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Charlie Traffas

2013-04-29 13:16:08

Q-I am a regular reader of your articles. I mostly support what you write, but I have some questions. You include lots of facts in your articles that not all of us have access to, but what is it that you are trying to accomplish? What do you want to have happen? What do you want President Obama and other elected officials to do? What do you want us to do?

A-These are very good questions….and most timely, following my article last month. If you haven’t read it, you may want to do so before reading this one. You can do this by going to www.theqandatimes.com, clicking on Recent Issues, and then clicking the April 1, 2013 issue. At press time for this issue, we were running 8 to 1 positive to negative. We had the biggest “one-month” percentage increase in subscriptions ever, for both Wichita and SE KS. These are always nice, but they are refundable pro rata if we stop publishing, which is always a possibility with each passing month, for several reasons. I try and read all of the comments. As you might imagine, it is always gratifying to read the positive ones…but every once in awhile, we get a negative one, like the one below that was posted to our Face Book page in SE Kansas. “Who’s this Piece of Garbage Charlie Traffas? This scum doesn’t deserve any forum to express his racist bigoted views. But I realize there is a Constitutional right to freedom of speech. That is why I can say unequivocally that old Charlie is a bottom feeding scumbag racist. I hope all the 280 citizens of Sharon are not as worthless as old Charlie. I realize that his parents aren’t responsible for giving birth to an abomination, like old Charlie. But old Charlie presents a strong, strong case for abortions, even late term ones. If only his parents could look into the future and see what a piece of garbage he would turn out to be, they may have terminated that idiot, right then and there. I would be surprised if old Charlie had any formal education whatsoever. But on the outside chance that he did receive some sort of education, he should seek a refund, since any education he received was totally wasted. I truly hope your publication doesn’t support such racists. But if you do I hope and pray this rag goes out of circulation.” BH – Pittsburg, KS. We also had a lady in Wichita who called every advertiser we have in our publication, telling them that I was a “very scary” person, along with several other things, because of my views and opinions. She told the advertisers they should cancel their advertising with us. None of them did, for which we are most appreciative. I am sorry for any wrongs I may have caused anyone to commit, and I forgive all of them for anything they said or did. Thank you for your questions. I will do my best to answer them. In doing so, this month’s article may be a little “heavier” than normal, but maybe “heavier” is what we need now more than at any time in our past. I have stated several times that I believe the world is tired of those who complain but don’t do anything to solve the problems they complain about. I have tried not to be guilty of this. While the solutions I propose might not appear in each article, it is not because I don’t have one…or several…but rather it is because it usually takes two or more articles (issues) for me to get all of my complaints stated (smile). Eventually I have always provided a solution or solutions. I will here as well. I have had people call or write and tell me the reasons why I write what I write is because I just like to vent; or that I hate those I criticize; or that I am trying to get even with someone. None of these are the case, or are any of my reasons because of the debt…deficit…sequester…party preference…budget debates…spending cuts…gun or immigration discussions…2014 mid-term elections…2016 general election…the resolution to the Syrian, Egyptian, Iranian or North Korean conflicts…my or your retirement…or the world that we will seemingly leave our children and their children. My singular reason for writing what I write is because of a much bigger picture…bigger than most people ever stop to think about. The bigger picture is where it has been for me for some time…and I will submit…where it will be for you…at “the end of the day”…even though you may not realize it now. Before I tell you what it is, I would like to ask that you not scoff at me or what I have to say…right now. It’s not that I can’t take it. It’s just that if you spend your time scoffing now, you will not be able to digest what I have to say. You will have your chance at the end of this article to do all of the scoffing you want to do. If at that time you want to dismiss most or all of what I have to say, you can do so. I will have invested my time to write it all in as a digestible way as I know how to do, and you will have invested your time in reading it…nothing more. At the end…we both walk away. If you will give me this chance to make my case, I can promise…your decision to do so will have the potential of paying you the biggest dividends you will have ever received in the past, or will ever receive in the future. And yes, before you bring it up…there are many people who would be much better than myself…the sinner that I am and have been…to address this issue…but few are doing it. And if they are to some degree...they’re not doing it “loudly” enough…or frequently enough…to make a mark. The basis of this bigger picture is the moral decay of America. The bigger picture is its eternal ramifications for each of us. America’s morals are decaying faster than the decay can be thwarted…much less replenished, nourished and healed. Further I am convinced, there is no action performed by any group of people in our society that contributes more to this moral decay than the lies, distortions and deflections of our elected officials. You might feel the same if you will think about it for a moment. There is no other group that garners as much press, and purports to be on track and in sync with the morals and ethics of America than this group. This is why their improprieties are so damaging…they are done, said and performed as though what they’re doing is ethical, moral and proper. From these lies, distortions and deflections, come all sorts of hidden agendas. We have no idea what they all encompass. From these hidden agendas come the failure by these elected officials to do the jobs they were elected to do…and have sworn to do. Laws end up being enforced inequitably, or not enforced at all. The press, who is to perform a most critical role in any society of clearly stating things as they are, without taking sides, becomes opinion-based instead of journalism-based, even though it is all still under the guise of being “journalistically pure,” and each plays to is own agendas. Given the choice of trying to better one’s self and family through hard work and achievements in all of this chaos, more and more people choose to become dependent upon the government. A “why bother” apathy sets in throughout the majority of the populace, even by those who are not seemingly…immediately affected…like many of you. Deficits and debt grow. Children grow up in an environment of hate, hopelessness and distrust. Families break apart. Crime is rampant. Waste, fraud and abuse permeate our government and its programs, on both the national and the state levels. Society becomes one with a looters’ mentality…everyone trying to get all they can, as quickly as they can, while there is still something to get. Every opportunity by more and more people in all walks of life to remove God, or any reference to God, from our daily lives, is exploited. Soon, there is nothing left, but Satan’s paradise. It is sad…but true. This is what we now have in America…more than at any time in our past. Towards the end…all of the world’s great civilizations had these problems. Not one of them survived. Few lasted more than 200 years. Have you ever thought about how many things you do…and have done in your life…just in case? If you will take the time to ponder this, you will find that many of the affairs in your life have caused you to do things…just in case. Just in case you don’t have enough money to last for as long as it needs to last, you don’t spend it all. Just in case you need more food to get you through until you can get to the grocery story, you don’t eat it all. Just in case you need someone to help you, you don’t alienate them by being rude or severely critical of something they did. Just in case you need money for things you will need later in life, you open a savings account. Just in case your home burns down or blows away, you buy insurance. But none of these things amount to anything when compared to the most important affair you have in this life…that of gaining eternal salvation in your next life. It is okay if this shocks you. It will be proven to you, and everyone who was ever born on this earth. While I will provide more explanation below, I submit that each of us can live our lives as if this is the way it is, and die to find out it isn’t; or we live our lives as if this is not the way it is, and die to find out it is.” I choose the first for many reasons…but also…just in case. Which do you choose, for the most important affair you have in this life? This…is the reason why I write what I write. Whether you are religious, spiritual but not religious, have no preference, Protestant, Catholic, Jew, Agnostic, Atheist, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Animist, Pagan, or any faith…your most important affair in this life is to gain eternal salvation in your next life. You will do this by using your free will to follow the laws of God, in order to live forever with Him, the angels and saints, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. If you ever wondered…this is what your life on this earth is all about. This is why you are here. As I previously stated, you don’t have to believe me…but in order for me to continue…I need you to grant me the premise of what I say to be your most important affair…for now. You can take it all back later when you dismiss most or all of what I have to say. With that premise being granted, think of the rest of your life as being a “race” that you will need to run. Some peoples’ entire “race” does not last too long. Brenda, my wife, finished her race on March 3, 2012, at the age of 57, after a 2 ½ year battle with cancer. Our son Dusty’s “race” was over at the age of 25, when he was killed instantly in the midst of a Toys For Tots’ Parade on November 4, 2001. My sister Rosemary’s “race” was over at the age of 2, after a battle with pneumonia. My nephew Clint’s “race” was over at the age of 14, when he lost his battle with cystic fibrosis. Dad’s “race” was over at the age of 75. Mom’s “race” was over at the age of 87. My Father-In-Law’s race was over at the age of 92. Some people’s “race” is over as an unborn infant, and others’ “race” can last more than 100 years. But in the final analysis, no matter the length of one’s “race”…it is but a snap of the fingers when compared to eternity. Eternity…how long is eternity? In a trillion earth years, eternity will have just begun. Let me say this again…and this time…ponder it even more. In a trillion earth years, eternity will have just begun. Science says our universe is 14 billion years old. A trillion years is more than 70 times longer than this…and this is not even a second when compared to eternity. Eternity never ends. Again...eternity never ends. Now, regardless of the length of your “race,” I can promise it will be uphill. Some peoples’ “race” will be more uphill than others’, but everyone’s race will definitely be uphill. You see, God promised us this from the sin of Adam and Eve (original sin), in Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” There is another thing we each received from the sin of Adam and Eve. It is concupiscence. Concupiscence is an inordinate desire for pleasure. Notice the phrasing: an inordinate desire for pleasure. The desire for pleasure is a good and holy thing. In fact, St. Augustine notes that there can be no good unless it is delighted in. But original sin has wrangled pleasure, turning it into an end in itself. Instead of serving the good of others, the yearning for pleasure often turns us in on ourselves. Most of the what we want more of is classified as materialism (i.e. money, power, property, position, etc.). Unfortunately, materialism and its never-ending pursuit of the same, rules the world and affects so many of the decisions that we and others make. Everyone seeks materialism. The billionaire wants more. The millionaire wants more. The blue-collar worker wants an extra thousand dollars for a vacation. The poorest widow on the smallest Social Security income wants a roast instead of lunchmeat. The homeless man wants a new piece of cardboard with which to fashion a roof to keep out the rain. We all want more. I heard a sermon several years ago on this subject given by Joe Wright, former Pastor of the Central Christian Church in Wichita, Kansas. It was titled “Greed.” He defined greed as an inordinate desire for more, and more and more. “Greed,” he said, “is not being rich or having money, but rather, it is the love of money. “Greed” makes a promise it can never deliver. “Greed” is the number one challenge for everyone today. Of the 38 parables in the New Testament, 16 of them talk about how to handle money. There are 500 verses on prayer, a few less than 500 on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money. God was trying to tell us something, don’t you think?” Being a slave to materialism fills one’s life with stress. Think about it: When most people have money and/or things, their lives are filled with how to get more. The thought of being without them is too painful and stressful to consider. How can one fully enjoy something when he or she is consumed with not having it? If you have concupiscence in check for yourself, you still have to deal with the concupiscence of others, which is more rampant today than ever. If I may, let me summarize what we have covered thus far. Regardless of your spirituality, or your lack thereof, your most important affair in this life is to gain eternal salvation in your next life. You will do this by using your free will to follow the laws of God. The period between now and when you die is your “race.” Your “race” is but a snap of the fingers when compared to eternity. Eternity is forever. There is no time in eternity. The clock makes only one sound… “forever…forever…forever.” Your “race” is guaranteed to be uphill…perhaps more so than others. It will be difficult enough for each of us to run our own uphill “race,” without anyone placing “boulders” and “obstructions” in the way. Compounding the difficulty of our “race” will be concupiscence, an inordinate desire for pleasure. This will be by your own volition for yourself, and/or the concupiscence of others that you will have to deal with. You don’t have too much further to go. In only a few more paragraphs you can dismiss all that I am stating. I would only ask that before you do…imagine your last seconds in this life. You have reached the end of your “race.” While you still have a breath left in your body, you can gain your eternal salvation (I welcome the opportunity to tell anyone how this is possible if you will allow me). Although it certainly does not make sense to wait this long, and God promises no one the opportunity, it is possible. But now…those seconds are gone. You have breathed your last. You have no time to do, undo or redo anything. Your soul has left your body. My Catholic faith tells me your soul will immediately find itself in front of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Particular Judgment), Who loves you more than you could ever realize. He wants you to be with Him forever in Heaven. Heaven is the greatest place you could ever be. Hell is the worst place you could ever be. Both will be for eternity. Your soul yearns to be with Him. Although our Lord is all-merciful, He is also all-just. He will pass an all-just and eternal sentence of Heaven or Hell on you for the state of your soul following your moment of death. It will be carried out immediately. This sentence will never change. There is no appeal. There is no continuance. It will be for your soul only until the end of time (the General Judgment). At that time…the end of time…your soul will join your body for all eternity. So…just in case…what I say is the way it is…why would you ever want to retain the risk…of your most important affair in this life? When people lie, distort the truth, or play to a hidden agenda, or play to an agenda not in sync with our most important affair, it is a “boulder” or “obstruction” placed in the middle of our “race.” Our “race” is quick…some quicker than others. We only have a short time to run our “race.” The last thing we need to do is have to negotiate “boulders” and “obstructions” that someone has thrown into our paths. This has to be our message to every elected official, regardless of their position, or their political persuasion…whether left, right or middle. Tell it like it is…always…the first time. Tell the truth. Answer the question. Don’t spin it. Answer the question. We have had enough of these “hidden agendas”…and all of the rest. Just tell it like it is. Quit lying. Quit distorting. Quit deflecting. When any of our elected officials say or do something that plays to an agenda not shared with us; or they espouse policies that hurt our country at home or abroad; or they fail to act prudently to do the job they have sworn to do…they are putting “boulders” and “obstructions” in the middle of our “race.” Each of us directly or indirectly has to deal with these. These improprieties cause us to commit all types of sins, but more than any…the 7 capital sins of sloth, pride, anger, greed, gluttony, lust and envy. This is why I write what I do, and why I will do all I can…with the little amount of “snap” I have left…to call out and stop these lies, deceits, distortions, deflections, “dives” and “ducks.” There are no actions, by any other group in America, that are making the contributions towards the moral decay of our county…and the state of each of our souls…than this group of people. I love these United States of America. I mean it. Some might say that I “stupidly” love this country and all it stands for…meaning that I love it in ways that some people would consider stupid for my exaggerated expressions. I love it that we are a democracy. I love the way our government is supposed to work, with its three branches. I love and respect all offices and positions, and in particular…the office of the President. All of us should want him to lead us…not divide us. We all know that together we can stand against anyone or anything…divided we will fail. Divided we will continue to fall into this moral decay. Divided...many of us will lose our souls. I love all of my freedoms. I love it that I can make a decision to jump in my car and go get an ice cream cone from a neighborhood business at 10 o’clock at night, or drive to Yellowstone National Park, the Smoky Mountains, or to Niagara Falls on a moment’s notice. I like it that I can call in sick for work if I don’t feel well, and that if I want, I can buy some stock online, or watch sports on TV, or record something and watch it later. I love it that I can do most anything I want to do, as long as I don’t hurt others in any way. I love it that I can vote for a person for a position who I feel will do the best job of not putting “boulders” or “obstructions” in the middle of anyone’s “race.” I love the equity we have in our country, our laws, our traditions, our Constitution, and our way of doing things. The longer we exist and grow together…the more equity we have. Yes, I love all of my freedoms…and I love and thank each and every one of those who have gone before me for these freedoms. No one has the right to fundamentally change America…no one…without the majority of us knowing what the fundamental change is going to be, wanting it and voting for it. There are millions of people who have lived and died and laughed and cried and suffered and celebrated throughout the last 260 years to make this the great country we have. This is what makes America. If someone wants something different than what we have, let them lay it out in front of all of us. Have them lay it all out…not just the parts they want us to see and hear. Tell us the entire truth…the first time…not later when they’ve been caught on something. Let the press do its job of examining what has been laid out. Let there be debate. Then let’s vote…and let our democracy rule. If it is voted for in a true and honest election, we will do it. If not, let’s put it back on the shelf…for now…or forever. Cut out the bickering and complaining and the false charges of racism and hate after it goes down. As you will note, I have included all elected officials in my charges, which includes President Obama. I cannot find any President in our history who has used (abused) the “bully pulpit” to the extent he has. This puts him at the forefront of all the elected officials I am charging. Yes, others…throughout history…have lied, misled, distorted, deflected, dived and ducked…but nothing has ever been as bad as it is today. If we’re going to stop it…it’s got to start with him. If he had said in 2007 and 2008 when he was running for the office, “I want to change this country. Here is what I want to do and how I will go about doing it. I want to get as many of you as possible receiving continual, monthly aid from the government. You will only have to work if you want to work. If you choose not to work, the government will provide you money, food, health care and housing. By the year 2013, I will do my best to have 50 Million Americans receiving food stamps, and more in the coming years. I will do all I can to loosen the disability rules so that as many of you who want to get on disability, at the end of your unemployment pay, can have an income for life. Few of you will ever be able to climb out of this dependent style of living, but you will know you will always be taken care of. I will only “mouth” my support of stopping consumer and governmental waste, fraud and abuse. By allowing this to continue, I will insure we can keep the status quo in this area for a long time to come. I will let all those wanting to come into our country have these same things. By the time I’m through, I will have 60% of our entire population dependent upon the government. When given the chance to vote for someone who is going to take away what someone is getting free, and one who is going to continue giving it to you…the choice will be obvious. Just to be sure I don’t have any weak links in my plan, I will also do all I can to bolster and support the unions, who have shown the ability for decades to put pressure in the right spots when it comes to elections. Next, I will so burden business with rules and regulations, that only the toughest will survive. I will do it under the guise of universal health care for all, in combination with my Executive Orders. After all, who could possibly stand against universal health care? There will be so many pages in this law and the rules and regulations that accompany it, that people will be finding out about for years what it contains. These rules and regulations will separate the ‘wheat from the chaff’ in business. The ones who can’t compete will go under. Those who are marginal will receive help from the government to exist, and they will be in our ‘camp’ too. I will so burden the rest with rules, regulations and taxes, that the government will basically own them…or they might as well own them. The government, who always knows best, will own most everything, and will dole it out as it sees fit. All of this should insure that my party rules for many years to come. It won’t take long before there are only two classes…the ruling class, and everyone else. This is the way the world was supposed to be organized all along. Vote for me and I will make it all happen.” You might laugh…or wince…but had he said this…had he told us the truth…had he told us what he really intended to do…do you think he would have been elected? I don’t think so. At the time he was elected to his first term (2008), more than 60% of Americans were still paying income taxes. This more than 60% would have never supported people doing nothing…when they themselves had to work, and save, and make prudent decisions. They wouldn’t have voted for these “fundamental changes” if they had know what they were. Or, are you one who takes the position that he never intended for any of what happened to happen? Do you think this has all happened by accident? That it wasn’t a plan? Really? I don’t think so. But all of this is not what then, Senator Obama said, is it? He said, “I am tired of watching the rich get richer and the poor get poorer in this country. I am tired of people filling up the emergency rooms for their health care. I am for the middle class. I am for you. I want you, the middle class of America, to rise and be better off, than you are now (appealing to the middle class has been the primary strategy for every politician, because that is where you find the majority of the populace...the “votes”). I want a new America (he definitely has a different one now than the one he inherited). I will end torture (now he uses drones to kill and there is no intelligence gathered). I will close Guantanamo Bay (it isn’t closed yet). I will let the Bush-Era Tax Cuts for the wealthy expire within the first year of my presidency (they didn’t expire until four years later, 12/31/2012). I will create a $10 Billion Foreclosure Prevention Fund to stop foreclosures on all homes (in its final analysis, it helped less than 500,000 homeowners of the nearly 5 Million homes that been foreclosed since 2008). I will have immigration reform accomplished in the first year of my term (it wasn’t even brought up until his Executive Order of June of 2012, perfectly timed to help him win re-election). I will restrict former lobbyists from working in my administration (it was never done…and due to waivers he granted, and “recusals,” he has had as many if not more former lobbyists and czars working in his administration than has any other administration before him). I will sign a Universal Health Care Bill (he did, but not for the purpose of health care, rather for the unparalleled rules and regulations it contains that allows government intrusion into more of the lives of its citizens and businesses than any other single piece of legislation in the history of our country). If you want to keep your health insurance, you can keep it…period (we know now, this will not be the case). If you want to keep your doctor, you can keep your doctor…period (we know now this will not be the case). Obamacare…and I like the name…because I do care…will lower the health insurance premiums of every family in America by $2,500 (we know now they will actually go up by an estimated 60% to 130%). I will cut the deficit in half by the end of my first term (in his first year, it increased by 33%, and has increased by that much or more each year since, and for the new budget as well…October 2013 through September of 2014). If you will grant me this $787 Billion stimulus, I will have unemployment capped at 7% my first year and it will decrease 1% each year thereafter (it actually became $829 Billion in stimulus, and unemployment went to 9.7% his first year, then 10.1% his second year, and it is only down now to where it was when he began because of the millions who have left the work force…it is actually at 11.7% presently). My administration will be the most transparent of any administration in history (it has been anything but transparent…there have been cover-ups and failures to respond to more than a dozen inquiries and subpoenas, such as putting Health Care negotiations on C Span, the Egyptian Terrorist in the White House, Fast and Furious, Benghazi, and so many others). Everything he said sounded good. It was what many wanted to hear, wasn’t it? It always is. What could he (or anyone) have said? First, he could have told us exactly what he envisioned for our country, each time he spoke. Instead of making claims that such and such was going to happen, or that he promised this or he promised that, he could have said, “I think this will happen,” or, “I think, based upon our calculations, this will happen,” or, “This should happen,” or, “I want to do this so I can do this,” or…as I said…he could have always told us the truth about everything. There have been so many lies, false promises, distortions, deflections, dives and ducks from our elected officials, about every issue confronting us, we have zero confidence in anything any of them have to say…being the truth and the way that it really is. On April 15th, we had the terrible tragedy of the bombing at the Boston Marathon where 4 were killed and 180 were injured. For something like this, to come home to us again, was horrible for each of us and our country. Following the incident, President Obama said, “We will find out who did this. We will find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups, will feel the full weight of justice.” All of the stops were pulled. With all of the local law enforcement agencies from Massachusetts, the FBI, and a half dozen more Federal agencies, it was on its way to being avenged within days. This made us all feel good. But as more days went by, I wondered, “Why haven’t we reacted in the same fashion to all of our tragedies? Why, three and one-half years following the 13 who were killed and 30 injured at Ft. Hood in Texas, is the incident still categorized as ‘work place violence’? Why is Brian Terry’s death, the border agent killed in Operation Fast and Furious, still unavenged? Why is no one seemingly doing anything about it?” Following the attack in Benghazi, where 4 were killed, including our Ambassador, Chris Stevens, and dozens wounded, President Obama said, “The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. We’re working with the government of Libya to secure our diplomats. I’ve also directed my administration to increase our security at diplomatic posts around the world. And make no mistake, we will work with the Libyan government to bring to justice the killers who attacked our people.” More than 7 months later, nothing…seemingly…is being done. Why? Why would he or we ever spend more focus and effort on one tragedy involving Americans and terrorism than another? Who makes that decision? Why are not all Americans important and worthy of the oath he took to protect them? Are there some other agendas we do not know about? No American should ever have to wonder or worry about the answer to this question. Please, Mr. President, and all of you elected officials…do what you say you will do. We are in dire straits as a nation. We can no longer handle lies, false promises, distortions and deflections. Just tell it like it is…the first time…and always. Tell the truth. Answer the question. Don’t spin it. Answer the question. We have had enough of these “hidden agendas” …and all of the rest. Just tell it like it is. Quit lying. Quit distorting. Quit deflecting. From now on we will make our decisions based upon facts and what someone really wants to do. Enough is enough! You work for us. We demand the truth…in all matters…all of the time. Infractions against these are “boulders” and “obstructions that are placed in the middle of our “race.” Our “race” is but a snap of the fingers, and this “race” will be…for all of us…our most important affair. Who…whether elected official or anyone…is so selfish and greedy to think he/she has the right to ever mess with another’s “race,” unless it is in a positive way? You have now reached the point where you can dismiss most or all of what I have written. Since this may be the last time you get to see or read what I have presented…I would only ask one last time…before you do…imagine those last seconds in this life. Now…those seconds are gone. You have no time to do, undo or redo anything. Your soul has left your body. Your judgment will be the culmination of the most important affair of your entire life, which is now over. Our Lord Jesus Christ is getting ready to pass His all-just and eternal sentence on you…but He hasn’t yet. Is the last thing you want to tell Him…that you wholly supported others’ rights to place these “boulders” and “obstructions” in the middle of peoples’ “races”? I don’t think so. We demand the truth…from everyone…in every situation…the first time…and always. We…and America…deserve nothing less…and can no longer afford to tolerate anything less.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2013-03-01 10:11:37

Q-What’s new now?

A-For the past several years I have shared with you my opinions and those of others on a myriad of domestic topics…including but not limited to the declining strength of the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency, the presidential campaign, the economy, and critically-needed tax and entitlement reform. They all share a common denominator…the fiscal soundness of our country. Although it may sound terribly materialistic, I will promise you…the fiscal soundness of our country must be in place before we can ever lead the world diplomatically, politically or militarily. I just don’t see many countries paying attention to what countries like Nigeria, Finland, Greece, Italy, Venezuela, Argentina and others, that are in as deep as trouble as they are, have to say about anything. Maybe you do. Last month, after not being able to take any more of what has been coming from President Obama and Bill O’Reilly of Fox News, I had to take a break and let people know what these two men have done to our country. One never knows if it did any good as it is worse than ever and I still get just as sick as I always did when I watch or listen to it, but I must have touched the feelings of many of you, because I had an overwhelming amount of positive feedback compared to the negative comments I sometimes receive. Since this is a publication that goes out to every business with two employees or more, and the majority of households we go to are subscribers to weekly and monthly publications that include all political persuasions…the overwhelming and positive feedback felt good. I either received it because what I wrote made sense, or because those with an opposing view decided to remain silent for whatever reason (s). This month I will get back to where I left off after January’s article. We have a deadline coming up on the “fiscal cliff” (does just hearing or reading this term make you as ill as it does me?). It is May 19th. But ahead of this, on the day this publication is delivered…March 1st…automatic sequestration goes into effect. Sequestration, for those of you who may not know, is an idea spawned by President Obama, although now he says it wasn’t…which is most typical of him. It was one of those “lab experiments” he wishes he had back in the bottle. It was actually a bluff by him on the American people, the economy, and both foreign and domestic policies. He has been conducting these “lab experiments” ever since his younger years as a law professor at the University of Chicago, and during the time he was filling his head with the things that occupy it today. Tell me, how do you like being his “mouse” in the experiments he is conducting…knowing there has been nothing but failure from them throughout all of history? Sequestration is a term for what some describe as “draconian” automatic spending cuts to the nation’s defense and discretionary spending, with some exemptions in the area of Social Security, Medicare and Veteran’s benefits. But Sequestration is not cuts at all. It is redefining of how much more is going to be spent. Instead of something going up 5%, Sequestration says it will go up 4.5%. His idea was to make these spending cuts so terrible, that the very thought of sequestration being enacted would serve as an incentive for Congress to act on increasing the debt limit with the Budget Control Act in August of 2011. Well Mr. President, you know how you and your cronies went around the country after the election in November saying, “Elections have consequences”? Guess what… “Ideologies have consequences too.” You and your people have divided this country so much with your lies, distortions, deflections and socialistic ideas that at least half of the county won’t lift a finger to help you. After your polarizing and negative Inaugural and State of the Union speeches, laden with promises of more disregard for Congress with dozens of more planned Executive Orders, I don’t think it makes any difference what you have to say about anything. And maybe…just maybe…some who used to “sing from your hymnal,” are seeing the light. I would like to think so with the results of the feedback I received from last month’s article. While I have stated in this column previously that we have reached a “tipping point” where things will never be the same, from time to time I see and read and hear things that make me think some of his followers are coming back to reality. They are beginning to understand where we are headed is a “no win” destination for anyone. I also can’t help remembering each time I think it’s all over, what President Reagan said, “When Americans are fully informed and have all of the facts before them, they will almost always make the right decision.” It’s going to take someone who can communicate and articulate these facts. Maybe Dr. Ben Carson, who bases his decisions in real life on empirical facts as opposed to ideologies, is the one to do it. What a breath of fresh air it was to listen to him at the recent National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. Is he the one to lead us to getting back the country we love? Maybe he is. How would you like to take a little test? Regardless of your political persuasion, whether you are extreme right or left, right or left, or centrist, read the Reagan quotes below. Then after you finish, send me an email at editor@theqandatimes.com. Tell me in just a few words whether you would like to return to an America whose President espouses these sentiments, or you would like to stay in the America we have today and continue to listen to what our current President has to say and the way he says things. God willing, I will give you the results in next month’s issue. I have had to be more conscious of including “God willing” in all of my statements regarding being here tomorrow, as I am about to…or have reached…a tipping point with my views…if someone wants to come after me. It will only be God’s will that I am back tomorrow, which is the way it is anyway, but mentioning it again here will help explain things if I am not. “Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is when they decide to protect us from ourselves.” “If we ever forget that we’re one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under.” “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.” “The most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” “The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.” “I’ve noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born.” “Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.” “Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeers, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas.” “There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” “Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15.” “You can tell a lot about a fellow’s character by his way of eating jellybeans. ” “Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly, leave the rest to God.” “How do you tell a Communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.” “I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to each and every life.” “We don’t have a trillions of dollars worth of debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillions of dollars worth of debt because we spend too much.” “Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book.” “Sometimes when I’m faced with an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve, and when we have finished eating that magnificent dinner, to ask him if he believes there’s a cook.” “Status quo, you know, is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in’.” “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” “We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we will always be free.” “I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts.” “It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.” “Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.” “Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don’t have that problem.” “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.” “Government is not a solution to our problem. Government is the problem.” “A nation that cannot control its borders is not a nation.” “America is too great for small dreams.” “Our natural, inalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation from government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment.” “The federal government did not create the states; the states created the federal government.” “Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong.” “To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will.” “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.” “Someday, the realm of liberty and justice will encompass the planet. Freedom is not just the birthright of the few, it is the God-given right of all His children, in every country. It won’t come by conquest. It will come, because freedom is right and freedom works. It will come, because cooperation and good will among free people will carry the day.” “Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.” “Socialists ignore the side of man that is the spirit. They can provide you shelter, fill your belly with bacon and beans, treat you when you’re ill, all the things guaranteed to a prisoner or a slave. They don’t understand that we also dream.” “Don’t be afraid to see what you see.” “The future doesn’t belong to the light-hearted. It belongs to the brave.” “If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals. If we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called Conservatives today would be the Liberals and the Liberals would be the Tories. The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.” “Life is one grand sweet song so start the music.” “Thomas Jefferson once said, ‘We should never judge a president by his age, only by his works.’ And ever since he told me that, I stopped worrying.” “No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!” At press time of this publication, President Obama, after beginning to see how devastating sequestration could be, requested that Congress make some temporary spending cuts, “so the world and our economy does not go into chaos.” We should know what happened by the time you read this. Congress voted to raise the debt limit in early February so the Government would not shut down. This was called the, “No Budget, No Pay Act (H.R. 325). It has a supposed, “comforting” wrinkle attached to it. It says, if Congress fails to do what is necessary relative to the debt limit, revenue and spending cuts, their paychecks get held up. Really? It’s not like they’re not going to get them. They are held up. I have to believe that I could have a paycheck or two held up too if I was being paid nearly $200,000 per year or more. Couldn’t you? They’re not going to lose a thing. They will get it all retroactively. The Senate is supposedly going to have to pass a budget as part of all of this, for the first time in over 1,400 days. The last time they passed a budget was April 29, 2009. Since then the Federal Government has spent $9.4 Trillion, with $4.1 Trillion of it going to our debt. Yes, we borrowed $4.1 Trillion over the last 1,400 days to stay in business. Why hasn’t the Senate passed a budget? Because someone would have to get some bad news, and Harry Reid doesn’t want to alienate anyone, except for the Republicans in the Senate and the Majority in the House of Republicans…so he has not allowed a budget to be presented and voted on, even though law mandates that he does. But now, there’s a new strategy in town. All of a sudden, the Senate Democrats and our President feel that passing a budget is going to put the Republicans in a corner, and nothing delights them more than doing this. They have realized that any normal budget contains both expenditure AND revenue projections. By including revenue in the budget, and the Republicans having to pass it because they have been clamoring for a budget passed by the Senate for so long, they will be put in a corner, as they couldn’t possibly vote down the first budget presented in more than 1,400 days. Everything today is a game. Everything is politics. There is nothing happening in the way of solutions to our problems. When someone is asked a question, they go into a spin until that person’s brain figures out how to answer it so the answer never hurts them, their party, or their cause. It’s all a bunch of “hooey.” When does it ever end? It doesn’t. It is here for good…and “good” may not be that long anymore. Last month I wrote and meant, “President Obama…because of him and the manner in which he has operated and does today…it is now acceptable to outright lie about anything and everything in our society. It doesn’t matter what you have said previously, you can now say whatever it is you want to say for any and every purpose; then you act like you never said what you said before; and if you are asked why your position or statement has changed, you bring up something that happened in the past, that has nothing to do with anything being discussed, thereby deflecting the question, diverting the questioner, and demonizing him or her for having an opposing view to yours. Never…under any circumstance…answer the question.” This month I will write and mean, “It is now okay to be a complete, irresponsible idiot as a Federally-elected official in regards to fiscal management. How many times have you heard the pundits say, “If it were a Republican that did this or said this, they would have ____ to pay.” Well, I am tired of all this political correctness. From now on, I don’t care who it is, if someone lies, as far as I am concerned…he or she is a liar and I will call them out. If someone does idiotic things or acts like an idiot, as far as I am concerned…he or she is an idiot and I will call them out. I cannot name 10 of our Federally-elected officials (and I follow many of these 550 people quite closely), that I could recommend for a management job in the private sector requiring fiscal prowess, or even a general knowledge of fiscal management. And yet, most all of them purport to know everything about it and act as though they are qualified. For a while I thought I was on Nat Geo the other night watching a bunch of flapper seals, then I realized I was watching Congress applauding our President during his State of the Union address. Tell me…what is there about anything going on in Washington that is worthy of any applause? I am sick of it all. I think it is going to take all of us getting sick at the same time in order to get better. One thing is certain…no one in a position of authority or leadership…out of these 550 people…is advocating the radical reforms necessary to stop what is coming. An increase from 35% to 39.6% taxes on the most wealthy Americans and closing loopholes or limiting deductions to $25,000 or $50,000 is not going to raise or make for enough revenue. Increasing these rates another 20% (which no one is advocating) and closing all the loopholes won’t make it happen either. The spending cuts they are advocating along with the tax increases will still leave us nearly $1 Trillion short of balancing our budget this year and more each successive future year. This doesn’t even address the more than $80 Trillion worth of unfunded liabilities (promises) for which we have no way to pay. NEVER in the history of man, has ANY nation, survived a mess similar to the one we’re in. Do you hear that Washington? No country has ever survived a mess like this. Some say I am wrong? Here’s a challenge for you. Find one instance throughout all of history where the debt of the nation equaled or was more than that nation’s economy (GDP) and that nation survived by increasing taxes and/or cutting spending…WITHOUT immediately limiting spending to revenue, and making the radical reforms necessary to eventually pay off the debt. It has NEVER happened. Now…who out there thinks this bunch of liars and idiots can do it? To me, the rhetoric behind all of this empty, political and divisive talk is repulsive. Assume our elected officials could all agree on what they are proposing. If it all goes through, it will only increase revenue by $100 Billion per year. This is a rounding error compared to what we’re facing. We are “out of whack” from 10 to 13 times this amount with $1 Trillion to more than $1.3 Trillion per year in deficit spending currently, and sequestration with its “draconian” cuts would only better it by about $80 Billion this year. Would you like to know how much trouble we are really in with our debt and deficit? Consider this…we will be at $16.6 Trillion in debt in a few days. Our deficit this year will be $1.3 Trillion. One year from now we will be $17.8 Trillion in debt. With sequestration, only $82 Billion will be cut out of our spending. That’s 6.3% of our deficit. Yet, everyone in Washington is going around proclaiming it will be the end of everything if sequestration kicks in. It very well might, but the point is…how bad are things really? If the end of everything is going to happen by cutting only 6.3% of our deficit, can you see why this problem can’t be fixed the way they are going about it? This whole thing is like a bunch of kids playing marbles and fighting over whose turn it is, after the “dam has broken and water is gushing down the valley.” Anyone would ask, “Why on earth…with such devastation coming…are they playing marbles anyway?” In a few minutes, it won’t make any difference whose turn it is. Get on with the discussion of radical tax and entitlement reform, pro-economic growth policies, the lessening of burdensome regulations, and strictly enforced programs to stop waste, fraud and abuse. In case you are a new reader, I am not someone who just whines and complains. I try and solve problems in the shortest way to get things done, that will never come back to bite us in the future. Solutions to each of these problems were presented here in this column in the November 1st, 2012 issue (see Recent Issues at www.theqandatimes.com). Let anyone you choose run the numbers. Our situation is dire. The only reason…the ONLY reason…why we are not seeing some of the things happening relative to Martial Law today, that I wrote about in the January ’13 issue, is that Fed has been printing unprecedented amounts of money which is keeping down interest rates and artificially pumping up the stock market into a “house of cards.” Because of these low rates, interest is now only around $400 Billion of the $2.1 Trillion we take in annually. If interest rates should climb to 10% of our national debt, or even in the high teens like they were in the early 80s…it would all be over. Interest on our debt would consume all of the revenue we collect. There would be nothing for defense…nothing for infrastructure…nothing for Medicare…nothing for Social Security…nothing for Food Stamps…nothing for Medicaid…nothing for our government…nothing for health care…nothing for anything…but interest! And you know what? With QE 1 and 2 complete, and now QE 3 in progress from the Feds, when interest rates begin to rise…we will forget all about the problems we had with high unemployment and the slow growth of our economy. It won’t be a “Fiscal Cliff.” It will be a “Fiscal Armageddon.” It’s already happening. Take a look at just one area...the increase in food prices over the past 12 months. The Feds can talk all day about the low interest rates they have put into place, but inflation is here and on the rise. With all I write, one might think I should be a “prepper.” I am not. I prefer instead to ask God that it be His will to save us and our nation, but I also pray for His will…whatever it may be…to be done in all matters; that He makes us an instrument of His will (which He may be doing with His inspiration on this article); and that He gives us the grace to accept His will. To those of you who still might think what Washington is working on, relative to the “fiscal cliff,” will work, let me give you some “did you knows.” Did you know that every man, woman and child in America’s portion of our national debt is now $52,000 at this writing? Did you know that with the out-of-control-spending I mentioned earlier, that we spend $4 Billion per day, MORE THAN what we take in, that we don’t have, that we borrow…from places like China and Japan? We go $4 Billion deeper into debt each day! This $4 Billion per day equates to an additional $12.60 per day per person for every man, woman and child in this country. There is no way most Americans could ever pay their $52,000 share of the national debt. They couldn’t pay the additional $12.60 per day either. How a sudden…to have to pay $12.60 per day in an additional expense for each member in your household…on a weekly basis? I know people who make into the 6 figures…some well into the 6, 7 and even 8 figures. They would scoff at this additional $12.60 per day expense like it was the biggest penalty they were ever hit with. Here’s a way we can immediately get everyone on the same page insofar as this out-of-control-spending. Immediately, we need to begin assessing each member of each household in America…with NO exceptions…an additional $12.60 per day for this excess spending. It will be PAYABLE WEEKLY to the Federal Government. We could call it the “deficit spending assessment,” or “DSA” for short. For a family of four, this would amount to more than $50 per day, or $350 per week. We would see just how many supporters of this out-of-control-spending there would be now! Add to all of this all of the unrest in the Middle East, the possibility of a nuclear Iran with every other country in the region going nuclear if Iran is successful…the Syrian conflict that is now the focus of many countries of this world…the North Korean nuclear situation…the perceived weakness of America throughout the world, more so now than at any time over the past 100 years…our economy…the unemployment and under employment… the crushing debt…the out-of-control-spending…the absence of solutions that will fix our problems…the class warfare that is so rampant…the non-transparency, lies and corruption of our government…the now more than 50% of all American households receiving some type of monthly government check (not counting Social Security or Medicare)…and the fact that we are now under Martial Law with the Executive Order, “National Defense Resource Preparedness” that you can read about on the White House’s own site at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/03/16/executive-order-national-defense-resources-preparedness...the dozens more of Executive Orders coming each week from this President…and who of us can remember a more bleak look into the future for our country and the world? In the past, some have accused me of not loving this country, or that I am disrespectful to the office of the President of the United States, or to its Congress. Let me correct this now…publicly…and emphatically. It is because of my love of this country that I write what I do. I deeply respect the office of the President of the United States, our Constitution, our three branches of government, and all we have been, and all who have fought and died for what we have over the past nearly 250 years. I do not respect anyone going outside of what we have in place to change it, unless it is changed per what we have in place. We are a democracy. We are not a dictatorship. We have a President who we have elected to represent us who has sworn under oath to God to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. He has trampled it and its spirit. We have members of Congress who have sworn under oath to God to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that they will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that they take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that they will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which they are about to enter. Many are not living up to this oath. Many cannot even remember it. All of this is wrong. It is ruining our country, both at home and abroad. We can’t let this happen. How did we get here? It didn’t happen overnight. The seeds have been sown for the past 50 years. All of the conditions were right for all of them to “sprout.” Call me anything you want to call me, but the biggest reason why we are where we are is directly related to another quote from Ronald Reagan, where he referred to a comment from President Lincoln. When asked about the Union’s participation in the Civil War, somebody said, “We trust, sir, that God is on our side.” Lincoln replied, “It is more important to know that we are on God’s side.” We may no longer be.

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2012-06-01 08:24:07

Last month, I took a break from other topics I have written about over the past few months, and wrote about a subject on which I have spent much time in the past and even more recently, counseling users and influencers of users, in regard to their possible needs for long-term care and how to manage this risk. Long-term care is the type of care one receives outside of a hospital. You have your health insurance or Medicare to pay for doctors and hospitals. Once you leave the hospital, you may have a small amount of coverage from your health insurance or Medicare, if you require skilled care, which is the same kind of care you receive in the hospital…that care that is performed under the supervision of a registered nurse, 24 hours a day. But, for the most part, you have little if any coverage for care less than skilled care, which is the kind of care given in an assisted living residence, memory impairment care facility, nursing home or care at home. Whatever you lack in coverage you will bear the expense. When you no longer have the ability to pay, Medicaid will take over, but lots of things in your life will change. Here is a question I recently received and my answer. Q- A few years ago you wrote an article on long-term care. At that time, it wasn’t something pressing for my wife and I so we didn’t do anything. Now we’re in our late 60s. We just recently went through a long-term care confinement for her Dad of four years and my Mom for seven years. Neither of them had any type of insurance to pay for the care. We couldn’t believe the costs. We went through everything my Mom had and most everything of what her Dad had. We are considering whether or not we need to get a long-term care policy. Would you reprint that article?

A: Thank you for your question. I wrote this article eight years ago. I am honored that you remembered it. I have updated the information. If you already have a condition that forecasts a high likelihood of needing long-term care, you’ve gone a long ways towards answering your question yourself. These conditions might include but not be limited to such things as high blood pressure, heart conditions, arthritis, cancer, memory impairment, etc. But what if you are in good health…how big is the threat then? My answer is…it is always a matter of risk management. Last month we talked about three of the four ways to manage a risk. That of avoiding it, retaining it and reducing it. This month, we will begin to talk about the fourth way…that of transferring the risk to an insurance company by buying a long-term care policy. Long-Term Care insurance is not for everyone. Simply stated.. you only need it if you have something to protect. That “something” may be income, assets, peace of mind, independence, or those of your family. If you are fortunate to have more than enough, ask yourself these two questions: 1. Knowing how I accumulated what I have accumulated, would it bother me to write checks for several thousand dollars each and every month and never know how long I would have to write them? 2. Is it important that I leave anything to anyone when I am gone? If your answer to both of these is “No”…you do not need Long-Term Care insurance. If you’re not sure, or if you answered “Yes” to one or both of the questions, and you have determined you have something you want to protect...then a Long-Term Care policy may be for you. At the very least...it’s something you should consider. The fourth way to manage the long term care risk is to transfer it. When transferring the risk to an insurance company, you pay them a small certain loss every month (the premium...for which you can plan and budget), in return for them paying all or most of the large uncertain loss (the claim...which could be $50,000 to $70,000 or more per year, which would be most difficult or impossible to plan for and budget). If you have income, assets and an estate to protect...if the peace of mind of knowing you have done everything possible to protect these things is important to you...and if you treasure your independence...transferring the risk may make sense. If on the other hand, you do not have that much to protect...and you can qualify for Medicaid under the income and asset guidelines as detailed in last month’s issue…retaining the risk until your resources are exhausted...then applying for Medicaid.. may make the most sense. If you would like to consider transferring the risk to an insuring company...in other words, buying a Long Term Care insurance policy...there are several things you should know... There are not very many companies still in the “individual” long-term care business in the state. There used to be more than 40 with more than 110 different policies. All of them must conform to The Kansas Long Term Care Act of 1988 (“KLTCA88”) and are regulated by the Kansas State Insurance Commissioner’s Office. The KLTCA88 provided for some uniform guarantees from all policies sold in the state. All Long Term Care insurance policies are prohibited from requiring a higher level of care on initial confinement before benefits are provided for a lower level of care. All Long Term Care insurance policies are prohibited from requiring a hospital stay prior to nursing home confinement. All Long Term Care insurance policies may require that care be ordered by a Physician. All Long Term Care insurance policies must be guaranteed renewable. All Long Term Care insurance policies must include a 30-day ‘Free Look’. So, since all policies must conform to these guarantees...they all must be equal, right? No. There are many differences that will make a big difference to you...the Insured...at the time of need. While all companies selling Long Term Care insurance policies in Kansas must pass a rigid initial scrutiny, and ongoing reporting to the Kansas State Insurance Commissioner’s Office...their policies’ benefits, definitions and restrictions can vary greatly. The following are some very important questions, answers and supporting detail you can and should cover with any agent, and consider during the investigation and/or acceptance of a Long Term Care insurance policy. Q- Is it important how long a particular company has offered their policy for sale in Kansas? A- Yes. As you will note from the KLTCA88, all policies must be guaranteed renewable. This means that once the company issues the policy, they cannot increase your premium unless they increase the premiums for all “like” policies in the state. This is a much better guarantee from companies who have many policies in the state, due to the adverse way a premium increase can affect an insurer with many policies. On the other hand, it is not much of a guarantee from a company who has very few policies in the state. Q: How do I qualify for benefits with a Long Term Care insurance policy? A: Each policy may have different requirements, but for the most part, when your family doctor says you need assistance from another person, walker or wheelchair, to perform three or more of the activities of daily living (i.e., eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, ambulation, mobility and continence), for a minimum of 60 consecutive days, you will qualify for benefits. Q- What about Home Care? A- Benefits for care in the home are very important, because the majority of people requiring long term care require a care other than skilled or heavy care. Many times this care can be received in the home, versus going to a nursing home. If you purchase strictly a nursing home policy, it will not pay any benefits unless you go to a nursing home. That is why there are such things as “Home Health and Community” riders, and Comprehensive policies available from some companies. This rider and/or type of policy, for an additional amount of premium, will pay up to 50% or 100% of the daily benefits paid in the nursing home...at home. Some policies pay up to 50% or 100% of the same benefit level at home, for payment of professional services (i.e., nurses, therapists, etc.), as well as basic services (i.e., cooking, cleaning, companionship, shopping, etc.). A comprehensive policy leaves the decision up to the Insured, the Insured’s family and the Insured’s family physician as to whether the nursing home, or the Insured’s home, an Assisted Living residence, or an Adult Day Care Center makes the most sense at the time of need throughout an illness, affliction or injury period, once the benefits have been triggered and approved by the company. There is another way to accomplish the goal of having benefits for care in the home. Many of the better policies have a rider called the “Alternative Plan of Care” rider. The cost for this rider on most policies is included in your premium for the nursing home coverage, making the premium more affordable. It is used as a way for the insuring company to manage its risk when the need arises, all the while allowing the Insured to stay at home, if it makes sense, and if it is what the Insured wants. Here’s how the best Alternative Plan of Care Rider works... If the Insured qualifies for benefits in the nursing home, as detailed previously, and the Insured would rather stay at home, and the Insured’s physician will write and approve a plan of care whereby the cost for this care to the insuring company is less than what the insuring company would pay in the nursing home, the insuring company, under this alternative plan of care rider, will pay for the cost of the care at home for the benefit period, or until the Insured and the Insured’s physician decide the Insured would best be cared for in a nursing home. The Insuring Company, the Insured and the Insured’s doctor must agree and approve this Alternative Plan of Care, before any benefits are paid. The Insured’s use of this rider does not waive any of his/her rights under the policy. With most companies, the Alternative Plan of Care rider can be used going in or coming out of the nursing home. If some major illness, affliction or injury occurs, the Insured would most probably go to the nursing home first, but after recovery, may be able to come home with benefits under this Alternative Plan of Care. Conversely, if the care required initially is such that it could be administered in the home, the Insured could stay at home until his/her condition worsened and required a higher level of care in the nursing home. The Alternative Plan of Care rider can be very valuable in both situations. One of the biggest benefits of the Alternative Plan of Care to the Insured is that it can allow for a choice at the time of need, if approved, which is most important to the Insured and loved ones. There are policies where the Alternative Plan of Care does not present itself as an opportunity until after the Insured has been receiving benefits in the nursing home for a period of 6 months. This is not as advantageous for you, the Insured. Services and benefits under the Alternative Plan of Care may be different from those otherwise covered by the policy itself. For instance, this rider may also pay for such things as wheelchair ramps, railings installed throughout the house for mobility, bathroom remodeling, chair lifts to get someone up and down stairs, different sites of care, etc...items and services that, if provided, could keep the Insured at home where the cost would be less to the company. Remember...the cost for this Alternative Plan of Care rider is included in the premium for the nursing home policy with most companies. Next month, we will talk more about Long Term Care insurance policies and things you need to know.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2012-04-18 14:10:26

This month I am going to take a break from other topics I have written about over the past few months, and write about a subject that I have spent much time in the past and even more recently, counseling users and influencers of users, in regard to their possible needs for long-term care and how to manage this risk. Long-term care is the type of care one receives outside of a hospital. You have your health insurance or Medicare to pay for doctors and hospitals. Once you leave the hospital, you may have a small amount of coverage from your health insurance or Medicare, if you require skilled care. But, for the most part, you have little if any coverage for what is known as long-term care, that care given in an assisted living residence, memory impairment care facility, nursing home or care at home. Whatever you lack in coverage you will bear the expense. When you no longer have the ability to pay, Medicaid will take over, but lots of things in your life will change. Here is a question I recently received and my answer. Q: A few years ago you wrote an article on long-term care. At that time, it wasn’t something pressing for my wife and I so we didn’t do anything. Now we’re in our late 60s. We just recently went through a long-term care confinement for her Dad of four years and my Mom for 7 years. Neither of them had any type of insurance to pay for the care. We couldn’t believe the costs. We went through everything my Mom had and most everything of what her Dad had. We are considering whether or not we need to get a long-term care policy. Would you reprint that article?

A: Thank you for your question. I wrote this article 8 years ago. I am honored that you remembered it. I have updated the information. If you already have a condition that forecasts a high likelihood of needing long-term care, you’ve gone a long ways towards answering your question yourself. These conditions might include but not be limited to such things as high blood pressure, heart conditions, arthritis, cancer, memory impairment, etc. But what if you are in good health…how big is the threat then? My answer is…it is always a matter of risk management. For example…1 in 88 houses will have a major fire this year. 1 in 70 cars will be involved in a major accident. 1 in 2 people will need convalescent care after age 65. A nice home might be valued from $150,000 to $250,000. The value of a vehicle is of course much less. Most people mean it when they say they would not be able to sleep at night if they did not have insurance to replace their home or vehicle in the event it burned down, blew away or was totaled for some reason. Yet, the potential loss of a home or a vehicle pales in comparison to the loss incurred for a long-term care confinement…and as you can see from the odds, the loss is apt to occur as much as 44 times more often. A long-term care confinement at today’s costs (these costs are rising at a pace of approximately 3 and 1/3% a year) could easily reach as much as $400,000 to $500,000 or more over the term of the confinement. More than 90% of all persons past the age of 65 have no insurance to cover any of this loss. It makes you wonder why some people so diligently plan their retirement, yet leave it all exposed to something that could be remedied for so little. Even so, here are just a few comments I have heard from people thinking about getting a long-term care policy, or from the kids trying to counsel Mom and Dad: “Upon my disability, my wife will take care of me. I weigh over 200 pounds and my wife weighs about 120, but she’s a strong woman.” “My kids will maintain the house, the property and watch after Mom.” “Mom can’t drive so our daughter will take time from her professional career to do our grocery shopping, run us to the doctor’s office, and around town.” “Our son will abandon his career and move his family back to town to take over our small business.” “The grandkids will stop by weekly to mow the lawn and shovel the driveway.” “Mom and Dad do not need a policy because us kids are going to take care of them. Everything will work out just fine.” The truth is… none of the above will continue for very long, if at all. A 120-pound, 70 year old woman, is not going to throw a 200-pound man over her shoulder and carry him to the bathtub, scrub him down, dress him, and carry him down the stairs to breakfast. The real issue here is people never see themselves leaving their home. Since they are not going to leave their home, why would they require long-term care insurance? They know the statistics. They all have friends or family in senior living residences, but it isn’t going to happen to them. I am sure the kids’ intentions are good… but that’s not the way it happens. The kids are glad to take care of Mom and Dad… as long as they are okay, but when an illness or affliction sets in… somehow… things turn out much differently. Although there may be several siblings, most have a reason why they just can’t do it today. It doesn’t take long before those that are carrying more than their share of the load are bickering with those that are not. Stress mounts…for not only the siblings…but Mom and Dad as well. After years of watching these types of situations, I feel I am qualified to say…if at all possible…get a policy. If the kids want to be involved on a daily basis…fine…but have the policy to take care of the times they don’t…or can’t. Then too, many people believe they are covered under Medicare for a long-term care confinement. They are always surprised to find they most probably have no coverage at all under Medicare. If they do…it’s very little. As you might remember from earlier articles, Medicare only pays for Skilled Care, and for only the first 20 days of this type of care. Most people do not need Skilled Care at the onset of an illness, injury or affliction. They most generally need a lower level of care, and then…as their condition worsens…need more care. Nearly 80% of all people receiving long-term care are receiving a care less than Skilled Care (i.e. Simple Care, Personal Care, Custodial Care, Assisted Living, Supervised Care, Intermediate Care, etc.), thus Medicare pays nothing. If one does need Skilled Care, and if all of the conditions are met, it is possible that Medicare will work with one’s Medicare Supplement to pay up to an additional 80 days of this type of care. After this…there is nothing else. There are only 4 ways to cover the costs from that point forward: • You use your own income and assets • Your family pitches in and pays the costs • You exhaust your resources and then try to qualify for Medicaid (Social Welfare) • You have a long-term care policy that will pay all or most of the costs So, we’re down to the four ways of managing any risk: Avoid, Reduce, Retain, Transfer. Let’s investigate the first three of these this month: Avoid: (Sources: Nursing Home Utilization by Current Residence: 2010; Publication #PB 90 163 015, National Center for Health Statistics, October 2011; Aging America, 2011 Ed.; U. S. Department of Health & Human Services; Health Insurance Association of America, 2010) • The average length of stay for men with a long-term care confinement is 3 years, 10 months; women average approximately 50% longer (Note: this does not include the time spent at home prior to confinement). • Of all persons past the age of 65, 7 out of 10 will require a long-term care confinement some time in their lives. • Of all persons past the age of 70, 8 out of 10 will require a long-term care confinement some time in their lives. • Of all persons past the age of 80, 9 out of 10 will require a long-term care confinement some time in their lives. It’s not too likely that one can avoid the risk. Reduce: About all you can do to reduce the risk is to do your best to keep fit and stay in shape. Take your medication. Get regular checkups. In the event of a long-term care confinement on one or both spouses, be sure you (or a member of your family) do everything possible to exhaust all benefits available from Medicare and your Medicare supplement. Your income and assets however are still exposed as illustrated below. Retain: You will see above that one of the options to pay for long-term care costs is to use your own income and assets. This would be called ‘retaining’ the risk in risk management. Unfortunately, this is what most people end up doing. They understand, but fail to act on the premise that it is much easier to plan and budget for a small monthly amount now (the premium for a long-term care policy), than it is to plan and budget for several thousand dollars a month later (the costs of a long-term care confinement). The worksheet below will assist in letting you know how long your income and assets could last…by paying for your own, and/or your spouse’s long-term care costs. Annual Costs per person for a long-term care confinement in this area are from $50,000 to $70,000 or more ($4,000 to $6,000 per month). Can you afford to retain the risk? Complete the form at the end of this article and find out. If you do nothing (retain the risk), what will happen when and if one or both of you need this type of care? Let’s assume it is your husband that will need this type of care first. Let’s also assume the cost of this care will be $4,000 to 6,000 per month. The first thing you would do is to make application for Medicaid (SRS) to pay the bill. Prior to them paying, you will go through a ‘spousal division of assets’ program. The maximum community spouse resource allowance this year is the first $22,728 of total non-exempt resources, or one-half of the total non-exempt resources owned at the time the spouse needed long-term care. The maximum share each can keep is $113,640. These amounts are subject to change annually. In addition, you can keep these, or most of these exempt resources or assets: • The home and its contents • One car (per family) • One burial plot, casket, etc. (per person) • A funeral plan within certain limits • Personal possessions, such as wedding rings and clothes • In some situations, property used in an on-going business This means that in the division of non-exempt assets between you and your husband, you would put $113,640 in the name of each spouse. All amounts over $227,280 (2 x $113,640) would have to be spent down on the cost of care prior to this division of assets. It would be wise to put the most liquid of these assets in the name of your husband so they can be converted to cash more quickly. However, once you remove your exempt resources and figure what is left, you may not have this much, so you would start with putting $113,640 in your name, and spend down the remainder on the cost of your husband’s care. He would have to spend his portion down to $2,000 on the cost of care, before he would be eligible for Medicaid. The exempt income allowance this year is at least $1,839 per month. I say at least because there are some other possibilities where you could protect more of your combined monthly income, if for instance, there are dependent family members living with the non-confined spouse. Income over this protected amount would have to be paid for his cost of long-term care. Medicaid would then pay the balance of the cost of the long-term care for your husband for the rest of his life. SRS would however file a first class claim on your exempt assets for what they pay. This first class claim goes ahead of all other claims to assets other than those for final expenses. This first class claim would not be settled as long as the well spouse (you) lived in the home. If you should need long-term care in the future, you would have to spend your assets down to $2,000 just like your husband. At that point you would also qualify for Medicaid. Once both spouses were not residing in the home and/or neither had an intent to return, SRS would satisfy their first claim from the sale of the proceeds of the exempt assets. There are varying views about Medicaid from its recipients and their families. The proponents of Medicaid say it should be looked upon as one of the best government programs there is because it guarantees each person that he or she will receive the type of care they need if they cannot pay for it. The opponents say the program requires that the recipient and ultimately the recipient’s spouse be at poverty in order to qualify; and that care received at many places when one is on Medicaid is substandard to care received when one is using his or her own assets/income to pay the bill. Next month, we will talk about the fourth way to manage this risk…and that is to transfer the risk to an insurance company by buying a long-term care policy, where you trade a small certain loss…the monthly premium…to avoid the large uncertain loss…which is the claim.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2012-03-21 16:11:27

Q: What’s new?

A: To those of you who may be new to The Q & A Times Journal or a long-time reader but not know, this was a question that was sent to me several years ago when we first began publishing our paper. It was such an open-ended question, I decided build a monthly column around it, which would allow me to write about a wide range of topics. Many of my topics have dealt with our country’s debt, deficit, the shrinking value of the dollar, our economy, the global economy, politics and policies. I try not to be a whiner like many pundits and just complain about something, but rather I feel I have always tried to outline the facts as I see, study and research them, then provide a plan or a solution to fix, or assist in fixing the problem. This month however, I will depart from my norm and write about something that is very personal to me. Before I begin, please accept and understand…there is nothing about me that is better than anyone; I am not a member of the clergy; and I don’t want what I will say to be taken as a sermon. I am not qualified or worthy. My only intent this month is to share something with you that has worked for me, that I believe will work for you, in every situation in which you will find yourself in for the rest of your life. If you do not think so at the end of this article…that is fine. Help that is offered does not have to be help that is accepted. First, a “primer” for the biggest reason how I got to where, I will tell you that I am. I began working at KFDI Radio in the early 70s in advertising sales. I had answered a blind ad in the Wichita Eagle for the position and had sent in my resume. The day after I sent it, Ol’ Mike Oatman called and we set a time to get together. Ol’ Mike and Mike Lynch owned Great Empire Broadcasting (at that time the largest country music radio chain in the world, and parent company of KFDI), two people who I admired more than any I had ever met, other than my parents. After several of these “get togethers,” I accepted the position. Ol’ Mike was awesome…a word that wasn’t used as much back then as it is today, but most descriptive of him. In my opinion, he knew more about country music, the industry, business and people than anyone. His work ethic was such that he would never quit any task that he pursued no matter how long it took, or how difficult it was. He was my mentor. I wanted to learn as much about the industry, business and people as did he. Early on, I had as my goal, to gain as much knowledge as I could gain, so I could make decisions for the company as well as, if not better than, he could make. That was a pretty lofty goal, but it is the goal I had. Within a few months, I became the top billing salesperson at KFDI. I was promoted to General Sales Manager, and within a few months, Corporate Sales Manager. From 1977 to 1983, I was the top billing radio salesperson in the country, according to Maurie Webster, a Sr. Vice President of CBS Radio in Chicago, who kept track of such things. My quest for more knowledge was insatiable. As I acquired more knowledge, I became more powerful. I also became more prideful. I was making many of the decisions for our company’s sales area, in synch with my self-stated goal, but my pride continued to build…to the point where Ol’ Mike could scarcely tell me anything. I pretty much knew it all. I have always had the problem of wearing my feelings and emotions “on my sleeve.” Now, when Ol’ Mike would give me input on a decision that needed to be made, I not only showed my chagrin at hearing it, but I had even begun to roll my eyes, which was a huge display of disrespect. Finally, one day (a day I will never forget, Monday, February 4th, 1985), he had enough. In the middle of a one-on-one meeting, he stood up and slapped his desk and said in a loud voice, “I’ve had enough! You have reached the point where I can’t talk to you about anything, and I have reached the point where all of the good you do for me and the company is no longer worth how you make me feel when you roll your eyes and show me the disrespect that you do. I want you to leave right now and think about all of this. Then, tomorrow morning, I have a broadcast council meeting at Brown’s Grill on North Hillside. You come and see me after that meeting and let me know what you want the future to be, but that future won’t include any more disrespect!” “Wow,” I thought. I couldn’t believe this was coming down. How could he put everything I was doing on one side of the “scale” and it all be outweighed by that little thing on the other side of the scale? I didn’t say anything to anyone. I left. I don’t mind telling you, I was shaken as badly as I can ever remember being shaken about anything, to that point in my life. I drove South on Broadway from the station. I came upon St. Mary’s Cathedral. No matter what problem I had ever faced in my life, I knew the first thing I had to do was to get right with God. It was 11:30 AM, just in time for Confessions before the 12 Noon Mass. I went to Confession. Although I hadn’t figured out what I was going to do yet, it was the start that I needed to solve this problem. Afterwards, I left. As I was driving home, I thought of my Dad. Dad was very proud of me being at KFDI. I did a lot of voicing of the commercials for my clients. He listened to KFDI several hours each day, while he was on the tractor, fixing fence, or whatever chore he was doing on the farm. He loved listening to me. I called him to tell him what had happened. After I relayed the story and finished with, “Dad, I just don’t know what got into Ol’ Mike. I can’t believe he did what he did,” Dad said, “Well, you know son, I think I know what he was feeling.” “What is that?” I asked. He said, “When you were here on the farm, you were the hardest working guy I had ever seen. No one could haul more hay, dig more fence post holes, build new fence, paint, clean up, scoop grain, clear timber, do chores…you were the best. But when you would get finished doing one or more of these things, I would say something like, ‘Let’s go do this, or let’s go do that,’ and the expression you would get on your face and the way you would roll your eyes, made me feel a lot of times the way you said Ol’ Mike told you he felt.” “Wow,” I thought. This was the same thing I had just heard from Ol’ Mike. I had heard it twice in less than two hours. I thought, “It must be me that is out of bounds.” Long story short…I spent the rest of that afternoon and evening thinking and praying about it all. My prayers to that point in my life had always been about what I wanted, and most of the time, a very long “laundry” list of things I wanted. When reciting the Our Father as many times as I did that afternoon and evening…slowly…it finally dawned on me what I was saying, “…Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…,” and “…Give us this day our daily bread…” Everything in my life had been me…me…me. It was as if it was a flash…I knew I had to get the “me” out of my prayers and pray instead for God’s will to be done in all matters. It is going to be done anyway, why not pray for it instead of what I want? As I had my “awakening” that afternoon and evening, I was so sorry I had let pride overtake me in so many areas in my life, and had become so selfish. I then began to feel an overwhelming peace that I had never felt before. I didn’t know what was going to happen and how this was all going to get resolved, but that is the day I quit praying for what I wanted, and began praying instead for God’s will to be done in all matters, that He make me an instrument of His will, and that He would give me the grace to accept His will. The next morning, after calling Dad and apologizing to him for anything and everything I had ever done to disrespect him or hurt him, I went to Brown’s Grill. I waited at a table by myself for Ol’ Mike to finish his meeting. When it was over, he saw me and sat down. I immediately said, most sincerely, looking directly into his eyes, “Mike, I am sorry, for anything I have ever done to hurt you. While I did not intentionally mean to disrespect you, I realize now that I did. Again, I am sorry. I want to serve you and the company. I ask for you to forgive me and give me another chance. If the time ever comes again that I feel any disrespect for anything you have to tell me, I will leave immediately. You won’t have to ask me to leave. You will never witness any disrespect again.” By this time I had tears in my eyes. He did too. We embraced. He said, “That’s good enough for me pardner.” It is a commitment I never failed to keep, up to and including the time of his death on January 27, 2003. On March 3rd, 2012, the most important and loved person in my life passed away. It was my wife, Brenda. Like many of you who call your spouse, “Honey,” I called Brenda, “My Honey.” She called me, “Bunny.” I am sure most men would not want to answer to such a name, but it was something special between us, and I not only wore the name proudly, but I also relished hearing it each time she called me this. You see, in the mid-80s after we began dating, I had bought her a small, stuffed rabbit. It was holding a little pot in its arms labeled, “Honey.” Around its neck was a label that said, “Honey Bunny.” From that moment on she was always, “My Honey.” I was always, “Her Bunny.” My Honey had been diagnosed with cancer in December of 2009. We fought through a total of five different regimens of chemotherapy and radiation. The fourth one, administered for only three weeks in early December of 2011, before moving to her fifth in early January of 2012, left her where she had extreme difficulty in breathing. She went on oxygen, 24/7, in late December. Her breathing became increasingly more difficult until the end, when we can only assume that her heart gave out. Did it have to happen? I will never know, but I accept it as being God’s will that it did. But you can rest easy. The remainder of this column is not about someone who lost his or her spouse seeking your sympathy, or a long story about how much a surviving spouse loved the spouse who passed away. Rather, it will be my attempt to pay forward what God did for us and is now doing for me, so that it might help you and your family in the trials and challenges you have experienced, are experiencing, or will experience in the future. It can be…in the most literal words I have ever used…a Godsend for you. Forgive me if I am too repetitive in some of my statements, but I come from the media world. I have always believed “frequency” to be more important than “reach.” Of all the things My Honey and I had and have in this life, we were most thankful for our faith in God. When My Honey was first diagnosed with cancer, we were devastated. We of course wanted everything to be like it was before the diagnosis, as soon as it could happen. We immediately got into a clinical trial with the Mayo Clinic, took a trip to Rochester, MN, met with oncologists, investigated, read, researched, began treatment immediately, and looked forward to every CT scan and PET scan we would get every three months to keep track of the size of the tumors. If they stayed the same or got just a bit smaller, it was wonderful. It they got a little larger, it was bad news because that meant the chemo regimen wasn’t working and we would have to switch to a new one. There are only a few, so each time we changed to a new one, we knew we had used up one more. Although we were on a race (as it seems now) to get everything back like it was before the diagnosis, our faith and God’s enlightenment kept us from praying for this. We of course asked that it be God’s will that she be healed, but more than this, we prayed for God’s will to be done, whatever His will was going to be. Sometimes you hear, “Don’t try this at home.” I suppose there would be those who would say this to you about praying for God’s will to be done, as opposed to praying for what you want. Here is my first, “Please believe me,” in this column. Please believe me, it is a much less stressful and more peaceful existence to pray for God’s will to be done in every matter, than it is to pray for what you want. Take issue with this statement if you wish, but God’s will, will be done, every time, in every situation. If this is true, and as surely as the sun comes up in the East I believe it to be, then why would one pray for anything else? While I have never heard a member of the clergy connect the two, I think our Lord was trying to also tell us this in Matthew 11:30, when He said, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Our struggles with My Honey’s illness and treatment would have been much more stressful and heavy were we to have continually prayed for what we wanted. I don’t think it happens that you “get there” the first time you pray in this manner, but continually praying in this manner will get you where you need to be. Our burdens were lighter than they ever could have been when we resigned ourselves to God’s will, prayed for it to be done, that He make us an instrument of His will, and that He give us the grace to accept His will. Many of us search throughout our lives for the very best way or ways we can show God we love, honor and praise Him. Here is my second, “Please believe me,” in this column. Please believe me, there is no better way to show Him, that He loves and welcomes more, than by praying in this manner. But this seems to be different than the way most people pray, or the way most people tell me that they pray…praying for what they want instead of what God wants. I know our Lord said in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and you shall receive…” and I certainly don’t want to take issue with this, but when requested in Luke 11:4, “Lord, teach us to pray,” He also taught us to pray the Our Father where He said, “…Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven…” and “…Give us this day our daily bread…” In the moments and hours following My Honey’s passing I was a “train wreck.” While I had enough sense because of my faith, not to ask God, “Why?”, I was filled with questions I asked myself like, “What will I do?” “What will happen to me?” “How will I go on?” Everything was me…me…me…again, even though I had prayed as I had detailed for years, and how I was able to get through the death of my father in 1989, our son Dusty in 2001, my mother in 2011, and so many other friends and family members. This “me…me…me” was a “quicksand” that was pulling me under fast. But just as quickly as I began asking myself these questions, I felt God say, “If you prayed for My will to be done, why do you now ask yourself all of these questions about you and your welfare? Pray for My will to be done with regards to you too; that I make you an instrument of My will; and that I give you the grace to accept My will. If praying this way was good enough for Brenda and her illness, why isn’t it good enough for you now?” Here is my third, “Please believe me,” in this column. Please believe me, nothing I have ever received in the midst of any trial or challenge I was experiencing, was more welcome than this. I felt shame, because what I had always prayed for since that day in 1985, had left me because of my selfishness, at a most critical time. But at that very moment of His enlightenment, I prayed emphatically, “O God, I pray for Your will to be done, that you make me an instrument of Your will, and that You give me the grace to accept Your will, and please give me Your grace right now.” He was there…immediately. It was as if I could have reached out and touched Him. He was not only there once or twice, but each time I asked for His grace, He was there. He never missed. In this day and age of “instant gratification,” you will be happy to know, it wasn’t a type of relief that took awhile to kick in. It was as immediate as if I stepped underneath a shower. It was there…every time. Here is my final, “Please believe,” in this column. Please believe me, while it is often perceived by many that talking about one’s faith, practice of the same, and how one prays, is not cool and not the thing to do…there is nothing that will serve you better in this life, for anything and everything you want, than praying for God’s will to be done. I could have written on a lot of other subjects this month. It just seemed right and very timely to share my journey so that I might try and help you…if I could.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2012-02-27 11:18:40

Q: What’s new?

A: Always glad to be asked. My column this month is going to be shorter than most. I pretty well have to keep it that way if I am to use it as a parody to the shortest half time speech ever given by a coach. This “speech” happened more than 90 years ago. World War I had ended one year earlier. Perhaps…for the first time ever…the country was really “ready for some football.” It was November 15th, 1919. Notre Dame, led by its infamous coach Knute Rockne, was playing Michigan State. On the team for Notre Dame was arguably one of the greatest college football players of all time…George Gipp, who led the team in passing and rushing his first three years. Notre Dame had just come off a mediocre season of 3-1-2, but today in this new season…they were 6-0, and they were playing the only team who had beat them the year before (7-13 at Michigan State). The national press had teased this game for weeks as being the premier matchup of the season. It was a sunny, chilly November afternoon. The full-house crowd, saturated with hope, anticipation and “payback”…couldn’t have been more enthusiastic. The game began. Notre Dame won the toss and elected to receive. They ran the ball back to the Michigan State 45 yard line. Then things went bad. The first play from scrimmage, they got an in-motion penalty. The next play from scrimmage…same penalty. The next play, facing 1st and 20, they fumbled. For the rest of the first half, this is how it went…penalties, dropped passes, fumbles and mistakes dominated Notre Dame’s play. The halftime score, was 0 to 0. It could have been worse. Michigan State had a missed field goal and a touchdown that they had scored was called back. The crowd…although exuberant at the beginning of the game…was now booing…big time. The gun sounded for halftime. The Notre Dame players, very soberly, walked off the field. They knew they had played like “goats.” No team since Rockne had taken over had ever played a worse half of football. The players filed into the locker room. Each took a seat on the bench. No one said a word. They were waiting…waiting…for Coach Rockne. They knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant. The minutes passed. It seemed like hours. Then the gun sounded for the start of the second half…but still no Coach Rockne. Though still silent, they exchanged looks as if to say, “What happened to Coach?”, “Where is he?”, “Did he leave us?” and “What do we do?” A minute after the gun sounded to start the second half, while all of the players were still sitting with heads down...in nervous silence on the bench…they heard a loud boom. Someone had kicked the locker room door open. It sounded like an explosion. It was Coach Rockne. He stood just inside the door. He took a long, slow glance around the room. He didn’t say a word. He then walked slowly up and down the bench, looking at each player, but no player looked back. He walked back to the door as if to leave…but at the last moment he turned and faced them. After a brief pause…he scowled and with his raspy, throaty voice asked sarcastically, “Fighting Irish?” He then turned and walked out of the locker room with the door slamming shut behind him. Notre Dame came back and played a perfect second half of football. They had no fumbles, no penalties, no dropped passes…and no mistakes. They beat Michigan State 13-0 and went on to have their first perfect season under Knute Rockne. Last month, after sitting and listening to literally dozens of conversations over the past several months, about the direction of our country…the hate…the partisanship…the rampant out-of-control spending…the deficits…the debt…the looming bankruptcy of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid…illegal immigration…the inability by our elected officials to get anything done…and not hearing one idea, plan or solution in all of these conversations to solve these problems…I offered one. It was a melded plan that I thought would have to find support among the majority of all persuasions, whether the right, center, left, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian or Independent. This plan would take care of most every major concern we have in our country, and it is in synch with the majority of every ideological position. I then proposed a way that this plan…this solution…could be propagated by each supporter of the same with only three mouse clicks. That’s right…three mouse clicks by everyone supporting it and it could happen. All that each needed to do was detailed in last month’s article, which can still be read in its entirety by going to www.theqandatimes.com and clicking the link on the home page titled, “Article By Charlie Traffas From The February ‘12 Issue.” That’s the first mouse click. The email that you would send to others is already written. You just have to click the link on the home page of this site titled, “WIP Email To Send To Two People.” That’s the second mouse click. After you put in your name and email address and two email addresses to which you will send the email, you click “Send.” That’s the third mouse click. These mouse clicks, made by the majority of those The Q & A Times touches each month, to two other people, going on for eight levels, could touch the entire population of the US in very short order. It was an idea…a plan…a solution…with an easy method of propagation…for everyone to do just a little…and together…we could all do something about the mess we’re in. The first and most important thing this process would result in is getting millions of like-minded people connected, and creating a united force that could not be ignored. We might all be surprised at what we’re able to accomplish after this. How has it worked thus far? Not very well…at the time this column for this month went to press, less than 2% of the total number of households and businesses we touch each month had taken the time to do their three mouse clicks. Yet, since this article was published, I have received 76 positive emails and/or calls to every negative one I received. So if the idea…plan…solution…is acceptable…and perhaps even “applaudable”…and no one but a few on the extreme fringes can find fault with it…why not more mouse clicks? Rockne got great results in the way he closed with, “Fighting Irish?” I wonder what kind of results we could get closing with, “Concerned citizen?”

