Am I the Only One?

Am I The Only One?

I hope this article finds all of my fellow Americans in good health and spirits. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my most sincere congratulations to our new President-Elect, Barrack O’Bama. For those that know me, I am still a very devoted Republican Conservative who realizes that Barrack O’Bama is as much my new President as those who voted for him. The time has come to devote ourselves to taking action that will promote bipartisanship as we face some very serious issues in the upcoming months and years in our country’s future.

The Election

In speaking to my fellow conservatives, I realize that we feel mislead and flimflammed. I too was concerned by our new President’s relationship with Reverend Wright, William Ayers, and others. Truth of the matter is, I have come to the conclusion that Barrack O’Bama was tried in the United States Court of Public Opinion and was found innocent on all charges stemming from poor judgment. I am now of the opinion that maybe this is a case of the means justifies the ends. I do realize that President-Elect O’Bama went back on his word to accept public campaign funds, but I have concluded that politics is a very dirty business requiring that extreme measures be taken in order to obtain the goal of being elected to office. If my side would have won the election using similar tactics, I would be vigorously defending what had been done and basking in the glory of a hard fought victory. My mom never promised me that life would be fair.

Let it be known that history was made on November 4, 2008 by virtue of the fact that we the people of the United State of America elected the first ever African-American President. I would have been much happier had he been conservative, but we don’t always get what we want. My duty as an American Citizen is to support my new President, keep myself apprised of the issues, and to hold my new President accountable as to how these issues are handled. The famous quote of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “A man should not be judged by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character”, will be altered by the not so famous Ron Piner (me). A man or woman should not be judged by the color of his or her skin, but by their respective abilities to take care of the “business” of my beloved country.

I’m no Oprah Winfrey, but she’s no Ron Piner

Our country is at a very important crossroad in its history. The time draws near for Americans to make some very important decisions and to endure the sacrifices that will be made as a result of these decisions. I believe with all of my heart, that we no longer have time for the polarizing partisan politics so common place in American Society. I’m glad that Oprah was involved in this Presidential Campaign. I’m glad that people contributed millions to the campaigns thus engaging Americans with the issues of the day. I’m glad that Rush Limbaugh hosts a conservative radio program voicing his opinions to the millions that listen to his program on a daily basis.  What I wish in the way of improvement is that we would get to more discussion regarding the solutions of our problems. I am envious of Oprah standing next to our President-Elect. I am envious of the conservative talking heads having their opinions broadcast throughout the world. I am not envious of the wealth or attention they receive, but I wish that I could have the President’s ear because I have some suggestions that would certainly help our country’s cause.

My parents taught me that if I wanted others to see my point of view and take up my cause, it would be smart not to alienate the population. During the last forty-six years of my life, I have come to the conclusion that not alienating the population is a near impossible task. My thought is that we should have some separation of ideology from the national defense and business of our country. I personally believe that there should be no more discussion of prayer in school, abortion, English as the national language, gay marriages, and a host of other issues that escape me for the moment, at the Federal Government level.

For the record, I want my Federal Government to provide the following services:

1)      A strong national defense

2)      Relationships with foreign nations

3)      A federal banking system

4)      A food inspection system and health study/Infrastructure

5)      A federal justice system

To be quite honest, I have no interest in hearing the opinion of a Representative, a Senator, or the President regarding anything other the above mentioned items. Any other issue is best handled at the state and local level. This would include health care that could be tailored to suit the needs of a given state population. I know this might seem to be an oversimplified approach to problem solving, but I can assure you that I have given this great thought and consideration. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

As for Rush Limbaugh and the other conservatives, I do believe in getting back to our core beliefs which means freedom for all (including gays and those wanting to support the ACLU) and limiting the powers of the Federal Government. My faith tells me that abortion is wrong, marriage is between a man and a woman, and that I should extend kindness and understating to those who do not share my beliefs or faith, as I am not the ultimate judge of what is good and decent. My conservative principals instruct me to pass all issues not in my federal top five to the state and local level for consideration. This would include all discussion of ideology.  

I know I am not Oprah Winfrey, but these are the principals of government that matter most to me. These are but a few of my ideas. I even have some thoughts on how we can change the Social Security System along with Medicare and Medicaid. What are your thoughts Oprah, Rush, and everyone else? I will listen, ponder, and contemplate.

Term Limits for All

The time has come for the House of Representatives and the Senate to have the imposition of term limits. Getting back to my conservative principals, I do not believe that it was the intentions of our founders to have a citizen make a career out of service to our country. In my business (public accounting) there are engagements that require independence in order to assure the public of the work performed. Independence is defined in terms of; in fact and in appearance. A career Representative or Senator might be independent with regard to special interest groups, but might not appear to be so over prolonged relationships. The appearance of independence in politics seems to erode over time as far as I am concerned.

The incumbent always has the advantage in raising funds for reelection. It seems to me that we would be a lot better off if we made the playing field equal every two terms in order to get some new public servants with new ideas. We will, my friends, get our first and only bipartisan response regarding this issue. We will be told that this is unconstitutional in that we will not have enough talented people to hold office. Can you just imagine this for a minute? Is this a road that they would like to travel down given our current situation? Are you kidding me?

Let’s take our government back and get term limits implemented. No more unfunded pension payments to career politicians. They should be forced to contribute to 401K’s just like the rest of us. I might be a “Main Street American”, but it is time for some in this “talented bunch” of career politicians to do something else for a living.

In Conclusion

I am proud to be an American, and I hope the rest of you are as well. This is no time for partisan politics and we need to make our voices heard loud and clear. If we do not, we are guilty of complacency in the first degree. This offense is punishable by the bankruptcy and decline of the greatest nation known to mankind.

Call me Mr. President-Elect. We’ll do lunch or dinner if you really want to hear from someone on the other side of the aisle. I’m not Oprah Winfrey or the ladies on “The View”, but I have some ideas worth a listen.

Ron Piner, CPA

Host of “Better Business”

Saturday Mornings at 10ET

WBIS AM 1190

www.wbis1190.com

taxguy9@hotmail.com