Category Archives: politics

What does Obama’s stimulus plan, outdated infrastructure, and gas taxes have in common

Posted on January 23, 2009 by | Leave a comment

In a January 10 editorial, the New York Times approved Obama’s big spending stimulus plan but complained about his plans to continue the past era of tax cuts. One of part of the approved plan is $500 billion to bolster unemployment benefits, aid to states, and for investment in the nation’s crumbling and outdated infrastructure.

In an article critical of the Times editorial, Don Feder of Accuracy in Media rightly observed that “no matter how much the states get for highway repairs (from the gas tax, general revenue, tolls and federal aid), the infrastructure is still crumbling and outdated.”

The question taxpayers and gasoline consumers should be asking is why that is. The national average tax on gasoline is 47 cents per gallon. That means the amount of gas taxes collected by federal, state and local governments to maintain our roadways is a meager $66.5 billion a year. And the federal government returns to the states 90.5% of its portion of the national gas tax, which is 18.4 percent.

Are states using their part of the tax pie for projects other than maintaining our roadways?

We could probably define Obama’s plan as a pork-barrel bailout stimulating welfare program–what do you think?

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Sabbath Discussions : On the most outrageous statement in Revelation (the book)

Posted on January 18, 2009 by | Leave a comment

One of the most outrageous statements penned by the writer of Revelation is this:

Jesus Christ … the ruler of the kings of the earth. (Rev. 1:5)

How could John claim that Jesus was the ruler over the vicious Christian murdering Roman king Domitian? Show me any other king in the world who came to the aid of persecuted Christians before Emperor Constantine. I don’t know of any king today who appears to be ruled by Jesus either. Surely, the collective Emperor called the U.S. Congress does not follow the rule of Jesus Christ.

Do you doubt that Congress is king of a kingdom? Several years ago when new Congress was being sworn into office I caught the last part of the speech and prayer of the high ranking military chaplain, a black general, who was officiating over the ceremony. He instructed Congress to rule the kingdom they were inheriting well. There also seems to be a consensus among political analysts, economists, historians, theologians, journalists, and other scholars that America has achieved the status ruler over a global empire, and most regard it as an economic one. Some historians have shown how similar our federal government is to the Roman Empire at its terrible apex. Satan gave Jesus the tempting opportunity to rule over both the Roman Empire and all other earthly kingdoms as well. (Mt. 4 and Lk. 4)

Back to my question–how then could John make such an outrageous statement? Unless he saw Christians reigning with Jesus after the yet to occur resurrection, he could not be referring to Christ’s faithful followers. The world experienced what Christian rule was like. In the end, the Church ruling empire was not very Christ-like, just ask Martin Luther, John Calvin, or any of the dearly beheaded.

John may have meant that when Jesus returns he will reign over the kings of the earth. This would conform to the Hebrew prophets, the gospels, epistles, and Revelation 11:15-19.

However, I believe John is making a literal declaration not merely a prophetic one, which is supported by the gospels and epistles as well.

For Jesus to rule of the kings of the earth, Satan would have to loose his right and authority to do so. Jesus never disputed Satan’s right or authority to give him authority over all the kingdoms of the earth. (Mt. 4; Lk. 4) In fact, Jesus acknowledges the rule of Satan over the world. (Jo. 14:30; 12:31) The apostle Paul also acknowledged this rule. (Eph. 2:1-2) The thing to notice is this: Satan’s rule over the earth was from heaven, but he was thrown out of heaven to the earth. (Rev. 12:7-11; Jo. 12:31) The mission of Jesus was not just to restore willing humans the benevolent rule and kingdom of God. His mission also was to destroy Satan’s works and end his right to rule over repentant humanity. (1 Jo. 3:8; Heb. 2:14) Jesus accomplished the first by dying to satisfy justice fully for our moral crimes against God’s law. Having paid that price, he accomplished the second when God raised from the dead and gave him all of the authority both in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18). Paul describes this best in his letter to the Colossians:

For [God] rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins…. When [Jesus] had disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through [God]. (Col. 1:13; 2:15)

Everyone throughout the Roman Empire would have understood Paul’s meaning. It was common practice by the Roman generals to parade before all leaders and citizens of Rome the kings and leaders of conquered peoples and nations. All who read or heard Paul’s words understood that Jesus not only defeated his enemies but that he and heaven celebrated Satan’s and his followers humiliating defeat.