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-12-27 08:30:04

Q: What’s new?

A: I am always glad to be asked. I’ve got several things that have been like “pin balls” bouncing off the sides of my mind. I know I can handle and accept anything that is God’s will. These things don’t seem to me like they would be, but they might. First, the other day I was listening to President Obama address some factory workers in Ohio. He said, the American Dream should be able to be realized by everyone. I could not agree more. He went onto say, “It should be able to be realized by not only the owners of the manufacturing plant, but by those employees working on the floor as well.” Again, I could not agree more. But as his speech went on, I found that wasn’t what he meant. He meant that instead of those employees working on the floor doing whatever it took to put them in a position to get ahead through more hard work, entrepreneurism and/or relationship building, the owners of the plant should share the majority of their profits with each of them so they all got ahead together. Really? I guess we are not to give any credit to the owner of the company who came up with the idea for the business in the first place; who did the research and development of the products and/or services before starting the business; who borrowed every dime he/she could borrow to begin the business, from an institution, his/her family or another lending source, or gave away a sizeable chunk of equity in the business to someone in exchange for the funds to underwrite the capital and operational costs. Are we to forget all of this? Are we to forget too that the employees got a guaranteed wage and benefits for working and had nothing at risk, while the owner of the business received no guarantees and had everything at risk? According to our President, the owner is still supposed to take his/her profits and share them with the employees. This doesn’t sound like equal “opportunity.” It sounds more to me like equal “outcome.” This was scary by itself, but when he didn’t bat an eye while saying it, it got even scarier. God, after more than 235 years of it being the other way, is this now what You want? A few days later in Osawatomie, KS President Obama gave a speech talking about the extension of the payroll tax credit under the title of “fairness” and a “make or break moment.” He talked about Theodore Roosevelt standing at that very spot 101 years ago, advancing the same agenda. He said he was called a Socialist and a Communist. He smiled as if to say, “That’s okay. If that’s what it is…that’s what it is.” This tax credit for 2011 comes as $130 Billion hit to Social Security, which is already insolvent. The money must come out of the US Treasury to pay for it. The US Treasury is more than $15 Trillion in debt. If it is renewed for 2012, it will be another $130 Billion. My wife always tells me, “Never ask a question if you can’t handle the answer,” but God, is this what You want? Is it Your will that we go broke? My next “pin ball” is closer to home: What are we going to do in Kansas to get more revenue so the state doesn’t go bankrupt, and businesses and individuals are standing in line to locate here, instead of serving notice on us to leave? But maybe this too is God’s will that the state go bankrupt…that people and businesses move out of the state. Maybe it’s all supposed to end this way. When answering the question on what we’re going to do, I am sure my liberal friends would say, “Increase taxes on all of those who make more than “X” dollars per year.” I must say, I am getting really sick of this answer for both the national deficit and debt problems, and the ones we have here in Kansas. Not because of it being a solution that will work that I don’t agree with, but because it is not a solution. It will not work. Let me explain. Do you know that 48% of all Americans pay no Federal Individual Income Tax at all, and 8% pay $500 or less? That 56% of all Americans paying $500 or less in Federal Individual Income Tax? The other 44% of all Americans pay all of the Federal Individual Income Tax. How much more must they pay? Really…how much more do they have to pay? And what did President Obama mean in Osawatomie when he said, “I see an America where everyone does his or her part?” Increasing the taxes on this 44% by another 25% (which those wanting the increase are not even advocating, as they are only advocating increasing the top bracket from 35% to 39%, an 11% increase), will not get anywhere close to taking care of the problems we face nationally and statewide? It will not solve the problem. You don’t believe me? Follow this math. 44% of all Americans pay 100% of all individual income taxes, for a total of $1.5 Trillion annually. We are spending $3.5 Trillion. Even if we raised taxes on all of this 44% by 25%, we would only collect another $375 Billion! This wouldn’t cover but a fraction of the annual deficit…and remember…no one is espousing a 25% Federal Income Tax increase. Yet this is the only solution you hear from President Obama and the majority of the Democrats. We do not need tax increases. We need instead…gigantic tax reform…both in Kansas and the USA. Let me begin here in Kansas with some numbers you should have no problem digesting. The Gross Domestic Product of Kansas for 2011 (the sum of all new goods and services produced and sold to consumers, businesses and government), will be $146 Billion. Of that amount, 81% is personal consumption (purchases of new products and services by people, not businesses). This represents approximately $111 Billion per year. The State of Kansas is now $22 Billion in debt. Our present tax revenue in Kansas is approximately $5.9 Billion. It comes from several sources, including the following: • $2.7 Billion from Individual Income Tax • $2.0 Billion from Retail Sales Tax • $225 Million from Corporate Income Tax • $142 Million from the Tax on Insurance Premiums • $30 Million from Corporate Franchise Tax • $22 Million from the Taxes on Financial Institutions The rest come from 15 other taxes. Here is a solution that will work. It is called, Triple Zero + 6.3. It is akin to the FairTax plan for America I advocated in my column in the September ’11 issue, which you can find at www.theqandatimes.com. Call this the FairTax plan for Kansas. It will work. What will it do for us? 1. It will cancel and replace the 6 taxes listed above, the largest two of which are the Kansas Individual Income Tax and the State Retail Sales Tax. 2. It will cost an estimated 22% less to collect, monitor, report and enforce this tax than does our present retail sales tax, primarily because of there being no exemptions. This 22% equates to $418 Million per year, half of it saved by businesses and the other half saved by the government. Put this $209 Million together with the $225 Million saved by businesses with cancelling the Corporate Income Tax, and the $30 Million Corporate Finance Tax, and you have a climate that will cause private sector businesses in Kansas to immediately become more competitive; existing companies will expand; and out of state firms will be more likely to relocate to Kansas, adding jobs and greatly boosting the Kansas economy. 3. It will stop the “sweetheart” deals, explained below. 4. It does not link to the Federal Income Tax as a starting point. 5. It will grow the GDP of Kansas each year, taking care of our future revenue requirements well into the future. How does it work? It establishes a 6.3% personal consumption tax paid on the final sales of all new products and services, collected at the point of sale, with no exemptions of any kind. There is no consumption tax paid on used products and services. There is no consumption tax paid on business to business transactions. The consumption tax required to pay for all essential products and services up to the Federal Poverty Level is prepaid to all Kansas citizens having a valid Social Security Card. A payment for this amount comes each month to the household…not one payment to each individual, but one payment to each household. But you say, “6.3% is the same rate as what the state retail sales tax rate is. How is this new tax going to increase revenue?” I am glad you asked. Remember those numbers earlier that “the ‘dog’ is hunting on?” The 6.3% retail sales tax is being collected on only $35 Billion of the $111 Billion worth of personal consumption of new products and services. Why? Because the rest is presently either exempt, or taxed then rebated back in “sweetheart” deals. In this article, we’re not going to go into what we all know as these “sweetheart” deals. They exist. We all know they exist. Instead, I want to focus on what makes up the $111 Billion of exempt products and services that would now be taxed under the proposed Triple Zero + 6.3 plan. Now stay with me because this is the easy and fun part. If the 6.3% consumption tax were collected on the $111 Billion worth of personal consumption of the dollar amounts specified above on these products and services, it would equate to $7 Billion!!! Yes, our present total revenue going into the State General Fund (SGF) is $5.9 Billion. $7 Billion is $1.1 Billion more than what we need to balance the budget. What do we do with the surplus? That’s a happy problem, isn’t it? “Whoooooaaaaaaaa,” you say. “That means I am going to be paying this 6.3% consumption tax on things I haven’t been paying sales tax on before.” You’re going to have the money to pay for it because you are no longer going to be paying any Individual State Income tax, AND you are also not going to be paying what you have been paying on State Sales Tax. Businesses are no longer going to be paying any retail sales tax on business to business transactions, and they are not going to be paying any Corporate Income Tax. This personal consumption tax will be collected only once, at the point of sale. But you continue to ask… “So I am going to be paying this 6.3% consumption tax on my bill from the dentist?” Yes. “My doctor?” Yes. “The architect who draws up new plans for our room addition?” Yes. “My trash bill?” Yes. “My insurance premiums?” Yes. Then you ask, “Well how am I going to be able to afford to do that?” Again, glad you asked. Suppose your annual household income is the average in Kansas, which is $47,250. The average Kansas Individual Income Tax paid on this average gross household income, after average deductions, is $1,982. You will not pay this tax…any more…ever again. Further, you will not pay the Kansas Retail Sales Tax ever again, which amounts to an average of $1,613 annually to an average household income of $47,250. This totals $3,595 in taxes you will no longer pay. But now you will be paying the 6.3% consumption tax on new products and services consumed by those in your household. What is the dollar amount of personally consumed products and services you could buy before you use up all of the $3,595 in taxes you are no longer paying? It would be $57,063.49 ($3,595 divided by .063). Guess what? You don’t have that much in your household income to begin with…and besides…this doesn’t take into account the payment your household receives each month from the State of Kansas to pay the consumption tax on essential products and services up to the Federal Poverty Level. What does this mean? This new personal consumption tax would actually reduce the amount of total state taxes the average household in Kansas pays. Where does the revenue come from then? The households with higher incomes, spend more, thus they will pay more, and now they will pay more on most all personal consumed products and services. But they too will have the Individual Income Tax, current Retail Sales Tax and the monthly payment their household receives from the State of Kansas to pay the consumption tax on essential products and services up to the Federal Poverty Level, as savings, to use to pay this personal consumption tax. How long has it been since you heard the term, “dynamics” mentioned while talking about taxes, except in a negative way? Let me list again what the dynamics of the Triple Zero + 6.3 plan will do positively: 1. It will cancel and replace the 6 taxes listed above, the largest two of which are the Kansas Individual Income Tax and the State Retail Sales Tax. 2. It will cost an estimated 22% less to collect, monitor, report and enforce this tax than does our present retail sales tax, primarily because of there being no exemptions. This 22% equates to $418 Million per year, half of it saved by businesses and the other half saved by the government. Put this $209 Million together with the $209 Million saved by businesses with cancelling the Corporate Income Tax and you have a climate, that will cause private sector businesses in Kansas to immediately become more competitive; existing companies will expand; and out of state firms will be more likely to relocate to Kansas, adding jobs and greatly boosting the Kansas economy. 3. It will stop the “sweetheart” deals, explained below. 4. It does not link the Federal Income Tax as a starting point. 5. It will grow the GDP of Kansas each year, taking care of our future revenue requirements well into the future. Regarding #5, those much more qualified than I have projected what this plan will do for us into the future. Conservatively…it will easily increase the GDP of Kansas by 7% each year. Presently we are #31 of all 50 states in GDP. In five years with this Triple Zero + 6.3 plan, Kansas could have a GDP of $204 Billion, #21 on today’s list. In 10 years, our GDP could be $287 Billion, nearly double from what it is now, and #15 on today’s list. By this time we would have ran a surplus for these 10 years, taken care of all of our responsibilities, paid off all of our debt, drawn thousands of businesses to the state and be well positioned for the future. Now this is what I call a solution. How about you? You know what God, if for some reason You do not want it all to end, and you want us to use the talents You gave us to figure this thing out…will this work in accordance with Your will?

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-11-22 11:09:15

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I feel they must be brought to the forefront…now. I would prefer a person or persons with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but unless this is done very quickly, it may be too late. Perhaps it’s already too late…but I will do what I can. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope something can be done. These things will take some time and space to cover properly, thus the reason why my articles on this subject has been and will be a series over the next few months, or until I am “shut down” for whatever reason or reasons. As I will do with each article in this series, I will tell you the information I will present has come from several sources, including but not limited to, Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. Last month we talked about local and state governments, and the Federal Government and the severe economic woes they are all facing. This month, we will talk more about this and what is going on in the rest of the world. But first, after a basketful of “chiding” email and calls from last month’s article in this series, let me comment on what happened in May on the price of commodities and the slight strengthening of the US Dollar (USD). Over just a few days, we saw all commodities…from copper to corn…silver to soybeans…and oats to oil…take a nose dive. As with any market, there are always going to be ups and downs. I will maintain however…nothing has changed. The long term trend is up for commodities and down for the USD. No paper-currency regime can last for long. The U.S. paper-dollar standard has been around for more than 40 years now. It's certainly long in the tooth…and becoming quite decrepit. The absurd fiscal policies our Federal Government is running (annual deficits of around 10% of GDP) will eventually lead to a collapse in the U.S. bond market and a return to gold-backed currencies around the world. None of our economy's problems or the risks I've described in this series have been resolved. Nothing fundamental has changed – the problems have only gotten worse. We have had a weaker bond market and stronger gold prices for the last two years. The Federal Reserve has been purchasing roughly 70% of all Treasury issuances. The Fed has "propped" up the bond market by printing massive quantities of new money – what it calls "quantitative easing." This kept a bid under the bond market…but led investors to buy gold (and other hard commodities) to protect themselves from the Fed's printing. Yes, over the past three months, the spread between Treasury bonds and gold has suddenly begun to narrow, because Ben Bernanke stated that the Fed will stop printing money as of the end of June 2011, and the USD strengthened on the news. When the USD strengthens, it takes less of them to buy oil and all of the commodities, thus their prices go down. But don’t count on the printing presses stopping for long. How will we pay our debts? How will we pay the interest on the debt? How will we pay for the increased debt ceiling? If we need money…have none…and there’s none to get…what else can happen but to print more of it, while we still can? On May 18, 2011, the Federal Open Market Committee released its minutes…which included nothing unexpected. The Fed said the first step it will take to tighten monetary policy is to stop reinvesting the principal payments on the mortgage debt it holds. In other words, combined with the end of QE2, the Fed will completely exit the Treasury market. Then, the Fed will raise short-term interest rates. If the Fed shrinks its balance sheet at the same time it raises interest rates, it will have a powerful deflationary effect on the economy. We'll see a massive selloff in commodities and a corresponding strengthening of the dollar…for awhile…but…is our economy strong enough to withstand those effects? Many do not think so. The recent rebound in our economy has resulted solely from money-printing…not policy. The fundamentals aren't there. Once the Fed realizes this, it'll step right back in with another round of quantitative easing (QE3). More “quantitative easing” must lie ahead. Those much smarter than I and myself guess the printing presses will start up again later this year. Even if we’re wrong about the timing, it's inevitable we'll see a lot more money-printing in 2012 – simply because it's an election year. Furthermore, as hard as this might be to swallow…with the current political structure of the U.S. – where roughly 10% of the population pays for the majority of the government – a significant cut in spending is going to be hard to come by, no matter who wins the next presidency. Many remain as convinced as ever that our country is facing a fiscal catastrophe unlike anything we've ever experienced before. I believe this. The amount of price inflation (which is the delayed impact of the monetary inflation we've seen since 2008) will be beyond anyone's biggest forecast. Perhaps you still don’t buy this. That’s okay. By the time I’m through with this series, I will have committed a significant amount of space to it and I will stand by my claim now and then…that the USD is in more peril than ever before of losing its status as the world’s reserve currency…and that when it happens…it will not be good for any of us. Now, as promised at the end of last month’s article, let me provide you with some more information relative to the title of this series, “Our Borrowed Existence,” and some things that are happening throughout the rest of the world. Recently, there was a meeting of several of the most powerful countries in the world, including Russia, France, China, Japan and the United Arab Emirate States. The U.S. was not invited, nor did we know about the meeting. Robert Fisk, a veteran Middle East correspondent based out of Beirut for more than 30 years, reported in the British Independent newspaper, “In the most profound financial change in recent Middle East history, Gulf Arabs are planning…along with Russia, France, China and Japan…to end the dollar dealings for oil, moving instead to a basketful of currencies including the Japanese Yen, Chinese Yuan, the Euro (if it survives), Gold and a new unified currency planned for nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar.” In the same story, Fisk interviewed a Chinese banker who said, “These plans will change the face of international financial transactions. America and Britain must be very worried. You will know how worried by the thunder of denials this news will generate.” Sure enough, after Fisk published his story, U.S. officials and central bankers from around the world immediately denied these plans. There is an old central banking adage that asks, “How do you know exactly when a currency is going to be devalued?” The answer, “Right after the head of the central bank goes on television to adamantly deny that any such transaction would occur.” Guess who just went public a few weeks ago to say the U.S. will not devalue its currency? You guessed it, U.S. Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner. Giving warning for such an event is never in the plan. China holds more U.S. Treasury Bills than does any other does any other country in the world, BUT it’s getting out of them. Take a look at this graph of China’s holdings of U.S. Treasury Bills. Additionally, China holds nearly $1 Trillion of U.S. debt. Many assume large foreign ownership of U.S. debt makes the U.S. vulnerable to foreign governments. I am one of these. There are others who think the vulnerability is the other way around. For example, the U.S. could protect Taiwan with its Navy. Or, instead, the U.S. could send a message that any attack would mean no payments on our debt to the attacking country until it withdraws and makes reparations. To me and others of my opinion, even this scenario does not mean the dollar cannot lose its value and…its status as the world’s reserve currency. Take a look at the Yuan in China. Since mid-2010, it has gained 5.0% versus the dollar, which adds to the 17.4% appreciation that occurred between mid-2005 and mid-2008. Now, add to this a question after looking at the above graph. Why do you suppose China has gotten out of roughly 20% of its U.S. Treasury Bills in the past several months? Do you think this trend will continue? I do. Unless something immediately and drastically changes…it has to. Why? The U.S. is running a very loose monetary policy, and because China links to the dollar, it is experiencing rising inflation. Prices for commodities like oil are rising rapidly in China. China imports lots of commodities for processing into consumer goods. It is feeling that inflationary pain before it hits home in the U.S. Letting the Yuan gain versus the dollar is one way for China to ease the pain from the Fed’s overly loose monetary policy. It’s also a way for China to enhance the purchasing power of its workers and companies. Here is one piece of information you may not believe, but it’s true. HSBC, one of the largest banks in Mexico, no longer allows the deposit of USDs into their banks. The reason it gives is on the heels of money laundering allegations, but maybe it’s because they do not want to be stuck with lots of USDs as the currency continues to decline. You make the call. What do you suppose this all means? It’s not just around the world. Right here at home there are businesses that are accepting other currencies instead of the USD and can do so without doing anything illegal. Check the Coinage Act of 1965. With the current spending and printing of USDs, it looks like we believe we are immune to the laws of economics and finance. Name one country in the history of the world that has been successful in trying to inflate its debts away. My research has shown there to be none. Maybe yours will show differently. Porter Stansberry, of Stansberry and Associates, a primary source for this series, calls one of the biggest problems we all face in solving this problem, the normalcy bias. It refers to our natural reactions when facing a crisis. This normalcy bias causes smart people to underestimate the possibility of a disaster and its effects. In short, people believe that since something has never happened before, it never will. This normalcy bias also makes people unable to deal with disaster, once it has occurred. It is the human nature to have a really hard time preparing for and dealing with something they have never experienced before. There are all kinds of examples throughout history. One of the most recent is Katrina. While it was apparent when the storm hit the mainland that the levies were not going to hold, and it was reported to all what would happen when they failed…tens of thousands of people stayed in their homes, directly in the line of the oncoming waves of water. They thought something like this could not happen in the U.S. Sure, in a third world country things happen like this…but not here in our country. As a result nearly 2,000 residents died. We are seeing it happen again in the midst of this problem. We simply refuse to see the evidence that’s right in front of our face, because it is unlike anything we have ever experienced before. The normalcy bias kicks in and we go about our lives as if nothing is unusual or out of the ordinary…even more so if anything happens to counter a trend, such as the early May fall of commodity prices described earlier. The United States has been the most powerful country in the world for nearly 100 years. The USD has reigned supreme as the world’s reserve currency for more than 50 years. Most of us cannot imagine these things changing…but things are changing…and changing fast. For instance…did you know that right now there are more than 47 million people on food stamps? That’s more than 15% of the entire population and that number is up more than 18% in one year. What about the depression-type, shanty towns that are homes to hundreds in more than a dozen major U.S. cities, like Fresno, Sacramento and Nashville? There are more than 2,000 homeless in the Fresno shanty town alone. They even have a security desk at the entrance because the encampment has gotten so large. Equally as disturbing, depressing and fatalistic in all of this is the spin that politicians put on everything…from the President to Congress to regulatory agencies to many state elected officials. The vast majority of all of these do not tell it like it is. And if some do, since so many don’t, we would never know. Take for instance the unemployment rate. Back in the 1930s, anyone without a job that was not retired was considered to be unemployed. Today, the government calculates the number of unemployed by the number of people receiving unemployment benefits. It totally leaves out the number of people who are no longer eligible for unemployment benefits. There are as many or more of these people than there are those receiving unemployment. This is why our real unemployment is over 18%. Guess when the real job losses began to occur. In the Fall of 2009. With all of the extensions of unemployment, these people who became unemployed back then, no longer are receiving unemployment benefits. Since they are no longer being counted, our unemployment percentage actually falls! This is why we have seen the unemployment rate drop about one per cent since the first of the year, even though it went up 1/10th of a point most recently. There are not more jobs. There are not more people with jobs. But there are a whole lot more people each month not being counted as unemployed because they are no longer receiving unemployment benefits. So, with more falling off the scrolls than are being added, our unemployment percentage actually decreases, yet we are closing in on 20% of all people being unemployed! On April 27th, Ben Bernanke said, in his highly touted, first in a long time press conference, when asked what the Fed was doing to thwart the price of oil said, “The Fed can't create more oil. We don't create the growth rates of emerging-market economies.” No, the Fed can't create more oil or any other form of real wealth. But it does create more dollars, which chase the same amount of oil, causing oil prices to rise. Rising commodity prices aren't the disease. They're the symptom. The disease – inflation – is nothing more or less than the Fed's constant debasement of the dollar. The rest of the world is doing all they can to promote jobs. We claim to be doing so here. A few days before Bernanke’s press conference, our President said, “I think about creating jobs when I get up…throughout the day…and when I go to sleep at night.” Really? Recently the CEO of Intel, Paul Otellini said, “I can tell you definitively that it costs us more than $1 billion more per factory for us to build, equip and operate a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States.” Why? He said, “90% of the costs are not from higher labor rates, but higher taxes and regulatory charges that other nations just don’t impose.” Few people realize we have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. Other world countries are moving in. Japan’s new Prime Minister had just announced a reduction in their corporate tax rate by 15% before the Earthquake and Tsunami. What do you suppose they will reduce it by now to promote business? When do we start listening to the guys and gals running the businesses, providing the jobs, and giving them what they need, instead of professors and people who have never so much as run a lemonade stand? This isn’t hate, folks. Nor is it partisanship…or doom and gloom. This is just telling it like it is. How can anyone purport to know how to lead the biggest business in the world…the U.S. Government…when they have never made decisions and been held accountable to run any profitable business in their lives…much less as big of a business as is the U.S. Government? It has to be just a “guess” on what to do by these people, and the “guess” is most always based upon them getting re-elected. How sad is this? Here’s another example of not telling it like it is. Take a look at the different ways the Federal Government understates the inflation rate. These may seem hard to believe, but again, check me…they’re true. 1. It excludes food and fuel costs from its rate of "core inflation." Each month, the Federal Reserve calms national inflation fears by pointing to the low rate of core inflation, currently at an annual pace of just 2.1%. It reaffirms that the economy is meeting the goal set for it by the Fed of keeping core inflation around or below two percent. Claiming that food and fuel are too unstable to be included in the inflation rate, it excludes precisely those areas in which inflation is felt most deeply. As stated earlier, in the past year, the cost of commodities from corn to soybeans has doubled and the price of gasoline at the pump is more than one third higher than it was one year ago. The average American household budget devotes one-third of its cash to food and energy costs. Leaving these elements out of the inflation rate has no justification. 2. It substitutes less expensive products when prices rise. When prices go up, the economists who generate the Consumer Price Index substitute a less expensive alternative product for the one that has risen in price. For example, if the cost of steak goes up, the CPI does not reflect the increase, but simply replaces steak with hamburger in computing the price index. 3. It excludes "hedonistic" products as price rises. “Hedonistic” products are those that are evaluated on how much pleasure versus how much pain are caused. For instance, when faced with whether or not a consumer would like to have a sports car, many say, “Yes.” But when put side by side with a more functional vehicle for the family in size and gas efficiency, a large percentage do not take the “hedonistic” sports car. The Fed removes all hedonistic products from its inflation calculation. We of course know that is not always the case. Hedonistic products are purchased by many. The Fed adjusts for price rises by “dumbing” down the luxury elements of the products whose price it measures. It might, for example, measure the price of cars without air conditioning as a way of avoiding reporting the increase in the cost of automobiles. Even when the luxury features cannot easily be removed from the product, the CPI economists assume that they are. 4. In averaging the price of different commodities, it uses a geometric – not an arithmetic mean. Since the geometric mean, which compares the square roots of product prices, comes out lower, it understates the rate of inflation. To the layman, an increase in total spending of 50 cents on a base of $2 would represent a 25% increase in price. But that uses the arithmetic mean. The geometric mean compares the square root of (new price/original price) multiplied by the same for the other commodity. Using this method of calculation, the increase in price would only be 22.5%. The CPI switched to geometric comparison in 1994. How can any of us make the decisions we each need to make when there is no source one can go to get the facts…the real facts? But no matter how the federal economists bend and twist the data, most Americans can and will “connect the dots.” They can and will realize that we are in for a massive bout of inflation…that will come as the result of out of control spending…which will demand the printing of more money…which will set up the essence of this entire series…the USD losing its status as the world’s reserve currency…which will cause everything about your life to be different. This inflation will be dramatically different from the last hyper inflation of the late 70s and early 80s. That inflation was caused by too much money chasing too few products. To slow down the economy and tame price increases, the Fed raised interest rates. But the type of inflation that is coming has nothing to do with demand. Rather, it is caused by the upward push of costs like gasoline, taxes, food, health insurance and soon…interest rates. This cost-push increase in prices cannot be tamed by cooling off the economy, which is, in fact, so “cool” already that it is approaching zero growth. I remember when I was young, playing marbles. One of the kids owned a set of marbles. He always brought them to the game. They were “tiger eye” marbles…big and good looking. From time to time we would have a disagreement about a rule or an infraction of a rule. Most of the time we worked things out, but one time, when things got a little heated, he said, “I am taking my marbles and going to find another game.” He did. We didn’t have any other marbles. Our game was over. I wonder what happens when hundreds of thousands of businesses say, “We’ve had enough. We’re taking our ‘marbles’ somewhere else and going to find another ‘game.’” Once again…this is enough for this issue. I will be back next month to provide some history of our monetary system and how this relates to the things that are happening today.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-11-22 11:06:25

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I feel they must be brought to the forefront…now. I would prefer a person or persons with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but unless this is done very quickly, it may be too late. Perhaps it’s already too late…but I will do what I can. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope something can be done. These things will take some time and space to cover properly, thus the reason why my articles on this subject will be a series over the next few months, or until I am “shut down” for whatever reason or reasons. As I will do with each article in this series, I will tell you the information I will present has come from several sources, including but not limited to, Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. Last month we talked about the world’s reserve currency being the U.S. Dollar (USD) and why this has been such a blessing to us. This month, we will talk more about what is happening to the USD, why its status as the world reserve currency is in jeopardy, and what will happen if it loses this “borrowed existence.” Here is where we left off last month. Germany needs to buy oil from a Middle Eastern country. They cannot use German Marks to pay for it. Oil is priced in USDs. So first, Germany has to buy the USDs, then it has to buy the oil. That means the value of the German currency is always of great importance to the German Government. In order for it to maintain its value against the USD and other world currencies, Germans must produce at least as much as they consume from around the world, otherwise the value of its currency will begin to fall causing prices to rise and its standard of living to decline. A country that cannot use its own currency to pay for a foreign import, is much akin to a mid-rated NFL team having to play a top-rated, NFL team at the top-rated team’s home venue, on a Sunday afternoon, after the top-rated NFL team just got beat last Sunday by 21 points. There are much better situations than having to do this. Now perhaps you can see why we are so fortunate. In the U.S., we can consume as much as we want without worrying about acquiring the money to pay for it because our USDs are accepted throughout the world. This has been the way it has been since the end of World War II. What a deal, huh? All we have to do is print more USDs and we can have anything we want…for now. No other country in the world owes as much money as does the U.S.…and we’re not through borrowing and printing yet. Most of the rest of the world does not understand what is happening here in the U.S. You may differ with me. My point is, if they do not understand, they shouldn’t be occupying the positions they do in their respective governments. If they do understand what is happening, they have committed a far bigger fiduciary breach to their citizens than we have to our citizens by us getting into this mess in the first place. If they truly understood it all, and the ramifications, they would quit accepting USDs, or greatly discount the value of these newly printed USDs. The time for this to happen cannot be too far off. When it does, it will spiral, the way water disappears from a toilet bowl when it is flushed. It begins slowly at first, then picks up speed…and then it’s gone. It would not be out of bounds…at this juncture…for you to think I’m nuts. But please allow me to go on and maybe some more of the “dots” will connect. The United States’ biggest gift of owning the world’s reserve currency is cheap oil. This has made gas cheaper than almost anywhere else in the world. Before the recent Middle East unrest and the surge in oil prices, we were paying approximately $3.00 per gallon in the United States. In Norway, gas averaged $7.41 per gallon. In Germany, the average was $6.82 per gallon…Great Britain averaged $6.64 per gallon…$6.40 in Italy…$6.04 in France…and $5.40 in Japan. With the current Middle East unrest, today’s prices for gas in these countries are as much as 20% higher than the above stated prices. If this unrest continues, the prices will go higher…perhaps much higher. If not, and if the world “stagnates” even more economically, the prices may go down, but either situation is irrespective to the case I’m trying to make here. If oil was no longer priced in USDs, the price of oil for us would skyrocket immediately. It would change our lives over night. How would these things doubling or more in price affect you? Airline travel? The cost of shipping goods, fruits, vegetables? Farming? Commuting to work? Heating and cooling your home? Taking a taxi? Only one thing has to happen for this to happen…countries from around the world start preferring payments from us in a currency other than USDs. This could be the first “domino” tipped of the USD losing the status as the world’s reserve currency. In fact…as alarming as it might be…it is already underway. You might ask, “If the USD has been the world’s reserve currency for the past nearly 45 years, what was the world’s reserve currency prior to that?” This is a good question to ask at a good time in this series. It was the British Sterling and it had been the world’s reserve currency for nearly 200 years. After WW II the U.S. had to prop up the British economy with foreign aid. Unfortunately, Britain pursued a socialist agenda coming out of WW II, outright voicing their new mission, “Spread the wealth around.” It wasn’t long before Britain was flat broke. The final straw came in 1967 when the Labour Party decided to “devalue” their currency by 14%...overnight, thinking it would allow people to better afford their debts. The results turned out to be just the opposite. Everything skyrocketed in costs. If you had 100,000 British Sterlings, you immediately had 14% less buying power in an environment of skyrocketing costs over what they had been before the devaluation. Now that had to leave a mark…no pun intended. This is one of those times when you will want to go back and check me. Check what was termed as the, “Winter of Discontent” in Britain. The Brits’ early 70s were not good years for them. In 1975, inflation skyrocketed 26.9% in a single year, after several years of already two digit inflation. Many believe it could never happen here. But it is already happening. The USD’s exchange rate fell 11% in the last 7 months of 2010, and its rate of decline since January 1st is accelerating, notwithstanding its relationship to the Yen due to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Everything will continue to get more expensive. Not only oil and gas, but also items like clothing, furniture and household goods we import from China; the food we get from Central and South America; and electronics, computers, televisions and cars we get from Europe and Asia. Look at the prices of commodities since the financial crisis began in early 2009. Gold is up 95%. Silver is up more than 300%. Oil prices have more than doubled. Copper is up over 220%. Soybean prices are up 168%. Cotton prices have more than doubled in the last 8 months. But rising commodity prices are not the only fallout from the USD losing its status as the world’s reserve currency. If other countries around the world do not want USDs, interest rates will skyrocket everywhere as well. Mortgage rates could go as high as 15%, or much higher. Stock prices could lose 40 to 50% in a matter of weeks. Everyone will pay more and get less. Bank loans will dry up…for everyone…business and personal. We thought the high interest rates of the late 70s and early 80s were bad? We thought the mortgage crisis was bad in 2008? These will be nothing when compared to the USD losing is status as the world’s reserve currency. When everyone is trying to get rid of their USDs at home and abroad, and the government continues to print USDs to pay its debts…we will all become way too familiar with the term, “hyperinflation.” I realize I am not “making your day” but please do one more thing before you quit reading. Google “the fall of Yugoslavia” in the early 90s and the years leading up to this. I won’t tell you all about it here…because you’ve had enough unsettling information for one day…but I will hit the high points. Suffice it to say, it’s a “looking in the mirror” kind of a deal. Of course we are a much stronger and larger economy than they were, with lots more things going for us than they had going for them, but what happened to them can happen to us and others. Once massive inflation began for them…their government tried to stem it by a implementing a wide range of price controls. They got progressively worse, until the prices manufacturers and producers received for their goods were so low, they quit producing. What else did they do to stem hyperinflation? They required that forms be filled out before any prices could be increased. This didn’t work either. Producers, annoyed with the time-consuming paperwork and having to hire more people to do it, increased their prices by double to lessen the frequency of filling out forms. How bad can things get? The last thing they did was to create a new currency. They simply removed zeroes. If you had 100,000 units before the new currency, you had 100 units of the new currency now. Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? It didn’t work either. Once they did this, within 16 months, prices increased by 5 quadrillion per cent! You read right. A loaf of bread that cost 1 unit in 1993 cost 50 trillion units in 1995. Prices were doubling every day. Words cannot describe what happened at the end, but again…please check for yourself. Most people would say, “This can’t happen here.” But it can. This type of debt crisis has already happened in the last 100 years in Germany, Russia, Austria, Japan, Poland, Argentina, Brazil, the Ukraine and China. It is already happening at the local and state levels. Local governments are more than $1.7 trillion in debt. 46 states are facing serious budget shortfalls in 2011…totaling nearly $160 Billion. This added to the total debt these states now owe of $1.2 trillion, is going to make for a most interesting next few months. Most all of these states received Federal aid over the last two years…but all of that is gone. This nightmare does not even count the states’ unfunded public pension funds of more than $1 trillion. Remember, local and state governments cannot print money. So with no more Federal assistance coming in, what are they doing? They’re selling off their assets…state owned buildings and land…then leasing back (a temporary move that improves cash flow in the short term but doesn’t work in the long term); they are releasing thousands of inmates from their prisons; most every state in the union is trying to legalize gambling to boost tax revenues; and more. The most amazing thing is that the Federal Government is in even worse shape than the local and state governments, yet the President and Congress are still acting as if they have a choice of whether to spend or not, and how much. How long will it be before everyone accepts the fact…there are no choices left? We are far past the point of ideological differences. Spending must stop, or our “borrowed existence” will be taken from us. How much longer do you think the world will allow us to print money to bail ourselves out of debt? Again, I know you’ve probably had enough, but here’s one more “did you know” before I go this month. In March of 2011, the U.S. Government grossed $194 billion in tax revenue and paid out $65.9 billion in tax refunds, netting $128.18 billion. Over the same time, the government spent $1.1 trillion (net of the tax refunds). In other words, the government spent 8.2 times what it made in March. And where did most of that money go? To buy Treasury bills. The U.S. Government spent $705.3 billion redeeming matured paper. In a Senate Budget Committee testimony, Erskine Bowles – former chief of staff to President Clinton and current co-chair of Obama's National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility (that sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?) – said of the current situation, "I'm really concerned. I think we face the most predictable economic crisis in history. A lot of us sitting in this room didn't see this last crisis as it came upon us. But this one is really easy to see. The fiscal path we are on today is simply not sustainable." Is anyone, who can and will do something about this, listening? I will be back next month to tell you about some things that are happening throughout the rest of the world that are further threatening the USD’s “borrowed existence.”

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-11-17 11:32:49

Q: What’s new?

A: Last month, I wrote about the demonstrations and the rallies that are appearing throughout the country, the demonstrators themselves call the, “Anti-Capitalist Movement.” They also call themselves, “The 99 percenters,” They label their protests, “Occupy Wall Street,” “Occupy Oakland,” “Occupy this,” and “Occupy that.” If you did not read my article, you can go to our new website, www.theqandatimes.com.There, under the Greater Wichita Area, you can download the entire November ’11 Issue and read it for yourself. My article begins on the front page. Or, you can read the same article by going to the “Writers” link, finding my name and clicking on the article from November ‘11. You will have to read it before the below letter and my answer to the same makes much sense. Within a couple of days after the November ’11 issue was out, I received lots of nice letters, e-mails, phone calls and comments. They all ranged from the positive to the very positive like, “Wow, what an article!” In the mix, I also received the letter below. First, I want to say, this person wrote what was in his heart…and he wrote it well. This should not ever be viewed as a bad deal. And although many today in receipt of such a letter would go off the “deep end” and begin knocking him/her because they have an opposing view to theirs, I want to be among the first to do things differently than they have been done for past several years. This guy is not a left wing “loon.” He is not a rebel rouser. He is not hateful. He has an opinion that differs with mine. That’s it…nothing more. An honest debate about a difference of opinions on issues is what America has needed for the last dozen years. In another recent, article series that I wrote covering 8 months from March ’11 through October ’11 (also on our site) titled, “Our borrowed existence,” I stated at the onset how I thought it may have been Don Rickles who started all of this hate, when he failed to make it as a traditional comedian back in the 40s, and began his career of insult comedy. While he may have been the one that let it be known someone could get away with this type of speech and personal insults, I am now convinced that no event in America’s history did more to polarize the political situation in our country than the “hanging chad” incident that occurred in Florida in the 2000 Presidential Election. In my opinion…ever since this incident…hate has filled the air of every single political discussion there has been. I don’t mean dislike…I mean hate…in every sense of the word. I cannot recall any political discussion in the time since that did not have some element of hate or a personal accusation of some kind. Can you? This isn’t just sad and bad…this is a “cancer” that has spread throughout our country…and unless fixed…it will be the biggest single cause of America’s demise…for it prevents anything from getting accomplished. And we have so many things to accomplish…so quickly. So, when I received this, “from the heart,” well-written letter…I promise you…I was not going to demonize him, or call him a racist, or an idiot, or a “loon.” Instead, I wanted to present his views, then my rebuttal, in a way that all readers could make a decision as to the points they favored and the ones they didn’t. Wouldn’t it be great to go back to this way of handling differences? Isn’t this the way it had been in America since our beginning? But that’s not what is happening now is it? As soon as someone takes a position, they are called a “nut,” a racist, a “loon,” or suffer some other personal attack. From a political standpoint, it is the most sickening thing I witness today. His letter… Charlie I had to write after reading your Anti-capitalist article. I really liked your description of how a business starts the taxes that get paid, etc. Having been a lifelong entrepreneur with my wife, your article hits very close to home. We have started and sold several businesses over the past 25 years and are currently growing our newest business. I think you miss the whole 99% movement and the reasoning for it. It is by no means anti-capitalist as you try to label it. I think it is much more where did capitalism go wrong? When did owning and operating a business become solely about making money at any cost. I have always lamented companies that will pay someone minimum wage to perform the work and hire someone at the top to make thousands of dollars an hour. What happened to the great entrepreneurs? The ones who understand that owning and operating a business is helping society as a whole. Yes one starts and runs a business in hopes of making a profit. But a good business owner rewards their employees by sharing when a business is doing well, by paying as much as possible to each and every worker while still maintaining a safe profit margin. A good business owner does not get too greedy and keep every penny they can while paying as little as possible to their employees simply because they can. A good business owner understands that you must contribute to society and community as a whole in order to keep society from falling apart. Because when that happens businesses and society lose. Take your story as a case study of John and Mary and let me try to demonstrate what the protesters are protesting. John and Mary started their bakery. They are having success selling their pies to local area restaurants. They have found that they can hire people to do the work for $7 an hour and no benefits so that is what they do. They discover by doing this they can pay themselves $25 an hour for work and still show a profit of $250,000 dollars a year on the original investment of $100,000. Very nice return! Other businesses follow their lead and start paying people less in an effort to make more profits. Then the strangest thing happens. Several of the restaurants in the area close due to not enough customers or as we call it a downturn in the economy. This forces them as well as some other businesses that have followed their model to have to lay off employees. Strangest thing happens...even more restaurants in the area as well as other types of businesses begin to lose customer base and are forced to close or lay off employees. Of course with each layoff and closing the market continues to shrink because the people who are the customer base no longer have any money to spend. In worst case scenario the bakery is eventually forced to close also. Now John and Mary are still fine because for the past 10 years the business was doing well they were making $250,000 a year profit plus their salaries of $25 and hour each and have become comfortably wealthy. Now let’s look at the exact same example with what I call a good business owner. Dave and Sally started the same bakery in a different community. They however decided to share the success with the people that work for them. Instead of $7 dollars and hour they paid $10 and hour to start. Granted they themselves were only working for $18 an hour instead of $25 that John and Mary were making. Also at the end of the year they only had a $100,000 profit as compared to $250,000. Out of that $100,000 profit they gave $25,000 of it to their employees. Other business in the community began to follow this same business model. Several new businesses began to open in the area because the average worker there had a little disposable income. Since the average person had some extra money the restaurant business was booming allowing Dave and Sally to expand and hire even more workers. Now 10 years down the road Dave and Sally are still doing well. The business has grown beyond their biggest dreams. Their community is thriving and a nice place to live. A hotbed of entrepreneurial activity because their workers along with others had been able to set aside enough money to start their own businesses and follow the great example of Dave and Sally. Somehow I do not think of Dave and Sally as anti-capitalist. I think of them as the 99%, people who understand it is not all about profit. Benjamin Franklin said it well, “A business that makes nothing but money is not a good business at all.” If you come by my business (name of his business), you will see his quote on our wall reminding us every day that using capitalism to run a society works great until too much greed causes it to fall apart. Thanks for taking time to read my take on what I think the 99 percenters are all about and that is why it took hold worldwide and not just here. They are anti greed not anti-capitalist. Staying at the Hotel Old Town brought this to light for me. When looking at old pictures of business in the hotel you see employees posing proudly along with the top staff or owners. When you see pictures of modern businesses you will most often see them depicted by pictures of the CEO or owner. Seeing this just helped to confirm my belief in what has led us to where we are to today. Too much of the money is in the hands of too few leads to a poor economy. It always has and always will. I think you would be a fun person to meet sometime. Thanks, M G, Wichita My response… Thank you M G, my good friend, for your letter. I can appreciate your points. Please allow me to make some counterpoints for your consideration. 1. You state that I was trying to label this the “Anti-Capitalist Movement.” Sir, the people involved “hung the shingle” on these movements themselves. I only repeated it and the other terms they have used, to identify who they were. And it took them 3 weeks to come up with this label. No one, none of them, or even the mainstream media knew what to call or label them initially. 2. With all due respects, may I ask you to re-read my article. Never did I say being in business is all about making money at any cost. If that were true, then why not start a chain of businesses that rob convenience stores? Peter Drucker, the late industrialist, summed it up best for me. “The only reason to be in business is to create a customer profitably.” If you are creating customers, you are providing for the future of your business. You are providing for the future and security of your employees. You are going to be able to expand…and create more jobs. If there is any other motive you have in operating a business other than to create customers profitably, you’re either in a hobby or you are on your way out of business. While I am publisher of this paper and have been in media as an owner, manager and operator for more than 40 years, the talent of marketing for and consulting with businesses is the talent and skill I feel God has blessed me with more than anything else. I can tell you from the hundreds of businesses I have worked with across this country, I cannot name one that has continued past its “angel” money, “venture capital” money, or the startup loan from the bank…that is still in business, if they had a different motive than that of creating customers profitably as their primary objective. 3. You ask rhetorically, “What happened to the great entrepreneurs?” My good friend, are you talking about people like Benjamin Franklin? Thomas Edison? Henry Ford? John D. Rockefeller? Frank and Dan Carney? Frank Barton and Tom Devlin? The Koch brothers? These are people who spotted opportunities and trends, and “holes in a market,” then used their own money, or other peoples’ money, or institutional money to concentrate their force, narrow their front and pursue to provide a product or service to satisfy the need they identified. Their motives were not to be “paying as much as possible to each and every worker while still maintaining a safe profit margin.” They, like any astute businessperson, know what the average rate for labor is in their area for using the skill sets that are required. They have to be able to attract good employees. They do so with higher wages, more benefits, better working conditions, etc., than the competition; but paying them as much as possible while still maintaining a safe profit margin was and is never at the top of their plan for any of them. Fran Jabara, well known and respected throughout the Midwest, has taught entrepreneurism for decades. Perhaps we should ask him. Since he does what he does for a living…he must know more than us…or at least, I’ve always felt that people who do something for a living know more on the subject than people who do not. Every marketer and business consultant I have ever known or listened to professes that a new, for-profit business have the same protocol. They first find the “hole” in the market. They then decide whether or not they can fill that “hole” with a product or service that enough consumers want, that no one else provides…and/or whether they can fill that “hole” with a product or service enough consumers want, that others may seemingly provide, but not at their low of a price. It is always that qualitative and/or qualitative marketing edge that spells success for any business. Once they get this part figured out, they prepare a business plan. They use the plan to justify spending their own money, their own credit line, that of stockholders, investors, or “angel” or “venture capital” money to underwrite the capitalized and operational expenses that will be required. Once operations begin, they must live up to that business plan through controlling expenses and maximizing income. I have never seen, assisted or consulted a for-profit business plan that is based upon how much society is bettered. Each is always based upon the likelihood of producing a profit given a well thought out given set of projected sales and expenses relative to filling the “hole” in the market they identified. 4. My good friend, you make quite a few generalizations as you make your points, such as, “A good business owner does not get too greedy and keep every penny they can while paying as little as possible to their employees simply because they can. A good business owner understands that you must contribute to society and community as a whole in order to keep society from falling apart, because when that happens businesses and society lose.” Respectfully, in most cases sir, generalizations cause credibility to go “south.” I know business owners who do as you say, but they are no longer business owners. They are former business owners. The good business owner does all that he/she can to first “stay in the game” if things are bad, until better market and economic conditions prevail, or all that he/she can do to perpetuate and propagate his/her business in better times. I am sorry, but I respectfully disagree with you that their primary thought should be the betterment of society. It has to be survival first, then growth second. 5. Sir, all business owners are not greedy. All bankers are not greedy. All people on Wall Street are not greedy. Greed is one of the seven deadly sins. We both know it’s out there and has been for as long as man has existed, but protesters are throwing everyone into the same “pot.” I would think that protesting makes sense when the protesters are protesting one issue that an entire entity or group has taken the opposite position. Like when a company fails to meet the union’s demand, the employees strike and protest the company’s position. To hold demonstrations for a few however, that are “out of bounds,” is like a teacher taking it out on the whole class of twenty students for three of them who failed to do their homework. My opinion sir is that the protest loses its credibility when it is spread across an entire segment, when that entire segment is not guilty. 6. I don’t know where you got that John and Mary were paying themselves $25 per hour. I have examined what I wrote a dozen times. They each took a monthly salary of $2,500 per month. They each, like most owners, put in many more than 40 hours per week, but they each take a salary instead of an hourly wage. Most business owners I have consulted know that there are 2,080 hours in a year of regular time on a 40 hour work week (52 weeks x 40). $2,500 per month works out to $30,000 per year. $30,000 divided by 2,080 hours is $14.42 per hour. And while we’re on the math side of things my good friend, one of the caveats I included was that there were Federal Withholding Taxes paid by J & M of $3,500 for each of 6 employees. As a business owner, I’m sure you know, this amount of withholding would be the current tax law’s 15% rate. $3,500 divided by .15 would be a gross income of $23,333.00 per year, or $11.22 per hour for 2,080 hours per year. $11.22 per hour is not minimum wage. Further, being an owner or co-owner of several businesses, I don’t see it being “out of bounds” for owners to make $14.42 per hour and the employees making $11.22 per hour. Frankly, I would very much like to be making more than my employees in any business that I own and operate. I do not. I have always had employees making more than I…even though I put in as much as 60% more hours each week than any of them! But…as you know…that is the way it is for business owners. 7. I echo the above paragraph as a counterpoint to your quote on Benjamin Franklin. I do agree sir, that too much of anything is not good. But you are referring to greed. The above paragraph and the counters to your points surely are not greedy, are they sir? In summary, I agree with you that it is “out of bounds” for some CEOs to make millions in bonuses, stock options, salaries and perks that work out to thousands of dollars per hour while those on the front line make wages in the one or two digits per hour. Each should be rewarded in accordance with what he/she brings to the table. The more responsibility, the more accountability, the more likely one is to get terminated if he/she cannot do or does not do the job. As much as you may not like to hear it sir, top level management and administration is based upon supply and demand. There are a whole lot more people who can run a punch press than can be a CEO of a large company. This is not unkind or untruthful. This is a fact. Since there is a limited number of people who can qualify for the position, these people are more in demand. This makes their compensation package go up. In the recent past, company boards have had to increase the ante to pay these people even when they don’t perform. In my opinion sir, this is wrong and it should be illegal. Further, any board member of a company that votes for something like this or something that is hidden that works like this, should be removed from that seat…again my opinion. I have two “first cousins” to my line of thinking that bear mentioning. The first is why Capital Gains Tax rates are only 15% and Federal Income Tax rates are as high as 35%. Let me tell you. Ordinary income is guaranteed…meaning an hourly wage or a monthly salary is going to come to the recipient irrespective to the earnings of the company. Now if there are not enough company earnings, it may stop due to a layoff or the company shutting down, but all hourly and salary wages are guaranteed as long as the job holder has the job. There is nothing guaranteed about a business becoming or continuing to be successful. 33% of all business fail within two years. Over half fail within 4 years. Most often, someone else’s money is used as it fails. An investor, most often, will break even and get his money back, or “win” only 30% of the time when investing in a business. If he/she is a prudent investor, he/she will set a stop loss so they don’t go so far in the hole that it will take five “wins” from other investments to cover their loss on one. Thus why the business plan and adherence to the same is so important. The lower 15% Capital Gains Tax allows for investment miscues. Taking 15% of the “net” Capital Gains (wins minus loses) is proper. Throughout my life I have invested in everything from “Cowballs” (a baseball cap with a cowboy hat brim) and “Tater Maters,” (a cross between a potato and a tomato), to new types of media and solar cells made outside of a vacuum (when the process first happened back in the 70s). Most years there has been no positive “net,” meaning I am far below the “30% win” number. I took the risk on all of these investments. My employees’ compensation was guaranteed for as long as we were in business. Whether these and the other millions of private and commercial investments turn out to be successful or not, they need to be appreciated, rewarded and not stifled. I would hate to see what our country would look like without them…and the jobs they have created. The next “first cousin” is one in line with your comments…that of professional athletes. I do not believe there is anyone God ever created worth the money that is being paid to many of them. The life that God gave to them is priceless, but the materialistic value placed on their abilities has to be capped. Someday the fans will see the light, that the sponsor, team or the owner isn’t paying them anything…but rather they…the fans…are paying these salaries. They are paying them in the prices that they pay for the products and services they buy that are being advertised on TV during the event. They are paying them for the admission they pay to the event…the hot dogs and the beer they buy…and the apparel’s licensing fees they buy that go back to the league that are distributed among the teams. The same goes for compensation packages well above and beyond the talent supply and demand factors. At some point consumers will figure out these companies and boards aren’t paying any of it. The burden of paying for it is on the purchasers of their products and services. Maybe this should be the only motive of the “occupy” movements talked about earlier. It would sure make more sense than having one that is unlabeled and unfocused, seeded with violence, hate and destruction of property. M G, my good friend, I hope I have countered with some points that make sense for you to consider. Perhaps my original article, your letter and my rebuttal are here not so much so as to convince each other, but rather…as a way to allow the readers to make up their own minds. If they too could rid themselves of generalities in their charges and accusations, and remove personal attacks on each other as they discuss and have an honest debate of the issues, maybe we could get back to what this country was founded upon. If you answer my counterpoints in this article, I will publish them…God willing. Thank you my friend.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-10-24 12:20:57

Q: What’s new?

A: The last time someone asked me that, it took the past eight issues to answer the question (smile). This time it won’t take so many. The other day I was watching a young, female co-anchor, teamed with a more senior male anchor on CBS, grilling…in a most disrespectful manner in my opinion…Steve Forbes on what has been coined by President Obama as the “Buffet Tax.” She couldn’t understand personal income tax as it related to capital gains tax. Finally, the more senior anchor shut her down and took over the interview. It was amazing to me how this young co-anchor could be so unknowledgeable of her subject when she was questioning a person of Steve Forbes business savvy and experience. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think he or anyone else is the greatest business guru God ever created. It’s just that he is “miles” ahead of her understanding of business issues, and it was not being respected. You see, it wasn’t like she just was giving a news story. He was in the studio! She knew he would be in the studio. How could she not be prepared, even if she knew nothing about it beforehand? After a while, I had enough and began to pan channels as I usually do…and came across MSNBC. I caught a forum of five people basically knocking business in general and chiming in together how the government needs to control and regulate business even more in order to assure prosperity for all. I then panned over to another channel and they were showing what has become known as the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, or “Anti-Capitalist” movement. I thought, “What is this world coming to?” After shaking my head enough to begin hearing what few brains I have rattle, I thought to myself again, “You know, I have heard comments and protests from all kinds of folks on taxes, business and jobs for several months, and many of their comments are similar. It’s not that I have a problem with these people making these comments and protests…and neither should anyone…as the right to free speech is guaranteed each of us in the Constitution I so adamantly support. It’s just that in the present climate of our country needing so much help on so many fronts in such a short time, people need to be knowledgeable of their subject before they begin commenting and protesting. I for one don’t think that is too much to ask. Why do we need all of the ‘clutter’ that is created by those trying to confuse things? Lay out the facts…let’s solve the problems.” It’s about now that I thought, “My next article has to be something that almost anyone can understand, in an attempt to educate as many as I can about these subjects. Maybe getting everyone ‘on the same page’ will help us solve some problems we are all facing by getting credible input, instead of all of the ‘clutter’ we’ve been getting.” As I was preparing to write this article, I thought, if all I did was talk about our current 61,845 page tax code; or bad mouth those who are expressing their selves; or repeat the same endless rhetoric that you hear from the “right” and the “left” as they state their different positions on things…it would be very boring and the same old stuff you’ve heard so much of recently. So instead, I have chosen to tell you a story…a fictitious story…but one that has happened hundreds of thousands of times over the years in this and every other state in the country. It may still be boring, but it will certainly be easier to follow and understand…if you happen to be one who will take the time and wants to understand it. John, age 48, and Mary, age 46, are married and live in Wichita. John has worked for 24 years as an engineer for a local manufacturing plant. Mary had a position for six years as a buyer/merchandiser/manager for a woman’s clothing retailer when she was just out of college, but for the past 18 years she has been a stay-at-home Mom. One of Mary’s many other talents is baking…and more in particular…baking pies. Her recipes for her crust and her different types of pie filling are most unique and have resulted in Mary winning all types of prizes and awards. In early 2009, now with the kids in college or headed to college, and after years of planning and discussion, John and Mary decided to start a company to produce pies. They established a sub chapter “S” corporation called J & M Enterprises, Inc. (“J & M”), a Kansas Corporation located in Sedgwick County. J & M began their company with their Articles of Incorporation with a total of 100,000 shares of stock when it was established, but only 100 shares of stock were issued (50 shares to John and 50 shares to Mary), or in other words…each owned 50% of the company, with 99,900 shares of unissued, treasury stock in J & M. The board of directors consisted of John and Mary, each with one vote. A sub chapter “S” corporation pays no taxes, but rather its earnings pass through directly to the stockholders in the form of distributions, based upon each stockholder’s percent of ownership, and the stockholders pay taxes on these distributions as ordinary income…the same type of income that they would have as a salary working for any company. J & M decided to lease a building from John’s uncle Larry, age 78, rather than buy and existing building or build a new one. They obtained a 5 year, triple net lease (one where J & M would pay the maintenance, insurance and Property Tax) from Larry on the building, in favor of a most competitive lease payment and leasing terms. As they began operations, Larry became excited about the business possibilities, and since J & M needed additional operating capital to begin the business, Larry invested $100,000.00 in the company, in return for 50 shares of stock. John and Mary, the only board members, voted to issue these 50 shares and these were sold to Larry for his $100,000.00. Now the ownership of J & M stood at John, Mary and Larry each owning 1/3 of the company, with 99,850 shares of unissued, treasury stock. Larry also received a seat on the board. He had one vote, making now for a total of three, equal votes. J & M’s accounting was set up as cash-based, as opposed to accrual-based accounting, with a fiscal year end of December 31st. All this means is that all income and expenses were set up on actual cash paid out and actual cash received for each calendar year, rather than on accounts receivables and open invoices. They began operations in April of 2009. The equipment they purchased amounted to $74,000.00, not counting two delivery vehicles that were purchased. Rather than capitalize this equipment and depreciate it over several years, they expensed it all in 2009, which they could under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Service Code. John used his many talents and skills in the engineering area in laying out the building, and perfecting the production flow and process. Mary used her talents and skills in buying, marketing and management in setting up the “operational bluebook,” or what could also be called, their method of operation. Once production was up and running, the first thing Mary did was call on restaurants and pie retailers. She, along with two other employees, brought in samples of J & M’s pies. The owners/managers/buyers of the restaurants and the pie retailers loved them. J & M had a kickoff promotion where they gave each restaurant and pie retailer their first 25 pies FREE, if they would use these pies for sampling to their customers. They did and J & M became very successful. Even after expensing the equipment in their first year, J & M made $23,452.00 in net income in 2009, but in their first full year of operations in 2010, they had gross sales of $1,248,000.00, which generated $1,782,857.00 worth of retail sales, with all sales made in Sedgwick County, and net income (profit after all expenses were deducted from gross sales) of $225,000.00. At the end of 2010, there were 8 full time employees (counting John and Mary) and 2 part time employees. For the purposes of explaining the different taxes that were paid and how a business operates, let me analyze this first full year of operations for 2010. John and Mary each took a monthly salary of $2,500.00. J & M withheld Federal Income Tax on this amount and paid it to the IRS on a monthly basis, using the online EFTPS system. Larry as an investor took no salary. J & M also withheld the Medicare Employee Portion and put it together with the Medicare Company Portion that amounts to 1.45% of wages for each; and the Social Security Employee Portion and the Social Security Company Portion that amounts to 6.2% of wages for each and paid it to the IRS with the Federal Income Tax payment on a monthly basis, again using the online EFTPS system. For illustration purposes, I am not counting the 4.2% paid by the employee under the current temporary rule. Since J & M’s sales were to entities that resold their pies, J & M paid no Kansas Sales Tax. The Kansas Sales Tax was collected and paid by the entities that bought J & M’s pies for resale, who charged and collected the tax from the consumers of the pies. This amounted to $130,148.56. This amount of Kansas Sales Tax was paid to the Kansas Department of Revenue by the restaurants and pie retailers. The J & M board voted to make a distribution to each stockholder at the end of 2010 of $50,000.00. Although all of the money each stockholder received from J & M was only $50,000.00, because all earnings pass through to the stockholders individually whether they are distributed or not, John and Mary paid Federal Income Taxes for 2010 on earned income of $60,000.00 from their salaries; plus their 2/3rds of the net income of J & M, which was $150,000.00; less their deductions which amounted to $35,670.00; finally resulting in a taxable income of $174,330.00. This Federal Income Tax was paid by John and Mary at the Married and Filed Jointly Rate of 28%, for a total of $48,812.40. An amount of $1,860.00 in Social Security Employee & Company Portion was paid in by J & M for each John and Mary, and a lesser amount paid in for each of their 6 employees; and $435.00 in Medicare Employee & Company Portion was paid in by J & M for each John and Mary, with a lesser amount paid in for each of their 6 employees. Larry is in the top bracket. He paid 35% of his share of the earnings from J & M, or $26,250.00 in Federal Income Tax, in addition to the other Federal Income Tax he paid from his other interests and endeavors. So, in addition to J & M contributing $1,782,857.00 to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country through the retail sales of its products, and the creation of 8 jobs, let’s take a look at what this one small business did insofar as making contributions to the different tax coffers of government. Remember, this is only from J & M, their customers and their employees, and only for the year 2010. Federal Income Tax John & Mary $48,812.40 Larry $26,250.00 6 Other Employees, approx. $3,500.00 each, for a total of $21,000.00 Total $96,062.40 Medicare & Social Security Company & Employee Portion John $2,295.00 Mary $2,295.00 6 Other Employees, approx. $1,750.00 average each, for a total of $10,500.00 Total $15,090.00 Kansas Sales Tax Kansas State Sales Tax collected and paid by J & M’s customers, on J & M Products Sold, of $130,148.56 Total $130,148.56 Sedgwick County Property Tax Building $5,670.00 Delivery Vehicles $678.00 Total $6,348.00 Kansas State Income Tax 3.5% of all wages paid for the year, less $2,250.00 per person allowance, for all employees of the company Total $10,023.10 Kansas State Unemployment (Employer pays approximately 5-7% of first $8,000 of wages on each employee, employee pays nothing) Total $3,200.00 Not bad for an idea, huh? Over $260,000.00 paid in one year…to the above tax coffers…with more than $111,000 of this amount going into the Federal coffers. This does not count other taxes that were paid such as gasoline tax on gas used by the delivery vehicles, title and registration taxes, business license taxes, etc. A total of 8 jobs were created. Thus far in 2011, they are running at 23.1% ahead of sales and 26.2% ahead of net income as compared to 2010. They have added two more employees. This will put just shy of $320,000.00 in all of these tax coffers for this year alone. Please note, this does not count the “second and subsequent” rounds of taxes generated and paid by all of these people spending the money they earn back in the economy…and the places where they spend their money spending their money…or the many different places that J & M spends their money, and on the products they buy to build their pies…or the businesses where they buy the products they buy to build their pies spend their money…and where these places’ employees spend their money…or the businesses that retail the pies and where these businesses’ employees spend their money… I love business…and how it works…don’t you? Long Term Capital Gains Just recently, a buyer surfaced and offered to buy J & M. A conservative multiplier for determining value of such an entity is 3-4 times net income. Projected net income for 2011 is $283,950.00. The board elected to sell for 3 times net income. The selling price was $851,850.00. There is now a Long Term Capital Gains Tax due from each of the owners to the Federal Government. This amounts to 15% of the selling price, minus the amount paid for the investment, plus earnings, minus distributions. This is the only long-term investment asset John, Mary and Larry sold in this calendar year. Each will pay an approximate amount of $45,000.00 each. Total $135,000.00 Federal Estate Tax Just two months after the sale closed, Larry died unexpectedly. He was a bachelor all his life. His net taxable estate, after all deductions and credits was valued at $12.5 million. His estate will pay $2,625,000.00 to the Federal Government as Federal Estate Tax under the current law. If the current law expires and the old rates go back into effect, his estate would pay more than $4 million to the Federal Government as Federal Estate Tax. Total $2,625,000.00 This is just one small business…and what it did! How can anyone not appreciate this? While I am here, let me also address another comment you have heard and will continue to hear from President Obama, people in the “Anti-Capitalist” or “Occupy Wall Street” movement, and people like the one the young, female anchor who was trying to pin Steve Forbes… “Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary.” In all fairness to the exact wording of this comment, it is true. Mr. Buffet does pay a lower tax rate if you compare the 15% Capital Gains Tax with the Federal Income Tax, but it is not true if you compare his Federal Income Tax rate to her Federal Income Tax rate. It is like saying two pieces of fruit are the same, even though one is an apple and the other is an orange. Yes, they’re both pieces of fruit, just as two taxes are both taxes, but they are different. Why is it that some people cannot tell things the way they are? When will they stop trying to confuse us poor, ol’, dumb, country bumpkins? Another example…over the past few weeks, President Obama went around the country on the America Jobs Bill saying, “If this bill is passed, it will put an additional $1,400.00 in the pockets of every family in America.” Who can argue with this not being a good deal? But what he didn’t tell us about are the 567 rules and regulations that are part of this bill that will hamper business and hurt other groups of people, resulting in a reduction of jobs being created, more government involvement in our lives and more bureaucracy…and the cost of $500 Billion to go with our almost $15 Trillion debt. Obamacare was handled in the same manner, only instead of 567 rules and regulations, there were more than 5,000! Do you get as tired as I do, of being treated like an idiot? You see, Warren Buffet’s income comes from at least three sources. The first is his salary. Over the years, he has taken an annual salary from companies that he owns for as little as $1 to much more. If he took the same salary as his secretary, he would pay the exact same Federal Income Tax rate on that salary as does she. This is comparing an “apple” with an “apple.” The second source of his income is from dividends and distributions from the companies he owns, co-owns or from the stock he owns in these companies. These of course are for the most part…huge for Mr. Buffet, and the ordinary dividends are treated as ordinary income, along with his salary under the first source of his income. If they are qualified dividends (too long of an explanation for this article), they are treated under his third source of income, which is capital gains. Capital gains come about from the sale of an investment (i.e. stock, mutual funds, property, precious metals, a business, etc.). If the individual owned what he/she sold for less than one year before he/she sold it, it would be a short-term capital gain. If the individual owned what he/she sold for longer than one year before he/she sold it, it would be a long-term capital gain. Short-term capital gains are treated as ordinary income…his second source of income. Taxes on long-term capital gains are based upon which ordinary income bracket you fall under. You pay nothing on long-term capital gains if your ordinary income bracket is 10-15%. If you are in the 25% or higher bracket, you are taxed (for the most part) at 15% of the selling price, minus the amount paid for the investment, plus earnings, minus distributions. At the end of the year, if all you had were short term capital gains and losses, you would take the short-term capital gains, minus the short-term capital losses, and pay on the difference as ordinary income. If you ended up with a net loss, and you have a long-term capital gain, you can deduct the short-term capital loss net from the long-term capital loss gain and pay 15% of the difference. You can write off the balance (if any) of your short term capital gain at the rate of $3,000 per year. Getting confused? This is not even the “tip of the iceberg.” This is all a small part of our 61,845 page current tax code…and beginning soon…there will be many more pages…some few know anything about…with additional taxes that will be assessed, changed, added, modified and increased as Obamacare and many more regulations continue to unfold. All of this is the biggest reason why I am such a big advocate of the FairTax (see September ’11 issue). Were it to be in effect, it would have brought in more than $400,000.00 to the Federal Tax coffers for 2010 from J & M instead of $111,000, not counting what would have been brought into the state coffers…AND…there would be no Federal Income Tax paid by anyone, nor would there be any Medicare Tax from J & M or the employees paid, no Social Security Tax from J & M or the employees paid, no Short or Long Term Capital Gains paid and no Federal Estate Taxes paid. The FairTax would have brought in 360% more revenue to the Federal Government than our present tax system did from J & M! If you love how this one small business created jobs and contributed taxes to all these tax coffers under our present tax code from the example above…imagine what it would have been under the FairTax? This is the kind of revenue we need to solve our problems. This is the kind of revenue we need to take of all of those that need to be taken care of; to defend us; to keep us ahead of the world; to balance our budget; to pay off our debt; and to allow us to return the good ol’ days that we all thought were gone for good. As I stated earlier, J & M is a fictitious company and this is a fictitious story, but one that happens thousands of times in this and every other state in the country. This is America. This is capitalism. This is what built our country. Someone tell me what is wrong with this? What is this “Anti-Capitalist,” class warfare movement we have been seeing from some of our leaders…the President included…and from demonstrations in New York and other larger cities around America? Who, in their right mind, cannot appreciate the role of small business in America? What really is it that they want? America is also based upon collective input and has been for nearly 250 years. I want to hear what others have to say, but I don’t want “smoke” and distortions of the truth. Lay out the facts…let’s solve the problems. Once understood, why would the government or any advocate group want to do anything to impede J & M, or any business, with increased tax burdens and regulations, and the lack of respect shown by so many who don’t understand how business works and how jobs are created? Wouldn’t we…as a society…welcome 100,000 such businesses…or a million? Rather, it’s been, “Let’s eat small business…the rich…and while we’re at it…let’s eat anyone who has anything at all.” But there has been no thought of what to do after the “meal.” Small businesses will forever be the backbone of our economy. Government doesn’t create jobs. It does not affect the GDP of our country. People in government are supposed to take the tax revenues shown above, and administer them. How do we get back to a government of the people, by the people and for the people? Isn’t it time for government to stand back and get out of the way? Our Founding Fathers knew we needed some government…and they were right…but we don’t need more than it takes. When the day comes that there are no more J & Ms starting up, flourishing and creating jobs…in my opinion…you can color this country gone. Anyway…that’s what I think.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-10-24 12:18:44

Q: What’s new?

