Stop the Music!
In the absence of our director, who is seriously ill, our community band has been limping along, conductor-less, trying to play the music without a leader. No one has quite had the gumption to say, “Okay. I’m going to put down my instrument and lead the band until the director returns.” Musicians love the life of a musician. They love to play, not lead.
After listening to them careen all over the musical landscape last night, everyone playing at a different tempo, I finally got up and confronted them. This situation was totally intolerable. Someone had to make the sacrifice and lead the band! Immediately, they complained that they came to play, not direct. The only musician we have willing and able to direct the band is the political opponent of the conductor. For better or for worse (and he’s okay; I have nothing against him, not even his absence, except that he’s appointed no one who’s willing to put down their instrument in his absence), the band elected the guy who’s MIA. The rules are the rules – we have an actual Constitution – and the director selects his assistants or replacements.
Still, the minority must speak up and not just pretend, like the majority, that the empty podium has a leader waving a baton.
Roland Straten ran for Congress in New Jersey’s 8th district and lost to Bill Pascrell. Though he didn’t have Pascrell’s political credentials, he did have experience as economics major, an engineer, and an entrepreneur. Even though he wasn’t elected, some of us still consider him the best authority on the state of our economy. Last night, he wrote us in urgency:
This is by far the most critical message of my short political career.
The main reason I ran for Congress after 40 years as a successful businessman is that I believed in Smaller, Smarter Government. Our representatives, both Republican and Democrat, were by and large Big Government tax and spenders. Bill Pascrell was one of the most egregious tax-and-spenders.
Government was and still is too big, spending too much, over regulating, and taxing too much.
I clearly believed that this has hurt the standard of living in the USA by diverting resources from private enterprise, which makes things and provides productive work, to government, which doesn't make anything and restricts productive work. I really cannot say it any simpler than that. Unfortunately, the people of New Jersey chose not to send me to Washington.
Fortunately, the people of the United States chose to send approximately 80 freshmen Congressmen to Washington who agree with me. While I cannot vote, I can implore the 40 percent of the people in the district who voted for me to take action. Now is an extremely critical time. We are seeing the battle between those who want to cut spending and those who want to tax and spend coming to a climax.
This tax-and-spend group, with President Obama and the so-called Mainstream Media serving as his lackeys in the forefront, has pulled out all the stops. They know that this is an epic political battle between us, the producers, and them, the parasites, moochers, and looters.
The tax-and-spend group wants to take from the producers and give to the non-producers. The smaller government group wants to allow producers to produce and be rewarded for their hard work.
While the issues are clear-cut, it is not so simple in Washington. We have been here before. We have had this debate numerous times. The tax and spend group say we must "compromise;" that is raise taxes and cut spending. In the past, the smaller government group always gets snookered. They accept the compromise and one year later, taxes stay high and spending increases.
But the 80 freshman Congressman who campaigned on this issue and got elected along with the 40 or so Congressman like Scott Garrett realize exactly what happened in the past. They are on to the tax and spender's game. And right now the small government guys have a very big hammer to control spending. That hammer is the vote on the debt limit.
Under current law, the government cannot spend any more money. It cannot raise taxes and it cannot borrow more money, unless the smaller smarter government group allows it to do so. The smaller government group has, in the past, succumbed to the tactics that the tax-and-spend group has used against them and "compromised."
You only have to turn on the national news programs to see the tactics, the half-truths, and the attacks against those who want to cut spending. The main attack is the accusation that the smaller government group, by not allowing the debt ceiling to rise, will cause an economic collapse of epic proportions because people will lose their faith in our government's ability repay its debt. The truth is that people will lose their faith in our government because we spend too much and the debt has risen to a point where we cannot pay it without some serious belt tightening.
It is absolutely critical that our smaller government legislatures hold the line. That is why this is the most important email I have written.
This is the battle I fought when I ran for Congress!!
I lost, but the country won!!
The tax and spend guys have launched an all-out war on our guys!!
Our guys need your support!!
That is why I am sending this email to every address I have. If we raise the debt limit without seriously substantial cuts in spending, this country is in deep, deep trouble. Even if the smaller government guys are not in your district, write them, call them, fax them, e-mail them and tell them to hold the line. They need your encouragement against the onslaught of the liberal tax and spenders. Write everyone you know and explain how important an issue this is.
