Monday, May 27, 2013

"America's budget: A gross imbalance"


It never ceases to amaze me these days, how politicians try to make it seem so difficult, and nearly impossible, to balance the budget and reduce the outrageous and ridiculously out-of-control deficit of this country.  I don't know if you have ever seen the movie "Dave" or not, but if you have, you will recall the scene in which Dave brings his good friend, the accountant, in to help him balance the budget, and, after pulling an all-nighter over deli food and putting their two heads together, they actually pull it off?!  It is my opinion that something this simple could actually work- it is nothing that a good accountant couldn't fix, IF they were given the freedom to take monies spent on extravagance and ridiculous purposes, and apply them to sensible and badly deficient areas!

Recently, several Oklahoma children died when a devastating tornado tore their school to shreds as they huddled in the hallway for protection.  Had the tornado been an EF-2 or 3, they might have stood a chance....but it was a massive EF-5 with wind speeds measuring over 200 mph.  No one in it's path who was not sheltered underground or in a specially constructed storm safe room was able to survive it's fury.  Moore OK is located in one of the most dangerous hot spots of Tornado Alley.  Only 100 Oklahoma schools are equipped with storm safe rooms - 1700 are not.  State officials say that part of the reason for this is because each safe room is estimated to cost $1 million dollars to construct.  Why do OK state officials even have to ask the federal government for the money to build these safe rooms?!  In fact, storm safe rooms should be made a basic requirement for new school construction in tornado prone areas.



Why are millions of dollars each year spent on the Secret Service entourages to accompany the Obamas and the Bidens on all their many vacation adventures all over the world, when that money could be spent on re-enforcing entrances to our schools with better security equipment and armed guards, and also other armed guards patrolling the hallways and monitoring classrooms?!  




 
Why are we spending millions on fighter jets to send to terrorist controlled countries when thousands of Americans don't even have a car to drive?  Why are we being forced to pay for programs to teach people in other countries job skills or how to grow gardens, or spending ungodly amounts of money on government assistance for illegal foreigners, when there are entire communities in America's poverty stricken regions who are living in squalor without basics like electricity, adequate plumbing, medical care, FOOD?!  Why isn't all that money being spent teaching our OWN to read and write, teaching them better parenting skills, nutrition, repairing their homes, and/or giving THEM food/medical/housing assistance?!  

 


Why do we have "leaders" that could take the money they spend on just ONE of their (many) vacations or all-star parties, and build and entire neighborhood of Habitat For Humanity houses that AMERICAN homeless people could live in?!?!  





WHY DO WE TOLERATE THINGS LIKE THIS>>>

$30 million to Pakistani mango farmers - part of a four-year, $90 million effort to boost hiring and sales among Pakistani businesses funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

$765,828 to the Anacostia Economic Development Corp to build an International House of Pancake franchise (and train its workers) in an "underserved community." - Columbia Heights, which is termed "one of Washington's more desirable neighborhoods."

$113,277 to The International Center for the History of Electronic Games to conduct a detailed conservation survey of video games.

$484,000 to build a Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers franchise in Arlington TX

$100,000 for a celebrity chef show in Indonesia. The Washington State Fruit Commission was given the grant to help promote their fruit and cooking recipes in "an emerging market."


$10 million to fund the production of a Pakistani version of Sesame Street called "SimSim Humara"

$550,000 for "Rockin' the Kremlin", a documentary on how rock and roll contributed to the end of the cold war. 

$702,558 to bring television to Vietnamese villages: Researchers at Pennsylvania State University wanted to know how television affects family formation and reproductive health. So the government paid to bring the TVs and gas generators, because, of course, these villages also don't have electric power?

$706,065 to produce the series "Diary of a Single Mom" which chronicles the lives and challenges of three single mothers and their families trying to get ahead despite obstacles that all single mothers face, such as childcare, healthcare, education, and finances.  In addition to the production costs, $230,753 was paid to Townsend Entertainment, Inc. to direct the show.

$75,000 to increase awareness about the role Michigan plays in the production of Christmas trees and poinsettias. 

$356,933 awarded to The University of Kentucky to study how cocaine effects sex drive- tests were performed on Japanese quail. 


$2 million federal grant money toward the construction of The Walter Clore Wine and Culinary Center, which has been trying to raise $6.3 million for a new facility in Washington wine country. The center, owned by the Port of Benton, hopes to educate the public about Washington State‘s diverse wine and food industry.  The Clore Center is expected to be a destination for wine and food education, featuring a tasting room, kitchen, exhibits, teaching vineyards, gardens, teaching classrooms and conference rooms

$200 million annually is spent by The Department of Agriculture‘s Market Access Program (MAP) to subsidize advertising, market research, and travel around the globe for various industry groups, cooperatives, corporations, and their members or employees.  Well-known American brands like Welch‘s, Sunkist, and others have received tens of millions of dollars from taxpayers to promote their products.  Since 1999, total reimbursements for MAP‘s international market promotion activities have reached nearly $2 billion.  Basically, what this means is, huge corporations who net billions each year in revenue from us, are given even more of our tax dollars to fund their advertising and marketing to us

$96,000 in federal stimulus funds went to purchase i-pads for kindergartners in one school district in Maine

$916,567 given to the Wisconsin Historical Society to conduct archaeological surveys of five shipwrecks, that represent a cross section of historically significant vessel types that have sailed Wisconsin waters....and also to install exhibits in a carriage museum and a visitor center at Wade House, a historical tourist destination in Wisconsin.

