Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Honest Personalized Checks On The Hugeness Of Government

By Anna Soverign

The size of government is truly huge. When one thinks of government, most look just at the Federal government workers which number 11,028,000 jobs. They include grantee jobs, uniformed military personnel, Federal civil servants, contractor jobs and postal jobs. Counting the unemployed, those collecting social security benefit checks, collecting welfare payment checks, local and state hourly workers, cops teachers, firemen, librarians, road departments and state legislature, those figures mushroom into a huge personalized income tax bill supported by taxpayers personalized checks!

All evidence shows that reducing taxes, regulations, reducing the size of government creates more jobs in the long run. Most reputable studies have shown that Government spending below 25% of GDP spurs economic growth. The only sane way to rescue a business or household that is in trouble is to cut back on unnecessary expenses and become more productive.

Checking on the lost purchasing value of the dollar as well as where we stand economically today is largely the result of the skyrocketing size of government. It wasn't always so. President Wilson changed the size and power government drastically. The over empowered executive branch of government began its rampage with dictates and spending excesses that have been continued by succeeding presidents. Franklin D. Roosevelt wasn't the only fiscal rascal; every subsequent have increased the size and scope of government.

In 1900 the federal government consumed less than 5 percent of total output. In 1950 the federal government consumed roughly15 percent of total output. In 1999 the federal government consumed roughly19 percent of total output. Today it is out of control. Government employment is outpacing manufacturing employment and many feel it is mushrooming too big to sustain itself.

The scope and size of government percolate to its present state creates a fascist type republic in that decisions become regulated and individual freedom dissipates. The ordinary citizen taxpayer becomes a slave paying for big government and is left with a reduced paycheck.

Heavily unionized, job secure government workers gets to retire after only 20 years service. They are eligible for pension checks, annuity checks and other lavish perks. Their counterpart non-government worker generally has to work 45 years before they are eligible for retirement and social security benefits. They have no job security. Many private sector jobs are much more dangerous than those faced by police, fireman and the military, yet they have to put in their 45 sweat before eligibility rolls around.

How one looks at the unemployment numbers tells a story that bears a little digging. For instance the March 2009 unemployment showed a 8.5% unemployment rate with 13.2 million collecting. Looking at the unofficial U-6 data for the report, reveals another story. Unemployed workers discouraged for more than a year are magically dropped from the role and if you factor that in you have real unemployment approaching the 20%

It is easy to lose track of the total picture. The size and scope of government includes everyone getting a paycheck from federal, state and local government. You need to count all the numbers.

"Whenever you have an efficient government you have a dictatorship." - Harry Truman, 33rd U.S. president. Even the wrong-sided economist, John Maynard Keynes said: "The avoidance of taxes is the only intellectual pursuit that carries any reward." So when will you ever see a box on the ballot where you can vote for the size of government? Article supplied by Personalized Checks

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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

What Were The Stimulus Grants Of 2009 Supposed To Do?

By Jed Jenkins

The economy in the United States is slowly improving today and this has to do with many different things including investments and increase consumer confidence. People are starting to spend more money and this is helping to gradually bring the economy back to life.

While the unemployment numbers remain just under 10%, they have come down from their highs. Some people are giving credit for all this to the stimulus bill of 2009 and they are saying it has done what it was meant to do.

The stimulus bill gave money to some things that have been ignored lately. Some programs for kids going to school is one of these things and more money going into the schools is good for the future of the society as a whole. Children need to experience more at school and have the opportunity to learn as much as possible so they can succeed later on.

Some of the stimulus grant money was for helping students from poorer families be able to go to college and continue their education. The more students who move on to college and don't settle for low paying dead end jobs, the better off we are as a country. Sometimes a little help is needed and that is what the stimulus grants were for.

The stimulus bill addressed many other needs in our country such as adding to our infrastructure and making it stronger. Many parts of the countries roads and bridges have been neglected and by improving them it would also add some jobs. These would only be temporary jobs though but at least some improvements to our cities would be made.

Over the years, much in our country that has been needed to be improved has been ignored. The grants from the stimulus bill addressed some of these needs and is hopefully making this a better place to live in.

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Irish Gang Branches Out Into Bill Collection

By Mallory Nocks

And you thought your collection agency was bad. It has been revealed in recent news that an Irish gangland boss has found a new calling- debt collection. This criminal progidy has been associated with twelve deaths; a threat even more looming than a collections letter.

