Am I the Only One That Signals?

Diversity Visa Lottery

2011-11-07T07:02:00.000-08:00

On the front page of Saturday’s (Nov. 5, 2011) Wall Street Journal is a picture of Taha Al-Rawi, from Iraq, being sworn in as a US citizen. I’m sure he’s a very nice person. However, I have a problem with people immigrating from Iraq or Afghanistan. Let’s say I lived in a neighborhood which was run down and riddled with crime. You came in, got rid of the crime and rebuilt my house. In the process you spent millions of dollars and some of your crew was killed. When you were all done I moved out. How would you feel?

Unless you live under a rock, you are aware that illegal immigration is a big problem in the US. However, legal immigration is also a problem because what is best for the USA is not the number one consideration. We consider whether you have relatives already living here, whether you are happy in your home country, or how many others came from your country this year. So even though there is a German PhD, who wants to emigrate he can’t because three Germans have already immigrated this year. So we may pick an opium poppy farmer from Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan.

To make matters worse we have a green card lottery, aka the Diversity Visa Lottery. We randomly pick 50,000 people who are allowed to enter the USA along with their spouses and children under the age of 21. The applications are picked randomly so there’s no telling who you may get. I don’t know the history of the “diversity” obsession. Someone has decided that diversity is good even if it results in a few terrorists or pedophiles coming in. I posed a question to my representative, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, asking why we need such a program. In the unlikely event she answers a direct question, I’ll pass it along.

Even though Iran is considered a top military threat to the USA 548,000 applications were filed by Iran in 2010. In Nigeria 2,005,000 applications were filed. I assume the Nigerians who are admitted will be self-supporting from all the money scams they run from home.

Our country was started by immigrants and diversity came with it, but not by design. No one stood at the docks when the Mayflower disembarked and turned people away saying “sorry too many people from England.”

If there is any rational reason for having a Visa Lottery I can’t find it.

The Post Office Is Losing Money

2011-10-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Levitz’s article, in the WSJ, “Post Office Wants More Than Mail” doesn’t go far enough in explaining why the USPS is losing money or how it can turn around. There’s an ad running on TV suggesting USPS is losing money because they must pay huge fees to the Federal Government. Levitz doesn’t mention any such fee nor could I find one. The ad is probably referring to the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006 (PAEA).

The PAEA, which made over 150 changes to postal law, is a good example of over regulation. Included in the regulations is the requirement for the USPS to prefund its future retiree health benefits. Another contributing factor to the poor financial condition is the union. Levitz reports that the union has hired an advisor to make the USPS more viable. This is like putting the fox in the henhouse, asking him for suggestions on how to control the hens.

The post office wants to increase first class stamps by one cent, to make up for lost volume. One thing that hasn’t decreased is junk mail. Just this week I received a solicitation for classical music (I’m pure country) and an ad for mail order dog food (I live in a condo that doesn’t allow pets and I hate dogs.) Organizations, such as those mentioned, apparently have so much money that they don’t even do marketing research. Rather than raising my postage one cent why don’t we increase the rates for advertising, presorted mail, and non-profit organizations? The airlines have got away with over charging businesses for years. Why can’t the post office do the same?

Deficit Reduction

2011-04-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

I hate to upset Paul Ryan or make Speaker Boehner cry. But, their plan for deficit reduction has some problems, as does Obama’s. We have a revenue and spending problem. Both must be addressed.

An Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal stated that our tax rate as a percentage of GDP is more than enough. However, is it evenly divided? If we get rid of all the loopholes the rates can remain the same and we would increase revenue. We also need to crack down on tax fraud. If we spent as much time on tax and Medicare fraud as we do on investigating and prosecuting baseball players for using steroids, we could save billions.

Regarding Medicare fraud, we need to get serious. My wife and I, a retired RN and CPA, volunteered to audit Medicare charges on a contingency basis. The only response I received was to join the Gray Panthers and report abuse on my personal charges.

I’m in favor of raising income tax rates on individuals making over $1,000,000. Everyone talks about leaving all the debt to our grandchildren. Many Wall Street executives and corporate CEOs make obscene salaries and bonuses, which would impossible to spend in their lifetimes. So their grandchildren will have plenty of money to handle the increasing deficit. Those making $1,000,000 are the job creators. However, they will create jobs when there is demand for their product or service; not because they have an extra million in their pocket.