$23 million to help industries in Pakistan develop plans on how to use less energy, because of the frequency of power outages they experience


$86,000 of federal grant money went to a ski museum in New Hampshire to create a new exhibit telling the story of skiing from the Stone Age to present day.

$111,000 in federal funds will pay for a delegation of hops and brewing experts to travel to China to conduct a series of classes for Chinese breweries


$149,900 to Researchers at the University of California-Riverside to create a video game called Rapid Guppy for cell phones and other mobile devices. In the game, targeted for students 12-21 years old, users control the growth and evolution of a guppy

$764,825 to the University of Notre Dame to study the wireless and social networking habits of college freshmen.

$1.35 million for the development of curriculum, courses, and faculty at Cave' Hill School of Business in Barbados to teach students how to create and manage entrepreneurial start-ups. 


$24,450 tax dollars paid for a US Coast Guard New Orleans Mardi Gras float in 2011

$150,000 in tax dollars to renovate the carriage house to a mansion in Salt Lake City owned by Albert Fisher, a turn of the century beer brewing businessman.
$1.1 million in tax dollars to restore a 56 ft long covered bridge in PA. The National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program was given $8.3 million in 2011 for projects such as this

$100,000 given to The Massachusetts Digital Games Institute (MassDiGI) University Center at Becker College for the development of more 'intellectual' video games.

$170,000 awarded to a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher to study changes in
hookah smoking habits and beliefs of university students in Jordan.

$425,642 paid for a study on how local politicians in India through better communications can improve as elected officials.

$306,000 in U.S. taxpayer money paid for an initiative called Summer Institutes for European Student Leaders. This funding allows high school and college students from Denmark, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to come to the U.S.at U.S. taxpayer expense to learn about civic activism and environmental leadership at American colleges.

$600,000 to Researchers at Columbia University to study how heterosexuals use the internet to meet one another, and how that activity influences their sexual behavior.

$198,000 to the University of California-Riverside from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study motivations, expectations and goal pursuit in social media.


$338,998  awarded by the National Science Foundation to study the impact of women on the Icelandic textile industry from the Viking Era to the 19th Century.  The research investigates the roles of imported textiles and dyes within Iceland and the ways that women's work in textile production influenced both Iceland‘s domestic and international commerce.

$130,000 awarded by The National Science Foundation  to Christine and Jonathan Bird to redesign Mr. Bird‘s website called "Jonathan Bird‘s Blue World".  Blue World is a television show that often airs on PBS stations.

 and the list goes on
  • Moroccan pottery classes (part of a $27 million grant from U.S. Agency for International Development)
  • Efforts to promote caviar consumption and production ($300,000)
  • “Prom Week,” a video game that allows taxpayers to relive prom night ($516,000)
  • Penny production. Manufacturing a penny now costs 2.4 cents each. ($70 million annually)
  • Golf putting study. NSF funds go to a study of how golfers can putt better if they envision the hole is bigger. ($350,000)
  • NSF funds spent on a musical about biodiversity and climate change. ($445,444)
  • Beef jerky defense. DOD is researching a new way to make beef jerky with processed meat. Several other jerky companies have received federal funds this year. ($700,000)
  • Researchers study whether the elderly could play World of Warcraft to increase their cognitive function. They used NSF funding. ($1.2 million)



Monday, May 13, 2013

"GONE BLIND"

Every sin begins with a root of selfishness.  We've heard the old acronym- JOY is putting Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last- Jesus said the first greatest commandment was loving GOD with all our heart, mind, and soul- the second greatest commandment is to love OTHERS as much as ourselves.  We must put God first in all we do, and not put ourselves first at the expense of others.....If we live our lives in this manner, we won't be controlled by sin, ANY sin. 

Speaking of how easily the antichrist will be able to deceive people, even people who THINK they "have it all together" spiritually, the Apostle Paul wrote these words:
 "...And by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing (going to perdition) because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make them believe what is false, in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in [who refused to adhere to, trust in, and rely on] the Truth, but [instead] took pleasure in unrighteousness.

Sadly, we see so much of this in the church world today- the refusal to obey God, of seeking after HIS righteousness, of allowing him to change us, of holding on to sinful ways, because WE SEE NOTHING WRONG with it.  May God open ALL of our eyes, may he search ALL of our hearts, and reveal to us what HE sees, and may we submit ourselves to his will, repent, and turn from our selfish motives