Obama is economically inept… and he is getting by with it.

Obama does not understand what makes the American economy successful. Obama tells American youth to go to work for government or a non-profit, a noble career so to speak, instead of working in business. It is evident that Obama does not understand the American free enterprise system.

America is great because of our free enterprise system and the ingenuity of the American worker. The success of Government, non-profits, the entertainment business, sports, and other such enterprises is dependant on the success of American business and its workers. If Obama does not understand this, he is economically inept and should not lead our country.

There is a story about a small town that decided to get rid of a factory. The citizens thought the factory was unsightly and dirty. The owner was the richest person in town. This owner did not want to move his factory. He came up with a unique idea. He decided to pay his workers in silver dollars one Friday. By his next payday; every citizen in the town had a silver dollar in their pocket. The owner did not hear anymore complaints.

Lou Gerstner, past president of IBM, made the statement that IBM is successful because every worker is a leader. When Mercedes considered Alabama for its first American factory, other states said that Alabamians were unskilled and dumb. In other words an Alabama redneck could not built a car. Now Alabama has several auto makers. Auto makers learned that Alabama workers wanted to learn and work. As Lou said, American workers must be leaders. Our country’s economy is successful because its workers create economic success. American workers leadership and know how is the key to their success. America needs the smartest and best citizens to go into business.

The communist economic system failed because all workers worked for the government. The workers said the government makes believe it pays us; and, we make believe we work. Adam Smith’s invisible hand choked the socialist communist economy to death.

Obama’s simple statement about what our youth should do shows that he really does not understand what creates America’s wealth. America’s wealth is created by the successful American entrepreneur and the American worker. Apparently, Obama does not understand that our government’s role should be to create an environment where American workers and business can flourish. Obama wants to tax these businesses.

Obama does not understand that American business needs our best youth to be successful. When American business is successful our government, our citizens, and our non-profit organizations benefit

Oscar James McGriff. Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405

Obama is buying votes…

Obama is promising the vast majority of us no tax increase if we elect him. Obama will take taxes from the rich and business to make sure the rest of us do not have to pay more for the benefits we receive from our government. In other words, we should vote for him out of our own self interest. Yet, he states that the rich and business should perform their patriot duty and pay more. Obama is trying to buy the middle class and poor vote.

I, like most Americans, may benefit form Obama’s tax policy. I pay federal income tax. I can feel patriotic because I am paying for the privilege of living in America. Obama is trying to buy my vote because I would pay less tax. Forty percent of Americans do not pay any Federal income tax. Obama is buying these votes by promising to give these citizens rebate money he takes from business and rich Americans. I hope American citizens, like “Joe the plumber”, conclude that their vote is not for sale.

Obama is also trying to buy our votes because he did not take Federal funding for his campaign. He is taking huge contributions and buying commercial and infomercials. Obama is counting on us being sold by flooding the airways with commercials he could not run had he taken Federal funds. I, like many of you, gave money for this Federal funding when we paid our income taxes because we thought this was the best way to take big money out of politics. Obama has refused to take our money because it will limit what he can spend to buy our votes.

I would benefit from his election because I am not rich. But, I refuse to be sold on Obama’s promises. My vote like “Joe the Plumber’s” is not for sale. That is my patriotic duty. I hope you agree that your vote is not for sale.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Obama states in his acceptance speech, “I will eliminate capital-gains taxes for the small businesses and the startups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow”.

Obama must be a genus of business forecasting. Obama’s statement belies his socialism/communist/central government know all economic view; versus, our capitalist free market system. The Obama’s view is dead wrong.

Who would Obama eliminated the capital gains tax for in the beginning of the personal computer business of the 1970-1980’s. Would it have been the Adam Computer? Would it have been Digital? Would Obama have known about the garage team of Steve Jobs and Steve Woznaik? These Apple computers were hand-built by Wozniak. Or would Obama have given his governmental subsidy to IBM? IBM the giant company that lost out in the personal computer business it had helped to bring to the forefront of our way of life. Obama would have surely known and helped Michael Dell, the University of Texas at Austin student, who started Dell Computer Corporation with $1000 out of his off campus dorm room. Enough! No one could have known or predicted any of the above outcomes.

Obama just does not understand how our country and our free enterprise system predict corporate winners. This free enterprise system allows the citizens of our country to make the choice on which products and companies survive. This choice is made because of the product and service each company provides to their customers. This economic miracle has made the United States of America the greatest country in the history of the world.

Obama or the federal governmental can not begin to understand how any product market will play out over time. This is just another indication of Obama’s lack of understanding of what has made our country the birth place of the most successful global companies in the history of the world. Tax policy can only kill this economic miracle. By the way, business does not pay any taxes; the tax costs are included in the products price.

I am not saying Obama does not care about this, he just don’t get it.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Obama and the Democrats have it wrong…

Our Constitution’s preamble states, “provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare…”.This is a contract between the people of our country and allows our government to function for us. Promote the general welfare is the key phrase. Provide for my welfare is not part of the contact.