Most of the time, legit creditors who aren't gang members will hire out third party collection agencies to retrieve debts. Bill collectors work on commission, where they receive a percentage of the amount of money that they collect. Oftentimes collection agencies will purchase debt from the creditors so that they can collect the entire sum of money owed.

The Irish thugs seemed to have borrowed inspiration from this practice, but the similarities end there. The boss of the notorious Irish gang has established his own collection agency, purchasing debt and using his reputation to bully his way into gathering the money owed. The unfortunate debtors are drug users who are unable to repay dealers.

Lawful collection agencies will generally start with a gentle "reminder letter." If the debtor is hostile or evasive, the letters will become sterner. Phone calls are used as well to remind those who owe money to pay up. If these tactics fail, the agency has the right to report a debt to credit bureaus, or file a lawsuit.

Conversely, the Irish gangland collection agency will use its reputation as a group of ruthless murderers and criminals to intimidate debtors into paying back drug money. Fortunately, the head of this operation has been arrested, and the Justice Minister of Ireland has vowed to do everything in his power to ensure that the accused will be brought to justice.

So next time you get a telephone call from a bill collection company, try to keep things in perspective. And if you are ever in Ireland, it is probably not a good idea to take out a loan with a heartless gang.

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Monday, August 16, 2010

Make Fast Money As The Best Debt Consolidation Affiliate Easily

By Mika Westin

If you really want make money, there are numerous ways to go about this. And, you don't even need any special talent. That is all thanks to the Internet and the way it has changed lives. For instance, you can earn a better living as a debt consolidation affiliate. If you look around, there are many people suffering with regards to their finances. There are many reasons why, more often than not, because they don't have money management skills.

Along with that, credit should be factored in. People just don't know when to stop when it comes to credit. And, when you add the recent recession to the recipe, it ends up being a financial disaster for everyone. In fact, even individuals who spend a lot and earned a lot end up suffering because they lost their jobs or their businesses suffered a lot of setbacks.

So, there have been a lot of programs set up by the government, for one to help those in need. By doing so, they help out the economy, to some degree. That brings us to debt consolidation affiliates. This is a way in which someone can earn a very lucrative income. They do so by referring clients who need to consolidate their debts.

In case you don't know this, there are over 60 million people in the United States alone that have high balances on credit cards. New laws have made it very difficult to file for bankruptcy. In addition to that, minimum payments by the larger creditors have been increased greatly. Previously, the minimum payment was 2%, now it is at 4%!

In other words, it left huge walls and obstacles for the regular consumer to climb. They had no Way out except for that consolidation. And it is a great solution. All the debts that they have are combined into one. Therefore they have only one payment to make each month without any other fees attached because the agents involved have negotiated all the terms with each creditor.

So, by becoming an affiliate like this, you can definitely increase your income. And, at the same time, you will be doing a good deed. The affiliation program you choose will see to it that the referrals you make will lead them to becoming debt-free in resolving their financial issues. It's a win-win situation.

Because the numbers are so large with the amounts of people in financial trouble, there is a lot of money for you to make as an affiliate. Of course, we all have the Internet to thank for helping out people and for opening new business doors for others.

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H1N1 Continues To Makes Its Rounds

By Amy Randall

One of the biggest medical scares in recent history is making its way around the world as the swine flu continues to spread. After infecting thousands of people during the summer, this bug won't go away and doctors and scientists have told the public to brace itself for a worsening condition.

Scarily enough, many of the cases (and the deaths) are affecting young children and adults. This is a stark contrast from the usual flu, which strikes the elderly and those already ill the hardest.

Typically, a strong immune system will fight off bugs. This, on the other hand, seems to strike ordinarily healthy people the hardest.

Having said that, officials are recommending the use of an H1N1 and regular flu vaccine each year to minimize the chances of the worst possible impact nationwide that health officials fear. They say this is the best protection against potential infection.

Many people wonder why they should even bother getting a flu vaccine. After all, only a fraction of a single percentage point of the people who get it end up dying as a result, so no one thinks they'll be one of those unfortunate figures.

You might have heard the recent story of a Washington Redskins cheerleader, who was left unable to speak after having a bad reaction to the flu vaccine this season. This is certainly a scary thought, though this reaction obviously isn't the norm.

Whether she received a bad vaccine or this was simply a risk that everyone who gets a shot will experience, no one is exactly sure. However, the best course of action is to speak to your doctor for a legitimate professional opinion.