According to Peter, Jesus could not ascend to the throne of God until after angels, authorities, and powers had been subjected to him. (1 Pe. 3:22)

This may explain why Jesus appeared off- and-on to the disciples for forty days before his ascension. (Ac. 1:3, 9-11)

Paul further explains that after his resurrection, Jesus, the firstborn of all creation, created anew all spiritual and physical positions of authority and their powers. (Col. 1:16) This means no matter how many may rebel against the order and authority of Jesus’ rule the world will in the end bow to his world order. (Php. 2:9-11)

Though Jesus has authority over all powers as well as over all flesh (Jo. 17:2), but not all spirits or humans intend to submit to the kingly rule of Jesus Christ. The republican form of constitutional democracy may very well have reflected the rule of Lord Jesus. It certainly was shaped and informed by biblical principles. The noble idea of a nation that shines the biblical based light of law and freedom may have inspired many peoples; but,today, national and global trends indicate a determination not toward a messianic world but rather toward the kind worthy of judgment as previewed in Revelation.

The new types of ruler and kings of the earth cannot win by opposing the biblical reign of God’s risen Messiah. They certainly will never create a world of peace, justice, and prosperity for all by following the model of Rome or Satan. As any ruler worthy of the title, Jesus will have the last word concerning all of their schemes and plans.

Jesus died so that all of us could have an abundant life in good standing with the Supreme Judge of the world. Therefore, he is adamantly opposed to the abundance of choices for death, immorality, and injustice–social, economic, or any other kind. The wisest choice would be for a culture oriented to life, which is by definition messianic, and Jesus–a Jew–still agrees even after 2,000 years.

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A look at foreclosures in Greene County and beyond

Posted on January 17, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The bubble bursting housing market set off a rapid decline resulting in our current economic depression. Bursting of the housing market bubble was exacerbated by sharp rises of oil, food, and everything else. The fix envisioned by bureaucrats at all levels is more government intervention and monetary policies resembling New Deal socialism. The ownership of capital markets is the end of economic freedom.

The problem with our government’s corporate banking and business bailouts relates to a general rule of thumb that goes something like this: Government programs tend to last nearly forever. Historically, the promise of a temporary alleviation is most a government ploy to increase power. Welfare was supposed to be a temporary solution to economic crisis before and after WWII. Welfare statism is the norm on both sides of the Atlantic. Federal tax reimbursements to local communities with federal facilities were to compensate local schools, thus making taxation fair and equal. That an excuse for Congress to initiate the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. ESEA and its newest version NCLB was supposed to help the poor obtain a quality education. The old song and dance is still sung by bureaucrats, but ESEA has never just helped the poor or poor school districts. ESEA has always benefit non-poor. The same is the case with State Children Health Insurance Program. These are programs like all other socialist program to rob American of their freedom supposedly with their consent.

Once government gets the control over money, markets, jobs, and the rest of our lives it will not like end without the same struggles that George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Polish, or the many other peoples across the globe. The consolation is that our written national compact still gives Americans a peaceful means to right wrongs of government.

Anyway, foreclosures (and property ownership) serves as an indicator of the state of American economic independence. According to reports by RealtyTrac, foreclosures in the U.S. rose 80% in 2008. Foreclosures in Ohio soared 26 percent. Of 113,570 filing in Ohio, the Miami Valley accounted for only about 14% or 16,318. It seems property ownership that is supposedly the realization of the American dream is more illusion than reality. The reality is no one owns any property, at least for 20-30 years, except the federal money market.

The good news is foreclosures in Greene County were relatively low by comparison to the rest of Ohio. Only 940 foreclosures were recorded in 2008, which is less than 1% of all Ohio filings and only 5.8% of all foreclosures in the Miami Valley. Greene County is thus blessed compared to other surrounding countries.

Greene County residents also adhered more to principles of our founding during the past election than many other regions. Could there be a correlation?