A: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. For the past seven issues, I have presented my case of why the US Dollar (USD) is in more peril than ever in its history of losing its status as the world’s reserve currency, while using research from a wide variety of places. If you have read these, you know that I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people, with appropriate action being taken. I would have much preferred people with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but it wasn’t being done to the extent that it needed to be done. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope that something can be done before it’s too late. Maybe it’s already too late. Last month, I presented three solutions with this request…whether you’re on the right, left or in the middle…if what I have presented makes sense…holler until you’re hoarse…BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT…PRIVATE OVERSIGHT…AND FAIRTAX. We could have these implemented in less than 90 days! Humbly, please allow me to say…throughout this series I have received more compliments and accolades from my presentation of these issues than anything I have ever written in my life. Thank you. However, in all fairness, that doesn’t encompass an awful lot. While it does include 22 years of publishing and being in the process of writing my third book, it’s not what I do what I do for a living. Of course I have also received the “We’ll get you rightie,” “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” and “Cancel my subscription” messages too. Throughout this series, I have chastised all who have contributed to our mess (myself included) about the same and tried to concentrate more on solving the problem with a plan instead of just ridicule and rhetoric. I have tried using the approach…enough is enough…let’s get these things fixed. I just want you to know before you read any more of this article, that I am the same guy writing it as the guy who wrote all of the others. If you have respected my insights, research, presentation and proposals in all that you’ve read thus far…please consider giving me some of the same respect for this last article…the one I have stated is guaranteed to work. I pretty well can assure you…I didn’t just all of the sudden turn into an idiot. My final solution…Solution #4 – Praying the Right Kind of Prayer. Yes, you read correctly…praying the right kind of prayer. Even at the risk of you dismissing all that I and others have brought to you on the USD losing its status as the world’s reserve currency…and all of the “heat” I will get from writing about this solution (which I will welcome), praying the right kind of prayer is our most powerful solution of all, and how I have chosen to end this series. It is guaranteed to work, and I will explain. You know how I have been saying in each article that I am not an economist or a politician? Well, I am also not a minister, priest or any other member of the clergy. I am however a realist, a bigger sinner than most, and a Christian. Of all the statements and opinions I have shared with you in this series…I will now make my boldest prediction. The amount of time we spend praying the right kind of prayer in this life…will serve as an eternal remorse for each of us in the next life. You may want to read this last statement again…or perhaps even a dozen times. Here is what I mean. If anyone who has ever died…could come back and give the rest of us who are still alive…one tip to help us more than anything else for the life that is to come…I believe it would be…one cannot spend enough time in this life…praying the right kind of prayer. Given the opportunity, those souls who have gained salvation, although completely happy and at peace, would suffer again all the pains of their life on earth to be able come back for only five minutes and spend them praying the right kind of prayer in order to earn a higher place in Heaven. Those souls in Hell, in an everlasting state of torment, would give everything and every pleasure they ever had in this life, an infinite number of times, to be able come back for five minutes and spend it asking for God’s forgiveness for all they had ever done against His will, and asking for His mercy…something they didn’t do before they died. Most people do not want to think about things like this. I would imagine this includes most of you. I am sure that once again…I am the “odd” one. I think about these things several times each day. But you know what? Neither of the above situations will ever happen. Why? Because there is no time in eternity. There is no time to do, undo or redo…anything. Ecclesiastes 11:3 says, “If the clouds are full, they pour out rain upon the earth; and whether a tree falls toward the south or toward the north, wherever the tree falls, there it lies.” Don’t quit reading yet. Please stay with me. Of course, this eternal remorse of not spending more time praying the right kind of prayer while in this life would be much more manageable for those souls who are in Heaven. Can you imagine being in Hell and having to bear this eternal remorse, along with the thought of how little was required to have gained salvation? Remorse in this life can be handled quite often with sincere apologies and resolutions of amendment that are kept. We have time to change things. Remorse…with no time to do, undo or redo anything…has to be a Hell in itself. This is why someday…whether in this life or the next…each of us will look back at how we spent our entire lives and realize…every moment we did not spend praying the right kind of prayer…was a moment wasted. Do you think, if these souls were given these five minutes, their prayers would be unusually focused? Bet everything you have on it. I doubt that any of their minds would be wandering. So if you buy into praying the right kind of prayer being the solution for the problems we have been discussing for the past several months (and any problem), and you intend to spend more of your time doing it, do so with all of the focus you can muster. If you are one who is still reading, and I do hope you are, you might be asking yourself, “How can he purport to know this stuff?” Let me give you two reasons. One, as I have gotten older and suffered and grieved through the most recent deaths of my mother and my father-in-law, my father, my grandparents, my son, many other members and extended members of my family, my friends and associates, and the illnesses of so many who are far and near and dear to me who are currently suffering…I realize more than ever…my faith is right on track. There has to be more to this life than feeding the insatiable appetite for money, power and sex; finding a more comfortable recliner; searching for a better tasting wine or a more juicy steak; witnessing an event; having a bigger home or a lakeside cottage…or both; driving a hotter car; shooting par; or some destination. I will be the first to admit, I have gone after most of these things as much or more than most, but if one will take time to think about it, if this is all there is to life…aren’t we all just serving our time until we die…trying to be as comfortable as we can? Isn’t this what animals do? There has to be more than this. I believe with all of my being that there is. By far, the biggest prize we will have ever sought in our lives, awaits each of us…but we have to gain it. It doesn’t just come to us. Praying the right kind of prayer is paramount in this endeavor. The second reason is that I am in the midst of writing a book on prayer, and through everything I have worked on and researched for these past many months in regards to this subject, I realize now more than ever…praying the right kind of prayer can do more for us for any type of problem…than any other solution…we will ever face in this life. Why? Because it is guaranteed to work (full explanation to come). So now, with the biggest problems we as a country, have faced in nearly a century, there can be nothing that would be more appropriate than praying the right kind of prayer. But before I get into this in more depth, were I to be you, I would want a basis from which to begin my consideration. Please allow me to provide you with this…using my own words. What I will present is based upon my faith and the Bible. You may differ with the points I make. I would only respectfully ask that when you do, ask yourself, “On what basis do I disagree?” “Is it based upon my own thoughts and feelings and/or those of others?” As I have stated, the basis I will use is my faith and the Bible. I don’t know about you, but with eternity at stake, I would not want to have to deal with the remorse of having myself or some other mortal or mortals telling me something that I followed, when I had been presented with substantially more credible information. But then, that’s just me. I will promise you…if you will stay with me until the end, you will get one of two things: Either you will get something you may have never heard and/or considered before that could change the rest of your life and your next life; or you will get just enough information to rule out anything I and others like me have to say on this subject from this point forward. I figure you will consider one of them a benefit…but you have to stay with me all the way until the end. Here is the basis from which I ask you to begin your consideration. See at what point you disagree. I try to imagine an all-powerful, almighty, all-knowing, all-loving, all-good, all-wise, all-just, all-merciful and all-forgiving Supreme Being, who never had a beginning and will never have an end. This Supreme Being is God. I know that with my human intellect and all my inadequacies, I am not able to fully understand this, but I do believe this is the way it is. For billions and billions of years, and an infinite number of times more than this, God existed. At some point, He created the angels. Angels are beings of a higher nature than man. God created them with a free will. All of the angels shared Heaven with God. At some point, He gave them a test that would determine their destiny. Lucifer, one of the highest-ranked and most intelligent angels, along with other angels chose by their free will to be prideful. They all failed the test by acting as if they were equal to God. They revolted against Him. For this, God created Hell and sentenced all of them to the worst torments possible in this dreadful place for all eternity. Time passed. I don’t know how long. At that time, God created everything we know in this world: the planets, the solar system, the oceans, the trees, the firmament…and all creatures great and small. He may have created all of these outright; or He may have created these and allowed them to evolve; or He may have done some of both. He created all of these over several days. We do not know the length of each day. Each day may have been hours… or millions of years. The days may have been different in length. We do not know. According to the Bible (which He gave us as His word, handed down through prophets, who were guided, enlightened and inspired by the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity), He created Adam and Eve and put them in the Garden of Paradise. He created them in His image and likeness. This doesn’t mean they looked like God, although they might have. It means that they (and us) have an immortal soul…which is of God…and from God. There was no want, no sickness and no death in the Garden of Paradise. Adam and Eve did not have to work, suffer or worry. This was truly Heaven on Earth. It might even have been Heaven. Like the angels, God created man with a free will. He gave Adam and Eve only one commandment. It was very simple: Do not eat the fruit of a certain tree. “But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat. For in what day soever thou shalt eat of it, thou shalt die the death. (Genesis 2:36) God allowed Lucifer, Satan, the Devil (or whatever other name he was known by) to tempt Eve to eat the fruit. She succumbed. She shared it with Adam. He succumbed. As punishment, God drove them from the Garden of Paradise. He then closed the gates of entry. From that point forward, because of this “original” sin, man would have to work by the sweat of his brow to survive: “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return to the earth, out of which thou wast taken: for dust thou art, and into dust thou shalt return.” (Genesis 3:19) There would be famine, pain, sickness, pestilence and death for Adam, Eve and all of their offspring, and all of their offspring’s offspring. When someone in the Old Testament died, his or her soul went either to Hell (the place made for Lucifer and his followers), or to the place of the dead, a holding place for souls worthy of Paradise. They had to go there, because the gates of Heaven were closed by the sin of Adam and Eve. My faith says this holding place was called “hell,” too, but it was a different Hell from the eternal home of Satan. I believe it was called hell because it was a place where God was not. Later in history, God the Father, Who is in Heaven, through prophets in the Bible, foretold of a Savior who would come into this world, suffer and die for all of the sins of everyone who ever lived. The prophecies came true when Jesus Christ, the divine Son of God, the second Person of the Holy Trinity, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Bethlehem approximately 2,000 years ago. While our Lord Jesus Christ was on this earth, He gave us everything we need to gain salvation. He showed us the greatness of God and the love God has for each of us. He began His Church. He instituted the Sacraments as a necessary aid to our salvation. He gave full authority to St. Peter, and his successor Popes, to govern His Church infallibly, in all matters of faith and morals. He gave St. Peter the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19) Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) He suffered and died on the cross at Calvary for all of the sins of man for all time. By doing this, He reopened the gates of Heaven that had been closed by the sin of Adam and Eve. As He was dying on the cross, He gave us His Blessed Mother to be our Mother. “When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son. After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother.” (John 19:26-27) Following His death on the cross, our Lord descended into hell (the holding place) and released the departed souls who had died and were worthy of Paradise. On the third day, He arose again from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and He sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. It has been nearly 2,000 years since Jesus Christ died on the cross for our salvation. How much longer will God allow this world to exist? Only He knows. Man’s existence is what we might think of as a “stripe” on the highway called the Existence of God. This highway never had a beginning, and will never have an end. Although each of us is but a speck on this stripe, each of us has been created by God in His image and likeness, with an immortal soul. This immortal soul is the closest thing to God we have in our being. Throughout our life…it yearns to be back with Him. This is why all of the things one acquires or experiences in this life (i.e. prestige, social ranking, money, power, sex, that comfortable recliner, better tasting wine, more juicy steak, an event, bigger home or lakeside cottage or both, hotter car, low golf round or some destination), will never fully satisfy us. The search for these things is called concupiscence…an inordinate desire for pleasure…something we all received from the original sin of Adam and Eve. Notice the phrasing...an inordinate desire for pleasure. The desire for pleasure is a good and holy thing. In fact, St. Augustine notes that there can be no good unless it is delighted in. But original sin has wrangled pleasure, turning it into an end in itself. Instead of serving the good of others, the yearning for pleasure often turns us in on ourselves. God made each of us so the only thing that truly satisfies us is when our soul is with God. In the next life, that will be when we are with Him. In this life, we will never come closer to God than when we are praying the right kind of prayer. In doing so, we honor, praise and glorify Him. Now this next statement may go down hard, but be assured, it too…is the way it is. For any of us to do anything but honor, praise and glorify such a supreme, all-powerful, almighty and infinite God… is an insult worthy of eternal damnation in the fires of Hell…the place He made for Lucifer and his followers. If God condemned Lucifer for his sin of pride…one of the highest-ranked, brightest and most intelligent angels…to an eternity of punishment in Hell….He will condemn us too if our soul is in the state of serious sin when we die. God loves each of us. He wants each of us to be with him forever in Heaven. He did not create any one of us to spend an eternity in Hell. The Way to Him is through His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The way to Jesus is His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, His Church, the Sacraments, the Bible, and the Angels and Saints. These are part of the “keys to the kingdom of Heaven.” That’s it. This is my basis for your consideration of this most important solution of all…praying the right kind of prayer. Did you disagree with me along the way? At what point? On what basis did you disagree? What do I mean the right kind of prayer? I will consider the first three questions rhetorical, although I would welcome the opportunity to discuss any or all of them with you. Please let me answer the last question. Prayer can best be described as talking with God. God is everywhere. We can talk to Him whenever and wherever we wish. Isn’t it something that many of us spend much of our lives trying to “befriend the king,” (i.e. some important person, the boss, a sports’ or movie celebrity, a socialite, the head of an organization, etc.), and all we have done if we are successful is befriend another mortal like ourselves? All we have to do to befriend God is talk with Him. We are never closer to Him than when we pray the right kind of prayer. When I think of talking with God, I often think of the red light that is on top of the camera when I have done TV commercials and videos. Most anyone who has done this type of work knows you can do anything you want to do until you see the red light. When you see it, you want to be sure you are doing your best and are totally focused because everything is “live.” In order that I focus on what I am saying when I talk with God, I say to myself, “The light is on. You are now talking with God.” I try to remember this throughout the remainder of my prayers. “The light is on!” So how does one pray? The best authority on this subject is our Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 11: 1-13 and Matthew 6: 5-14, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples,” He taught them the Our Father. While most of us have said this prayer hundreds of times, how long has it been since you’ve stopped and pondered what it really says? It begins with an expression of our acceptance that God is our Father; that He is holy; that His name is holy; that His will will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven; then our requests begin…that He gives us our daily bread (what we really need); that He forgives our offenses as we forgive others’ offenses against us; that He helps us in time of temptation; and that He delivers us from evil. I think He was trying to tell us something, don’t you? To have God hear our prayers and act upon them, they must be pleasing to Him. There is only one way that they will ever be pleasing to Him. That is, if we pray completely for the will of God to be done in all things. This is the right kind of prayer. You can be assured of this…there is no way to honor, praise and glorify God more than to pray for His will to be done in all things. Although we often think we do…not one of us know the will of God. Based upon all we know as mortals…we think that it would be a bad deal if the USD loses its status as the world’s reserve currency; or if the Chinese take over our country and our economy because of the huge amount of our debt that they hold; or if the United States is no longer the leader of the world; or if someone is or is not re-elected again; or if a loved one doesn’t recover from an illness; or if we fail in business or a personal endeavor of some kind; or if fire and brimstone rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah. With all of the human understanding given to us by God, we think we have a pretty good idea what will happen if these things happen or do not happen, but we do not know if any of these are what God wills. God wants us to ask Him for we want and what we think we want, but He wants us to ask that it be His will, that His will be done in regards to these petitions and intentions, that He makes us an instrument of His will, and that He gives us the grace to accept His will. Quite often the best way to describe the right way to do something is to describe the wrong way to do it. Have you ever found yourself praying any of these types of prayer? • Dictatorial prayer – it brings its desires to God and tries to get God to accept them. Its language is, “I want; I want.” Perhaps it is not so expressed, but that is the cry of the heart. It is not considering what God wants, it is thinking of self and self looms so large that God is left out of the question. • Grumbling prayer – this, that, or the other has not been going right. God is blamed for not answering prayer. Through the prayer there is an attitude of dissatisfaction. There is a frown in it. • Complaining prayer – it is a petulant recital of the faults of others. So many people are like children who run to their parents with complaints about their playmates. They whine, and sniff, and feel themselves very much aggrieved, and want to pour it all out into God’s ear. God wants us to put away childish things and approach Him like right-minded, sensible, intelligent, grown-up individuals. • Resentful prayer – this is the type of prayer that comes from a heart, which within, is saying, “I have prayed and Thou hast not answered. I have cried and Thou hast not helped.” It is not satisfied with the manner in which God answers, or with the time when He answers. It is a disgruntled prayer that is full of rebellion. • Doubting prayer – this is not the prayer that is merely uncertain of God’s will because it has not yet been learned, but the prayer that questions Him, that doubts His fidelity, or His willingness to hear and answer. It is the prayer that puts a question mark after His promises. It distrusts God. • Pompous prayer – such prayer is only a prayer of the lips and an insult to God. It is a hypocritical prayer, and no such prayer was ever answered, neither is there any expectation that it will be answered. Such a prayer is a “pompous form.” It has no more of real prayer substance than solid material in the inflated balloon. People ask for what they do not really desire, and for that which they do not expect to be granted. Some deliver prayers to an audience, with the audience, not God, in mind. • The hypocritical prayer – these prayers are prayed by people who seem to be very good and who have no idea of being hypocrites. One prays, “O Lord, save my neighbors,” yet makes no effort to do anything toward their salvation. He desires them to be saved; yet he goes on his way very complacently, having no compunction of conscience, because he does nothing to lead them to Christ. Another prays, “O Lord, save the heathen. O Lord, raise up missionaries to go,” but in his heart he says, “But don’t take John or Mary; leave my children with me. I have other plans for them. Send somebody else’s children as missionaries.” All these are examples of hypocritical prayers, and all such prayers are an affront to God.’ Leaving the negative, let us look at the positive side. Prayer…prayed in complete accordance to God’s will…first and always…is sincere prayer. There is nothing pharisaical or hypocritical about it. It is the yearning of the heart, which is moved by the right motives and animated with a deep sincerity. Every word is the honest sentiment of the heart. It is not mere lip service. It is not mere form. It is always characterized by humility, for humility is always a characteristic of godly sincerity. It is also the prayer of simplicity. Its language is not stilted or pompous, for there is little thought of effect. It is the simple cry of the child to its Father. The prayer that is prayed according to God’s will is always a submissive prayer. It does not press its own desires. The language of the heart is, “Thy will be done.” It does not argue with God. It does not choose the way He shall answer; in fact, it has no requirements for Him. It trusts in divine wisdom, counts God faithful, hopes all things and believes all things. It is the prayer of confidence, not the prayer of doubt. It believes God, and is ready to write, “This is true,” and sets its seal to all of God’s promises.” We come to the Father through Christ and it is through Christ that we gain our Salvation. It is Christ who throughout his ministry, continually stated most clearly that He came not to do His own will but the will of the One who sent Him, namely His heavenly Father. Even when He knew He was about to suffer the agony of the Crucifixion, He prayed not for His own will but the will of his Father. We must always live the example of the Savior in our own lives, beginning of course with how we pray. Regardless of what we seek, we must always pray for God’s will to be done, that He makes us an instrument of His will, and that He gives us the grace to accept His will. Remember earlier how I said, “I will promise you…if you can stay with me until the end, you will get one of two things: Either you will get something you may have never heard and/or considered before that could change the rest of your life and your next life; or you will get just enough information to rule out anything I and others like me have to say on this subject from this point forward. I figure you will consider one of them a benefit…but you have to stay with me all the way to get it.” Here it is, and it is one of the few things in life that cannot be refuted. God’s will…will be done…every time…in every situation. Book this, just as you would book the sun coming up in the east tomorrow morning…assuming God wills it. Although we can ask for anything (and God really wants us to do so), why would we, as His subjects, want to pray for anything else but His will to be done in all things, since it is going to be done anyway? It is a much more comfortable existence to do so and you are guaranteed to have your prayers answered. So, if you believe what I and others have presented in this series, that we have some serious issues facing us as a nation, in this last…most important solution of all…we need to pray that it be His will for a balanced budget amendment, private oversight and the FairTax; that our elected and appointed officials govern, execute, legislate and adjudicate in accordance with His will; that His will be done in all things…nothing more…nothing less…nothing else; that He makes us an instrument of His will; and that He gives us the grace to accept His will. Like I have stated for these past several months…this solution is guaranteed to work. While I titled this series, “Our borrowed existence,” which refers to the USD losing its status as the world’s reserve currency and what I and others think will happen if it loses that status, our real borrowed existence is our life on this earth. It and all that’s in it has been borrowed from God. He can take any or all of it back at any time of His choosing. Let us each be sure when He does, we have honored, praised, glorified, loved and served Him as He deserves; and prayed for His will to be done in all things. Everything will be okay if we do. Thank you for allowing me to present this entire series.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-10-24 12:05:45

Q: What’s new?

A: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. For the past six issues, I have presented my case of why the US Dollar (USD) is in more peril than ever in its history of losing its status as the world’s reserve currency, while using research from a wide variety of places, such as Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. If you have read these, you know that I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I would have much preferred people with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but it wasn’t being done to the extent that it needed to be done. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope something can be done before it’s too late. Maybe it’s already too late. Last month, we talked about a couple of examples of societies that did not learn from history, that shared many of the same things with us that we find ourselves involved in today. This month, I will provide three solutions that I believe will work to restore the USD as the world’s reserve currency and get our country back to fiscal soundness in the quickest fashion. I will apologize in advance for the length but these three solutions needed to be presented together and they take a quite a bit of space to do so. Next month, I will give you my final solution that I can promise…is guaranteed to work. As I did in the very first article in this series, I told you I am not writing from any standpoint of hate. This problem is much bigger than hate and any political persuasion. I am, as are many of you, fed up with the games of the politicians. We have witnessed and continue to witness the biggest political games that have been played in decades with the deficit, debt and debt ceiling issues. I am convinced, if a pipe sprang a leak there, where most people would set about finding the leak, finding the cause of it, and fixing it…our elected officials, from the President on down would first think, “How can we blame this leak on the other side?” Then they would express why the other side’s way of fixing this leak is playing to the far right or the extreme left, or why it won’t work, without offering a solution that would work. Then they would explain why a commission should be appointed to study whether or not there is actually a leak…and on and on. Meanwhile, the leak is ruining everything and no one is fixing it. When I think of Washington, DC and our elected officials, I often think of Sodom and Gomorrah and Abraham talking to God. “Lord, if I could just find 10 elected officials that wouldn’t play politics with everything from “hairnet to hip boots” and from “soup to nuts,” would you spare our country and the USD’s borrowed existence as the world’s reserve currency?” Here are the top seven factors contributing to the USD losing that status: 1. The price of gold has gone up for 10 years in a row. Name any other market that’s ever risen for 10 consecutive years. There are none. This is a historical anomaly, and it means something has gone badly wrong with the world’s reserve currency. Markets, if left to find their own equilibrium, will naturally fluctuate. Gold isn’t fluctuating. Its steady move up proves something strange is happening to our money. 2. Our government’s deficits are out of control. The government’s annual deficits now routinely surpass $1 Trillion. The first $1 Trillion deficit came in 2008 – and the government explained it away as the consequence of the financial crisis. But we racked up another $1 Trillion deficit in 2009 and yet another 1.3 Trillion in 2010. We’ll have another $1.6 Trillion in 2011 and so on. Our national debt has doubled since 2005. We’ve borrowed more money in the last five years than we had in the entire history of our government until then. This is not sustainable. 3. The government cannot increase tax revenues enough to cover our spending or repay our debts – ever. Our annual deficits have become completely unlinked to taxes. Total federal income taxes and corporate taxes generate $2.1 Trillion a year in revenue, and we still ran a $1.3 Trillion federal deficit last year. So even if we increased tax revenues by more than 60%, we would just break even. I’m sure some of you with a more liberal persuasion just commented, “Oh, so there is a solution where we could get another $1.3 Trillion, huh?” 4. Special-interest groups – particularly government unions – are looting our Treasury. Self-serving special interest groups have completely hijacked government spending. We now spend $200 billion a year on federal pensions. We’re spending another $450 billion on welfare. This spending, combined with our defense spending ($700 billion), exceeds total federal tax revenue and leaves nothing to pay the $220 billion in interest on our debt, nothing to pay for actual government services (like roads, bridges, elected officials’ salaries, benefits, national health care, etc.), and nothing to pay towards the inevitable Social Security/Medicare shortfall. Remember in all of this…most voters do not pay taxes. The majority do not pay taxes. They receive, but they do not pay. Our democratic way is that the majority rules. It is politically impossible to reform this interest-based spending. It will never happen. 5. We’re printing money just like the “Banana Republics” we used to mock. To support the government’s runaway spending, the Federal Reserve is now continuously buying government debt. This process was commonly called “monetizing the debt” or, more simply, “printing money.” The Fed creates new money to buy government bonds. This kind of Ponzi financing destroyed every previous experiment with paper money. If printing money was truly good for an economy, Zimbabwe would be the world’s wealthiest country. Perhaps even more worrisome than the practice itself is the leadership of the Fed, which has alternately defended this practice and then denied using it. If the Fed continues this practice, it will eventually cause a global run on the USD that will destroy the value of our currency overnight. 6. We cannot repay our debts. Total debt outstanding in the U.S. currently exceeds $55 Trillion. That’s $681,165 in debt per U.S. family. There is simply no way to repay (or even maintain) debt of this magnitude using the income of the average American family, which is slightly less than $50,000 per family. Interest alone on these debts (based on a 5% rate) would total $34,000 per family every year. Total debt in the U.S. economy is unsustainable and cannot be financed without printing vast new sums of money, which will set off hyperinflation like we have never seen. 7. Shockingly, new debt issuance in the U.S. is soaring, with the lowest-quality debtors borrowing record amounts. Despite all the evidence that the U.S. economy carries far too much debt, both public and private debt issuance soared to new record levels in 2010. Overall, more than $3 Trillion in new corporate debt was issued last year – the second record year in a row. And junk-bond issuance set a new, vastly higher record. In 2010, 509 speculative-grade corporate borrowers sold $287 billion worth of new debt. That compares to the previous record (2009) of $167 billion. Our economy has become so warped by its debt load it cannot function without ever-larger amounts of debt. Anyone looking at these numbers must realize this is not safe and will not last long. These are the reasons why the USD is in peril of losing its world reserve currency status. If this happens, I and many others believe that everything about our lives will change…from everyday living to retirement. To stop that…we…as a nation…have to put a plan into action that will work, and that is absent of all of the political posturing that normally takes place. Here is what I propose: Solution #1 – Quit listening to anyone who advocates continued spending beyond our budget…regardless of whether the spending is for entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and unemployment, or discretionary items such as defense, infrastructure, food stamps, Obamacare or whatever. It has to stop now. No one has ever spent their self out of debt…operationally…and into profitability. It cannot be done. God loves everyone, but we can no longer pay attention to anyone who says anything along the lines of, “I want what I’ve been getting whether you have it or not, and I’m not going to take one dime less.” While I happen to be in the age group that is (for now) supposedly not going to be “touched” by Social Security and Medicare changes, our group should lead the way in saying, “If necessary, we will take less too.” If we are serious when we say we don’t want to leave our children and grandchildren with this debt, we have to put our money where our mouth is. This is for all of us…regardless of any type of entitlement payment we are receiving. I believe we all have to “suck it up,” like never before. The most recent debt ceiling debate and subsequent legislation increased the debt ceiling by $2.1 Trillion, while supposedly cutting about the same amount from spending, yet even if this is done, with real cuts to spending, we will increase our debt over the next 10 years by $7 to $9 Trillion. We must have a balanced budget amendment. The time for talking about it is over. In all seriousness…how can anyone vote against it? What possible reasoning is there today for spending more than we take in? It needs to be a real simple…real quick vote. We need two-thirds majority of each house to pass it. It then needs three-fourths of the state legislatures to approve it. We do not have the luxury of the traditional 7 years that Congress set for ratification by the states for the 18th, 20th, 21st and 22nd Amendments. This complete process needs to be accomplished in 90 days. Anyone who doesn’t vote for it is one of those I’ve just described. They should be branded as such and booted out of office as quickly as it can happen. We have already tried to control spending ourselves. We have pledged to our creditors that we will. We have failed time and time again. Now, we must make it a law that any purchase or “investment” that exceeds our income is denied. For now, there can be no more credit. We have blown our creditworthiness. This is the way it is for each of us in our personal lives in our own household budgets. It has to be this way for our government, with no “ifs,” “ands” or “buts.” The biggest reason why the USD is in peril of losing its status as the world’s reserve currency is that government is spending money they don’t have and have no way of getting, other than borrowing it or printing it, both of which devalue the USD and bring on hyper inflation. The “borrowing” days of the future have changed. Now with a lower credit rating from one source, and our lenders holding tons of debt that is now less secure…how much more do you think we can borrow and at what interest rate? What about printing more? That seemingly is the answer the government is going to take as the most recent news from the Fed is that more quantitative easing is back on the table, although they said they would stop at the end of June. No one else in the world can print USDs…but we can…for now. They do have another way of getting revenue…increasing taxes. Let’s explore this. Did you know…even if every American citizen was taxed at 100% of his or her income, it would not be enough to balance the Federal budget for 2011? How sad is this? This may even be sadder…we have now reached the “tipping point” in our society where 56% of all Americans do not pay any Federal Income tax, or they only pay a marginal amount of $500 or less. The vast majority of these people get money back…that they didn’t pay in! This is called a “free ride.” This isn’t “chin boogey.” I’m not making this up. This is the way it is. These are facts. Almost all of these people can vote. Now, can you ever imagine the vast majority of these folks voting for any candidate, for any office, who advocates policies counter to changing their “free ride?” It’s not going to happen. It’s never going to happen unless God wills it. Miracles are easy for God, but they don’t happen that often. But a miracle is what it is going to take because now… it can’t possibly turn the other way. It would be like asking water to flow uphill. It’s a joke to me when I think of the “stink” that was made when the “Bush Tax Cuts” were going to expire at the end of 2010. These tax cuts, when they were implemented, reduced the top personal rate from 39% to 35%. That’s only a 10% reduction (yes…not 4% but 10%). Taking them back up raises an additional $120 Billion per year…enough for less than 30 days of government spending! Yet look at all of the debate and time Washington went through talking about them going back up. We would need 12 times this amount to balance the budget. More about taxation is coming up in Solution #3. Solution #2 – Leakage In the same breath as mandating no spending beyond our income, we have to stop the “leakage” in our system. By “leakage” I mean the fraud, waste and abuse. Heretofore, we’ve been unable to control it. It is rampant. Not only in the lobbyist and “sweetheart” deals that are cut for some, but people who are receiving everything from unemployment compensation, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps…and everything else that we are paying for that they should not be receiving. Why are they receiving these? Because we have laws on the books that the Federal, State and Local governments, and our Department of Justice have chosen not to enforce. These laws tell us who gets what and what happens when someone does something out of bounds. Every society must have a set of laws and rules. We have them, but what good are they if they’re not being enforced or enforced selectively? How do you enforce one law and not enforce another? If all else was normal, this one practice alone is enough to bring down our country or any country. Enforce the laws…or change them so they can be enforced. To have a law on the books, that our Justice Department, or Local, State or Federal officials refuse to enforce would make our Founders sick to their stomach and bring about a revolution on its own. We must take this out of those people’s hands who are not enforcing the laws or selectively enforcing the laws. I propose privatizing the oversight of every dollar we spend on the local, state and federal levels, to bonded companies, who have enough assets that losing them or most of them would hurt, and have as their only source of income 15% of the money they are able to save and/or stop from being spent. Think of the jobs this would create…or how many IRS agents and CPAs that might be doing different things than they used to do! We’re talking about huge numbers here. They must be given full access to all information, and the “switch” to be able to turn off the payments. That’s a lot of power, but the penalties they would pay for proven improprieties would be equally as big. Their oversight would be Congress. Any breach of their duty would result in their forfeiting all of the income they have ever received; a civil penalty that would put them out of business; and if the impropriety was criminal…in jail. Presently we have politicians overseeing expenditures of politicians…complete with all of the hidden agendas we’ve outlined in this series. Surely we are all much smarter than to continue to let the “fox guard the hen house?” Solution #3 – Taxation Can we tax our way out of this mess? No, not with our current tax system. The most recent debate over the deficit, debt and debt ceiling could have been spent instead on real tax reform and a change to the tax code. Changing our tax code in the right way, combined with spending cuts and a balanced budget amendment would have stopped the downgrade to our credit rating, the subsequent drop in the stock market, the heightening of the global recession and everything else that is going down. Remember what was stated earlier in this article… “Even if all U.S. citizens were taxed at 100% of their income, it still would not be enough to balance the budget in 2011!” Since this scenario will never happen, what if we substantially increase the tax on all households with an adjusted gross income of $250,000 or more? Let’s say we increase their Federal taxes by 28.5%. This would take the top bracket from 35% to 45%. This of course will never happen either, even though the majority of our society pays no income taxes, and this majority could vote this type of tax increase in through their elected representatives. You see, at some point in the “increasing taxes on the rich” rhetoric that is so prevalent, there will come a time when most people will say, “My sack is full enough, I quit,” or, “I think I will take my marbles and find another game.” But, for the sake of analyzing whether or not this would solve our problem, let’s say this did happen. How much revenue would be raised? Are you ready? As with many things in life, it’s the 80-20 rule. 80% of all the taxes are paid by the top 20% of all income earners. So, if we currently take in $1.5 Trillion in Federal taxes (and we do), 80% of this is $1.2 Trillion. If this goes up by 28.5%, that’s $342 Billion more in the revenue coffers. Now we’ve already identified that this will never happen, without some type of severe repercussions, but let’s say it did. $342 Billion still leaves us more than $1 Trillion short on what our Federal Government is going to spend this fiscal year! Yet there are those whose only solution is to increase taxes on the wealthy. Big government…and all of its spending…are not to be touched. Now do you see how ridiculous this position is? This again is under our current tax structure. It will not work. We have to change it. Is there another solution? Yes. It’s called the FairTax, or perhaps better known as the Federal tax replacement plan. It is NOT the same thing as the Flat Tax, which in my opinion, would return little if ANY increased revenue. The FairTax would take every Federal tax that is paid by individuals and business and replace it by adding 23% tax onto the cost of every new item or service sold in the US for anyone’s consumption, which by definition is the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It is therefore a consumption tax. If you don’t buy anything…you don’t pay any Federal tax. There is no FairTax assessed on used items, as the FairTax would already have been paid when that item was sold new. The tax is collected at the point of sale. The business who sold the product and/or service keeps ¼ of one percent of it for collecting it, then forwards the balance to the state, which is already set up to do all the things it does to collect, monitor and enforce the state sales tax. The state keeps ¼ of one percent and sends the balance onto the Federal Government. Would you like to see a quick number? If our present GDP is $14.7 Trillion (although the anemic growth we’ve had this year to date projects it to be lower), personal consumption is 81% of the GDP, and the Federal Government realizes 22.88% of this through the FairTax (after the business and state take their ¼ of one percent each for collecting it), that’s $2.72 Trillion in receipts…30% more than what we take in now of $2.1 Trillion! And that’s before we add in the extra revenue received from those in illicit activities who will now pay like everyone else; the increased revenue we will realize by cutting spending and stopping leakage; and how fast business and the economy would grow, creating more jobs, causing more consumer spending, creating even more revenue! There would be no more Federal Income tax…no more Personal Income tax…no more Payroll tax…no more Social Security tax…no more Medicare tax…no more Estate tax…no more Corporate Income tax…no more Capital Gains tax…no more Federal taxes…period. This one tax would replace all of the other Federal taxes. Is it a form of a sales tax? Yes, but unlike state sales tax…the only exceptions are business to business transactions and the cost of tuition for education which is considered an investment. Every man, woman and child that buys anything new in America will pay this tax. Yes, every visitor from every foreign country, every drug dealer, and every person involved in any type of criminal or illicit activity…everyone will pay this tax, but with gross earnings, as there will be no more Federal taxes of any kind withheld from their paycheck. Recently it was reported that eleven corporations that included General Electric, Boeing and Wells Fargo, that together reported $62 Billion in domestic profits in 2010, paid a negative 3.6 percent federal tax rate! This is terrible…and it also serves as great “fodder” for those who spend most of their time on the “raising taxes on the rich” bandwagon, as opposed to solving the problem by cutting spending. But with the FairTax, it wouldn’t matter. No company in America would be collecting Federal taxes on the sale of its goods and services. Think about this for a minute. If there were no Corporate Income taxes, no matching Medicare and Social Security taxes paid by business, and no Capital Gains tax, how fast would this recession turn around? How quickly would the millions that are unemployed and underemployed be put to work? What are the advantages of the FairTax? The following are listed at www.fairtax.org. 1. Eliminates IRS/Government Waste We will never again file a Federal Income tax return, or accompanying tax forms. It has been estimated if all the 2010 tax return pages were placed end to end, they would circle the globe over 28 times or over 700,000 miles. 2. Reveals the Cost of Government with Every Purchase We will pay our taxes when we consume personal items and services. We will no longer have anywhere from 15 to 23 percent of our hard-earned salary withheld for taxes. We will receive our total gross earnings. The amount in Federal taxes that we pay will show up on the sales register receipt. We will experience the true cost of federal programs first hand every time we examine our receipt. 3. All Income/Earnings Untaxed We will receive ALL profits from income-producing investments without taxation. Our taxes will be paid as we spend our earnings on our personal consumption of new products and services. 4. All Poverty Level Spending Untaxed The Family Consumption Allowance (FCA) of the FairTax is sent monthly to the head of household (family/individual) in the amount of the federal taxes equal to poverty-level expenditures to enable the necessities of life (food, medicine, clothing, etc.) from having a tax liability, as the result of the passage of the FairTax. This “prebate” is based on family size only. The monthly “prebate” is in no way based upon income. There is no “means” testing. Every American citizen qualifies regardless of their income. The citizen/family simply must prove that they are indeed a citizen of America. They only need to register once a year to identify the family members living in the same household. No one has to request the “prebate” and you are free from giving the government information about you as a result. The rate of the FairTax “prebate” is computed by comparison to the federal-poverty level and is set by Congress. No one ever reports their income to qualify for the FCAR. Being a legal citizen or legally admitted to our borders is the ONLY requirement. By approaching it in this manner no politician can “play God” and pick “winners and losers” from the tax-code by way of passing tax exemptions. No exemptions means everybody pays and no politician can play “class-warfare” by pitting one class of people free from taxation, against another, that must pay more to make-up the slack. 5. Estimated $300 Billion Black Market Un-Taxed The illegal underground economy (drugs, pornography, illegal aliens, criminals) do not file income tax returns. With the Fair Tax they WILL be paying taxes when they purchase their flashy jewelry, luxury cars, and celebrate their indulgent illegal lifestyle. 6. Additional Tax Sources Tourists visiting the U.S. will pay the FairTax on their purchases. 7. Investment in America Wealthy individuals and profitable corporations will no longer seek offshore banking accounts to hide investments. There would be no need to do so. The $12 to $14 Trillion worth of offshore, hidden assets will return to the U.S. to benefit our own economy and financial infrastructure. 8. More American Jobs Removing compliance/embedded costs by passing the FairTax allows U.S. exports to sell overseas for prices that average 23% lower, while still maintaining similar profit margins. Lower prices increase demand for U.S. exports, thereby increasing the availability of jobs in U.S. manufacturing sectors. At home, foreign imports are subject to the same consistent FairTax rate as domestically produced goods. The FairTax effectively levels the economic playing-field. With China sending barges of slave-made goods to America and collecting a 23% tax on everything they sell in our country, there will be a perfect leveling of the trading deficit that everything imported from China adds to our GDP. Will the FairTax bring in more revenue than $2.8 Trillion? Yes…it could very well bring in much more. I could go into a whole lot of mathematics dealing with the two curves the government uses to project its income (those being the Laffer Curve and the Woodhill Curve), but suffice it to say…if we had a sustained growth spurt of 5% increase in GDP, it could be as much as $4.5 Trillion per year…and even more! And guess what…this kind of revenue would be more than enough to provide real help to those who need it, as well as infrastructure spending, defense, entitlements, interest, debt service and all we have in our budget…if we had a budget…which we have not had for the past 850 days. Is a 5% increase in GDP possible? We’ve done it before. You tell me. If we eliminate Corporate Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, matching Federal taxes for Social Security and Medicare by business, and the Estate Taxes, do you think the 28 million unemployed and underemployed workers could find a job because business is kicking into high gear? A 5% increase in GDP, with a 5% or lower unemployment and underemployment rate, accompanied by the FairTax, with no exemptions to anyone, a stop in runaway government spending with a balanced budget amendment, and stopping the leakage, could turn around our economy, restore our country’s fiscal soundness, and shore up the USD from losing its borrowed existence as the world’s reserve currency. I know it seems hard to believe with all you have heard, read and seen in the past several months, but in less than 15 years we could erase our $14.5 Trillion worth of debt and begin working on the nearly $50 Trillion worth of unfunded liabilities/promises that have been made with Social Security and Medicare. This isn’t a pipe dream. This can happen. Anyone who has run a profitable business, regardless of its size, could make this happen. Why? Because in the real world (not the one of Washington, DC)…operations rule. There is no room for politics. If the past few weeks had been spent on passing the FairTax instead of the bickering and political posturing that occurred…it…along with the oversight solution…could be in effect right now. The balanced budget amendment could have already been passed and on its way to the states for ratification. I don’t know about you but I am as sick of the Tea Party and the conservatives as I am with the other persuasions who espouse general ideas with no solutions. All I hear from the advocate groups on the “right” is that they stand for smaller government, controlled spending, less taxes, etc…but they seldom have a real plan. Speaker Boehner recently said he got 98% of what he wanted in the most recent debt ceiling debate. Really? The plan that was passed was far short of what was needed. He was told in advance what was needed. The passed plan resulted in a drop of our credit rating anyway. The credit rating companies said we needed $4 to 4 ½ Trillion in spending cuts. We got $2.1 Trillion. You do the math. When does 50% equal 98%? The left advocate groups want to help the middle class and those less fortunate with policies that redistribute the wealth…but they and the President didn’t offer any plan. What’s more, they blamed the drop in the credit rating on the Tea Party. The Tea Party is an advocate group for crying out loud! How in the world can an advocate group that stands for exactly what the ratings companies want us to do, be blamed for a downgrade in our credit rating by these rating companies? To me it is akin to a bystander witnessing a robbery beginning to go down and calling the police. The police show up. As the robber flees he shoots at the police. The police shout, “Halt.” The robber keeps shooting and keeps running. The police fire back and wound the robber. Then the father of the robber holds a press conference to blame what happened on the bystander? This kind of rhetoric is sickening to me and I would have to think just as sickening to anyone that has “both oars in the water.” In addition to the words they use, is the continual “feeding” the American public of information that anyone with a “pint of common sense in their bucket” knows makes no sense. The titles of “Distinguished Senator,” “Honorable Congressman,” and “Mr. President” are given them because of the positions they hold, that we respect, in the greatest country on this planet. None of them are given one of these titles because of their knowledge of business, economics and/or fiscal prudence. I have yet to see more than a handful of people in all of Congress, the President and his staff exhibit such skills…yet these are who we have in charge of fixing the problem. What you have just read is my plan. I figured I had to tell you that it was a plan as you might not recognize what one was any longer. For more than the past 50 years it really didn’t make that much difference who was in power. If the Democrats controlled all or most of Congress and/or the Presidency, things leaned a little to the left. If the Republicans controlled all or most of Congress and/or the Presidency things leaned a little to the right. If these three solutions were in effect…it again would not make that much difference who was in power. Wouldn’t that be refreshing? It can be that way again. But it will take everyone “hollering” into the same megaphone. Whether you’re on the right, left or in the middle…if what I have presented makes sense…holler until you’re hoarse…BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT…PRIVATE OVERSIGHT…AND FAIRTAX. We could have these implemented in less than 90 days…irrespective to all of the nonsense we have been getting from those we have elected to represent us! Next month…my last article in this series…I will give you my final solution…the one I guarantee will work.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-10-24 12:03:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. For the past five issues, I have presented my case why the US Dollar (USD) is closer than it has ever been to losing its “borrowed existence” as the world’s reserve currency, and what this will mean to each of us. I have used research from a wide variety of places, such as Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. If you have read these, you know that I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I would have much preferred people with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but it wasn’t being done. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope something can be done before it’s too late. Maybe it’s already too late. Last month, we talked about the history of our monetary system and closed with the statement, “To do what we have done with all of the indicators before us is a big sin. To fail to learn from history is the bigger sin.” Here are a couple of examples you may find some similarities with our present situation. One of many civilizations that did not learn from history was the Roman Empire. There was nothing like it in its day. Its people built libraries, amphitheatres, public baths, basilicas, theatres, circuses, aqueducts, fountains and more. Nothing could compare to it. Yet for all its grandeur, it fell in 476 A. D., more than 1,535 years ago. There were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Most were connected and intertwined with each other. Some of these interconnected reasons are as follows: •“Decline in Morals and Values: Those morals and values that kept the Roman legions – and thus the empire – together could not be maintained toward the end of the empire. Crimes of violence made the streets of the larger cities unsafe. Even during Pax Romana, the greatest period of prosperity, there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Nero and Caligula became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties where guests ate and drank until they became ill. The most popular amusement was watching the gladiatorial combats in the Coliseum, which were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on.” •“Public Health: There were many public health and environmental problems. Many of the wealthy had water brought to their homes through lead pipes. Previously, the aqueducts had even purified the water but at the end, lead pipes were thought to be preferable. The death rate of the wealthy was very high. The continuous interaction of people at the Coliseum, the blood and death probably spread disease. Those who lived on the streets in continuous contact with each other allowed for an uninterrupted strain of disease, much as we see happening with the homeless in today’s more poorly run shelters. Alcohol use increased as well, adding to the incompetence of the general public.” •“Political Corruption: One of the most difficult problems was choosing a new emperor. Unlike Greece, where transition may not have been smooth but was at least consistent, the Romans never created an effective system to determine how new emperors would be selected. The choice was always open to debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s private army), and the army itself. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard gained complete authority over choosing the new emperor, who rewarded the guard – which then became more influential, perpetuating the cycle. Then in 186 A.D., the army strangled the new emperor and the practice began of selling the throne to the highest bidder. During the next hundred years, Rome had 37 different emperors – 25 of whom were removed from office by assassination. This contributed to the overall weaknesses of the empire.” •“Unemployment: During the latter years of the empire, farming was done on large estates called latifundia, which were owned by wealthy men who used slave labor. A farmer who had to pay workmen could not produce goods as cheaply. Many farmers could not compete with these low prices and lost or sold their farms. This not only undermined the citizen farmer who passed his values to his family but also filled the cities with unemployed people. At one time, the emperor was importing grain to feed more than 100,000 people in Rome alone. These people were not only a burden but also had little to do but cause trouble and contribute to an ever-increasing crime rate.’ •“Inflation: The Roman economy suffered from inflation beginning after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Once the Romans stopped conquering new lands, the flow of gold into the Roman economy decreased. Yet gold was being spent by the Romans to pay for luxury items. This meant that there was less gold to use in coins. As the amount of gold used in coins decreased, the coins became less valuable. To make up for this loss in value, merchants raised the prices on the goods they sold. Many people stopped using coins and began to barter to get what they needed. Eventually, salaries had to be paid in food and clothing, and taxes were collected in fruits and vegetables.” •“Urban decay: Wealthy Romans lived in a domus, or house, with marble walls, floors with intricate colored tiles, and windows made of small panes of glass. Most Romans, however, were not rich. They lived in small, smelly rooms in apartment houses with six or more stories, called islands. Each island covered an entire block. At one time there were 44,000 apartment houses within the city walls of Rome. First-floor apartments were not occupied by the poor. The more shaky wooden stairs a family had to climb, the cheaper the rent became. The upper apartments that the poor rented were hot, dirty, crowded and dangerous. Anyone who could not pay the rent was forced to move out and live on the crime-infested streets. Because of this, cities began to decay.” •“Inferior Technology: During the last 400 years of the empire, the scientific achievements of the Romans were limited almost entirely to engineering and the organization of public services. They built marvelous roads, bridges and aqueducts. They established the first system of medicine for the benefit of the poor. However, since the Romans relied so much on human and animal labor, they failed to invent many new machines or find new technology to produce goods more efficiently. They could not provide enough goods for their growing population. They were no longer conquering other civilizations and adapting their technology, they were actually losing territory they could no longer maintain with their legions.” •“Military Spending: Maintaining an army to defend the border of the empire from barbarian attacks was a constant drain on the government’s resources. Military spending left few resources for other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining quality roads and aqueducts. Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the empire, which then had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs – or, worse, from foreign countries. Such an army was not only unreliable, but also very expensive. The emperors were forced to raise taxes frequently, which in turn, led again to increased inflation.” •“The Final Blows: For years, the well-disciplined Roman army held the barbarians of Germany back. In the third century A.D., the Roman soldiers were pulled back from the Rhine-Danube frontier to fight a civil war in Italy, leaving the Roman border open to attack. Gradually Germanic hunters and herders from the north began to overtake Roman lands in Greece and Gaul (later France). Then in 476 A.D., the Germanic general Odacer (or Odovacar) overthrew the last of the Roman emperors, Augustus Romulus. From then on, the western part of the Empire was ruled by a Germanic chieftain. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair and fields left untilled. Pirates and bandits made travel unsafe. Cities could not be maintained without goods from the farms, trade and business began to disappear, and Rome was no more in the West.” In 1887 Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinborough, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years prior: “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse over loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.’ “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith; From spiritual faith to great courage; From courage to liberty; From liberty to abundance; From abundance to complacency; From complacency to apathy; From apathy to dependence; From dependence back into bondage.” What do you think? Do you see our country in either of these two examples? George Santayana, famed poet, essayist and philosopher of the 20th century said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Was he right? Next month I will summarize what we have covered in this series…and offer three most candid solutions that I believe, based upon all I know and have researched…will work. In the final article in this series…the October issue…I will offer my last solution, which I can promise…is guaranteed to work.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-06-01 10:02:00

Q: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. For the past four issues, I have presented my case on why the US Dollar (USD) is closer than it has ever been to losing its “borrowed existence” as the world’s reserve currency, and what this will mean to each of us. I have used research from a wide variety of places, such as Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. If you have read these, you know that I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I would have much preferred people with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but it wasn’t being done. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope something can be done before it’s too late. Maybe it’s already too late. Last month, we talked about what is going on in the rest of the world relative to the USD and its days being numbered as the world’s reserve currency. It is most interesting to me to see the timeliness of our information. We featured a graph in our June 1st issue showing how China is getting out from under the US debt it owns. On June 6th, 2011, the below report surfaced from Stansberry & Associates and The Wall Street Journal… Between May 2009 and March 2011, China sold 97% of its U.S. Treasury bills that mature in one year or less. As of March, China held only $5.69 billion in short-term U.S. debt, down from a peak of $210.4 billion. Until last October, China would make up for its decrease in short-term debt by buying longer-term U.S. Treasuries – its net Treasury position grew. But in each of the past five months, China’s Treasury position has decreased. China’s total holding of U.S. debt has fallen from $1.1753 trillion last October to $1.1449 trillion in March. Some would say, “What do they know.” Others might ask, “What do they know?” I will let you decide which comment you would like to make. This month, I will finish the information portion of this series with some history about our monetary system and how it relates to the happenings of present day. Again, it’s a bit “meaty,” but it will “put the pants” on all we have covered. At one time in American history, the benefits of sound money and the risks of easy credit were completely understood. It was during the founding of our country… just after the Constitution was ratified. The Second Congress of the United States passed the Coinage Act of 1792. The act established the dollar as the currency of the United States and defined precisely what a dollar was: 24.1 grams of pure silver. To ensure the quality of America’s money, three coins were taken from every major batch minted. Each year on the last Monday in July, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the secretary of the Treasury, the secretary of State, and the attorney general witnessed these coins being assayed. If the sample coins did not meet legal standards, the officers of the mint would be dismissed and the $10,000 surety bonds they posted would be seized. Further, if any officer of the mint was found guilty of embezzlement or of debasing the coins, the penalty was death. Compare that system – where the most senior members of the federal government are in charge of maintaining the soundness of our money – with today’s system. Under the current system, the Federal Government has become the biggest counterfeiter in the world. That’s a bold statement, but look at what has happened. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has tripled the monetary base of the United States in only two years. The dollar lost 50% of its purchasing power under Alan Greenspan. And since the dollar was taken off of the gold standard in 1971, it has lost 90% of its purchasing power. How long could these folks have lasted at the time our country was formed? Imagine if the dollar was still defined as 24.1 grams of pure silver (the exact amount of silver in the famous “Morgan Dollar”). Imagine if companies paid dividends to shareholders in silver coins (or a mixture of gold and silver coins). Imagine when you saw the S&P 500 quoted in dollars, those dollars represented amounts of silver, not empty promises from the Federal Reserve. What would our stock exchange look like if our money was still “real?” The chart below shows the value of the biggest U.S. corporations, as measured by real silver dollars, since the founding of our country. You can see a long and powerful uptrend that begins just after the Civil War and continues until the late 1960s. That’s when the trouble starts. The rest of this is a bit “meaty,” but try and stay with me… In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the U.S. economy began running a constant and growing deficit with the rest of the world. Borrowing – mainly in the public sector – fueled these deficits, as the government tried to expand its social spending and fight a foreign war without raising taxes. Facing the possible loss of all its gold reserves, sharply higher borrowing costs, or both… the U.S. simply repudiated these debts, abandoning the pledge we’d made at Bretton Woods in 1944 to always allow foreign central banks to exchange their dollars for gold. Bretton Woods was a place and point in time…where 730 delegates from all 44 Allied nations gathered at the Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, for the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference, in the hope of rebuilding the international economic system as World War II was still raging. The delegates deliberated upon and signed the Bretton Woods Agreement during the first three weeks of July 1944. The Bretton Woods system of monetary management established the rules for commercial and financial relations among the world’s major industrial states. The Bretton Woods system was the first example of a fully negotiated monetary order intended to govern monetary relations among independent nation-states. In short…in the late 50s and early 60s…we cheated our creditors, rather than repay our debts. The value of the U.S. dollar collapsed as a result. The loss was so severe that during the 1970s, the “real” value of the S&P 500 – as measured in silver – fell by almost 90%. Of course, since most people didn’t look at the world through the lens of real money, few realized what was happening. In terms of paper dollars, stocks ended the 1970s about where they began. But in terms of purchasing power – in terms of real money – stocks would not regain their 1960s highs for 27 years. By using paper money instead of silver, politicians discovered they could easily hide declines in America’s standard of living and our national wealth. In short, they discovered it was easier to “paper” over our problems than allow failing institutions and businesses to go under. It was easier to cheat our creditors than pay our debts. On the other hand, sound monetary policy (in my opinion and the opinion of many others, thanks to Paul Volcker) drove the big bull market of the 1980s and 1990s. But toward the end of the 1990s, debts began to explode again relative to the size of our economy. This second credit bubble, fostered by Alan Greenspan, wasn’t limited to the public sector. Private debts soared too… especially credit card, mortgage, and student-loan debt. These policies sparked another huge devaluation of the dollar, one that has continued almost unabated today. That’s why, in terms of silver, the value of the S&P 500 has been in a steady bear market since 2000. Take a look… The supposed recovery we saw from 2003 to 2008 never shows up on this chart. It was all financed with funny money – debts the market knew would never be repaid. What’s the end game? How will our country (and most of the developed world) learn to live within its means? At best…it will most likely be “painfully.” There just aren’t many happy endings in history for countries with this much debt or with corrupt political systems that wield so much power. To do what we have done with all of the indicators before us is a big sin. To fail to learn from history is the bigger sin. This sets up my article for next month. I think you might appreciate seeing some similarities of our present situation and a couple of others I will show you.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-03-01 14:39:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. I believe there are some very serious things that are happening in this country and in the world that are not being talked about by nearly enough people. I feel they must be brought to the forefront…now. I would prefer a person or persons with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to do so, but unless this is done very quickly, it may be too late. Perhaps it’s already too late…but I will do what I can. I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of the things I see and have researched, in the hope that something can be done. These things will take some time and space to cover properly, thus the reason why my articles on this subject will be a series over the next few months, or until I am “shut down” for whatever reason or reasons. As I will do with each article in this series, I will tell you the information I will present has come from several sources, including but not limited to, Stansberry & Associates, Kiplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it is worth. Last month we talked about some positioning that needed to be done for this series, mostly dispelling the fact that it would be written from a perspective of hate. Hopefully this has been accomplished. I have two more items of positioning before we get started: 1) While most everything in this series is going to be brought to your attention for what would appear to be solely for the sake of materialism…it is not. We will all come to find out sooner or later that materialism is not the answer. We all came into this world naked and we will all leave naked. There will never be anything that is worth suffering the loss of the only prize that matters. When local and state governments and the Federal government are in the trouble that they are, and people’s life savings and way of life are threatened, improprieties of many natures are rampant and the devil has his best days. Unforeseen losses, chaos and stress breed bad things. This series’ primary focus is therefore not on preservation, profit and survival, as much as it is on the avoidance of these bad things. It begins with everyone being informed and brought up to speed with the same set of facts. Only after this is accomplished, can we talk about what can be done. If you cannot or will not accept these facts for whatever reason or reasons…I don’t expect you to be with us at the end when we talk about what can be done to solve the problem…and that’s okay. If what this series offers is not of enough to interest to enough people, for the right reasons, it will not move off “start” anyway. 2) Several people in our country are writing, talking and reporting on whether organized labor is right or the state governments are right insofar as wages, collective bargaining, benefits and so forth; whether it is best to redistribute wealth or not; whether we need Obamacare or not…or some modified version; and a host of other topics. While I have expressed my opinions several times on these issues, this series will attempt to rise above all of the partisanship and ideology of these issues and talk about the one problem that is the basis for all that you will read. When you are really…totally…out of money…and have no credit…it doesn’t matter whether you want to study the habitat of the southeast Asian orangutan, build a new fighter jet or provide food to the poor…you can’t do it. I have had the most difficult time understanding the actions of people who have been demonstrating over the past several weeks in states like Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio and others, against governments who say they are broke and do not have the funds to meet the obligations promised to the public employees, without increased contributions and lessened benefits. Yes, I know they were promises, but things change. There is no money. Do these demonstrators think there is money and someone’s hiding it? This can be the only logical answer to their demonstrations. You see, if they agree and understand there is no more money, yet they keep asking for these promises to be kept, without any changes…well, it just doesn’t make sense…to me. And if demonstrators in these few states are doing this, what is to come with the over $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities of the Federal government to the private sector? This is the “heart of the matter,” and unless solved…by all of us…my belief is: •This problem will threaten every American’s way of life. •The savings of millions will be more at risk than ever before. •It will change your business and your work. •It will drastically affect your investments and retirement. I know, you are doing all that you can do to resist calling the authorities to come and get me. But I stand by my statement…unless this problem is solved…and quickly…the above list of items is not if but when. For more than 50 years, we have been blessed with having the United States Dollar (“USD”) as the world’s reserve currency. This status is a “borrowed existence.” So many of us take this and what it means for granted. Let me tell you what it means, and while all of the “dots” may not connect for you immediately, I promise you…they will at the end. Having the USD as the world’s reserve currency is what has allowed us to function as the world’s leader and as a super nation for more than 60 years. Countries that do not have a gold standard…which at this point in history includes all of them…must still back their currencies with something. These “reserves” create confidence. The Federal Reserve typically uses United States (“U.S.”) Treasury securities, aka U.S. Treasuries, as reserves, although it also holds many mortgage-backed securities these days. A U.S. Treasury security is government debt issued by the United States Department of the Treasury through the Bureau of the Public Debt. Treasury securities are the debt financing instruments of the United States Federal government. The Fed makes a profit on these holdings and turns them over to the government. The European Central Bank also holds the sovereign debt of its member countries and turns their earnings over to member governments. Emerging-market, central banks have a choice of what to hold as reserves, and they will always make the one that maximizes earnings and creates the most confidence in their currencies. That’s why China links its currency to the USD and holds mostly U.S. Treasuries…as reserves. No one forces a foreign, central bank to buy U.S. Treasuries. Each country would prefer to have its central bank buy its own local government debt as reserves. But who would trust these currencies if they were backed by local government debt? Imagine Thailand trying to encourage the use of its currency if it was backed only by Thai government debt. And if fewer people held the currency, the central bank would generate lower profits to hand over to the government. In other words, the international role of the USD is a by-product of profit-seeking, central banks pursuing their own self-interest. And that’s not going to change anytime soon. There is simply no other instrument issued by anyone or any country in the world that has the liquidity and certainty of payment of U.S. Treasury debt. Moreover, as emerging markets keep growing, their central banks will issue more local currency, which will continue to elevate the demand for U.S. Treasury debt. So while other countries must learn to accept the USD’s role, Americans must learn to accept that, over time, the share of our debt owned by foreigners is likely to keep rising…and that the demand for U.S. debt helps generate large U.S. trade deficits. Federal Reserve holdings of U.S. Treasuries now exceed China’s, with the Fed owning $1,108 billion and China owning $896 billion, according to data released February 2nd, 2011. Japan holds another $877 billion. By June, according to one analyst, the Fed will have accumulated $1.6 trillion in Treasury issues, a number likely to match China’s and Japan’s combined holdings at that time. You might add the two together and ask, “They have nearly $1.8 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, why do you say they will match the Federal Reserve’s holdings of $1.6 trillion?” It is because I think you will see China and Japan reduce their holdings of the same by then, even with the recent devastation in Japan. Why? Here’s an interesting note…on March 9th, 2011, it was announced that Pimco, the world’s largest mutual fund, reduced their holdings of U.S. Treasuries to zero. Why do you suppose they did this? Could it be that they don’t want to be caught holding them if things go badly…real badly? Just how did the Fed come to own all these securities? The Fed’s hoard of Treasuries resulted primarily from QE1 and QE2. This stands for the Federal Reserve’s program of “Quantitative Easing” in buying U. S. Treasuries. QE1 began in 2008 with an announced purchase of $600 billion in assets; however, by March 2009 the amount was increased to $1.7 trillion of Treasury debt, mortgage-backed securities and debt backed by Government Sponsored Enterprises (“GSEs”) such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now, as the Fed liquidates some of the mortgages purchased under QE1, $30 billion a month is being poured into U.S. Treasuries on top of QE2. Under QE2, the Fed has indicated that it will buy $500 billion to $1 trillion in U. S. Treasuries, at a pace of about $250 billion or so a quarter. Yet some economists forecast the Fed ultimately will buy $1.5 trillion to $2 trillion under QE2. Understand, there is no legal limit as to how much the Fed can buy. Regardless, by June, the Fed likely will have $1.6 trillion in U.S. Treasuries, matching or topping the combined holdings of China and Japan. This development was reported in the February 2, 2011 edition of Financial Times. Undoubtedly, it was also reported in many other financial publications. However, here is what the Times did not report and what most other Establishment media outlets are not likely to report: There is a vast difference between how China and Japan came to own their U.S. Treasuries and how the Fed came to own its hoard. China and Japan came to own their U.S. Treasuries because both countries produced goods that Americans wanted to buy. The Fed came to own its hoard by simply turning on what Federal Reserve Head Ben Bernanke has called the “equivalent of an electronic printing press.” The Fed did not have to produce anything tangible, anything with any intrinsic value. No goods were produced, no trade was done. The Fed simply created, via Bernanke’s “electronic printing press,” the dollars with which it bought…and is buying…massive quantities of U.S. Treasuries. There just is no other way to categorize this other than massive inflation…in its classic definition. Check with any economist…if this is massive inflation, there can be nothing else coming but massive price inflation. Please believe me. I am not organizing a rally or a political demonstration. I just do not feel most Americans understand and are knowledgeable of what we are facing. In whatever capacity you will allow, let me furnish you with as much information as I can. The U.S. Government has been borrowing so much money over the last few years, most of the time using short-term loans that are never repaid, that soon, it will not even be able to afford the interest on these loans. Do you need a little “impetus” to keep reading? Let me give you a fact put out by the National Inflation Association. “Even if all U.S. citizens were taxed at 100% of their income, it still would not be enough to balance the Federal budget for the 2011 fiscal year!” I hope you’re reading this after you have digested your breakfast, because I wouldn’t want to make you ill. But if you will, go to www.usdebtclock.org. Have you ever seen anything like this? How do you feel watching this clock? Click on the World Debt link and see how we compare with the rest of the world. What did President Obama say in his State of the Union address in late January? He proposed freezing spending at current levels for the next 5 years. We are more than $14.2 trillion in debt at this writing. Freezing spending at an annual $1.3 trillion deficit only adds to this debt, along with the interest. What do you suppose he is thinking? This will not work. It is not sustainable. Who would invest in a business that projected an ever-increasing operational loss for the next five years, while already sitting on a mountain of debt they could not repay? In the banking collapse of 2008, the world’s governments absorbed all of the bad debt. For example, when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac collapsed in the Summer of 2008, the U.S. Government responded by guaranteeing all of their outstanding debt. Since then, they have recorded hundreds of billions of losses, all passed onto the U.S. Government. Yes, you can still get a mortgage today, and yes, Fannie and Freddie are still in business, but these losses and trillions in private obligations are now the responsibility of the U.S. Government. The problem is that even before all of this, the U.S. Government was deeply in debt. With each additional commitment, we sink further and further into debt, quickly approaching the time we can no longer afford even the interest payment on our obligations. So, when Portugal, Italy, Greece, Ireland, Spain, Belgium and other countries around the world have defaulted on their debt, why hasn’t the U.S. Government? There is only one thing that has saved us. With the world’s reserve currency being the USD, the U.S. Government is the only debtor in the world who can legally print the USD. Let me repeat this, the U.S. Government is the only debtor in the world who can legally print USDs. The USD forms the basis of the world’s financial system. It is what banks around the world hold in reserve against their loans. This may be the biggest problem we have. Politicians in Washington know that as things stand now, the U.S. cannot go broke because all it has to do is to print more USDs to pay for its bad debt. This is precisely what it has been doing since March of 2009. That may sound good…and it is indeed a blessing…until things change. You see, the U.S. is also the only country in the world that doesn’t have to pay for its imports with a foreign currency. Let me give you a lead-in for next month’s article. Germany needs to buy oil from a Middle Eastern country. They cannot use German Marks to pay for it. Oil is priced in USDs. So first, Germany has to buy the USDs, then it has to buy the oil. This means the value of the German currency is always of great importance to the German government. In order for it to maintain its value, Germans must produce at least as much as they consume from around the world, otherwise the value of its currency will begin to fall causing prices to rise and its standard of living to decline. What if we had to pay for our oil with a foreign currency? That would be the first time we would all find out together just how valuable the USD is today, and how many of them it would take to buy the foreign currency, in order to buy the oil. This is where we will pick things up again next month.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-03-01 11:31:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. In the past, I have written on just about every subject from “hair nets to hip boots” and from “soup to nuts.” This month I will begin a series of what I believe to be one of the most serious problems we have ever faced…both as a nation…and as citizens of the world at large. This problem is not being discussed by nearly enough people. It’s one thing to have to experience something that is not of our liking, if we are properly warned beforehand and make the decision to “stick our heads in the sand.” It is another thing if we have to say, “I didn’t know.” You will know about and understand this problem at the conclusion of this series. I would prefer a person or persons with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to write this, but unless it is done very quickly, it may be too late. Perhaps it’s already too late…but I will do what I can. Before I begin, please understand…I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of what I see and have researched, in the hope that something can be done. It is always possible I will be “shut down” before I finish. I believe, as do others who I will tell you about, that something very major is going to happen to us…again as a nation, and as citizens of the world, within the foreseeable future...and that this future will not be measured in years but in months. I know, when anyone says something like this, they are immediately accused of being hateful, nuts, stirring things up needlessly, being ignorant, or crying wolf when wolf should not be cried. I will attempt to dispel the first in this article, as I try to position you for what is to come. Hopefully, I will dispel the rest of the accusations in ensuing articles. First…a few preliminaries... If you are a regular reader of this column, you already know I place God into most all of the things I write and do. This series will be no different. This does not mean I am some kind of holier than anyone kind of person. It only means that I recognize, believe and understand why I am here and what the final “prize” is we all seek. I think…with what we have staring at us…it is something we all need to do much more of. In the midst of the seriousness of this subject, I will attempt to integrate as much lightheartedness and levity as possible, where it makes sense. The information I will present throughout this series has come from several sources, including but not limited to, Stansberry & Associates, Kipplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it’s worth. You may notice a bit more moderate tone from me than what I have displayed in previous articles. In earlier days, it would not have been unlike me to say, “This is the way it is because I’ve checked it out. Believe it.” Today however…and particularly for this series…I prefer to say, “Faith is negated if coerced. Check it out for yourself…but please…check it out thoroughly.” Lastly, of my preliminaries (what a phrase, huh?), let me say this about the title of this series. It has a double meaning. The first…hopefully faith will cause you to understand…that you, me, and every creature, plant, bacteria and cell in the universe lives on a borrowed existence. It is borrowed from and lent by God. He can demand it back at any time of His choosing. If you differ with this…you may not get too much out of this series, so if you want to stop now, that is fine. Assuming you’re still reading…let me continue. The second, our existence as a super power nation, in all of the things in which we reign, is borrowed. It is borrowed from and lent by God as well, but it is also borrowed from and lent by the rest of the world, from all of those who were here before us…including our leaders in both government and business, our parents, grandparents, their parents, and every one of the brave men and women who have served, fought and died for our country since its beginning. This borrowed existence can be taken back too, and it is the basis for this entire series. The act of borrowing is something that has been around for as long as man has lived on this planet. It has certain implications and principles that must be followed. Sometimes a story illustrates it and positions you best for the things I want to impart. Other than toys I borrowed from my siblings, I think the first time I ever remember being a party to something that was borrowed of a bigger nature, was when I was very young on the farm. My Dad had a WD-45 Allis Chalmers tractor. He used it for all of our farming. To those of you who may not be familiar, this tractor could pull no more than a two bottom, 16 inch plow, or a 12 foot spring tooth, or an 8 foot tandem disc. In other words, it was a small tractor. With equipment no bigger than these, it took a long time to do anything. While there were Caterpillars and bulldozers around, we didn’t have access to them. So the terraces (man-made rows of dirt to direct water when it rained) in our cultivated ground that we built were very small compared to the size they are today. Every couple of years they needed to be built up and the channels cleaned out that had filled in with run off soil. We had a blade that could be hooked to the back of Dad’s tractor, but it wasn’t big enough, wide enough and built right to do a good job. Fred Bauer, our neighbor, had a different kind of a blade, he called it a grader. It had a much wider blade with two steering mechanisms that could be adjusted by someone riding on its platform behind the blade. It was pulled behind a tractor and did a much better job. I remember going over to Fred’s with Dad and Dad asking him if he could borrow his grader to work his terraces. Fred always obliged. While we always treated Fred with respect because he was a very good man and because he was about 20 years older than Dad…we especially did so during the period of time that we borrowed his grader. It just seemed like it was the thing to do. You should always treat everyone with respect, but it made a lot of sense to treat them with even more respect if you were borrowing something of theirs. Not only because they might take whatever you were borrowing back, but also because they may never let you borrow it or anything again. This is a good thought to have when it comes to borrowing anything. As promised, I need to dispel the notion that I am going to write this series from a hateful perspective. This is something one didn’t have to think about 75-years ago, but today, if you differ with this guy or gal, or this group, or you are on the left, the right, or in the middle, whatever you say is obviously tainted with hate. It would be so good to go back to the good ol’ days where one could talk about something without this hanging over their heads, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get there again. Did you ever wonder where all of this hate began? The other day, I started chasing my past back, trying to remember the incident or the period in time when things changed. Let me tell you what I came up with…and in so doing…perhaps you will buy into there being no hate in this series. As many of you know, I’m getting a little “long in the tooth.” I’m not as “long” as some but “longer” than most. I am 60 years old. My first memories were in the mid to late 50’s as a young boy. I have three older sisters and two younger brothers. The things I remember most about them was that my younger brother Tim (two years younger than me), always found a way to get out of doing the chores; Rory (seven years younger than me), was spoiled; and Gloria, Kathy and Mary (four, three and two years older than me) were Mom and Dad’s favorites, wearing pinafores and thongs most of the time, watching American Bandstand, and crooning over songs like Pineapple Princess by Annette Funicello, Wild One by Bobby Rydell, Tiger by Fabian and of course a bunch of songs by Elvis. I remember most all of the 60’s…the early 60’s…high school in the mid 60’s…and college in the late 60’s. I remember all of the 70’s, and 80’s. Okay, there may have been a few days out of all of those years from the late 60’s through the 80’s that I can’t remember…but a bit later in the morning on those days I began to remember. I say all of this so you will know, I spent some time going back through lots of memories before I wrote this piece. As I went back, I cannot ever remember a time when people viciously attacked each other anywhere close to the extent that it is done today. I don’t think it was that we were all so politically correct, rather…it just wasn’t the thing to do. Politicians tactfully addressed their opponents. I remember hearing some of them who were getting ready to confront one another saying something like, “The distinguished Senator from North Carolina must have a file or two missing from his report,” or, “My good friend, the Honorable Congressman from Ohio, is having a bit of lapse of memory this morning.” Sports stars and movie celebrities were cordial and kind for the most part. Oh there were moments and situations…but not too many people verbally…viciously…attacked one another like they do today. I can’t even remember news anchors that shared with us these kinds of attacks or confrontations. Can you? Then Don Rickles came along. He was born in 1926. He tried acting in the late 40’s and 50’s and early 60’s, unsuccessfully. In the mid to late 60’s, he turned to comedy. Fellow and older comedians of the time were the likes of Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Jackie Mason and Redd Foxx. Comedy was not Rickles’ bag either. The crowd would boo and jeer him. But rather than quit that too, he began to give it right back to them…in a hateful manner…more so than any other comic that had preceded him. Even Jackie Leonard, who was his mentor, did not do what Rickles did, to the degree that he did it. He turned into an “insult comic.” Insult comics, for the most part, always had short careers, but Don Rickles career has lasted longer than any. At first people were shocked at the things he would dish out. Then, some of them began to laugh. Then in order to keep them laughing, he got more hateful and more rude. I have to say, I love a good story and sharp wit as well as anyone, but I cannot remember ever laughing at anything Don Rickles ever had to say. Isn’t that something? I cannot remember a single thing he ever said that I thought was funny. I really can’t. I’m sure I’m strange. It took me the longest time to realize what I was watching was real. I just couldn’t believe someone could be that insulting and rude to someone else. It was always too “cutting” for me, so my appreciation for his humor or the story or the remark was always lost. No one could belittle someone in a public forum like Don Rickles. No one could call someone the names he called people…to their face…like him. No one could…no one did…for a long time. Then somehow, over the years, probably the same “others” that began to laugh at him at the beginning, thought it was okay to do it…then more and more. Before long…it was everywhere. Today we have reality this and reality that. Everywhere you look…there is hate. Following the Tucson tragedy, President Obama asked for civility in all of our dealings with everyone. I thought it was rather odd that his request was not accompanied by a confession of some of the things he had said throughout his campaign and his first two years of his presidency that were uncivil. It would have given his request much more credibility if he would have said, “I have been as guilty as anyone. It is wrong for me. It is wrong for you. From this day forward, let us debate the issues…not criticize the person…and restore civility to America.” He didn’t. Now before you get all upset thinking that I just made a hateful comment, get over it…I didn’t. These are the facts. This is what he said and what he did. I’m not talking about him as a person…but what he said and did. After his speech, less than three days later…and ever since, the “right,” “left,” and “middle,” along with the pundits have been just as venomous as ever, if not more so. I don’t know whether Don Rickles single handedly brought hate to America or not. I just can’t remember it being so prevalent before him. If he was the one that started it all, he should be spanked…and spanked hard. As a nation…as citizens of this world…we have to get away from hate. We have to get back to debating the issues, then let our democratic way of doing things work. I will promise you now…there will be nothing in this series about hate. I will stay with the facts…every one of which you will be able to authenticate for yourself. For now, I am out of space. Next month, we will talk about the borrowed existence we have enjoyed as a nation, and why I and many others feel…it is in more peril today than it has ever been before

