Your Fair Share

Whether we like it or not, it's a fact that more Americans than originally targeted are now paying their "fair share." (For folks on other planets, that is also known as "taxing the rich.") The long fingers of government are reaching deeper into everyone's pocketbooks for more money in the form of increased payroll taxes and you can be sure those itchy fingers won't stop there. President Obama has already hinted that is going to happen.

Maybe government's reach should exceed government's current grasp. Maybe there is a way to restore America's work ethic, get wandering gangs off the streets and thereby reduce crime, and save taxpayer money that doesn't need to be spent in the first place.

The idea is an old New Deal idea and is part of the proud Democrat history. It's the WPA (Works Progress Administration and the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp.) It was a way to put the unemployed back to work paying their fair share.

Those programs produced things like Hoover Dam and the National Park System. Just think what a huge available labor force could do at Sandy Hook? Just think what a huge available labor force could do when a tornado tears a community apart? Just think what a huge labor force could do when a blizzard drops two feet of snow on a community? Just think what mentors teaching English could do at the community centers?

There were voices who called this idea "forced labor camps" and "concentration camps." Ask anyone who just worked their butt off to build a business what losing almost sixty cents on the dollar is? Let's get real here. Let's get fair. Let's make fair share, fair share.

Let's do the CCC and the WPA again. There is plenty of work to be done and we have plenty of people sitting at home collecting years of unemployment compensation who could help.

If it is now "fair" for the government to use class warfare to justify collecting higher taxes from the "rich," it should also be "fair" to expect people who are getting paid by society for not working to work. The other option is to go to school and get more education to get a better job when you are on unemployment. Your choice.

What about the people who can't work? Another Democrat idea can help out. It's the draft board. The same ratings could be used. Unemployed workers could be classified according to the same classes used during the 1960's. 1-A you work or go to school or your don't get any unemployment. 2-S you are going to school and get unemployment. 4-F you physically can't go to work and you should be on disability. There would be no more forms where you check a box that says you applied for two jobs and nobody really checks to see if you did. If you are 1-A, you take a job or do your fair share to help society. Period.

It's time to take some tough action to get this country on its feet again .It's time to replace entitlement thinking with a good work ethic. After all, why should only some in our society pay their fair share while others get paid to sit at home when there is plenty of work to be done?

How to negotiate-a high school course

From the title, you might think I am suggesting we teach high school kids how to buy a used car. True, the skill could be used that way but that is not what I have in mind.

Maybe we can teach kids how to negotiate with other kids so they can solve problems in a civil manner and not pick up a gun and kill someone. That seems to be the only problem-solving option today and that quick draw reaction is at the heart of our problem.

I will admit my bias about gun control. I an a pro gun guy and once worked for Remington Arms Company. I am not way right, however. I could support expanding background checks to include gun show sales. I would support an expansion of the database to include people who have mental issues. I do support making all gun crimes, federal crimes with strong federal prosecution and mandatory 10/20/life sentences--10 years if you are caught with an unlicensed guy; 20 years if you use an unlicensed gun to commit a crime; life if you hurt or kill someone. No plea bargaining.  All of those solutions may reduce gun violence but won't get at the heart of the problem.

Schools breed hate and starts kids down the path to violence. The school is also the place where we need to teach kids how to negotiate better solutions to problems that don't involve killing someone.

Hagel is not the right one, Mr. President

I am not a Chuck Hagel fan. Yes, I am a Nebraskan. Yes, I lean to the right and was really disappointed with the election results. And yes, I have never thought Chuck Hagel was anywhere close to the right side of things.

More than once during the Bush years, I found myself saying "What?" when Hagel offered some kind of war wisdom. I understand he served with distinction and earned two purple hearts. I am grateful for that and all of the others who served. But, i don't think that should be a fast track to the cushy seat in the Department of  Defense.

As those hearing clearly showed, "free thinker" Chuck Hagel should be doing his free thinking far from the defense department. He just doesn't seem to have a clue about the world we live in now. He didn't have a clue about the world during the Bush years as the surge clearly showed. He doesn't understand that the fuse is still burning in the Middle East and the bomb is in Israel and we have drawn a red line around that country.

Graham and McCain pinned Hagel. Others took mighty swings at him. He offered no defense and showed what can happen if you are not prepared to defend your record. I am sure he was ready to hear from a "homey" senator from Nebraska. But when her turn came, freshman Senator Deb Fisher wasn't any too kind to Hagel either.

Former Senator Hagel would not correct his statements about Iran's revolutionary guard and Israel. He demonstrated he still has a case of Washington flu and the words, "I made a mistake" get caught in his throat and never get uttered. (Not to be confused with Nebraska cow udders.) Either way, Hagel stammered and stuttered and sat there is utter or udder misery.

He doesn't get the world today and America can't afford any more folks like him in high places. Bad management means lost American lives. Benghazi proved that. Money needs to be spent smarter on clear plans with clear missions in order to protect American lives, American friends, and American interests. We need to gear up for those challenges right now and not the 2014 and 2016 elections.

Hagel has long-since left the the right side for the middle to left. And, in the opinion of this Nebraskan, he should be left out. We need someone with vision, not blinders.