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Kevin Dewine Becomes Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party

Posted on January 17, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Kevin DeWine was unanimously elected to the chairmanship of the Ohio Republican Party at a party meeting outside Columbus Friday.

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Dollar & $ense

Posted on January 16, 2009 by | 1 comment

Every man woman and child in these United States of America owes $31,641 to the national debt. The interest alone is over $430 BILLION ( $1400 a piece ) with the national debt approx. 9.6 TRILLION and rising. No nation in the history of mankind is in as much debt as ours. Our children and grand children and possibly their children will have us to thank for that.

Famous economist Murray Rothbard, Henry Hazlitt and more recently, President of The von Mises Institue of Austrian Economics Lew Rockwell, understand inflating the nations currency (the dollar) makes our money worth less and less. Many don’t understand the Federal Reserve, or even realize their is nothing “federal” about it. The FED along with Congress, seem to be in love with famous British socialist John Maynard Keynes, who wrote a book in 1920 explaining whats happening to our wealth. Keynes said “by a continuous process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens.” You can do something about it though.

Come and watch the documentary “Dollars and $ense” with other liberty minded people Thursday, January 29th @ 7pm in the downstairs meeting room at the Xenia Library. The meeting will last approximately 1hr.

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Best and Worst Developments Affecting the Family in 2008

Posted on January 10, 2009 by | Leave a comment

In the January 2009 issue of World Congress of Families News, the World Congress of Families has released a list of the “Best And Worst Developments Affecting The Family In 2008”

Worldwide the most encouraging pro-family trends are:

1. Sarah Palin, Pro-life Woman Is Vice Presidential Nominee
2. Vatican Panel Issues Instructions on Bioethics
3. Lithuania Bill Would Protect Minors From Homosexual Agitation
4. Honduran Family-Perspective Law
5. Proposition 8 Passes In California
6. Greater Awareness of Demographic Winter
7. UN Study Links Abstinence and Delayed Rates of AIDS/HIV in Africa
8. British Psychiatrists’ Group Says Abortion Can Cause Mental Problems
9. Family Advocate Becomes Senior Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister
10. Anti-Human Trafficking Law Passed

And the most troubling trends for the family are:

1. The Election of Barack Obama
2. Mexican Supreme Court Backs Mexico City Abortion Law
3. Luxembourg and Washington State Legalize Assisted Suicide
4. German Persecution of Home-Schooling Families
5. OAS Passes ‘Sexual-Orientation” Resolution
6. Brazilian President Calls Opposition to Homosexuality A “Perverse Disease”
7. UNFPA Nigeria meeting Pushes Abortion In The Guise of Women’s Health
8. In France, Most Births Out-of-Wedlock
9. Australian Prof. Proposes Baby Tax
10. Queen’s Representative In Canada Celebrates Androgyny

Go to www.worldcongress.org for an explanation of “The Best And Worst Developments Affecting The Family In 2008.”

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State of the City Address : 2008 Review & Projections

Posted on January 9, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By James W. Percival
City Manager
Xenia, Ohio

As everyone is aware the national economy is not doing well, and the local and regional economy have experienced some major troubles in the past few months. The DHL closing in Wilmington and the closing of the Truck and Bus Plant in Moraine have received tremendous coverage in not just the local, but the national media. We are blessed in the City of Xenia to have a very diverse economy. One major component of the Xenia economy is the Service Industry. This helps to
provide a strong base and maintain the stability of the economy here in Xenia. We are also blessed to have a strong industrial and manufacturing base here in town. We have many small and midsized
businesses in Xenia that provide quality employment opportunities to our Citizens.

Next year we will also see the beginning of the Cornerstone Research project that promises to provide many opportunities to our Citizens. We, as a Community, need to continue to support our local businesses and industrial Citizens to help them provide a base for our local economy.

Many times in the past our Community has faced economic hardships. Our predecessors have worked through difficult times and our community has always risen to the occasion and come through with flying colors; the current issues that we face will not be different.

