemployed people out there not counted because they don't work and never will.

-- Posted by kimkovac on Tue, Nov 10, 2009, at 6:42 AM
It's hard now days to make ends meet, I know we are seniors and live on a fixed income. I have an online business that helps put food on the table. lol ! Some days I do well and other days not so good.

I wonder when doing the number crunch on unemployment if they are counting the disabled who are on SSD ?

I hope your friend is doing better now days

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Tue, Nov 10, 2009, at 10:07 AM
For once I agree about the health-care reform b*&% s*&%. The only thing it is going to do is spread the wealth back up by forcing the poor to buy insurance they can't afford. That's forcing people by way of black-mail, as in a person will be fined if they don't follow along.

I want to find some politicians and insurance CEOs and beat them with their own shin-bones!

-- Posted by censored on Tue, Nov 10, 2009, at 6:57 PM
I haven't heard that 'jail' but it is the logical step after being fined and not being able to pay.

-- Posted by censored on Thu, Nov 12, 2009, at 2:07 AM
How about car insurance ?? Were already forced to have it !

-- Posted by MsMarylin on Thu, Nov 12, 2009, at 9:17 AM
I have been looking at other health care systems in other countries and they have some pretty good ideas. These ideas will never fly here but they are good ideas regardless.

Taiwan uses a smart card that holds ones complete medical history on it. No other info is on it but it takes the guess work and trial-and-error out of going to the doctor. Second, the government mandates lower costs with no flexibility. This would make the field not so profitable but is that so bad. Costs are the same no matter where the person goes. Equipment manufacturers cannot charge exorbitant and claim that its to fund R&D. There is too much big brother in these ideas for Americans but maybe we could tweak them to fit our needs.

-- Posted by twilcox1978 on Thu, Nov 12, 2009, at 9:58 AM
SOrry..off topic but a firend sent this to me and I just had to share..seems kinda timely.

Amendment 28

Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United

States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives,

and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or

Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the

United States .

-- Posted by mhbouncer on Thu, Nov 12, 2009, at 8:57 PM
First off, as a person with student loans to repay, EDUCATION is not cheap nor is it free. My student loans are a "Benz" payment even with the low interest rates. These people go to school for a long time and deserve to be able to make a living/pay back the money they owe.

If Obamanomics seeks to "limit" the income of doctors and nurses I sure HOPE (HAHAHAHAHAHA) that they are willing to pay off, or at the very least, pay down the loans these people have. Further, pay should be performance based for our Government. If you do a crappy job, you get NOTHING! No great medical coverage, no pension, etc. If these people HAD to be accountable, our President included, they would not pull half of the crap that they do.

A Government who acts as ours does/has/will has NO right to limit pay unless of course THEY are willing to give rebates for all of their sub-standard performances over the last 40+ years. Oh yeah, no more raises either. Performance based pay should bring them around.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Fri, Nov 13, 2009, at 9:47 AM
"Change you can believe in." Click those red shoes together and repeat---there is no place like home, there is no place like home.

-- Posted by OpinionMissy on Fri, Nov 13, 2009, at 2:26 PM

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