(WASHINGTON) – Freshman Congressman Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, a member of the Budget Committee, released the following statement after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its annual Budget and Economic Outlook. Not only did CBO project a $1.1 trillion deficit for FY12 – the fourth year of trillion-dollar deficits – but also anticipated slow economic growth. Attributing the slowdown in part to higher tax rates (as a result of the expiration of the Bush-Obama tax cuts), CBO predicts real GDP will grow by 2 percent this year and by 1.1 percent next year. Congressman Huelskamp has introduced the “American Freedom and Opportunity Act” to extend the Bush-Obama tax cuts. Also in its analysis, CBO also predicts that unemployment will stay above 8 percent this year and next, averaging 9.1 percent in 2013.

“Today’s CBO numbers present a poor outlook for America, and the fault belongs to no one but Washington. Four years of trillion-dollar deficits and a $15-trillion-and-growing debt burden are having their toll not just on Washington’s fiscal well-being, but also on the entire economy.”

“In his 2009 State of the Union Address, President Obama pledged to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Not only will the President fall short of that goal, but he will be double where he promised the American people where we would be. It’s not a surprise that President Obama cannot meet his pledge. After all, it is his spending sprees, his stimulus, and his health care law that are bankrupting Washington and sending our economy into shambles. Pointing fingers will not work anymore. It’s his economy and his bureaucracy.”

“This economic recovery is anemic at best. We may have emerged from the formal definition of a recession, but just barely. Unfortunately, the conditions are not exactly ripe for growth, which is reflected in CBO’s downward revision of its economic growth estimates. Yet, the Obama Administration policies of overspending, overtaxing and overregulating has created this anti-business climate of uncertainty.”

“While the President’s stimulus was supposed to jump start the economy and keep unemployment from going above 8 percent, America has known nothing except unemployment rates higher than 8 percent since it became law. Now, CBO expects unemployment to stay above that rate both this year and next. Despite the mountains of evidence showing that stimulus spending does not work, President Obama had the audacity to come before the House in September and ask for Stimulus Part Two. He made similar requests in his State of the Union just last week.”

With the expiration of the Bush-Obama tax cuts looming at the end of 2012, the “American Freedom and Opportunity Act” will extend permanently the Bush-Obama tax cuts, repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and eliminate the death tax. In addition, this legislation will prohibit all of the ObamaCare tax increases from taking effect at the beginning of next year. Finally, it will prevent another increase of the tobacco tax.

President Obama extended the 2001 and 2003 bipartisan tax cuts in December 2010, at which time he deemed the extension “a substantial victory for middle class families.” Eighty-five percent of those cuts went to families earning less than $250,000.

Specifically, Congressman Huelskamp’s legislation will permanently implement:

– Income tax brackets of 10, 25, 28, 33, and 35 percent (as opposed to 15, 28, 31, 36, and 39.6 percent, as scheduled)

– Capital gains tax rate of 15 percent (and a 10 percent rate for those in the 10 and 15 percent rates)

– A child tax credit of $1,000

– The American Opportunity Tax Credit: A deduction for post-secondary educational expenses

During lunch, my dear friend and mentor relayed to me a beautiful analogy of a mountain horse and a successful leader. Here’s my summary of his story:

If you lead a horse up through a mountain trail, you can keep going and going until the horse drops dead. The horse will follow orders until it can no longer physically do so. Any animal lover or horse expert understands stopping periodically is not about being lazy; letting a horse have time to rest and refresh is just another step in the process to reaching the top.

It’s not uncommon in the workforce to witness some managers pushing their employees to the brink, assigning project after project until – until what? Burnout? Stress overload? Something worse? Effective leaders understand the importance of employee downtime. In fact, the really great ones go beyond simply encouraging it and will schedule resting periods for their highly motivated personnel. In today’s business culture, we so often focus on the next “mountain to climb” that we forget the basic need: we must first take care of our team so that we all can forge ahead successfully.

 

Tammy Wellbrock
Executive Director
Hays Area Chamber of Commerce
www.tammywellbrock.com

Submitted By Mary Powell

It has become very frightening when I turn on the radio or read the news. Every time I turn around I find that more and more of my personal rights are being infringed upon. Imagine my shock when I read that the Health and Human Services Secretary, our former Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius is giving religious organizations another year to comply with the new healthcare law which requires them to pay for reproductive services such as birth control and abortions! Yes! That is right, religious organizations like the Catholic Church, Protestant Churches, Christian Colleges in the like are being forced to comply with the health care laws.

That’s right folks, our religious organizations are being forced to go against principles that have been part of our culture for centuries. The government is forcing churches and religious organizations who value the sanctity of life to pay for abortions, birth control and the like. This infuriates me beyond word. Our first amendment rights are being violated by this mandate. But then again, knew why should this surprise me? We have a President who has no regard for the Constitution of the United States much less Christian religion.