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-02-01 14:24:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say…I’m glad to be asked. In the past, I have written on just about every subject from “hair nets to hip boots” and from “soup to nuts.” This month I will begin a series of what I believe to be one of the most serious problems we have ever faced…both as a nation…and as citizens of the world at large. This problem is not being discussed by nearly enough people. It’s one thing to have to experience something that is not of our liking, if we are properly warned beforehand and make the decision to “stick our heads in the sand.” It is another thing if we have to say, “I didn’t know.” You will know about and understand this problem at the conclusion of this series. I would prefer a person or persons with much more knowledge in these areas than myself to write this, but unless it is done very quickly, it may be too late. Perhaps it’s already too late…but I will do what I can. Before I begin, please understand…I am not an economist. I am not a politician. I do not have an agenda…other than using this column to inform as many people as I can of what I see and have researched, in the hope that something can be done. It is always possible I will be “shut down” before I finish. I believe, as do others who I will tell you about, that something very major is going to happen to us…again as a nation, and as citizens of the world, within the foreseeable future...and that this future will not be measured in years but in months. I know, when anyone says something like this, they are immediately accused of being hateful, nuts, stirring things up needlessly, being ignorant, or crying wolf when wolf should not be cried. I will attempt to dispel the first in this article, as I try to position you for what is to come. Hopefully, I will dispel the rest of the accusations in ensuing articles. First…a few preliminaries... If you are a regular reader of this column, you already know I place God into most all of the things I write and do. This series will be no different. This does not mean I am some kind of holier than anyone kind of person. It only means that I recognize, believe and understand why I am here and what the final “prize” is we all seek. I think…with what we have staring at us…it is something we all need to do much more of. In the midst of the seriousness of this subject, I will attempt to integrate as much lightheartedness and levity as possible, where it makes sense. The information I will present throughout this series has come from several sources, including but not limited to, Stansberry & Associates, Kipplinger, Weiss Research, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office, the National Inflation Association, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, several others…as well as my own analysis...for what it’s worth. You may notice a bit more moderate tone from me than what I have displayed in previous articles. In earlier days, it would not have been unlike me to say, “This is the way it is because I’ve checked it out. Believe it.” Today however…and particularly for this series…I prefer to say, “Faith is negated if coerced. Check it out for yourself…but please…check it out thoroughly.” Lastly, of my preliminaries (what a phrase, huh?), let me say this about the title of this series. It has a double meaning. The first…hopefully faith will cause you to understand…that you, me, and every creature, plant, bacteria and cell in the universe lives on a borrowed existence. It is borrowed from and lent by God. He can demand it back at any time of His choosing. If you differ with this…you may not get too much out of this series, so if you want to stop now, that is fine. Assuming you’re still reading…let me continue. The second, our existence as a super power nation, in all of the things in which we reign, is borrowed. It is borrowed from and lent by God as well, but it is also borrowed from and lent by the rest of the world, from all of those who were here before us…including our leaders in both government and business, our parents, grandparents, their parents, and every one of the brave men and women who have served, fought and died for our country since its beginning. This borrowed existence can be taken back too, and it is the basis for this entire series. The act of borrowing is something that has been around for as long as man has lived on this planet. It has certain implications and principles that must be followed. Sometimes a story illustrates it and positions you best for the things I want to impart. Other than toys I borrowed from my siblings, I think the first time I ever remember being a party to something that was borrowed of a bigger nature, was when I was very young on the farm. My Dad had a WD-45 Allis Chalmers tractor. He used it for all of our farming. To those of you who may not be familiar, this tractor could pull no more than a two bottom, 16 inch plow, or a 12 foot spring tooth, or an 8 foot tandem disc. In other words, it was a small tractor. With equipment no bigger than these, it took a long time to do anything. While there were Caterpillars and bulldozers around, we didn’t have access to them. So the terraces (man-made rows of dirt to direct water when it rained) in our cultivated ground that we built were very small compared to the size they are today. Every couple of years they needed to be built up and the channels cleaned out that had filled in with run off soil. We had a blade that could be hooked to the back of Dad’s tractor, but it wasn’t big enough, wide enough and built right to do a good job. Fred Bauer, our neighbor, had a different kind of a blade, he called it a grader. It had a much wider blade with two steering mechanisms that could be adjusted by someone riding on its platform behind the blade. It was pulled behind a tractor and did a much better job. I remember going over to Fred’s with Dad and Dad asking him if he could borrow his grader to work his terraces. Fred always obliged. While we always treated Fred with respect because he was a very good man and because he was about 20 years older than Dad…we especially did so during the period of time that we borrowed his grader. It just seemed like it was the thing to do. You should always treat everyone with respect, but it made a lot of sense to treat them with even more respect if you were borrowing something of theirs. Not only because they might take whatever you were borrowing back, but also because they may never let you borrow it or anything again. This is a good thought to have when it comes to borrowing anything. As promised, I need to dispel the notion that I am going to write this series from a hateful perspective. This is something one didn’t have to think about 75-years ago, but today, if you differ with this guy or gal, or this group, or you are on the left, the right, or in the middle, whatever you say is obviously tainted with hate. It would be so good to go back to the good ol’ days where one could talk about something without this hanging over their heads, but I don’t know if we’ll ever get there again. Did you ever wonder where all of this hate began? The other day, I started chasing my past back, trying to remember the incident or the period in time when things changed. Let me tell you what I came up with…and in so doing…perhaps you will buy into there being no hate in this series. As many of you know, I’m getting a little “long in the tooth.” I’m not as “long” as some but “longer” than most. I am 60 years old. My first memories were in the mid to late 50’s as a young boy. I have three older sisters and two younger brothers. The things I remember most about them was that my younger brother Tim (two years younger than me), always found a way to get out of doing the chores; Rory (seven years younger than me), was spoiled; and Gloria, Kathy and Mary (four, three and two years older than me) were Mom and Dad’s favorites, wearing pinafores and thongs most of the time, watching American Bandstand, and crooning over songs like Pineapple Princess by Annette Funicello, Wild One by Bobby Rydell, Tiger by Fabian and of course a bunch of songs by Elvis. I remember most all of the 60’s…the early 60’s…high school in the mid 60’s…and college in the late 60’s. I remember all of the 70’s, and 80’s. Okay, there may have been a few days out of all of those years from the late 60’s through the 80’s that I can’t remember…but a bit later in the morning on those days I began to remember. I say all of this so you will know, I spent some time going back through lots of memories before I wrote this piece. As I went back, I cannot ever remember a time when people viciously attacked each other anywhere close to the extent that it is done today. I don’t think it was that we were all so politically correct, rather…it just wasn’t the thing to do. Politicians tactfully addressed their opponents. I remember hearing some of them who were getting ready to confront one another saying something like, “The distinguished Senator from North Carolina must have a file or two missing from his report,” or, “My good friend, the Honorable Congressman from Ohio, is having a bit of lapse of memory this morning.” Sports stars and movie celebrities were cordial and kind for the most part. Oh there were moments and situations…but not too many people verbally…viciously…attacked one another like they do today. I can’t even remember news anchors that shared with us these kinds of attacks or confrontations. Can you? Then Don Rickles came along. He was born in 1926. He tried acting in the late 40’s and 50’s and early 60’s, unsuccessfully. In the mid to late 60’s, he turned to comedy. Fellow and older comedians of the time were the likes of Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Bob Hope, Jackie Mason and Redd Foxx. Comedy was not Rickles’ bag either. The crowd would boo and jeer him. But rather than quit that too, he began to give it right back to them…in a hateful manner…more so than any other comic that had preceded him. Even Jackie Leonard, who was his mentor, did not do what Rickles did, to the degree that he did it. He turned into an “insult comic.” Insult comics, for the most part, always had short careers, but Don Rickles career has lasted longer than any. At first people were shocked at the things he would dish out. Then, some of them began to laugh. Then in order to keep them laughing, he got more hateful and more rude. I have to say, I love a good story and sharp wit as well as anyone, but I cannot remember ever laughing at anything Don Rickles ever had to say. Isn’t that something? I cannot remember a single thing he ever said that I thought was funny. I really can’t. I’m sure I’m strange. It took me the longest time to realize what I was watching was real. I just couldn’t believe someone could be that insulting and rude to someone else. It was always too “cutting” for me, so my appreciation for his humor or the story or the remark was always lost. No one could belittle someone in a public forum like Don Rickles. No one could call someone the names he called people…to their face…like him. No one could…no one did…for a long time. Then somehow, over the years, probably the same “others” that began to laugh at him at the beginning, thought it was okay to do it…then more and more. Before long…it was everywhere. Today we have reality this and reality that. Everywhere you look…there is hate. Following the Tucson tragedy, President Obama asked for civility in all of our dealings with everyone. I thought it was rather odd that his request was not accompanied by a confession of some of the things he had said throughout his campaign and his first two years of his presidency that were uncivil. It would have given his request much more credibility if he would have said, “I have been as guilty as anyone. It is wrong for me. It is wrong for you. From this day forward, let us debate the issues…not criticize the person…and restore civility to America.” He didn’t. Now before you get all upset thinking that I just made a hateful comment, get over it…I didn’t. These are the facts. This is what he said and what he did. I’m not talking about him as a person…but what he said and did. After his speech, less than three days later…and ever since, the “right,” “left,” and “middle,” along with the pundits have been just as venomous as ever, if not more so. I don’t know whether Don Rickles single handedly brought hate to America or not. I just can’t remember it being so prevalent before him. If he was the one that started it all, he should be spanked…and spanked hard. As a nation…as citizens of this world…we have to get away from hate. We have to get back to debating the issues, then let our democratic way of doing things work. I will promise you now…there will be nothing in this series about hate. I will stay with the facts…every one of which you will be able to authenticate for yourself. For now, I am out of space. Next month, we will talk about the borrowed existence we have enjoyed as a nation, and why I and many others feel…it is in more peril today than it has ever been before.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2011-01-01 10:18:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: We probably all have read things in emails and other forms of communication that are simplistic solutions to many of the real problems we face in America today. Maybe…too many times…too many of us…dismiss these as some sort of a joke. Maybe simplicity is the answer. I think often about all of the trillions of dollars this country spends each year on its budget and items in excess of its budget. Of course I think about my Honey, family, friends, the New England Patriots, Prime Rib, Lamb, Lobster, Cabernet Sauvignon, golf, Derek Jeter and other things too…but I spend a lot of time thinking about what is going to happen to us with the mess we’re in, and what can be done to stave off what appears to be a bigger mess coming because of all of this spending. As I have said quite often in this column, in all of the consulting of businesses I have done and being in business for more than 40-years, I have never thought or advised anyone that the way out of being “upside down” when it comes to income versus expense was to spend more to get out of it. While I am only going to deal with a couple of elements of our spending in this issue, the “umbrella” that has to be thrown over the entire situation is that somehow or other, this spending has to stop. And if we are going to throw money at something, we have to be able to fund it, and be a whole lot smarter than we have been in the last 5-years, by making this money do more things and work harder. Again…maybe simplicity is more of an answer than many of us might think. Please allow me to lead in with a few “Did you knows”… Did you know that our federal budget (that we haven’t met by the way in about 15 years) is $2.5 trillion per year in “mandatory” spending. “Mandatory” means for things like entitlement programs (i.e. social security, Medicare, Medicaid, etc.), defense spending, interest, etc. There is another $1.3 trillion that is labeled as “discretionary” spending? What is “discretionary” spending? It is all of the things that the President and Congress have tacked on…like the stimulus package, health care reform, bailouts, buying two car companies that owe the American taxpayers back billions, further extension of unemployment benefits, and a wide assortment of other projects. I doubt anyone likes to hear this…but it is true. At this writing, we plan to AT LEAST exceed our budget by a minimum of $1.3 trillion in fiscal year 2010-2011, and add to the deficit of $14 trillion! The stimulus package was supposed to put America back to work with “shovel ready” jobs. A year after it was passed, the President apologized and said, “Well, I guess there aren’t such things as “shovel ready” jobs. Oh…okay. We threw $800 billion at the problem of unemployment and a slow economy and we’re worse off today than we were when we did it. We didn’t even have the money in the budget for the budget. We certainly didn’t have anything for things exceeding the budget. It is estimated that there are now approximately 16 million unemployed, not counting the ones who are no longer looking for work and not counting those who are retired. This 16 million equates to 9.8% unemployment (latest December 3rd, 2010 numbers). We have a housing crisis. Inflation is on the way up with the latest and most aggressive Fed moves pumping $600 billion into the economy, with promises to pump more in. Now in my opinion, Bernanke can call it anything he wants…but at the end of the day…the Fed is printing money to do this. If I have 25,000 bushels of wheat…and Russia dumps 10 million metric ton onto the market, won’t that make the price of the wheat I have go down? The same goes with dollars. When the Fed pumps more money into the economy, they print it. We all know we don’t have it. The more money they print, the less value each dollar holds. The less value each dollar holds, the more of them that are required to buy things. This is inflation. What ELSE is coming we don’t YET know about? Some forecasters are saying it may take as long as 10 years to bring unemployment down to 8%...and further into the future to bring unemployment back to under 5%. Get ready for the term “chronically high unemployment” to be used often. It does not paint a rosy picture. Currently, with up to 99 weeks (and another 56 weeks on the table at the time this publication was going to print) of unemployment compensation at an average of $400 per week take home…many workers have chosen to sit it out and wait for their benefits to run out. I guess I can understand. Why would they work? Many of them are making more on unemployment than they would make if they worked…and IF they worked…they would have to WORK. I can’t help but think however…if their unemployment was gone, how many would find something to do. It used to be that when someone was laid off, they knew they only had six months to find another job doing something, and the compensation for that period of time would be less than what they were making. This made them much more aggressive in finding something, even if the new position did not quite pay what they were making in their old position. With the benefit amounts being increased and the length of time these benefits are payable being extended, we have seen a change in our culture. Some culture changes are good. This is not one of them. Do you know what the tab is each year for 16 million unemployed workers? $346 BILLION! If we are at this number or close to it for the next 10 years, that’s almost $3.5 trillion by itself! It’s been stated a thousand times that all we have to do is put America back to work and we will begin to heal this sick economy. I believe this. Do you? We’ve already spent hundreds of billions of dollars trying to do this…and like I said earlier…we are worse off now than we started. We do not have the years it’s going to take to put America back to work. It has to be done…almost…over night. What if there was a simple approach that would do this? I think I’ve got one. Try it on. 1.There are about 40 million people over 50 working full time in the work force. They have not been laid off or will they be. The companies they work for need these people, or people like these people in these positions. I will bet you a dollar to a donut, 8 million of these folks between the ages of 50 and 60 would take a lump sum severance payout of $500,000…tax-free…to retire. Wouldn’t you? What would that cost us? $4 trillion. Where do we get it? We certainly don’t print it and add to inflation. Right now there are trillions of dollars from businesses and consumers, sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the most opportunistic time to be re-invested. Interest rates on savings and CDs are at an all time low. We can’t look to the European Union or anyone else in the world to bail us out. Americans are going to the be the ones who do it. Let’s reward them. Let’s sell this $4 trillion to American businesses and the public in the way of 10 year, tax-free bonds that pay 3% per year, with a one-time opportunity over the 10 years to ratchet up to a higher rate. The total interest cost…$120 billion per year…or $1.2 trillion over 10 years. Our total cost for this solution is now $5.2 trillion. These 8 million people’s jobs would go to 8 million of the unemployed, bringing unemployment down to 4.9%. Taking this many people off unemployment would save $175 billion per year, or $1.75 trillion over the next 10 years. That puts us $3.45 trillion in the hole. Each person accepting this severance package would do so while accepting the following stipulations: a.The person must retire from his/her present position. This does not preclude them from starting up a business of some type, they just can’t take another job in the public sector. b.The person cannot draw any social security until he/she reaches full retirement age, which this age goes up every year. Today, 50 years olds would have to reach the age of 67 to draw full social security benefits. The savings over the next 10 years for this would be $1.65 trillion. We are now $1.8 trillion in the hole for the next 10 years. c.This person must buy a new American made car immediately upon acceptance of the severance amount. 8 million cars ordered…the auto industry is now in good shape and the two car companies can pay back the $60 billion that they still owe American taxpayers. Granted, with all of these other numbers, it’s chump change…but it will still reduce the deficit. d.This person must either buy a house or pay off his/her mortgage. 8 million homes sold and/or mortgages paid off…I think we could all agree the housing crisis is…at the very least…put at bay. Now, let’s take a look at the good ol’ US economy, with 4.9% unemployment, for the next few years, at no higher tax rates than what we have now, and watch the “monkey climb the bars.” Our total gross national product today is approximately $15 trillion. What would it be in this environment? It could be as much as $18 trillion. Remember, the “engine is running, the accelerator is pressed half way to the floor, and the feet are on the brakes.” Give the economy this dose of good news…take the feet off the brakes and watch it run! At this level, tax receipts…again at the current rates…would rise 20% or increase approximately $500 billion. Now, implement this, freeze spending to 2008 levels, freeze government hiring, force ourselves to spend only what we have…and guess what? We’re back in business with a balanced budget, reducing the deficit…and again have the strongest economy and country on the planet earth. We could see the “fruits” in days instead of years. What am I missing here? Oh yeah…I remember now…it’s probably too simple.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-12-01 15:07:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Although I am sure there are those of you would like to maim the guy that asked me this question several years ago that spawned this column.…it is one of the most favorite questions I am asked. This month I am going to write about a recent personal experience I had. Before I begin however, I have to say, I have had almost every type of “feedback comment” possible about my articles over the past several months. They range from, “You talk way too much about God,” and “You deceive your readers about the “Left,” to “God bless you for standing up for what you believe in,” and “You are so right on.” Isn’t America great! That’s what our country is about. The freedom to express opinions…both yours and mine. Let’s hope this never changes. Regarding my personal experience…you will know it is true once I tell you, otherwise…where in the world did the title of this article come from? And, just so you don’t think I’m the only one who has had or can have experiences like this, you may be mistaken. I believe the opportunity for them to happen occur every day, to everyone of us. I am not anyone special…but of course…you already knew that. It happened between 5 AM and 6 AM on October 28th, in the chapel at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Wichita, KS. I am a Catholic and very thankful and proud to be so. Most all Catholic parishes have what is called Perpetual Adoration. The Blessed Sacrament (the consecrated body of our Lord Jesus Christ in the form of a round, white host made of unleavened bread) is on display in a gold vessel called the Monstrance, in the chapel of the church, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. For more than 20 years, at least one parishioner from our parish has spent an hour in prayer, meditation and adoration, every hour of the day around the clock in Perpetual Adoration. The time I have committed to do so is on Thursdays, from 5 to 6 AM. It is a very special time of the week for me. You cannot imagine all of the things I talk to God about during this time. He talks back too. That really should not be a surprise. God talks to all of us many times…if we will just take the time to listen. I should also say, that while another lady is usually there during this hour, she wasn’t there on this particular morning because of an injury she had sustained. I was the only one there for the entire hour. I can pray and talk as loud as I want when I’m the only one there. I do it too. On this particular morning, after finishing my prayers, and before I did my spiritual reading, I began my one-on-one visit with God, like I always do. I talked about many things…from what’s going on in my family…my business…to the world. This morning, in advance of the mid-term elections, I began thinking about what a mess our country is in…how much hate and angst there is…the bribery, theft, breaches of public and fiduciary trust…the decay of morals…the things we do as humans that wouldn’t have been thought of doing by those who came before us…the disrespect and unkindness that is shown so often to so many. I thought to myself, “What kind of a society have we become?” As you know, if you’re a frequent reader of this column, my political persuasion is one of being on the “Right.” That doesn’t mean it’s right. It just means that is my persuasion. Yours may be the same or the opposite or something different. Just like opinions, they should all be respected. It’s an issue thing…not a personal thing. As I was pondering all of this…and thinking about what would be happening once these mid-term elections were over…I asked myself…for the first time ever that I can remember, “What makes me think my persuasion is right?” Wow! Now that was a real tough question. I paused for several minutes as I considered the answer. I then began to ask God, “What is right…the “Right” or the “Left?” Is capitalism right or socialism? Are Democrats right or are Republicans? Is it big government or small government that is right? Should it be…take care of business and it will take care of society; or should it be…take care of society first then a satisfied society will take care of business? I have never asked these questions of myself before. I doubt too many people have either. Most of us just take for granted what we think is the way it should be and anyone who disagrees with us is not as informed as we are, not as intelligent, has ulterior motives…or is the “enemy.” I was waiting on God to answer me. Once I stopped asking which of what was right or wrong, His answer came to me as loud as if it had been broadcast over a loud speaker. “None of the examples you gave are wrong. I gave everyone a free will to do as they wish. Most of the time I do not stop them. It is when men and women in their capacities, whether it be government, business or society, succumb to one or more of the seven deadly sins when their side and what they do is wrong. If they also mislead others when doing so, it is a much bigger wrong.” “The seven deadly sins…” I thought. I thought about each one, repeating them each a couple of times to myself. “This is so true,” I said. “Just about every wrong we are witnessing in the world today can be chased back to one of these.” I have to stop here for a moment and explain something. I have had a habit of making a sentence, phrase or acronym out of things that I want to remember…ever since I can remember. For instance, when I was 8 my Grandma Duckworth was trying to teach me to play the guitar. I quit shortly after she started because baseball seemed much the better way to spend my free time; but I remember her trying to teach me the strings…E A D G B E. They didn’t make sense to me, but she said I needed to remember them. So I did then and still do to this day. Was it because I remembered what she taught me? No. It was because I made a sentence out of the letters. It was, “Eat all day, get bear eaten” (I never said my sentences, phrases or acronyms made sense). If I am going to the grocery store and forgot the list, I try and remember what was on the list. As I remember the items, I think of a sentence or phrase that will include them all. If the list contained flour, sugar, bacon, lettuce, milk, bread and orange juice, my phrase might be, “Breakfast mainstays with baking and lettuce.” That would cause me to think about each area and remember the items I need to pick up. I doubt too many people can name the 7 deadly or capital sins. Years ago, neither could I. However, I thought that having the seven deadly sins on the tip of my tongue would be a big benefit to me and cause me to do less things wrong. I remember looking them up. I found them to be Pride, Greed, Envy, Anger, Lust, Gluttony and Sloth. You won’t find them in the Bible…well not the way they are listed here. The Book of Proverbs talks about the six things our Lord hates and the seventh He detests. (Proverbs 6:16-19) “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.” Upon doing a little more research, I found that the 7 deadly sins were “defined” by St. John Cassian in the early 5th century and “refined” by Pope St. Gregory the Great about 200 years later. I needed to remember these. I wrote them down and then tried to arrange the first letters of each into a word. The best possible word I could come up with was “Spaggle,” Sloth, Pride, Anger, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Envy…Was “Spaggle” a word? I looked it up. The only thing I could find was that it had been used as a slang term for the caked-up fecal matter on the inside of the colon. This, it said, can cause all kinds of bad things to happen, like bloating, constipation, gas, foul smelling breath and stools, indigestion, large protruding belly, lack of sleep, irritation, restfulness, frequent tiredness, low energy, skin and hair problems…the list goes on of all kinds of things…all of which are not pleasant. I thought, “How appropriate…the seven deadly sins cause a lot of bad things…really bad things…to happen too. I’ll never forget this term, “Spaggle.” I thought of each of these as I continued listening to God talk to me. “From early man to present day, in every society there has ever been on earth, there has always been some form of government. Government can be good or bad. Government is good when the people involved, act with the free will I gave them, for the overall betterment of everyone. Government is bad when the people involved, act with the free will I gave them, for something that is self-serving. People…rich or poor...employed or not…educated or not…in government, business or society…who receive something that they know they should not be receiving, are using the free will I gave them to do wrong. People who are in government, who make the laws or interpret the laws for someone to receive something they should not be receiving are equally guilty of the wrong. Man’s law…if made without the influence of these seven deadly sins…is My law too. There have been those, good and bad, of all political persuasions and all forms of government throughout history. Just like any other person in business or society, if one succumbs to one of these sins…he or she has used the free will I gave them to do wrong.” That’s pretty heavy stuff early in the morning. I wondered why it came to me. I waited for more. I waited. I waited a little longer. That was it. I didn’t hear any more. Of course He was still there, but not like He was when He was talking to me. I thought about what I had heard. I thought to myself. “You know what? He was right on.” “Of course He was right on,” I replied back. “He is God.” “But I mean, He was really right on. Think about all that we see in business, everyday life and government. Every infraction against the way it should be can be traced back instantly and directly to one of these deadly sins.” “What are they again?” I asked. “They’re ‘Spaggle,’” I replied. Then I started getting this thought. “There have been dozens of political parties in Federal elections throughout the history of the United States. I still remember some of them from my American History classes under Dr. John Born at WSU more than 40 years ago. Not only the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, but I also remember the Whig Party, the Liberty Party, the Federalist Party, the Toleration Party, the Vegetarian Party (really), and then parties like the Anti-Federalist Party, the Anti-Nebraska Party (really again), the Anti-Monopoly Party and the Anti Masonic Party. Now there is the Tea Party, although it is not an official party that has a candidate, they are an advocate group. They stand for less government, cutting spending, reducing the deficit and a strong defense. Some think they’re an extremist group. But you know what? I doubt they’re really much different than any other political party. If their candidate or the candidate they support is elected, they could easily use their free will to do self-serving things too, under the cover of the things they stand for.” I thought to myself, “What we need is a party that no one can argue with its platform. I mean, one can always say he or she is for or against a broad political term like less government or cutting spending or reducing the deficit or maintaining a strong defense, but how could anyone say they are a proponent for the commission of one or more of the 7 deadly sins? They couldn’t. What we need is the Anti-Spaggle Party. The Anti-Spaggle Party…the Anti-Spaggle Party…the Anti-Spaggle Party,” I repeated it over and over to myself. Being in marketing and understanding a little about branding, I know that while you are seldom presented with the opportunity, you can never do better than use a name that is self-descriptive of what the product, service or concept does. The Anti-Spaggle Party immediately implies a party that is against something. All that would have to be done is to explain what that something, “Spaggle”… is. I think this is doable. “That’s the party that needs to be formed,” I said to myself. “It would have a platform that would be immediately recognizable by all and one that ‘shouts’ when someone representing it is out of bounds. It would never have to update its platform. It would be valid from now on.” Now, this last part may not be a real “biggie” to you, and you may not believe it, but it was to me and it is true. I’ve always thought that ideas are one thing, but ideas that are accompanied with a “sign” of some sort, are another. After all of these thoughts about this new political party, I went onto my spiritual reading. For the same I use a publication called The Magnificat. This is a monthly publication that features daily devotions to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the lives of the Saints that are celebrated during the month, along with adorations to God, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. My sister Kathy has given me and my other siblings a subscription to it as a gift for several years. It was about 5:55 AM, towards the end of my hour of adoration. I was on page 380 of the October 2010, Vol. 12, No. 8 edition, at the very end of the prayers, readings and devotions for that Thursday, October 28th. Of all the Scriptures that could have been used to close out that day was Hebrews 4:12-13, “For the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. No creature is concealed from him, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Like I say, this may not have been much of a “bell ringer” to you, but I was pretty well blown away. “Why do you suppose that very passage was there…at that very time?” Lots of things began circling in my mind. You don’t suppose this was a “sign” do you? Or, was this a calling? Or, was it just a coincidence? Surely God knows that I can’t start the Anti-Spaggle Party, with all of the skeletons I have in my closet. The party would be ridiculed out of business before it got started. Maybe I was just supposed to plant the thought and one of you take it and run with it.

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-11-01 13:31:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Thank you. I always like to be asked. This month, I want to share with you something that happened a few months ago, but just surfaced recently. It’s a little “lighter” than the rest of my column. The second part is what I believe to be the biggest difference between most of Americans and our President. The third part is a comment about our wonderful and ever-so-intelligent media, and the last part is from our, “Something to think about” segment. For those of you who have never traveled to the west, or southwest, cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings, in dug-out places in the roads adjacent to highways (sometimes across highways), to prevent cattle from crossing over that area. For some reason, the cattle will not step on the “guards,” probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails (sometimes called cattle gaps). A few months ago, President Obama received and was reading a report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado. The Colorado ranchers had protested his proposed changes in grazing policies, so he ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the cattle guards immediately! Before the Secretary of the Interior could respond and presumably try to straighten President Obama out on the matter, Vice-President Joe Biden, intervened with a request that...before any cattle guards were fired, they be given six months of retraining for Arizona border guards. “Times are hard,” said Joe Biden, “It’s only fair to the cattle guards and their families!” This next part of my column could be given to little Johnny as the answer to his question, “Daddy, you keep talking about the how the Obama administration doesn’t represent the true feelings and values of most Americans. What do you mean?” The following column appeared recently at www.dickmorris.com following the release of the new book by Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars, which details the input, decisions and actions that went down when a new plan was being drafted for the War in Afghanistan. I am not that fond of Dick Morris, mostly because he flaunts his website and his books between nearly every statement he makes…but every once in awhile, he comes up with an analysis that is “right on.” In my opinion, such is the case with this column. Obama’s essentially European world outlook has no better illustration than his comment to Bob Woodward during a July, 2010 interview that said, “We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever...we absorbed it and we are stronger.” The essence of the differences between the European and American view of terrorism is the deeply felt, but often unstated opinion on the Continent that terrorism is normal and that it would be a mistake to over-react to it. In the United States, terrorism cuts very, very deeply into our national psyche. But in Europe, its often just one of those things. After all, Europe has seen a lot worse than the relatively naive American public has ever had to witness. The last serious bloodshed on American soil came in the Civil War. The Pearl Harbor and 9-11 attacks stand out as landmarks in our history precisely because we have shed so little American blood with the boundaries of the United States. Britain lost 50,000 people in the blitz during World War II. France lost about one-quarter of its military age men in World War I. Germany saw seven million die in World War II (not counting the German Jews the Nazis killed). Next to these horrific casualties, 2400 dead at Pearl Harbor and 3,000 lost on 9-11 pale by comparison. Basically, Europeans say to America, “Get over it. Grow up. Welcome to reality.” But Americans refuse to accept the idea that random death and massive violence are inevitable concomitants of the modern world. We demand that government emphatically reject this as a norm and move heaven and earth to stop it from happening. The President of the United States is supposed to reflect American views and priorities, but he so clearly indicated how the European view shapes his thinking in the Woodward interview. The practical consequences of such an outlook are profoundly disturbing. Obama told Woodward that, “We’ll do everything we can to prevent” another 9/11, but his confidence that we could “absorb” an attack, clearly implies that he won’t. If preventing an attack on the scale of 9/11 or greater is the absolute priority it was for George W. Bush, we will indeed do “everything we can” to stop it. But if it is something we can “absorb” preventing an attack is but one of a number of competing priorities. The Obama worldview also demands that we avoid racial profiling, protect the civil liberties even of non-citizens who are not in the country, and limit interrogation techniques well short of torture. If a president has a basic confidence that 9/11 could be “absorbed”, these competing priorities are likely to loom large in his thinking and attenuate his efforts. His comments also indicate a total lack of realization of the escalating nature of terror attacks. In 1993, we lost a few people when terrorists hit the Trade Center. By 2001, they had refined their techniques and demolished the buildings and killed 3,000. The next attack is not likely to be “another 9/11.” It is far more probable that it would be a dirty bomb or even a nuclear device or some other weapon of mass destruction, dwarfing the casualties of 9/11. These things escalate. And, unless we realize that they do, we are not likely to really do all we can to stop it. If the stakes are the total obliteration of New York City, we will obviously do more to stop the attack than if they are “merely” another 9/11. And Obama’s view that the threat we face is of the order of magnitude of 9/11 indicates a blindness to the danger we face. Finally, the Obama comments indicate a cold and inhuman view of the likelihood of 3,000 new deaths. He says we can “absorb” such mayhem. Can the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and children of the dead “absorb” the attack as easily? Obama’s comments remind one of the notion of acceptable casualties in warfare. This is World War I thinking at its worst. Americans do not count on “absorbing” an attack of this magnitude. We see it as a unique horror to be avoided at all costs. But Obama, like Mao calculating how many Chinese he could afford to lose in a nuclear exchange, seems to focus on how much we can “absorb” as a nation. This is chilling stuff indeed. As I go back to the first time I ever saw Barack Obama, when he delivered the Keynote Speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, all the way to present day, I cannot recall a single time that I ever witnessed anything he said or did that he wasn’t playing politically to some group, issue, policy or legislation. Maybe he did…I just cannot recall an instance. I never thought about this until I began to read this new book by Bob Woodward. It seems as though if he wasn’t playing to or trying to rally his base, he was always pandering in some fashion to another faction. I am sure there are those of you who will think I am mistaken, but so help me…I cannot recall one time. Can you? Isn’t that something? Even if you can recall a time or two…isn’t that still something? Not one time have I caught any tone of sincerity or understanding or reasoning, without it being connected politically in some way, shape or form to some group, issue or legislation. I am sure he is very close to his wife and children. But other than these…I wonder…who is this man close to…really close to? How can anyone be close to anyone when everything one says or does has a political overtone to it? Let me give you an example. Suppose I want to go with some of my golfing buddies on a two-week golf trip to Florida. I ask my wife a couple of months before the trip if she minds. She is not in favor of me going as I had just gone on a fishing trip earlier for a couple of weeks. I don’t have to confirm with the guys until two weeks out from the trip whether I am going or not. For those six weeks, everything I say or do, either outwardly states something to do with this golfing trip, or there is a heavy, implied undertone of it. All that I am interested in this golf trip. If a moment or occasion arises that should be personal, tender or sincere, with my wife…a member of my family…or with friends…it is always accompanied in some way, shape or form with something to do with this golf trip, trying to use every angle to get her to say it’s okay if I go. Nothing I do or think about is about others. It’s all about me and what I want and what I think should happen. This goes on for six weeks! This is what I see with President Obama…only I’ve witnessed it for six years! Mr. President…you are my President. I respect you as such and your office. Sometimes it might not sound as though I do…but I do. However, you need to know…being President doesn’t mean you are infallible. In my opinion, you need a good “spanking” for your total preoccupation with politics in all that you have said and done. Hopefully now, that the mid terms are over (I have no idea how they will turn out as this publication is going to press well in advance of the same), you will think about something other than politics in everything that you say and do. God’s most precious gift to this world is life. No other planet that we know of has it. If there is such life somewhere else in the universe, I promise you, it is God’s most precious gift to that planet as well. I don’t want to live in France, or Germany, or Sweden, or any country that treats the loss of any life, however young or old it may be, any different than with the tremendous amount of care, concern and respect that loss of life deserves, because of Whom that gift is from. I don’t want my President to go around the world apologizing for America and its citizens for what we’ve done and had to do for freedom, and for the protection and preservation of this wonderful gift of life. If you still do Mr. President, and if you think that life can be toyed with like chips at a poker table, please take the next plane out to the world that you seek. You don’t need to come back. And just so you and others don’t call my attitude racist…I’m not asking for this, or to have my county back, from a black man. Frankly…whether you believe it or not…I haven’t seen or noticed the color of your skin since I first saw you in 2004. I want my country back from your ideas, policies and politics. I want it back to the values…the way of life…and the respect for life that made this country the greatest country in the world. Next, a comment on Christine O’Donnell, the lady from Delaware who is running for the US Senate, and the mainstream media’s total preoccupation with her “witchcraft” comment. Please refer to this each and every time anyone…for any office…is hit with this kind of “caw caw” from the media. I only use her as an example. The American populace must look very stupid to have this “fed” to us on so many occasions…from all media…whether left or right, and people of the same persuasions. I have no idea of this lady’s makeup, her qualifications, what she’s for or against, nor will I spend much time investigating to get answers to these things. She said in interview with Bill Maher in 1997 that she “dabbled” in witchcraft. She hung out with some kids in school who practiced it. After a few months, she had nothing to do with it any longer. Since then, the mainstream media has been having a barbeque with her being the “main entrée.” Well, I would like everyone to know right now that my younger brothers…Tim and Rory…and I “dabbled” in being cowboys and outlaws when we were young, growing up on the farm. Unlike Christine, we did this for about 5 years. At times we took on the personifications of Roy Rogers, Hop Along Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, Matt Dillon (I always made Tim be Chester), and several others including “Bad Butch,” Doc Holiday and Jessie James. We would have gun fights; rob banks and trains; and have make-believe fist fights (we learned how to swing with one fist at the other guy and have the other hand hit our chest open-handed at the same time…sounding like a real “smack”). But…after 5 years…we put away these things and began playing baseball, basketball and football...and soldiers…and race car drivers…and a host of other things. That is, when Dad gave us time to play…which wasn’t too often. Although I can’t remember the exact moment, somewhere along the line, we decided we were through “dabbling” in these things. We put away the things of our youth and picked up the things of adulthood. Tim has been Postmaster at Sharon, KS for many years, Rory has been Division Manager for Cox Machine at Harper, KS for many years, and I came to Wichita and have been in media, marketing and publishing for the past many years. In addition to their other duties, they both still run the family farm. So, I guess it is possible that someone can “dabble” in some things that aren’t quite right or acceptable, and come out okay. I would think however, that there’s a far bigger story about those who “dabbled” in things when they were younger…and are still doing them…and trying to get others to do them…you know…like Sol Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and The World Socialist Movement based upon Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto? But then, what do I know? I’m just an old, make-believe Hop Along Cassidy. Lastly, from our “Something to think about” segment, consider this…Bernie Madoff went to prison because he told people he was going to invest their money and didn’t do it. Instead, he took their money. As new investors came in, he took their money to pay old investors. Finally there were too many old investors and not enough money from the new investors coming in to keep the payments going. The whole scheme collapsed. Bernie did to his investors what the government has been doing to us for more than 70 years with Social Security. There is not meaningful difference between the two schemes, except that one was operated by a private individual who is now in jail, and the other is operated by politicians who enjoy perks, privileges and status in spite of their actions. My father’s generation was known as the “greatest generation.” Somehow, I think my generation is going to be known as anything but. We’ve pretty well messed up the environment; we’ve left the younger generation with a debt of nearly $14 Trillion that can’t possibly be repaid by taxes…it can only be repaid by printing new dollars thereby decreasing the value of the dollars we already have; deficits into the next 10 years (unless they’re changed) of $1.5 Trillion per year; a dollar worth 1/3 of what it was worth when we were young; and a social security program that resembles Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme more and more each day, as soon there will be no money to pay the old investors. And it all has happened on our watch. What were we thinking?

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-11-01 13:31:00

Answer: Thank you. I always like to be asked. The first part of my article this month is a “light” little story that appeared recently in emails across the country. If it offends you…get over it. Most everyone has stories told on them frequently. The second part is what I believe to be the biggest difference between most Americans and our President…even many of those who support him. The third part is a comment about our wonderful and ever-so-intelligent media, and the last part is from our, “Something to think about” segment. For those of you who have never traveled to the west, or southwest, cattle guards are horizontal steel rails placed at fence openings, in dug-out places in the roads adjacent to highways (sometimes across highways), to prevent cattle from crossing over that area. For some reason, the cattle will not step on the “guards,” probably because they fear getting their feet caught between the rails (sometimes called cattle gaps). A few months ago, President Obama received and was reading a report that there were over 100,000 cattle guards in Colorado. The Colorado ranchers had protested his proposed changes in grazing policies, so he ordered the Secretary of the Interior to fire half of the cattle guards immediately! Before the Secretary of the Interior could respond and presumably try to straighten President Obama out on the matter, Vice-President Joe Biden, intervened with a request that...before any cattle guards were fired, they be given six months of retraining for Arizona border guards. “Times are hard,” said Joe Biden, “It’s only fair to the cattle guards and their families!” This next part of my column could be given to little Johnny as the answer to his question, “Daddy, you keep talking about the how the Obama administration doesn’t represent the true feelings and values of most Americans. What do you mean?” The following column appeared recently at www.dickmorris.com following the release of the new book by Bob Woodward, Obama’s Wars, which details the input, decisions and actions that went down when a new plan was being drafted for the War in Afghanistan. I am not that fond of Dick Morris, mostly because he flaunts his website and his books between nearly every statement he makes…but every once in awhile, he comes up with an analysis that is “right on.” In my opinion, such is the case with this column. Obama’s essentially European world outlook has no better illustration than his comment to Bob Woodward during a July, 2010 interview that said, “We can absorb a terrorist attack. We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but even a 9/11, even the biggest attack ever...we absorbed it and we are stronger.” The essence of the differences between the European and American view of terrorism is the deeply felt, but often unstated opinion on the Continent that terrorism is normal and that it would be a mistake to over-react to it. In the United States, terrorism cuts very, very deeply into our national psyche. But in Europe, its often just one of those things. After all, Europe has seen a lot worse than the relatively naive American public has ever had to witness. The last serious bloodshed on American soil came in the Civil War. The Pearl Harbor and 9-11 attacks stand out as landmarks in our history precisely because we have shed so little American blood with the boundaries of the United States. Britain lost 50,000 people in the blitz during World War II. France lost about one-quarter of its military age men in World War I. Germany saw seven million die in World War II (not counting the German Jews the Nazis killed). Next to these horrific casualties, 2400 dead at Pearl Harbor and 3,000 lost on 9-11 pale by comparison. Basically, Europeans say to America, “Get over it. Grow up. Welcome to reality.” But Americans refuse to accept the idea that random death and massive violence are inevitable concomitants of the modern world. We demand that government emphatically reject this as a norm and move heaven and earth to stop it from happening. The President of the United States is supposed to reflect American views and priorities, but he so clearly indicated how the European view shapes his thinking in the Woodward interview. The practical consequences of such an outlook are profoundly disturbing. Obama told Woodward that, “We’ll do everything we can to prevent” another 9/11, but his confidence that we could “absorb” an attack, clearly implies that he won’t. If preventing an attack on the scale of 9/11 or greater is the absolute priority it was for George W. Bush, we will indeed do “everything we can” to stop it. But if it is something we can “absorb” preventing an attack is but one of a number of competing priorities. The Obama worldview also demands that we avoid racial profiling, protect the civil liberties even of non-citizens who are not in the country, and limit interrogation techniques well short of torture. If a president has a basic confidence that 9/11 could be “absorbed”, these competing priorities are likely to loom large in his thinking and attenuate his efforts. His comments also indicate a total lack of realization of the escalating nature of terror attacks. In 1993, we lost a few people when terrorists hit the Trade Center. By 2001, they had refined their techniques and demolished the buildings and killed 3,000. The next attack is not likely to be “another 9/11.” It is far more probable that it would be a dirty bomb or even a nuclear device or some other weapon of mass destruction, dwarfing the casualties of 9/11. These things escalate. And, unless we realize that they do, we are not likely to really do all we can to stop it. If the stakes are the total obliteration of New York City, we will obviously do more to stop the attack than if they are “merely” another 9/11. And Obama’s view that the threat we face is of the order of magnitude of 9/11 indicates a blindness to the danger we face. Finally, the Obama comments indicate a cold and inhuman view of the likelihood of 3,000 new deaths. He says we can “absorb” such mayhem. Can the mothers, fathers, wives, husbands and children of the dead “absorb” the attack as easily? Obama’s comments remind one of the notion of acceptable casualties in warfare. This is World War I thinking at its worst. Americans do not count on “absorbing” an attack of this magnitude. We see it as a unique horror to be avoided at all costs. But Obama, like Mao calculating how many Chinese he could afford to lose in a nuclear exchange, seems to focus on how much we can “absorb” as a nation. This is chilling stuff indeed. As I go back to the first time I ever saw Barack Obama, when he delivered the Keynote Speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, all the way to present day, I cannot recall a single time that I ever witnessed anything he said or did that he wasn’t playing politically to some group, issue, policy or legislation. Maybe he did…I just cannot recall an instance. I never thought about this until I began to read this new book by Bob Woodward. It seems as though if he wasn’t playing to or trying to rally his base, he was always pandering in some fashion to another faction. I am sure there are those of you who will think I am mistaken, but so help me…I cannot recall one time. Can you? Isn’t that something? Even if you can recall a time or two…isn’t that still something? Not one time have I caught any tone of sincerity or understanding or reasoning, without it being connected politically in some way, shape or form to some group, issue or legislation. I am sure he is very close to his wife and children. But other than these…I wonder…who is this man close to…really close to? How can anyone be close to anyone when everything one says or does has a political overtone to it? Let me give you an example. Suppose I want to go with some of my golfing buddies on a two-week golf trip to Florida. I ask my wife a couple of months before the trip if she minds. She is not in favor of me going as I had just gone on a fishing trip earlier for a couple of weeks. I don’t have to confirm with the guys until two weeks out from the trip whether I am going or not. For those six weeks, everything I say or do, either outwardly states something to do with this golfing trip, or there is a heavy, implied undertone of it. All that I am interested in this golf trip. If a moment or occasion arises that should be personal, tender or sincere, with my wife…a member of my family…or with friends…it is always accompanied in some way, shape or form with something to do with this golf trip, trying to use every angle to get her to say it’s okay if I go. Nothing I do or think about is about others. It’s all about me and what I want and what I think should happen. This goes on for six weeks! This is what I see with President Obama…only I’ve witnessed it for six years! Mr. President…you are my President. I respect you as such and your office. Sometimes it might not sound as though I do…but I do. However, you need to know…being President doesn’t mean you are infallible. In my opinion, you need a good “spanking” for your total preoccupation with politics in all that you have said and done. Hopefully now, that the mid terms are over (I have no idea how they will turn out as this publication is going to press well in advance of the same), you will think about something other than politics in everything that you say and do. God’s most precious gift to this world is life. No other planet that we know of has it. If there is such life somewhere else in the universe, I promise you, it is God’s most precious gift to that planet as well. I don’t want to live in France, or Germany, or Sweden, or any country that treats the loss of any life, however young or old it may be, any different than with the tremendous amount of care, concern and respect that loss of life deserves, because of whom that gift is from. I don’t want my President to go around the world apologizing for America and its citizens for what we’ve done and had to do for freedom, and for the protection and preservation of this wonderful gift of life. If you still do Mr. President, and if you think that life can be toyed with like chips at a poker table, please take the next plane out to the world that you seek. You don’t need to come back. And just so you and others don’t call my attitude racist…I’m not asking for this, or to have my county back, from a black man. Frankly…whether you believe it or not…I haven’t seen or noticed the color of your skin since I first saw you in 2004. I want my country back from your ideas, policies and politics. I want it back to the values…the way of life…and the respect for life that made this country the greatest country in the world. Next, a comment on Christine O’Donnell, the lady from Delaware who ran for the US Senate, and the mainstream media’s total preoccupation with her “witchcraft” and other comments. Please refer to this each and every time anyone…for any office…is hit with this kind of “caw caw” from the media. I only use her as an example. The American populace must look very stupid to have this “fed” to us on so many occasions…from all media…whether left or right, and people of the same persuasions. I have no idea of this lady’s makeup, her qualifications, what she’s for or against, nor will I spend much time investigating to get answers to these things. She said in interview with Bill Maher in 1997 that she “dabbled” in witchcraft. She hung out with some kids in school who practiced it. After a few months, she had nothing to do with it any longer. Since then, the mainstream media has been having a barbeque with her being the “main entrée.” Well, I would like everyone to know right now that my younger brothers…Tim and Rory…and I “dabbled” in being cowboys and outlaws when we were young, growing up on the farm. Unlike Christine, we did this for about 5 years. At times we took on the personifications of Roy Rogers, Hop Along Cassidy, Wyatt Earp, Matt Dillon (I always made Tim be Chester), and several others including “Bad Butch,” Doc Holiday and Jessie James. We would have gun fights; rob banks and trains; and have make-believe fist fights (we learned how to swing with one fist at the other guy and have the other hand hit our chest open-handed at the same time…sounding like a real “smack”). But…after 5 years…we put away these things and began playing baseball, basketball and football...and soldiers…and race car drivers…and a host of other things. That is, when Dad gave us time to play…which wasn’t too often. Although I can’t remember the exact moment, somewhere along the line, we decided we were through “dabbling” in these things. We put away the things of our youth and picked up the things of adulthood. Tim has been Postmaster at Sharon, KS for many years, Rory has been Division Manager for Cox Machine at Harper, KS for many years, and I came to Wichita and have been in media, marketing and publishing for the past many years. In addition to their other duties, they both still run the family farm. So, I guess it is possible that someone can “dabble” in some things that aren’t quite right or acceptable, and come out okay. I would think however, that there’s a far bigger story about those who “dabbled” in things when they were younger…and are still doing them…and trying to get others to do them…you know…like Sol Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals and The World Socialist Movement based upon Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto? But then, what do I know? I’m just an old, make-believe Hop Along Cassidy. Lastly, from our “Something to think about” segment, consider this…Bernie Madoff went to prison because he told people he was going to invest their money and didn’t do it. Instead, he took their money. As new investors came in, he took their money to pay old investors. Finally there were too many old investors and not enough money from the new investors coming in to keep the payments going. The whole scheme collapsed. Bernie did to his investors what the government has been doing to us for more than 70 years with Social Security. There is not meaningful difference between the two schemes, except that one was operated by a private individual who is now in jail, and the other is operated by politicians who enjoy perks, privileges and status in spite of their actions. My father’s generation was known as the “greatest generation.” Somehow, I think my generation is going to be known as anything but. We’ve pretty well messed up the environment; we’ve left the younger generation with a debt of nearly $14 Trillion that can’t possibly be repaid by taxes…it can only be repaid by printing new dollars thereby decreasing the value of the dollars we already have; deficits into the next 10 years (unless they’re changed) of $1.5 Trillion per year; a dollar worth 1/3 of what it was worth when we were young; and a social security program that resembles Madoff’s Ponzi Scheme more and more each day, as soon there will be no money to pay the old investors. And it all has happened on our watch. What were we thinking?

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-10-01 10:11:00

Answer: Lots of things are new. I’m always glad to be asked. This month, you get to read (unless you don’t) about a list of things I am sick and tired of. I call them my “rants.” Maybe some of mine match yours. Maybe they do not. If you have a different opinion, or these things don’t bother you, let me know. I’ll try not to do a lot of complaining. People have their own problems and they don’t need to hear about mine. But I really don’t have too many personal problems that I haven’t been able to manage…somehow. That may seem a bit prideful, but what I mean by “managing” is that I do lots of things wrong…know I must ask for forgiveness…try to do so in as humble of a way as possible…make a firm resolution to do better…and then I get on down the road. Unfortunately, I don’t have the “management” of the kinds of things detailed below worked out at all. They just make me sick…and tired. 1. I am sick and tired of hearing about people being racist and that racism caused such and such. I travel in lots of circles. Enough circles that if there were as many racists out there as those that are called racists…or blatant racism…I would know about it…hear about it or experience it. It seems like I have always been out…where if it existed…I would know it. Whenever I did see it or experience it I would say to myself, “This is my chance…do something.” And I would. But as a rule, I don’t hear it. I don’t see it. I came to Wichita in the late ‘60s, off the family farm in Barber County. Back then, there were probably two or three families of African Americans in Medicine Lodge, the largest town in the county, and several Hispanic families in Kiowa, the second largest town in the county. That was it. I played baseball since I was 5 years old. I played with and against boys from these families. I can’t remember one of them that wasn’t a neat kid…and an excellent athlete. I didn’t see color. The kids I ran around with didn’t see color. We saw them as kids that loved the game as much as we did. Later at WSU, in 1968, I was in the midst of every race, creed and color there was. I didn’t see it. I saw them as kids that wanted an education as much as I did…and this was the ‘60s for crying out loud…in the midst of tremendous racial unrest…but not as much as there is today. While going to college, I worked at the Coleman Company. I was in scheduling for awhile then supervision. We had every race, creed and color there. I never saw it. I saw as great of a group of people as I have ever worked with or for in my life. They worked hard. They followed instructions. Their work was high quality. If someone was lazy or failed to do the job that was required, that person could have been any race, color or creed. Following Coleman’s, I have spent the last 40 years in media, mostly in Wichita but also I have done work in most every major market in the country. I have not witnessed racism. I am sick and tired of hearing about it. The reason why President Obama’s approval ratings are in the tank are because of his policies and his way of handling things, not because he’s black. The reason why Charlie Rangel is in trouble is because he has allegedly broken 13 laws, not because he’s black. The reason why Maxine Waters is in trouble is because she allegedly broke three separate and different rules of Congress, not because she is black. All of this reminds me of the old story of the patient visiting his doctor. The patient says, “Doc, when I do this it hurts.” The Doctor says, “Then don’t do that.” Can we not do this anymore? 2. I am sick and tired of hearing that the current administration inherited a terrible problem. Oh really? I was alive in the Fall of 2006 as both houses of Congress went Democrat, which just happens to be the party of affiliation of President Obama. Just a few days ago, the Washington Post babbled on again about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this nonsense. So once more, let’s have a short civics lesson. Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress, and the party that has controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party. They controlled the budget process for fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009, as well as fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2011, you know the one that is already projected to be a $1.47 Trillion deficit. In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases. For fiscal year 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the fiscal year 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete fiscal year 2009. If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the fiscal year 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets. If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what President Obama is saying is, “I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th, 2009, when I took over.” By the way Mr. President, didn’t you campaign and ask for people to vote for you because you were going to fix everything? I can just see me using this excuse back in the days of when I took over a department at the Coleman Company, where the previous Foreman had been fired. They may have let me say one time, in the first few days of taking over, how much of a mess things were…but that would have been it. If I would have ever mentioned it after that, I would never be given the chance to bring it up again. I would be the “recently fired Foreman.” They already knew it was a mess. They had already removed the reason why it was a mess. I was the solution to clean up the mess. I was expected to do it and that was that! 3. I am sick and tired of President Obama, Gibbs, Gettner, Pelosi and Reid telling me that this recovery is going great. We have 1 out of every 10 Americans that could work, looking for work. There is another 1 out of 10 Americans that have quit looking for work and are not counted among the unemployed. Really? We are losing an average of 100,000 jobs or more each month. The only reason why unemployment continues to hover at around 10% is because the number of folks that are losing their jobs and going on first time unemployment equal the number of folks who have stopped looking for work but are not counted as unemployed. The GNP of the country is running at half of what it is supposed to be. Guys…let me handle the math on this one. I don’t need your “chin boogey.” 4. I am sick and tired of hearing how many jobs have been saved. That’s like saying had I not missed the bus that one morning in 1958 because I was late getting dressed for school, I would have been President. You can’t prove it and you can’t refute it. You just somehow know it’s not the way it is. 5. I am sick and tired of seeing President Obama on TV nearly every day and evening, reading from his teleprompters as though he is delivering his last speech prior to an election. Whatever happened to someone just talking to us, instead of continually trying to sell us some kind of “Dr. Obama Ointment” that will cure everything it comes in contact with? He seems so angry. I would just like him to talk to us and not be running someone down when he does, or putting that monotonous, up and down, “preacher” inflection in everything he says. 6. I am sick and tired of every politician thinking of politics before he or she acts or speaks. I am convinced that one of only a handful who is telling it like it is in America today is Senator Byh from Indiana, and I feel that is because he’s a good enough man that he wants to tell it like it is before he finally “hangs it up.” He’s interested in leaving a legacy. So if you think I only praise the “right,” you’re wrong. Senator Byh and his entire family have been Democrats for years. 7. I am sick and tired of Bill O’Reilly’s arrogance and prideful demeanor. He is a con artist. He’s a hot-headed Irishman who is most of the time, ill-prepared to talk about things he talks about. He’s looking out for you and the rest of the “folks” about as much as lion looks out for the safety of a baby fawn. 8. I am sick and tired of Dick Morris who doesn’t know how to provide information without plugging a new book of his or his website. 9. I am sick and tired of Keith Olbermann who literally cannot open his mouth and have anything come out but hate about the “right”. 10. I am sick and tired of Rachel Maddow, who is much prettier than Olbermann, but literally cannot open her mouth and have anything come out but hate about the “right.” 11. I am sick and tired of Alan Colmes because he continues to demonstrate his lack of intelligence…on any subject…to any target…each time he is on TV. 12. I am sick and tired of Sean Hannity because no one can be as bad as he makes out the “left” and the Democrats to be. 13. I am sick and tired of the people who passed the health care bill tell me how much better off I am and am going to be because of it. I just received my notice of renewal for my company’s health insurance. The rate for employee only went from $588.80 per month to $929.62 per month. My company pays half of the rate for the employee. That’s $2,000 more per year per employee...from my company AND the employee! Also included in this wonderful health care law is that every business will now have to submit a 1099 for every vendor that it does $600 or more in business with a year, as opposed to the special situations now that must be sent one. I am not sure how much longer this small business wants to “play this game.” 14. I am sick and tired of people, in all walks of life, who make commitments and then do not keep them. Have you ever thought how great society would be if we went back to the time when “a deal is a deal?” Okay, I feel better now.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-09-01 13:38:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Like I always say, I’m glad to be asked. This month, counter to what you might think I would be writing about…the elections…I would like to write about something that...in my opinion...has to come first. In doing so, I want to pay tribute to the message Glenn Beck delivered on August 28th, 2010 in Washington, DC, at the Lincoln Memorial. I’m not going to talk about the man and his makeup, but rather…just the message…and…not even all of the message…primarily just one word. To set the stage, I would like to reprint an article written by Robert Ringer the day after Beck’s speech. Who is Robert Ringer? His bio is below, then his article. Robert Ringer – As a staunch defender of freedom and the free-enterprise system, Ringer firmly believes that a person’s political philosophy is inextricably intertwined with his business and personal success — that the same understanding of human nature and how the world works is necessary for success in every area of life. Unwavering in his belief that liberty must be given a higher priority than all other objectives, Robert Ringer is openly committed to stemming the tide of socialism in America. Toward this end, he hosts the highly acclaimed Liberty Education Interview Series, which serves as a public-education platform for many of today’s greatest economic and political thinkers. Robert Ringer is also renowned for his philosophical insights, keen understanding of human nature, and willingness to take strong ideological stands on controversial issues. As one of the most insightful social observers of our time, his trademark is his ability to explain complex issues in an easy-to-understand, entertaining manner. He also writes the thought-provoking, pro-liberty e-letter, A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World, in which he shares his insights into life, unique ideas and strategies for personal development, and analyses of today’s economic, sociological, and political environment from a free-market point of view. What Now, Glenn Beck? By Robert Ringer The way the media covered Glenn Beck’s 8/28 Restoring Honor rally at the Lincoln Memorial is shameful, but not unexpected. That said, as clueless as Geraldo Rivera is, I’ll give him credit for covering the event extensively. But never underestimate Geraldo’s ability to come up with absurdities. In this case, the absurdity was to have Al Sharpton as a guest on his show Saturday night - for the full hour! - to comment on the Beck rally and compare it to his own “Reclaim the Dream” rally on the same day. I found it highly insulting to have the format of the show be a comparison between Beck’s historic gathering and Sharpton’s anemic attempt to recreate a 1960s-syle civil-rights march. What made it even more pathetic was that every time Sharpton spoke on Geraldo’s show, he had something negative to say about Beck or the Restoring Honor event. He came across as an angry, unknowledgeable child desperately in search of a scapegoat for his own lack of accomplishments. Quite obviously, I was not at the Sharpton rally, but numerous reports from creditable sources place attendance in the 2,000-3,000 range. By contrast, the Beck event - which I did attend - drew a minimum of 500,000 people. (Trust me, minimum.) What is sad is that the only people who will ever know just how historic the event was are those who were in attendance, because, as I said at the outset, the media coverage was shameful. The entire three hours of the Restoring Honor rally was filled with a spirit of goodwill and inclusiveness, with a focus on God as the answer to restoring the greatness that once signified America. By contrast, Sharpton’s pitiful attempt to counter the Beck rally was (according to news reports) filled with the same old angry rhetoric that smacks of black liberation theology. (You know, “You must give back that which you have taken.”) The people who still buy into this kind of angry theater are anachronisms of yesteryear, those who demand endless apologies, special treatment for past injustices, and never-ending free goodies from government (meaning, from taxpayers). They seem determined to make sure that white guilt remains alive and well in perpetuity. They don’t want to move on. It’s much more comfortable to continue promoting the security of “Uncle Sam’s plantation.” The only statement at the Beck event that came close to being political was made by Sarah Palin, who said, “We must not fundamentally transform America as some would want; we must restore America and restore her honor.” (I would argue that it was simply a statement of fact that fit in perfectly with the theme of restoring honor to America.) America is dying, and pretty much everyone knows it. It has, in fact, been dying at an accelerating pace throughout my lifetime. So Beck is right about the need to restore honor as the foundation for restoring America to its long-lost greatness. Most Americans not only are without honor, they have no interest in even hearing about it. In the anything-goes America of the 21st century, we are witnessing the long-awaited triumph of Rousseau’s relativism. Certitudes are out; collective slavishness - in dress, eating, thinking, and speaking - are in. So, where does Glenn Beck go from here? Should the worst happen and Beck lose his eyesight, will that be the end of his mission? No, I don’t believe that for a second. As someone who has watched virtually every Glenn Beck show for the past four years (going all the way back to the days when he was working for minor-league CNN Headline News), I feel like I have known this man all my life. As the normally jaded Chris Wallace pointed out in his interview with Beck after the event, nothing like Glenn Beck has ever happened before. No mere mortal could possibly accomplish what Beck has accomplished over the past several years - and certainly not in the way he has accomplished it. I believe his rise from a life of shame and failure to what is rapidly becoming the most powerful voice for good in America has been divinely guided. I believe he has been tapped on the shoulder by God to perform a Moses-like mission in a once-great nation that has devolved into a moral cesspool. I believe Beck when he says he will never give up. I believe him when he says if he is forced off television, he will find another platform that is even bigger. I believe him when he says he is willing to die if that’s what it takes to speak the truth. I pray that Glenn Beck will not lose his eyesight, but if it should happen, I believe he will become more powerful than ever and thus an even a greater force for good. If this tragic circumstance should occur, I believe he will see it as a Jobian moment - a Divine test of his belief. It could, in fact, be the very thing that spurs him to run for president, despite the fact that he has clearly stated he has “zero interest in the job.” Anyone interested in human nature cannot help but to find it fascinating how many of the greatest men and women throughout history have been vilified and hated by a large percentage of the population. And whenever that be the case, you can count on an equally large segment of the population to adore that same person. It’s a scenario that fits Glenn Beck to a T. The details of how the Beck saga unfolds from this point forward are unknown, but one thing that is certain is that his journey will continue to be an historic one. Something is happening in this country that has never happened before - at least in my lifetime. It almost tempts one to say that it’s a showdown between good and evil. You can Google the entire transcript of the Glenn Beck speech if you like. My summation, to use a line in Mr. Ringer’s article, is that it was based upon, “a focus on God as the answer to restoring the greatness that once signified America.” The “one more word” I want to expound upon from the title of this article is “God.” Whether you’re a Deist, Monotheist, Muslim, Jew or Christian…or of any persuasion that recognizes one God as the Creator of the universe, ask yourself, “How long has it been since you spent time really pondering the greatness of God?” Go ahead and take a few moments to answer. I don’t mean just saying the word…but pondering just how great God really is. I think the world is in way overdue in spending time doing exactly this. Most of the time the word “God” is used without thinking of His greatness…how powerful He is…how almighty He is…how all-everything good He is…how all eternal He is. This is most certainly the case when the word “God” is used in profanity. WOW! What a bad deal this is! When I first begin thinking of the greatness of God, I think about how He always was, always will be and how He always remains the same. I don’t have too much of a problem in thinking about how God always will be…for I have always been taught my soul will live on for eternity. I do however, have much greater difficulty comprehending how God always was. Have you ever spent time thinking about this? It is unimaginable for me. When I begin contemplating that God always was, my eyes begin rolling in circles, trying to go back…back…and back. It has been stated that our earth is 4.5 billion years old and that the universe began with a “big bang” 14 billion years ago. Whether these statements are true or not I don’t know, but they are only a fraction of second in the existence of God! 14 billion years? Take a gazillion times 14 billion years, then take a gazillion times that, then a gazillion times that…and God always was…and always was before that. God never had a beginning. God never had a beginning! Then, all of the sudden, but in His plan, He created man a few thousand years ago. That’s all the longer we’ve been here…a few thousand years. And none of us last very long. Maybe Methuseleh did live to be 969 years old, Noah 950 years old and Abraham 175 years old; or maybe it was a way the Bible used to denote that they were very special. I don’t know for sure. In any event, these ages are nothing but a “blink of the eye” when considering the existence of God. I do know now, and for the last four to five thousand years, man doesn’t live much past a hundred years…and most of the time way less than that. A hundred years! The first third of most of our lives is spent getting “dry behind the ears”…and much of the last third is spent going back to our youth, whining, complaining and acting like a two year old, whether through intention or some memory impairment. When I contemplate how God always remains the same, I think, “You know what? God doesn’t ever have an ‘off’ day. He doesn’t ever make mistakes. He doesn’t get angry. He didn’t hold people who lived four thousand years ago, 400 years ago, or 40 years ago, more accountable for their actions than He will hold me accountable for mine. God is all-merciful, but He is also all-just. He is not more of one than the other. God will never be conned. God always remains the same.” Who among us can think he or she is anything so special when compared to the greatness of God? But it’s almost everywhere you look, isn’t it? How often do we see movie stars, sports figures and others among our family, friends and acquaintances act as if they are better than anyone else? How often do we see exhibitions of pride in so many situations. My first thought when I witness this is that they are always only a few seconds away from turning into worm food following an aneurysm. Maybe this is a little too direct for you, but it brings reality to the forefront for me. All would do well to remember the words of Blessed Pope John XXIII when he said, “When my pride, profiting by some moment of inattention, starts to build its castles in the air, and tries to make me soar aloft, I will make it a rule to think of these three places: Gethsemane, the house of Caiaphas and Calvary.” How often do we see people, in the positions they hold in companies, make edicts, mandates and decisions that, were God to be sitting on their shoulder, watching everything they said and did (which He is by the way), they would no more make them than the man in the moon. If they would, these could really be called the “mother of all prideful actions.” The same goes with people in elected positions. The back-room deals, the politics, the lies, the thefts…how dare they? Really…how dare they? When does it all end? I can tell you for certain…it all ends when God says it ends. Who among us wants to argue that point? This…in one phrase…is what I think Glenn Beck was trying to say in his speech on August 28th . Government is not God, nor will it ever be. We don’t need more and bigger government to keep us in line and control us. We need self-regulation, and to do this we need to re-instill the values and morals, that can only come from turning back to God as the center of our lives. It’s time to “focus on God as the answer to restoring the greatness that once signified America.” Once we do this, the rest will begin to take care of itself.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-09-01 10:47:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Lots of things are new. I’m always glad to be asked. This month, you get to read (unless you don’t) about a list of things I am sick and tired of. I call them my “rants.” Maybe some of mine match yours. Maybe they do not. If you have a different opinion, or these things don’t bother you, let me know. Finally, I want to tell you about our new edition, The Southeast Kansas Q & A Times Journal, that we have launched in Crawford County. I’ll try not to do a lot of complaining. People have their own problems and they don’t need to hear about mine. But I really don’t have too many personal problems that I haven’t been able to manage…somehow. That may seem a bit prideful, but what I mean by “managing” is that I do lots of things wrong…know I must ask for forgiveness…do in as humble of a way as possible…make a firm resolution to do better…and then I get on down the road. Unfortunately, I don’t have the “management” of these kinds of things worked out at all. They just make me sick…and tired. 1. I am sick and tired of hearing about people being racist and that racism caused such and such. I travel in lots of circles. Enough circles that if there were as many racists out there as those that are called racists…or blatant racism…I would know about it…hear about it or experience it. It seems like I have always been out…where if it existed…I would know it. Whenever I did see it or experience it I would say to myself, “This is my chance…do something.” And I would. But as a rule, I don’t hear it. I don’t see it. I came to Wichita in the late ‘60s, off the family farm in Barber County. Back then, there were probably two or three families of African Americans in Medicine Lodge, the largest town in the county, and several Hispanic families in Kiowa, the second largest town in the county. That was it. I played baseball since I was 5 years old. I played with and against boys from these families. I can’t remember one of them that wasn’t a neat kid…and an excellent athlete. I didn’t see color. The kids I ran around with didn’t see color. We saw them as kids that loved the game as much as we did. Later at WSU, in 1968, I was in the midst of every race, creed and color there was. I didn’t see it. I saw them as kids that wanted an education as much as I did…and this was the ‘60s for crying out loud…in the midst of tremendous racial unrest…but not as much as there is today. While going to college, I worked at the Coleman Company. I was in scheduling for awhile then supervision. We had every race, creed and color there. I never saw it. I saw as great of a group of people as I have ever worked with or for in my life. They worked hard. They followed instructions. Their work was high quality. If someone was lazy or failed to do the job that was required, that person could have been any race, color or creed. Following Coleman’s, I have spent the last 40 years in media, mostly here in Wichita but also in most every major market in the country. I have not witnessed racism. I am sick and tired of hearing about it. The reason why President Obama’s approval ratings are in the tank are because of his policies and his way of handling things, not because he’s black. The reason why Charlie Rangel is in trouble is because he has allegedly broken 13 laws, not because he’s black. The reason why Maxine Waters is in trouble is because she allegedly broke three separate and different rules of Congress, not because she is black. All of this reminds me of the old story of the patient visiting his doctor. The patient says, “Doc, when I do this it hurts.” The Doctor says, “Then don’t do that.” Can we not do this anymore? 2. I am sick and tired of hearing that the current administration inherited a terrible problem. Oh really? I was alive in the Fall of 2006 as both houses of Congress went Democrat, which just happens to be the party of affiliation of President Obama. Just a few days ago, the Washington Post babbled on again about Obama inheriting a huge deficit from Bush. Amazingly enough, a lot of people swallow this nonsense. So once more, let’s have a short civics lesson. Budgets do not come from the White House. They come from Congress, and the party that has controlled Congress since January 2007 is the Democratic Party. They controlled the budget process for fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009, as well as fiscal year 2010 and fiscal year 2011, you know the one that is already projected to be a $1.47 Trillion deficit. In that first year, they had to contend with George Bush, which caused them to compromise on spending, when Bush somewhat belatedly got tough on spending increases. For fiscal year 2009 though, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid bypassed George Bush entirely, passing continuing resolutions to keep government running until Obama could take office. At that time, they passed a massive omnibus spending bill to complete the fiscal year 2009 budgets. And where was Barack Obama during this time? He was a member of that very Congress that passed all of these massive spending bills, and he signed the omnibus bill as President to complete fiscal year 2009. Would you like to see the ACTUAL deficits during that time? Take a look below: If the Democrats inherited any deficit, it was the fiscal year 2007 deficit, the last of the Republican budgets. That deficit was the lowest in five years, and the fourth straight decline in deficit spending. After that, Democrats in Congress took control of spending, and that includes Barack Obama, who voted for the budgets. If Obama inherited anything, he inherited it from himself. In a nutshell, what President Obama is saying is, “I inherited a deficit that I voted for and then I voted to expand that deficit four-fold since January 20th when I took over.” By the way Mr. President, didn’t you campaign and ask for people to vote for you because you were going to fix everything? I can just see me using this excuse back in the days of when I took over a department at the Coleman Company, where the previous Foreman had been fired. They may have let me say one time, in the first few days of taking over, how much of a mess things were…but that would have been it. If I would have ever mentioned it after that, I would never be given the chance to bring it up again. I would be the “recently fired Foreman.” They already knew it was a mess. They had already removed the reason why it was a mess. I was the solution to clean up the mess. I was expected to do it and that was that! 1. I am sick and tired of President Obama, Gibbs, Gettner, Pelosi and Reed telling me that this recovery is going great. We have 1 out of every 10 Americans that could work, looking for work. There are another 8 Americans that have quit looking for work. We are losing an average of 100,000 jobs or more each month. The reason why unemployment continues to hover at around 10% is because the number that are losing their jobs are equaling the number that have stopped looking for work. Guys…let me handle the math on this one. I don’t need your “chin boogey.” 2. I am sick and tired of hearing how many jobs have been saved. That’s like saying had I not missed the bus that one morning in 1958 because I was late getting dressed for school, I would have been President. You can’t prove it and you can’t refute it. You just somehow know it’s not the way it is. 3. I am sick of seeing President Obama on TV every single day and evening, and reading from his teleprompters as though he is delivering his last speech prior to an election. Whatever happened to someone just talking to us, instead of continually trying to sell us some kind of Dr. Obama Ointment that will cure everything it comes in contact with? He seems so angry. I would just like him to talk to us and not be running someone down when he does, or putting that monotonous, up and down, “preacher” inflection in everything he says. 4. I am sick and tired of every politician thinking of politics before they act or speak. I am convinced that one of only a handful who is telling it like it is in America today is Senator Byh from Indiana, and I feel that is because he’s a good enough man that he wants to tell it like it is before he finally hangs it up. He’s interested in leaving a legacy. So if you think I only praise the “right,” you’re wrong. Senator Byh and his entire family have been Democrats for years. 5. I am sick and tired of Bill O’Reilly’s arrogance and prideful demeanor. He is a con artist. He’s a hot-headed Irishman who is most of the time, ill-prepared to talk about things he talks about. He’s looking out for you and the rest of the “folks” about as much as lion looks out the safety of a baby fawn. 6. I am sick and tired of Dick Morris who doesn’t know how to provide information without plugging a new book of his or his website. 7. I am sick and tired of Keith Olbermann who literally cannot open his mouth and have anything come out but hate about the “right”. 8. I am sick and tired of Rachel Maddow who is much prettier than Olbermann, but literally cannot open her mouth and have anything come out but hate about the “right.” 9. I am sick and tired of Alan Colmes because he continues to demonstrate his lack of intelligence…on any subject…to any target…each time he is on TV. 10. I am sick and tired of Sean Hannity because no one can be as bad as he makes out the “left” and the Democrats to be. 11. I am sick and tired of people, in all walks of life, who make commitments and then do not keep them. Have you ever thought how great society would be if we went back to the time when “a deal is a deal?” Okay, I feel better now. Now, let me tell you about our new “baby.” This month we begin The Southeast Kansas Q & A Times Journal. We will be going to every business and most every residence in Crawford County. I thought I would reprint my article that is on the front page of that edition, here. Every so often, I think it’s good to read how our concept got started. We kind of look like a newspaper…but we’re actually quite a bit different. Here’s the article that appeared on our inaugural issue. Question: What is The SE Kansas Q & A Times Journal? Answer: Always glad to be asked. The SE Kansas Q & A Times Journal, a monthly newspaper, looks like a regular newspaper, but it is quite a bit different. Two of the most glaring differences are: first, you won’t see any classified, puzzles or comics; and secondly, you won’t find too much in the way of current events’ coverage. Daily papers, TV and radio do that much better than a weekly or monthly publication. Our publication provides in-depth information and education on a wide range of topics…in a non-commercial manner. We like to say, “It’s kind of like a ‘Hard Copy Google.’” Perhaps the best way to explain what it is we do is to tell you how the idea came about. While it might be a bit difficult to believe, the “seed” for the idea happened more than 50 years ago. I was born and raised on a farm south of Sharon, KS (Barber County). Every so often in the summer time, Mom would take me, my brothers and sisters to town to visit our Grandma and Grandpa Duckworth. We actually didn’t do a lot of visiting, but rather just ran in the front door, said “Hi,” and ran out the back door. We had bicycles there that we would ride with some of the kids in town. Once off the farm, we didn’t want to lose a minute. A couple of blocks from our grandparents’ house (there weren’t too many blocks in the entire city of Sharon), was Shirley Hart’s Derby Filling Station. Shirley, the owner, was a real nice man. He always hummed while he worked. There each day, under the canopy, on two wooden benches, sat several of the older, retired men in town. Among them was my Grandpa Duckworth. After I would ride my bike for awhile, I would most always end up stopping by, sitting on my bike and listening to them. They talked about everything, from the price of wheat and livestock - to things confronting the little town of Sharon - to why someone got more flat tires (that Shirley had to fix) than anyone else in town. I thought they were the smartest people I knew. Over a period of a couple of years, two of them died. I have always spent a lot of time thinking about death, even back then. I thought, as I continued to listen to the men who were left, the two that died were no longer here. They were no longer of this world. All of their experiences and all of their knowledge...gone. What a shame! Now keep in mind, I am listening to these older men, sitting on my bike, next to the old gasoline pumps. At different times, folks would pull up in their cars and trucks and Shirley would put in a dollar or two worth of gas. I thought, “You know, if those old pumps could be turned on in reverse, and the nozzle stuck in these men’s ears, all the knowledge they have could be sucked out, stored in a tank and the folks that come along after them could just stop by and fill ‘er up and they wouldn’t have to re-learn these things. Wow, I thought. How fast could we all move then!” In the late ‘90s, I was writing articles on Senior Living (Assisted Living, Independent Living and Skilled Nursing Care) for several newspapers throughout the country. Among other clients in other industries, our advertising agency performed marketing services for several Senior Living firms throughout the country. This, together with being fully-licensed as a Life, Health, Property & Casualty agent, specializing in Senior products, made me rather qualified to write on not only the types of care folks could, would and did receive, but also ways to pay for this care. My articles went from being a headline with supporting editorial, to using the questions I received as the headlines, and the answers as the editorial. This produced even more questions. I then began to think (which is sometimes dangerous), “Why couldn’t we produce an entire publication of questions and answers about every subject (like Ol’ Mike Oatman from the old KFDI Radio in Wichita used to say) from “hair nets to hip boots?” Who would answer the questions? The people who own and operate their own businesses, of course. After all, who knows more than they know about the topics? They have been schooled and trained on all aspects relating to everything to do with their products and services. They know which shortcuts one can take and which one cannot take. All I would have to do is to be sure the answers were credible and that they didn’t get commercial. So I set up the criteria that their answers could not use pronouns like I, We, Ours or Us, and they couldn’t use the name of their business, products or services in their answers. Thus all we would have is pure information and education. Readers would be glad to get the information and education, especially in a non-commercial fashion. Good will would be induced by these businesses, owners and operators to the readers, which is the very definition of public relations. Then, a few pages away from their Q & A, they would have an ad that would tell the reader who they were, what they did and what they wanted the reader to do with the information. The businesses would get a two-pronged marketing approach, one of public relations for taking the time to answer a question from a non-commercial standpoint informing and/or educating the reader, and their ad. No other media offered this to an advertiser..nor does one today…anywhere in the world that we know of. In addition to offering this two-pronged marketing approach to our advertisers, we offer the longest time-spent-reading of any type of editorial there is...outperforming all other types of editorial by as much as 250%…and there is nothing as important to an advertiser as the amount of time a reader spends reading the publication that in which he/she is advertising because the more time a reader spends reading a publication, the more opportunity that reader has to act upon the advertiser’s message. Combine this with the lowest cost per thousand advertising rates in the entire area, and the fact that our circulation to businesses and households will be nearly 30% larger than any other publication distributed in Crawford County, we have what we feel is a huge, bona fide value for area businesses. That’s how we started and how we have kept things going in Wichita. We are in the 10th year of publishing our paper in the Sedgwick County area and are beginning what we hope to be a very successful publication in the Southeast Kansas area as well. We are proud to have formed an alliance with Jerod Norris, a Southeast Kansas native, graduated from Girard High School and received his Bachelors Degree from Pittsburg State University. Jerod resides in St. Paul with his wife Tammi, daughter Ashton and son Brec. He has been in the advertising industry for the past several years and has taken an active role in the publishing of several publications in this area and throughout the state. When I first asked him why he wanted this opportunity, he replied, “I have a passion for marketing and media…particularly print media. To be able to introduce this most unique publication to our area, operating the same, and working with local businesses, is very exciting to me. It is exactly what I was looking for at this time in my career.” I promise you, you don’t find that kind of passion, enthusiasm and ability wrapped up in the same person that often. I knew then he was the person we were looking for. Jerod will be the “person on the ground” that takes care of everything to do with our publication in Southeast Kansas…from creating marketing solutions for businesses with our advertising…to assisting with the artwork and ad materials…to Q & A ideas and assistance. We have featured hundreds of answers, from hundreds of writers, to hundreds of questions over the years. Every one of them can be found at our website: www.theqandatimes.com, categorized by both subject and writer. All of the questions and answers we receive from this area will be there too. That’s our “tank” if you will. To me, our writers are analogous to the older men in Sharon. They are some of the smartest people I know. We hope you enjoy our publication.