Pay as you go Social Security and Medicare were destined to fail as the number of people paying in decreased in proportion to those collecting. If Medicare is in trouble, cancelling the program, as Ryan suggests is ludicrous. The biggest problem facing Medicare is that “the medical costs are too damn high.” The US spends twice as much on health care, per individual, as any other industrialized nation. Neither political party is addressing this issue. The other problem is that everyone is not paying FICA. Every working US resident should be in the program. We can also reduce the rate if we eliminate the salary cap. People making $50,000 per year will spend the savings, thereby stimulating the economy. Those making $1,000,000 won’t even notice it. It will just be a little less for their grandchildren. Illegals paying FICA, with false SSN’s, should be helping. They will eventually go home or become legal. In either case they will not be entitled to any monies paid in while here illegally.

In addition to health care costs being too high, health insurance companies make too much money. A no frills public option is the answer to this. The business model should be to break even. Ryan’s plan to eliminate Medicare and give seniors a health insurance voucher is absurd. I retired at age 55 and I had a hard time getting insurance at any price. The plan just takes taxpayer money and gives it to the insurance companies.

Medicaid will become solvent by reducing the cost of health care and collecting co-payments for services. For those who claim they cannot afford to pay anything, I will personally visit their homes and confiscate all cell phones, big screen TV’s, pets, junk food, cigarettes, and designer clothes.

A large part of the budget is defense spending. Ending all the senseless wars we are involved in is a no-brainer. There are billions which can be saved by eliminating unnecessary programs. The downside of eliminating any Federal program is the loss of jobs. There are plenty of other projects we need to address, such as the infrastructure. We can’t continue with useless projects just to create jobs. A high speed train won’t be much good if the bridge it is crossing collapses.

Discretionary spending on all other programs represents a small percentage of the budget. However, each program should be reviewed periodically to justify its existence.

Anyway think about it.

Bob E Sherman's State of the Union

2011-01-26T07:50:00.000-08:00

When Mr. Obama took office two years ago the State of the Union was a mess. It’s a little better today. However, there is still much work to be done. Millions of people are still out of work. The Stimulus Programs, some started by Bush, have had limited success. This is partly due to the fact that money was spent on earmarks, which had little effect on job creation.

Jobs are created when there is demand. Tax cuts for the rich only puts more money in their pockets. They don’t just hire someone because profits are up. Until the middle class gets back to work the demand will remain muted. Everyone talks of making sacrifices to get the country healthy again. Corporations and their shareholders need to be the first. Corporations move jobs overseas to make higher profits. I’m willing to pay a little more for a baseball cap made in the USA. It’s obvious that corporations will not voluntary keep jobs in the USA. So we must use Tax Code inventive and punitive provisions to encourage them to keep the jobs here. I’m for lowering the corporate tax rate. But, not for profits generated by overseas jobs or products manufactured overseas.

Everyone agrees that the deficit is too large. The Republicans say cut, cut, cut. But, they have no specific suggestions. Mr. Obama wants to cut the deficit also. However, he feels we still need to spend more on education, infrastructure, and energy. I agree with the infrastructure part. Our roads, waterways, bridges, and utility distribution systems need to be updated.

Mr. Obama says that he wants more clean energy. However, he continues to ignore Boone Pickens and all the natural gas reserves in the USA. Congress doesn’t seem to understand the importance of not being dependent on Middle East oil, at any price. As an added benefit the price of oil would drop if the USA was not an importer.

Throwing more money into our education system is not the answer. I propose that Arne Duncan at the Department of Education be replaced by Amy Chua (The Tiger Mom). She will teach parents why it is better to carry a book in your back pack rather than a gun. Paying teachers more doesn’t make them a better teacher. On the other hand, tenure assures that we keep bad teachers.

Social Security, Medicare, and defense account for 84% of the Federal Budget. Cutting the remaining 16% in half won’t have much effect. It’s misleading to put Social Security and Medicare in this group, as they are funded by specific tax revenue. Call it what you want. The pay as you go system is nothing more than a Ponzi scheme. Until someone comes up with a painless replacement, modification will be needed to keep it viable long term. We need to rethink the definition of “entitlements.” I paid FICA taxes for 40 years. So you’re damn right I’m entitled. If you never paid anything, you are not entitled. And the benefit should be based on the amount paid in. Someone paying for 40 quarters should not get the same as me. I am against “means” testing. If you paid in, you should get something back. However, The FICA tax percentage should be reduced and then applied to all wages, salaries, bonuses, partnership, and Sub S profits. Everyone should pay in. This includes teachers, and all government employees.