It is the present administration’s goal to systematically change the United States by mandate. President Barack Hussein Obama stated he would fundamentally change the United States and he has done what he said he would do. That is the only promise that B.O. has kept during the time he has been in the White House. He could care less that he is tearing down what made our country great and that is our faith, our hope, and our principles. He could care less that some people value life and he will do anything he can to allow people to destroy life.

Unlike corporations, religious organizations will not receive waivers to prevent them from participating in the new Health Care laws. He is forcing religions to participate, he is taking away their voice, he is taking away a religious right to stand up for their beliefs. I do not know about you but I think that is treasonous, tyrannical and downright un-American. It is time for all Americans who believe in the United States Constitution to raise their voice and speak is one that we will not allow, our Rights that the first amendment guarantees, to be taken way! We need to call our Congressman and Senators to let them know this law is taking way our religious rights that have been guaranteed to us through the Constitution of the United States America.

The phone number to Senator Jerry Moran is (202) 224-6521 or (785) 628-6401.
The phone number to Congressman Tim Huelskamp is (202) 225-2715 or (785)309-0572.

By Matt Moody

Parent is defined as a caretaker of the offspring in their own species. ~ Wikipedia

Parents certainly know what is best. If you had listened to your parents when you were a child you would have worn that bicycle helmet and skipped a visit to the emergency room. If you had listened to your parents as a teen, you would not have dated that laundry list of losers.

Now, when you reached the age of dissent, chances are you offered an “I don’t want to” or “I don’t like that” which likely resulted in a scolding or possibly a spanking — hopefully with a mere gentle hand and not a tire iron.

Children do not make the rules. Parents do not need a child’s input to decide what is best and that is a good thing (with most parents — ok sorry, a few parents).

This is really no different than what your friendly Justice Department is looking to do. You may think of them as  divine parents. They certainly do not need any input from you. After all, you don’t really know anything.

For example, less than 24 hours after an impressive online protest by millions of internet-users all but halted two bills which would hand over unprecedented control of the internet to the federal government, a parental decision was required.

The Justice Department, swooped in and seized over a dozen websites due to copyright claims.

There was no trial, no due process, or any of that unnecessary nonsense. Surely those who framed the Constitution didn’t spend all that time on it for you to just interpret it literally.

Due to your lack of knowledge, you might be thinking, “But tax dollars were used to arrest 7 people, including a Dutch citizen in New Zealand, over a copyright claim. Their property was seized and they are now facing the potential of 50 years in prison, all while child murderers have been receiving less than 5 year sentences. And do we really need to arrest the website’s graphic designer?” Slow down, graphic designers aren’t really even people and the most important issue at the door of the Justice Department is the request of the country’s largest job creator – Hollywood. And again, you are forgetting — they know what’s best and you don’t know squat.

We all wish for one more chance to be a kid again. So here is your opportunity. Sit back and enjoy. But remember, your input is no longer needed. If you decide you would like to offer a few of your childish opinions, your new parents don’t really care what you think. And if you continue to disobey, there is a mere gentle hand in Washington ready to swoop in to give you a spanking. Or maybe it is a tire iron.

Note – if you have the financial means to hire a former United States Senator to head your lobby, this article does not apply to you and before you go, is there anything you’d like?

First of all, thanks to the hayspost.com team for providing me the opportunity to share my thoughts with all of you. For those of you who don’t know me, I have served as the Chamber’s Executive Director for a little over a year now, but I’ve been a blogger for even longer. I invite you to learn more about me (and my random thinking!) by visiting my personal blog at www.tammywellbrock.com.

For several semesters, I’ve been fortunate to teach one class at FHSU – Marketing Principles 301. During this past Thursday class period, I shared my standard “Networking” presentation with the students: this presentation as well as the class in general is an excellent opportunity to teach students how to apply basic marketing principles in their own job search process. The concept of marketing yourself as a product is a unique concept to many, and not just college-aged young people. There are many ways to promote yourself, including creating a quality resume and well-written cover letter. Networking is just another tool.

So I pose these questions for you to consider: how often do you network with others? When was the last time you invited a peer, a business professional or someone you admire, simply for the sake of getting to know each other? Where you met for a lunch that had no other agenda, except a genuine interest in your guest? When was the last time you attended a network-focused event, perhaps a Chamber Chat or Ribbon Cutting? At this event, did you stretch yourself and visit with others, or did you stand next to your coworker (who, by the way, is someone you can visit with anytime you want)?

We all know networking is important for us professionally and personally. However, doing so takes us out of our comfort zones, possibly making us feel less confident, awkward or capable. Author and motivational speaker Jeffrey Gitomer has a great philosophy when it comes to networking – he call is the 50-Butt Rule. To summarize him: if there are 50 butts or more in one room, then your butt should one of them! My recommendation is to give yourself a professional “audit” – if you aren’t marketing (or networking) yourself now, you may regret it later.