We have seen many positive enhancements to our community in the past year. The business and property owners in the downtown have ALL improved their buildings this past year. I cannot count the number of times in the past few months people have stopped me to express their appreciation for the improvement in the downtown. We thank all of the folks that helped in this effort. The City of Xenia could not make the improvements—this was a true partnership. To continue this partnership into the coming year, the City will be offering a Façade loan program that will provide resources to those property owners in the downtown area that would like to improve their buildings. This effort will help continue the momentum that has been created. The City is also continuing with the streetscape enhancement program that is adding to the attractiveness of the town.

The Community Development Department has helped to administer the CHIP program in the past year. Through this program we have been able to provide resources to homeowners in town that without this assistance would not have been able to improve their properties.

The Community Development Department has helped to administer the CHIP program in the past year. Through this program we have been able to provide resources to homeowners in town that without this assistance would not have been able to improve their properties. Hopefully next year, there will be additional resources available for homeowners so that we can continue to improve our neighborhoods. As a City we will continue to pursue these resources from the State and Federal Governments to aid our local residents.

Our Public Service Department has faced significant challenges in the past year brought on by Mother Nature. In March we had to deal with a Blizzard, in the spring our employees at the Water and Wastewater plants were dealing with significant rain events that taxed the capacity of our treatment plants, and this past September we all dealt with the effects of the wind storm. Through it all these employees provided the best service that we could under the circumstances. Many times Citizens complimented the City based on how efficiently we were able to remove the debris from the streets and sidewalks. This past year we also made significant improvements to Shawnee and Spring Hill Parks. Next year we are going to finish replacing the retaining wall around the pond at Shawnee Park. This project has been needed for quite some time and should stabilize the area around the pavilion. This park is one of the Jewels of our community and we need to make sure that all of our Citizens can enjoy the park for generations to come.

In the past year our Safety Departments have continued to provide a great service to the Community. The members of our Police and Fire Divisions do not always have the easiest duties to perform, but they are professional and do everything they can to keep Xenia a safe and healthy community in which to live, work, and raise a family. The members of these departments are on the job 24 hours a day to insure that we as Citizens can enjoy our City and our neighborhoods to the highest extent.

Our Finance Department has continued to insure that we maintain the highest level of fiscal integrity as we expend the tax-payer dollars. This past year our Finance Office was awarded the Government Finance Officers’ Association (GFOA) award of distinction for financial reporting for the twenty-fifth straight year. This dedicated group of individuals continuously works to improve the business side of the City of Xenia operations.

The City of Xenia Law Department has also had a very good year. Our Law Director and his staff are constantly reviewing contracts and other documents to make sure that we as a City are in the best possible legal position. The legal staff has also worked to update many ordinances of the City of Xenia, to bring them into compliance with State Law, or simply to update them based on current situations.

As we look forward to next year, we realize that there may be some difficult times ahead. As your City Staff, we will continue to provide the highest level of service possible so that each of our Citizens can enjoy the wonderful things we have to offer here in Xenia. Working with our current businesses and new businesses, we will continue to pursue every opportunity to create new and better jobs here in town so that we can increase employment and other opportunities for our
Citizens. We will continue to work in both the downtown and in all areas of the Community to improve the aesthetics of the community. Next year we will, with the help of State Grants, continue to pave the Jamestown Connector, thereby creating a new recreational opportunity for our Citizens and for all Citizens in Greene County.

Finally I would like to thank the Mayor Phyllis Pennewitt and our City Council: President Pat Felton, Vice President Jeanne Mills, and Councilmen John Caupp, Dale Louderback, Bill Miller and Dennis Propes. This group dedicates countless hours to the Community. While they do not all always agree on each item, they are all dedicated to the improvement of our Community and our Citizens, and we are indebted to them for what they do to improve our community!

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Posted in government services, news, politics, Xenia

Sherrod Brown goes missing in action

Posted on January 6, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By John Mitchel

RE: “Hobson always put jobs first during 18-year tenure,” by Sherrod Brown, Dayton Daily News, December 27, 2008. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown for as long as I can remember was a voice from the wilderness that spoke the truth on the North American Free Trade Agreement. He even had the courage of conviction to disagree on the issue with fellow Democrat Bill Clinton. But now that Brown and other NAFTA opponents are proven right by the “giant sucking sound” of jobs gone offshore, I’m disappointed he would try to rehabilitate the tarnished image of lame-duck Congressman, Dave Hobson. For Senator Brown to deal in glowing absolutes on Hobson’s pitiful record on job growth in the 7th Congressional District is unbecoming to the junior Senator from Ohio.