The defense budget is the biggest nut to crack. We can start by ending the wars in Iraqi and Afghanistan. Blowing up rock piles in Afghanistan doesn’t make us any safer. We can also close the operation in South Korea. If these two countries can’t get along after fifty years, they never will. All weapons programs should be examined to determine whether they are appropriate in the 21st Century. The CIA and Special Ops need to be expanded to deal with all the whack jobs that want to meet 72 virgins.

Repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was long overdue. For a volunteer military to work it must be open to all qualified applicants. Taking care of our military and veterans is a top priority and the budget in this area should be increased.

The health care bill went too far and not far enough. The only way to control the insurance companies is to offer a public option. The public option can be bare bones and should not be free. If a mandate to buy insurance is unconstitutional, it would also apply to auto insurance. The requirement by the states for auto insurance is to assure that people own up to their financial responsibilities. If you are uncomfortable with mandated health insurance, you should be reminded that there is no constitutional right to free health care. I propose a public option that would provide day to day medical care in clinics. This would get people out of the emergency rooms. Reasonable fees would be charged. And the patients would be responsible for the cost of the care. Unpaid medical costs would not be eliminated in bankruptcy.

Mr. Obama addressed the issue of immigration. While I do not support amnesty for all illegals here now, we must stop the inflow. We must establish reasonable quotas for legal immigration. As Mr. Obama pointed out, many foreigners attend our universities and then take their knowledge back home. In some cases they use that knowledge against us. Azmi Mikati, backed by Hezbollah in Lebanon, was Harvard educated. We don’t need foreign students in our schools. Let them take flying lessons elsewhere.

God bless America and nowhere else.

Man's Best Friend

2010-11-11T11:26:00.001-08:00

Ever since I was a small boy, I wanted a dog. My parents wouldn’t get one for me as they reasoned that they would end up taking care of it. They were probably right.

I was an adult when I finally got Mr. Peabody, and it was by accident. I was walking down the street, and as I passed some trash cans, I heard some whimpering coming from one of the cans. I looked inside and there was the cutest little beagle puppy I had ever seen. It was love at first sight. Little Mr. Peabody was so happy to get out of the can, that he couldn’t stop licking my face. I quickly went to the local pet store and got some puppy chow and other puppy supplies.

After we returned home, Mr. Peabody made himself right at home. I soon realized that Mr. Peabody was no ordinary dog. Within days, he had toilet trained himself and was bringing in the morning newspaper.

It was the following New Year’s day when I realized how special Mr. Peabody was. I had been partying all night long, and I had forgotten to unplug the Christmas tree lights. By New Year’s Eve the tree was pretty dried out, as I had put it up right after Thanksgiving. The lights caught the tree on fire, and it was starting to spread to the drapes. I was sound asleep as the smoke started to enter the bedroom. Mr. Peabody started barking and jumping on the bed until I finally woke up. We got out the front door just as the fire department was arriving. I never found out who called 911. The 911 operator said it sounded as if someone was barking Morse Code. However, she’s sure she was mistaken. In any case, Mr. Peabody saved my life.

Several years later I decided to move into a condo as the house was getting to be too much to take care of. I looked at least twelve condos in the same area. They all allowed pets except one, which happened to be the one I liked. There was no way I was going anywhere without Mr. Peabody. After doing a little research, I found that I could call Mr. Peabody a service animal. A precedent had been set at this condo by another resident who claimed he was so depressed that he needed a dog. The State of Florida had almost stumbled over themselves in an attempt to be politically correct. With no regard for the other 999 residents who had moved to this condo because it didn’t allow pets, they had allowed the first of soon to be many “service animals.”

I can ignore the rights of the majority as well as the next guy, so my best friend and I moved in. My adjacent neighbors don’t mind Mr. Peabody as he only barks if there is a fire, someone breaking in, or if their TV is too loud.