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-08-01 13:01:00

Question: What is The SE Kansas Q & A Times Journal?

Answer: Always glad to be asked. The SE Kansas Q & A Times Journal, a monthly newspaper, looks like a regular newspaper, but it is quite a bit different. Two of the most glaring differences are: first, you won’t see any classified, puzzles or comics; and secondly, you won’t find too much in the way of current events’ coverage. Daily papers, TV and radio do that much better than a weekly or monthly publication. Our publication provides in-depth information and education on a wide range of topics…in a non-commercial manner. We like to say, “It’s kind of like a ‘Hard Copy Google.’” Perhaps the best way to explain what it is we do is to tell you how the idea came about. While it might be a bit difficult to believe, the “seed” for the idea happened more than 50 years ago. I was born and raised on a farm south of Sharon, KS (Barber County). Every so often in the summer time, Mom would take me, my brothers and sisters to town to visit our Grandma and Grandpa Duckworth. We actually didn’t do a lot of visiting, but rather just ran in the front door, said “Hi,” and ran out the back door. We had bicycles there that we would ride with some of the kids in town. Once off the farm, we didn’t want to lose a minute. A couple of blocks from our grandparents’ house (there weren’t too many blocks in the entire city of Sharon), was Shirley Hart’s Derby Filling Station. Shirley, the owner, was a real nice man. He always hummed while he worked. There each day, under the canopy, on two wooden benches, sat several of the older, retired men in town. Among them was my Grandpa Duckworth. After I would ride my bike for awhile, I would most always end up stopping by, sitting on my bike and listening to them. They talked about everything, from the price of wheat and livestock - to things confronting the little town of Sharon - to why someone got more flat tires (that Shirley had to fix) than anyone else in town. I thought they were the smartest people I knew. Over a period of a couple of years, two of them died. I have always spent a lot of time thinking about death, even back then. I thought, as I continued to listen to the men who were left, the two that died were no longer here. They were no longer of this world. All of their experiences and all of their knowledge...gone. What a shame! Now keep in mind, I am listening to these older men, sitting on my bike, next to the old gasoline pumps. At different times, folks would pull up in their cars and trucks and Shirley would put in a dollar or two worth of gas. I thought, “You know, if those old pumps could be turned on in reverse, and the nozzle stuck in these men’s ears, all the knowledge they have could be sucked out, stored in a tank and the folks that come along after them could just stop by and fill ‘er up and they wouldn’t have to re-learn these things. Wow, I thought. How fast could we all move then!” In the late 90’s, I was writing articles on Senior Living (Assisted Living, Independent Living and Skilled Nursing Care) for several newspapers throughout the country. Among other clients in other industries, our advertising agency performed marketing services for several Senior Living firms throughout the country. This, together with being fully-licensed as a Life, Health, Property & Casualty agent, specializing in Senior products, made me rather qualified to write on not only the types of care folks could, would and did receive, but also ways to pay for this care. My articles went from being a headline with supporting editorial, to using the questions I received as the headlines, and the answers as the editorial. This produced even more questions. I then began to think (which is sometimes dangerous), “Why couldn’t we produce an entire publication of questions and answers about every subject (like Ol’ Mike Oatman from the old KFDI Radio in Wichita used to say) from “hair nets to hip boots?” Who would answer the questions? The people who own and operate their own businesses, of course. After all, who knows more than they know about the topics? They have been schooled and trained on all aspects relating to everything to do with their products and services. They know which shortcuts one can take and which one cannot take. All I would have to do is to be sure the answers were credible and that they didn’t get commercial. So I set up the criteria that their answers could not use pronouns like I, We, Ours or Us, and they couldn’t use the name of their business, products or services in their answers. Thus all we would have is pure information and education. Readers would be glad to get the information and education, especially in a non-commercial fashion. Good will would be induced by these businesses, owners and operators to the readers, which is the very definition of public relations. Then, a few pages away from their Q & A, they would have an ad that would tell the reader who they were, what they did and what they wanted the reader to do with the information. The businesses would get a two-pronged marketing approach, one of public relations for taking the time to answer a question from a non-commercial standpoint informing and/or educating the reader, and their ad. No other media offered this to an advertiser..nor does one today…anywhere in the world that we know of. In addition to offering this two-pronged marketing approach to our advertisers, we offer the longest time-spent-reading of any type of editorial there is...outperforming all other types of editorial by as much as 250%…and there is nothing as important to an advertiser as the amount of time a reader spends reading the publication that in which he/she is advertising, because the more time a reader spends reading a publication, the more opportunity that reader has to act upon the advertiser’s message. Combine this with the lowest cost per thousand advertising rates in the entire area, and the fact that our circulation to businesses and households will be nearly 30% larger than any other publication distributed in Crawford County, we have what we feel is a huge, bona fide value for area businesses. That’s how we started and how we have kept things going in Wichita. We are in the 10th year of publishing our paper in the Sedgwick County area and are beginning what we hope to be a very successful publication in the Southeast Kansas area as well. We are proud to have formed an alliance with Jerod Norris, a Southeast Kansas native, graduating from Girard High School and receiving his Bachelors Degree from Pittsburg State University. Jerod resides in St. Paul with his wife Tammi, daughter Ashton and son Brec. He has been in the advertising industry for the past several years and has taken an active role in the publishing of several publications in this area and throughout the state. When I first asked him why he wanted this opportunity, he replied, “I have a passion for marketing and media…particularly print media. To be able to introduce this most unique publication to our area, operating the same, and working with local businesses, is very exciting to me. It is exactly what I was looking for at this time in my career.” I promise you, you don’t find that kind of passion, enthusiasm and ability wrapped up in the same person that often. I knew then he was the person we were looking for. Jerod will be the “person on the ground” that takes care of everything to do with our publication in Southeast Kansas…from creating marketing solutions for businesses with our advertising…to assisting with the artwork and ad materials…to Q & A ideas and assistance. His contact information will always be on Page 3 in the lower right hand section of the page. Our company contact information is there too for any additional assistance you might need. We have featured hundreds of answers, from hundreds of writers, to hundreds of questions over the years. Every one of them can be found at our website, www.theqandatimes.com, categorized by both subject and writer. All of the questions and answers we receive from this area will be there too. That’s our “tank” if you will. To me, our writers are analogous to the older men in Sharon. They are some of the smartest people I know. We hope you enjoy our publication.

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-07-01 12:50:00

Voice: “I would like you to send the balance of this message to everyone.” Me: “Is it like the first part you asked me to send to each member of the family?” Voice: “It is similar…and just as important that you get it out.” Me: “Why is that?” Voice: “There are a lot of things going on in the world today…more and more of which exclude, or are trying to exclude, God. This affects everything…the family, society and the country as a whole. Regardless of what some claim, we know from where we are, the United States made a commitment at its beginning to place God in the center of all it would ever do. Few countries in the world had ever made a commitment like this…before or since…to the extent that it had been done by the United States. God loves everyone, but because of this, He has especially blessed the United States. He has allowed for it to be looked upon as the leader of the world. Today, this is changing…and changing rapidly. There is a new stated goal by those in power and others who are helping them to attain it, that of, ‘a fundamental transformation of what the country is and what it is based upon.’ They make no secret of the fact that the changes this transformation require do not include God. If God is mentioned in the process of this transformation, it is more of a “political” or “politically correct” mention as to one that is heartfelt and sincere. This same process has occurred in many countries throughout the world. Now…the world is watching the United States. If it succeeds here, the rest of the world will follow the leader. This must be stopped. Many people think the solution is the ‘ballot box.’ It is not...it’s long before the ‘ballot box.’ There is no guarantee those from the same, similar or other persuasions will not pursue the same or worse path. The solution must go to the root of the problem. This is the purpose of my threefold message: One, souls must get back on track to why they are here in the first place, and put God firmly back in the center of all that they do. The question should never be, ‘Is God on your side?’ The question should always be, ‘Is your side on God’s?’ With God back where He is supposed to be…it will. This being the most important, is the biggest part of my message. Two, the family unit must be nurtured, protected and restored. When the first is accomplished, the second will follow and make way for the third. Third, few things displease God more than failing to respect and show appreciation for something He has created and/or blessed. Patriotism is waning. The country used to be much more united in what it did…particularly in major efforts…than it is today. Now, all too many march to the beat of their own self interests. More often than not, people hold a looters’ mentality…get it for yourself before someone else gets it for them. Pride in the country…its citizens and its accomplishments take a back seat to nearly every other agenda. Yet, each day people are presented with opportunities to say something good about the country, what it stands for and what it has been blessed with, and pass onto the younger generation of what it means to be an American. Most of this has stopped. It must start again…beginning today…by everyone…to everyone…or America will lose all of what God has blessed it with. All three of these are interlinked…God…family and country. This is the message you need to get out to as many people as you can.” Me: “You keep telling me not to ask you where you are, but you’re talking now as if you’re in Heaven.” Voice: “The reason I tell you not to ask is because I can’t tell you. Can you get this message out?” Me: “I don’t know how successful I will be.” Voice: “What do you mean?” Me: “Well, first…our publication doesn’t go to millions of people. Our circulation is to Wichita and the surrounding areas. Secondly, our readers are not all of the faith you had while you were alive, or my faith. Some have little faith…or no faith whatsoever. Others believe different things. Some may even come after me for writing about this. This may be the last article I ever write.” Voice: “In answer to your first concern…it starts with a few doing what is right. Then more and more until God is back, in the midst of everything, like He is supposed to be, thereby nurturing, protecting and restoring the family unit and the country. Insofar as your second concern, history is full of those who took a stand…and many more who did not. Everyone has his or her own cross to bear. You can be thankful that it’s not as big of a cross as others have had to bear…like being stoned…impaled…beheaded…boiled in oil…or drawn and quartered. If all you suffer is ridicule and isolation…it’s a small price to pay.” Me: (Pause)...“Okay. Go ahead.” Voice: “Some have said there have been 16 billion people born in the history of man. Of those, approximately 6½ billion are still alive. This means that 9½ billion people have been born and died.” Me: “I didn’t know that, but okay.” Voice: “Would it surprise you to know that the souls of 2 out of 3 of those who have died are in Hell?” Me: “Two out of three? No way! How can that be? Is that where you are?” Voice: “Like I said, I can’t tell you that, but my statement is true.” Me: “How would I know this if you weren’t…” Voice: “In Hell?” Me: “Yes.” Voice: “Of all of the souls who have died, whether our souls are in Heaven or Hell, each is keenly aware of eternity…and whether that eternity will be spent with every desire fulfilled, honoring and glorifying God in Heaven…or one of unimaginable, eternal pain and suffering in Hell. There is a great divide between Heaven and Hell, but the souls in Heaven are aware of the souls in Hell and their pain and suffering; and the souls in Hell are aware of the souls in Heaven and their happiness. The souls in Hell are always reminded of the greater good that they have lost, and how little was required for them to have earned Salvation while they were alive.” (Silence)… Voice: “If a person doesn’t get it while they are alive, when this person dies and their eternal sentence is passed upon them, they get it then.” Me: “What do you mean…get it?” Voice: “They get it. They immediately remember all of the times throughout their lives when they were told about God, Heaven, Hell and Judgment. Then, all of the verses in the Bible they ever heard, overheard, considered or dismissed are immediately present in their minds...verses like Luke 10:27, when Jesus spoke of the two greatest commandments, ‘Love your Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength, and the second, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ They remember all of the times they used the free will God gave them when it came to following…or not following…His commandments. They remember hearing that the Bible is God’s Word, handed down through the prophets. They remember how often they interpreted God’s Word to suit themselves, in the situation they were in at the time. They get the fact that God chose His words very carefully in the Bible. When He said in Matthew 22:14, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen,’ he didn’t mean the majority are chosen. Nor did He mean that half are chosen. He meant exactly what He said, ‘Few are chosen.’” Me: But two out of three souls are lost?” Voice: “If there were ten apples in front of you, and someone told you that a few were good and did not have worms, how many would you think did not have worms? Five?...six?...seven?...eight? Or, would you think that because the word few was used, it certainly wasn’t the majority of them, or even half of them, but more like two, or three or four of them?” (Silence)… Voice: “Many use their free will and pay no heed to God’s Commandments. It’s like these Commandments never existed…but they do…and they will for as long as man shall inhabit the Earth. God’s Word was not meant to be good for a few years, a couple of hundred years, or until the 20th or 21st century. His Word was meant for all time. A sin against these commandments at the time of Christ was a sin then…just as much as it was a sin in the Middle Ages…just as much as it was a sin during the Protestant Reformation…the American Revolution…the Industrial Revolution…the last 50 years…today…and tomorrow. There are the lies and dishonesty against God and man…the immorality…the gossip…the pride…the thefts…the anger…the failure to honor and appreciate the sanctity of life…the hostility…the unkindness…the gluttony…the greed…the lust…the envy…the laziness…the betrayal of public trust.” Me: “Why is it now that you sound as if you’re in Heaven?” Voice: “As I said, it’s better to leave that subject alone. No matter whether a soul is in Heaven or Hell, that soul has a greater understanding of all things. This understanding is what I am trying to share with you so you will share it with others.” (Silence)… Voice: “Sin begets sin. They may be small at first…but then they get bigger and bigger. Before long there is little conscience left. Validation of actions are expressed in words like, ‘Business as usual.’ The more of this that occurs in society…the less conscience society has as a whole. The Bible was written between 1800 and 1950 years ago. Events such as The Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah were depicted as showing the wrath of God for when things get completely out of hand. If the Bible had been written today, how many of the events in the last 1800 years would you think were displays of God’s wrath? What do you suppose will be the displays of God’s wrath for the way the world is today…and the way it is going?” Me: “This then is your message?” Voice: “Yes, part of it. While every person ever born will get it later, those who get it now, while they are alive, will have a huge leg up on their Salvation. Getting it means you understand that you were created by God in His image and likeness. This doesn’t necessarily mean you look like God. It means that God gave you an immortal soul. It is what sets you apart from His other creatures. Your soul is made in the image and likeness of God. Although when you are born it has the stain of original sin from Adam and Eve, which must be removed through Baptism if you are to enter Heaven, your soul, being made in the image and likeness of God, yearns throughout your life to come back to God. To get there, the free will God gave you that accompanies your immortal soul, must be used to follow His commandments. Failure upon failure to do so results in developing a crust so thick, nothing can penetrate. Do you remember those 16 billion people I talked about earlier?” Me: “Yes…the number of people that have been born on Earth?” Voice: “If this is true, do you remember what 1st Corinthians 2:9 says?” Me: “Yes, it’s one of my favorite verses in the Bible. It says, ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him.’” Voice: “Very good. Now if there have been 16 billion people born since man came onto the Earth, that makes for nearly 32 billion eyes, 32 billion ears and 16 billion minds. Think about all that every eye, ear and mind has seen, heard, conceived and perceived throughout their lives and throughout the history of man. Nothing…none of this…equals what God has prepared for those who love Him. This is what Heaven is. Everything in Heaven is as if it is always new. Every soul in eternity knows this. When a soul finally gets it, he or she sees how it all fits together. The biggest shame is that some won’t or don’t get it until it’s too late.” Me: “When is it too late?” Voice: “It’s too late after you’ve taken your last breath.” Me: “So, there’s still time for everyone who is alive?” Voice: “Yes, you have something in this life we don’t have in eternity. You have time. There is no time in eternity. The only clock we have ticks, ‘Forever…forever…forever...’ If your soul is in Heaven it’s a most wonderful sound. If your soul is in Hell, it adds to all of the remorses you experience for all eternity. There are all kinds of surprises in Heaven and Hell. Among the biggest may be who is in one place or the other…and who is not. This would surprise everyone. How many times does one hear at funerals or in idle talk, ‘He or she is in a better place now,’ inferring that a soul is in Heaven. The only souls the living can be assured are in Heaven are the Blessed Virgin Mary, the canonized Saints and those souls the Bible says are in Heaven. Another surprise is the fact that few people, while they were alive, ever spent nearly enough time thinking about their eternity, how long eternity is, and their free will that determines where that eternity takes place. If eternity wasn’t forever, Hell could be more manageable. But this is not the case. Few care to consider, or attempt to comprehend eternity while alive, yet once in eternity, it is like the air you breathe. It is always…always…always…first and foremost before you. Eternity is forever. There is no end to eternity. As I said, there is much thought about the free will each was given in life, in eternity too. God gave it equally to everyone. The damned souls blame everything and everyone else but what they did, or did not do, with the free will God gave them. They forever blame others for what they were told about being saved and Salvation. Free will is the most savored gift God gave to man if this soul is in Heaven, and the most dreaded and remorseful gift ever received if this soul is in Hell. Another word about remorses…the remorses the damned souls experience are equally as bad as the excruciating pain and suffering that they will suffer for all eternity. These remorses include having to spend all eternity knowing the trifles for which their soul was damned; how little was required to have earned Salvation; the greater good that was lost; and the witnessing of the souls in Heaven, who did what was right, with the same gifts that were given them. Like everything else in eternity, remorses of the damned go on for as long as God will be God.” (Silence)… Voice: “Time is Satan’s greatest tool he uses to garner souls for Hell. Most everyone thinks they will have plenty of time to make things right. While there are many souls that get no warning, like Dusty, there are many more who know…like six months…a month…a week…a day…or even minutes before death. But at death…as is the case during life…the two most prominent sins that are committed are those of presumption and despair. Presumption is committed by those who, like the Pharisees and Sadducees, believe and profess but who have not done what Jesus commanded them to do. Despair is committed by many of the others, thinking that what they have done wrong throughout their life, is too great for Jesus to forgive them. So, even if a soul is given warning…given time…and knows that death and the eternal sentence is eminent…the time is misspent by most. Just because everyone alive has yet to take his or her last breath, doesn’t mean that God will grant them the time it takes to make things right before that last breath. If a person has had no place for God throughout his or her entire life, why would God grant him or her the time to make things right? Too many people think God is a fool…or that God can be conned. Let me say, of all the things we all know in eternity, whether in Heaven or Hell, there is nothing we know better than God exists…He is everything and more than you have ever heard or can fathom…He is no fool…and He will never be conned…by anyone. Most people have heard and been taught throughout their life…God is all-merciful and all-just. He is not more of one than the other. Jesus, and Jesus alone, will pass judgment on everyone within a few moments of their death. He makes all decisions using His infinitely abundant mercy and justice. However, all souls in Heaven and in Hell know that His mercy needs to have been asked for while the body was alive, for at judgment, it is the time for justice. All souls in Heaven and Hell know forever that justice was done in regards to their own sentence. This is responsible for much added joy for the souls who are in Heaven…and responsible for much added torment for the souls who are in Hell. While every soul in eternity knows that Jesus makes all decisions insofar as the judgment of every soul, all know that any soul whose body dies, in the state of serious sin, is lost…forever. There is no hope for them…no appeal…no excuses…no perhaps. Just as the happiness of a soul that is enjoying eternal Salvation is unequalled by a thousand times of any experience that soul experienced while on Earth, the pain and suffering of a soul that is lost is a thousand times worse than anything that soul experienced while on Earth. Both go on for as long as God will be God. While every soul in Heaven cares and prays for every soul whose body is still alive on Earth, once the eternal sentence of a lost soul is passed upon that soul, no one cares or prays for that soul any longer. Throughout one’s entire life, each is told or has heard that God loves them…unconditionally…and to a greater degree than they could ever comprehend; but when a soul is lost, God’s justice prevails over His mercy. No one cares or prays for souls that are lost. Many people cannot handle it when they have been shunned or excluded from a party or a dinner engagement while they’re alive. Most have a hard time imagining they will spend an eternity with the ever-present thought that no one loves them…but this is the way it is. This is a Hell in itself, and one of the biggest reasons why souls who are lost hate all of the other souls who are lost.” Me: “But there are some who will pay no heed to this message.” Voice: “Yes, just as there has been throughout the history of man. But that doesn’t change anything. Yours will be just one more message they will have received to right their ways…but maybe it will be the one that does.” (Silence)… Voice: “Being saved and earning Salvation are two different things. Jesus Christ, who is God, came down from Heaven by the power of God – The Holy Spirit, was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary and became man. He suffered and died for all men that had been born to that time, alive at that time, and all of those who would be born in the future. By doing so, He saved every man, woman and child. But that doesn’t mean every man, woman and child will earn Salvation. Being saved merely makes one eligible for Salvation.” Me: “I think that will be a hard one to get across. There are those who will still say, ‘It says in a dozen or more places in the Bible, that all I have to do is profess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead and I will be saved. How do I get them to understand this won’t be enough?” Voice: “Good question…let me help you. It is true…everyone who professes that Jesus is Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead will be saved, but this has little to do with gaining Salvation with Christ in Heaven for all eternity. If you are in an automobile on your way to a party, and you have an accident, resulting in a fire, and someone stops and pulls you from the accident before you are consumed in flames…you are saved…but this does not get you to the party. Jesus came down from Heaven, suffered, died and was raised from the dead so that all could be saved. This doesn’t mean that all souls will enjoy eternal Salvation with Him in Heaven. It just means if they profess that Jesus is Lord, died for the sins of man, and believe that God raised Him from the dead…they are eligible. If all that was necessary was to believe and profess, there would be no need to love God and love one’s neighbor as Christ commanded. When those you are talking about look at the passages you cite, as in Romans 10:8, it speaks about the faith in one’s heart and on one’s lips. In other words, what one believes and what one professes is what will lead to being saved. This is the beginning of the path that will lead to Salvation – life with Christ in Heaven. It is only the beginning. When they look at how Jesus condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees, they will understand that there must be more than believing and professing. It must lead to a very way of life that follows the way of love of Christ. The Pharisees and Sadducees indeed believed and professed, but did nothing to live out what they believed and thus were condemned by Christ. One cannot allow this, or any other passage like it, to stand alone for their Salvation. The full teachings of the Scriptures must be followed. From there, one must begin to look at what Christ taught and what it means to be a disciple…to deny oneself, take up his cross and follow Him. This shows that once a soul believes and professes, there must be present the mandate to follow the will of Christ in this soul’s life. Even the Ten Commandments would be unnecessary. Belief and profession of faith in Christ must lead to living out the faith as He has commanded. From there, all can seek to understand how to live as faithful disciples. There are things each must do to earn Salvation. Keeping God’s commandments are part of these things. Just prior to receiving the eternal sentence that will be passed upon you, Jesus will not ask you things like, ‘What kind of car you drove?’, ‘How many square feet your home had?’, ‘How many clothes you had in your closet?’, What your highest salary was’?, ‘How many friends you had?’, or ‘What is the color of your skin?’…but He will ask you things like, ‘How many people you drove who didn’t have transportation?’, ‘How many people you welcomed into your home?’, ‘How many people you helped to clothe?’, ‘Did you compromise your character to obtain the salary you were paid?’, ‘Did you perform your job to the best of your ability?’, ‘To how many were you a friend?’, ‘How did you treat your neighbors?’ and ‘What was the content of your character?’” Me: “I still find it difficult to imagine you’re here saying all you have said. Not once can I remember you talking like this. But I also still think a lot of people will fail to acknowledge what you have to say and take issue with it. I can already hear some of those I know.” Voice: “As I said before, it’s the gift of the higher understanding that allows me to speak these words. And, insofar as those who will take issue with this message, you are right, they will, but just in case, they have ever wondered things like: Could there be a God? Could there be Heaven? A Hell? Could it really be that each person is born and put on Earth to prove their worthiness to live forever with God, the angels, saints and the Blessed Virgin Mary? Could the Bible really be God’s word handed down through the prophets?...each of which is the way it is…and you cause them to think about these things…you will have assisted. Throughout most people’s lives, when it comes to almost every decision, they think, ‘If I am going to error, I am going to error on the side of caution.’ Yet in the most important decision they will ever make…a decision that will have eternal and everlasting implications…they choose to follow the words of some mortal or mortals, or some self-contrived explanation of the way things are…as opposed to strict adherence to the words of Christ. This sets up the ultimate and most tragic sickness that can ever befall a soul, but it will never be accepted as an excuse. You can take my word for one other thing about the judgment that occurs immediately after death…the only ones present are you, Jesus, your guardian angel, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Satan. All loved ones, friends, associates and the mortal or mortals who told you whatever they told you…will not be there. You will be solely held accountable for everything you did…or did not do…in accordance with the teachings and laws of Christ. Imagine the most eloquent and direct prosecutor you ever witnessed in life. Take that person’s abilities times a thousand…and that is Satan. He will bring up everything you did against the words of Christ throughout your life. He will not say anything about things you did good. He will conclude by saying, ‘You suffered, died and rose from the dead for this soul. Look what he has done to you. This soul is mine.’ You will have no defense, for Jesus already knows exactly what you did…in every instance…with the free will He gave you. Christ’s mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the greatest advocate the Lord gave to man. Jesus told His mother, that whatever she asks of Him would not be denied. She will be there at your judgment. But if you have never asked her to recommend yourself and your salvation to her Son, why would she do it now? Asking for this and God’s abundant mercy is something everyone must do daily throughout their life…but again…the time for asking for it will be past at one’s judgment…for then will be the time for justice. As this judgment is pronounced, and carried out immediately…for all eternity…each soul will understand more than they have ever understood anything in the past…it really would not have been that hard to have done what was right.” Me: “And the family?” Voice: “As I stated at the beginning, when God is where He is supposed to be, the family unit will automatically be nurtured, protected and restored. It is impossible to follow Christ’s instructions in John 13:34, ‘Love one another as I have loved you,’ and to have disunity and discord in the family. Some of America’s best days have been when the family unit was sound and on a good foundation. When this happens, treating others as you would like to be treated happens naturally.” Me: “And the country?” Voice: “We see the whole world from where we are. We see what it has been throughout history. We see what it is now. While we don’t know what will happen, or when whatever happens will happen, we can surmise. There are so many people who don’t have what Americans have. There is hunger, sickness, famine and strife of all sorts. There is religious and political persecution. Most people cannot speak out…on many subjects…without it coming back to bite them…or imprison them…or kill them. The vast majority of these people do not have a country heritage they can be proud of. Many of their countries came about as the result of a revolution…an insurrection…an overthrow…or a takeover. Many of their national heroes were killed or executed. You don’t see that many statues of them, or monuments to them because the regimes now in power don’t want them to be remembered and don’t want their people to be reminded of any time but right now. This is not how it has been and can be in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people have suffered, worked, fought and died to make it the country it has been…and again…can be. As this has occurred, a rich American heritage and tradition has been born, nurtured and has matured…something the entire world is envious of…something every American should be proud of. Me: “I can see that.” Voice: “The problem is that few are passing onto the youth of what it means to be an American. The youth do not get to hear about the things it has taken to make America. The youth of today did not get to witness the decay of values and morals. It has pretty well been decayed throughout their entire lives. Instead of getting the messaging they need, they’re besieged with political rhetoric on every subject from the ‘left,’ the ‘middle’ and the ‘right.’ Few things are said or done any longer without considering their political implications. It appears to them that everyone hates everyone, and is more interested in serving his or her own agenda than helping anyone else. They see theft, gossip, dishonor, arrogance, murder, abortion, laziness, hate, anger, lies, unkindness, over indulgence, greed, pride, envy, bigotry, racism and reverse racism at nearly every turn. They hear…and it seems true to them…that the deficits over the past 30 years have created a debt they, their children and their children’s children will never repay. The climate of the world will be changing to an ice age…or a fire ball…depending upon who they prefer to believe. If someone is at least 10 years older than they are…they are in the group that ruined it for them.” Me: “You make it sound like Hell.” Voice: “Trust me, there is nothing man can fathom that is like Hell. But the youth do not see a pretty picture...because at present, there is not a pretty picture to be seen.” Me: “Okay.” Voice: “In summary…get God back where He needs to be…in the center of everything…because whether or not each person believes it now…it’s where He must be. Then follow Christ’s words in nurturing, protecting and restoring the family and the family unit. Finally, start today by saying to others…particularly the youth…how proud you are to be an American…and what a great country you have. Say it often. Mean it. Tell them that although things look tough at times, the tradition and heritage of Americans is that all will work together and resolve the problems it faces. Tell them that what they see is not how it has to be. It is God..family…then country. Although the time is getting short…America can still be the country it has always been…and what God intended it to be…if people will heed this message.” Me: “Let me ask you something else…” (Silence)… Me: “Dad?” (Silence)… Me: “Dad…you there?” (Silence)… Charlie Traffas has been involved in media, marketing, publishing and insurance for more than 38 years in Wichita. In addition to being fully licensed as a life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI), a full-service advertising agency, marketing firm and publishing company. CMI operates and markets a varied assortment of business products and services, including publishing The Q&A Times Journal and several B2B and B2C publications throughout the country. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-06-01 10:14:00

So, what’s new this month?

As I say each month, "I’m always glad to be asked." This month I have something that I’m sure will prove to be controversial. Most people don’t talk about stuff like this. I do. I have found over the years that much of what I write in this column alienates some folks nearly every month. This article certainly has all of the ingredients to alienate some as well, but my hope is that it will find more support than alienation.

As you may know from being a reader of this column, I grew up and attended school in Sharon, KS, a small town about 70 miles southwest of Wichita. In the Fall of ’66, as a Junior in high school I hurt my knee in football. A good friend of mine had hurt his knee too. Neither of us went out for basketball that year, but we would go to the out-of-town games together. In mid-December we played Hardtner. We went to the game. I drove. I had a ’64 Chevelle Mailbu, Super Sport, 2 Door Hardtop…a pretty hot car back then. At the half, we were well in command of the game. We left the game and went to a local beer joint. We were pretty good sized, so as was the case much of time back in those days, if you didn’t wear a letter jacket and you looked 18, you weren’t asked for an ID. We had "a couple of beers"…or maybe more. We stayed there until we figured the game was over. We left and followed the Sharon school buses on their way back to Sharon, through Kiowa. I passed them just before coming to Hazelton. As soon as we turned on the road going North to Sharon, I sped up to more than 90 miles per hour. I promise you…we were not in a hurry. It was just to show off…as I did far too many times back in those days. Within less than a mile, I hit an ice spot at the top of a hill. My car skidded sideways, went into the air, hit half way up a telephone pole, where it was turned around, proceeded to clip across eight or ten hedge posts in a fence line, then kicked off the last one, sending it out in a pasture 130 yards from the highway. Neither of us were wearing seat belts. I’m not even sure if there were such things back then, but if there were, we weren’t wearing them. The car looked to be totaled. It was smashed into a box roughly half the size of what it was. No one could believe two people could have still been inside. When the car finally came to a stop, we looked at each other…not believing what had just happened. We pushed open the caved in doors. Neither of us had a scratch…not even a scratch! We walked around and surveyed the damage. A football field and a half away, the school buses went by. They had not seen what had happened. Numbly, we walked to a farm house to call for help.

One of my classmates died a couple of years ago from hitting her head after falling from an 8 foot step ladder. Another classmate was killed in a freak accident in an oilfield about 30 years ago. Our son Dusty, at the age of 25, was killed instantly November 4, 2001, after hitting his head on a bridge abutment, while veering to miss a rider in front of him who lost control of his motorcycle, in the middle of a parade on South Broadway for Toys For Tots. So many people are killed and did nothing as stupid and as reckless as what I did. There is no way we should have lived, unless God willed it. I think about this often. I have always believed He had something He wanted me to do for Him before I died. Maybe sharing this column with you is it.

I have done many things wrong throughout my life. I am sure more things than most. I still do many things wrong. I confess them, along with the bad examples I may have given, with a most sincere and contrite heart. I receive absolution from the priest. I say my penance. I try to do better. So please understand...this message is not from a "holier than anyone." It is from me. Whether or not I am the one to bring you this message should not be the issue. The issue should be…the message.

The other day I was thumbing through a file folder I keep by my computer, looking for a document. I came across my Dad’s obituary. I have kept it in this folder since he died. It has turned golden in color with its age. I read it again, as I do each time I see it.

Sharon Francis A. Traffas, 76, farmer, stockman, died Monday, Oct. 23, 1989. Rosary 7:30 p.m. today; service 10 a.m Thursday, both at St. Boniface Catholic Church. Survivors: wife, Betty; sons Charlie of Wichita, Tim, Rory, both of Sharon; daughters, Gloria Bayer of Wichita, Kathleen Dohm of Sharon, Mary Leah Ryan of Lincoln, Neb.; brothers Bill of Hutchinson, Mike of Amarillo, Texas, Vincent of Sharon, the Rev. Larry of Kansas City, Mo.; sisters, Mary Depenbusch of Anthony, Loretta Spencer, Bertha Mans, Agnes Eck, all of Sharon, Sister Silveria of Hamond, Ind., Anne Bohrer of Willowdale, Sister Vincetta of Mishawaka, Ind.; 27 grandchildren. Memorial has been established with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Fisher Funeral Home, Kiowa.

As I finished reading, I put my head between my hands and closed my eyes. My mind raced back to that early Monday morning in October of 1989 that I got a call from Gloria, my sister. It was about 2 AM. She said that Dad had fallen, was real bad and had been taken to the hospital in Medicine Lodge. She said she was driving down and asked if I wanted to ride down with her. I told her to come by and I would take my car and drive us down. She did. We talked about a lot of things as we made the two-hour drive…what had happened with Dad and many other memories. Before we knew it, we were there. When we walked in, we saw Mom, John and Kathy (my sister and brother-in-law), Tim and Rory (my brothers), along with Vince, Bill, Agnes, Birdie and Loretta (some of Dad’s brothers and sisters). There were others there too, but I can’t remember all of them. Dad had been discharged from St. Joseph Hospital in Wichita on the previous Friday afternoon. I had gone to see him that morning. He was looking forward to getting out as he had been in the hospital for quite some time, having had his bladder removed because of cancer. He had gone home and was becoming acclimated to the care he needed and the change of dressings that were required. All was going okay, until Sunday evening. Apparently he had an infection when he was discharged from the hospital. By Sunday night, it had taken its toll. He had fallen. I don’t really know what happened between his fall and when he was taken to the hospital, but I know when we arrived, he was unconscious. It didn’t take us but a few minutes before we gathered around his bed and began saying the Rosary. I led while holding Dad’s hand. I remember, the machine showed his pulse at 39 when we began. As we prayed, we watched the machine show his pulse steadily decrease. Just as we finished, his pulse was down to nothing. Within a few seconds…that awful sound came from the machine. We all cried. A nurse came in and checked him. Dad had died. The nurse unhooked the machine. While I have yet to experience a lot of other deaths, his death was as peaceful as I could ever imagine.

It was very somber. None of us could move or say anything for what seemed like a very long time. Finally, we all went out into the lobby to visit with the people that were there and to thank them for coming. After a few minutes, I slipped back just outside the room where Dad was. The nurse had put a sheet over him. I sat in a chair in the hall, watching him. I thought how, at that very moment, his particular judgment was taking place. I begged our Lord to have mercy on him, saying, "Lord Jesus Christ, please have mercy on him. Please grant him eternal Salvation. He was such a good man."

After a few more minutes I got up and joined the others, hoping beyond anything I had ever hoped for in my life that Dad’s soul was being admitted to Heaven.

Although I had gone through a process similar to this most every time I had come across his obituary, and then went on with my work, this time…somehow…it was different. I couldn’t let go of it. That same weekend, Mary (another sister of mine who lives in Lincoln, NE) had come to stay with us while she had come down to visit Mom, who is in an assisted living residence. When she did, she said she had recently gone through some of Mom’s things she had before Mom moved to assisted living, and found Dad’s Rosary. She thought I would like to have it. She also brought Brenda (my wife) and I a bottle of Holy Water from Our Lady of Lourdes that she had received from her parish in Lincoln. Maybe it was the obituary. Maybe it was the Rosary…or the Holy Water…or…maybe it was that I was named Francis, after Dad, even though it is a name I don’t use but for legal purposes. Maybe it was all of these things…or just a dream. I don’t know…but here’s what happened…or what I think happened…as I was considering all that taken place the morning Dad died.

Voice: "Charlie."

Voice: "Charlie."

Me: "What? Who’s that?"

Voice: "It’s Dad."

Me: "Dad? Whose Dad?"

Voice: "Your Dad."

Me: "My Dad? How can you be my Dad? My Dad died…more than 20 years ago."

Voice: "I know, but it’s me."

Me: "How do I know it’s you?"

Voice: "Do you want me to prove it?"

Me: "I must be dreaming. Yes, please do."

Voice: "Do you remember those buffalo nickels I use to keep in that small cardboard box with the red lid on it, in the metal box, on the top shelf, in the bathroom, at the farm?"

Me: "Yes."

Voice: "Do you remember when I asked Betty (my mother and what Dad always called her) and all you kids where most of them had gone when I found them missing?"

Silence…

Me: "Yes."

Voice: "…and how you didn’t say a word?"

Me: "Yes."

Voice: "I know now, you took them."

Silence…

Voice: "Do you want me to tell you more?"

Me: "No."

Voice: "But that’s okay. I didn’t come here to tell you this. I just brought this up so you would know it’s me."

Silence…

Me: "Okay. So why are you here?"

Voice: "I need you to send an e-mail."

Me: "An e-mail? How do you know about e-mail?

Voice: "Email? We pretty well know about everything that is going on…and all that has gone on."

Me: "Really? Everything?"

Voice: "Yes…just about everything."

Me: "But why me?"

Voice: "Betty and I always did think you fell on your head once too hard when you were little. There was nothing you wouldn’t do as a youngster if someone dared you to do it…and most of the time…it didn’t take a dare. Most of the time what you did was much to your detriment, like those four accidents you had in less than a year in that Chevelle; driving across that teacher’s lawn; the outhouse you put on the train going through town that Halloween night; shooting out the street lights; and all of the others. You know you still make as many or more mistakes as anyone, but there isn’t much that makes you shy away from saying things that you feel need to be said. What I’m going to ask you to do is probably going to get you a lot of scorn from a lot of folks, but I think you can do it. Will you?"

Silence…

Me: "This is unreal. It feels like a dream. You have to tell me more. Do you know about things that are going to happen?"

Voice: "No, we’re not privy to that. We just know what is happening and what has happened."

Me: "Dad, I never remember you talking like this. You are talking so fluent. You’re using words I never heard you use. You are not hesitating at all. What happened?"

Voice: "I have been given a much higher degree of understanding than I ever had when I was alive. I didn’t get to finish school. I had to quit to help out at home, so you might imagine what it means to me. Every soul…whether in Heaven or Hell…gets this. What’s more…each soul gets the same degree of this higher understanding. Those who are in Heaven use it for their greater glory, worshipping God, honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary and appreciation for the eternal happiness they enjoy. It is a curse however, for those who are in Hell, as it heightens all of their pain and suffering to the utmost degree."

Me: "I don’t think I’ve ever heard this before."

Voice: "Trust me…there are many things you will come to know."

Me: "Where are you?"

Voice: "I can’t tell you that."

Me: "Why is that?"

Voice: "This was the first part of my deal. I can’t tell you where I am. The second part of my deal is that I can use this higher understanding to provide information to you."

Me: "Deal? Deal with whom?"

Voice: "This is not for you to know. Dives asked Abraham to have Lazarus go back and tell his five brothers to change their ways and avoid Hell. His wish was not granted. Abraham told him if his brothers would not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they would not listen to him. Those alive today not only have Moses and the Prophets, but they also have the Bible, Jesus, the New Covenant, the Sacraments, the Church, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. I got my deal. Dives didn’t. Mine is different."

Silence…

Me: "If this is really you, there is so much I want to know and ask. Will you answer some questions?"

Voice: "Maybe…and in due time. You would not be able to handle it if I were to tell you everything."

Me: "Really?"

Voice: "Yes."

Me: "Well tell me…what is this email you want me to send?"

As I stated previously, whether I dreamed all of this or I actually got something, I don’t know. The only thing I do know is that I continued to type what I was getting (or dreaming) without hesitation…and without interruption. From this point forward, I got a long message specifically related to myself and each member of our family. I have already sent this message to each of them. The second part of what I received was a message for everyone else, regardless of their faith…or lack of it. You might want to keep this issue and read it again for review, before you read the second part…next month.

Charlie Traffas has been involved in media, marketing, publishing and insurance for more than 38 years in Wichita. In addition to being fully licensed as a life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI), a full-service advertising agency, marketing firm and publishing company. CMI operates and markets a varied assortment of business products and services, including publishing The Q&A Times Journal and several B2B and B2C publications throughout the country. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-05-01 14:25:00

What’s new?

Answer: Always glad to be asked. This month I am going to talk about Arizona SB 1070, the new law in Arizona dealing with immigration enforcement. But first, a short story on John and Mary.

John and Mary have been married for 12 years. John is a very dominating person. Mary allows John to dominate her. John drinks too much. When he does, he is often abusive…even physically…to Mary. Mary always says to John, as the abuse is occurring, that she will press charges. But, like many women in abusive situations, she never does. Then, the legislature of her state passes a domestic abuse law saying that if any domestic abuse occurs, it doesn’t matter whether the spouse who is abused presses charges or not, the state can prosecute the abusive spouse on its own. Now, John has a "bit" in his mouth, and he should. Tell me, do you agree? I give this example because I feel the same process one goes through in deciding whether or not they would agree with this, is the same process I think should be used in regards to immigration reform and enforcement. Let me explain. We have laws in this country dealing with how people from other countries can come here, for a visit, or for obtaining permanent status as a naturalized citizen. These laws are not applicable to one group of people, like the Irish, Germans, Japanese or Chinese…they are for all persons desiring to enter our country. This is the law. The process is stipulated in our Constitution. You remember our Constitution don’t you? It’s the foundation of our country. Every federal, elected official takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Part of our Constitution stipulates the Powers of Congress. This section is reprinted below. Section 8 - Powers of Congress: 1. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; 2. To borrow money on the credit of the United States; 3. To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes; 4. To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States; 5. To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures; 6. To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States; 7. To establish post offices and post roads; 8. To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries; 9. To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court; 10. To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations; 11. To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water; 12. To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years; 13. To provide and maintain a navy; 14. To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces; 15. To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions; 16. To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress; 17. To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings; and 18. To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof. It seems to me that the Constitution is very clear on this subject. Webster’s defines "uniform" as, "always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences; undifferentiated; not differentiated; consistent; the same throughout in structure or composition…" The process for becoming a naturalized citizen is written and well documented. There are people in some of the worst "hell holes" in the world who have been waiting for years to be able to come to our country…legally. They have followed this process. Someday, just as it was for all of the immigrants since our immigration laws went into effect, they will be allowed entry. They are doing it right. The 11-12 million or more illegal aliens that are presently in this country have not done it right. They have committed a crime in the way that they got here. Our laws were not and have not been enforced. Our immigration laws state that if you are in this country as a worker or visitor, you must carry your papers to present to authorities, when asked. What is racial about this? If I go to Italy, or Switzerland, or France, or Great Britain, or Algeria, or any country in the world, I must have a valid passport and identification…and when asked by a proper authority, I must present the same. This is how it is done. Can you imagine how much "house" I would get if I was in Zimbabwe, asked to produce my papers, and claimed it to be racial profiling? They would ask, "Are you nuts?" The other day, President Calderon of Mexico, released the following statement. "By condemning Arizona Law SB 1070 as opportunist electioneering and an open door to hate, racial discrimination, intolerance and abuse, President Felipe Calderon called on Mexicans in the U.S. to organize and join his government in finding a comprehensive solution to the migration phenomenon.’ "‘It is our duty to act, act together, act now, and act in concert. This situation outrages and saddens us, and at the same time drives us to decidedly go faster, go stronger, and be closer to the Mexicans in the United States, and particularly in the state of Arizona,’ he stated at the inauguration of the Advisory Counsel of Mexicans Abroad.’ "Addressing the counselors and leaders of migrant settlement communities in the United States who came to Los Pinos [the presidential residence], Calderon proposed turning the situation into an opportunity to strengthen Mexico’s position in the debate on immigration, the goal being to prove with facts and solid arguments that these people aren’t part of the problem, but part of the solution.’ "‘We’re going to act, we’re acting, and we will act more. Because no one can sit back with arms crossed when confronted with decisions that so clearly affect our fellow countrymen, who for generations have contributed to the growth (of the United States),’ he stated." It might be interesting about now to take a peek at the rules for foreigners living in Mexico… 1. There will be no special bilingual programs in the schools, no special ballots for elections, and all government business will be conducted in our language. 2. Foreigners will NOT have the right to vote, no matter how long they are here. 3. Foreigners will NEVER be able to hold political office. 4. Foreigners will not be a burden to the taxpayers. No welfare, no food stamps, no health care, nor any other government assistance programs. 5. Foreigners can invest in this country, but it must be an amount equal to 40,000 times the daily minimum wage. 6. If foreigners do come and want to buy land that will be okay, BUT options will be restricted. You are not allowed to own waterfront property. That property is reserved for citizens naturally born into this country. 7. Foreigners may not protest; no demonstrations, no waving a foreign flag, no political organizing, no "bad-mouthing" our president or his policies. If you do you will be sent home. 8. If you do come to this country illegally, you will be hunted down and sent straight to jail Back to the John and Mary story... The way I figure, the actions of John are tantamount to the violation of our immigration laws. Mary’s continual refusal to press charges is tantamount to the Federal Government not securing our border and failing to enforce our immigration laws. The state legislature’s action in passing a domestic abuse law saying they can prosecute whether Mary files charges or not, is what Arizona has done with Arizona Law SB 1070. It is not a racial. It is not unfair. It is not abusive. It is prudent. It is already required under the naturalization process stipulated in the Constitution, that every federal, elected official has sworn to defend and uphold. If a man makes the decision to rob a convenience store with a gun, and in the process shoots a clerk, and as he runs away, a police officer shouts, "Stop," and the man keeps running, then the police officer shoots and wounds the robber, crippling him for life…can the robber or his family be upset at the police officer? The robber made the decision to do what he knew was wrong. Whatever happens to him after that is a "product" of the decision he made. If the first thing an illegal alien does is set foot on American soil illegally, then whatever happens after that is a "product" of the decision he or she made. We have got to stop this nonsense of yelling "racist" at every turn, and demonstrating about things that are against the law. We are still a democracy…I think. If the majority votes on a law, in accordance with our Constitution, it needs to be followed by all. If the majority no longer wants the law, and they vote to rescind it…again in accordance with our Constitution…it is rescinded. But, as long as it’s on the books, it needs to be upheld and enforced. We have three branches of the government. The Legislative branch makes the laws. The Executive branch approves, executes and enforces these laws. The Judicial branch interprets them. This is the way it is done in these United States. It has been the way it is done since our country began. I don’t want it changed. And no, I am not nuts…or a racist. Charlie Traffas has been involved in media, marketing, publishing and insurance for more than 38 years in Wichita. In addition to being fully licensed as a life, health, property and casualty agent, he is also President and Owner of Chart Marketing, Inc. (CMI), a full-service advertising agency, marketing firm and publishing company. CMI operates and markets a varied assortment of business products and services, including publishing of The Q&A Times and several B2B and B2C publications throughout the country. You may contact Charlie by phone at (316) 721-9200, by e-mail at ctraffas@chartmarketing.com, or you may visit at www.chartmarketing.com.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-03-01 08:47:00

Question: So, what’s new?

Answer: Again, always glad to be asked. This month I want to write about what is now...and what will be, in my opinion, for months to come, one of the most hotly-debated, domestic topics...the value-added tax, or VAT. Just the other day, Paul Volcker, respected head of the Fed prior to Alan Greenspan, and prior to our current head, Ben Bernanke, issued a statement. He said, "If at the end of the day we need to raise taxes, we should raise taxes." His proposal would be for a value-added tax (VAT) that would be based upon everyone’s consumption of goods and services, from the originator of the product and/or service, all the way through the production chain, with each producer paying a tax only on the value that they added to the product or service, thus eliminating double taxation. He estimated that for every 1% tax imposed by a VAT, it would raise $1 Trillion in revenue, every 10 years. Under the budget President Obama submitted for 2011, we have a $1.5 Trillion budget deficit. If we had a 15% VAT in effect now, on the purchase of every good and service provided, we would eliminate this deficit. Here is an article written by Diane Furchtgott-Roth of the Manhattan Institute in June of 2009, with her opinion of a VAT. While I don’t agree with all of what she had to say, she does have good points that are worth noting.With Congress and the White House mindful—and troubled— that health-care reform could cost over $1 trillion in the next decade, the House Ways and Means Committee this week compiled a list of ways to raise money based on options from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. One is that ‘hoary old chestnut’...the national value-added tax (VAT), similar to a national sales tax. It is more popular with some conservatives, who see it as an alternative to taxing income, than with liberals, but a few liberals like it because they see it as a tax on consumption that will encourage saving, or as a way to pay for subsidies to low-income families. Perhaps he was only practicing legislative diplomacy, but chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) of the Ways & Means Committee, where tax bills originate, refused to rule out a VAT in recent conversations, saying "it’s been put on the table." To be sure, Rangel went on to acknowledge obliquely that many Democrats might not support such a tax. Nor has there been any hint from the Obama White House that the 44th president would go for a VAT. But a 1% VAT could raise $100 billion a year, and a 5% VAT could bring in $500 billion. That may have a seductive ring in the ears of some in the White House and on Capitol Hill—a small tax yields a lot of money. Nevertheless, it is a bad idea. The tax, on goods and services, is levied only on the value added at each stage of production. Take a hand-made guitar: When the maker buys the strings and the wood, he receives invoices that show how much value-added tax their producers have paid. By assembling the guitar into an instrument a musician can use, the maker adds value, and can sell the guitar for more than the cost of the materials. He will pay tax on his sales price, but may first subtract the taxes that suppliers have paid, avoiding double taxation. Net, he pays tax only on the value he adds. The problem with the VAT is that it is biased upward over time, because it is so tempting for legislatures to produce more revenue by making small rate increases. When imposed in 1967, Denmark’s VAT was 10%; it is now 25%, in addition to a top income tax rate of around 59%. A year later, in 1968, Germany levied a 10% VAT. Germans are more fortunate; their VAT has risen "only" to 19%, and their highest income tax rate is "only" 45%. Twenty-nine OECD countries have VATs, and only three— Canada , Japan , and Switzerland —apply rates under 10%. The others impose rates of 10% or more, and 12 have rates of 20% or higher. In sum, the notion that a VAT will be a small, single-digit tax is not born out by other countries’ experience. In fact, in many countries the VAT is the largest source of government revenue. It’s politically unrealistic to expect that a VAT would be a substitute for the income tax, so it would end up being an additional levy, one that enlarges the government’s claim on the rest of the economy. Putting a VAT in the hands of Congress is like giving an alcoholic the keys to the wine cellar and saying he’s welcome to drink just one bottle. Of course, the following morning several bottles will have been consumed. Len Burman, a liberal economist with the Tax Policy Center, suggests imposing a VAT and then rebating the revenue back to families through lower income taxes and vouchers to buy health insurance. If this complicated plan seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. The notion that Congress will reduce other taxes when it imposes a VAT strains credulity at a time when it is considering expensive "investments" in energy, health, and education. Countries do not use their VATs solely for one program, such as health care. They use them to pay for a wide variety of expenditures. There’s no reason to expect it to be different in America. Should Congress wish to move towards a consumption tax in order to encourage savings, there are better and simpler ways to do so. The best is to take the myriad of tax-free savings accounts we have now—529 college savings plans, 401(k) retirement plans, traditional Individual Retirement Accounts, Roth Individual Retirement Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Simplified Employee Pensions, etc.— and meld them into one large tax-free savings account and place no limit on annual contributions. Income going into this omnibus savings account would not be taxed, so de facto we would have a consumption tax, since the only money subject to income tax would be money spent. A VAT has the potential to fund all of Congress’s pet projects, such as cap-and-trade, renewable energy, electric cars, high speed rail, and, of course, health care. It’s the taxpayers who would be the losers. The Obama administration immediately distanced itself from Volcker’s comment. I would think this had to be a political move to appease some element of the electorate, as nowadays, few things are done by this administration without considering the political ramifications. And…there are other factions of the electorate that say they don’t support it, but they never say how they’re going to solve the problems we are facing. If not this…what solution do they have to reconcile the terrible "hit" to our country, our children and our children’s children from this runaway spending and fiscal irresponsibility? The only thing that keeps popping up is to tax even more those singles making $200,000 and up, and those couples making $250,000 and up. On April 10th, the headlines read, "47% of all Americans will not pay taxes for calendar year 2009." "The top 10% of all household incomes are paying 73% of all the Federal income tax." I wonder what will happen when all of these folks making all this money say, "I think I will retire. I’m through." Who is going to get taxed then? Maybe this is what ultimately happens when all of the wealth is finally redistributed. On my "first blush" consideration of Volcker’s comment, I thought about the county-wide 1% sales tax we had here for the Arena. I have to say, I don’t think it was that big of a deal…for anyone…and whether or not you agreed with the need for the Arena…look how quickly the Arena came to be as the result of this. Now I know a 15% VAT would be a bigger deal (probably somewhere around 15 times as big of a deal as Volcker’s example of 1% (smile)), but the thought of what he had to say didn’t alienate me. Maybe it should have. Maybe I’m too "thick headed." Don’t get me wrong…I am not a proponent for higher taxes…but I am a proponent for survival. Somehow, we have to have a massive, dual-effort of cutting spending and raising revenue before our national debt moves into the "junk bond" classification, if it hasn’t already. If it has…this is even more important. And as far as the administration of this tax is concerned, it is only a problem if you got a failing grade in 5th Grade Math. It is not rocket science. If I sell pizzas, I add the 15% VAT onto the selling price of my pizzas, less the 15% that was added onto the products I purchased to make the pizza (i.e. pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, olives, flour, etc.). How difficult is that? Enforcement would be equally as easy. How many pizza shop owners are there who can’t tell you how many pizzas they sell each day? Those that can’t are a moot point because they won’t be in business long enough to matter. Some of you are going to say, "A 15% tax? Are you kidding me? How will we ever afford it?" My answer is, "Unless we do something to reduce our Federal deficit and payoff our national debt, no other country will want to loan us money and pick up our debt. When we have finally taxed individuals and businesses to the "tipping point," which we will be at shortly, the only other option is to print more money. Printing more money makes it worth less, meaning it takes more money to buy the same goods and services. When this is the only option left, it quickly spirals out of control into hyperinflation. Whether we "stem this tide" with a 15% national sales tax, or a 15% VAT, it will look like a "green light special" when compared to the price you will pay for goods and services in the state of hyperinflation (i.e. $8 per gallon gas, $5 per loaf of bread, $6 per gallon of milk, etc.). While I am still in this "first blush" phase, I could be for a 15% VAT, or a 15% national sales tax, going into effect today, for the next 10 years, if the following conditions were met: 1) the tax is imposed on every purchase of every good and service, without any type of tax credits going back to any group of people. In other words…there would be no exemptions of any kind; 2) the tax can be decreased but never increased over 15%; 3) the Federal budget would not be increased one dime over the current 2011 budget, and for the next 10 years; 4) PAYGO would be strictly enforced (nothing is spent unless there is money in the budget from somewhere to pay for it); 5) taxes would stay the same as they are right now, as of this date, for every business and individual; 6) the proceeds go into the general fund and can never be earmarked for a special cause; and 7) for every dollar’s worth of revenue the tax brings in, the current year’s Federal budget must be cut 25 cents. The first six conditions should be easily understood. Let me explain the seventh in more detail. The Federal budget for 2011 is $3.6 Trillion, with estimated receipts of only $2.1 Trillion, creating a $1.5 Trillion deficit. It should be agreed upon by all that this cannot be sustained…over the short or long haul. The budget has a lot of "fat" in it…lots of "fat." But, so that we get everyone on board, let’s start with a "fat" budget (seldom do you get to do that in a bankruptcy because the bankruptcy trustee usually trims down the budget pretty tight (smile again)). Then, let’s change our lawmakers’ role in Congress from a "looters’-mentality-non-caring-about-the-future-spending-machine," to one that is based on prudence and fiscal responsibility. They will now spend their time as it relates to the financial affairs of our country, trying to reduce planned expenditures, instead of figuring out ways to steal, waste and support hidden agendas. Let’s hear re-election campaigns that say, "Vote for me…I introduced legislation and was successful in getting it passed, that reduced the Federal budget by $32 Billion, by forcing all lawmakers to give up two aides and one staff member each;" or, "Vote for me, I introduced legislation and was successful in getting it passed, that reduced the Federal budget by $46 Billion, by having expense accounts for all lawmakers reviewed and approved by the General Accounting Office (GAO), just like they are approved in businesses throughout our great country;" or, "Vote for me, I introduced legislation and was successful in getting it passed, that reduced the Federal budget by $128 Billion, by instituting a ‘National Earmark Review Committee,’ and having its findings approved by an oversight committee made up of Governors of the 6 poorest states." You see, whether we save by reducing the current year Federal budget’s planned expenditures, thereby not contributing that amount to the national debt; or we use the proceeds of the tax to directly pay down the national debt, it’s a "sleeve off a vest" kind of thing. When you give a sleeve off a vest, you’re not giving up anything…because there is no sleeve (just in case you didn’t catch it). All of this revenue goes to improve the financial condition of our country…one way or another. The only reason why the tax would be used to reduce our Federal budget deficit instead of it all going to reduce our national debt, is for the purpose of evaluating the job our lawmakers are doing…including the President. If they can’t figure out ways to trim a "fat" budget, get them out of there and get someone in who can. Because the Federal budget cannot be increased one dime for the next 10 years, our country’s financial picture, presently and for future generations, would get more "rosy" with each passing year. In one fell swoop, we would either balance (or come close to balancing) the current year’s Federal budget, and/or use the amount saved from the same to pay down the national debt. That’s it. There would be no "yabuts." It would just happen. Businesses would begin to thrive because there is actually a plan in place to make us more "healthy," and all that "healthy" entails. They would begin to invest in equipment and creating more jobs. The private sector will begin to spend and buy things. We would have the "roaring teens" in no time. Just having this plan on the books and implemented would do this. We wouldn’t have to wait for the results, but once they started to roll in…it would be a frenzy. No matter whether we do a VAT or national sales tax, if the mission is survival…and I have to assume it is…America is going to have to "suck it up" for the foreseeable future to get this country back in financial shape. No one likes to do this…but the "bill collectors" are not going to stop coming to our door. There has to be a price we pay for what a few of us have done. Once we begin this tax and get it working…we will lead the world again. Ask anyone familiar with federal budgets…if the theft, waste and hidden agendas are gone…we could run this country each year, for the next 30 years, on half of what the Federal budget is for 2011. What did I miss here? Write to me and let me know your thoughts. God willing, I will be back next month.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2010-02-01 08:42:00

: How often does it happen in a segment, when you have little time to get it in, particularly with the FOX ladies, do you spend the majority of it trying to be cute all the while talking over your guests? Answer: Way too often. When you realize the time for the segment is almost up, you hurriedly try and shut everyone down…but no one has said anything but you…and what you’ve said has no substance. You say you interrupt people because you have to get the segments in. And you think segments like these have value? 5. You seldom control your actions in a discussion or interview. You think talking over and/or louder at someone, or with anger, is going to win the debate. I had an English Literature professor in college say, “What you don’t say is much more important than what you do say.” Have you ever heard that keeping the “mystery” in a relationship keeps the relationship alive? Just as quickly as viewers were won over by you in the old days, they can be won over by someone else today. You’re making it easy for someone to take them. There’s little mystery in you when you do this. Most every viewer expects to get just what you give them…ill-preparedness, loud-mouthing, angry and hot-headed rhetoric, accompanied by an arrogant and prideful persona. If you don’t already know…let me tell you…viewers are not tuning into watch YOU, nearly as much as they are tuning in to see and hear what your guests have to say in a properly prepared “seed bed.” 6. Many times you are a convenient” journalist. You loosely use the word journalist when it serves you. Sir, a journalist is much the same as a catalyst in chemistry. A catalyst causes a reaction to occur without entering into the reaction. You are not a journalist. You do not present fair and balanced reporting. It is so obvious when you all of the sudden, stick up for the other side that you just “nailed,” either that day or a day or two before. It’s like you say to yourself, “Gosh, we’ve coined this ‘fair and balanced’ reporting thing. I better say something for the other side, even if it is stupid and foolish.” There ARE journalists at FOX…you’re just not one of them. When you have them on your show…you interrupt them much of the time. Your style is rubbing off on others. Laura Ingraham has become nearly as bad as you in interrupting. I can understand this; however, it has become the only way she and the others can hold a conversation with you. They talk fast and try to get in as much as they can before you talk over and interrupt them. 7. You again, in an ill-prepared manner, following the Massachusetts victory said, “The left is done. The far left media is done. America has spoken. The country is moving to the right.” 95% of all guests you have had on your show since have disagreed with you. You unprofessionally, in your hot-headed style, brush them off, make a final comment, and then say what you normally say, “But look…” and move on to another topic…which is your way of saying, “You’re an idiot. I don’t agree with you, but let me get on with another topic because I need to hear myself talk.” Sir, the far right, conservatives and Republicans had little to do with the victory in Massachusetts. All they did was nullify the vote of the far left and most of the mainstream, Democratic vote. The victory was won by the Independents. Independents are not Republicans or Democrats. Independents are not conservatives or liberals. Independents are not the far right or the far left. Independents are not partisan. Independents are just that…independent. They believe in getting the country back on track. They believe in balance. They believe in an equal presentation and stance on values and opinions. You claim to be one. I think you do so it will play with your “con” that you do fair and balanced reporting. If you truly believe that the “folks are not stupid,” as you say, why do you treat them as if they are? 8. Much of the time you take a prime slot and spend a goodly amount of time promoting your own books…and now a tour of the same name. Being in marketing, I would think taking a prime time program and promoting these books, would have caused them to do much better than they have done. I’m sure many authors would like to have something like this for their use. Most see through what you are doing. I wonder, how much time does it take you each evening to search through your emails to find the few that do something to assist in the promotion of these books and your tour? I could go on, but I think you get my point, although your pride will probably stand in the way of your acceptance of the same. Many of those to the far left of center have chosen a style that regardless of what is said or asked on an issue, they immediately blame something Bush said or did, or what some other Republican said or did, and never end up answering the question. Alan Colmes is a master at this. Much of the time, this has become your style as well. If someone criticizes you, you immediately call them a “loon,” “pinhead” or tell them that they need to “wise up.” Quite often you do it with much anger in your voice, a red face and contempt in your facial expressions. This should sell sir…somewhere…perhaps on MSNBC. I understand that you might come after me; but then again, as you say, you dismiss those who criticize you. You call them a “nut case” or a “loon.” Let me help you. You don’t want to spend time on me. In addition to my political persuasion I listed earlier, I am basically a “no one.” I can best be described as a sinner, but one who is trying to sin less; someone who loves his wife, family, friends and business associates; an entrepreneur who has failed more often than he has succeeded; a person with a great deal of respect for business and for making a profit in business; a viewer; a citizen of the greatest country there has ever been; and someone who understands I am always three seconds away from having an aneurysm and becoming worm food…but one who has an immortal soul that will live forever. If you’re going to spend ANY time on this editorial, spend it looking at yourself and seeing if maybe...just maybe...I’m bringing up some things you need to consider changing. You are definitely the leader in your type of programming at your time slot, but again…please don’t call it News. Always call it what it is. It is “Opinion Programming.” The Director of Programming at FOX News has to be a genius. He or she has figured out how to “sell the whole steer,” snoot, tail and all, regardless of how “mislabeled” the cuts may be. He or she has done a masterful job of merchandising. This “blend” is why FOX and your show does so well…not because of your individual performance. If you can stop for a bit from promoting your own books, tour and agendas, take the time to read the book by Jack Trout and Al Ries titled, Marketing Warfare. This book talks about being a leader; being #2; being a “flanker” in the number 3, 4 or 5 position; and being a “guerilla” at the bottom of the market. The two most important things the leader can do to maintain their position is 1) to have the courage to attack themselves, and 2) thwart each and every attempt by the competition to take what they have. Trout and Ries go on to say, “It is ALMOST impossible to lose being number one, but once lost, it IS impossible to get it back.” You are setting yourself up as an easy mark for someone to take what you have. But then, we may not have to worry. Soon, we may read the headline, “Pinhead O’Reilly finally takes down all of FOX News by himself through his arrogance and pride.” I hope not. America needs FOX News…and you…when you do…what you do…the right way. Next, the puppies…last month we took an ad from a supposed Wichita resident, whereby he wanted to give away two registered, AKC Maltese Teacup puppies. We took his information, checked out his local address, and performed other due diligence that we would do with any advertiser. We even built the ad for him. Well, it turned out to be a scam. Here’s how it worked. Because no one had responded to the ad immediately, he would say to those who emailed him, he had to leave town and took the puppies with him. He went to Africa…yes…Africa. He still wanted to give the puppies away but now they would have to be shipped back. If the person wanting them would pay for half of the shipping cost, he would pay the other half. So he would get half of the shipping charges sent to him but he would never send the puppies. We immediately alerted The Sedgwick County District Attorney as soon as we received the first call from one of our readers. This is all we know at this time. If we find out more information, we will let you know. We want to apologize for any inconvenience to anyone, and will do our best to take even greater precautions in the future to avoid something like this happening again. A couple of comments on Presidents…I have thought for quite some time, that President George W. Bush ended the last years of his presidency in a way that would firmly secure him as being the worst President we have had in more than 34 years. Well, I was wrong. President Obama, if he stays his present course, will take over that spot, hands down. Most unfortunate for him...and us…is that he will do so while being very intelligent, a nice guy, passionate and a great communicator. His problem is not as much that he is governing from the far left. His problem is that he has no experience in managing anything...not even a lemonade stand. No one would do, what he has been doing, if they had management experience running anything. First he campaigned as a centrist, or one just to the left of center. He’s governing about 3,000 miles to the left of that. He is not doing what he said we would do. He makes decisions...and regardless how ill-advised they might be...he sticks by them, when it is obvious he should rescind and/or modify the same. He doesn’t know how to say he’s wrong...or that he’s sorry. He has broken nearly every campaign promise he has made. Although his experience was questioned repeatedly throughout the campaign, we didn’t make it nearly a big enough issue. The mistakes that he is making are almost all management related. You can not tell those you are trying to lead one thing, then do another. You can not make 4 stops in one week promoting jobs as the thing our country needs to focus on more than anything...after spending a year on other issues and not even mentioning jobs...then switch back to health care the next week on 4 stops, saying passing “something” is more important than anything right now and not even mentioning the “jobs” message from the week before...then the next week talking exclusively about cap and trade and not mentioning jobs or health care. He’s all over the board! If you differ with him, you are evil and anti-American. Ask any employee what he or she wants from his or her manager. The first thing is fair and honest compensation and benefits. The second thing is consistency. No one wants to be led by someone who is herky-jerky, with a Jekyll and Hyde, defensive persona. President Obama has an idea as to what he wants to accomplish, but other than trying to deliver a “Cross of Gold” speech in front of some crowd, on TV, daily, where he comes across as “Big Hat No Cattle”...he has no idea how to make it happen. He reminds me of someone in quick sand who continues to flail away and sink further and faster. His approval rating is now less than 44%, Congress’s is at 26%, the country is more divided than it has ever been. Everyone on the right hates everyone on the left...and vice versa. Nothing is getting done. For crying out loud...we need a manager...we need a leader...someone with experience…not someone who is learning on the job. A leader...a manager...someone who commands respect...could get this nonsense stopped. No matter what happens in the November mid-term elections, we’ve got three more years of this. If the Republicans even things up in Congress, or take control, what good is it? We will be right back into this “swamp” of still getting nothing done because we ha