The most important thing the public can do right now is to spread awareness about the symptoms and dangers of this illness. In doing so, people will be more prepared to act quickly.

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Sunday, August 15, 2010

How To Write A Petition For The First Time

By Lisa Krempasky

If you are trying to write a petition relax, because it is not that complicated. A very important thing to consider is research. You may want to start with the local government and explain to them what your actions are going to include. This should be done whether you are looking to get something implemented or altered. Make sure you get the guidelines from the government, because they will aide you in how many signatures you need as well as let you know the right way to proceed. If you follow their instructions, then you will be well on your way to completing the basic steps on how to write a petition.

Many have said, that success comes from being prepared, therefore, something to write or compose on is required. Begin with, a journal, writing pad or even the computer are all great choices. The only thing to consider with the computer preference is that you will need to print out everything at some point to get started. Even if you decide to use something that is not listed here, its acceptable, because this is your decision.

The next thing you will need is often taken for granted, but you will not be able to function without it. Of course, it is your writing utensil. Preferably, an ink pen would be best suited for the job, because pencil can be smeared or even erased. So take time and get a good writing pen for the job, because it will be used by as many petition signer as you get.

The statement or request of petition should be listed at the top of the page. If you are not positive on the definition of the word petition, it may be defined as a request or appeal asking for a right, mercy, favor desire or benefit. Take the time to find out further if need be especially since you want your petition to be obvious, but brief. Spell out what you are trying to say so everyone asked to sign will understand also. Think it out and use your words wisely as you write the petition at the top of the page.

You will then need to have a lot of lines underneath your petition, which are divided by spaces into four sections of information. Name, Address, Signature and the Date are the essential things needed in these areas. Take the time to number each line so that you are able to keep track of how many people have signed your petition. And please number the pages behind your first page so that you do not have to stop and number every time you complete one page.

The petition will slip neatly on a clipboard and it will also allow people the sturdy surface needed to sign on as well. You may even consider taking your ink pen and taping a string to it that is then tied to the clipboard to prevent anyone from walking off with the ink pen. This technique is also helpful in serving people that are ready to give their signature. A clipboard with an attached ink pen gives the appearance that you are organized and ready to be or become successful in your petitioning.

Lastly, perhaps making a few signs. Sometimes the gist of what you are petitioning for is not fully understood in your statement of request. However, if you made a few signs that clearly pointed of the main point of your petition this could really save you a lot of time. Meaning, it could potentially cut down on the time spent asking question and increase the time of getting signatures.

Lastly, after you have followed all of the basic instructions be certain to make copies of all of your pages. Anything can happen and often does and you would not like to lose any pages of the petition. Making and keeping a safe copy at home is strongly advised.

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Enumerating The Character Of A Great Leader

By Micaela Jones

An awful lot is expected of our leaders. They are on 24-hours per day oftentimes, whether they want to be or not. This goes for our bosses and managers as well as for our civic group leaders or church leaders.

Leaders have to act fast and act efficiently. This means leaders can't rely on a rule- or guidebook in order to make the decisions that need to be made on a daily basis. You have to be compassionate and decisive all at the same time.

A calm outlook is essential to a quality leadership type. So is the ability to defer to a core set of beliefs. You have to make crucial decisions as he turn of a hat, often without having all the best information that is available. You have to be passionate, analytical, reasonable and conversative in order to make the crucial moment-by-moment decisions that affect the outlook of a project.

Leaders are confronted with a variety of different situations at a variety of different times. Some situations call for them to behave in some ways, while other situations can call for them to behave in totally different ways.

A leader has to always decide what is best for the group or organization and stand behind their own convictions and not run away like a frightened mouse whenever a difficult situation calls on them to issue a difficult order or decision. They have to focus on the mission at hand.

Leaders have to be open minded while also being sincere in their beliefs. They have to be able to hear out an employee or partner when they come to them with an idea or a criticism. They have to listen, but they don't always have to act. They have to be able to defend their own convictions even when they might be unpopular or ill-informed.

Leaders, finally, have to have opinions. And then they have to stand by them even when they may not be popular or well-informed. They have to be able to stand up to opposition without backing down. This is the essence of what it means to be a leader.

So, maintain an open mind, but know when to stand fast behind what you know to be the very essential truth. Know what is for the best and focus on the core mission but also take account of the bigger picture.

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