I take Mr. Peabody everywhere. He really likes our boat. In no time at all, he got his sea legs. He has such a sense of direction that he has warned me on several occasions that the anchor was dragging. Mr. Peabody has given new meaning to “man’s best friend.”

An interview with God

2010-07-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

Bob E: Why have you decided to do this interview now?

God: You asked. Most people that talk to me are just praying for strength or to win the lottery.

Bob E: There are lots of people who claim to communicate with you.

God: There are many people that pray to me and many that think that they here voices. Most of the people that hear voices are crazy. You can imagine how difficult it would be to answer all prayers. The average person can’t even keep up with their e-mails.

Bob E: Why are the greatest oil reserves in the Middle East?

God: I’ll have to admit that this was one of my mistakes. Then again I didn’t know the Arabs would turn out to be such assholes. To make matters worse, they don’t even believe in me. I guess I could redistribute the oil. But, fighting for it builds character.

Bob E: Why did my father die at such a young age?

God: Everyone thinks I have a master plan. This is not so. After creating the heavens and the earth in six days I rested. And a day was a lot longer back then. In fact I am still resting. What I did was create a random event machine. It’s sort of like a random number generator. Every day events are spit out which may affect you for better or worse. I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “shit happens” or “your number is up.”

Bob E: The Jews say they are the “chosen people” Is this true, and if so what are they chosen for?

God: If that makes them feel good about themselves so be it. You are all God’s children.

Bob E: Who gets to go to heaven?

God: Well the jury is still out on you if that’s what you mean. A lot of people will be shocked when they enter the pearly gates and see who’s here. The Christians believe that if you believe and are baptized it’s automatic. This is not the case. All those people on death row that think they have found Jesus are going to be in for a big shock. Last week a young boy in the Amazon was killed by a school of piranhas. He was not baptized and had never heard of me. But, he’s up here with me now.

Bob E: Speaking of Jesus, is he really your son?

God: Well 33% of the world’s population believes that he is. Now that I think about that’s only slightly better than George Bush’s approval rating. Short of a paternity test, there is no way to prove it. Even though I invented DNA I don’t have any myself. I will say this: when you get to heaven you’ll find out.

Bob E: In the Bible there is reference to a lot of miracles. Why don’t we have any miracles today?

God: That depends on how you define miracle. People believe that if their child is run over by a truck and the doctors say there is no hope but he lives; it must be a miracle. This is not a miracle. If you mean turning water into wine or parting the Red Sea; these were real miracles. People today are too skeptical for miracles to work. In the 1800’s I sent a few angels to earth. They performed a few miracles and they were charged with witchcraft and burned at the stake.

Bob E: Thousands of years ago there were a lot of evil people on earth so you sent a big flood. Speaking of today; what did we do to deserve Britney Spears?

God: She is not punishment. I’m just having a little fun. I gave everyone a free will. Every so often I create a few people to see how stupid a person can act, e.g. Britney and Paris Hilton.

Bob E: Why did Moses wander around in the desert for 40 years?

God: First of all, it wasn’t really 40 years in today’s terms. But remember, Moses had no maps, or GPS. The compass wasn’t even invented until the 11th century. What’s more amazing is the number of people that followed a person around who didn’t know where he was going.

Bob E: The Jews have been praying for peace for 5,768 years. Are you ignoring them?

God: Not really. Remember, patience is a virtue. Also I have a different concept of time than you do. I don’t even own a watch.

God: Sorry Bob E. I have to run. Sarah Palin is saying her bedtime prayers and I don’t want to miss any of them. Even I enjoy a good laugh.

Bob E Sherman for President

2010-02-11T05:09:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce my candidacy for President of the United States for 2012.

My goal as President will be to simplify all phases of government. We will go back to the Constitution and focus on providing for a common defense, insuring domestic tranquility and promoting the general welfare.

Although the phrase “under God” was only added to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954; our country was founded by those who came here for religious freedom. Therefore the wording “under God” will stay for tradition if for no other reason. Religious freedom means you may worship or not worship any way you want. It does not mean you have the right to try to convince anyone by any means that he must agree with you. Our founding fathers factored in a separation of church and state because they realized, as I do, that religion causes most of the world’s problems.

Common defense, as written in the Constitution, meant the defense of the United States not all other countries of the world. I think Democracy is great. But, I learned one thing from the Crusades: we can’t shove it down everyone’s throat.