However, notice where and how the words provide and promote are used. Our constitutional contract states that our government will provide for our defense. This means that we expect the government to protect us from invasion and outside threats. The word promote is used in our contract when we look at our general welfare. This contract realized that government could perform some actions; but, our government could help us provide for our general welfare. Notice also the word is general welfare not my welfare.

Obama and the democrats, and maybe most of us, need to read and understand our Constitution. Obama and democrats will move us to a level of government support that provides for us from the cradle to the grave. This sounds good to most of us. This is not what our founders thought was the responsibility of our government. For example, Ben Franklin and the Philadelphia Junta started hospitals, libraries, and other help for the citizens of the city. We were a poor country at our founding. Our infant federal government could not afford this level of support for its individual citizens.

The question is can our government afford all of Obama’s programs? The simple answer is, NO! So how will they pay for these programs? Taxes! Yes there is no free lunch. We must pay or our government will go broke.

Obama and the democrats know that our government can not afford all his programs; but, they will not tell us. They make these promises to get our votes.

We must be smart and not believe these empty promises. We must demand answers on how Obama and the democrats will pay for these programs.

Oscar James McGriff. Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405

Democrats to end poverty…

C-Span carried the Democratic National Platform committee meeting last Summer. It was extraordinary to hear a member from Mississippi stand and offer amendment 122. This amendment is truly a change Obama can support. It goes along with his changing the world theme. The amendment is to have a cabinet level official in charge of ending poverty. There was no discussion, it passed without objection. This will put Lyndon Johnson’s war on poverty to shame.

Our government has tried this. Our government gave poor people food stamps, housing, and welfare. Now Obama will tax our rich citizens and oil companies; then, transfer this money to the poor. This is different. Obama will have a cabinet level government official in charge of ending poverty. Obama will transfer American individual wealth to the poor. This will be much better; at least the government will not finance the war this time. Our government will just supervise the wealth transfer.

Now if you want to see how the first war on poverty turned out, drive through most cities. You will see the boarded up burned out housing projects, burned out vacant houses, and vacant businesses. By all means travel these streets by night. Where did this first war go wrong?

If government could truly overcome the failure of individuals to take advantage of our American freedoms we could change the world. Our government should help anyone that truly wants to achieve more. But Obama will never overcome poverty in our nation by taxing the rich and oil companies: then giving $1000.00 to the poor. Give individuals a hand up; not a hand out.

Jesus said that the poor will be with us always. Jesus was wrong. He did not know that Obama and the great Democrat party will surely wipe out poverty forever. That is unless Obama and the Democrat party bankrupt our nation first.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Obama is scaring the business world…

Obama wants to tax any private business that earns over $250,000 for its owner; and, wants to tax any business that has moved jobs overseas. No wonder the stock market is afraid that Obama will worsen the business outlook.

Most all businesses of any size have moved or will have to move some parts of their business overseas. This is a world market. Overseas businesses that go where labor and cost are cheaper will not live in this new Obama type economy. If our businesses have to operate here in the new Obama economy they will not survive in the world economy. This Obama economy is a dumb move in the light of the business environment we have now.

The market is crashing because our business stocks are owned world wide. These owners are getting out of our market because of the unsure Obama economy he will bring if he is elected our president.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405

Obama Cocksure…? Remember this interview a few months ago...

Obama in an interview with CBS Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan on Face the Nation made a one word answer to a question that makes his lack of experience shine forth.

Lara asked Obama a question that some people question his lack of international political experience. Obama made the statement that America’s style in the world would be less unilateral and more about building partnerships under his leadership. This is a simple answer to a complicated question. What does he mean less unilateral? How will he build partnerships and with whom? Obama has given Americans the impression that he would never act unilaterally. Does this mean that he would take the country to war if a nation such as Iran was a threat to the Middle East?

 But it was Lara’s follow-up question and Obama’s answer that should give us greater pause. The question went like this, “Do you have any doubts”. Obama answered, “Never”. The answer that he gave to her question is a simple answer. Obama is sure of his ability, as his smile after the answer showed how cocksure he was. This trait is what most Americans saw in President Bush. Now we must wonder if we have a cocksure young Senator with little experience and no doubts running for President. This could lead our nation down the wrong path in another direction.

Individuals with experience in foreign intelligence would never answer that they “never” have doubts about any international policy. They know countries and individuals act in their interests not Americas. Individuals with international policy experience have alternatives should a policy go wrong. Obama has accursed Bush of not having follow-up plans for his actions. Now we must wonder about Obama’s cocksureness. It belies inexperience. Obama has simple solutions to complicated problems and a strong belief that he has the right answer.