The decision will be made in the next few weeks. Either our government will cut spending or the smaller government group will make a ""compromise" (read capitulate) to the tax-and-spend guys like Bill Pascrell. The next two weeks will be an epic period in the history of the United States. We will turn the corner and be a great country or we will continue the disastrous slide to mediocrity.
Roland Straten
Box 43254, Montclair, NJ 07043
http://www.rolandstraten.com/
RStraten@RolandStraten.com
973.333.5415
The main reason I ran for Congress after 40 years as a successful businessman is that I believed in Smaller, Smarter Government. Our representatives, both Republican and Democrat, were by and large Big Government tax and spenders. Bill Pascrell was one of the most egregious tax-and-spenders.
Government was and still is too big, spending too much, over regulating, and taxing too much.
I clearly believed that this has hurt the standard of living in the USA by diverting resources from private enterprise, which makes things and provides productive work, to government, which doesn't make anything and restricts productive work. I really cannot say it any simpler than that. Unfortunately, the people of New Jersey chose not to send me to Washington.
Fortunately, the people of the United States chose to send approximately 80 freshmen Congressmen to Washington who agree with me. While I cannot vote, I can implore the 40 percent of the people in the district who voted for me to take action. Now is an extremely critical time. We are seeing the battle between those who want to cut spending and those who want to tax and spend coming to a climax.
This tax-and-spend group, with President Obama and the so-called Mainstream Media serving as his lackeys in the forefront, has pulled out all the stops. They know that this is an epic political battle between us, the producers, and them, the parasites, moochers, and looters.
The tax-and-spend group wants to take from the producers and give to the non-producers. The smaller government group wants to allow producers to produce and be rewarded for their hard work.
While the issues are clear-cut, it is not so simple in Washington. We have been here before. We have had this debate numerous times. The tax and spend group say we must "compromise;" that is raise taxes and cut spending. In the past, the smaller government group always gets snookered. They accept the compromise and one year later, taxes stay high and spending increases.
But the 80 freshman Congressman who campaigned on this issue and got elected along with the 40 or so Congressman like Scott Garrett realize exactly what happened in the past. They are on to the tax and spender's game. And right now the small government guys have a very big hammer to control spending. That hammer is the vote on the debt limit.
Under current law, the government cannot spend any more money. It cannot raise taxes and it cannot borrow more money, unless the smaller smarter government group allows it to do so. The smaller government group has, in the past, succumbed to the tactics that the tax-and-spend group has used against them and "compromised."
You only have to turn on the national news programs to see the tactics, the half-truths, and the attacks against those who want to cut spending. The main attack is the accusation that the smaller government group, by not allowing the debt ceiling to rise, will cause an economic collapse of epic proportions because people will lose their faith in our government's ability repay its debt. The truth is that people will lose their faith in our government because we spend too much and the debt has risen to a point where we cannot pay it without some serious belt tightening.
It is absolutely critical that our smaller government legislatures hold the line. That is why this is the most important email I have written.
This is the battle I fought when I ran for Congress!!
I lost, but the country won!!
The tax and spend guys have launched an all-out war on our guys!!
Our guys need your support!!
That is why I am sending this email to every address I have. If we raise the debt limit without seriously substantial cuts in spending, this country is in deep, deep trouble. Even if the smaller government guys are not in your district, write them, call them, fax them, e-mail them and tell them to hold the line. They need your encouragement against the onslaught of the liberal tax and spenders. Write everyone you know and explain how important an issue this is.
The decision will be made in the next few weeks. Either our government will cut spending or the smaller government group will make a ""compromise" (read capitulate) to the tax-and-spend guys like Bill Pascrell. The next two weeks will be an epic period in the history of the United States. We will turn the corner and be a great country or we will continue the disastrous slide to mediocrity.
Roland Straten
Box 43254, Montclair, NJ 07043
http://www.rolandstraten.com/
RStraten@RolandStraten.com
973.333.5415
Be the leaders. Take the stage and let our representatives know the sky is not the limit when it comes to government spending.
posted by Belle | 11:25 AM
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