Illegal immigrants will have one inalienable right: the right to leave. I will propose a moratorium on all visas, other than travel visas, for an indefinite period or until such time as Congress develops a comprehensive plan to allow for reasonable quotas for legal immigration taking into consideration all ethnic groups and the employment needs of industry. The wet foot dry foot policy in Florida will be discontinued.

Our country was founded by immigrants who came here for religious and other freedoms. Let us not forget that people were living here when the first settlers arrived and we ignored their rights. We will not make the same mistake again. We welcome all legal residents to these United States. However, no individual or group whose stated philosophy is to change our language, way of life or force their religion or values on us, will be allowed to enter this country. This country used to be a “melting pot.” It’s not melting anymore. If new immigrants come here and insist on maintaining their language and customs and live together; in a few years we will be just like Iraq: each state will be a different ethnic group that hates each other.

If I’m elected, border patrol agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean will be given a full Presidential Pardon.

Children born here will no longer become citizens automatically. To become a citizen, their parents must be citizens or legal residents. Amnesty for those now living here illegally will not be given. All payments and benefits to illegals will be discontinued.

Driver’s licenses will only be issued to legal residents. Anyone caught driving a vehicle without a license will be prosecuted under State law. The problem of DUI drivers and others that operate vehicles with suspended, revoked or no license at all will be addressed by a new Federal law which will allow for the confiscation of the vehicle.

The language of this country is English. I will propose that no Federal monies be spent on translating or printing anything in another language. Federal programs will be available to teach legal immigrants to speak and read the English language. Recognizing that speaking several languages is a sign of higher intelligence; “relevant” foreign languages will be taught in public schools, beginning in pre-school.

Foreign Aid will be eliminated or significantly curtailed until such time as poverty is eliminated within the United States, with particular attention to Native Americans.

Social Security will be strengthened by focusing on the reason it was created i.e. to provide for retirement. It will no longer be a form of welfare. All working Americans will be required to participate. This includes all Federal and State employees. Benefits should be for retirement, and should be based on the amount paid in. Why should someone who paid in 40 quarters get the same as I do after paying in for 120 quarters? Benefits should be for only those citizens who paid into Social Security and definitely not for illegal aliens.

I will propose a National Health Insurance program that provides all Americans access to medical care. It will not be free. Private health insurance companies don’t lose money. There is no reason why the Federal Government should. We already have a “Public Option” it’s called Medicare. All citizens and legal residents may enroll in Medicare. The premium will be substantially more than when you are collecting Social Security. The premiums will be less than private insurance and likewise the benefits. The higher premiums paid for private insurance will, in addition to paying the CEOs more money they can spend in a life time, give you extra benefits.

No one will be forced to buy health insurance. However, if you choose not to purchase or participate in an affordable insurance program, you will not be admitted to any hospital or urgent care facility without your American Express Card. So, don’t leave home without it.

Many liberals insist that we must provide medical care to illegals for humane reasons. Should Congress allow this; I will propose a withholding tax of 30% on all monies wired out of the USA from the 7- Eleven or Check Cashing Store.

I am Pro Choice. However, abortion should be the last choice and be a rare occurrence. There are millions of Americans that are waiting to adopt children. Many travel to foreign countries to adopt. I will propose a National Network to match prospective parents with children and babies available for adoption. Except in cases of rape, abortion will be considered elective surgery in all public health insurance plans.

Barack Obama promised to close Guantanamo, but it’s still open. The dilemma facing the Washington bureaucrats is what to do with the prisoners. Plans are already underway to turn the property into an all-inclusive resort. So that’s not an issue. Anticipated packages will include all the La Tropical beer and Cuba Libres you can drink, plus one Cohiba cigar after dinner.

I should remind the ACLU and other misdirected human rights groups of certain facts:

While there may not be DNA and eye witnesses to tie all of them to a specific crime; it is undisputed that if released they would gladly kill the first infidel they came upon.

The Geneva Convention is irrelevant if signed unilaterally.

Col. Hogan did not have access to legal counsel, nor did John McCain.

I presume that the only reason we take prisoners of war, rather than killing them, is due to the Geneva Convention; as we hope our prisoners will be treated the same. This is wishful thinking. The only US soldiers captured during the War on Terror were beheaded and their bodies dragged through the streets.