Answer: I am always glad that you ask. This month, in a “semi-strategic” attempt to get Bill O’Reilly of FOX News to change some things he is doing, before it’s too late, I would like to share with you an e-mail I sent recently to the New York Times OP ED Department; I will tell you about a scam we found ourselves in last month; some comments about a couple of Presidents; and finally I will tell you about some changes coming here at The Q & A Times “Journal.” First, my e-mail to the New York Times… Dear Mr. O’Reilly, I have tried to send you messages for quite some time, attempting to get you to change some things you do that I and several others think are improper. Thus far I’m batting a thousand, as you have disregarded every one of them. Because your pride causes you to spend much of your time reading the New York Times and other publications…knocking them instead of spending more time looking inwardly at yourself…I thought sending this to them and getting them to print it might catch your attention more quickly. We will see. If it matters, I am conservative in my political views. According to the polls you announce frequently, I represent the beliefs of many if not the majority of Americans. As a group, we have been most fortunate that FOX News has given us a “voice”, for without it…life would be much different. There are not that many places to see and hear support for things like a smaller government that works for and on behalf of the populace; a strong national defense, at home and abroad; black and white fiscal responsibility so that spending is stopped and the deficit and debt are attacked; controlling all of our borders in sync with our laws; lower taxes for business; and appreciation for the free enterprise system our country was founded upon. It appears however, that this “voice” may be short-lived because of some “pinhead” actions on your part. Webster’s defines “pinhead” as a very dull, foolish or stupid person. Ironically, I have to believe this describes you much of the time, Mr. O’Reilly. An adjustment is in order. I think you are quite often a “pinhead” because: 1. Many times you are ill-prepared to discuss many of the topics you take on. Example: Most recently, you talked with Brit Hume about the primary race in Florida for governor on the Republican side between Rubio and Crist. You led off your discussion with him saying, that you wondered if the Republicans could ever become united again. “Look what is happening in Florida,” you said. “They are fighting among themselves.” Britt Hume looked puzzled that you were so naïve. He said, “It’s a primary. That is when each side is supposed to present their views. Then, once there is a winner, the party unites.” Realizing your mistake, you made some kind of “foolish, backing out” comment, trying to get away from the subject. You then moved onto another subject you were ill-prepared to talk about. Much of the time, the only thing you seemingly prepare for is your “Talking Points” memo at the front of your program. The rest of the hour you “wing” it, with your loud-mouthing, anger, pride and “cons.” I will give you credit for the Talking Points Memo you presented on the evening of February 2, 2010. It may have been your best ever. It was masterfully written and presented. We all know you can do good work. You’ve done so many times in the past. It’s just that lately, you have been “falling off the wagon” way too many times, much like your recent interview with Rod Blagojevich. I and many others happen to feel that he’s slime, but he still gets his day in court. You harangued him viciously trying to get him to tell you things he couldn’t tell you because of the charges against him. You claimed you were just asking his opinion. You then continued to mock him for failing to answer in other segments of your show. What’s wrong with you? Whether or not he answers a question from you doesn’t change your life one iota. It means HIS freedom. Do you care about anyone but yourself and getting some kind of a story, no matter how you get it? 2. Many times you “con” viewers into thinking you’re for the “folks.” Sir, most of the time you are no more for the “folks” than Mark McGwire was for the fans during his career. He “conned” them for years. He was for himself, just as you are...much of the time. 3. Many times your pride and ego will not let most guests you bring on talk and make their point without you interrupting them. The other night, you interrupted Dick Morris four times in the first 90 seconds after you asked him a question. You never allowed him to say more than a few words without interrupting him, for some ill-prepared, self-serving comment you felt you had to make. The clips you’ve been playing on the Bold Fresh Tour are mostly on the “why bother” side. Do you have any idea what being humble means? At your first event in New York, you had to talk about how much money you make, compared to Peter Jennings. Your comments were foolish. If this is what your Bold Fresh Tour is…again...why bother? Do you really think the “folks” want to pay big ticket prices to sit and watch two people who are not comedians, attempting to be, and failing miserably? There is no “meat.” What is the purpose of the Bold Fresh Tour? Did you ever think it might be a good idea to plan this before the events take place…or do you think you are so “hot” it doesn’t matter? Beck would have been far better off going out by himself rather than dragging you along. Sure, you will say that you’re selling out. The true test is to ask those in attendance if they would ever pay money to see something like this again. If they wouldn’t...it’s another “con.” Most every night you have to talk about your ratings; recently, the fact that 49% of those polled trust FOX News more than another other News organization. I hate to break it you Bill, but the very poll you show says “News organization.” That might describe other programming on FOX News, but that’s not what you do. You do “Opinion Programming.” Your show is not included in that poll. Sir, I’ve been in the media business longer than you. There are some things you should touch on periodically, but you do not run them into the ground. Ratings are one of these things. Like General Patton said, “America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser.” People feel good they are watching FOX News, and that the program they choose to watch is watched by most viewers, making them somewhat a winner; but you nullify much of that with your boasting and prideful, selfish demeanor. 4. Like your Bold Fresh Tour, many times you actually think there are people who tune in to watch you be a comedian. Sir, a comedian you are not. I have been watching you for more than 10 years. The handful of things you have said that are either clever or funny would fit, double-spaced on the back of an index card. Just because Dennis Miller is a comedian, doesn’t make you one. Have you ever heard of playing the “straight” man. By the time Dennis is finished with his seven syllable words, and you have made a fool of yourself trying to get a laugh, there is little material left for the viewers to consume. Question: How often does it happen in a segment, when you have little time to get it in, particularly with the FOX ladies, do you spend the majority of it trying to be cute all the while talking over your guests? Answer: Way too often. When you realize the time for the segment is almost up, you hurriedly try and shut everyone down…but no one has said anything but you…and what you’ve said has no substance. You say you interrupt people because you have to get the segments in. And you think segments like these have value? 5. You seldom control your actions in a discussion or interview. You think talking over and/or louder at someone, or with anger, is going to win the debate. I had an English Literature professor in college say, “What you don’t say is much more important than what you do say.” Have you ever heard that keeping the “mystery” in a relationship keeps the relationship alive? Just as quickly as viewers were won over by you in the old days, they can be won over by someone else today. You’re making it easy for someone to take them. There’s little mystery in you when you do this. Most every viewer expects to get just what you give them…ill-preparedness, loud-mouthing, angry and hot-headed rhetoric, accompanied by an arrogant and prideful persona. If you don’t already know…let me tell you…viewers are not tuning into watch YOU, nearly as much as they are tuning in to see and hear what your guests have to say in a properly prepared “seed bed.” 6. Many times you are a convenient” journalist. You loosely use the word journalist when it serves you. Sir, a journalist is much the same as a catalyst in chemistry. A catalyst causes a reaction to occur without entering into the reaction. You are not a journalist. You do not present fair and balanced reporting. It is so obvious when you all of the sudden, stick up for the other side that you just “nailed,” either that day or a day or two before. It’s like you say to yourself, “Gosh, we’ve coined this ‘fair and balanced’ reporting thing. I better say something for the other side, even if it is stupid and foolish.” There ARE journalists at FOX…you’re just not one of them. When you have them on your show…you interrupt them much of the time. Your style is rubbing off on others. Laura Ingraham has become nearly as bad as you in interrupting. I can understand this; however, it has become the only way she and the others can hold a conversation with you. They talk fast and try to get in as much as they can before you talk over and interrupt them. 7. You again, in an ill-prepared manner, following the Massachusetts victory said, “The left is done. The far left media is done. America has spoken. The country is moving to the right.” 95% of all guests you have had on your show since have disagreed with you. You unprofessionally, in your hot-headed style, brush them off, make a final comment, and then say what you normally say, “But look…” and move on to another topic…which is your way of saying, “You’re an idiot. I don’t agree with you, but let me get on with another topic because I need to hear myself talk.” Sir, the far right, conservatives and Republicans had little to do with the victory in Massachusetts. All they did was nullify the vote of the far left and most of the mainstream, Democratic vote. The victory was won by the Independents. Independents are not Republicans or Democrats. Independents are not conservatives or liberals. Independents are not the far right or the far left. Independents are not partisan. Independents are just that…independent. They believe in getting the country back on track. They believe in balance. They believe in an equal presentation and stance on values and opinions. You claim to be one. I think you do so it will play with your “con” that you do fair and balanced reporting. If you truly believe that the “folks are not stupid,” as you say, why do you treat them as if they are? 8. Much of the time you take a prime slot and spend a goodly amount of time promoting your own books…and now a tour of the same name. Being in marketing, I would think taking a prime time program and promoting these books, would have caused them to do much better than they have done. I’m sure many authors would like to have something like this for their use. Most see through what you are doing. I wonder, how much time does it take you each evening to search through your emails to find the few that do something to assist in the promotion of these books and your tour? I could go on, but I think you get my point, although your pride will probably stand in the way of your acceptance of the same. Many of those to the far left of center have chosen a style that regardless of what is said or asked on an issue, they immediately blame something Bush said or did, or what some other Republican said or did, and never end up answering the question. Alan Colmes is a master at this. Much of the time, this has become your style as well. If someone criticizes you, you immediately call them a “loon,” “pinhead” or tell them that they need to “wise up.” Quite often you do it with much anger in your voice, a red face and contempt in your facial expressions. This should sell sir…somewhere…perhaps on MSNBC. I understand that you might come after me; but then again, as you say, you dismiss those who criticize you. You call them a “nut case” or a “loon.” Let me help you. You don’t want to spend time on me. In addition to my political persuasion I listed earlier, I am basically a “no one.” I can best be described as a sinner, but one who is trying to sin less; someone who loves his wife, family, friends and business associates; an entrepreneur who has failed more often than he has succeeded; a person with a great deal of respect for business and for making a profit in business; a viewer; a citizen of the greatest country there has ever been; and someone who understands I am always three seconds away from having an aneurysm and becoming worm food…but one who has an immortal soul that will live forever. If you’re going to spend ANY time on this editorial, spend it looking at yourself and seeing if maybe...just maybe...I’m bringing up some things you need to consider changing. You are definitely the leader in your type of programming at your time slot, but again…please don’t call it News. Always call it what it is. It is “Opinion Programming.” The Director of Programming at FOX News has to be a genius. He or she has figured out how to “sell the whole steer,” snoot, tail and all, regardless of how “mislabeled” the cuts may be. He or she has done a masterful job of merchandising. This “blend” is why FOX and your show does so well…not because of your individual performance. If you can stop for a bit from promoting your own books, tour and agendas, take the time to read the book by Jack Trout and Al Ries titled, Marketing Warfare. This book talks about being a leader; being #2; being a “flanker” in the number 3, 4 or 5 position; and being a “guerilla” at the bottom of the market. The two most important things the leader can do to maintain their position is 1) to have the courage to attack themselves, and 2) thwart each and every attempt by the competition to take what they have. Trout and Ries go on to say, “It is ALMOST impossible to lose being number one, but once lost, it IS impossible to get it back.” You are setting yourself up as an easy mark for someone to take what you have. But then, we may not have to worry. Soon, we may read the headline, “Pinhead O’Reilly finally takes down all of FOX News by himself through his arrogance and pride.” I hope not. America needs FOX News…and you…when you do…what you do…the right way. Next, the puppies…last month we took an ad from a supposed Wichita resident, whereby he wanted to give away two registered, AKC Maltese Teacup puppies. We took his information, checked out his local address, and performed other due diligence that we would do with any advertiser. We even built the ad for him. Well, it turned out to be a scam. Here’s how it worked. Because no one had responded to the ad immediately, he would say to those who emailed him, he had to leave town and took the puppies with him. He went to Africa…yes…Africa. He still wanted to give the puppies away but now they would have to be shipped back. If the person wanting them would pay for half of the shipping cost, he would pay the other half. So he would get half of the shipping charges sent to him but he would never send the puppies. We immediately alerted The Sedgwick County District Attorney as soon as we received the first call from one of our readers. This is all we know at this time. If we find out more information, we will let you know. We want to apologize for any inconvenience to anyone, and will do our best to take even greater precautions in the future to avoid something like this happening again. A couple of comments on Presidents…I have thought for quite some time, that President George W. Bush ended the last years of his presidency in a way that would firmly secure him as being the worst President we have had in more than 34 years. Well, I was wrong. President Obama, if he stays his present course, will take over that spot, hands down. Most unfortunate for him...and us…is that he will do so while being very intelligent, a nice guy, passionate and a great communicator. His problem is not as much that he is governing from the far left. His problem is that he has no experience in managing anything...not even a lemonade stand. No one would do, what he has been doing, if they had management experience running anything. First he campaigned as a centrist, or one just to the left of center. He’s governing about 3,000 miles to the left of that. He is not doing what he said we would do. He makes decisions...and regardless how ill-advised they might be...he sticks by them, when it is obvious he should rescind and/or modify the same. He doesn’t know how to say he’s wrong...or that he’s sorry. He has broken nearly every campaign promise he has made. Although his experience was questioned repeatedly throughout the campaign, we didn’t make it nearly a big enough issue. The mistakes that he is making are almost all management related. You can not tell those you are trying to lead one thing, then do another. You can not make 4 stops in one week promoting jobs as the thing our country needs to focus on more than anything...after spending a year on other issues and not even mentioning jobs...then switch back to health care the next week on 4 stops, saying passing “something” is more important than anything right now and not even mentioning the “jobs” message from the week before...then the next week talking exclusively about cap and trade and not mentioning jobs or health care. He’s all over the board! If you differ with him, you are evil and anti-American. Ask any employee what he or she wants from his or her manager. The first thing is fair and honest compensation and benefits. The second thing is consistency. No one wants to be led by someone who is herky-jerky, with a Jekyll and Hyde, defensive persona. President Obama has an idea as to what he wants to accomplish, but other than trying to deliver a “Cross of Gold” speech in front of some crowd, on TV, daily, where he comes across as “Big Hat No Cattle”...he has no idea how to make it happen. He reminds me of someone in quick sand who continues to flail away and sink further and faster. His approval rating is now less than 44%, Congress’s is at 26%, the country is more divided than it has ever been. Everyone on the right hates everyone on the left...and vice versa. Nothing is getting done. For crying out loud...we need a manager...we need a leader...someone with experience…not someone who is learning on the job. A leader...a manager...someone who commands respect...could get this nonsense stopped. No matter what happens in the November mid-term elections, we’ve got three more years of this. If the Republicans even things up in Congress, or take control, what good is it? We will be right back into this “swamp” of still getting nothing done because we have no leader...no manager...commanding enough respect to stop this insolent, uncivil, inefficient, partisan behavior. What lesson should we learn from this? If we EVER, as a country, again elect any person, that has not had management experience in running a business (that’s right a business...that has to make a profit, and not some kind of government-funded, political action committee or neighborhood watch group), whereby his or her job depended upon the meeting of objectives dictated by a Board, Senior Management or Administration (i.e. sales, profit, share of market, image, awareness, inventory turnover, average ticket, traffic, etc.), in a legal, ethical and moral fashion, while maintaining the morale of his employee force …we should have to put up with whatever it brings us, and be rendered mute by God from that point forward. Now, for my last item. The Q & A Times will begin its 10th year of publishing with our May issue of this year. Time has passed very quickly. It seems like just a week or two ago I was talking to the late Kerry Grey (former President of Associated Advertising), asking him what he thought about a publication that would be totally Q & A, that would deal with information and education on products and services from both sectors...business and consumer. He replied, “Charlie, people of the world cannot get enough information and education. The more you give them the more they want, particularly if it is JUST information and education…and not commercial information intertwined within. It then becomes “vintage public relations” and very powerful. A by-product of this need for information and education is the fact that people will spend more time reading Q & A than any other type of editorial, and as you know, time spent with media is the number one thing a media owner tries to accomplish. I think it would work great.” That was in the Fall of 2000…almost 10 years ago! I think Kerry was very good at lots of things...among them was his being a visionary. I think of him and thank him often for his counsel and advice. The following is commercial…but maybe when a publication begins its 10th year of publishing, a bit of it can be allowed, especially if it is identified as such up front. We still have yet to find another “stand-alone” publication on the planet that is totally Q & A. We like to think of ourselves as a “hard copy Google.” Q & A features…if used by other print media…are most always a one or two-page segment, and most of the time, these publications make the Q & A blatantly commercial. These features should (journalistically speaking) have a banner on the top and bottom saying “Paid Advertisement” because that is what they are. If a business stops and takes the time to provide information and education about a product, service or concept…without trying to sell the target something…it is most effective for inducing good will from the target to the presenter, his firm, company, institution, product, service and/or concept. Kerry knew this all too well. It is surprising that more publications do not run Q & A columns, for as Kerry said, and Roper Starch (a 150-year old, print research company in San Francisco) has confirmed for more than 50 years, if done properly, it is the number one type of editorial for getting people to spend their time reading. People, on the average, spend as much as 250% or more time reading non-commercial, Q & A editorial than they do any other type of editorial, albeit Main News, Local News, Sports, Religion, Social, Classified or any other type. According to studies done by the Radio Advertising Bureau, annually since 1975, the average time spent reading the daily newspaper is only 14 minutes, with half the time spent reading the ads, including the classified, and the other half the time spent reading the editorial. The average time spent reading a weekly newspaper is 26 minutes. The average time spent reading a monthly newspaper is 36 minutes. Q & A causes people to spend as much as 250% more time reading than other types of editorial. This makes the time spent reading The Q & A Times in the hour to hour and a half range. This time spent reading leads all print media…and the biggest reason why we have become the only pure, public relations’ media in the state. About now, I should be talking about what’s coming. So, in keeping with our Q & A format, please allow me to do so. Question: What can we look forward to from The Q & A Times in the future? Answer: We hope…a lot. First, we’ve changed our name just a bit. We are now The Q & A Times Journal. Why? We feel this ever so slight change positions us for moving more into the business to business (B2B) sector, while maintaining our strong commitment and presence in the business to consumer (B2C) sector. We will seek to have more of a balance of both B2B and B2C articles in the future. You see, there are thousands of people in businesses that are just as interested in information and education in regards to products and services for their businesses, as there are thousands of consumers who are interested in information and education in regards to products and services for their personal use. There is no reason why we cannot address both in the same publication. After all, when a businessperson drives home at night, he/she IS a consumer. We mail to more than twice as many businesses as the only other business publication in the area, and to businesses not only in Sedgwick County, but also to businesses in Harvey and Butler Counties as well. We will mail to even more of them in the future. Our Q & A features are not commercial, as there is never a mention of the business’s name, products or service; and the features are most always void of pronouns, such as “I,” “We,” “Ours” and “Us.” And, every advertiser gets an opportunity for a Q & A without having to pay for the same, relative to information and education about his/her products, services, concepts or industry Lastly, our advertising rates are but a fraction of that of what the other publication charges. So too is our annual subscription…which is only $12 per year. With that in mind, here is an offer we hope you will consider. To lead off this new focus, and as we move towards a more subscriber-based publication…for a limited time…by using the pink coupon on the front page, along with the application on Page 3, you and/or your business can save $5 off this price and assure you get your copy mailed to you each month, for the modest amount of only $7 per year! That’s more than a 40% savings, and works out to less than 60 cents per month. I guess if what we provide is not worth that, we probably should not be looking towards our 11th year of publishing, huh? We hope with what we’ve learned, what we’ve been told, and these changes, we will become an even bigger part of providing information and education to all types of consumers and businesses in the Greater Wichita Area, than what we have been in the past. With your continued support…which we will thank you for in advance…we will do our best to make this happen.

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-12-01 10:17:00

Question: So, what’s new?

Answer: As always, I’m glad you asked. This month, my article will be shorter than some, but perhaps…carry some “punch” from a different direction. We’ll see. I, like many adults, have played several sports throughout my life. In some, I wasn’t very good at all. In some, I was a little better than that. In some, I have played and continue to play that put me in a category all by myself, such as golf. The reason why I know this is because frequently, when walking off the course, I hear a comment such as, “There goes those four golfers and Charlie.” One sport I thoroughly enjoyed playing was football. I was always in the middle of most of what was going on…as a tight end on offense and a linebacker or lineman on defense. I suppose the “adrenalin rush” I seemed to get as I heard the quarterback’s cadence, knowing in just a moment, it was going to be my body and mind against another guy or two…and not knowing for sure the outcome…had a lot to do with it. A torn cartilage and ligaments in my knee ended my playing days, but I have never lost my love for the game, or have I ever forgotten that “rush.” But now, after 40 years of watching rather than playing, and at this time of the year leading into the bowl games and playoffs, I do have an observation I would like to share. In doing so, I hope you don’t make me out to be an “old stick in the mud,” but when someone does what I’m going to talk about doing…the right way…the difference it makes to the viewer is night and day. So, what am I talking about this time? I’m talking about the jumping around, “high fiving”, “excessive celebration” and diving into the end zone with no one following them, or the stands, by players of all ages…including pros…after making a catch, interception, sack or play of some kind. You see it in every game…and the more I see of it the more ridiculous it becomes…particularly when it is accompanied by a penalty on the team that has such an “intelligent” player. To some, I suppose it is humorous. To others, who are caught up in the moment and because they have seen it so much…they don’t give it a second thought. To me, my thought is, “He must be acting that way because he doesn’t think he deserves to have made such a play.” I know…I know…some of you are thinking that I am that “old stick in the mud,” but seriously…isn’t the player’s job to catch…tackle…intercept…score…etc.? Why should he act like such an idiot when all he has done – is his job? I wonder if he thinks his actions are intimidating the opponent? I don’t think so. You know what is intimidating to the opposition? When you do something and act as though it is what you are supposed to do. Here’s a guy who did it right…Barry Sanders. In my opinion, Barry Sanders was the most intimidating football player in the last 20 years…and perhaps of all time. Why? Was it his athleticism? Was it all of the records he holds? No, although he was as much of an athlete as anyone I have ever seen…and he certainly holds many records. He intimidated the opposition because he DID his job and ACTED like he was doing his job. When he was through doing his job, he handed the ball to the referee. He didn’t jump up and down or leap into the stands. He didn’t do a “Billy White Shoes Johnson” dance. He didn’t spin the ball on the ground. He didn’t do a cartwheel. He took the slaps on his back from his teammates, grinned shyly, then very professionally and courteously handed the ball to the referee. Scoring positive yards and touchdowns…catching passes…keeping the team together (which had to be most difficult during many of his years in Detroit)…was his job. He DID his job. He EXPECTED to do this job. He didn’t act any different than say…a punch press operator at Coleman, who…after doing his job, at the end of the day, saying “good-bye” to his fellow workers, getting in his truck and leaving to go home. Can you see a punch press operator who is supposed to run 100 parts per hour, doing so for his 8 hours and when finished…doing a cartwheel in the middle of the press shop? Or giving “high fives” to the Quality Control Inspector? Or jumping into the outstretched arms of the Foreman and the Lead Man? Yes, he intimated the opposition…all the while being a perfect gentleman. Can you imagine playing against him, and watching him head down the field across the goal line…after you and six of your teammates’ jockey straps are laying out on the field…as he hands the ball to the referee and trots back to the bench waiting his turn to “do his job” again? Now THAT is intimidation! Intimidation is a big part of any sports contest. Phil Mickelson (I had originally planned to use Tiger for this example but we’ll let him rest a bit) might be a plus 6 handicap (actually a pro has no handicap and plays off scratch), and I might be a -16, making for 22 shots he would give me on a medal play bet. Some (who don’t know any better) would say that would be fair. But do you think that I could come anywhere close to shooting my handicap, when playing alongside of him? No. Why? Because of the intimidation factor. Yes, Phil gets a little pumped at times but he stays in control of himself. He does his job. Most of the time, he does it very well. He knows he does it very well. He expects to do it very well. Most professional golfers are like Phil. That is one of the things that makes golf the wonderful game that it is. The manner in which they go about doing their job would intimidate the dickens out of me were I to be playing one or all of them. I would not come close to staying in the match. Now, were they to jump around and do cart wheels after they make a birdie, I might think them to be a bunch of idiots…and just maybe…my “awe” of them would wane a bit and I wouldn’t be quite so intimidated. Maybe I would come closer to competing…maybe not…but better golfers than I am could. I don’t know who it was, early in Barry’s life, that explained this to him. Maybe it was his father. Maybe it was a coach. Maybe he didn’t need anyone to explain it. Maybe his humility and his ability to keep his ego and pride under control was something he figured out as a youngster. As I say, I don’t know, but I do know…each time I see the “idiots” do it the wrong way today…I think of Barry Sanders doing it the right way…and it is a most pleasant thought.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-11-01 15:55:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: There is a lot of debate going on right now in our country on the pros and cons of all of the things that are being operated, governed, legislated, executed and adjudicated. I will leave that debating to those who are more qualified than myself. I do think however, that I can lend an opinion or two, and some facts on the economic impact of some of these things, while calling to mind some other things we should all be aware of. This is the purpose of my article this month. Like many of my articles, it may end up being a bit of a strange “trip” with an unexpected “turn” or two, but some say that makes for good reading. I hope so. First, I would like to ask you to call to mind any one of the dozens of movies you’ve watched throughout your life, that dealt with a character who played a high and mighty, boisterous, abrasive and prideful role, and was brought down and put into his or her place. You know…kind of like a “bully” movie. A “bully” movie usually has just two scenarios. The first is when a movie like this ends with the “bully” getting what is seemingly due him or her (i.e. maybe like Ben Gazzara in Road House). The second scenario is when the movie goes on to show the “bully” being “healed” in some way where he or she ends up becoming the actual hero or heroine, or almost the hero or heroine (i.e. maybe like Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List). As you watch the story in the movie unfold…who among you does not say to yourself…or out loud…something like, “He sure needs to be taken down a notch or two,” or, “She just can’t go on treating people like that without it coming back to bite her, can she?” And, regardless of which scenario the movie ends with, as the story shows that this person received an “eye opener” or is “rapped on the knuckles” a bit, you feel more at ease. You feel like justice is being served and that things are not going to get totally out of hand. If the movie uses the second scenario, you end up rooting for the guy or gal, or almost rooting for them, in their new and changed role. Next, before I embark on this little “trip,” I have to say to the new or infrequent readers of this column…I am conservative in my ideologies and very much a supporter of capitalism. That does not mean I am right. It’s just who I am. And, just as entrenched as I am in my beliefs that a predominantly, capitalistic system propagates entrepreneurship, free enterprise, technological advances, jobs and economic growth, there are those who are entrenched in their beliefs counter to mine. This is fine. This is honest debate and part of what makes our country as great as it is. I have tried however for years to imagine America under any other kind of a system, that is more of another type of system than that of capitalism. To help myself, I look back at two American History courses I took at WSU under Dr. John Born back in the late 60s. The first was American History from the American Revolution to the Civil War, and the second…American History from the Civil War to present day. Capitalism has played a major role in our entire history. With a different type of system, other than capitalism, or another type of system that is more something else other than capitalism, I don’t see many of the events in history happening the way they went down. Like the American Revolution…the way it went down, compared to how it would have gone down. Were we to have been a country based upon a different kind of system, or more of another type of system than capitalism, I don’t see the same respect we have always showed our forefathers who wrote the Declaration of Independence and our Constitution, and who got our country going. I lose too the respect that we have always shown the millions of men and women who fought and died for our country in all of the wars. I lose the level of patriotism I have been so proud to experience throughout my entire life. I lose things like many of the inventions at the turn of the 20th century during the Industrial Revolution…and lots of other things like our technology, our increased productivity as the result of this technology, and our advances in all of the sciences. Please understand, I don’t mean to say these and hundreds of other things would never have happened, I just think they would have happened differently and things would be very different today if we had been based upon a system other than capitalism, or a system that was more something else other than capitalism. Am I a rebel rouser? I hope not. Am I against government? No. Does this mean that I believe we should, as a nation, not have government? Of course not. Government should do as our Founding Fathers intended…be a government of the people…by the people…and for the people…composed of three branches…each performing its own special tasks…while providing for a check and balance system on each other. Our Founding Fathers never intended for the government to be the “dog” and the “people” be the tail…did they? Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? According to the courses I took it was. If you’re of this persuasion…or of a different persuasion…don’t quit reading yet. I promise this column will not end up being a bashing. At the end, all of the dots will connect, and hopefully, if we’re all REALLY honest with ourselves, we won’t find that much to disagree with. Since the new Democratically-controlled legislative and executive branches of our Federal Government took over in January of this year, it has appeared to me to be one of these types of “bully” movies. It seems like, regardless of the feelings and desires of the populace, whom they represent, they have imposed and are going to continue to impose their feelings and desires on all of us. Other congresses headed by Republicans and Presidents have done it too, when they have bowed their necks and marched on to the “drum beat” in THEIR head, without taking into account the feelings and desires of those they represent. Regardless of who and when…it is wrong…but maybe today it is even more wrong than ever, given our present, economic situation. Let me give you some facts. In the past 10 months both branches have been in control, with what has been funded, committed to be funded, and currently being debated to be funded, the spending has been unprecedented. I am not giving Republicans and Independents a free pass here. While not too many of them are voting for this stuff, there are still things they need to do in all of this, and they will be responsible and held accountable accordingly. We now have a Federal budget of more than $4 trillion. That is $1.5 trillion more than we take in! Our total debt exceeds $12 trillion, before this $1.5 trillion is added. Our interest on this debt is $178 billion per year. Most of this debt is to foreign countries, with China and Japan being our top creditors of $800 Billion each. With the projected deficits, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates we will be in debt $21 trillion by 2019, with interest running more than $800 Billion per year! Keep in mind…this is BEFORE the costs of health care reform, cap and trade, any more bailouts, and whatever is going to be done to rescue Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which are now paying out more than THEY take in, and will be insolvent within the next few years. This means kids who are now between the ages of 8 and 12, by the time they are in the work force, and every other taxpayer, will get absolutely nothing for the first $800 Billion in taxes they pay into the system. Nothing! No defense, no roads, no entitlement programs, no infrastructure rebuilding, no space exploration, no money for health care, the arts, research, education…nothing…as the first $800 Billion goes to “thin air”…each and every year. The biggest injustice is that these kids and these kids’ kids did nothing to deserve this…except have us as their parents and grandparents. Most of us are aware of this or at least partially aware. Our elected officials should be more aware of it than we are. So tell me, what is all of this debate about anyway? Who…in their right mind…can be talking about further deficit spending on ANYTHING? How can any elected official, who represents any constituent…support…in the midst of all of this…spending another nickel that we don’t take in? The dreaded “spiral” we have all talked about for years is already in play. This “spiral” is the process where taxes are being increased more and more, on more and more individuals and businesses, making it tougher for businesses to stay in business, and certainly to compete, driving jobs overseas, worsening our unemployment and our economy, to get the government the money it needs. But all of this money IS NOT and WILL NOT be enough. So, what will the government do then? It has only two choices: raise taxes even more, on more and more individuals and businesses, and/or print more money. We know what raising taxes too much will do. When more money is printed, the value of the dollar goes down, which as of this writing, is at a 15-month low. The government then has to increase interest rates to get more foreign countries to buy our debt. This creates inflation. Most of these countries don’t want the debt they hold of ours now, because it is becoming more and more like junk bonds. What happens if they don’t buy any more of it? As this “spiral” continues, we get “hyper inflation,” which will cause more business failures, more job losses and even higher taxes. When the “spiral” goes into this mode, things happen very quickly, just like the spiral that is created when a toilet is flushed. It moves slowly at first but then it picks up more and more speed until finally…everything is gone. All of this spending is “too” much. Any spending over what we take in is “too” much. Maybe…for the first time ever…people are beginning to realize, the government doesn’t REALLY pay for anything. It is a clearing house. The money comes in and 535 members of Congress, 1 President, a Cabinet of 15, and anywhere from 21 to 38 Czars (depending upon who is counting) dole it out. Less than 600 people are spending it all…and lots more…for 306,000,000 of us. Much of it is being spent on their own agendas, each fighting for his or her share, and making deals in the back offices to scratch each other’s back. Lobbyists’ interests get a huge chunk. Waste is everywhere. At the end of the day, it all comes down to us…our children…and our children’s children…to pay the tab. You know how I said at the beginning of this article, “a turn or two”? Here is a good example of the same kind of spending, but in the private sector. Who among us doesn’t like the World Series, or the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals or the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Most all of us do. And I believe, God made us all in such a way so watching these gifted athletes perform, who He also made, is good for us. But if some professional franchise owner commits to give a baseball player $33 million per year (what works out to be around $74,000 each time he has an “at bat” in a normal season), that owner doesn’t really pay him does he? Isn’t he too, really more of a clearing house? We consumers pay the ticket. How? When we spend a week’s salary taking our family to the game. When we buy the licensed cap, jersey or coffee mug. When we buy the products that are advertised during the telecast or broadcast of the games. When we pay our cable bill. But you say, “This IS capitalism.” And I say, “You’re right.” I also say, “Sage makes the sausage, but “too” much sage ruins it.” Professional sports are great, but when some owner commits, on behalf of the fans, to pay “too” much, it’s not a good deal. By the same token, looking out for all of society is something our government should do…and for the most part…has always done, but totally remaking the system to do it…and paying “too” much…will lead to our demise…if we’re not already at its “door.” Unlike some who rant and rave and wish the worst for others or for the opposing views…I would much rather this particular “movie” (which still goes on for some time) ends up where the “bully” gets an “eye-opener” or a little “rap on the knuckles” and begins to act differently in the way he treats people. Maybe one of these “eye openers” or “raps on the knuckles” was the recent governor races in New Jersey and Virginia. I’m not jumping up and down because of them. I am just saying I felt a bit of adjustment…like this…was in order. Exactly the same way I feel when I watch a “bully” in a movie. Unless the polls are all terribly wrong, there are more people (remember them, a government of them, by them and for them) against-than-for the current health care reform bill from the House, cap and trade, stimulus programs that stimulate more political favoritism than they do the economy, bailouts and government takeovers of private enterprise. We don’t have time any longer for partisan politics on this spending. We have to unite…and SHOUT…“No more bullying! We can buy it next year, or the year after that, or the year after that…but not now. Let’s be sure we know where we stand before we spend another nickel.” And if these “bullies” persist, until election day, we have to say, “Stop. We are the “dog.” You are the “tail.” All of these changes and this spending is changing who we are as a nation. While you may think you have, you HAVE NOT been blessed with a most unique insight and level of intelligence. The time for “bullying” is over. Our country is in trouble.” I sincerely do not believe that the vast majority of people wake up in the morning, shower, shave and put on a fresh set of clothes, to go out and hurt someone…or hurt our country, or do I believe this about our elected and appointed officials. I believe most people want to do good. I do not believe they are wrong, misguided or dishonest. I just think from time to time…they tend to become a “bully.” For an end to this “movie” we can all deal with, while we still have time…they have to stop. As I have asked previously when I have voiced my opinions, please do not turn me in to some agency or governmental body of some kind saying I am propagating undue fears. I just want what you want and hopefully what everyone wants…for this great country of ours to go on…and on…and on. Whether you are of the same or different persuasion than what I have detailed here, e-mail me and tell me…how you think this “movie” will end. How far off base am I…really? By the way, one last “turn” on another front. Max Harris, a friend, good golfer and fellow member at Rolling Hills, said he would probably read in the next issue of our publication about the problems he’s been having lately, winning hole #18, when a certain person is in the group he’s playing with. I told him I doubted I could figure out a segue to get it in. God willing, I will be back next month.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-10-01 15:50:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Thanks for asking. I do not know what kind of health care reform we are going to end up with, but I do feel we will have something. Perhaps it will be a “token something” and grow into “something” different in the future. Like I said, I don’t know, but soon, I feel we will all see the evening news’ headlines and the front page of the morning papers, say or read something like...”It took nearly 100 years but we’ve got it now!” When that day comes, I hope EVERYONE does everything in their power to make health care reform work. To do that, we’ve got to be more civil to one another...from the left to the right...the right to the left...and from the center to both the left and the right. You see, I don’t think we can afford to make too many more mistakes...as a country. And, I think it’s a given that whatever health care reform we have, will work a whole lot better if everyone is pulling in the same direction. We need to be on a “united front.” That sounds so odd...and old. A “united front,” when do you suppose the last time was that America was truly on a “united front?” Was it for a few days back on September 11th, 2001? Before that...was it JFK’s assassination? Was there a time between then and September 11th? Before that...was it Korea? WWII? You know...I was born in 1950, but I can remember studying about and seeing clips of Americans uniting together like we never have since, at the time we entered WWII in 1941. Many men and women went to war. All those left at home were called upon to give up things to help the war effort. Many of those who didn’t go to war went to work to help the war effort. Everyone was called upon to sacrifice...and unite together for a common cause. Do you think we could ever unite together again as a nation like we did back then? Think for a moment, about how much our country could get accomplished, if we were on a “united front...for a long enough period of time”...on any cause. Why is it so important this time to be “united?” Because our government does not have too good of a track record in running things like health care reform. If we don’t get this one right, it could be one of our last mistakes. I do not bring these up to criticize, but rather to make my point. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. We’ve had 234 years to get it right. It’s not working. Social Security was established in 1935. We’ve had 74 years to get it right. Without major changes quickly, it will go broke. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. We’ve had 44 years to get them right. Without major changes quickly, THEY will go broke. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been operating since 1968 as government sponsored enterprises. We’ve had 41 years to get them right. They’ve both been bailed out with money we don’t have. They didn’t work when they needed to work. Can they work in the future? We have spent billions in the TARP (Stimulus) program, and the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009. We still have nearly 10% unemployment, with most predicting it to go higher before it levels off. Inflation, perhaps even rampant inflation, is predicted by just about every credible source in the country to be “just around the corner.” Consumer spending (critical to any economy...particularly a recovery) is way down, and what IS being spent, is being spent more for Chinese made goods than USA made goods. Why? Many say we can no longer compete with them. Why can’t we compete? Some say it’s because we’ve lost our competitive edge. Some say it’s because our manufacturers have to do things here in the way of compliance, labor, regulations, etc., that manufacturers in China don’t have to do. I don’t know the real reason or reasons why...but we all know it is happening. Did you ever stop to think what $780 billion would be if it was divided up among every man, woman and child in the country, all 306 million of them? It works out to $2,550 each. I wonder what would have happened if the government would have issued a $2,550 check to everyone, instead of sending it to the places they did (or the places they will send it when it all gets spent). The cost to the American taxpayer would have been the same. Although I am no economist, I have to believe, if they wanted to “stimulate” the economy, this would have stimulated it a “bunch.” A family of four would have received more than $10,000! An enclosed card with the checks saying, “Pay off a few bills, save a little and spend the rest” may have worked very well. “Cash for Clunkers” is a program that was established this past year. This program took approximately 700,000 cars off the road (that were the best some people could afford) and replaced them with higher priced and less-affordable cars, mostly foreign. This caused most of the profits to go out of the country. The $3.5 to $4 billion cost, like all programs, was footed by the American taxpayer. It caused a lot of dealers to stay in business...which is always good...but in hind sight...has it REALLY worked? August sales were great, but since then, sales have tumbled. Dealers nationwide are having a “clunker hangover.” We are now seeing a second round of dealership closings. Used car and truck inventories are way down...so the prices of what’s there is 20% higher than they were three months ago. What do YOU think? Did this program work? Our country has more than $12 trillion worth of debt as of today...much of it to foreign countries...most of it to China. We pay more than $500 billion in interest on this debt each year. This is not only going to trigger the “rampant inflation” I mentioned earlier, but the value of the US dollar is also being “shredded” because of this debt and interest. What happens if the dollar goes away? I think the first big indicator will be when crude oil changes how it is bought and sold. Instead of being traded for in US Dollars, it will be traded for in Franks, Marks, Euros, Ameros or some other currency. If the US Dollar DOES go away, I wonder how much notice we will get. How will it go down? I mean, someday do you get your checking/savings statement from the bank and it says you now have 100 Ameros for every 1,000 US Dollars you used to have? What will back the Amero? What IS an Amero anyway? Has anyone ever seen one? Theodore Roosevelt had health care reform in his 1912 Progressive Party Platform. It’s been nearly 100 years in the making. Now, it looks like it is here. As I have said in previous columns, our Declaration of Independence states that each of us is entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and having good health is not something that should just be set aside for those who can afford it. Everyone should be able to feel good and be as healthy as they can be, and receive proper care if he or she is not feeling well or needs help. So, if health care reform comes...and it comes by way of our democratic process...maybe we better put aside the hatred and the criticism we’ve seen on just about every other issue for the past several years. If it still needs to be discussed...and debated...let’s discuss and debate the issues and not attack the people involved. We’ve got 20% of our total economy riding on this one item. We got to get THIS one right.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-09-01 14:47:00

Question: The other day a lady interviewed me. Among other questions she asked, “How did you guys ever come up with the idea for The Q & A Times?” When I was through answering her question, she thought it was interesting and suggested I use it as an article. Needing one for this month, I took her advice. Here is how I answered her.

Answer: “It happened a long time ago…when I was about five or six,” I said. She immediately looked puzzled, wrinkled up her nose and said, “What? No one could come up with an idea like that at that young of an age!” I said, “Well, it may be hard to believe, but it is as true and as clear to me as if it happened yesterday.” She sat back a bit in her chair and began to listen. Here’s what I told her. I was born and raised on a farm just three miles south of Sharon, Kansas. As did any youngster on the farm back in those days (and still today), I always had lots of chores. I of course thought I had more of them and the harder ones than my two younger brothers (Tim and Rory), because I was the oldest and pretty good size for my age. So Dad had pretty well made up his mind who was going to do the “heavy” stuff long before the chore came up. For instance, when it came to hauling hay, I got the job. When it came to driving the tractor while baling hay and Dad riding the sled stacking the bales, it was one of them. They probably wouldn’t attest to this today, but that’s how it was the way I remember it. It certainly made baseball games in the summer, the County Fair and those infrequent times when we got to go to town to Grandma’s and ride bikes, most enjoyable. I don’t know why it is but I have always had a preoccupation with death, even when I was only five or six. Dad told me one time when I was about that age about his brother, who as a teenager, got kicked in the stomach by a mule. He died of complications from it a few days later. I thought about what it would be like to lose someone really close. What it would be like to have a brother or sister there one day, and gone the next. The first person I remember knowing who died was a neighbor of ours, John Hunter. His sons Joe and Dean rode on our bus. Their farm was about three miles west of us and a quarter mile north. John would stop at our place from time to time to visit with Dad about all kinds of things. I remember he and Dad always talked while leaning over the front of their pickups. That was the way they did it back then. John died very unexpectedly. I believe he died on a Friday. The next day Dad told me he had died the night before. I couldn’t get over the thought, “He won’t ever be by again.” I kept thinking about that for a long time. You would think that once off the farm, getting a break from all of those terrible chores (smile), at Grandma’s, and on my bike, riding it is all I would do. But at least half of the time, I would ride down to Shirley Hart’s Derby filling station about three blocks from Grandma’s, and sit on my bike as I listened to several of the old men, who would sit on the bench each day and talk about all kinds of things. I figured they knew a whole lot more about “things” than the kids I was riding bikes with, after all they were my age and I sure didn’t know much. There were 8 or 10 of these older men that were there most of the time. I can still remember them. My Grandpa Duckworth was usually always there. He had been the Santa Fe depot agent for Sharon before he retired. He was licensed to practice law in Missouri but I’m not sure if he ever did. I always thought he was one of the smartest men I ever knew. The other men were smart too. All these men and Grandpa talked about everything…Eisenhower, the price of wheat, cattle and hogs, things going on in town, sports…all sorts of things. I would sit there, on my bike, and take it all in. As I would listen, I would see those old gasoline pumps in the background that Shirley had, with the glass running up the side of them and those big nozzles. I thought about how some day, these men would die and take all of this “smartness” with them. What a shame! Look at all of that knowledge, and all of those experiences that would be lost forever. Wouldn’t it be great if there was some way to capture it all and make it available for all of the folks still here, and use it so each of us would not have to re-learn what they already knew. I had watched those pumps fill up the gas tanks on cars, trucks and tractors for a long time at Shirley’s. I thought to myself, “I wonder if those things can run in reverse?” Meaning, I wondered if they could be hooked up in reverse and “suck in” instead of “pump out.” If they could, maybe we could stick the nozzle in these old men’s ears and suck out all of what they knew. Then we could put it in a tank somewhere, take young kids like me, hook us up by sticking the nozzle in our ears, then pump out all of this knowledge and give us all a “head start” in life. If I could have received a quarter for every time I thought about this from then until the time I went to college, I promise…it would have paid my way. In late 2000, I was writing articles on various types of long term care for several Midwestern publications. I was most familiar with this topic as I had been fortunate to be a top producing agent in Kansas for senior products like long term care insurance, Medicare supplements, annuities, etc.; I had been honored with serving on the Insurance Commissioner’s Board of Advisors; and my company handled the marketing for the largest provider of senior living in the USA. As I continued to write, I found that I was running out of topics. I had been doing my best to write back answers to the questions I was receiving, but I could never get to them all. So, instead of trying to come up with more topics, I began answering the questions I had received…in my columns. I used the question for the title of the article and used my answer as the editorial. The more I answered, the more I received. I thought to myself, “I wonder if there is an opportunity for a stand-alone publication that would do nothing but answer questions…on every subject from “soup to nuts and hairnets to hip boots” (an Ol’ Mikeism)…instead of just senior products. I then thought about who I would get to be our writers. It took me about three seconds before I remembered those days of listening to those old men at Shirley Hart’s filling station. I would get the folks who own, operate or manage their own businesses as my writers. I have been working with businesses for many years. While I am sure there are wonderful consultants and advisors for every kind of product and service imaginable, no one knows as much about these products and services as the people who own, operate or manage the businesses that provide them. They have sunk as much of their lives and more into their businesses as I have sunk into mine. Think about it…if you were going to put a new roof on your home, and you were trying to decide what type of roof you should put on, who better to ask than the owner of a roofing company who has put on thousands of different kinds of roofs over the past 30 or 40 years? But you don’t call him or her, do you? Why? Because you’re afraid that he or she will try and sell you something rather than give you the information and education you want. It works the same for almost any product or service. You want the information, but you don’t want them to present something to you, or sell you something, until you’re ready to listen and in the market to buy. That was my solution…get these kinds of folks (owners, operators or managers of businesses) to answer the questions we receive, but stop them short of selling. They can use the ad they purchase from us, always located a few pages away from the article, for that. How do you stop them from selling? You tell them they cannot use the pronouns “I”, “We”, “Ours” or “Us” as they provide information and education in their articles. You also make sure they don’t mention the name of their company, product or service in the answer. It’s like purifying water…once you remove all of the other stuff…all you have left is “pure” water. The same goes for the answers to the questions in this publication…once you remove all of the pronouns, names of the businesses, products and the services…all you have left is pure “public relations.” Public relations is defined as the process of inducing good will for a person, product, service, firm or institution by providing information, education and/or some other service, without being commercial. We would put their name at the top of the article, their photo and a short bio at the end to let people know why they are qualified to answer the question. We started publishing the very same day that Parade Magazine turned 60 years old (May 1st, 2001). Parade Magazine is the most widely circulated publication on the planet, with nearly 40 million copies weekly. I have always thought since we started, when I “grow up” I want to be Parade. The Q & A Times is my attempt to get things others know so well, “pumped in” to the minds of those who don’t know these things, in a non-commercial fashion, so we…as a society…don’t have to re-learn everything all the time and can advance more rapidly. Imagine how fast that could be. If it works…this is how it works. Hopefully we perform a valuable service for you, our readers, by letting you know about all kinds of things from a non-commercial perspective, along with the ads that tell you who the advertisers are, what they do and what they would like you to do. If we do work, we certainly couldn’t do it without each of you…our readers…AND each of our writers, who now number in excess of 550 that we have featured over the past 8 ½ years. They are very special to us. Because they take the time to inform and educate you about a myriad of things with their writings…we hope they are special to you too.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-08-01 13:52:00

Question: So, what’s up since the last issue?

Answer: As always, I am glad you asked. (If you are a new reader, you need to know, I really didn’t receive this question this month, but did several months ago, which “opened the door” for me to write each month about all kinds of things). I have several comments this month about different topics that I would like to share with you. First item - In the midst of all of this debate on national health care, let me offer a little information about a few things that some of you, may want to use to help inform and educate someone in your morning coffee group. Among the “too many” things I do, I am a licensed agent for Life, Health, Property and Casualty insurance. I never realized how often insurance companies take advantage of people and how dishonest they are until I listened to some of our elected officials this past month. Almost every time the subject of health care comes up, suggestions or resolutions on what to do are accompanied by the remark, “We’re doing this to keep the insurance companies honest.” This of course implies that they are normally “dishonest?” Wow! I would hate to think of what this country would be without the insurance industry...but if all of the companies are dishonest...then I guess they need to go. You see, I am one of the those agents who spends more time helping my clients get their claims satisfied (i.e..like needing long term care in an Assisted Living residence, Home Care, or Skilled Care in a nursing home; getting an adjustor out to look at hail damage to a crop, roof or siding; helping with the paperwork to get a claim on a life insurance policy; satisfying a work compensation claim; etc), than I do selling policies. How do I stay in business? Repeat customers help a lot. Does something need to be done to provide coverage to those who have none? Of course. It’s just that so many people need so much more information and education about this matter before they get out in public and talk about it, trying to sway the masses. There are many situations where the insurance company has erred, just as there are many cases of companies in every industry in America having erred. But there is always redress for the insured in these insurance situations. If the dispute cannot be resolved directly with the insurance company, there is always the State Insurance Commissioner and his/her staff. You see, an insurance policy, for any type of insurance, is a contract, between you or your company (the insured) and the insurance company (the insurer). It is almost always…very straightforward. In return for the premium being paid, the insurance company will insure the risk against the stated perils (wind, hail, fire, tornado, sickness, theft, liability, gall bladder attack, boiler blowing up, etc.), to the limits defined in the policy. It’s no different than you paying a monthly fee to the local, daily newspaper to get your morning paper delivered, or any other contract. In return for you making the monthly payment, the local, daily paper will be delivered to your home or business. It’s a contract. In more than 20 years in the insurance business, I have NEVER had an insurance company fail to pay a claim, in accordance with its terms and conditions, to one of my clients. Furthermore, if the terms and conditions in the policy are ambiguous (and they never are for long as the wording is changed with an added amendment), the company pays the claim in favor of the insured. This is called “onus,” a Latin term that means the insurance company wrote the contract and since they do insurance for a living, they are responsible for clarity. Ambiguity therefore goes against them and inures to the benefit of the insured. One of the most discussed things in the town hall meetings this past month is the “pre-existing conditions” clause in health insurance policies. Let me tell you a little about this. The first two things you learn when you become a licensed insurance agent, whether for Life, Health, Property or Casualty, are: 1) insurance is most always based upon the law of large numbers; and 2) in order for a risk to be insurable, the loss must be uncertain to occur. The first should be understood by most. The larger the “class” covered...the more predictable the loss...the more fair the premium. What about premium increases? Surprising enough...decisions to increase premiums are made as often by the State Insurance Department (SID) as they are by the insurance company. The SID monitors all financial data of every insurance company doing business within its boundaries. They mandate a certain level of reserves (money) in order to take care of ordinary losses first...and excessive or catastrophic losses second. If there have been a lot of claims that have depleted this reserve, the SID will mandate a premium increase by the insurance company. If the insurance company wants to increase a premium, it must first submit the request to the SID, along with supporting data of claims and reserves, and get it approved before the premium can be increased on any insurance policy. The final premium will include losses (actual and predicted, based upon the actuarial tables discussed below), reserve and profit, with profit monitored by the SID. “Risk” means the likelihood of a peril occurring that can cause a loss for the item or person being insured. The risk is always in synch with the normal odds of the peril occurring. There are actuarial tables that are continually updated that list these probabilities. For instance, presently…1 in 88 homes will burn down or blow away this year, causing a total loss, according to the actuarial tables. 1 in 44 vehicles will be totaled this year through some sort of a peril (i.e. accident, hail, etc.) Now, how does this apply to health insurance underwritten by an insurance company? Answer...an insurance company cannot cover pre-existing conditions…EVER…if you are going to call what that company does INSURANCE. You can call it health care coverage and cover expenses related to a pre-existing condition, but it is NOT insurance. You see, it isn’t a fair proposition. To explain this another way…would you think it would be fair for you to be able to buy insurance on your home as you stood by the side of the road and watched it burn? You may want to be able to do it, but it wouldn’t be fair. The current plan out of the House of Representatives will force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions. This cannot happen and still call it insurance. And, if you do not call it insurance…what do you call it? Whatever that is…is what it should be called…but not insurance. There is another caveat that you should know about. There is a term in life and health insurance that is called “guaranteed renewable.” All life and health policies have it included, for the protection of the insured. This term means that if you pay your premium on time, the company cannot raise your premium or cancel your policy, unless the company raises premiums for all policies, or cancels all policies like yours, in the state in which you reside. The current House bill wants to have people in Kansas be able to buy health insurance in any other state, so it would be more competitively priced. This may be true but the insured gives up way too much to get this done. You see, this can’t happen with the present “guaranteed renewable” clause. WITHOUT the “guaranteed renewable” clause, the company can raise your premium or cancel your policy for any reason…just yours…not the family living next door to you…just yours. WITH the “guaranteed renewable” clause, the insurance company MUST raise premiums or cancel all policies like yours in the state in which you reside. This is of great benefit to each insured. Think this through for a few minutes. If an insurance company insures people in 20 states, its power by virtue of the “guaranteed renewable” clause allows it to raise premiums and/or cancel policies throughout all 20 states…at once. I don’t think this inures to the benefit of the insured. Do you? You know how I stated earlier that I would hate to think of what this country would be like without the insurance industry? But it could happen. They either go out of business immediately or they must call what they do something else if they must cover pre-existing conditions. In any event, they would no longer be insurance companies. Second, if the “guaranteed renewable” clause is spread throughout all states in which the insurance company writes policies, instead of just the state in which the insured resides, the insured (you) have considerably less protection against premium increases and/or policy cancellations than you do now, which should in turn drive more people to a “public option.” Third, if the insurance companies cannot write health insurance that covers pre-existing conditions, and a public option of health “care coverage” will cover them, the number of people covered by the insurance company will dramatically decrease; and since insurance is based upon the law of large numbers...which would no longer be the case...so now their losses would be spread over many fewer people...can you not color them “gone?” So when the present House bill says, “You can keep your present insurance if you want,” well...okay, but probably not, because they won’t be around. There are so many things associated with the effort to have national health coverage. These are just a few of them, yet…in all the discussion…no one has mentioned these…which are paramount…or at least they are in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, and please don’t turn me in for “bad mouthing” anything, because I am not a “bad mouthing” anything. Something needs to be done to provide health care coverage to those who have none. The Declaration of Independence states we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness...and certainly good health is a big part of “life.” We just need to do it the right way...and for the sole reason of that better “life” for all, instead of some hidden agenda(s). Second item - (a bit of Will Rogers philosophy) Again, please don’t turn me in for poking fun at something, but I have owned or co-owned more than two dozen businesses in my lifetime. I do not say this for prideful reasons. Many were not a success. I say this only to make a point. I have been the one responsible for the “bottom line” in most of them. In all the years I have been doing what I do and being held accountable for the same, I never did think that a solution to garner more net income (profit) was to spend more than what I had budgeted for expenses. Do you know how much more, the hundreds of sales people I have had working for me, would love me today if I were to have done this…instead of pushing them harder to produce sales and working so hard with vendors and management to cut costs? To think…all I had to do was to outspend by 200% or more, my budget for expenses, and I could have made all of these unsuccessful endeavors “shine.” Next item - I have been telling you about this purplish liquid I have been taking for more than three months. Well, in late July, I had lab work done on my blood. It was too late to get you the results in the August issue. But, while there are many things blood lab work shows about your physical state of being, the things I depend upon it to show me are my cholesterol (total and both good and bad), my triglycerides, my blood sugar, my PSA and my creatinine (something to do with kidney function). I have graphed the three dates of my last three blood lab works: April 30th, June 8th and July 30th. So, what have I done? I have done nothing (other than what I have told you about in my columns) in the way of prescription drugs, exercise or diet…EXCEPT for drinking this purplish liquid. It is a concoction made from the extracts of 7 different botanicals (plants). Each of these is supposed to do something for your body to put it in “balance.” My weight is down, my overall cholesterol is down, my good cholesterol is up and my bad cholesterol is down, my blood sugar is lower, my PSA is lower, my creatinine is lower…the only thing that is up a smidgen is my triglycerides count and I don’t know why that is. It started at 64 and has gone up to 86, but well within a most acceptable range. I have had probably three dozen phone calls wanting to know about the lab results from late July…so I have furnished them here for everyone. Do I know why this is all happening? No. It might be, as I have said for weeks, just coincidence. If so, it’s the type of coincidence I like. Lastly - I got a call from a man about the time we were going to press. I was moved by his story and thought I would include it here. He said a friend of his was charged with a serious crime and incarcerated, awaiting trial, since November of 2007! Yes, as surprising as it might sound, he has been in the Sedgwick County Jail since then, in a “pod” with 64 other men who have been charged with serious crimes. He has been there since November of 2007 because…(according to this caller)…there is not enough money to fund the public defender’s budget and his trial has been moved 3 or 4 times (he couldn’t remember exactly). There are 14 in this pod that have been in for as long as he and are in the same shape. In the mean time, he has lost his family, his job and his house, since he wasn’t making payments on it. The man who called me said the charge was a serious charge…but a bogus charge. I told him that of course is not up to him…or me…to determine. It is up to the courts. He has a bond of $1 million but no way to bond out. Now, take a look at this situation. If he is proven guilty, I would imagine whatever sentence he receives, he would deserve and it would be reduced by his time already served. But…what if he is found not guilty? Take a look at what has happened to this man. In the period of time he has been incarcerated, I have been on vacation three times, had two birthday dinners with my family, two Thanksgivings, two Christmases, celebrated my wife’s birthday twice, each of my children’s birthdays and their significant others’ twice… played with our girls (dogs) hundreds of times, played over 400 rounds of golf, slept in nice linens each night, etc. What has he been doing? The man who called me said he had tried to call the TV stations and the newspapers about this situation but no one would give him the time of day. They say they might look into it when their “reporters get off vacation.” This man mentioned two or three other excuses they had given him…but to me…they all sounded the same. Again, I don’t know who is right and who is wrong. That’s not my job. But goodness, do you suppose all of the 64 men in this “pod” are guilty? Do you suppose all of the 14 that have been there for going on two years are guilty? Is there even one who is innocent? Are we still not innocent until proven guilty in this country? How can it happen that such a long time goes by without something happening? How many times does this happen…to how many people…here in Wichita…and throughout the world? We all have good and bad days, but imagine the plight of these men. May God bless them and make them whole if they are innocent. If they are guilty, may He have mercy on them. If you are aware of this situation and I have portrayed it differently than the way it is, please let me know.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-07-01 12:05:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: I’m glad you asked. My article this month deals with a thought and action we all might want to consider taking on a daily basis. I don’t know about you, but far too many days pass before I do what I’m getting ready to suggest we all do. Millie, our youngest dog (Lab and Vizsla mix) developed a problem with seizures last year about this time. We don’t have any idea what brought them on but if you’re a pet lover like us, it breaks your heart to watch a pet you love go through something like this. About three months ago, she had a series of seizures over a three day period. They wouldn’t stop. We finally took her to the vet and left her there so they could attend to her each time she had one. Once these quit, we brought her home. I don’t know if you know how dogs with seizures are treated but for the most part, they use Phenobarbital and Potassium Bromide. It is a matter of getting the level of these drugs high enough in the bloodstream to ward off seizure attacks. Anyway, that’s what we’ve been facing for over a year now. Millie has to get her medicine (or at least we feel she does) at the same time, or nearly the same time each day to have the best chance of controlling her problems. We give her the medications at 6:30 AM and 6:30 PM. This makes us miss a few things we would like to attend (i.e., dinner with friends, games, etc.), but we feel it’s worth it if she doesn’t have to go through another seizure. Again, you have to be a pet lover to understand. Now, let me tell you about our oldest dog, Trixie (Lab and Golden Retriever mix). Trixie belonged to Dusty, our son. Dusty was killed in a freak accident in a parade on South Broadway in the Toys for Tots’ motorcycle run on November 4th, 2001. Late that night of that terrible and tragic day, we went over to Dusty’s house and picked up Trixie. She has been with us ever since, and as you might imagine…very special to us. She was only 6 months old when this happened. In the time since, she has developed a terrible fear of thunderstorms and lightening. It has become much worse the past three or four years. When the thunder and lightning (or fireworks) start, there is nothing that will settle her down…that is until this past 4th of July. Just a few days prior to the 4th, Millie had a seizure. It wasn’t as bad as some but any seizure is worse than we ever want to see. While the seizure was in process, Trixie was bending over Millie sniffing her head, her body and her tail end, licking when she could, trying to get Millie to settle down. You could tell she was concerned and wanted her little “sis” to get well soon. Then, a couple of days later, when the fireworks were in full display at Rolling Hills Country Club, Trixie got nervous and anxious and began to pace and breathe hard. She was having a panic attack. Millie got up close to her and began licking to calm her. Millie must have licked her for over an hour. Trixie calmed down more than ever and through it all, stayed as calm as we’ve ever seen her during a storm. Millie…although a pet…and in her own way…paid it forward! I have a nephew. His name is Clay. He is a very bright and polite young man. He is 8 months older than Dusty would have been…34. He has had cystic fibrosis all of his life. He had an older brother, Clint, who had the same disease and died more than 20 years ago. Clint went through much pain and suffering his entire life, but never complained once, even when it got to be its worst. There is no one who knew Clint who could ever forget how he handled this pain and the things he would say. There are a lot of things he was…but more than anything…he was an inspiration to all who knew him. In case you have never been around someone with this affliction, you can’t imagine the pain and suffering that goes along with it…sometimes just to breathe. Getting back to Clay, his health had become steadily worse over the past several years, in fact to such an extent that he was forced last November to quit the job which he had held for 10 years and which he loved. Through a series of events too involved to mention, Clay found out about the possibility of having a lung transplant shortly before he quit his job. It was the first time in his life he had hope as he had always lived in the shadow of his brother’s death. Two days after his last day of work, he and his mother went to the Center of Excellence in Denver to be tested for a lung transplant. Clay went through all kinds of tests to determine whether or not it was even a possibility. About a week and a half after they returned home, they were told he was put on the standby list for a lung transplant. The whole family celebrated. But weeks turned into months…and months went by until it had been almost 6 long months with no word. By Divine intervention (the family feels), Clay learned that he could go through the same process of testing in St. Louis. He went and was put on the list there too. Now he was on standby in two places, but he was getting worse with each passing day. He was getting so bad we were all concerned that he might not be strong enough to survive the operation and recovery. While we knew that Clay would do anything to go forward, we felt it might not be in his hands and that the doctors might end up bypassing him as weak as he was becoming. On May 17th, the call came from Denver we had all been waiting on. There were donor lungs and Clay had to get to Denver in a hurry. Once he got there, although weak, the doctors approved him for surgery. On May 18th, after 10 hours of surgery, Clay had a new set of lungs. The reports and happenings in the days that followed, of his remarkable recovery, were gifts from God. Clay’s brother had arranged for e-mail to go out each day to the family and friends apprising them of all that was going on. I guess most miracles happen kind of quickly. This has been a miracle in process for the past several weeks. For the most part, he has done very well. He is still in Denver, just minutes away from the medical team. He has to go in for tests and clinic each week for several more weeks. He will for many years be in a constant state of possible rejection, and there are all kinds of things he has to do, but he can breathe. The jubilation of our rather large family has not subsided. On Monday, July 6th, each member of the family received the following e-mail from Clay: Dear All, I feel the need to tell you what happened yesterday. We were on our way to meet a couple for dinner here in Denver. We stopped at a gas station and Mom went inside. I was pumping gas and noticed a lady had broken down in her van in a busy street right in front of me. I decided what the heck. I charged out there and some construction guy and I pushed this lady’s van up a hill into a parking lot. Sweat broke out across my face. I RAN OUT OF STRENGTH BEFORE BREATH! I felt so great afterwards. I look forward to pushing other broke down cars in the future. Ha ha. Take care now. Clay Clay paid it forward! Wouldn’t it be great to witness ourselves and others doing something each day to “pay it forward?” What a different world we would have. Better minds than mine have said, “Each of us is given the chance each day to do so.” Maybe this is how…or partially how…we get to Heaven. Or…maybe this IS Heaven. Regarding the purplish liquid that was COINCIDENTALLY making a lot of positive differences in my physical well being that I wrote about last month, the only thing I have to report is that I’ve lost another 3 pounds (14 in all) and am feeling great. I have a lab and doctor’s appointment on July 31st. I will share with you what I find in the September issue.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-06-01 10:29:00

Question: So, what’s new?

Answer: Thanks for asking. In my role as Editor of The Q & A Times, I get to express a lot of my opinions about a lot of things. I am sure some of you wish I would not, or at least, express them differently if they differ from your opinions…but it is what it is. Further, because of this position and being CEO of my own marketing company, I get to see a lot of deals…you know like business deals, inventions, widgets, etc. These two areas set the stage for my column this month. The first is a bit “heavy” and the second is on the “lighter” side. I don’t know how you will be left when you finish the entire article, but here it goes. First, let me make a statement. I am pro-life. I am proud of it. If necessary, I will suffer anguish because of my position. People on the other side of the issue are what they are. I am sure they are proud of their position too, and those more proud than others might be willing to suffer anguish because of it as well. That’s the way it should be in this great country of ours on any and every issue. People on one side or the other are not bad people because of a position they hold. Both sides can differ without disrespecting the other, name-calling and showing anger, hatred and violence. Please keep in mind…I am not comparing anyone to anyone as I say what I’m going to say. The only thing I am comparing is the terrible, sick feeling I get in the pit of my stomach, at being part of this human race, when I witness some of the things some people do to others or to our country. When I get this feeling…without any disrespect to God for Him giving me what He has given me…I am ashamed…and would rather be a part of the animal world than the human race. If THEY do something like this to one of their kind, it is seldom without the influence of us. I have felt this feeling all too many times throughout my life. Maybe you have too. Among those I most remember are: My 13th birthday, November 22, 1963, when Lee Harvey Oswald shot and killed President Kennedy. A few years later, when James Earl Ray shot and killed Martin Luther King, and when Sirhan Sirhan shot and killed Bobbie Kennedy. I felt it a few years later when Nixon lied under oath and disgraced the office of President. I felt it when John Hinkley, Jr. shot President Reagan. I felt it when Clinton lied under oath and had impeachment proceedings brought against him. I felt it on September 11, 2001 when 19 Islamic terrorists decided they had the right to murder 2,966 people. I felt it when I watched the beheadings in Iraq and felt it and feel it each time I saw and see the terrible tragedies occurring against mankind in places like Angola, Liberia and Somalia. I felt it on April 6th of this year when President Obama declared to the world that we were not a Judeo-Christian nation (I wonder when we stopped). Most recently, I felt it when Scott Roeder shot and killed George Tiller, and when Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad shot and killed Private William Andrew Long. How do human beings do things like this to other human beings…and to our country? How can one human being think they have the right to snuff out the life of another, or be so selfish and prideful as to think they have been commissioned to do damage to our country or one of its highest offices? We must be some sight to God. Here He is, watching what we do and what has been done throughout history – the beheadings, impalings, crucifixions, shootings, stabbings, stranglings, hangings, poisonings, abortions, starvings and disgraces we have brought on to ourselves, our families, our friends, our constituents and our country. We are supposed to be the most intelligent species, with an immortal soul, made in the image and likeness of God. When I hear about or witness things like these, I get that sickening feeling and would rather be a dog. May God have mercy on us all. As I said, the second part of this column is a bit “lighter,” but there is not much of a segue. It goes from hot to cold…or cold to hot…whichever you prefer. When you have a marketing company, you get to see a lot of deals. Inventions, new services, new products and all kinds of different ways of doing things. I doubt I have ever seen more than I have these past few months. Perhaps tough economic times breed invention. Maybe there are so many people out of work, they have more time to devote to things that have been running around in their heads for a long time. Here are just a handful of them I have seen since January 1st of this year. I won’t say which ones I have pursued or have worked on, as it may be perceived to be an affront to those I dismissed. 1.Digital worm finder 2.Video morphing software program 3.A light that attracts pigeons 4.A bubble lamp 5.Retrieval training aid for dogs 6.A compass that points south for use when the poles shift in a few thousand years 7.Lastly, a bottle of stuff that when taken, puts the body into complete balance with nature I suppose the most intriguing part of most of these is the passion the people have when they present their ideas to me. Many are not interested in doing research to determine the marketability of their product, or a prognostication of repeat purchases…or a study to determine the size of the potential market. They are already counting their money and asking how they can sell 25% of their undeveloped idea, for “x” millions, and if I think it’s a good idea for them to retain a small percentage of their idea once they sell out. That’s all okay though. This is still America…and where else in the world could you even get the chance? So let me tell you what happened on the 20th of April. I was sitting in my recliner watching the news, as I usually do in the early evenings. A friend of mine stopped in and asked if he could show me something. I said, “Sure.” I put down my remote by the bubble lamp and set aside the leaflet I was proofing on the video morphing program. He began to tell me about a fella I know, who lots of people know, who has been most successful in business (like in making hundreds of millions of dollars), who was getting “high behind” a new product in a bottle, unlike any other concoction there has ever been. It was a good lead off to get my attention because I had been going outside about every 10 minutes to check how many worms were on the counter of the finder…and as he went on…I forgot all about that project. Anyway, this concoction is a big bottle of kind of purplish liquid (consistency of water) that contains extracts from 7 different botanicals (plants) from all over the world. Their scientific names are: momordica cochinchinesis euterpe oleracea lyceum barbarum morinda citrifolia spaerotrichia divaricatap garcinia mangostana bippophae rhamnoides I’m sure most of you don’t know any more than you did, but if you have time, you should Google these and read about them. I predict you will be impressed with your findings. This stuff tastes like a combination of weak grape juice and prune juice. It’s not that bad…or I should say…for the coincidental things that might happen…it’s not that bad. For thousands of years, these botanicals have been known to treat things like indigestion and digestion related afflictions and illnesses, aging and wrinkles, sleep disorders, blood pressure and vascular problems, aches and pains from arthritis, sugar levels, kidney ailments, energy loss, nutritional problems, pulmonary disorders…and literally dozens of other things you hear about the problems humans have. He kept on talking. It was getting dark now. I hadn’t seen even one pigeon all evening. Further, Trixie, our oldest dog had just about chewed through the training aid…so I got even more interested. He said, “Someone would have done this a long time ago, but all of these different botanicals reside on different continents and no one had ever put the idea together of collecting them and combining them.” The story sounded plausible…even to me…who is considered to be skeptical of most everything (smile). So he went on and began to tell me about some people he knows, and knows I know, who have been taking this stuff…some for a few weeks and some for just a few days…and relating to me about what they had been experiencing. I made several comments like, “Really?” and “No kidding?” It all sounded good, but I am one who has to try things for myself. And…I will pretty well try anything that someone has taken for 72 hours, hasn’t had major complications, and there is no “skull and bones” icon on the label of whatever it is. He said you take a shot (like a whiskey shot…3/4 to 1 ½ ounces..) of this stuff morning and night for three days, then a shot before you go to bed each night from then on. Instead of just drinking it down, he said it is better to slosh it around in your mouth a bit…then send it down the hatch. I guess there are nerve endings in your gums that by doing this, you get more rapid absorption into the body. Okay, that’s enough of my visit with him. Now, let me tell you a little about my health. I seldom talk about my health because so many people I talk to…or ignore…talk about theirs...but in this article I must tell you a little for you to get the reason behind why I wrote about this stuff. I am 58. I must have been in a dozen car accidents (mostly all my fault from inattentiveness) when I was in high school and college. From playing sports to jumping off haystacks, I have broken at least one bone in every arm, leg, hand, wrist and foot that I have. I have gone up and down in weight since the 8th grade, from a high of 277 to a low of 197. I had a heart attack when I was 36. I had 5 heart bypasses in 1993. I developed staph infection from this surgery, which I still have today. I must take 300 MG of antibiotics (my 5th kind as my body has become immune to the first four) or I won’t be around too long, certainly not long enough for this upcoming “pole shift,” so I need to quit fooling around with this darn compass. I have had six stent surgeries, three rotoblades and probably 15 heart caths. I have had abdominal aneurysm surgery. In mid-2007 my PSA went from a .5 (what it had always been since I had been checking it) to a 4.6 in six months. Since then I have been taking a powerful green tea extract (I have written about it before in this column), and still do. So now my PSA stays right around a 1.0. Considering the alternative, I recorded this as a major, good move on my part. My mother is a diabetic and has had to watch what she eats for many years. Her disease used to be diet-controlled, then pill controlled, now it is insulin controlled. She has to watch everything she eats or drinks. I don’t like watching what I eat or drink…as you might have guessed, so this is not something I want to have to endure like she has done. For years, this has been the first thing I look at in the results of my blood work. It has always stayed in the 80 to 97 range. In January of this year it was at 103. In early April it was 114. I don’t like trends moving in the wrong direction. So, what has happened since I’ve started taking this stuff? COINCIDENTALLY, my blood sugar level from the lab work I took on June 6th, is now back to below 100. My average three month sugar level is 10% lower than what it was three months ago. My good cholesterol is up and by bad cholesterol is down. My PSA is lower than it’s been in months. My Creatinine and BUN levels (two tests to do with kidney function) are both at least 12% better than they were. I have been going to sleep at around 7:30 PM for many years, as I get up around 2 or 3 AM to begin my day. Lately, I still get up the same time but I don’t get sleepy until about 8:15. I then fall asleep like a baby. I was getting up at least four times a night to check the plumbing, and now I get up once or twice, then sleep soundly until morning. Here are a couple of things that are less desirable to talk about but important to me. You can now run a train schedule on my regularity. Every three weeks, for 16 years, my chest (which is the area of concentration of my staph infection) swells up to about the size of a disc off a 12 foot tandem disc, like the one I used to pull with a WD 45 Allis Chalmers tractor back on the farm when I was young. First it starts getting hot, then sore, then real sore, then really sore, until I have to do something I don’t want to talk about here to relieve the pressure. I then wear darker colored shirts for about a week to 10 days while things get back to normal. I have had just one small episode of a very small swelling and soreness since my last episode on May 8th and it only lasted three days. Here is what else that has COINCIDENTALLY happened. You might recall articles I have written on some patches a guy told me about more than 3 ½ years ago. This particular technology is based on the 3,000 year old practice of acupuncture (you will have go back and read the articles again as restating everything here would lose the rest of those who haven’t read them). I began wearing them in November of 2005. In less than 6 weeks, while not watching what I ate or drank…and I mean nothing…I dropped 17 pounds. I was blown away. I have continued wearing these patches since, but have stayed between that weight, plus or minus 1.5 pounds ever since. Yes, my scale records decimals as it is a digital scale. I used to have a digital, TALKING scale that said, “One at a time please”…another invention deal I checked out. Seven weeks after taking this stuff, I’ve dropped another 11 pounds! Now, maybe it was from taking this stuff, and maybe it was COINCIDENCE…I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I’ve done differently. I continue my regimen of not watching anything that I eat or drink. Have I begun to exercise? No. Okay, I AM trying to stay on the cart path by the green instead of driving my cart up on the second cut…so I guess I am getting a few more steps in there…but nothing else! Now you know the reason for the title of this column. This may be the biggest bottle of COINCIDENCE man has ever known. I’m sure, it has to be some kind of a fluke, but it’s a “fluke” in the right direction for me. AND, just the other day, I saw a couple that I hadn’t seen in two years. Her first words were, “Charlie, you look younger, healthier and better looking, than I can remember you looking in years.” I first thought to myself, “Do I owe her something?” Realizing I did not, I thought, “All that other stuff that has COINCIDENTALLY happened is on the inside. She’s seeing something on the outside. You don’t suppose this stuff has something to with one’s looks too, do you?” Now THAT would be TOO much! Or, maybe it makes other peoples’ eyes go bad. God willing, I will be back and tell you more about what happens in future articles.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-05-01 11:45:00

Question: As most of you regular readers know, some months ago I was sent a question that asked me, “What’s new?” This question opened the door for me to write about things that are new, which covers almost anything and everything. I have to restate this every so often so newer readers know why this particular column is here and what it is about.

Answer: This month, “What’s new?” begins where most all of my writing endeavors begin. What one small thing could be invented, built, re-tooled or explained that would make the biggest and most positive impact on humanity? I know I am often the “weird one out,” but I think about things like this a lot. You see, marketing is what I do for a living. I believe that 99.9% of all the words that will ever be invented on this planet have already been invented, but there are an infinite (or almost infinite) number of ways to string these words together to create a new thought, position and/or to market a product, service or concept. It seems as though nowadays, I spend more time trying to change the way mankind looks at things than anything else. This is where this latest thought of mine started. What one thing could mankind do that might just change everything or a lot for the better? In preparing to answer this question, I started with a perception I have. That being there are a whole lot of folks on this Earth who do the same thing, day in day out, year in year out. Although they won’t admit it, they seem to be trying to stay just comfortable enough until they die. I know this might offend some of you, but keep reading; you might find something worthwhile. This perception might also be viewed as being sad, or an over-simplification, but take a look around and observe for yourself. Do you see what I see? Do you see people who, as they age, become terribly cynical? The only things they talk about are re-hashing their same feelings about politics; gossiping about other people; ridiculing the youth; pouncing on the “right” or the “left” and their respective “out of touch” viewpoints; knocking the government and its leaders, etc. It reminds me of that old Sonny and Cher song, “The beat goes on.” Does it ever! I hope I’m not there yet. I hope I never get there. I am almost 60 and realize I am on the downward side of sharpness. My brain cells are diminishing each day, but I thank God He still gives me the opportunity to learn something new. Such was the case these last few days when I began to “bake” what I will present here. As always, in trying to understand me and my thoughts, it might take a little brain stretching to “connect the dots,” but give it a try. Regular readers of this column know that I have declared myself to be one of the biggest sinners ever. They also know, I have said I am trying real hard to change this, but facts are what they are. So none of what you’re going to read in this column is from me being “holier than anyone.” I promise – I am not. But this fact may just make me uniquely qualified to write about this subject. You see, when one finally accepts who he or she is, that person can more easily overcome all fear of any kind in professing his or her faith and beliefs. I know it has worked that way for me. When comparing what others might think of me to what God thinks of me...well there is no comparison. I am going to make several points. For the sake of time and space, I will not make the complete arguments for my points, but I doubt you will have too many problems getting your minister, priest, rabbi, pastor or spiritual advisor to verify these. My first point – For some reason, the Book of Job popped into my mind (yes, I know you are thinking, what a weirdo?). I remember what I had been told about Job. God and Satan were having a discussion about how Satan could get anyone to change his or her commitment to God and to holiness for what Satan might offer that person. Satan thought that the only reason people would stay true to God is because they were well “healed.” God didn’t think so, in that while He gave everyone a free will, those committed to Him would turn from Satan’s temptations and remain loyal to God. Satan said, “Okay, select someone and let me try.” God said, “Go try Job.” Satan said, “You’ve got a deal.” Now Job was a very holy man, and very committed to God. God had blessed him with a wonderful family, possessions and good health. Long story shorter, Satan tempted him. During this entire trial, Job lost everything. He absolutely lost everything including his health. But at the end, he prevailed and Satan lost his bet. But Satan only lost his bet concerning Job. He has - before Job and since - been committed to a modus operandi of seeking the ruination of souls on Earth. Maybe he’s more active today than at any time in the past. Here’s my second point – Due to the sin of Adam and Eve, the Gates of Heaven were closed and every man and woman would be born with original sin on their soul. Additionally, each of us would also be sentenced to a life of pain, suffering, having to work by the sweat of our brow and death. I would like to say, “Thanks Adam and Eve,” but we all would probably have done the same thing they did or worse. While Baptism can remove this sin (and must be removed to be saved), the remnants of this sin stay with us throughout our lives. The Doctors of the Church (i.e. St. Augustine, St. Thomas, St. Alphonsus de Liguori, etc.) wrote about these remnants many times. One of these remnants is that each of us has a natural inclination towards evil. I know that’s a terrible thing to say, but it’s true. St. Paul said, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” Again, your spiritual advisor will concur with this so ask him or her. Another one of these remnants is concupiscence. Concupiscence is a mandated requirement in one’s head that he or she always has to have more of everything. Nothing is ever enough. Regardless of who we are or our social or economic status we all want more and will until we die. My third point – God giving each of us a free will is as certain as the fact that the sun came up in the East this morning. I’ve heard Bill Maher and others like him, knock and ridicule God and religion numerous times. He and they joke about anything and everything to do with these subjects. I remember so many times hearing these kinds of folks ask, “Why does one need religion, anyway?” My answer is that religion can provide you with the things you need to support your free will and counter Satan’s attempts to ruin your soul and send it to Hell. My fourth point – Our Lord Jesus Christ came on this Earth to reopen the gates of Heaven. How did He do this? God allows us all to use our free will to make decisions throughout our lives. We, as the human race, made the decisions to ridicule Him, torture Him, then kill Him. Isn’t it great to be part of this human race that did this to our God? If you or a member of your family did this, to a member of another family, that family would hate you and your family for generations to come. They would seek you and your family’s ruination with every breath they took. What a great God we’ve got in God, huh? May He have mercy on us all. My fifth point – Satan had to have been a big part in what we did to Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t you like to do whatever you could do to him for doing what he did? But Satan is a powerful being. If you’re going to get him and get him good, first you have to get his attention. How do you do that? You frighten him. What frightens Satan? This is a deep one, but stay with me, as you already have “equity” in this column. Almsgiving, fasting and vigilance are things that one can and should do to assist in strengthening one’s free will to overcome Satan’s attempts to ruin his or her soul, however none of these frighten Satan, and remember that is our mission. We need to continually scare Satan back to Hell. You see, almsgiving doesn’t frighten him, as Satan owns nothing. Fasting doesn’t frighten Satan, as Satan doesn’t eat. You can stay up all night in a vigil praying, but that doesn’t frighten Satan either, as he doesn’t sleep. You want to know what really scares Satan back to Hell where he belongs? Charity. People loving people for all of the right reasons. Sure, lots of us love our families and friends, our boyfriend or girl friend; but what really frightens Satan is when we love our enemies, or those of a different persuasion, race, creed, faith or political view than our own. In Matthew 22:34-40, it says, “But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And He said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” I wonder why our Lord would have said something like this if it wasn’t the most important thing He could tell us? My last point – Did you ever think how much of our lives are spent trying to “befriend the king” (i.e. make friends or seek approval from some person of a higher social status than our own, a Senator, a Governor, the President of a club, someone with money or things, etc.)? What a folly! At the end of the day, all that person is…is a mortal just like ourself. He or she is a bag of bones, flesh and blood just like us. And, shortly after death, he or she will turn to dust just like we will. How much sense can it make to spend one’s entire life trying to befriend someone who is no different than yourself, when you can spend 10 seconds trying to befriend God, Who is the only One that counts anyway? So, with all of this, what is my point? Exercise that free will of yours. Keep it heading in the right direction. Understand Satan is here in this world and actively and aggressively trying to seek the ruination of your soul and those of your loved ones. Continue to do all of the things that will help strengthen your free will, but more than anything, give a big kick in the groin to Satan and scare him back to Hell. Spread a whole lot of love around to everyone – everyday - not to just those you like, but to everyone, including the only One Who counts. Do it to frighten Satan and send him back to Hell. Do it to make life a whole lot better for everyone. Do it because God commanded you to do so. I’m sure my plan is way too simplistic…but I will make a wager with you. Doing this is going to do a whole lot more good for all of us than continuing to feed the hate, anger and ill-will that is present in so many folks who are just waitin’ to die.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-04-01 14:39:00

Question: So what’s new?

