The Summer of Recovery

Vice-President Biden called this summer "the summer of recovery". Has it happened? Did I miss it? It never happened. Look at what is going on.

1. According to recent data from the Federal Reserve, corporate cash is still hovering at record levels of $1.84 trillion, and cash remains higher than it was just 18 months ago. These high cash levels are starting to become a sore spot among ...market observers. The hope was that cash-rich companies could ignite the economy coming out of the recession by dipping into their deep pockets to boost spending and demand. It hasn't happened. The reason is that businesses are scared and they are uncertain about the future. My own health care premiums went up 30%. The insurance companies are building cash reserves so that they can handle all of the regulations and agencies that will be created. Remember, 16,000 more IRS agents just to enforce the mandate to buy health care insurance. Businesses are scared. When businesses are scared, they don't hire.
2. The Initial claims for unemployment aid rose to 465K. Economists had thought that the number would remain flat. It didn't.
3. Consumer confidence declined in July and only slightly improved in August.
4. The government's solution of spending more and more money is not working.

No one is buying the lame excuses of the Democrats or the Republicans. I'm tired of all of this and truly want change. Let us return to small government. Let us reduce spending. Let us cut taxes. Let us slash the budget.

Stimulus Money at Work

Foxnews.com

More than a year after Congress approved $800 billion in stimulus funds, the Los Angeles city controller has released a 40-page report on how the city spent its share, and the results are not living up to expectations.

"I'm disappointed that we've only created or retained 55 jobs after receiving $111 million," said Wendy Greuel, the city's controller. "With our local unemployment rate over 12 percent we need to do a better job cutting red tape and putting Angelenos back to work."

My Thoughts

When you put the government in the driver's seat regarding the economy, all you will get is waste and nothing gets done. Why should we expect anything different. We voted them into office.

Mid-term elections are almost here. Make sure you are registered and vote. I don't care if you are Republican or Democrat. Both parties should be ashamed for allowing things like this to occur. I am so tired of voting on the basis of choosing the lesser of two evils. I am looking for a conversatives who truly believe in small government and will work to reduce its size and influence in our lives.

For the full article, click here.

No to Qur’an Burning!

Let me start off by saying this. I'm not happy with the radical viewpoints of Islamic extremists. I also realize that no matter what political party, religious sect, or any organization, for that matter, contains radicals who are bent on making a point in a violent way. Additionally, I also realize the first amendment rights of individual to speak out or protest something that they want to people to know about.

Terry Jones, pastor of the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL, has decided to burn Qur'ans in protest of the Islamic faith and how it has disrespected Christianity. First in foremost, Christians are told to love their enemies and to be respectful. This act of book burning goes against everything I believe. It is a senseless act and should not be done.

I know that in other nations, the ownership of a Bible could be punishable by imprisonment. I know that some nations would put a person in prison just for talking about Christianity. None of these things should be used as a reason to be disrespectful of another person.

Read John 15:9-12. Jesus tells us to love one another. If all of us followed that basic principle, the world would be a better place.

So, I say, "Don't burn the Qur'an!"

I would suggest doing something positive like sponsoring a Bible drive. Collect money and purchase Bibles for those in the world who are hungry for the Word. That would be a better way of being a Christian and living the teachings of Christ Jesus.

Forget the Mosque at Ground Zero

As a Christian and an American, I do not care if the mosque is built near Ground Zero. Yes, it bothers me that the builders have not considered the feelings of Americans, but there is something that bothers me more.

There was a small Greek Orthodox church, St. Nicholas, at Ground Zero. It was destroyed when one of the towers fell on it. The landing gear from one of the planes that crashed into the towers plowed through the church.

We, as Christians, should be coming to the aid of this small church and rebuilding it. There are 70 families who no longer have a church to worship in. No final decision has been made in almost 10 years. The decision to build a mosque received almost immediate approval and faced very little obstacles. However, St. Nicholas did not get the same treatment.

Instead of complaining about the mosque, let us lift up this church in prayer and support it in whatever way we can. Let us rebuild the church for the glory of God.