However Hobson has improved the job prospects for one sector of our economy, namely his special interest campaign contributors. Take for example his advocacy in steering $1.9 million in un-bid, taxpayer funded contracts toward the Dayton Development Coalition (DDC) which in turn noncompetitively awarded much of the work to The Greentree Group, a Beavercreek support contractor and Paul Magliochetti and Associates (PMA Group), a Washington lobbyist. Federal Election Commission records show that Greentree, PMA and DDC employees donated tens of thousands of dollars to “Hobson for Congress” before, during and after the 2003 sweetheart deal between Greene County Republicans and the DDC. It’s tragic that Senator Brown would offer a parting platitude to a politician who was part of the problem instead of one who recognized a failed policy and acted to correct it.

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Ohio Manufacturer Reponds to Automakers Bail-Out Pleas

Posted on January 5, 2009 by | Leave a comment

The following is an excerpt of a letter sent by General Motor’s CEO to employers and parts suppliers, which is followed by a response from an Ohio manufacturer.

Dear Employees & Suppliers,

Congress and the current Administration will soon determine whether to provide immediate support to the domestic auto industry to help it through one of the most difficult economic times in our nation’s history. Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis. As an employee or supplier, you have a lot at stake and continue to be one of our most effective and passionate voices. I know GM can count on you to have your voice heard.

Thank you for your urgent action and ongoing support.

Troy Clarke

President General Motors North America

The following response is from Gregory Knox, President of Knox Machinery Company located in Franklin, Ohio.

Gentlemen:

In response to your request to contact legislators and ask for a bailout for the Big Three automakers please consider the following, and please pass my thoughts on to Troy Clark, President of General Motors North America.

Politicians and Management of the Big 3 are both infected with the same entitlement mentality that has spread like cancerous germs in UAW halls for the last countless decades, and whose plague is now sweeping this nation, awaiting our new “messiah”, Pres-elect Obama, to wave his magic wand and make all our problems go away, while at the same time allowing our once great nation to keep “living the dream”… Believe me folks, The dream is over!

This dream where we can ignore the consumer for years while management myopically focuses on its personal rewards packages at the same time that our factories have been filled with the worlds most overpaid, arrogant, ignorant and laziest entitlement minded “laborers” without paying the price for these atrocities…this dream where you still think the masses will line up to buy our products for ever and ever.

Don’t even think about telling me I’m wrong. Don’t accuse me of not knowing of what I speak. I have called on Ford, GM, Chrysler, TRW, Delphi, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle and countless other automotive OEM’s throughout the Midwest during the past 30 years and what I’ve seen over those years in these union shops can only be described as disgusting.

Troy Clarke, President of General Motors North America, states: “There is widespread sentiment throughout this country, and our government, and especially via the news media, that the current crisis is completely the result of bad management which it certainly is not.”

You’re right Mr. Clarke, it’s not JUST management…how about the electricians who walk around the plants like lords in feudal times, making people wait on them for countless hours while they drag ass…so they can come in on the weekend and make double and triple time…for a job they easily could have done within their normal 40 hour work week. How about the line workers who threaten newbies with all kinds of scare tactics…for putting out too many parts on a shift…and for being too productive.

(We certainly must not expose those lazy bums who have been getting overpaid for decades for their horrific underproduction, must we?!?)

Do you folks really not know about this stuff?!? How about this great sentiment abridged from Mr. Clarke’s sad plea: “over the last few years …we have closed the quality and efficiency gaps with our competitors.” What the hell has Detroit been doing for the last 40 years?!? Did we really JUST wake up to the gaps in quality and efficiency between us and them? The K car vs. the Accord? The Pinto vs. the Civic?!? Do I need to go on? What a joke!

We are living through the inevitable outcome of the actions of the United States auto industry for decades. It’s time to pay for your sins, Detroit.