Answer: As we begin our 9th year of publication (and thanks to you, the publications we insert our advertisers and our people for that), I thought it might be a good time to take a look at a bigger picture. Amidst all of the things we, as a country, are dealing with on the global front, and unemployment, economic uncertainty and the ongoing moral decay here at home, I can’t tell you how many times I have had different people ask me in the past few weeks, “What do you think is going to happen to us?” I answer with the same thing I said I would say, months ago in this column. I say that I will continue to pray that all of our elected officials operate, legislate, execute and adjudicate in accordance with God’s will. I pray that He will continue to bless us and our country, as He has for more than 230 years. I pray that He will use each of us in His own special way to carry out His will. I will continue to pray for these intentions, and others, each day for as long as I live. Some good old common sense can be a nice accompaniment to prayer as well. Just the other day, I was sent an email. I thought some of you might find some relief…even if just for moment…in what it had to say. “An old Spanish proverb says, ‘An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.’ I believe that value holds, in or out of a recession. And seeing as my 87-year-old mother lived through the Great Depression, I think her value (and that of those like her) will increase through these tough economic times because her insider wisdom can help us all. “Mother was about 10 years old when her eight-member family endured the thick of those recessive days in rural Wilson, Okla., which only has a population of 1,600 today. The recurring droughts across the heartland during that period dried up the job market, making it worse in the Midwest than it even was in the rest of the country. Over the years, my grandpa worked multiple jobs, from the oil fields to the cotton fields, and he was even a night watchman. The family members did what they could to contribute, but most of them were simply too young to play a major part. “In 1933, when President Franklin Roosevelt took office, his administration, through the Works Project Administration, brought about the employment of millions in civil construction projects, from bridges to dams to airports to roads. My grandfather traveled about 90 miles for a day’s work to help build the Lake Murray dam. But with a far smaller ratio of jobs to potential laborers, if Grandpa worked five days a month (at $1.80 a day), it was a good month. “Like most families, my mother’s family didn’t have running water or electricity. And Granny did her best to keep the outhouse clean, with Grandpa helping by regularly depositing lye to control the odors. (You can imagine how the hot, humid Oklahoma summers turned that outside commode into one smelly closet-sized sauna.) A ‘scavenger wagon’ came by once a week and cleaned out the hole, which had a small chair like contraption over it with the center punched out. (They once had a two-seater in there, which allowed for two people to enjoy each other’s company and conversation. Mom told me that she always felt a little upper-class when she sat with someone else!) By the way, and I’m not trying to be crude, toilet tissue wasn’t around, so they used pages from Montgomery Ward catalogs (and you wondered why the catalogs were so thick). No joke -- they preferred the non-glossy pages. I’ll let you figure out why. “Got the picture? With that in mind, I turn to a recent conversation I had with my mother. I asked her, ‘How would you encourage the average American to weather the economic storms of today?’ “Here’s her advice, in her words: “Get back to the basics. Simplify your life. Live within your means. People have got to be willing to downsize and be OK with it. We must quit borrowing and cut spending. Be grateful for what you have, especially your health and loved ones. Be content with what you have, and remember the stuff will never make you happy. Never. Back then, we didn’t have one-hundredth of what people do today, and yet we seemed happier than most today, even during the Great Depression. “Be humble and willing to work. Back then, any work was good work. We picked cotton, picked up cans, scrap metal, whatever it took to get by. Where’s that work ethic today? If someone’s not being paid $10 an hour today, they’re whining and unwilling to work, even if they don’t have a job. The message from yesteryear is don’t be too proud to do whatever it takes to meet the financial needs of your family. “Be rich in love. We didn’t have much. In fact, we had nothing at all, compared to people today, but we had each other. We were poor, but rich in love. We’ve lost the value of family and friends today, and we’ve got to gain it back if we’re ever to get back on track. If we lose all our stuff and still have one another and our health, what have we really lost? “Be a part of a community. Today people are much more alone, much more isolated. We used to be close with our neighbors. If one person had a bigger or better garden or orchard, they shared the vegetables and fruits with others in need. Society has shifted from caring for one another to being dependent upon government aid and welfare. That is why so many today trust in government to deliver them. They’ve forgotten an America that used to rally around one another in smaller clusters, called neighborhoods and communities. We must rekindle those local communal fires and relearn the power of that age-old commandment, ‘Love thy neighbor.’ “Help someone else. We never quit helping others back then. Today too many people are consumed with their own problems and only helping themselves. ‘What’s in it for me?’ is the question most are asking. But back then, it was, ‘What can I do to help my neighbor, too?’ I love Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life, and especially his thought, ‘We were created for community, designed to be a blessing to others.’ Most of all, helping others gets our minds off of our problems and puts things into better perspective. “Lean upon God for help and strength. We didn’t just have each other to lean on, but we had God, too. We all attended church and belonged to a faith community. Church was the hub of society, the community core and rallying point. Today people turn to government the way we used to turn to churches. It’s been that way ever since Herbert Hoover’s alleged promise of a ‘chicken in every pot’ and President Roosevelt’s New Deal. Too many have abandoned faith and community. We trust in money more than God. And maybe that’s a reason why we’re in this economic pickle.” “Now that’s conventional wisdom that should be shouted and posted in every corridor of government, every community across America, and every blog on the Internet. Call me overly pragmatic, but I think a little practical wisdom and encouragement is what we all need about now. Mom always was good for that. She still is.” Values and traditions can disappear unless they are constantly nurtured. In addition to prayer, and thanking God for what our parents and grandparents gave to us, we need to make a conscious daily effort to pass these along to our children and grandchildren. If we fail to do this, within a very short time, these will never be talked about, much less followed, and our society will be the much poorer for it.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-03-01 14:14:00

Question: So, what’s new?

Answer: There is always something new isn’t there? This month, among all things, it is the passing of someone who I have long considered to be one of the greatest orators and journalists of our time…Paul Harvey. His death has caused me to have many memories. One is from the late 70’s. Back then, Paul Harvey’s Comments, News and The Rest of the Story were being broadcast on KAKE Radio, 1240 AM. This was back in the day of Gene Rump in the mornings, Captain Bill in early afternoon, and “Hooter” in afternoon drive. I was with KFDI. We had been approached by ABC Entertainment Network to take on their news and features. As we were finishing negotiations, we threw one more item on the table. We said we wanted Paul Harvey. I don’t know how it exactly came to be, but within two days, we had it. What a deal! A few years later in the early 80s, after we had been running Paul Harvey’s features for some time, we brought him to town to a VIP gathering we hosted at Century II. This, as many of you might remember, was a time when we had just short of 20% inflation and interest. There was no good news. Everything coming across the air waves was bad news. I remember at that VIP gathering asking Paul, “Why can’t there be a bit of good news sprinkled in every once in awhile. You know, like instead of saying that there are 9% unemployed, there are 91% employed?” I will never forget his answer. He said, “Charlie, good news doesn’t sell. Everyone thinks their problems are bigger than anyone else’s, until they hear about a typhoon in Bangladesh wiping out thousands, or a fire in Chicago that burned down an entire city block, or a terrible murder-suicide in Florida. Then, they think, ‘Gosh, maybe my problems aren’t so big.’ You see, bad news…in its very weird way…ends up causing people to feel better. Good news causes people to feel worse.” Maybe he was right. How often do people REALLY want to hear about one’s best friend getting a big raise or promotion or winning the lottery? Kind of makes you think. I remember another time when he was telling about a guy in Indiana who had a plan to get rid of dilapidated old barns on Interstate highways. His plan was to paint the north side of old barns to match the view of the horizon looking from south to north; to paint the east side to match the view of the horizon looking from west to east; to paint the south side to match the view of the horizon looking from north to south; and to paint the west side to match the view of the horizon looking from east to west. Paul said at the end of his piece, “He thought he could make them disappear.” His delivery was often worth as much or more than his story. I listened to thousands of his stories over the years. If one was to have looked up what a “pregnant pause” was, I believe there would have been his picture there saying, “What Paul Harvey does so well.” He was a master of it…and all of the other components of inflection. Paul died February 28th at the age of 90. On Sunday, March 8th, I was listening to Dick Bott of the Bott Radio Network. Included in his program for that Sunday morning was an excerpt from a Paul Harvey News Comments program, when he talked about an invocation that Pastor Joe Wright of the Central Christian Church in Wichita had given to the Kansas State Legislature. It was vintage Paul Harvey. I transcribed what he had to say and have used it for my article this month. This was Paul Harvey’s “Page Two” of his noon newscast that day, as he delivered it live from his studios in Chicago. One last caveat before I present it...in more than 70 years of broadcasting, Paul Harvey received more response from this segment of his newscast that day, than any other piece he had ever delivered. “Page Two… Man oh man, they won’t invite Pastor Joe Wright to the Kansas State Legislature again. They invited Pastor Joe Wright of Wichita Central Christian Church to deliver the invocation and he told God on ‘em. Now God knows what they’ve been up to. And no sooner than their guest chaplain concluded their prayer were there three Democrats of the State Legislature on their feet, at their microphones, protesting he can’t talk like that about us. Representative Delbert Gross called the invocation gross, derisive, sanctimonious and overbearing. Representative David Haley called it blasphemous and ignorant. Representative Sabrina Standifer echoed the indignation. What in the world had Pastor Joe said in Topeka, that incited the righteous wrath of three Democrats? Well, I have secured the entire text of the invocation so that you can evaluate it for yourself. What was it that these Democrats didn’t like? Here is what he said: ‘Heavenly Father we come before you today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says woe to those who call evil good, and that is exactly what we’ve done. We’ve lost our spiritual equilibrium…we’ve inverted our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word in the name of moral pluralism. We’ve worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We’ve endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle. We’ve exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We’ve neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We’ve rewarded laziness and called it welfare. Father, in the name of choice we have killed our unborn, and in the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists. We’ve neglected to discipline our children and called it building esteem, we have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it taxes…we have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time honored value of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us O God. Know our hearts today. Try us and show us any wicked in us. And then cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of Kansas and who have been ordained by You to govern this great state. Grant them Your wisdom to rule and may their decisions direct us to the center of Your will. I ask it in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.’ (long pause) Page Three…” We lost someone very special on February 28th, 2009. Thankfully, we still have Pastor Joe Wright…and others like him…with us.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2009-02-01 14:22:00

Question: So,what’s new?

What a show! In case you don’t know, “Lie to me” is a new TV show on FOX, from the producers of 24, on Wednesday nights, at 8 PM CST. It stars Tim Roth as Dr. Cal Lightman, the world’s leading deception expert who studies facial expressions and involuntary body language to discover not only if someone is lying, but why. When someone shrugs one shoulder, rotates a hand or raises the lower lip, Lightman knows he’s lying.Based on the real-life scientific discoveries of Paul Ekman, the series follows Lightman and his team of deception experts as they assist law enforcement and government agencies to expose the truth behind the lies. A couple of episodes back, I watched in awe as Dr. Lightman had a conversation with a staff member. I say “conversation” but she never said a word, yet he continued to interpret her facial expressions and body language from the comments he made during his conversation with her. Oh Yes, I know it’s a show and a script, but the theories behind this science are fascinating…or at least they are to me. All of the past and current discussions about using water boarding to extract information are moot now. Just put this guy in the room with whomever, and the truth will come out. Once he smacks the interviewee with the fact that he or she is lying, and here is what the truth is, they spill it all. That brings me to my next thought (gosh I have some strange ones, don’t I?). It begins with Jack Nicholson’s line in “A Few Good Men,” when he said, “You can’t handle the truth.” I wonder if we, as a society, could handle the truth. I mean, all of the 100% truth about everything to do with a situation. Wouldn’t you like to ask this question? “What did you know…when…and what did you really do?” to each living President, each dead President, nearly every member of the House and Senate, at least 100 professional athletes, Millie (our dog who is always in trouble), and so many more. Oh yeah, and maybe…since we’re just dreaming here…we could have a red light and siren go off each time one of these tell the slightest lie…and it would keep going off until we got the 100% truth. What would happen if we lived in a 100% truthful world? Would it be better than what we have…or worse? What do you think?

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-12-31 10:43:00

Question: So, what’s new? (For those of you who may be new, my columns deal with this question that I received several months ago. Because this question “opened the door” so to speak on me being able to write about alot of things, the sender may regret she had ever sent it. In any event, this is another month and here is another article)

Answer: Well this is the time of the year when taxes, cold weather and doing something to lose weight are on the top of most all of our minds. I’m not going to tackle the taxes and cold weather, but maybe I can help in the area of weight loss. In the early 80’s, I weighed a lot. I would tell you how much but I’m sure it would come back to bite me somehow. Let’s just say that although my height didn’t measure up, I could have matched up with the weights of most of the offensive linemen in the NFL. I was a pretty big boy. In mid-1983, after going through some personal things, I lost 70 pounds in a little over 45 days. This is not the subject of this article and I promise, you don’t want to lose weight this way. But after it was all over, I did feel pretty good about myself. I began running 20 miles per week, something I continued to do until the early 90’s. I kept my weight down to about 200 to 205 (okay, so now you know), but through every kind of diet you can imagine and the running. I grew to hate the running. The most successful diet for me was the high protein low carbohydrate diet. The problem with this diet is, because I would eat so much protein that my nitrate level was high, I couldn’t get rid of the pounds without medication. I had all kinds of problems, including gout (the “rich man’s disease”, which certainly didn’t fit the situation). In 1986 I had a heart attack which my cardiologist said was probably a direct cause of the nitrates in my system. He elected to treat me with prescription drugs and a healthy diet. Well, I took the prescription drugs. I kept trying to convince myself he said, “either or” (smile). In 1993, following a week-long episode of severe chest pains during a golfing vacation in Phoenix, I had five bypasses in a rather hurried surgery. Following this surgery, over time, my weight ballooned again...not as much as I once weighed...but way too much. I yo-yoed up and down, again trying every kind of diet you can imagine. Each day my primary thought was controlling my weight. I think worrying about one’s weight adds so much stress it affects lots of other things. It sure did for me. This went on until mid-November of 2005, when a good friend called me. I had not talked to him in quite some time. He told me he had something he wanted me to look at. Of course, like you, my first question was, “Is this a multi-level thing?” He said, “Yes, but you need to see it anyway.” I said, “Forget it. I’m not doing it.” (This sounds like Larry the Cable Guy). When the products arrived, I read all about them (smile). I have written about these before in this column. They were round, half dollar-sized, self-adhesive patches. There is one for the left and one for the right side of the body. Reading more, I found that these patches are based on 3,000 year old technology from Chinese acupuncture. You have 8 points on your body (4 on each side) that are points that you can wear them. If I remember correctly, they are your temples, your chest, inside your wrists (I think) and inside your ankles. Anyway, inside the center of each patch is a mixture of natural things, that when warmed by the body temperature, they provide a little stimulating action (you can’t feel it, so maybe it’s a placebo with a good story) to these points. The right and left is to make a “circuit.” Supposedly they tell the brain to do certain things. Some points on the body will tell the brain to sleep, or rid the body of pain, or burn fat, or have more energy. Those of you who know anything about Chinese acupuncture will know much more than I about this stuff. But the most important thing to most folks is that nothing goes into the body. It’s only a stimulating action of the natural things when they are warmed by body temperature that makes things happen. Now these patches were not and are not being marketed as a weight loss product. They were and are being marketed as an energy enhancer. The marketing message said several NBA, PGA and AAU athletes were wearing them and getting increased performance, without any drugs of any kind. I like to watch sports so I figured I would see some of them. Sure enough, I saw a handful of golfers and some NBA players wearing some patches. Now, maybe they were for something else, but they were wearing patches. Well, in the past I’ve bought and tried about everything on the market, from the “slicer-dicers” to “razor blade sharpeners.” This deal sounded okay to me. So I got my patches. I couldn’t see me wearing them on my temples, so I decided I would wear them on my chest. It says you wear one on the left point and one on the corresponding right point, one day on then one day off. A box therefore would last a month (there are 15 sets of patches in a box). Well, more is better I thought, so I called the company and asked them if it hurt anything to wear them three days on and one day off. They said it wouldn’t hurt anything and they had customers that were doing just that. So, instead of a box a month, I would go through 1½ boxes a month (22 pair). That was November 20th, 2005. I put them on and have never looked back since. I have never thought about anything to do with controlling food or drink intake since, or if I have, I haven’t spent near the time thinking about it as I used to. By January 1st, 2006 (less than 45 days later), I had lost 17 pounds. I couldn’t believe it. I never watched anything but the scales. For a few days nothing happened, then my weight began to fall a little bit each day. When it got to 17 pounds less than what I had weighed when I began, it stopped. It has stayed right there, plus or minus a couple of pounds, for more than three years. But the story here is that it is not just the weight loss. That’s great, but the biggest benefit to me is not ever thinking about what I eat or drink because I am afraid of gaining weight. I never think about it! Maybe that’s the secret. The “over availability” of something negates the desire to consume. I proved this to myself in the early 90’s. I bought a condo on the west side of Rolling Hills Country Club. I thought this would be great. When I would get home from work in the evening, I would call the Pro Shop to be sure it was okay. If so, I would play half of hole #5, #6, #3, #4 and back to the drive off #5. The members called it “playing around the lake.” I even bought my own golf cart. I was all ready. You know what? In five years I did it once. I don’t really know if I have lessened the amount I eat or drink. I just don’t think about it. But the weight has stayed off for more than three years and I have to believe my body is in better shape because I haven’t had the stress that goes along with any weight loss regimen of diet or exercise I have ever heard of. So, why am I writing this article at this time. Not only is the first of the year timely for most everyone, but my wife told me after the first of the year she wanted to lose a few pounds. I said although I had not been watching anything I ate or drank, I would work with her and begin watching so she wouldn’t be tempted to eat all the stuff I would eat. That was Friday, January 2nd. I’ve lost four more pounds than the weight I normally carry since then. I always felt like I could lose all the weight I wanted to with these patches, if I would watch, but life is so enjoyable and stress-free without having to worry about anything, I never did try after the original weight I lost. I still tremendously dislike the nagging thought of watching, so I may continue until she loses the weight she wants and then go back to what I was doing. Much of the time she thinks I’m “half nuts” for some of the things I do, but the other night I said, “You know honey, you ought to get on these patches too.” I think she might even start using them.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-12-01 14:57:00

Question: What’s new? (My columns deal with this question that I received several months ago. Because this question “opened the door” so to speak on me being able to write about a lot things, the sender may regret she had ever sent it. In any event, this is another month and here is another article. I thought the following might be most appropriate as we begin a new year. (Writing it has been most “enlightening” to me.)

Answer: I am presently reading a book featuring some of the sermons from the late Archbishop, Fulton J. Sheen. I remember as a child, my dad never missing one of his shows. I was more into playing, watching cartoons and programs like the Little Rascals. I never understood back then what Dad saw in this program, instead of watching the “important stuff” like I was watching. After all it was a sermon, like the ones I would squirm through on Sundays. Only now that I am older have I acquired a “taste” for such information. The sermon I read most recently was about our Lord on the cross when he said, “It is finished.” The sermon was about what He meant when He said this. I won’t go into all of it, except for sharing with you one thing Archbishop Sheen said in his reflection at the end of the sermon that struck a strong note with me. He asked that his viewers think about the end of their life, and how the phrase, “It is finished”, will apply to them. He said one of the things that can be most revealing to anyone is to imagine reading one’s own obituary. That’s not something we get a chance to do that often. He didn’t use the word “shocking” but I’m sure he would have done so if he would have thought about it. He then said a wonderful exercise one can do is to write your own obituary, as if you died yesterday and were reading it this morning. I decided to write mine and see if I could experience some of the things he was talking about. One of the things I found to be most glaring in this process is…that while I, like most, would like to have as many good things said about me as possible, I didn’t want to leave the last thing that would ever be said about me to be some piece filled with inaccuracies or empty boasts. I decided I would be most candid and not try to “con” anyone about anything, particularly me…particularly now. Francis C. (Charlie) Traffas, died yesterday of a sudden illness. Funeral services are pending. He was preceded in death by his father, Francis Albert Traffas, and son Dusty. He is survived by his wife Brenda, sons Mike and Dan, daughter Genae, mother Betty and sister Gloria Bayer (Norman) of Wichita, sister Mary Ryan (Ron) of Lincoln, NE, brother Rory (Jacque) of Medicine Lodge, KS, brother Tim (Pat) and sister Kathy Dohm (John) of Sharon, KS, three little “girls” (Trixie, Millie and Libbie of the home (dogs)), nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and business associates. Charlie was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Wichita, the Knights of Columbus, and Rolling Hills Country Club. He was president of Chart Marketing, Inc., an advertising agency, marketing firm and publishing company. He was involved in media, marketing and insurance for many years, having worked for KFDI Radio in the ‘70s and ‘80s, and for the Eck Insurance Agency, Inc. since the early ‘90s. He was publisher of The Q & A Times, author of “Salvation and Sales”, and “Our Way to the Way”, a book that he was writing at the time of his death. In his later years, Charlie always professed a love of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary, but too many times he failed to love them as much as he professed, as evidenced by the many things he did wrong. He loved his wife, Brenda, though all too often he showed her a fraction of the kind of love she deserved. Spending time with his family, friends, golf buddies and business associates was something he thoroughly enjoyed, although while doing so, he didn’t spend as much time listening and inquiring about the things affecting them, as he did thinking about himself (there seems to have been a pattern here). Charlie was a big sports’ fan and played several throughout his life, although he was never that good at any of them. He spent many hours in business in a number of different interests, often at the expense of the time he should have been spending with others. Charlie wasn’t much for moderation. He thought “more was always better.” It never was. While he supported his church and other charities, he could have done more. He spent some time ministering to the sick, the dying and the imprisoned, but as he did with everything good...he could have done much more. He had a fondness for marketing and business and tried to teach his appreciation of both to many others, failing more often than succeeding, for reasons he never understood. He was a stickler for proper management and organization in business, but his style was often insensitive to others and probably hurt as much or more than it helped. Few of the things he knew and taught were his own, having gleaned and learned most of them from others. Charlie used a statement throughout most of his life from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s passage entitled “Success”, “If only one person breathes easier because you have lived, you have succeeded.” Although Charlie never had too many people come back and tell him he or she was “breathing easier” because of something Charlie taught or shared with them, he always hoped there were more. All in all, Charlie wasn’t that special at anything. While he was blessed with many talents, he failed to use most of nbthem as well as he could have or should have. He didn’t do that much for those he knew and those he didn’t know. He wasn’t that great of a husband, son, brother, father, relative, friend, boss, co-worker or business associate, and he never attained the “success” he wanted to attain. At the time of his death, Charlie was sincerely sorry for any one he hurt or disappointed throughout his life. Although it is doubtful anyone would care to make a donation, one can be made, if so inclined, in lieu of flowers, to The Lord’s Diner or to The Guadalupe Clinic…nothing against florists. Once finished, I read what I wrote several times. Days later I am still reading and re-reading it. I think I will keep it and read it often...hopefully updating it. It’s interesting what it has done thus far to my priorities. While I am still doing things I wish I wasn’t doing, I’m thinking more about what I do. One thing is certain - it is a most powerful exercise. Somewhere around the third or fourth time I read it, I think I got what Archbishop Sheen was trying to get across. I thought to myself, “I can do better than this. This year…God willing...I’m going to try.”

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-11-01 12:01:00

Question: What's new?

Answer: You may recall me stating in a previous issue, “Once the election is over, the time for complaints and criticism needs to be over as well.” It is now time for each of us to show respect due the office of President of the United States. Something that hasn’t happened with great frequency since the time of President Kennedy. The only difference is that the disrespect shown from the time after that of Presidents Johnson and Nixon pales in comparison to the disrespect shown today. Using the analogy of what happens when students are left in the classroom when the teacher leaves for a few moments, I suppose that is normal. The first time the teacher leaves the room, the students get a little loud and rambunctious. The more it happens and the more it goes unchecked, the louder and more rambunctious they get. We have become a pretty loud and rambunctious lot. I would like to see this President be the one that causes aLL of us to restore the respect due the office. If you have something you want to say about him, or his policies, do it with respect. Criticize the action not the person. Use our existing protocol to change things needing to be changed. In that vein, I have a request dealing with what I hear and read he is going to do with his ‘executive order’ privilege. First, and before stating my request, let me provide a bit of background on this privilege. An executive order in the United States is a directive issued by the President, the head of the executive branch of the federal government. In other countries, similar edicts may be known as decrees, or orders-in-council. Executive orders may also be issued at the state level by a state’s Governor. U.S. Presidents have issued executive orders since 1789, usually to help direct the operation of executive officers. Some orders do have the force of law when made in pursuance of certain Acts of Congress, when those acts give the President discretionary powers. As I said, U.S. Presidents have issued executive orders since 1789. Although there is no Constitutional provision or statute that explicitly permits executive orders, there is a vague grant of “…executive power…” given in Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution and the statement, “…take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed…”, in Article II, Section 3. Most executive orders are orders issued by the President to U.S. executive officers to help direct their operation, the result of failing to comply being removal from office. So much for the definition of an executive order…now, my request… “Dear Mr. President,’ “I realize you have the power to take many of the issues that have been put into place by President Bush and others and change them with your ‘executive order’ privilege. That is something that has been happening with greater frequency over the past 40 years. It is a traditional right you have as President and something we would expect to happen. However, some of the things you are getting ready to do by using this privilege are violations of strong beliefs many of us have in regards to faith and morals. Issuing an executive order such as having the U.S. Government to pay for abortions in Mexico City, or an executive order for the U.S. Government to pay for stem cell research, are two examples. There are other issues too facing many citizens such as funding a war, a rebellion, displaying the Ten Commandments at a court house, an assassination attempt on a head of state that some mortal has determined needs to be carried out, and several other things that are controversial in regards to the faith and morals of U.S. citizens. Every anticipated expenditure and/or executive order should be labeled ‘controversial’ against faith and morals, or ‘non-controversial’ against faith and morals, at the moment it is brought before you and/or Congress. If there is any doubt, label it ‘controversial.’’ “I have a practice I use in my business. I ask my employees to never bring a problem to me without having a solution. This practice cultivates participatory management and personal growth. I would like to offer the same to you. While this solution does not in any way condone the human rights and other violations that are involved, it offers those of us a ‘way out’, who have a huge problem with paying taxes to fund something that is against all we stand for. Although the taxes we pay may only be a ‘thimble full of water dumped into the ocean of all tax revenues,’ that ‘thimble full’ still mixes with all of the other ‘water’ in the ocean. If our goal is to REALLY have a unified country, we can no longer have this happening. On behalf of all of us, I ask that you respect this position. My solution is for you and Congress to set up two accounts for taxpayers. One would be ‘Account A’ that people can designate their payment of taxes to, that will pay for anything you and Congress decide you want to do. This account would also include things that are, or could be considered, controversial to anyone in regards to their faith and morals. Either an outright designation or an ‘It doesn’t make any difference to me’ code would puts the taxes they pay into this account. The other account would be ‘Account B.’ Taxpayers could designate their payment of taxes to this account whereby funds could not be used to pay for anything that could be against the faith and morals of the citizenry. Proceeds from ‘Account B’ can pay for entitlements, earmarks, infrastructure, studying the cohabitation patterns of the South American Bumblebee (if there is one)…anything you want…just so long as it does not fund things that are against faith and morals of any citizen. As stated previously, at the time a proposed expenditure is brought before Congress, or prior to your issuing of an executive order, the item would be labeled an ‘Account A’ item, or an ‘Account B’ item. I would think this could happen without a lot of discussion. After all, someone may not want a shopping center or a library in their neighborhood, but I doubt too many would press for that item being against their faith and morals. Again, if there is any doubt, put it in ‘Account A.’’ “Many businesses have more than one checking account. At the end of the day, it doesn’t make any difference to the recipient of the liability needing satisfied, how it is paid, or which account is used to pay for it. Both accounts are company funds. But sir, when it comes to what our taxes are used to pay for, with all due respect, it makes a big difference to us. Yes, we would still be citizens of a government that does things and pays for things against our faith and morals (the primary ‘bonding agent’ of any society), but OUR tax dollars would not be paying for these things. Call it semantics if you want, but somehow, we have to pay our taxes without compromising what we stand for. At the very least, we will be able to say, ‘I paid my taxes, but the money I paid did not pay for that.’’ “It seems to me, that unless I’ve missed something terribly, an opposition to the creation of these two accounts would have to have a hidden agenda somewhere. I wonder what percent of the 2 ½ to 3 trillion dollars paid in taxes each year would be designated to go to which accounts.” “In any event, I respectfully make this request and ask for you and Congress to immediately grant the same, before any other executive order is issued, or future expenditure is approved.”

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-10-01 08:48:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Over the past several issues I have written about a host of topics dealing with this election; the candidates; our current executive and legislative branches of government; the fiscal irresponsibility that is being exhibited by so many; the economy; the price of oil; and others. In doing so, I have received all sorts of mail. We have had more than 2,200 extra copies of these past issues ordered. That’s good. We have had 78 individuals or entities, from the thousands that we mail, request their being removed from our mailing list. That’s not good for the publication. 16 of these have not given any reason. 39 have noted a reason such as, “Your publication’s obvious leaning towards the “wacky right” and/or “Christian dogma” is too much for me. 23 have noted reasons like, “You walk the center far too much for me. Take a position,” or, “You’re too tough on the ‘right.’ Give ‘em a break already.” I guess overall we’re not doing too bad in being “fair and balanced.” November 4th, 2008 seemed like such a long way off for so many months. Now we’re here. Although it has been said before in prior elections, what happens this day, may make it the most important election in our country’s history. Why do I say this? Because at no time in our country’s history has the serving of personal agendas, instead of serving an agenda for the common good, been more prevalent. Many congressional members, financial institution executives and Wall Streeters lead this “parade,” but most everyone is guilty, including you and me. If it is possible…back off and view this mess from a distance. Most of the time, our world looks pretty much like a pack of starving hyenas, over a fresh kill, with not enough to satisfy even one of them, furiously fighting and screaming to get more than any of the others. There are dozens of societies, civilizations and empires in history that fell because of many of the same things we are experiencing in the world today. As I read about them, I cannot help myself from going back again and again to a couple of quotes from two guys named George. George Santayana said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” George Bernard Shaw said, “We learn from history that we learn nothing from history.” I will briefly tell you about two of these societies…the Roman and the Athenian Empires: The Roman Empire One of many civilizations that did not learn from history was the Roman Empire. There was nothing like it in its day. Its people built libraries, amphitheaters, public baths, basilicas, theatres, circuses, aqueducts, fountains, and more. Nothing could compare to it. Yet for all its grandeur, it fell in 476 A. D., more than 1,500 years ago. There were many reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire. Most were connected and intertwined with each other. According to one source, here are those interconnected reasons: Decline in Morals and Values: Those morals and values that kept the Roman legions – and thus the empire – together could not be maintained toward the end of the empire. Crimes of violence made the streets of the larger cities unsafe. Even during Pax Romana, the greatest period of prosperity, there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Nero and Caligula became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties where guests ate and drank until they became ill. The most popular amusement was watching the gladiatorial combats in the Coliseum, which were attended by the poor, the rich, and frequently the emperor himself. As gladiators fought, vicious cries and curses were heard from the audience. One contest after another was staged in the course of a single day. Should the ground become too soaked with blood, it was covered over with a fresh layer of sand and the performance went on. Public Health: There were many public health and environmental problems. Many of the wealthy had water brought to their homes through lead pipes. Previously the aqueducts had even purified the water but at the end, lead pipes were thought to be preferable. The death rate of the wealthy was very high. The continuous interaction of people at the Coliseum, the blood and death probably spread disease. Those who lived on the streets in continuous contact with each other allowed for an uninterrupted strain of disease, much as we see happening with the homeless in today’s more poorly run shelters. Alcohol use increased as well, adding to the incompetence of the general public. Political Corruption: One of the most difficult problems was choosing a new emperor. Unlike Greece, where transition may not have been smooth but was at least consistent, the Romans never created an effective system to determine how new emperors would be selected. The choice was always open to debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard (the emperor’s private army), and the army itself. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard gained complete authority over choosing the new emperor, who rewarded the guard – which then became more influential, perpetuating the cycle. Then in 186 A.D., the army strangled the new emperor and the practice began of selling the throne to the highest bidder. During the next hundred years, Rome had 37 different emperors – 25 of whom were removed from office by assassination. This contributed to the overall weaknesses of the empire. Unemployment: During the latter years of the empire, farming was done on large estates called latifundia, which were owned by wealthy men who used slave labor. A farmer who had to pay workmen could not produce goods as cheaply. Many farmers could not compete with these low prices and lost or sold their farms. This not only undermined the citizen farmer who passed his values to his family but also filled the cities with unemployed people. At one time, the emperor was importing grain to feed more than 100,000 people in Rome alone. These people were not only a burden but also had little to do but cause trouble and contribute to an ever-increasing crime rate. Inflation: The Roman economy suffered from inflation beginning after the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Once the Romans stopped conquering new lands, the flow of gold into the Roman economy decreased. Yet gold was being spent by the Romans to pay for luxury items. This meant that there was less gold to use in coins. As the amount of gold used in coins decreased, the coins became less valuable. To make up for this loss in value, merchants raised the prices on the goods they sold. Many people stopped using coins and began to barter to get what they needed. Eventually, salaries had to be paid in food and clothing, and taxes were collected in fruits and vegetables. Urban decay: Wealthy Romans lived in a domus, or house, with marble walls, floors with intricate colored tiles, and windows made of small panes of glass. Most Romans, however, were not rich. They lived in small, smelly rooms in apartment houses with six or more stories, called islands. Each island covered an entire block. At one time there were 44,000 apartment houses within the city walls of Rome. First-floor apartments were not occupied by the poor. The more shaky wooden stairs a family had to climb, the cheaper the rent became. The upper apartments that the poor rented were hot, dirty, crowded and dangerous. Anyone who could not pay the rent was forced to move out and live on the crime-infested streets. Because of this, cities began to decay. Inferior Technology: During the last 400 years of the empire, the scientific achievements of the Romans were limited almost entirely to engineering and the organization of public services. They built marvelous roads, bridges and aqueducts. They established the first system of medicine for the benefit of the poor. However, since the Romans relied so much on human and animal labor, they failed to invent many new machines or find new technology to produce goods more efficiently. They could not provide enough goods for their growing population. They were no longer conquering other civilizations and adapting their technology, they were actually losing territory they could no longer maintain with their legions. Military Spending: Maintaining an army to defend the border of the empire from barbarian attacks was a constant drain on the government’s resources. Military spending left few resources for other vital activities, such as providing public housing and maintaining quality roads and aqueducts. Frustrated Romans lost their desire to defend the empire, which then had to begin hiring soldiers recruited from the unemployed city mobs – or, worse, from foreign countries. Such an army was not only unreliable, but also very expensive. The emperors were forced to raise taxes frequently, which in turn, led again to increased inflation. The Final Blows: For years, the well-disciplined Roman army held the barbarians of Germany back. In the third century A.D., the Roman soldiers were pulled back from the Rhine-Danube frontier to fight a civil war in Italy, leaving the Roman border open to attack. Gradually Germanic hunters and herders from the north began to overtake Roman lands in Greece and Gaul (later France). Then in 476 A.D., the Germanic general Odacer (or Odovacar) overthrew the last of the Roman emperors, Augustus Romulus. From then on, the western part of the Empire was ruled by a Germanic chieftain. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair and fields left untilled. Pirates and bandits made travel unsafe. Cities could not be maintained without goods from the farms, trade and business began to disappear, and Rome was no more in the West. How long do you think WE have? The Athenian Empire Western Civilization derives much of its cultural heritage from Classical Greece, a civilization that emerged from a long dark age sometime between 750 and 700BC, and reached its apex in the Age of Pericles (461-429) BC. Greek art, architecture, philosophy and literature reached its peak in this period. The grand public buildings of Athens, such as the Parthenon, Parthenos and Propylaea were constructed at this time, which was also a period of Athenian political and military supremacy. By the end of the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) Athenian naval power collapsed, her empire was lost, her great wealth and revenue was gone, her monetary system was in shambles, and her government was reorganized under Spartan occupation. After a brief period of Spartan hegemony, Spartan power was also relegated to the dust bin of history. About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier: “A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government.’ “A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury.’ “From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.’ “The average age of the world’s greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years.’ “During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence: 1. From bondage to spiritual faith; 2. From spiritual faith to great courage; 3. From courage to liberty; 4. From liberty to abundance; 5. From abundance to complacency; 6. From complacency to apathy; 7. From apathy to dependence; 8. From dependence back into bondage.” As one views our current economic, social and global woes, he or she may come to the conclusion that Tyler may have been more than just a Scottish history professor. My take I am certainly not perfect. I never have been. I am far from it than most. In my life I am sure I have also done more things wrong than most. I am just as guilty of serving my own agendas. The only difference between me now and those I have described above is that I have taken the time to back away and see the bigger picture. This hate, partisanship, greed and the serving of self interests…has got to stop. We need to replace it, as quickly as possible, with a mission to serve others, and a genuine love of country and neighbor, having God the center of it all. To those of you who just experienced the hair on the back of your neck stand up because I brought God into the picture, let me help by giving you a little “morsel” you can carry with you from this day forward. It comes from Albert Camus, a noted French playwright and novelist. When asked whether or not he believed in God, after taking a few minutes, he said, “I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn’t, than live my life as if there isn’t a God, and die to find out there is.” That quote may not mean much to you now…but I promise…someday it will. I can’t tell you how much I long for days past, when millions of Americans would act civilly towards one another, much less celebrate a national holiday together, showing respect for each other, our flag, our country, our leaders, and the brave men and women who gave and are giving their lives…and risked and are risking their lives…so we can have the freedoms we enjoy. I remember when our leaders were referred to with respect, and called Mr. President, or the Distinguished Senator or Representative from… I am fearful those days will never return. I pray they will…but then that’s what I want. That brings me to the last thing I want to talk about in this article…that of prayer. Take a good look at the world today. Do you see the calamity, war, sickness, pestilence, poverty, hate, crime, violence, morality and greed? Any sane person will agree they are more prevalent today than ever. Any sane person knows these are bad and they have to be fixed. It will take a lot of sane, reasonable and intelligent people, coming together to fix them. I have never been more convinced that it will take a lot of prayer to make that happen. Like most who pray, I habitually pray for a litany of things I want. I pray for people who are sick to get well. I pray for God to bless my marriage, my family and all of those, whether near and dear, or far away and removed from me. I pray for the success of things I am involved with. I think everyone who prays, prays most of the time for things he or she wants. However, as one continues to pray, I think he or she must mature in his or her prayers and pray for the will of God to be done. I promise, it is an intention that will ALWAYS be answered…because God’s will…WILL ALWAYS be done. And while we’re praying, let’s position ourselves in accordance with what President Reagan said, “It would be presumptuous to think God is on our side as we walk into tomorrow. Let’s just hope we’re on God’s side.” So, in closing, and on the eve of what I again believe to be the most important election in the history of our country, let me offer this more “mature” prayer. The first part is from Reverend Billy Graham, sent to me by Leroy and Kay Goodknight a few days ago. The last sentence is an addition from me. “Heavenly Father, we come before You today to ask Your forgiveness and to seek Your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, O God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. O God, may Your Will be done in all things, and may all of the current and soon-to-be-elected local, state and federal officials always operate, govern, execute, legislate and/or adjudicate in accordance with Your will. Amen.”

X

What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-09-01 15:06:00

Question: What’s new Charlie?

Answer: Although it may seem like at times I try to be a political pundit , I am not, nor do I want to be. I don’t know why anyone would want to be, or be associated with such a disrespectful and deceitful industry. Have you ever seen anything like it? Each day…hate, rudeness and biased reporting are front and center. If there is no “fire,” the media feels compelled to start one. Campaigns think, “What the heck, we might as well take advantage of this and take portions of comments out of context. The public is so ignorant, they’ll never know.” I would like to know, what gives anyone the right to intentionally distort, whether you’re a candidate, reporter or consumer? While watching the conventions in late August and early September, I panned across all of the networks...MSNBC, PBS, Headline News, CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC and CBS. I could have been Stevie Wonder, not knowing which channel I was on, yet still identified each by their most biased, political persuasion. I do marketing for a living. I seek to find a “hole” in a given market, and then I attempt to build a product or service to fill the hole, in such a way so no one else can fill that hole as well and/or for less cost. One cannot find a pure journalist today. A pure journalist reports on both sides of an issue, in a fair and balanced manner, and lets the consumers of the report decide. Tell me, when is the last time you saw this being played out? A reporter should be like a catalyst in chemistry. A catalyst causes a reaction to occur without entering into the reaction. Perhaps this is the root of all of our problems today. So much hate, innuendos, false charges, lies, gossip, miss-reporting…talk about a “hole” in a market! Americans are starved for fair and balanced reporting. This is a “hole” that needs to be pursued and filled. I submit we would not need the dozen or so networks we have. More than 80% of the populace would be watching the one that does. I don’t need some pompous, egotistical, hot-headed, rude, ill-prepared, loud-mouth maniac like Bill O’Reilly telling me what to decide. (Why don’t you tell us how you really feel Charlie). Just report both sides Bill and I will decide. Can you believe this guy? Following his interview with Hillary Clinton several weeks ago, all he could do is invite guests on his show and ask them, “How did I do?” Bill, I know this will come as a shock to you, but it’s not about you. It’s about the person you are interviewing. Recently you had 40 minutes to interview Barrack Obama. You did the same thing. For nearly two weeks, you asked every commentator and guest on your show how you did. Unbelievable! I’m not saying that Chet Huntley and David Brinkley were always pure, but can you imagine either of them, after interviewing Eisenhower, asking guests and colleagues, “How do you think I did?” By the way, just because I didn’t mention the commentator you watch doesn’t mean he or she does it right. They do not. I have not been able to find one that does. And if you’re asking why I keep watching Bill O’Reilly and FOX News, and why I’m so hard on them, it’s because they have such a great opportunity to be the ones to do it right. They have carved out the niches of “fair and balanced reporting,” and “the spin stops here,” but they miss the mark so badly. That makes them the worst. They say they do and don’t. You are fortunate you do not have to listen to me and my comments each evening as I chastise him and them for their journalistic breaches. If I live long enough and can work it in to all that I do, I will figure out how to get journalistic purity in the News. I think it would be a product that would fill a “hole” that would be wildly successful. Here’s another item I need some help with. I vividly remember every race for President since Kennedy-Nixon. I remember one party saying the other had “tax and spend” philosophies, and the other party would say, “They only support big business.” I remember hearing remarks that one person voted for this and that, and the other person countered, with, “Yeah buts.” But never have I heard of the things happening and going down like they are concerning Barrack Obama. And again, the more I do the research to find out if what I find is true, I find YES, it is true, and no one refutes Fair and balanced reporting is reporting on something that has occurred, is occurring, or will be occurring, and giving both sides. I’ve got one side but I can find no one to give me the other. I couldn’t believe this recent story from Joseph Farah at World Net Daily (WND)... “The tax-funded Chicago organization cited as a probable model for programs to integrate youth into the social and political world under Obama tenure in the White House is the epitome of “Big Brother” that shovels impressionable youth through a course of brainwashing, according to critics. The organization is called Public Allies and Democratic. Presidential nominee Sen. Barrack Obama was a founding member of the board of directors in 1992. He later resigned and his wife became executive director of the group. According to an editorial in Investor’s Business Daily (IBD), Obama plans to use the non-profit, which is funded partly by the federal government and is featured on Obama’s campaign website, as the model for a national service corps, called the “Universal Voluntary Public Service.” Senator Barrack Obama’s stunning assertion in a recent speech that the U.S. needs a “civilian national security force” that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion dollar Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force is not included in published transcripts of his prepared remarks. Campaign officials have declined to return any of a series of WND telephone calls over several days requesting comment. Nor have they posted a transcript of the speech on their website. The lines are not included in a transcript of the prepared remarks published by the Denver Post and Wall Street Journal. Obama asserted in a Colorado Springs speech that the U.S. needs a “civilian national security force that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion dollar Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force.” In the July 2nd speech in Colorado Springs, Obama insisted the U.S. “cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set.” He continued, “We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.” “Big Brother had nothing on the Obamas,” said IBD. “They plan to herd American youth into government-funded re-education camps where they’ll be brainwashed into thinking America is a racist, oppressive place in need of ‘social change.’” The organization itself doesn’t seem that alarming. It describes itself as serving communities “while developing better leaders for tomorrow.” Young adults are placed in “community leadership” posts with various agencies and given weekly “training.” They get $1,800 plus health and child care. But IBD warns the real mission is something else. That, the editorial said, “is to radicalize American youth and use them to bring about ‘social change’ through threats, pressure, tensions and confrontation – the tactics used by the father of community organizing, Saul ‘The Red’ Alinsky.” Dr. Jerome Corsi, a WND columnist and the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-seller “The Obama Nation,” agreed. He said the overall intent of the program is much the same as the goals of William Ayers, an Obama acquaintance who spent the 1970s and 1980s as an unrepentant radical, during his various programs regarding public education. “Remember, Obama has followed Saul Alinsky’s ultimate advice,” Corsi explained. “Saul Alinsky said radicals like Jerry Rubin and Abbie Hoffman could not organize a picnic. Alinsky told his radicals to cut their hair, buy business suits and run for public office,” he said. “Ayers and Obama are both aimed at producing radical socialist change from within – working today to radicalize our institutions, instead of bombing them. Alinsky considered this approach to be much smarter because it was more likely to produce lasting ‘change’ and less likely to produce a backlash. In other words, the Alinsky-trained radical could apply more easily the Machiavellian technique of lying by denying they were pursuing radical goals if they appeared to be members in good standing of the establishment they were trying merely to ‘change,’” he said. IBD cited statistics from Public Allies itself, in which it boasted, “Our alumni are more than twice as likely as 18-34 year olds to … engage in protest activities.” The organization explains it already has dispatched 2,200 community organizers to agitate for “justice” and “equality” in Chicago, Cincinnati, Los Angeles and other cities. “I get to practice being an activist,” and get paid for it, Cincinnati recruit Amy Vincent said, according to IBD. The organization boasts more than two-thirds of its recruits are “people of color,” and 15 percent of “LGBT.” When they’re not out protesting, IBD said, “they’re staffing AIDS clinics, handing out condoms, bailing criminals out of jail and helping illegal aliens and the homeless obtain food stamps and other welfare.” The Allies’ own website confirms it has volunteers working for Planned Parenthood, LGBT centers and Boys & Girls Clubs. Obama has encouraged individuals to shun the “money culture.” “If you commit to serving your community,” he pledged in Denver while accepting the Democratic nomination for president, “we will make sure you can afford a college education.” The IBD said the sales pitch is finding supportive listeners among today’s youth. “I may spend the rest of my life trying to create social movement,” it quotes Brian Coovert, of the Cincinnati Allies chapter saying. “There is always going to be work to do. Until we have a perfect country, I’ll have a job.” IBD said taxpayers already fund half of Public Allies’ expenses through President Clinton’s AmeriCorps, and Obama wants to fully fund it and expand it into a national program that some see costing $500 billion. The organization notes that it is a non-partisan organization so it does not endorse candidates. However, it has a lengthy description of the involvement by the Obamas with the organization. “Under Michelle’s leadership, Public Allies Chicago pioneered many elements of Public Allies’ program model. To identify and develop the next generation of Chicago leaders, she recruited young people from housing projects and youth centers as well as colleges and universities. Her emphasis on indigenous leadership and belief that all people have potential to lead became a core value of our leadership philosophy. When she left, Public Allies Chicago had a cash reserve, a committed board, a talented young staff, and a network of diverse, talented young leaders in Chicago who continue to serve the community today. Michelle was also a pioneer in the social entrepreneur movement –leaders who create new approaches and organizations to provide new solutions to social problems,” the organization said. “Michelle was an amazing leader and role model for all of us. As a very young staff in the early years, we all emulated Michelle’s incredible combination of professionalism, compassion, critical thinking and commitment to her community. For all of her immense talents, she was also one of the most down-to-earth, inclusive, and authentic leaders I’ve ever worked with. She really did believe that everyone could contribute to their communities and that leaders come from all backgrounds and all parts of the community. The Chicago program she pioneered really created the template we all work from today. We are proud of our colleague and wish her well,” wrote Paul Schmitz, CEO of Public Allies.” So, I go searching for the speech he gave. I find it, but sure enough, the passage, “civilian national security force that would be as powerful, strong and well-funded as the half-trillion dollar Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force,” is not there. But he said it. Who removed it from the transcripts? What in the world is happening? How can things like this be going down right under our noses? Who is helping this guy? Any time someone in America, particularly a candidate for the highest office of President, says something in a speech, then that something is removed from the transcript of the speech, we should all be afraid...and do something about it. You want fair and balanced reporting? I do too. Someone…anyone…send me the other side of this because I haven’t been able to find it. Tell me he didn’t say it, or, he didn’t mean it. Or, tell me it was taken out of context. Someone? Anyone? Lastly, I go back to a comment I made in this column a few issues ago. I continue to have a hard time believing Obama and McCain are all we have to choose from for President out of 306 million Americans. We have one who is shrouded so deep in mystery on so many fronts, so full of words and promises, he reminds me of the saying in Texas, “Big hat...no cattle.” Then we have someone calling himself a “maverick” who can’t keep his foot out of his mouth. The DOW goes down 500 points. What does he say? “The fundamentals of our economy are sound.” Mr. McCain, you have the same problems as the Chiefs do on offense…good play, penalty, loss of yardage, loss of yardage, fumble or punt. You seldom advance your position because you say and do things without thinking them through. Are you so much of a “maverick” that you listen to no one? Or, perhaps you have not surrounded yourself with the right folks who can and will give advice. Either is bad and irresponsible. The good thing is that neither is President yet. We can all ridicule now. After all, this is the time to do some “modification of the software.” However, once one is elected, I promise you, I will be just as harsh on anyone who gripes, complains and fails to show the respect for the person who holds the office of President of the United States. We better all be together then. I’ll be back next month...God willing.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-08-01 09:35:00

d harsh penalties for drug dealing in 2001. •Say you will deal with street level drug dealing as a minimum wage affair. •Admitted marijuana and cocaine use in high school and college. •Are willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung II and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without any pre-conditions. •Would have as one your first goals after being elected President, a conference with all Muslim nations. •Opposed the Patriot Act. •Signed your first bill which was campaign finance reform and chose not to follow it your first opportunity. •Voted no on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. •Support universal healthcare. •Voted yes on providi

Answer: First I want to thank everyone who called, emailed or wrote in on the piece we did last month on the subject of the price of oil, the devalued dollar, the political mess we are in, and the media ‘stoking the fire’ at every turn. And, to get a little unfinished business out of the way, I need to do as I had promised and give you the results of my latest PSA test. To do so, let me repeat a little of the content from last month. A few months ago I met with some guys that had been looking for years for an anti-aging product…probably the most sought after endeavor of people throughout the history of man. They had been working with all kinds of things, but had found nothing that could rival the benefits of green tea. They found however, that rather than the green tea itself, it was the catechin polyphenols that are in the green tea leaves that is truly the “miracle working” part of the product. These are the things scientists are now proving are responsible for lowering the risks of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. They also are proving these things suppress antigens, lower cholesterol, boost the metabolism, combat prostate and cervical cancer, lower the risk of high blood pressure and delay diabetes. Now, I have to say, of all the things I’ve heard about throughout my life, I can’t remember anything boasting of so many benefits. Over the past 10 years, in a lab in Switzerland, these guys and several other doctors and chemists on their team, were able to produce a tablet that contains 1200 times more potency of these catechin polyphenols than any other green tea tablet on the market. This is pretty noteworthy and with what I read, getting more so all the time. They wanted to know if I would help them market it. After more than 35 years in the field of marketing, experiencing the benefits of a product or service is more important to me than it has ever been. So, let me tell you about what happened. You see, once a guy gets in his 50’s, he learns how to enunciate PSA better than he ever learned how to enunciate PTA or PGA. A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a test that is done to determine the possibility of the presence of cancer in the prostate gland. Men should get them once a year after 50. The results are met with about the same degree of anticipation as hearing what the IRS has to say on your audit. You might squint your eyes a little and turn your head when you ask what happened, but I promise, you will want to know…particularly if you are a man, or love one. I had my annual PSA test just after the first of this year as I have had for the past several years. In January of 2007, my PSA was 0.4. That’s good. Remember that number and that date. When I met these guys for the first time in October of 2007...only ten months later...they told me about what they had found and the story behind it. They gave me a bottle of these tablets. I began taking one each day. January of 2008 rolled around. I went in for my annual PSA test. Guess what it was? It was 4.5! I thought, there has to be something wrong here. It wasn’t supposed to go up. It should have gone down. I then thought, with my luck, I probably gave myself prostate cancer by taking these darn pills. Needless to say, I was more than a little concerned. My doctor told me not to get too alarmed. He said he would have me take another test after the first of April. I did. It was 1.4. WOW! That was a whole lot better. He said I would take another one every three or four months for a while. Well, last issue I had just taken another PSA test but didn’t have the results. I got them shortly after the August issue went to press. It was 1.3! I don’t have to tell you how excited I was…again. When you’re at a 4.5, you’re only a point or so away from prostate surgery. Now I’ve had heart bypass surgery, several heart caths, an abdominal aneurysm surgery, and some other things…but prostate surgery is one of those things I don’t ever want to have. I don’t think I’m different from most men. If you think it’s just another surgery, Google ‘complications of prostate surgery’ and tell me…in addition to reoccurrence, what you find. I promise you, if all I have to do is take a tablet or two a day, I can do that, rather than face all of these things. I get to take advantage of the side benefits too, of all the other things that I mentioned earlier. More later about this… My last portion of my article for this month is about our presidential race…Barack Obama versus John McCain. My feelings about this race center around the fact, that as the days pass, I continue to be amazed that these two are the best we have to lead our country. My next thought is, throughout my entire adult, voting life, I have always believed, that at the end of the voting day, if the other guy I didn’t vote for got in for whatever office and for whatever reason, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. I mean he or she may not be my choice, but no person is bigger than our country and we would be okay. This is the first time in my life I feel differently. Being a proponent of the art of “futuristic thinking,” (which I have explained in previous columns) I am not going to live out the future without saying or doing something to bring focus to what could be the end of the way it’s been, or at least a sign pointing to it. If I am wrong, then correct me…quickly…so I can use the small “pulpit” I have to make others aware that I am wrong. I don’t know why for months we have heard from those who are supposed to be doing the job, “We don’t really know who Barrack Obama is.” If someone said that about me, a hundred people could put down on paper everything about me…in less than 15 minutes. Why is he so different? Why can’t we put things down, all in one place, so we CAN know who he is and what he stands for? This article is my attempt to do so. Mr. Obama, the following is all part of public record. These things help each of us know your political persuasions. It is true that you… •Voted against banning partial birth abortion. •Voted no on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. •Support affirmative action in Colleges and Government. •Questioned harsh penalties for drug dealing in 2001. •Say you will deal with street level drug dealing as a minimum wage affair. •Admitted marijuana and cocaine use in high school and college. •Are willing to meet with Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jung II and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without any pre-conditions. •Would have as one your first goals after being elected President, a conference with all Muslim nations. •Opposed the Patriot Act. •Signed your first bill which was campaign finance reform and chose not to follow it your first opportunity. •Voted no on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. •Support universal healthcare. •Voted yes on providing habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. •Support granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. •Support extending welfare to illegal immigrants. •Voted yes on comprehensive immigration reform. •Voted yes on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. •Want to make the minimum wage a “living wage.” •Oppose any efforts to privatize Social Security and instead support increasing the amount of tax paid. •Voted no on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax. •Voted no on repealing the Death Tax. •Want to raise the Capital Gains Tax. •Have continually maintained that the surge in Iraq has not succeeded. The above items are part of any political candidate’s basic beliefs. They are “platform” issues. The items below however are, in my opinion, preposterous. Mr. Barack Obama…did you write these things in your book, Dreams of My Father? “I ceased to advertise my mother’s race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.” “I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother’s race.” “There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.”’ “It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.” “I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn’t speak to my own. It was into my father’s image, the black man, son of Africa, that I’d packed all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.” Did you state in an interview with a radio host, “...My Grandmother was a typical white woman...” If you wrote and said these things, I’m sorry, but you cannot be President of these United States, anymore than John McCain could be President if he wrote these things about blacks. In fact sir, with this kind of a mind set, you cannot hold any public office in this country. To do so would be contradictory to all this great country stands for. Did you write the statement below in your book, Audacity of Hope? “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” If you wrote this, again, I’m sorry, but you cannot be President of these United States. Mr. Obama, if you are elected President, you will stand with Americans…not with a race…not with a religion…and not with a political party. Mr. Obama, did you say, “Selma got me born?” Isn’t it true that the march in Selma, AL. had no effect on your birth, as the march took place in 1965? Did you say, “My Father was a goat herder?” I read he was a privileged, well-educated youth, who went on to work with the Kenyan Government? Did you say your Father was a proud freedom fighter? Isn’t it true that he was part of one of the most corrupt and violent governments Kenya has ever had? Did you say your family has strong ties to African freedom? That seems rather contradictory to the activities of your cousin, Raila Odinga, who created mass violence in an attempt to overturn a legitimate election in Kenya in 2007. Wasn’t it the first widespread violence in decades? The current government is pro-American but isn’t Odinga still trying to overthrow it and establish Muslim Sharia law? Isn’t your half-brother, Abongo Obama, Odinga’s follower? Did you really interrupt your New Hampshire campaigning to speak to Odinga on the phone? Is it true that Odinga in Kenya ran for president and tried to get Sharia Muslim law in place there? And, when he lost the elections, didn’t his followers burn Christians’ homes? Didn’t he and his followers burn men, women and children alive in a Christian church where they took shelter? Did you say that your Grandmother has always been a Christian? Tell me, what role did her Christianity play in her being one of 14 wives to one man? Did you say that your name is African Swahili? Isn’t it true that your name is Arabic and ‘Baraka’ (from which Barack comes) means “blessed’ in that language? Aren’t the names Hussein and also Obama Arabic? Did you say, you never practiced Islam? Isn’t it true you practiced it daily at school, where you were registered as a Muslim and kept that faith for 31 years, until your wife made you change, so you could run for office? Did you say in your book that an Ebony article moved you to run for office? Isn’t it true that Ebony has never been able to find this article? Did you say in your book, a Life magazine article changed your outlook on life? Isn’t it true that Life magazine has never been able to find this article? Did you say in your book that you were a Professor of Law and a Constitutional Lawyer? Isn’t it true that you were a Senior Lecturer on Leave in both instances? Did you say, without you there would be no Ethics Bill? That isn’t true either. You did not write it, introduce it, change it or create it. Mr. Obama, I don’t think John McCain is the “sharpest knife in the drawer.” And, I will be most accommodating if you or others have things such as the above that are true that you want me to include in an article outlining who he is and what he stands for. Understand, I am not a moralist. A moralist judges others on right or wrong. I am not judging you. I am blatantly saying the things you wrote are wrong and have no place in the mind set of our President. You have stated you would be the “Great Uniter.” I was a teenager in the 60’s. This is the last period in our country there was so much talk and hatred dealing with race. Where did this come from? I cannot recall John McCain saying a word about race throughout this entire campaign, but I can provide three dozen choice comments you and your supporters have made from making it an issue. Mr. Obama, if this is who you are and these are things you have done and wrote, and you mean them...in my opinion...you can’t be President…ever. And, if the people in this country allow you to be, then may God bless, direct and guide America, more than He has ever blessed, directed and guided her in the past. Thanks for reading. God willing, I will be back next month...

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-07-01 15:11:00

like this allow me to get on my “soap box” and say lots of things. The first thing I want to talk about is oil, its price and why we’re experiencing what we’re experiencing. What about this “price of oil” mess anyway? What’s the real scoop? Like Will Rogers said, “All I know is what I read in the papers.” It’s just that today most every article is tainted in some way, you can’t read anything and get the whole story. You have to get a bunch of them together and assemble the facts for yourself. Or at least, that’s what I think. Maybe that’s the way you’ll feel about this article too. Well you’re right. It is tainted, but I get to do that. My goal however is to present things properly and save you time doing it yourself. I will tell you before I begin, that my company has invested in oil and gas for several years, and these investments produce a nice income, so lower oil prices are not necessarily the “friend” of this nice income. So why am I writing about it? Good prices are going to make a lot of sense when our country’s economy goes to “thunder” and lots of people get hurt. Oil could back up in price to $70 a barrel and there would still be enough left to make it a worthwhile investment. The first thing you need to remember as we talk about this subject is that oil is purchased, sold and traded in dollars (USD). If it were to be traded in Yen, Pesos, Marks or some other currency, it might be different. Since it’s traded in dollars, what has happened to the dollar vs. the euro (the two major world currencies) in the last several years is most significant. In January of 2002, it took $.86 USD to buy $1 Euro. Today, it takes $1.57 USD to buy $1 Euro, an 82% increase. So, if nothing else was factored in...no inflation...no terrorist threats...no oil fields being blown up...no world crisis...just the weakened dollar alone would cause the price of oil to nearly double. Throw in the rest of the considerations and you have the price where it is now. Why has the dollar weakened so much? You have only to recall what happened in Germany towards the end of World War II? Germany was spending money on everything. The infrastructure, all of Hitler’s big dreams, plus the commitment to the military. Germany was on its own currency. They printed so much money, with nothing to back it up, that it was taking wheelbarrows full of the stuff to buy a sack full of groceries. Their currency became worthless. Why has our dollar weakened so much? The first reason is because there are few in Washington who understand fiscal responsibility. Everyone is trying to get earmarks and spending for everything from “soup to nuts.” It’s like looting and hoarding after a catastrophe, only this is going on before one. Now Congress is wanting to give Americans $150 Billion to help them cope with the high energy prices. Where do you suppose they’re going to get that $150 Billion? Do you think they’re going to take a previously budgeted item and rechannel it to this? No. They’re going to print it. It no longer has to be “gotten” from anywhere. And our dollar gets a few cents weaker. Ron Parker, a friend of mine, asked a rhetorical question the other day. He said, “Tell me, what business is there in the world that could spend money on things, without making those expenditures balance with income, and stay in business?” Of course you know...we all know...there is no business that can stay in business if expenses do not match income. What I am or what I believe is most probably of little concern to you. However, before you read the rest of this column, I don’t mind telling you, I have been a Republican all my adult life. Why? There are several reasons, but one is the way the Republican Party is supposed to feel government should allow business and society to work together. The old conservative thinking has always been that if you take care of business (allow it the opportunity to exist, thrive and propagate), business will provide the jobs to keep most everyone employed that wants to be, and these people will earn the income, to provide themselves with what they need, while simultaneously providing them with the opportunities to live out the American Dream. If business and those employed pay their fair share of taxes, there should be plenty to take care of the needs of the populace, the country both domestically and abroad, plus take care of the needs of those who can’t be employed, for whatever reasons. That is...if there is fiscal responsibility from our elected representatives. That means they don’t spend more than they take in. Old Republican thinking says business should be the “dog” and society the “tail.” The “dog” should wag the “tail,” not the other way around. On the other hand, Democrats believe that you first take care of society, and then have business provide whatever it takes to meet society’s needs. Give them everything they want and need, then fund it with taxes, whatever the burden, but stop just short of killing the “goose.” In their view, society is the “dog” and business is the “tail.” To me, there is an inherent problem with this philosophy. Due to concupiscence (derived from the Latin word concupiscentia meaning “a desire for worldly things”), a trait we inherited from the sin of Adam, I don’t think this approach can ever work for the long term. You see, once you begin to take care of someone, their needs are never fully satiated, because they will always want more, whether there is a way to pay for these things or not. So, as more and more is spent on society, businesses and individuals are always playing catch-up to fund it. Maybe that’s why we go along for two or three terms with the Democrats giving it away, then two or three terms where the Republicans restore order to pay for things. Maybe that’s why we work...or don’t work. I don’t know. I don’t get angry about it. It’s just the way our two-party sytem works. I am sure my view is awfully simplistic to the skeptics, but this is what I see as the fundamental difference between the two major parties. Then, mix in all of the other things one does when he/she focuses and concentrates on either business or society, and you get the two parties. The Reform, Libertarian and Progressive parties, and others, are the same, but with different percentages of focus in different areas. Now, what I described used to be the way most Republicans thought. It is not that way any longer. Far too many elected officials...of both parties...are guilty, in the House, Senate and the White House, of not only spending beyond our means, but they are also seemingly in a race to see who can get the most out of our coffers in the way of earmarks and hidden agendas before these coffers dry up and blow away. All the while they’re doing this, they bad mouth the other party to divert attention from what they’re doing. It is a huge sham and so unfortunate. It is also crazy...and getting crazier. I believe in a concept called “the art of futuristic thinking.” Let me explain... The “art of futuristic thinking” is a practice whereby you stand in the present, getting ready to make a decision to do something, and prior to making that decision, you jump to the future (in your mind) and imagine how the decision you’re getting ready to make is going to play out. If this decision is going to cause problems for you in the future (come back to bite you), then (while still in your mind) you go back in time to the past, which really is the present, and make a new decision that is going to work better in the future. You might say by perfecting this practice, you have the power to change the past (which really is the present) and the future. Let’s try it. Take a trip with me into the future (in your mind) with the kind of mentality our elected representatives are displaying today. All of their wonderful habits being implemented in full force: spending without due regard for fiscal responsibility, constant bickering, partisan politics, “porking” up bills to get their hidden agendas and earmarks...and our wonderful media and self-serving people on the sidelines egging them on. The nuts on the right (i.e. O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.) don’t have a job if they don’t attack the far left crazies; and the nuts on the left (i.e. Move On, Keith Obermann, Jesse Jackson, Rev. Wright, Colmes, etc.) don’t have a job if they don’t attack the far right lunatics, as well as sew hate everywhere they can. And everyone talks over everyone! Bill O’Reilly has to be the worst, with Alan Colmes on deck. Why in the world does he invite someone on his show as a guest? He asks them a question and before they have a chance to answer, he gives his answer. Then he ends up saying something like, “But what say you?” Who cares what Bill O’Reilly thinks? He says, “The spin stops here.” What, does he think we’re nuts? All he does is “spin” his “spin.” Lately, he’s been trying to be “kissy kissy” with Obama, thinking he might score a “ratings touchdown” if Barack ever comes on his show. If he does, I promise, Bill O’Reilly’s head is so big, it won’t be at all about Obama...it will be about Bill. He is a hot-headed Irishman, who now believes his charisma is so strong, he doesn’t even bother to get briefed on half of what he covers. All he could talk about following the Hillary interview was, “How did I do?” Bill O’Reilly...here’s some news. A journalist reports and lets the viewers decide, just like a catalyst in chemistry causes a reaction to occur without entering into the reaction. I am a Republican, but he is a joke. Now, I should have a little more credibility with you. I ridiculed one of my own first. Imagine what I think of those “weenies” on the left. I’m sick of all the nonsense that is going on. In the old days, I remember the respect one congressman had for another, although they would debate all day long. He or she would say something like, “I must vehemently disagree with the distinguished Senator from Georgia, for his position on such and such.” I remember the late Representative and Senator Everett Dirksen in the 50’s and 60’s, from Illinois, who was known as the champion filibusterer of all time. While I am sure he never went to this extreme, I always thought he would say (in that deep baritone voice) something like, “I would like to comment on my good friend’s comment, the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, who must not have turned his brain on this morning, for the position he is taking on such and such.” They disagreed with each other on policies and issues, but they didn’t get hateful and personal. It was good, healthy debate...and somehow, the country won out most of the time because of it. Look at what we’re spawning today. This is a mess. Now compound all of this “mess” with our trade deficit, that has reached more than $5 trillion since 2002, which the government must issue securities to underwrite, that foreigners are buying in “boat loads,” and how the weakened dollar and sale of these securities is causing our real estate in our major cities to be bought up in unprecedented percentages by foreigners. 47% of Seattle is owned by foreigners, 24% of New York and 33% of Los Angeles! Are you reading this? Where do you think we’re headed? How do you like this future? Folks...I know this will come as a shock to you...but quite often...countries fail. Few societies have made it longer than 200 to 300 years. Is this how the beginning of the end looks? Let’s go back into the past (in our minds, which really is the present) and do something about it. Here’s what I recommend: 1. Simultaneous with getting back to the days of Eisenhower and Kennedy and respecting the office of President and our elected Representatives, let’s demand that these representatives earn our respect by acting civil towards one another, attacking the policies and working on the issues, but not the person. Let’s force them to immediately take on the philosophy of any prudent businessperson, “You can only spend it or commit to spend it if you have it in the bank.” As soon as they start with the partisan politics, attacking the person instead of the policies, sponsoring spending without having the money to back it, spank ‘em or taze ‘em or fine ‘em. The second time they do it, kick ‘em out. I don’t care who they are. As soon as we begin watching our spending and matching it with income, and balancing our trade deficit, the dollar will strengthen quickly. America will become more solid. Our goods will be worth more intrinsically on the world market. The price of oil, which is traded for in dollars, will come down...for real...and not some artificial lowering like we have seen in the last few weeks. 2. Force the big oil companies to drill and explore for oil on the 68 million acres of Federal land they already lease, instead of lobbying for areas folks don’t want them to drill on yet, like off shore and other pristine areas. Let’s go after these places at the very end, when we’re just about out of all fossil fuels on the planet. If they don’t drill this 68 million acres, the Government should negate the leases and offer them to private drilling contractors. The government’s share of the royalty on this production alone would be all they need to invest in alternative energy (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.). All of the off shore rigs are promised for the next five years anyway. If government opened up every off shore location today, there are no rigs for 5 years! Land rigs are available now. Those who say it’ll take 15 years to start the oil flowing know little about the business. Oil could flow on half of this acreage within six months...lots of oil. The announcement of an aggressive drilling program alone would reduce the price of oil by $30 a barrel immediately. 3. With no advance warning whatsoever, release one half of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) onto the market. Having been a former speculator years ago in bonds, bills, bellies and beans (of which I am not proud of), I can tell you how quickly you would get rid of all of the speculation. It would be like spraying an orchard for pests. You get rid of them for the entire season in a hurry. Let ‘em eat their “puts and calls.” Producers will survive. Speculators will not. Now, the above takes care of the problem quickly, but not for the long term. Look at these stats and connect the dots: The world currently uses 85 million barrels of oil a day, which is equal to the amount that is being produced and refined. That is why our price fluctuates and is so high, demand equals supply. For every billion barrels of reserves we have in the world, we get just shy of 12 days of what the world uses. Did you read this? For every billion barrels of oil reserves we say we have in the world, we get just under 12 days of world use, at 2008 levels. As China, India and other nations continue to grow, along with all of the rest of us, it won’t be long before the world consumes 100 million barrels of oil each day and we only get 10 days of world use from every billion barrels of oil reserve. The obvious question...how many billion barrels of reserve does the world have? According to various sources, the world is estimated to have around 1.2 trillion to 2 trillion barrels of oil reserves. 2 trillion barrels of oil will last the world 55 years if it uses 100 million barrels a day. At 200 million barrels a day in world use, it’s 27.5 years! Folks, like it or not...we better be going “green” in a hurry. While we may have 25 to 60 years left, imagine the last few years when wells begin to dry up. What kind of panic and chaos do you think we will be seeing then? Talking about “green,” that also serves a segue into my next segment on “green tea.” (wasn’t that clever?) Last issue I told you about these guys I met with that were looking for a an anti-aging product and came across green tea. They found that rather than the green tea itself, it was the catechin polyphenols that are in the green tea leaves that is truly the “miracle working” part of the product. These are the things scientists are proving are responsible for lowering the risks of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. They also are proving these suppress antigens, lower cholesterol, boost the metabolism, combat prostate and cervical cancer, lower the risk of high blood pressure and delay diabetes. Over the past 10 years, in a lab in Switzerland, these guys and several other doctors and chemists on their team, were able to produce a tablet that contains 1200 times more potency than any other green tea supplement on the market. It’s pretty hot stuff and getting ready to get a whole lot hotter. Okay, your back up to speed now from the last issue. That’s what they’ve got. Now, let me tell you about what happened to me. Once a guy gets in his 50’s, he learns how to enunciate PSA better than he ever learned how to enunciate PTA or PGA. A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a test that is done to determine the possibility of the presence of cancer in the prostate gland. Men should get them once a year after 50. The results are met with about the same anticipation as hearing what the IRS had to say on your audit. You might squint your eyes a little and turn your head when you ask what happened, but I promise, you want to know. I had my annual PSA test just after the first of the year for the past several years. In January of 2007, my PSA was .4. That’s good. Remember that number and that date. When I went to lunch that day in October of 2007...only ten months later..the guys gave me a bottle of these tablets. I began taking one each day. January of 2008 rolled around. I went in for my annual PSA test. Guess what it was? It was 4.5! I thought, there has to be something wrong here. It wasn’t supposed to go up. It should have gone down. I then thought, with my luck, I probably gave myself prostate cancer by taking these darn pills. Needless to say, I was more than a little concerned. My doctor told me not to get too alarmed. He said he would have me take another test after the first of April. I did. It was 1.4. WOW! That was a whole lot better. He said I would take another one every three or four months for awhile. I am to take another one in a day or two, but I won’t have the results for you until next issue. But then I thought about what had happened. In January of 2007 it was a .4, in January of 2008 it was a 4.5, three months later is was a 1.4, three months later it is what it is. The only “dots” I don’t have are what was it when I began taking the tablets in October of 2007 and what is it now? What if it was a 5 or a 6? What if I hadn’t began taking this stuff? Did I really bring it down from whatever it was in October of 2007 to a 4.5 by January of 2008, and then down (or up) to whatever it is now. Or, what if it was a 2 or 3 in October of 2007...was heading out of control...then a 4.5 in January of 2007...then these tablets kicked in and started bringing it down. I sure wish I knew what it was in October of 2007. I would like to know what it is now. I do know I’m not going to quit taking these tablets. Thanks for reading. God willing, I will be back next month... © Copyright 2001 by YourSITE.com