I do agree that torture should not be used. However, taking pictures of naked prisoners is not torture. And there are exceptions to every rule. When Jack Bauer has someone in his custody that, he is certain, knows where the nuclear device is located, he’s justified in using whatever means necessary to get the information. This will ultimately save millions of lives.

My favorite quote from the movie Swordfish is: “You have the power to cure all the world's diseases but the price for this is that you must kill a single innocent child, could you kill that child Stanley?” This is the type of tough question that I’ll be able to answer when I get that 3 a.m. call. Maybe I watch too much TV. However, is a minority candidate being elected president, on The West Wing, and then nominating his opponent for Secretary of State just a coincidence? By the way I read newspapers and magazines.

So what do we do with the Guantanamo prisoners? The solution must involve the fewest number of attorneys as possible. As this is why this mess has dragged on so long in the first place. My first choice, a fire of unknown origin at Guantanamo, was ruled out by my advisers as not practical. Therefore I propose to return all prisoners to the country where they were captured or born. If they are recaptured again during the commission of a terrorist act against US interests they would be shot on sight. In the words of my great, great granddaddy W.T. Sherman: “War is hell.”

Taxes: Generally raising taxes in a bad economy is not a good idea. However, we do have a $10 trillion debt. We can’t reduce the debt by lowering taxes. If you increase taxes for some and give it back in the form of welfare; you haven’t accomplished anything. We may be a consumer economy. However, spending beyond our means got us into this mess.

Taxing social security benefits is not fair unless the income threshold is so high that the recipients would not even miss their check, were it stopped. I am now receiving Social Security benefits. However, because of the unacknowledged inflation and the decline in the stock market I work part time to supplement my income. So in addition to being taxed on my benefits I must continue to pay FICA taxes, which are no benefit to me.
Free trade is a two way street. Expecting China to import our products, especially Harley Davidsons, is not protectionism.

Water: on any given day there is a flood somewhere and a drought somewhere else. We need a system to redistribute water to where it is needed. 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans, and if Al Gore is correct it’s going higher. Not having clean drinking water anywhere in the world in unacceptable. One solution for the rising water levels is to drink it. We have the technology to turn sea water into fresh water. If we put our minds to it we can make it economically feasible to produce fresh water on a large scale. We could even sell it. There may be alternative to oil as a fuel, but there is no alternative to water. Providing clean water is more important than exploring Mars.

Energy: Until ours cars run on something other than gasoline we need to drill for oil. Even though we can’t drill our way out of the energy problem; it’s no reason not to drill. Start in Alaska. Their former governor was all for it. We also have plenty of oil shale. Let’s develop it. It might cost a little more, but eliminating our dependence on Middle East oil is priceless. Developing a car that is powered by the energizer Bunny is a long way off. However, there is no reason to use any oil to generate electricity. We have natural gas, wind, coal, hydro power, and nuclear power.

Ethanol and bio diesel make no sense when there are people starving in the world. Insufficient research was done when ethanol was introduced and many marine engines were damaged. Ethanol and bio diesel cost just as much and reduce the mileage. So where is the savings? We need more fuel efficient cars. The Hummer should be discontinued immediately. Regarding the marine industry, most boats are lucky to get one mpg. If we increase it to two, the cost of boating falls, and our carbon footprint is reduced by 50%.

Bailing out the auto industry: The US auto manufacturers have no one to blame but themselves. Giving them any money was a bad idea on a long term basis. I don’t care whether I get the Union vote in 2012. The unions are part of the problem. Without concessions there won’t be an UAW. I won’t forget Harley Davidson. They are the only US manufacturer currently making a vehicle that gets 50mpg.

Farm Subsidies: I’ll stop them. Just because Congress gets paid for doing nothing doesn’t mean everyone else should.

Foreign Policy: Many sovereign nations have leaders that are considered dangerous or downright crazy. However, they are still sovereign nations and we can’t tell everyone what to do, how to treat their residents or run their governments. This is why many countries hate us. What we can do is react when a person or country does something against our national interests.

Free trade is a two way street. Expecting China to import our products, particularly Harley Davidsons, is not protectionism.

In the interest of full disclosure I wish to point out that I will not attend church or buy a dog after I take office.

God bless America and nowhere else.