Submitted by Jo Ann S.

All the discussion about Mitt Romney being a Mormon, why doesn’t anybody mention that Harry Reid is a mormon? Harry Reid is a Mormon…..we need to remind people of that.

Does it make a difference that Mitt is a Republican?

 

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of HaysPost.com, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Curator ~ Matt Moody

The majority of Americans may hold strong opinions on a few political issues, but judging simply from voter turnout, politics aren’t all that important to the average American.

As the curator for this site and six others like it, I can see that far fewer people click on political stories than on mugshots or stories about pets wearing costumes.

You can’t really blame them. The same political arguments we hear today are the same from 10 years ago and will likely be the same 10 years from now.

However, there is a political issue that we should all be tuned into right now.

If a certain set of bills winding their way through Congress happen to pass, they would absolutely destroy one of the greatest inventions in human history.

You would think that something so important and potentially detrimental to our economy would be the only topic at the water cooler, but few of the traditional media outlets are talking about it, and with good reason (hint- most of them are in support of it).

The STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT (SOPA) in the House – PROTECT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ACT (PIPA) in the Senate

Judging simply by the names, they don’t sound like bad ideas. They are.

Of course, piracy is bad. Whether it’s Somali Pirates hijacking ships, someone reusing a starving artist’s copyrighted material, or the pirate impressions on International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Pirates are bad. No argument here.

The issue is that our ever so trustworthy politicians, who have less than zero understanding of how the internet actually works, are pushing for control over it. Due to the vague language of the bills, they could potentially create government controlled internet similar to Iran and China.

Now, if you fully trust your government and believe they would never misuse a newfound control over the internet, then feel free to move along (heres a link to a cat wearing a sombrero).

But if you don’t want your internet to live under government control at the behest of Hollywood, please read on.

So What Does The Bill Intend To Do?

SOPA is largely the brainchild of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Naturally, they don’t care for kids sitting in their parent’s basement downloading and disseminating their content for free. This is certainly well meaning, as nobody wants their hard earned work to be ripped off.

How Would It Work?:

Let’s use Facebook as an example. If you loaded a video of your 3-year-old lip-synching to the new Lady GaGa song (you have bad taste), the record label could proclaim Facebook to be a copyright infringing website and request it to be blacklisted. If the video appeared in Google’s search results, Google could be implicated as well. This would effectively break the internet and destroy some of the products we love (here’s what the guy that invented it thinks and I’m not talking about Al Gore).

The internet has allowed us to communicate like never before, it offers unprecedented opportunity for learning, education, entrepreneurship, and springboards one of the few industries that has powered through the recession and continues to disrupt old business models in favor of those that better serve consumers. I could go on and on about the internet, but if you are still reading this, you surely understand it’s importance.

Now, it was announced today that after weeks of waffling, the Obama administration has come out against SOPA/PIPA (well, sort of).

Members of both the Senate and the House have also begun to back away from the DNS provision, but the bill in any form could spell big trouble for the internet that we know and love (if you don’t love the internet, I will assume you are the Unabomber).

The Recording Industry and Motion Picture Association have decided that rather than innovate and give consumers what they desire, they will use their tremendous lobbying efforts (also known as $$$) to suggest the government take it over.

Now, I don’t condone theft, but it happens. The idea that you can snuff it out entirely is irrational, and as with iTunes, if you give consumers easy access to reasonably priced products, they are less likely to resort to stealing.

What Can You Do About It?

Contact your representatives. Click here for Kansas. Let them know in no uncertain terms, that you want the internet left alone. With all of the problems our government is facing, the internet is hardly something they should be focusing on.

You can also let the businesses that support the bill know that you don’t approve.

GoDaddy, the domain registrar, supported SOPA originally but after their name appeared on the SOPA-supporters list, over 76,000 customers transferred their domains. GoDaddy is now an opponent to SOPA. Hit ’em in the pockets and their tune will quickly change.

On a positive note, I did receive a response from Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and he clearly stated opposition to the bill. Considering these guys usually only hear from their constituents when they’re angry, I recommend a little positive reinforcement. Let Senator Moran know that you appreciate his stance against SOPA/PIPA.

When It’s Likely To Move Forward:

Nobody knows for sure when action will be taken on SOPA/PIPA. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a SOPA opponent, announced Saturday that the hearings on SOPA’s DNS provisions that were scheduled for Wednesday, January 18 would be postponed.

“While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House,” Issa said. “Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to any anti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote.”

So in the meantime, if you like the internet as it is (other than all the annoying commentary by your friends on Facebook) let your representatives know how you feel and continue to pay attention to this issue.

If you’re interested a more technical overview of SOPA/PIPA and the dangers click here. For a more humorous take on SOPA/PIPA, here’s Stephen Colbert