I attended an economic summit last week where brilliant economist, Alan Beaulieu, from the Institute of Trend Research, surprised the crowd when he said he would not have given the banks a penny of “bailout money”. “Yes, he said, this would cause short term problems,” but despite what people like politicians and corporate magnates would have us believe, the sun would in fact rise the next day… and the following very important thing would happen…where there had been greedy and sloppy banks, new efficient ones would pop up…that is how a free market system works…it does work…if we would only let it work…”

But for some nondescript reason we are now deciding that the rest of the world is rig ht and that capitalism doesn’t work – that we need the government to step in and “save us”…Save us my ass, Hell – we’re nationalizing…and unfortunately too many of our once fine nation’s citizens don’t even have a clue that this is what is really happening…But, they sure can tell you the stats on their favorite sports teams…yeah – THAT’S really important, isn’t it…

Does it ever occur to ANYONE that the “competition” has been producing vehicles, EXTREMELY PROFITABLY, for decades in this country?… How can that be??? Let ‘s see… Fuel efficient… Listening to customers… Investing in the proper tooling and automation for the long haul…

Not being too complacent or arrogant to listen to Dr. W. Edwards Deming four decades ago when he taught that by adopting appropriate principles of management, organizations could increase quality and simultaneously reduce costs. Ever increased productivity through quality and intelligent planning… Treating vendors like strategic partners, rather than like “the enemy”… Efficient front and back offices… Non union environment…

Again, I could go on and on, but I really wouldn’t be telling anyone anything they really don’t already know down deep in their hearts.

I have six children, so I am not unfamiliar with the concept of wanting someone to bail you out of a mess that you have gotten yourself into – my children do this on a weekly, if not daily basis, as I did when I was their age. I do for them what my parents did for me (one of their greatest gifts, by the way) – I make them stand on their own two feet and accept the consequences of their actions and work through it. Radical concept, huh… Am I there for them in the wings? Of course – but only until such time as they need to be fully on their own as adults.

I don’t want to oversimplify a complex situation, but there certainly are unmistakable parallels here between the proper role of parenting and government. Detroit and the United States need to pay for their sins. Bad news people – it’s coming whether we like it or not. The newly elected Messiah really doesn’t have a magic wand big enough to “make it all go away.” I laughed as I heard Obama “reeling it back in” almost immediately after the final vote count was tallied…”we really might not do it in a year…or in four…” Where the Hell was that kind of talk when he was RUNNING for office.

Stop trying to put off the inevitable folks … That house in Florida really isn’t worth $750,000… People who jump across a border really don’t deserve free health care benefits… That job driving that forklift for the Big 3 really isn’t worth $85,000 a year… We really shouldn’t allow Wal-Mart to stock their shelves with products acquired from a country that unfairly manipulates their currency and has the most atrocious human rights infractions on the face of the globe…

That couple whose combined income is less than $50,000 really shouldn’t be living in that $485,000 home… Let the market correct itself folks – it will. Yes it will be painful, but it’s gonna’ be painful either way, and the bright side of my proposal is that on the other side of it all, is a nation that appreciates what it has…and doesn’t live beyond its means…and gets back to basics…and redevelops the patriotic work ethic that made it the greatest nation in the history of the world…and probably turns back to God.

Sorry – don’t cut my head off, I’m just the messenger sharing with you the “bad news”. I hope you take it to heart.

Gregory J. Knox, President

Knox Machinery, Inc.

Franklin, Ohio 45005

Thanks Gregory Knox for your zealous and honest love for America and the ideals that worked until bureaucrats and narcissistic special interest agendas screwed it up.

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Rep. Austria’s Year End Legislative Summary

Posted on January 2, 2009 by | Leave a comment

By Rep. Steve Austria

Recently, the U.S. House of Representatives concluded its legislative business for the year with the passage of several measures, including a funding bill for the Department of Defense and short-term extensions for the Patriot Act, as well as two major spending bills, increasing our nation’s debt limit by $290 billion to $12.39 trillion and a second stimulus bill, with new spending of over $150 billion. As I have commented on in the past, I continue to have serious concerns about the outrageous amount of government spending and will continue to oppose those irresponsible policies, which have a negative impact on our economy.

Please see below for a summary of the major policy issues considered by Congress this year.