The word that describes Obama’s attitude toward decision making is “Hubris”.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The media is touting Barack Obama as the reincarnation of John F. Kennedy. Obama is young, full of energy, new vision, great speaker; all that kind of push. He will meet with our enemies. Kennedy met with our cold war enemy, Khrushchev.

Kennedy was inaugurated on January 20, 1961. The Bay of Pigs invasion happened in April, 1961, a defeat. The invasion decision was a classic example of group think.

 Kennedy and Khrushchev met in June, 1961. This meeting was a disaster for Kennedy and the US. Khrushchev thought Kennedy was a lightweight. This led to some actions by Khrushchev. On August 13, 1961, the Berlin wall was started. The Cuba missile crisis was in October, 1962. This is the closest the world has come to all out nuclear war. This happened because of one meeting in which our President John Kennedy was ill prepared.

Kennedy made his great, “ich bin ein Berliner” speech in Berlin on June 26, 1963. “I am a Berliner”, is quite a different statement than President Ronald Reagan’s speech of June 12, 1987, “tear down this wall”. Reagan’s speech was much more effective because Reagan had first established his credibility.

Let us not be duped by the media to follow an untried Barack Obama into battle with the enemies we have now. Obama wants to meet with our enemies. These enemies are not cold war warriors. Our Muslim enemies are in our face here and now, go anywhere, warriors with a bomb in their pocket.

Either we learn from history or we are bound to repeat it. Let’s be prudent.

Oscar James McGriff

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Equality led to no equity…

President Bill Clinton and our federal government made a social decision to bring equality to the housing market in 1999 by reducing the financial requirements on loans Fannie Mae could finance. This decision allowed banks to reduce the long standing 20% down payment requirement on home financing.

Now, let us look at a meeting of five people, a banker, a real estate agent, a real estate appraiser, a builder and a purchaser. The purchaser has made a bid on the house. The banker wants to make the loan. The purchaser will not qualify under the tradition financing; but, the banker tells the purchaser he can make it happen. . The banker has a quota on housing mortgages; he wants to meet this quota. The real estate agent wants the commission. The builder wants to sell the house, by the way the banker loaned the builder the money to build the house. The purchaser wants to purchase the house even though he can not afford the payments. The real estate appraiser is told by the builder and real estate agent, “This is the price we need to meet”. It is the price the purchaser has agreed to pay.  The appraiser is off the hook, if the purchaser has agreed to the price the purchaser sets the market. The appraiser just makes the appraisal meet the price.  The deal is done, and the purchaser and the purchaser of the mortgage is done in.

Because the government allowed and pushed a social agenda the deal was made. This is the real problem. The mortgage was bad from the start. The bad mortgage happened at the bottom and was covered up all the way to the top.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

682 Homestead Lane

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405

An Obama Nation…

The pundits believe that Obama will be our next President. Obama tells us our nation is in for tremendous change when he is elected. Will this change be different from the past or a return to the past? That question is on my mind and maybe yours. I think Obama has left a few crumbs along his campaign trail that will give us some clues.

Crumb #1: Social programs will increase. Will this be a return to the sixties, where some Americans lived in government housing, got welfare checks, and received food stamps? Welfare led to generations of Americans being trapped in the grip of these government programs. Is this what he means when he states he will take from the rich and give to the disadvantaged?

Crumb #2: Our free enterprise system will change. Obama will tax any business that takes jobs overseas. How will this impact Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, and BMW, foreign car companies that have come to America? We live in a world economy and market. American companies are free to produce goods anywhere. To tax American business will only drive them away. American citizens have proven that where a product is made has no bearing their purchase. Americans want the best quality for the best price no matter where the product is manufactured. A tax on business is paid by consumers.

Crumb #3: Obama will change our world view. He was asked if he thought we were too involved in the Middle East and Europe. He stated that he thought we should be involved more in countries like Chad. Would he change our imigration laws to allow more influx of people from countries such as this? Would he increase our aid to these countries? Would he send in our troops? Maybe we need to be involved with our limited resources where we have a vested interest. This happens to be our allies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Crumb #4: Foreign relations will change. Obama states that he would be open to direct talks with our enemies. Kennedy made this mistake when he was confronted with Khrushchev. Read Richard Reeves book “President Kennedy”. Obama has been compared to Kennedy as being as cool. As a matter of fact, it is said that Kennedy was so cool in the debate with Nixon that his coolness lead to his victory. Maybe Nixon was sweating because he had encountered violent crowds in South America, and had directly been told by Khrushchev that, “they would bury us”. Obama may be as naive as Kennedy. Kennedy’s naivety led America to the Cuban missile crises.

Crumb #5: Obama will raise taxes. Economic experts tell us that reducing taxes in a recession is what our government must do to get the economy going again. If Obama will not relent on raising taxes we may be headed for worse economic times.

These are issues that Obama must be challenged on before we elect him President of our country in these dangerous and economically challenging times. If we follow these crumbs we could be trapped in an Obama Presidency.

Oscar James McGriff, Jr.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405