UNIONS NEED REFORMS BUT POLS ARE AFRAID TO TOUCH THIS

There are two types of Unions, those that represent Government employees where the "COMPANY" does not produce profits and, those that represent employees of for profit companies.

In the case of Government employees i.e.: Police, Firefighters, Teachers, Postal workers, etc. benefits have spiraled out of anything even remotely fair to Taxpayers. The problem is that the Government knows it can not withstand a prolonged strike or slowdown in these areas. The result is benefits and retirement funds far beyond anything that rewards performance and seniority. I do support our police and firefighters who do a risky job for all of us. However, I do not believe they deserve pensions that are in the 5 and 6 figure range. I also believe pay raises should be based on performance, not years on the job.

We the Taxpayers are now strapped with pensions at all levels of Government that were neither deserved nor earned. On the contrary, they were obtained through GUN TO THE HEAD negotiating tactics. No increases, no police, no mail, no firemen, etc.

The pensions for Government workers must be reformed. We can freeze any already in place but we must devise a new system. I think these workers should get Social Security just like all other workers. I also think they should be subject to performance minimums to get a raise. This fix would save Taxpayers Billions.

As to Union workers in for profit Companies, we should do the same thing. Social Security should be the pension.

Once these reforms take place, the Social Security system itself can be revisited. With the savings from the Government Pensions the base rates for social security can be increased for all. The retirement age also must be changed. I would support the following retirement age changes for Social Security:
For those currently 50 or older, no change.
For those 49 or younger:
In 2014 the age goes to 67
In 2018 the age goes to 68
In 2020 the age goes to 69

These changes would save taxpayers money, bring Social Security back into solvency and increase the benefit to all.

As to complaints about lost Pensions, I think people who make over $60,000 can afford to save about $100. per month to supplement their Social security.

I know this fix would be wildly protested. It is not the only fix but a fix is surely needed. The problem we face as a country is nobody is willing to give an inch. Sooner or later the message that we are out of money will get through. I hope not too late.

Just look at the situation in Greece. The Government was bankrupt and only survived through loans from the EU (Germany). Yet Government workers were protesting and rioting in the streets! What could they possibly hope to achieve? That could happen here too. People are brainwashed to believe that the Government can bail them out in every case. That is just no longer true.

IT'S SPIN TIME AGAIN ON THE PATOMIC!

Here we go again. Mr. Obama is on the campaign trail telling all who will listen how his and Palosi/Reid's policies have really helped us. The audiences he selects are mostly Union groups and the locations are mostly at the few places where stimulus dollars have fixed a bridge. No question we need to fix the bridges but using that premise to distract us from reality is what we must be aware of. I can say Obama is one of the best Motivational speakers I have ever heard, a mix of Dale Carnegie and Reverend Wright. Now more than ever we must not be fooled by the rhetoric. I am most concerned that lots of people believe what they hear without looking into the facts. That is dangerous in these difficult times.

I do not claim Republicans have the answers. However, I do claim what has been going on in Washington for the last two years has hurt this Country badly in Respect, Power, Finance and quality of life. Frankly we can not continue on this path. Please, anyone who reads this, study the qualifications of people who you vote for. Be careful of rhetoric!

Obama claims the things he did to fix the Economy are working. They are not. Unemployment is up, foreclosures are up, bankruptcies are up, GDP has gotten worse. No part of Obama's plans has worked at all.

Now Obama wants to get our votes by creating another Stimulus for fixing infrastructure. Temporary jobs at best. Again. Fixing what we are not asking for.

Obama has extended his hand to Iran more than once. Iran is poking us in the eye every day.

The costs of all Obama's spending are being funded by loans from China. Meanwhile, China has built new Nuc Submarines to control the Pacific, Developed a Satellite killer, developed an Aircraft Carrier killer and is now building a super aircraft carrier of its own. Again, we are asleep at the switch.

What we need is cost cutting. We need to stop all foolish spending through earmarks. We need to cut back all spending that goes out of the Country to every Country in the world be at least 25%. We need to repeal the Health care Bill. We need to stop the Cap and Trade bill, we need to tie extended unemployment and food stamps to work. Instead of using Union workers for everything, we need to use those people on unemployment who are already getting paid by us.

We need to start thinking about the real ways to get us moving again. Create jobs by creating a motivated small business climate and keep the Bush tax cuts in place. Either send enough military might to Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to get that job done or, get out. We can not win anything fighting with one arm tied behind our back. We won the Cold War through strength. To the people who say we should not have the strongest military and should not seek peace in distant Countries i say get a life! The US has not only won the Cold War through its strength, it has helped to build strong Democratic societies i throughout Europe and in Japan. Us citizens paid dearly for the people of those Countries to be free and have a better quality of life. We never took one square inch of their land and we never messed with their right to govern themselves.

In Washington today Politicians are focused on the wrong things. They are caught up in endless partisan bickering about stuff we really don't care about and getting nowhere while we all suffer. The problems we face can not be fixed by spending, only by cutting spending. The Unions do not create jobs, they retain overpaid obsolete jobs and drive up costs. The Banks don't need bail outs. The Auto companies don't need bail outs. What is needed is jobs that will give people money to spend on Home mortgages, autos and other things made in America.

It is really sad that with all that is happening, the only message from Obama is that he wants to spend more money we must borrow to fix Bushes problems. We are way past that bull.