Economy

As we began 2009 with a new administration and a new Democratic Congress, a number of spending bills were brought forward including the second half of a $700 billion “bailout” bill, a $787 billion “stimulus” or government spending bill, $410 billion omnibus bill that included over 9,000 earmarks and a $3.5 trillion fiscal year 2010 budget resolution. These massive spending bills have created historical amounts of debt and have only expanded the size and scope of government. This borrow and spend approach has hurt our economy this year and will burden future generations with an insurmountable amount of debt.

With unemployment at the highest levels in recent decades and during these difficult economic times, it is important that we devote our efforts to strategies that promote new investment opportunities, stimulate job growth and strengthen economic development. Congress must be better focused on helping small businesses create and sustain jobs to strengthen our economy. I recently appointed a new Blue Ribbon Commission to review and better understand the contracting process at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB). This commission will work on ways for our region to support WPAFB and set up a “best business model” to help companies in our region secure and create more private sector jobs that can be sustained for years to come. I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead in the new year to strengthen economic growth and make our area more competitive nationally.

New Energy/ Climate Change Policies

Last summer, the House passed a climate change bill, establishing a national cap and trade system, which essentially amounts to a new energy tax. I have expressed serious concerns with the house-passed bill that amounts to a new $629 billion tax, negatively impacting Ohio businesses, including manufacturing and farming, resulting in more job losses. The mandates under the bill will essentially pick winners and losers among the states. States, like Ohio, that produce and use more carbon-based energy, such as coal, will be hit hardest with cap and trade, while states such as California and New Jersey will receive more favorable treatment under this bill.

Nearly 90 percent of Ohio’s energy comes from coal. Every Ohio household and business that uses electricity, heats their home with natural gas or fills their automobiles with gasoline will have an increase in energy costs and gas prices to pay for this climate change legislation. That is too much to ask of our families during these difficult economic times with unemployment at its highest level in years.

We all want clean air and increased use of renewable energy; however, we need to accomplish this goal in a responsible manner. There is a better way to achieve this goal than the bill that was passed by the House. I support an alternative plan that would promote new, clean and reliable sources of energy by having less reliance on foreign oil and begin using domestic alternative energy such as solar, wind and nuclear energy and continuing to expand new technologies such as clean coal. The alternative plan moves our nation forward using more clean energy without costing Ohio jobs and imposing a new energy tax on families and small businesses.

With the health care debate dominating the Senate’s schedule, they were unable to consider climate change legislation this year; however, they may address the issue in the new year.

Health Care Reform

In November, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, often referred to as Speaker Pelosi’s 2000 page health care reform bill, by a vote of 220 to 215. I voted “no” on this legislation because of its $1 trillion price tag with major cuts to the Medicare and Medicare Advantage program. Also, the likelihood that many Americans who are satisfied with their current health insurance could face significantly higher premiums as a result of the federal mandates included in this bill. This bill also imposes over $720 billion of taxes on families and small businesses.

We must enact policies that improve our health care by lowering costs, making health care coverage more affordable and accessible and protecting the doctor-patient relationship. I have consistently advocated for a common-sense approach that includes medical malpractice reform, allowing individuals to purchase health care coverage across state lines, allowing businesses and communities to pool insurance nationally, and expanding the use of health savings accounts (HSAs). This year, I introduced a bill, the Health Savings and Affordability (HSA) Act, which would empower more Americans to take ownership over their health care by expanding tax free Health Savings Accounts and making health insurance tax deductible for everyone.

We must work in a bipartisan manner to reduce costs, improve the quality of care and expand access. That is why this year I also formed a district-wide health care advisory committee made up of doctors, nurses, hospitals, small businesses, insurers and other leaders from our local community. My father was a doctor and my mother was a nurse. We must protect our doctor-patient relationship and allow you and your doctor to choose what treatment is best for you and your family, not the government.

On December 24, 2009, the Senate passed its health care reform bill, H.R. 3590, by a vote of 60 to 39. The House and Senate must now reach a compromise on the many differences between the two bills, and vote again on the new version. As the health care debate continues, I encourage you to contact your elected officials and express your views regarding this important issue.

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