Answer: Questions like this allow me to get on my “soap box” and say lots of things. The first thing I want to talk about is oil, its price and why we’re experiencing what we’re experiencing. What about this “price of oil” mess anyway? What’s the real scoop? Like Will Rogers said, “All I know is what I read in the papers.” It’s just that today most every article is tainted in some way, you can’t read anything and get the whole story. You have to get a bunch of them together and assemble the facts for yourself. Or at least, that’s what I think. Maybe that’s the way you’ll feel about this article too. Well you’re right. It is tainted, but I get to do that. My goal however is to present things properly and save you time doing it yourself. I will tell you before I begin, that my company has invested in oil and gas for several years, and these investments produce a nice income, so lower oil prices are not necessarily the “friend” of this nice income. So why am I writing about it? Good prices are going to make a lot of sense when our country’s economy goes to “thunder” and lots of people get hurt. Oil could back up in price to $70 a barrel and there would still be enough left to make it a worthwhile investment. The first thing you need to remember as we talk about this subject is that oil is purchased, sold and traded in dollars (USD). If it were to be traded in Yen, Pesos, Marks or some other currency, it might be different. Since it’s traded in dollars, what has happened to the dollar vs. the euro (the two major world currencies) in the last several years is most significant. In January of 2002, it took $.86 USD to buy $1 Euro. Today, it takes $1.57 USD to buy $1 Euro, an 82% increase. So, if nothing else was factored in...no inflation...no terrorist threats...no oil fields being blown up...no world crisis...just the weakened dollar alone would cause the price of oil to nearly double. Throw in the rest of the considerations and you have the price where it is now. Why has the dollar weakened so much? You have only to recall what happened in Germany towards the end of World War II? Germany was spending money on everything. The infrastructure, all of Hitler’s big dreams, plus the commitment to the military. Germany was on its own currency. They printed so much money, with nothing to back it up, that it was taking wheelbarrows full of the stuff to buy a sack full of groceries. Their currency became worthless. Why has our dollar weakened so much? The first reason is because there are few in Washington who understand fiscal responsibility. Everyone is trying to get earmarks and spending for everything from “soup to nuts.” It’s like looting and hoarding after a catastrophe, only this is going on before one. Now Congress is wanting to give Americans $150 Billion to help them cope with the high energy prices. Where do you suppose they’re going to get that $150 Billion? Do you think they’re going to take a previously budgeted item and rechannel it to this? No. They’re going to print it. It no longer has to be “gotten” from anywhere. And our dollar gets a few cents weaker. Ron Parker, a friend of mine, asked a rhetorical question the other day. He said, “Tell me, what business is there in the world that could spend money on things, without making those expenditures balance with income, and stay in business?” Of course you know...we all know...there is no business that can stay in business if expenses do not match income. What I am or what I believe is most probably of little concern to you. However, before you read the rest of this column, I don’t mind telling you, I have been a Republican all my adult life. Why? There are several reasons, but one is the way the Republican Party is supposed to feel government should allow business and society to work together. The old conservative thinking has always been that if you take care of business (allow it the opportunity to exist, thrive and propagate), business will provide the jobs to keep most everyone employed that wants to be, and these people will earn the income, to provide themselves with what they need, while simultaneously providing them with the opportunities to live out the American Dream. If business and those employed pay their fair share of taxes, there should be plenty to take care of the needs of the populace, the country both domestically and abroad, plus take care of the needs of those who can’t be employed, for whatever reasons. That is...if there is fiscal responsibility from our elected representatives. That means they don’t spend more than they take in. Old Republican thinking says business should be the “dog” and society the “tail.” The “dog” should wag the “tail,” not the other way around. On the other hand, Democrats believe that you first take care of society, and then have business provide whatever it takes to meet society’s needs. Give them everything they want and need, then fund it with taxes, whatever the burden, but stop just short of killing the “goose.” In their view, society is the “dog” and business is the “tail.” To me, there is an inherent problem with this philosophy. Due to concupiscence (derived from the Latin word concupiscentia meaning “a desire for worldly things”), a trait we inherited from the sin of Adam, I don’t think this approach can ever work for the long term. You see, once you begin to take care of someone, their needs are never fully satiated, because they will always want more, whether there is a way to pay for these things or not. So, as more and more is spent on society, businesses and individuals are always playing catch-up to fund it. Maybe that’s why we go along for two or three terms with the Democrats giving it away, then two or three terms where the Republicans restore order to pay for things. Maybe that’s why we work...or don’t work. I don’t know. I don’t get angry about it. It’s just the way our two-party sytem works. I am sure my view is awfully simplistic to the skeptics, but this is what I see as the fundamental difference between the two major parties. Then, mix in all of the other things one does when he/she focuses and concentrates on either business or society, and you get the two parties. The Reform, Libertarian and Progressive parties, and others, are the same, but with different percentages of focus in different areas. Now, what I described used to be the way most Republicans thought. It is not that way any longer. Far too many elected officials...of both parties...are guilty, in the House, Senate and the White House, of not only spending beyond our means, but they are also seemingly in a race to see who can get the most out of our coffers in the way of earmarks and hidden agendas before these coffers dry up and blow away. All the while they’re doing this, they bad mouth the other party to divert attention from what they’re doing. It is a huge sham and so unfortunate. It is also crazy...and getting crazier. I believe in a concept called “the art of futuristic thinking.” Let me explain... The “art of futuristic thinking” is a practice whereby you stand in the present, getting ready to make a decision to do something, and prior to making that decision, you jump to the future (in your mind) and imagine how the decision you’re getting ready to make is going to play out. If this decision is going to cause problems for you in the future (come back to bite you), then (while still in your mind) you go back in time to the past, which really is the present, and make a new decision that is going to work better in the future. You might say by perfecting this practice, you have the power to change the past (which really is the present) and the future. Let’s try it. Take a trip with me into the future (in your mind) with the kind of mentality our elected representatives are displaying today. All of their wonderful habits being implemented in full force: spending without due regard for fiscal responsibility, constant bickering, partisan politics, “porking” up bills to get their hidden agendas and earmarks...and our wonderful media and self-serving people on the sidelines egging them on. The nuts on the right (i.e. O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Hannity, etc.) don’t have a job if they don’t attack the far left crazies; and the nuts on the left (i.e. Move On, Keith Obermann, Jesse Jackson, Rev. Wright, Colmes, etc.) don’t have a job if they don’t attack the far right lunatics, as well as sew hate everywhere they can. And everyone talks over everyone! Bill O’Reilly has to be the worst, with Alan Colmes on deck. Why in the world does he invite someone on his show as a guest? He asks them a question and before they have a chance to answer, he gives his answer. Then he ends up saying something like, “But what say you?” Who cares what Bill O’Reilly thinks? He says, “The spin stops here.” What, does he think we’re nuts? All he does is “spin” his “spin.” Lately, he’s been trying to be “kissy kissy” with Obama, thinking he might score a “ratings touchdown” if Barack ever comes on his show. If he does, I promise, Bill O’Reilly’s head is so big, it won’t be at all about Obama...it will be about Bill. He is a hot-headed Irishman, who now believes his charisma is so strong, he doesn’t even bother to get briefed on half of what he covers. All he could talk about following the Hillary interview was, “How did I do?” Bill O’Reilly...here’s some news. A journalist reports and lets the viewers decide, just like a catalyst in chemistry causes a reaction to occur without entering into the reaction. I am a Republican, but he is a joke. Now, I should have a little more credibility with you. I ridiculed one of my own first. Imagine what I think of those “weenies” on the left. I’m sick of all the nonsense that is going on. In the old days, I remember the respect one congressman had for another, although they would debate all day long. He or she would say something like, “I must vehemently disagree with the distinguished Senator from Georgia, for his position on such and such.” I remember the late Representative and Senator Everett Dirksen in the 50’s and 60’s, from Illinois, who was known as the champion filibusterer of all time. While I am sure he never went to this extreme, I always thought he would say (in that deep baritone voice) something like, “I would like to comment on my good friend’s comment, the distinguished Senator from Kentucky, who must not have turned his brain on this morning, for the position he is taking on such and such.” They disagreed with each other on policies and issues, but they didn’t get hateful and personal. It was good, healthy debate...and somehow, the country won out most of the time because of it. Look at what we’re spawning today. This is a mess. Now compound all of this “mess” with our trade deficit, that has reached more than $5 trillion since 2002, which the government must issue securities to underwrite, that foreigners are buying in “boat loads,” and how the weakened dollar and sale of these securities is causing our real estate in our major cities to be bought up in unprecedented percentages by foreigners. 47% of Seattle is owned by foreigners, 24% of New York and 33% of Los Angeles! Are you reading this? Where do you think we’re headed? How do you like this future? Folks...I know this will come as a shock to you...but quite often...countries fail. Few societies have made it longer than 200 to 300 years. Is this how the beginning of the end looks? Let’s go back into the past (in our minds, which really is the present) and do something about it. Here’s what I recommend: 1. Simultaneous with getting back to the days of Eisenhower and Kennedy and respecting the office of President and our elected Representatives, let’s demand that these representatives earn our respect by acting civil towards one another, attacking the policies and working on the issues, but not the person. Let’s force them to immediately take on the philosophy of any prudent businessperson, “You can only spend it or commit to spend it if you have it in the bank.” As soon as they start with the partisan politics, attacking the person instead of the policies, sponsoring spending without having the money to back it, spank ‘em or taze ‘em or fine ‘em. The second time they do it, kick ‘em out. I don’t care who they are. As soon as we begin watching our spending and matching it with income, and balancing our trade deficit, the dollar will strengthen quickly. America will become more solid. Our goods will be worth more intrinsically on the world market. The price of oil, which is traded for in dollars, will come down...for real...and not some artificial lowering like we have seen in the last few weeks. 2. Force the big oil companies to drill and explore for oil on the 68 million acres of Federal land they already lease, instead of lobbying for areas folks don’t want them to drill on yet, like off shore and other pristine areas. Let’s go after these places at the very end, when we’re just about out of all fossil fuels on the planet. If they don’t drill this 68 million acres, the Government should negate the leases and offer them to private drilling contractors. The government’s share of the royalty on this production alone would be all they need to invest in alternative energy (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.). All of the off shore rigs are promised for the next five years anyway. If government opened up every off shore location today, there are no rigs for 5 years! Land rigs are available now. Those who say it’ll take 15 years to start the oil flowing know little about the business. Oil could flow on half of this acreage within six months...lots of oil. The announcement of an aggressive drilling program alone would reduce the price of oil by $30 a barrel immediately. 3. With no advance warning whatsoever, release one half of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) onto the market. Having been a former speculator years ago in bonds, bills, bellies and beans (of which I am not proud of), I can tell you how quickly you would get rid of all of the speculation. It would be like spraying an orchard for pests. You get rid of them for the entire season in a hurry. Let ‘em eat their “puts and calls.” Producers will survive. Speculators will not. Now, the above takes care of the problem quickly, but not for the long term. Look at these stats and connect the dots: The world currently uses 85 million barrels of oil a day, which is equal to the amount that is being produced and refined. That is why our price fluctuates and is so high, demand equals supply. For every billion barrels of reserves we have in the world, we get just shy of 12 days of what the world uses. Did you read this? For every billion barrels of oil reserves we say we have in the world, we get just under 12 days of world use, at 2008 levels. As China, India and other nations continue to grow, along with all of the rest of us, it won’t be long before the world consumes 100 million barrels of oil each day and we only get 10 days of world use from every billion barrels of oil reserve. The obvious question...how many billion barrels of reserve does the world have? According to various sources, the world is estimated to have around 1.2 trillion to 2 trillion barrels of oil reserves. 2 trillion barrels of oil will last the world 55 years if it uses 100 million barrels a day. At 200 million barrels a day in world use, it’s 27.5 years! Folks, like it or not...we better be going “green” in a hurry. While we may have 25 to 60 years left, imagine the last few years when wells begin to dry up. What kind of panic and chaos do you think we will be seeing then? Talking about “green,” that also serves a segue into my next segment on “green tea.” (wasn’t that clever?) Last issue I told you about these guys I met with that were looking for a an anti-aging product and came across green tea. They found that rather than the green tea itself, it was the catechin polyphenols that are in the green tea leaves that is truly the “miracle working” part of the product. These are the things scientists are proving are responsible for lowering the risks of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. They also are proving these suppress antigens, lower cholesterol, boost the metabolism, combat prostate and cervical cancer, lower the risk of high blood pressure and delay diabetes. Over the past 10 years, in a lab in Switzerland, these guys and several other doctors and chemists on their team, were able to produce a tablet that contains 1200 times more potency than any other green tea supplement on the market. It’s pretty hot stuff and getting ready to get a whole lot hotter. Okay, your back up to speed now from the last issue. That’s what they’ve got. Now, let me tell you about what happened to me. Once a guy gets in his 50’s, he learns how to enunciate PSA better than he ever learned how to enunciate PTA or PGA. A PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a test that is done to determine the possibility of the presence of cancer in the prostate gland. Men should get them once a year after 50. The results are met with about the same anticipation as hearing what the IRS had to say on your audit. You might squint your eyes a little and turn your head when you ask what happened, but I promise, you want to know. I had my annual PSA test just after the first of the year for the past several years. In January of 2007, my PSA was .4. That’s good. Remember that number and that date. When I went to lunch that day in October of 2007...only ten months later..the guys gave me a bottle of these tablets. I began taking one each day. January of 2008 rolled around. I went in for my annual PSA test. Guess what it was? It was 4.5! I thought, there has to be something wrong here. It wasn’t supposed to go up. It should have gone down. I then thought, with my luck, I probably gave myself prostate cancer by taking these darn pills. Needless to say, I was more than a little concerned. My doctor told me not to get too alarmed. He said he would have me take another test after the first of April. I did. It was 1.4. WOW! That was a whole lot better. He said I would take another one every three or four months for awhile. I am to take another one in a day or two, but I won’t have the results for you until next issue. But then I thought about what had happened. In January of 2007 it was a .4, in January of 2008 it was a 4.5, three months later is was a 1.4, three months later it is what it is. The only “dots” I don’t have are what was it when I began taking the tablets in October of 2007 and what is it now? What if it was a 5 or a 6? What if I hadn’t began taking this stuff? Did I really bring it down from whatever it was in October of 2007 to a 4.5 by January of 2008, and then down (or up) to whatever it is now. Or, what if it was a 2 or 3 in October of 2007...was heading out of control...then a 4.5 in January of 2007...then these tablets kicked in and started bringing it down. I sure wish I knew what it was in October of 2007. I would like to know what it is now. I do know I’m not going to quit taking these tablets. Thanks for reading. God willing, I will be back next month...

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-06-01 13:45:00

Question: What’s new this month?

Answer: There’s a line from the Disney movie, “The Lion King” that states, “Just can’t wait to be king.” It’s also nice to be the Editor and Publisher of this publication. I get to answer wide open questions like, “What’s new?” I have two things I would like to talk about this month. The first is an excerpt from Lee Iacocca’s new book, “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” I don’t know about you, but I remember a United States that the majority of its citizens were proud to claim and fight for. I remember sayings by those older than I, and yes, even politicians, that rang a different note on the bell than they do today. So when I came across one of these such passages, I thought you might enjoy what I call a “breath of fresh air.” If not, then at least one of us did. “Am I the only guy in this country who’s fed up with what’s happening? Where the h_ _ l is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, “Stay the course”.’ “Stay the course? You’ve got to be kidding. This is America not the d _ _ _ _ d ‘Titanic’. I’ll give you a sound bite: ‘Throw all the bums out!’’ “You might think I’m getting senile, that I’ve gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.’ “The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we’re fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving ‘pom-poms’ instead of asking hard questions. That’s not the promise of the “America” my parents and, yours traveled across the ocean for. I’ve had enough. How about you?’ “I’ll go a step further. You can’t call yourself a patriot if you’re not outraged. This is a fight I’m ready and willing to have. The Biggest ‘C’ is Crisis!’ “Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It’s easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else’s kids off to war when you’ve never seen a battlefield yourself. It’s another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down. On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. This is one h _ _ l of a mess!’ “So here’s where we stand. We’re immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We’re running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We’re losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.’ “But when you look around, you’ve got to ask: “Where have all the leaders gone? Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense?” I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.’ “Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We’ve spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.’ “Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina? Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm. Everyone’s hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn’t happen again. Now, that’s just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you’re going to do the next time.’ “Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing? Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when ‘The Big Three’ referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?’ “Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.’ “I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn’t elect you to sit on your a _ _ _ s and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.’ “What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don’t you guys show some spine for a change?’ “Had Enough? Hey, I’m not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I’m trying to light a fire. I’m speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I’ve had the privilege of living through some of America‘s greatest moments. I’ve also experienced some of our worst crises: the ‘Great Depression’, ‘World War II’, the ‘Korean War’, the ‘Kennedy Assassination’, the ‘Vietnam War’, the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I’ve learned one thing, it’s this: You don’t get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action.’ “Whether it’s building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That’s the challenge I’m raising in this book. It’s a call to ‘Action’ for people who, like me, believe in America. It’s not too late, but it’s getting pretty close. So let’s shake off the c _ _ _ p and go to work. Let’s tell ‘em all we’ve had enough.” Now, on to green tea…as I have stated previously, one of the neatest things about my position as Editor and Publisher of this publication, is that I get to hear and read about all kinds of things I never knew about before. It might be why a composite roof is better than shake shingles, or visa versa. It might be how to size a furnace. It might be what actually happens when your cholesterol is out of control. Since we began publishing, we have received hundreds of answers to questions that lots of people don’t know anything about. Only because I do what I do, do I get to see or hear about them all. Well, the other day I met with some guys who have been working with green tea for the past 10 years or so. I don’t mean in their garages...but in laboratories throughout the world. One was a PHD, one was a scientist and two were in marketing and administration. They began working on this project initially because they were trying to develop an anti-aging product, which of course has been mankind’s quest for centuries. In doing so, they began to diagnose the cellular structure of green tea, which is a product that has been around for centuries. There’s an ancient Chinese proverb that says, “Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one.” It certainly couldn’t have been because of its taste. I was born and raised on a farm south of Sharon, KS. We raised all kinds of livestock and farmed. One of the things we raised for livestock feed was alfalfa. I remember one time taking some alfalfa leaves, drying them out, then boiling them and mixing the concentrate with water like one would do for iced tea. That was the most awful tasting stuff I ever drank in my life. Well, I take that back...I drank some Jim Beam straight one time when I was a kid and I had about the same reaction. So, if the Chinese had to have it more so than food, there must have been another reason other than its taste. So, you ask, what could it be? That’s what I asked these guys. They educated me on the benefits of green tea. It seems as though, “The secret ingredient divined in green tea leaves is catechin polyphenols, which are powerful antioxidants that neutralize free radicals. Epidemiological studies have shown that people who drink green tea may have significantly lower risks of many diseases, including cancer, heart disease and stroke. Green Tea may also suppress antigens, lower cholesterol, boost the metabolism, combat prostate and cervical cancer, lower the risk of high blood pressure and delay diabetes.” Two or three times, I asked, “What?” They would repeat themselves and I would ask again, “What?” I can understand, all they had been doing for ten years was working with green tea and their language was not something a normal person could follow...far too many six-syllable words. But what they told me they found is one ingredient in green tea the rest of the world has not found as of yet, that was responsible for all the benefits of green tea. Everyone thought it was the green tea. It’s actually something else. Wow! “Tell me that again?” I asked. They did. Of course I asked them again...and again. About this point in the conversation, they realized I was having a hard time following something so “simple”, so they began to talk among themselves in even a stranger language, one that consisted mostly of seven syllable words or more. I did garner enough from the meeting to know, what they found was by accident, in a laboratory in Switzerland. They were looking for something else. Once they found it, and recognized what they had found, they developed a way to increase the potency of it by 1200 times any other green tea product or supplement on the planet. Now this is right down my alley. You see, I have lived my life with the motto, “If a little is good, more is better.” I must admit though, it hasn’t been that intelligent of a motto for me. But in the case of this heretofore-undiscovered element of green tea, more is definitely better. So what these guys have is a patent-pending product that will do more to make all of the benefits stated above happen...by a long ways...than any other product on earth. I might have more for you on this subject next month…

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-05-01 13:20:00

Question: What’s new?

Answer: Thank you for asking. As one gets older, he or she looks for new experiences in life. They don’t come along that often. When one does, you want to tell others about it. Such was the case recently. Let me give you a little background information first, then I will tell you what happened. In late February and early March of 1993, my wife (Brenda) and I were in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area with another couple who lived in Wichita but who also owned a condo in Fountain Hills, AZ, just a few miles East of Scottsdale. We had been there several times before with them. Each trip was always loaded with lots of golf, shopping, sightseeing and great dining at the finest restaurants in the area. I had a regular practice of jogging in the mornings back then and did so each morning before the others would get up. The only thing that was different from back home was that each morning as I would get about a mile or so under my belt on this particular trip, I would experience chest pains. I had what doctors called a myocardial infarction in the Fall of 1986. I think I remember this is just another name for a heart attack. Anyway, at that time, the doctors, after doing a heart cath, chose to treat it medicinally as opposed to doing any type of surgery. That was good. I was only 35 and wasn’t looking forward to the operation. This trip to Arizona was about 6 1/2 years later. I tell you this so you will know, when I got these chest pains, they were things I had felt before. I always carried nitroglycerin with me, although I seldom ever took a pill. I think during the entire time since that heart attack in 1986, I had only taken two of them. But that 7 days I was in Arizona, I took one each day, and one day I took two of them. I thought, “Wow, something must be wrong!” When I got back to Wichita, I went to see my cardiologist. I say “my” even though I hadn’t seen him for an office visit since the heart attack. I told him what I had experienced. He thought it best to get me in for a heart cath. He did so the next day, which was on a Friday. When he was finished he came out and spoke to my wife. He said he had found of the four major arteries, two were 100% blocked, one was 90% blocked and the other one was 85% blocked. He told her, “Charlie is very lucky to have been given the opportunity to get this fixed. We need to get him in for bypass surgery immediately.” Now, when someone says something like that to you, if you haven’t been paying too close of attention, you begin to do so right away. Calls were made to surgeons to see who could do it. My cardiologist and his staff were most instrumental and influential in getting me what I learned later to be one of the best there was. The surgery was set for the next morning. I would be the first one in. The operation took about 5 hours. He did five bypasses. I’m not sure but I think that is pretty close to the maximum they can do. Later, when told how many, I was sure “more was better.” I was on a ventilator when I got out of surgery. Brenda said I looked ashen in color and was cold to the touch. She was pretty sure I wasn’t alive. But, I came around. So much so, that the next day I was moved out of intensive care, on the cardiac floor, and was walking around. I was ready to go home. There is another chapter in this story that fits here, but I am not going to go into it as it is not relative to this article. I remember Brenda and I were talking to the surgeon the next day. I asked him, “Doc, how long are these bypasses good for.” He said, “Quite often, they’re good for 8 to 10 years.” Okay, that’s all you need to know about this part of the story. Since the heart bypass surgery, I have had several heart caths where they “looked around” and twice my cardiologist put in a stent or two. I am going to move forward in time to about three weeks ago. I am doing a regular checkup with my cardiologist. I ask him, “You know Doc, I remember asking the surgeon back in ‘93 how long those bypasses are good for, and he told me 8 to 10 years. I have just passed my 15 year anniversary in early March. Don’t you think we ought to check things out and be sure that everything is still okay?” He said, “That makes all the sense in the world. But instead of doing another traditional heart cath, I’ve got a machine that is totally non-invasive, and will tell us all kinds of information, including most all of what we would ever find out with a traditional heart cath.” I said, “Oh yeah, tell me about it.” He did. I scheduled it and had it one week later. Here’s the deal. It’s a machine called a 64 Slice CT Scanner. You have to be off caffeine for 24 hours prior, and all food and drink for two hours before the test. You lay down, they put you into this open tube like thing, and a voice says, “Hold your breath.” Then, about 10 to 15 seconds later, the voice says, “Breathe.” Then they put some die in you intravenously. They let the die circulate a few minutes, then put you in the tube like thing again, with the same voice saying, “Hold your breath.” Then, a few seconds later, it says, “Breathe.” They get you up. They make sure you’re not dizzy and that the die isn’t giving you a problem. They escort you to the front lobby and you’re on your way home or back to the office. One week later, your cardiologist visits with you about what he found. When you see the scans, you won’t believe them! Then, if you’re on good terms with the cardiologist, he might take you on a trip inside your body. I’m serious. They can turn the arteries on the scan a full 360 degrees. They can take you on a trip inside of your veins and arteries. They can show you previous stents and whether or not they are closed, closing or still wide open. You can see what happens inside your artery walls before the stent, and after the stent. You can see your carotid artery and all blockages. You can look at other organs in the body...the pancreas, the kidneys, the stomach, the veins and arteries in your leg, your lungs, your entire body! All of which can be blown up, magnified, or turned a certain way to view everything that might be a problem. All of this made me think of so many people I know who didn’t know they were in trouble. They died. Some died immediately and most unexpectedly. Some appeared to be in perfect health and all of the sudden experienced a massive heart attack. Others were paralyzed from a stroke. One good friend I went to college with almost died from an unexpected complication with kidney stones. He never knew he had them. Yet, when I looked at other scans that are possible with this test, you can see, a sack of things that look like small pebbles. They are kidney stones. The cost of this test for my heart was $400. I later asked my cardiologist, “What if I would have wanted a full body scan? What would it have cost?” He said, “He wasn’t sure, but no more than a couple hundred dollars.” But, insurance doesn’t pay for this test. Why? I don’t know. They will pay for a $7,000 to $10,000 heart cath, but they won’t pay $400 for a non-invasive heart cath. Wow! But, even this is not my point. My point of this entire article is this. Why would anyone not have this test done, whether just the heart or the full body scan, and not find out everything that is going on inside? I am not trying to downplay the cost. $400 is $400, but it is a most insignificant sum when compared to the information that it will provide. As I was driving back to the office after my follow up visit with the cardiologist on my scan I was left with the thought, “Gosh, why would anyone...any longer...die from something that was a surprise?” Of course, I guess I’m like Dennis Miller. “That’s just me. I could be wrong.”

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2008-03-01 09:38:00

Question: How does one know whether or not to consider a long term care policy?

Answer: We get that question quite frequently. The answer is more simple than one might realize. In some situations it’s going to make sense... in others... it will not. It’s strictly a matter of risk management, and there are only 4 ways to manage a risk. You can ‘avoid’ the risk... ‘retain’ the risk... ‘reduce’ the risk... or ‘transfer’ the risk. Sometimes using another situation as an example can make things easier to understand. Suppose you want to get a package across a busy street without going to the pedestrian crossing. The ‘risk’ of course is getting ‘hit’ by a passing car or truck. You can ‘avoid’ the risk by deciding not to cross. You can ‘retain’ the risk by crossing the street and accepting the consequences. You can ‘reduce’ the risk by going to the pedestrian crossing, waiting until the light says ‘walk’, and then crossing. You can ‘transfer’ the risk by asking someone else to take the package across the street for you. While the decision on a Long Term Care insurance policy is similar, the options are not quite as clear-cut. The ‘risk’ of course is the cost of the care. Today, the average cost of nursing home care in the counties surrounding Wichita (Sedgwick, Sumner, Butler, Harvey, Cowley and Reno), varies from $110 per day to $190 per day, depending upon the type and amount of care one needs. The odds of entering a nursing home at some time during one’s life are real. (Sources: Nursing Home Utilization by Current Residence: 2007; Publication #PB 90 163 015, National Center for Health Statistics, October 2006; Aging America, 2006 Ed.; U. S. Department of Health & Human Services; Health Insurance Association of America, 2006): * Of all persons past the age of 65, 7 out of 10 will need care at some time during their lives. * Of all persons past the age of 70, 8 out of 10 will need care at some time during their lives. * Of all persons past the age of 80, 9 out of 10 will need care at some time during their lives. The average length of care for men is about 3.8 years, women average approximately 50% longer. As you can see, avoiding the risk is seldom in the control of the individual. Long term care is very likely to happen to most of us. The second way to manage the risk is to retain it. This means that if some illness, injury or affliction causes you to need long term care, you make the decision to pay for it yourself, out of your own resources. If you determine you can afford to retain the risk there are a couple of questions you need to ask yourself before making your final decision. 1. Is it important I leave anything to those I leave behind? and.... 2. Will it bother me to write a check each month for $3,000 to $6,000 or more (considerably more in the future)... and never know how long I will be writing these checks? Most of us who are faced with the decision of whether or not to purchase a Long Term Care insurance policy grew up in a time when a few cents or a few dollars meant everything. While some of us may have accumulated a sufficient amount of income and assets to retain the risk, the thought of writing a check each month for these kinds of amounts would be unbearable. For some reason, the memory of how we got what we got seems to be indelibly impressed upon our minds. If however you can answer ‘no’ to both of the above questions, retaining the risk may make the most sense for you. The third way to manage the risk is to reduce it. This means you stay healthy, eat right, take your medication, and follow your doctor’s orders. It also means that you explore every avenue from Medicare and your Medicare supplement to obtain as many benefits as possible. Unfortunately, this method of managing the risk does not make it go away. It merely delays it. If you refer to the 20086 Guide to Social Security and Medicare, 36th edition, you will find that benefits are payable in a nursing home for Skilled care only... and for a maximum of 100 days if all of the conditions are met (between Medicare and your Medicare supplement) per benefit period. There are no benefits paid for Simple, Personal, Custodial, Intermediate or Supervised care. Nor are there benefits paid for Assisted Living. It might be interesting to note that only 22% (on the average) of all people who enter a nursing home are receiving Skilled Care. In doing everything possible to reduce the risk, it is always advisable to designate a family member, who is knowledgeable of the benefits under Medicare and one’s Medicare supplement, to investigate all areas of benefit recovery. The fourth way to manage the long term care risk is to transfer it. When transferring the risk to an insurance company, you pay them a small certain loss every month (the premium... for which you can plan for and budget), in return for them paying all or most of the large uncertain loss (the claim... which is the $36,000 to $75,000 or more per year, which would be most difficult or impossible to plan for and budget). If you have income, assets and an estate to protect... if the peace of mind of knowing you have done everything possible to protect these things is important to you... and if you treasure your independence... transferring the risk will probably make the most sense. If on the other hand, you do not have that much to protect... and you can qualify for Medicaid under the income and asset guidelines (to be detailed in a later article)... retaining the risk until your resources are exhausted... then applying for Medicaid... may make the most sense. If you would like to consider transferring the risk to an insuring company... in other words, buying a Long Term Care insurance policy... there are several things you should know... There are approximately 27 insurance companies offering different ‘individual’ Long Term Care insurance policies in the state of Kansas. There is a difference between ‘individual’ and ‘group’ policies. Perhaps one of the biggest differences is that all ‘individual’ policies must conform to The Kansas Long Term Care Act of 1988 (“KLTCA88”) and are regulated by the Kansas State Insurance Commissioner’s Office. The KLTCA88 provided for some uniform guarantees from all policies sold in the state. The Kansas’ Long Term Care Act of 1988 (KLTCA88) applies to all individual policies and guarantees you: * All Long Term Care insurance policies are prohibited from requiring a higher level of care on initial confinement before benefits are provided for a lower level of care * All Long Term Care insurance policies are prohibited from requiring a hospital stay prior to nursing home confinement * All Long Term Care insurance polices may require that care be ordered by a Physician * All Long Term Care insurance policies must be guaranteed renewable * All Long Term Care insurance policies must include a 30-day ‘Free Look’ So, since all policies must conform to these guarantees... they all must be equal, right? No. Next month we will discuss some terms that make a big difference in policies.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2007-12-01 10:04:00

Answer: I received all of these questions the first few days of December...some several times. I thought, you know what?...I’ll just make my answers be my column for the January issue. So here I am. What’s coming in 2008? I really don’t know what all you mean, but I will tell you what’s happening with us and what I see happening “out there.” First, with us. This year we will begin our 8th year of publishing The Q & A Times. We’re kind of proud of that. In that time, we have had more than 300 writers provide us with hundreds of answers to questions about every topic from (like Ol’ Mike Oatman used to say) “hair nets to hip boots.” Each month we continue to receive questions in the mail, emails and over the phone questions from not just here in Wichita, but all over. That is most rewarding. I remember asking the late Kerry Gray, former President of Associated Advertising, when I was doing my due diligence for this publication in the year 2000, whether or not he thought a publication that was totally Q & A would ever be accepted and successful. He said, “Charlie, we live in a world that is demanding information. We have more available now (that was 8 years ago) than we’ve ever had in the history of the world, yet people can’t get enough. Your publication will provide a most unique, non-commercial presentation of information. How can it NOT be successful?” That’s about all I needed to hear back then. Thank you Kerry. You helped a lot of people “breathe easier” throughout your life. That is a great legacy. Thank yous are in order too to our writers, advertisers and more than anything, to each and every one of you readers. What else is coming? I hope the best for all, but I fear personal agendas are changing the world in a way we’ve never seen before. There is more “what’s in it for me” today in most every situation, than there has ever been. Things the majority of our forefathers would have never contemplated are every day occurrences. Take God out of the schools, off our money and out of society. Failure to support our troops who are in harm’s way. I suppose there have always been a few “crazies”, but now, it numbers the millions. Openly calling our President a liar and a traitor. Candidates for public office and those in public office, making vicious, personal attacks on their opponents and anyone holding an opposing view. The press, both left and right, so tainted in their views and presentations...it is almost impossible to get the facts without a “spin”, so each person can make his or her own decisions. Whatever happened to, “Criticize the action, not the person”? What ever happened to an open, respectful discussion of the issues? When I hear and read these things and observe some folks’ actions, I often ask myself, “If this person knew he/she had but 5 minutes to live, and following the five minutes, judgment and an eternity of bliss or torment awaited him/her...is that really how he/she would spend that last five minutes?” I ask this because I ask myself this same question as I do things...which I promise you...are not those of a saint. Spending more time thinking about death, judgment and eternity, does cause me to consider more than I ever used to. Maybe others should try it. I probably just “inflamed” several people. Don’t worry. Send me your comments, pro or con, and I will run them next month, in this exact space...not hidden somewhere in the back of the publication. When is the new Diner’s Magazine coming out? The new issue will be in the mail to subscribers by the time you are reading this article. Diner’s Magazine is now a semi-annual publication, with more than $800 worth of $10 or more off coupons in the back, from a host of some of the finest dining establishments in the city. This issue features more restaurants than ever: Black Angus Grille, Cibola, Granite City, Kobe Steakhouse, La Mesa, Legends, Margarita’s, Monterrey, Old Town Martini, Palomino Grill, Piztros, Players, Red Beans Bayou Grill, Red Robin, Italian Garden, Scotch & Sirloin and Sweet Basil. Diner’s Magazine is sponsored by The Wichita Eagle and published by Chart Marketing, Inc., who is also the publisher of this publication, The Q & A Times. One can view the new issue in its entirety on line at www.dinersmagazine.com. You can purchase a single issue copy at Wichita Area Kwik Shops, Homeland Stores and Leeker’s Family Foods’ locations for $9.95 each, or you can purchase an annual subscription on-line for $17.95, which includes two semi-annual issues ($1,600 worth of $10 off coupons); or a two-year subscription for $29.95 ($3,200 worth of $10 off coupons). Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Diner’s Magazine, is now...with each issue...more than $24,000,000 worth of discounts off food from some of Wichita’s favorite and finest dining establishments, are being released every 6 months in the market. This has never happened in the history of any market, that we know of. There are only a limited number of Diner’s Magazines printed. When you can get as much or more as 100 to 1 return on your money, you probably ought to check it out and get yours before they’re all gone. Finally, one of the most gratifying questions one can be asked is (in my opinion), “How much weight have you lost?”. Of course, it has to be sincere. Well, that’s what I was asked in early December, and continue to be asked. And, since a long enough period of time has expired since I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing, I feel I can tell you with quite a bit of confidence that it might help you too. In November of 2005, a good friend of mine, Ed Martin (who also writes for this publication), called me and said I might be interested in something he found. I said, “Ed, is this one of the multi-level things?” He said, “Yes, it could be, but don’t worry about that. I just want you to try something.” I asked, “What is it?” He said, “Well, you know you have always told me that if I ever find something that will really help you lose weight and you don’t have to worry about keeping it off to call you.” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Well, I think I’ve found it.” Long story shorter...by the next day he was in my office with some patches. We read about them on a web site. The strategy behind these patches is that the center of them are filled with an assortment of natural ingredients that when put against the human body, the body temperature causes them to react with each other, and provide a steady stimulus throughout the day to certain points on the body where you place them, in the same way as does acupuncture, only without the needles and hassle. Nothing enters the body...nothing...ever! This stimulus does a host of things that results in gaining more energy, stamina and endurance, with a side benefit of telling the body when to burn calories, carbohydrates and fat. Anyway, that’s the way I understood it. So I don’t violate too terribly our own criteria of all answers in this publication being from a non-commercial posture, let me just tell you these patches are about the size of a half dollar. They are self adhesive, like a band aid (is that now a generic term?). In any event, there are two patches one wears. One is brown and one is white. You are supposed to wear them from morning to night. You wear them every other day. You peel off the backing and put the brown one about two to three inches below your left clavicle and you put the right one just below your right clavicle. These are two of the eight acupuncture points on your body that you can use. Like I stated, in 2005 they were being marketed as energy patches. Pro golfers, football players, fighters, and many other sports’ figures were using them as a way to improve their endurance and stamina. But Ed told me that a side benefit many were experiencing was weight loss. The following reminds me of “Larry, the Cable Guy.” I thought, “Sure, what’ll they come up with next? I’m not going to put some stupid circle band aids on my body and hope to lose weight!” So, the next morning I put on my first set. I’ve been wearing them ever since. Being a believer that more is always better, I wear them for three days, off a day, then three days, then off a day, etc. What happened? I lost 17 pounds by New Year’s Day, 2006...that was during the holidays and less than 50 days after I began wearing the patches. I never changed anything insofar as eating, drinking or exercise (which is very close to none). I ate and drank what I wanted, as much as I wanted, when I wanted. I just quit thinking about food and drink altogether. I think I had more energy, but I’m not sure. Leroy Goodknight, a good friend of mine and fellow member at Rolling Hills, says I began hitting the golf ball further. I’m not sure about that. But, ever since that time, which has now been over two years, I have maintained that initial weight loss. Sometimes I ask myself, “I wonder how much I could lose if I really watched what I ate and drank?” For a few days I will watch and I will drop another four to five pounds. Then I think, “Gosh, this is like a faucet. I can turn it on and off. I don’t have to worry any longer. If I get out of bounds, it’s controllable.” I have to tell you, I don’t know how much I could lose. I’ve never tried it. I’m happy being right where I am now, even though I should lose perhaps another 20 pounds. I think I know I could, if I wanted to...and that’s a great feeling. Now they have a patch out that controls the appetite. It just attacks a different area of the brain through the same process of stimulation of certain points on the body. The strategy behind these patches is based upon nanotechnology. This type of “programming” is in all kinds of things now. I’ve tried this new patch while still wearing the other patches. You have several different spots on your body that this patch can be used. After trying all of them, mine works best about four fingers below my right kneecap. For me, this patch is one I can wear or not wear, depending upon what I’m trying to do. For instance, I put one on Thanksgiving morning. It worked. Not that I still didn’t probably overeat, but I overate because I always overeat on Thanksgiving. I just didn’t overeat as much. Aren’t I a mess? Well, I could tell you more, but then it would sound like I’m trying to sell you something. I really am not. It’s just that I’ve been on every diet that has ever been invented. I’ve gone up and down like a yo yo. I’ve experienced everything you can ever experience with every one of them. Dieting is painful...I don’t care what anyone says. It’s painful for me to think about. When someone says “diet”, I get a pain between my left eye and my left temple. When someone tells me about a new diet, I don’t listen. These patches are not a diet, but if you diet, they work all the better. You don’t have to exercise, but if you exercise, they work all the better. I don’t do either. The best way I can describe them is that it’s modern day technology mixed with technology that is more than 3,000 years old. It’s completely natural. Nothing goes into the body. It works for me...and the way I hear it, it’s working for all kinds of folks. Have a terrific year!

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2007-12-01 09:11:00

Question: I’ve seen several advertisements on Diner’s Magazine in your publication and The Wichita Eagle. The offer seems too good to be true. How does it work?

Answer: Sometimes the biggest problem a business has in coming up with a new idea is getting people to believe that the offer is really true. Such is the case with Diner’s Magazine. You would not believe how many calls and emails we get from people just like you saying things like, “I can’t believe it,” or asking, “How does it work?”, or “How do you do it?” Here’s the scoop: Diner’s Magazine is now a semi-annual publication that showcases several of Wichita’s premier dining establishments, in a controlled-editorial style. These restaurants seldom coupon...and if they do...they certainly do not issue coupons valued at $10. Interviews with owners, managers and chefs, are blended with articles, recipes and photos for a most interesting read. Previous to this new and upcoming issue (January - June 2008), Diner’s Magazine was a quarterly publication, offering more than $400 worth of coupons in each issue. The annual subscription cost was $29 for the four quarterly issues, which would provide more than $1,600 in coupons. This is the hardest part to understand for most consumers. How can you go out and buy anything and have it worth...in real dollars...more than 50 to 1...immediately...over what you paid for it? Imagine going to the hardware store and buying a garden hose for $30 and coming out and it being worth $1,600. No wonder they think there’s a trick somewhere. But there isn’t. Now, the new subscription offer is for the current issue (Fall 2007, with the more than $400 in coupons), and the next 4 semi-annual issues (all the way through December of 2009...each with more than $800 in coupons), for the same $29. That’s more than $3,600 in coupons, for a better than 120 to 1 return! I guess if there was a credibility problem before, there’s really one now. This credibility problem, however, will be short-lived, as this subscription offer ends December 10, 2007. Each coupon in the magazine is a legitimate $10 savings and complies with one of the following formats: 1. ‘Buy 1 - Get 1 Free’...where the customer buys a $10 or more entrée and gets an entrée of equal or lesser value free; or 2. $10 Off a Specific Item’...where the customer buys an entrée and gets $10 off the price; or 3. $10 Off a Ticket of $30 Or More’...where the customer gets $10 off the food portion only of a ticket totaling $30 or more, where the total includes two (2) entrées or more, and the total does not include taxes or gratuity; or 4. $10 Or More Item Free With Purchase’...where the customer gets a $10 or more item free with the purchase of two entrées. Only 30,000 copies of each issue are printed. When they’re gone...they’re gone. With 30,000 copies, it might also be interesting to note that each issue Diner’s Magazine offers more than $24,000,000 worth of discounts off dining over the next 6 months! You can read more about it at www.dinersmagazine.com.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2007-09-01 14:51:00

I remember reading in July about the new Diner’s Magazine that your company and The Wichita Eagle put out. How did the first issue do? Can you explain again exactly how it works?

Answer: To your first question...very well, thank you. To a publisher, if the next issue is out and ready for purchase or subscriptions, it has done very well. The new single issue copies of our October issue are in the stores, and new annual subscriptions are being taken on-line at www.dinersmagazine.com. We have received hundreds of subscriptions, and the restaurants that we featured were “covered up” in the redemption of $10-off coupons. To your second question...here’s how it works: Diner’s Magazine is a new publication concept sponsored by The Wichita Eagle and published by Chart Marketing, Inc., who also is the publisher of this publication, The Q & A Times. For many years one has been able to get coupons for a variety of fast food items, like burgers, tacos, sub sandwiches, etc. Seldom however does one get coupons of much significant value from the finer dining establishments, for more expensive dining fare. Now you can. In fact, in each issue of Diner’s Magazine, there are more than $400 worth of coupons, each worth as much as $10 or more in value, and valid for as long as January 31, 2008. Diner’s Magazine is a publication that showcases several of Wichita’s premier dining establishments, in what we call, a ‘controlled-editorial style’. Interviews with owners, managers and chefs, are blended with articles, recipes and photos for a most interesting read. The coupons in the back of the issue add huge value to this most unique publication. We only print a limited number of magazines for each issue, but with the number we print and $400 in coupon savings in each, it works out to potentially more than $12 million worth of savings to consumers! Each issue is featured in its entirety on-line at www.dinersmagazine.com. You can get there with your browser or click the link on the home page of The Wichita Eagle, at www.kansas.com. Once there, click the ‘Wichita’ link on the opening page of the site. While the coupons in the back are watermarked and cannot be printed, you can see the tremendous values prior to subscribing or buying a single issue. After your review, you can purchase the current issue at Wichita Area Kwik Shops, Homeland and Leeker’s Family Foods’ locations for $9.95 each, or you can purchase an annual subscription on-line for $29, which includes four quarterly issues, saving more than $10 off the single-issue prices. With as much as $400 in coupon savings in each issue, you end up getting as high as a 40 to 1 or 60 to 1 return on your money, depending upon whether you buy a single issue or an annual subscription. There is also a ‘Deal of The Day’ featured each day on the site that is not advertised elsewhere. It is good for the day it is featured only. Once the link is clicked, the offer appears on screen as a pdf. You merely print it and take it with you to the restaurant and present it as you would any other coupon offer. Wichita is the home to more fine dining establishments per capita than nearly any city in the country. This of course makes it great for the consumer, but sometimes not as great for the restaurants. In addition to the vigilance restaurant management must continually display over quality, service, price, selection and consistency, they must also continually market to attract new customers. Of all the types of marketing available to them (advertising, merchandising, public relations and promotion), none work as great as promotion...the process of creating sampling of a product or service in order to develop long-term users. Giving away a sizeable portion of what they sell is the best way to do this. Many of these coupons are good for $10 off the food portion only of any ticket totaling $30 or more, that includes two or more entrees, where such ticket total does not include sales tax or gratuity. Because the average ticket at most fine dining establishments is at this level or more, this is a most legitimate savings. Redeem one coupon and you have your single-issue price back with 39 coupons left; or redeem three coupons throughout the year in an annual subscription and you have your money back, with 157 coupons left. The mix of restaurants change for each issue. There are only a limited number that can be featured. The restaurants featured for our new October issue are: Black Angus Grille, Chisholm’s, El Gaucho Steakhouse, Kobe’s Steakhouse, Legends, Monterrey, Old Town Martini Steakhouse, Palomino Grill, Piztros, Red Beans Bayou Grill, Red Rock Canyon, Red Robin, Scotch & Sirloin, Ted’s Montana Grill and Yia Yia’s. You may also sign up for e-mail updates about new offers and restaurants in Wichita and other soon to be published Diner’s Magazines in other cities.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2007-06-01 09:43:00

What’s this Diner’s Magazine? I saw an ad in your paper last month for Diner’s Magazine. What is it? How does it work? What restaurants are involved?

Answer: Thank you for your question. Diner’s Magazine is a new publication concept sponsored by The Wichita Eagle and published by Chart Marketing, Inc., the publisher of The Q & A Times. For many years you have been able to get coupons for a variety of fast food items. Seldom however are you able to get coupons of much significant value from the finer dining establishments in a market. Now you can. In fact, in the first Diner’s Magazine issue for Wichita (for sale now on newsstands), there are more than $400 worth of coupons, each worth as much as $10 or more in value, and valid for as long as four months from the date of issue. Diner’s Magazine is a publication that showcases several of Wichita’s premier dining establishments, in a controlled-editorial style. Interviews with owners, managers and chefs, are blended with articles, recipes and photos for a most interesting read. The coupons in the back of the issue add huge value to this unique publication. Each issue is featured in its entirety on-line at www.dinersmagazine.com. For the Diner’s Magazine of Wichita, click the ‘Wichita’ link on the opening page of the site. While the coupons in the back are watermarked and cannot be printed, you can see the tremendous values prior to subscribing or buying a single issue. After your review, you can purchase the current issue at Wichita Area QuikTrips, Kwik Shops and Leeker’s Family Foods’ locations for $9.95 each, or you can purchase an annual subscription on-line for $29, which includes four quarterly issues, saving more than $10 off the single-issue prices. With as much as $400 in coupon savings in each issue, you end up getting as high as a 40 to 1 or 60 to 1 return on your money, depending upon whether you buy a single issue or an annual subscription. There is also a ‘Deal of The Day’ featured each day on the site that is not advertised elsewhere. It is good for the day it is featured only. Once the link is clicked, the offer appears on screen as a pdf. You merely print it and take it with you to the restaurant and present it as you would any other coupon offer. Wichita is favored with more fine dining establishments per capita than nearly any city in the country. This of course makes it great for the consumer, but sometimes not as great for the restaurants. In addition to the vigilance restaurant management must continually display over quality, service, price, selection and consistency, they must also continually market to attract new customers. Of all the types of marketing available to them (advertising, merchandising, public relations and promotion), none work as great as promotion...the process of creating sampling of a product or service in order to develop long-term users. Giving away a sizeable portion of what they sell is the best way to do this. Many of these coupons are good for $10 off the food portion only of any ticket totaling $30 or more, that includes two or more entrees, where such ticket total does not include sales tax or gratuity. Because the average ticket at most fine dining establishments is at this level or more, this is a most legitimate savings. Redeem one coupon and you have your single-issue price back with 39 coupons left; or redeem three coupons throughout the year on an annual subscription and you have 157 coupons left. The restaurants will change for each issue. There is only a limited number that can be featured. The restaurants featured for the inaugural issue are: Black Angus Grille, Granite City, Italian Garden, Larkspur, Legends, Monterrey, Palomino Grill, Piztros, Red Beans Bayou Grill, Red Rock Canyon, Scotch & Sirloin, Sweet Basil, Texas Roadhouse, Timberline Steakhouse & Grill, T.G.I. Friday’s, Tommy’s Restaurant and Yia Yia’s. You may also sign up for e-mail updates about new offers and restaurants in Wichita and other soon to be published Diner’s Magazines in other cities.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2007-04-01 09:49:00

(We received this question several weeks ago, but decided to wait to answer it for this issue, as we begin our 7th year of publishing The Q & A Times) Question: We enjoy reading your publication and the way you have it where is no reason why one article is where it is. It makes you look at every page, which I’m sure is by plan. We particularly like the series you run where a writer writes on a topic for several issues. You should feature more of them. We’ve never seen a paper like yours. How did the idea come about?

Answer: Thank you for your comments. Hearing from readers who enjoy what we produce is one of the biggest highs we get. We do plan to feature more series in the future. How did we get the idea? Although we told the ‘story’ several years ago, since it has been some time, please allow us to tell it again. While it might be a bit difficult to believe, I think the ‘seed’ for the idea happened around 50 years ago. Here’s the story. I was born and raised on a farm south of Sharon, KS (Barber County). Every so often in the summer time, Mom would take us kids to town to visit our Grandma and Grandpa Duckworth. We actually just ran in the front door, said ‘Hi’, and ran out the back door. We had bicycles there that we would ride with some of the kids in town. Once off the farm, we didn’t want to lose a minute. A couple of blocks from our grandparents’ house (there weren’t too many blocks in the entire city of Sharon), was Shirley Hart’s Derby Filling Station (Shirley was a real nice man, the owner and always hummed while he worked). There each day, under the canopy, on two wooden benches, sat several of the older men in town. Among them was my Grandpa Duckworth. After I would ride for awhile, I would most always end up stopping by, sitting on my bike and listening to them. They talked about everything, from the price of wheat and livestock - to things confronting the little town of Sharon - to why someone got more flat tires (that Shirley had to fix) than anyone else in town. I thought they were the smartest people I knew. Over a period of a couple of years, two of them died. It seems as though I have always been preoccupied with death. I thought, as I continued to listen to the men who were left, the two that died were no longer here. They were no longer of this world. All of their experiences and all of their knowledge...gone. What a shame! Now keep in mind, I am listening to these older men, sitting on my bike, next to the old gasoline pumps. At different times, folks would pull up in their cars and trucks and Shirley would put in a dollar or two worth of gas. I thought, “You know, if those old pumps could be turned on in reverse, and the nozzle stuck in these men’s ears, all the knowledge they have could be sucked out, stored in a tank and the folks that come along after them wouldn’t have to re-learn these things. They would just ‘fill ‘er up from the tank’. Wow, I thought. How fast could we all move then!” In the late 90’s, I was writing articles on Senior Living (Assisted Living, Independent Living and Skilled Nursing Care) for several newspapers throughout the country. Among other clients in other industries, our advertising agency performed marketing services for several Senior Living firms throughout the country. This, together with being fully-licensed as a Life, Health, Property & Casualty agent, specializing in Senior products, made me rather qualified to write on not only the types of care folks could, would and did receive’, but also ways to pay for this care. My articles went from being a headline with supporting editorial, to using the questions I received as the headlines, and the answers as the editorial. This produced even more questions. I then began to think (which is sometimes dangerous), “Why couldn’t we produce an entire publication of questions and answers about every subject (like Ol’ Mike Oatman used to say) from ‘hair nets to hip boots’?” Who would answer the questions? The people who own and operate their own businesses, of course. After all, who knows more than they know about the topics? They have been schooled and trained on all aspects relating to everything to do with their products and services. They know which shortcuts one can take and which one cannot take. All I would have to do is to be sure the answers were credible and that they didn’t get commercial. So I set up the criteria that their answers could not use the pronouns of ‘I’, ‘We’, ‘Ours,’ or ‘Us’, and they couldn’t use the name of their business, products or services in their answers. Thus all we would have is information and education. Readers would be glad to get the information, especially in a non-commercial fashion. Good will would be induced by these businesses, owners and operators to the readers, which is the very definition of public relations. Then, a few pages away from their Q & A, they would have an ad that would tell the reader who they were, what they did and what they wanted the reader to do with the information. The businesses would get a two-pronged marketing approach, one of public relations for taking the time to answer a question from a non-commercial standpoint informing and/or educating the reader, and their ad. No other media offered this to an advertiser. That’s how we started and how we have kept things going today...as we begin our 7th year of publishing our paper. We have featured hundreds of answers, from hundreds of writers, to hundreds of questions. Every one of them can be found at our website, www.theqandatimes.com, categorized by both subject and writer. That’s our ‘tank’. Our writers are analogous to the older men in Sharon. These writers are some of the smartest people I know.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2006-10-01 15:18:00

Do you have any comments or thoughts you would like to share on events that have occurred since your last issue?

ANSWER: Yes. I would like to comment on two things in particular. First, the tragic loss of one of our religious writers we have had since June of 2002, Dr. Nabil Seyam. Dr. Seyam was the director of the Board of Administration of the Islamic Society of Wichita and Co-Founder of the Annoor Islamic School. He was the recipient of the Leader of the Year in 2002 in Wichita and most recently was the recipient of the Community Servant Award by the University United Methodist Church in 2003. Dr. Seyam was selected for the Community Servant Award because of his active role in peace-building and multiculturalism throughout Kansas. He was an adjunct instructor for Pittsburg State University and Wichita State University. He was married and had six children. Dr. Seyam was killed in an accident on Friday, October 13th, 2006, as he was returning to Wichita from a religious service in Norman, Oklahoma. Over the years he answered questions for us nearly every month, along with our other religious writers. His contributions in this area often gave a unique perspective from the Islamic point of view. In addition to his writings, he provided input for our publication as it began to 'crawl' and then stand up and 'walk'. He was dedicated and focused in his work. He will be missed by many. Our writers are not paid. They do it for the love of providing information and education to our readers. The only thing they receive is a very infrequent 'thank you'. While I thanked him, as I try to do all of our writers, each month, I would like to thank him again. Thank you Nabil, for all you did for us, our readers, and all of the others you influenced throughout your life. Secondly, I would like to comment (or gush) on an email I received the other day from a former associate. He had sent it to me and several other former and current associates throughout the country. Maybe one of the best things about our country is how people can remain friends and associates, yet still have different beliefs. Or, at least they used to be able to do so. I trust after my comments, we will be able to as well. Here was his email: "This is regarding the latest bill passed for Bush. This is very sad." There was a link in his email to a transcript from a story recently broadcast by Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. The link was When the link is clicked, you see a synopsis of the story, and then the story in its entirety. “Keith Olbermann has been calling it like it is”, the synopsis stated. “His ‘Special Comments’ are indeed special because no other talking head outside of Cafferty is willing to step up to the plate and say what needs to be said on 24/7. ‘Your words are lies, Sir. They are lies, that imperil us all.’” Mr. Olbermann’s story...or should I say butchering of President Bush...was about the President’s signing of the Military Commissions Act and the supposed loss of Habeas Corpus. As I read the story, I was overwhelmed by many thoughts and feelings. Since it happened about the time this publication was going to press, and I could make room, I decided to share them. The first thought was how disrespectful and unkind we, as a society, have become to our neighbor, to anyone in any kind of a position of authority, and to anyone with an opposing view. There isn’t much ‘common decency’ anymore. We may have read a few of these kinds of stories 30, 40 or 50 years ago, but now we have our pick of dozens each day. Next I thought about World War II and all that I read and learned in school and since about it and the people who lived it. I wasn't born until 1950, so what I read and learned is all that I have. But I do remember how most every citizen got involved and united behind our government to stop extremists in a handful of countries from taking over the world. Men and women did not have to be coerced or threatened to fight, or to lend their bodies and blood to support the war effort. Dissension was minimal. There were a host of remedies that had to be taken to keep us safe and successful in our efforts. Some of these remedies limited our rights for a period of time; some limited our liberties; and some limited things we had been enjoying (i.e. gasoline, tires, sugar, etc.). But it was war. People understood. It was America’s way...to unite behind a common cause. I have spent most of my life around those who lived that period of time. I have yet to find one who has ever said anything but that they were proud and willing to do their part to win the war and stop the aggression that would have taken over the world. Maybe the attitudes of today are the result of many people not believing the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and against terrorism are real. Maybe, because so many are so far removed, serving their own selfish agendas, they think these conflicts and efforts are some kind of a police action instead of war. I thought, “Ask the men and women who are fighting them? Ask their families. Ask the families of those who have died and who have been wounded.” I then thought about these agendas and how often they are ruled by the 7 deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth; and fed by the never-ending pursuit of materialism. I had recently done some research on ‘The Fall of The Roman Empire in 476 A.D.’ I thought how many of the things we see and experience today happened then as well. There is a site that describes it in great detail at http://killeenroos.com/1/Romefall.htm. Like then, moral decay in our society is rampant. There are sorts of agendas. There is little thought about God and His plan for all of us. When someone does try to think about God, someone else is generally trying to remove the thought, or any reference to God. “Wow”, I said to myself as I was reading and re-reading his story, “What have we become?” I thought about the email, postal mail and phone calls I will receive from those who will criticize me for mentioning God in this article. I always get them when I do. That is a ‘no no’ in most situations. “Not for me”, I thought. I will take their ‘spears’. No matter what I'm hit with, I pray that God will be part of my life through my last breath. My beliefs are solid. Theirs may not be. If that is the case, they might want to consider what the French novelist and playwright, Albert Camus, said. “I would rather live my life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't, and die to find out there is." I thought about how I wished I could say I have not committed any of the 7 deadly sins throughout my life. Then I thought, “If only I could say I don’t commit them any longer.” I couldn’t say either. In fact, I have no doubt I have been among the biggest sinners God ever created. Not only have I committed these sins, but I have committed lots of others as well. I thought about how, when I was a child, I used to get spankings - quite frequently, in fact. Dad never spanked. It was always Mom. That was in the days when a parent could spank a child without fear of retribution from a dozen different sources, including the child himself. God knows I needed those spankings, and I am now grateful to my mother for giving them to me. I remember asking Mom after one such spanking, when she was reaffirming her love for me, "Sometimes I don't know whether I am doing something wrong or not. How do I know?" I will never forget what she told me. She said, "Imagine you are getting ready to do, think, or say something. Imagine me to be a little person sitting on your shoulder seeing and hearing everything. If you would still do it, think it, or say it, knowing that I am seeing and hearing everything, it is right. If you wouldn't do it, think it, or say it, knowing I am seeing and hearing everything, it is wrong." It still works today, even though I do a lot of things wrong. I thought how great it would be if all of us, in all walks of life, would use this practice and method of determining what is right and wrong? It doesn’t necessarily prevent a wrongdoing, but it does, without a doubt, let the wrongdoer know when he or she is getting ready to do something wrong. Yes, it is true that I lean to the ‘right’ more than I do the ‘left’, but more importantly...I lean to having respect for each other...our elected officials...and our country. There are a lot of things I don’t like about the ‘right’ either. I do not buy in to Bill O'Reilly of FOX News, when he says, "The spin stops here", when all he does is provide his own spin. His broadcasts are not fair and balanced. They serve his agenda and the agenda of the 'right', just as the 'left' and the liberals serve theirs. I then thought, “If I am going to climb on a soapbox, I also want to be sure and say that I strongly disagree with the style of interviewing that has become so prominent on so many news programs today. A question is asked and before the interviewee has a chance to answer completely, the interviewer talks over them or interrupts them. Bill O’Reilly may be the biggest infractor. Everyone ends up yelling at each other. Isn't a journalist supposed to report both sides of an issue with equal enthusiasm? If one is not going to listen to what a guest has to say, why invite them? If there isn’t enough time to get in all of the segments, cut down the number. These ‘spins’ and ‘agendas’ are not all wrong, nor are they all right. But how do you know?” I thought about how many times I have been accused of making things too simple. Nonetheless, if I have the opportunity to vote for a candidate for any office; watch a news program; listen to anyone talk about anything; or support anyone for any cause, who has the slogan of, “It’s not that hard to do what is right”...I will vote, watch, listen and/or support with more enthusiasm than you can imagine. I don’t have all of the answers, nor does any one person, but I know I want to get back to the days of getting goose bumps when I watch a ‘fly over’ as the national anthem is being sung at a sport’s contest. I doubt my associate had any idea of the number of thoughts and comments his email would cause me to have.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2006-06-01 10:04:00

: My nephew just told me about a new TV Network that is coming to Northwest High School. What's this all about?

ANSWER: WOW, news travels fast doesn't it?  The NWHS TV Network is actually not in existence yet, but will be on August 15th, 2006, the first full day of school for the 2006-2007 year. As you might imagine, NWHS stands for the Northwest High School TV Network. It began with an idea, accompanied by some donations. Northwest High School has a beautiful commons area just inside the front doors of the school. This is the 'hub' of most all the activity at Northwest. It's where meals are served; students and faculty attend educational and informational meetings and presentations; and where a wide variety of other events are hosted.  In early 2006, some donations were received to assist in overall student development at Northwest. A decision was made to purchase two Big Screen TVs, and put one at each end of the commons area. Originally, these were going to be used only for formal and informal presentations of a wide variety of topics. Once installed however, the ideas began to flow. Jim McNiece, the principal, along with several members of the faculty, parents and a handful of businesses met on several occasions and began to ponder just how far this project might go. It wasn't long before the question that started it all was raised: "What if we were to create our own internal television network?" The idea was more fully explored and discussed over the next several weeks. The cost, for a package of hardware and software called SCALA that could make the network 'happen', was committed to by the area Papa John's Pizza Restaurants and AT&T. The idea was submitted and approved by the board. The equipment was ordered and arrived June 1st. It is being made ready at this writing, and later this month, students and faculty will be thoroughly trained on all that it can do. A ceremony to 'throw the switch' on the new network will take place in mid-August at Northwest. The NWHS TV Network will reach an audience of over 1,500 students, faculty and staff each school day. Additionally, larger and more diversified audiences will be reached at other times. The regular broadcast day during school will be from 7 to 8 AM, mid morning break (s), lunch, and from 3:10 to 3:30 in the afternoons. During this time, a wide variety of student-produced, state and federal programming will be broadcast. Integrated into the programming will be commercials which will be sold to area businesses. The net revenue from the sale of these commercials will go into the General Activity Fund at Northwest, hopefully eliminating many of the projects that require students to knock on doors and solicit contributions from family, friends and the public at large. The operations of the NWHS TV Network, with the SCALA equipment, will become part of the curriculum. Students will be trained on everything from production and editing to marketing and administration. Funding is available from several State and Federal sources to assist as this concept expands and works its way into the future.  Interviews with several area businesses show a high level of excitement about the network. The age group from 14 to 18, is not the most easily reached, and to do so can often be quite expensive. Now it can be done most efficiently. Businesses such as movie theatres, fast food and sit-down restaurants, other entertainment venues, armed forces, electronics, cell phones, technology, music, video games, sports, automotive, banking and colleges are most interested. Not only is the cost to reach this audience most efficiently priced, with a low percentage of commercials to programming, but all of the net proceeds go to help the school and its support of the very audiences targeted. 

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2006-03-01 08:45:00

QUESTION: We're in our mid 50s.  While we've read a lot about the need for long-term care insurance, we have almost decided we don't need it. How bad of a decision could that be?

ANSWER:  It all depends upon your situation. It may the right decision, then again...it may be a very wrong decision.   The other day I was working work with a couple like you in their mid 50s. They too, were having a hard time understanding the need for a long-term care policy. In order to make the point of how long-term care costs could affect them, I said, "What if your electric bill was $12,000 per month?  What would you do?""That's ridiculous!" she said.  I replied, "I would hope so, but what if it was?  What would you do?"  "There's no way we could pay it," he said.  "So, would you move in with the kids, or would all of you move together in one giant commune and share the expense…or…what would you do?""That wouldn't even work.  No one could afford to pay such an expense, and continue to pay it every month," he said."That's exactly what long-term care for a loved one can do to a family," I said. "The average costs of long-term care (nursing home, assisted living, memory-impairment care) in the counties surrounding and including Sedgwick County (Butler, Harvey, Reno, Kingman, Sumner) ranges today from $30,000 per year to $60,000 per year.  This might seem like a lot but rates here are among the lowest in the country. The scary thing is when you add the impact of inflation on these rates over the next 30 years (when most people in their mid 50s today will require such care). For more than 30 years these rates increased at an average rate of 3 1/2 percent. Over the last few years they have increased at the rate of over 7 percent. What happens to $30,000 to $60,000 per year at just 3 1/2 percent for 30 years? The costs turn in to $80,000 to over $150,00 per year! $150,000 per year is more than $12,000 per month," I said.Sometimes a person has to imagine something more tangible before he or she will accept the possibility of a problem less tangible.  This couple is no different than many couples in their late 40s, 50s, and early 60s...the 'Baby Boomers.’ They have planned and worked or are working for a comfortable retirement.  They want it better than what Mom and Dad had, and...when they turn 65 (or before), they want to be retired with a comfortable income.  Once they get on Medicare, assuming they have paid off their mortgage, they should pretty well have things taken care of...except in the event of a long-term care confinement for one or both of them.   Such an expense for just one person in 30 years, using the average today's average time a person receives long-term care at home or at another site could cost well over $500,000...or well over $1,000,000 if both husband and wife need the care. Most could not plan to pay that kind of an unexpected expense out of income and savings.  So, what does one do? As with any risk, there are four ways one can manage it:1. Avoid the risk - Sometimes this works. For instance one can avoid the risk of getting hit by a car when crossing the street if he or she elects not to cross the street. According to statistics, this doesn’t appear to be the case with long-term care. The odds of needing this type of care sometime during one’s life are real. (Sources:  Nursing Home Utilization by Current Residence: 2005; Publication No. PB 90 163 015, National Center for Health Statistics, October 2005; Aging America, 2004 Ed.; U. S. Department of Health & Human Services; Health Insurance Association of America, 2005):• Of all persons past the age of 65, 7 out of 10 will need long-term care some time in their lives.• Of all persons past the age of 70, 8 out of 10 will need long-term care some time in their lives.• Of all persons past the age of 80, 9 out of 10 will need long-term care some time in their lives.The average length of stay for men in a Nursing Home is about 3 years, women average approximately 50 percent longer (Note: This time does not include time spent at home prior to confinement).As you can see, avoiding the risk is seldom in the control of the individual. 2. Retain the risk - This would mean do nothing and take your chances on not needing the care. Then, if some illness, injury or affliction causes you to need long-term care, you pay for it yourself, out of your own resources. If you determine you can afford to retain the risk there are a couple of questions you probably need to ask yourself before making your final decision.  1. Is it important that I leave anything to those I leave behind? and....2. Will it bother me to write a check each month for $3,000 to $6,000 or more (considerably more in the future)...and never know how long I will be writing these checks?While you may have accumulated a sufficient amount of income and assets to retain the risk, the thought of writing a check each month for these kinds of amounts for most would be unbearable.  For some reason, the memory of how one got what he or she has seems to be indelibly impressed upon one’s mind.If however you can answer ‘no’ to both of the above questions, retaining the risk may make the most sense for you.  3. Reduce the risk - This means you stay healthy, eat right, take your medication, and follow your doctor’s orders. It also means that you explore every avenue from Medicare and your Medicare supplement to obtain as many benefits as possible. Unfortunately, this method of managing the risk does not make it go away. It merely delays it. If you refer to the 2006 Guide to Social Security and Medicare, 34th edition, you will find that benefits are payable in a nursing home for Skilled care only...and for a maximum of 100 days if all of the conditions are met (between Medicare and your Medicare supplement) per confinement period. There are no benefits paid for Simple, Personal, Custodial, Intermediate or Supervised care.  Nor are there benefits paid for Assisted Living. It might be interesting to note that only 22 percent (on the average) of all people who enter a nursing home are receiving Skilled Care. In doing everything possible to reduce the risk, it is always advisable to designate a family member, who is knowledgeable of the benefits under Medicare and one’s Medicare supplement, to investigate all areas of benefit recovery. 4. Transfer the risk - When transferring the risk to an insurance company for a long-term care policy, you pay a small certain loss every month (the premium...for which you can plan for and budget), in return for them paying all or most of the large uncertain loss (the claim...which is the $30,000 to $60,000 or more per year), which would be most difficult or impossible to plan for and budget.   So, what is a typical monthly premium for a long-term care policy? It depends upon several factors, such as age at application, current health, daily benefits selected, benefit period selected, elimination period, and a host of different options. Here is an example from one company, for a couple, both 55, in good health (preferred rates), with $100 per day in benefits, payable for life, with a 5 percent inflation rider where daily benefits are compounded 5 percent each year, for as long as each spouse lives, with premiums for both waived if one is on claim, with a zero-day elimination period (benefits payable immediately when the policy is needed), would be around $360 per month. In this example, by the time the couple gets to age 85, which is the average age of needing this type of care, each policy would pay in excess of $12,000 per month for the cost of care, at home, in a nursing home, or in an assisted living residence...or double that if each spouse is confined.That is what is meant when it is said, the insured trades a small certain loss each month (the premium), which can be planned for and afforded, to the insurance company who will pay the large uncertain loss (the claim), which few could plan for or afford. If neither spouse needs this type of care until they are both 85, they would have paid total premiums of around $130,000. If then, between both spouses, they need 11 months of care, they would be ahead. If they need the policy before age 85, it takes even less months of care to break even. If you have income, assets and an estate to protect...if the peace of mind of knowing you have done everything possible to protect these things is important to you...and if you treasure your independence...transferring the risk should be considered. If on the other hand, you do not have that much to protect...and you can qualify for Medicaid under the income and asset guidelines...retaining the risk until your resources are exhausted...then applying for Medicaid...may make the most sense.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2006-02-01 15:30:00

QUESTION: I just finished reading your ‘Best Vendors’ article... it was good stuff. I’ve got another idea. How about running a ‘Best Tips’ list? I’m in business  and have been for many years. Whether at the office or at lunch, I hear tips all the time, things like “try the Shrimp Scampi at such and such a restaurant,” or “instead of upgrading to the latest version of a piece of software, buy something else instead.”
I am sure there are tips too on the negative side. Things like “don’t buy suits from such and such a salesperson if you want them to fit.” So to keep everything positive, maybe...if you elect to honor my request...you can just print the positive tips.
I think people might use these tips as much or more as they use the best vendors list.

ANSWER: You know what I find that is always amazing? It’s how many times businesses lock their selves up in meeting rooms and board rooms and try and figure out what the consumer wants. But most often, this input leaves out the most  important person involved...the consumer. Thank you for your suggestion. I think you have a great idea.One thing should be certain, with no limits on the subject matter of these ‘tips,’ we may not be able to print all we receive, even if we printed them for the balance of the year.I can see tips for starting a business; tips for picking a college; tips on managing a budget; tips on places to eat and things to order; tips on working with people; tips on business exit strategies; and on and on.We will again, as we always do, keep anonymous the person’s identify who is giving the tip. But it will be important for the person furnishing the tip to include all of the information for someone to act upon the tip.For instance, if you are going to give a tip about a hamburger you feel is one of the best served in Wichita, you will need to identify it, the name of the establishment that serves it, the address, phone, Web site and any other information of which you are aware or can easily find.We will print all that we can in our April issue. Then, what might be a follow-up, a list of comments from those who acted upon the tips. That could be even more fun.At the end of this article, you will find a ‘Best Tip’ form. Please complete it in its entirety. Then mail or fax it to the address or number listed.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2005-12-29 10:52:00

Question: The other day our staff was discussing our vendors - how some of them are just 'so-so' in the areas of service and professionalism, and how others 'shine' much brighter. Of all the lists  put out by the business publication in Wichita, wouldn't it be great to get a list of everyone's top vendors for 2005? While I am sure these other lists are great and used for a variety of purposes, no list would be used more by us, and probably by most businesses, than a ‘best vendor’ list of all types of businesses. We are always searching for companies that not only want our business, but who are also considered 'tops' in the areas of service and professionalism, by the companies they serve. While price is the deciding factor much of the time, it's not the only factor. Since the other publication puts out the types of lists they do, why doesn't The Q & A Times put out a 'best vendors' list?We answered that we thought it was a great idea, and agreed to do so, with only two rules:        1) The businesses who nominated the businesses as their best vendors, would remain anonymous; and                2) The only criteria for nomination would be that they excelled in the areas of service and professionalism.Of course we had no idea we would get the response that we did. We have been most pleased. We were still receiving more nominations as we went to press. We will not be able to print them all in this issue, so we will continue

Answer: Last month we received a question by a business person to put together a list of other businesses' Top Vendors for 2005, who excelled in the areas of service and professionalism. This person's thought was businesses are always looking for other choices, and if they had a list of best vendors from other businesses, it would be a great head start to get better acquainted with some of these choices. Here is the question we received:Question: The other day our staff was discussing our vendors - how some of them are just 'so-so' in the areas of service and professionalism, and how others 'shine' much brighter. Of all the lists  put out by the business publication in Wichita, wouldn't it be great to get a list of everyone's top vendors for 2005? While I am sure these other lists are great and used for a variety of purposes, no list would be used more by us, and probably by most businesses, than a ‘best vendor’ list of all types of businesses. We are always searching for companies that not only want our business, but who are also considered 'tops' in the areas of service and professionalism, by the companies they serve. While price is the deciding factor much of the time, it's not the only factor. Since the other publication puts out the types of lists they do, why doesn't The Q & A Times put out a 'best vendors' list?We answered that we thought it was a great idea, and agreed to do so, with only two rules:        1) The businesses who nominated the businesses as their best vendors, would remain anonymous; and                2) The only criteria for nomination would be that they excelled in the areas of service and professionalism.Of course we had no idea we would get the response that we did. We have been most pleased. We were still receiving more nominations as we went to press. We will not be able to print them all in this issue, so we will continue to print them in future issues until we recognize all of those we received. The first segment of these vendors are on Page 5.Depending upon the continued response, we we may keep it going. If you have a vendor you believe has excelled in the areas of service and professionalism, and you would like to give that vendor a big 'attaboy,' use the form below. Please complete one for each vendor. Then mail it to the address listed, or fax it to (316) 721-2671.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2005-12-01 14:36:00

: The other day our staff was discussing our vendors - how some of them are just 'so-so' in the areas of service and professionalism, and how others 'shine' much brighter. Of all the lists  put out by the business publication in Wichita, wouldn’t it be great to get a list of everyone’s top vendors for 2005? While I am sure these other lists are great and used for a variety of purposes, no list would be used more by us, and probably by most businesses, than a best vendor list of all types of businesses. We are always searching for companies that not only want our business, but who are also considered ‘tops’ in the areas of service and professionalism, by the companies they serve. While price is the deciding factor much of the time, it’s not the only factor. Since the other publication puts out the types of lists they do, why doesn’t The Q & A Times put out a ‘best vendors’ list?

ANSWER: What a great idea! Thank you.You are right. So often, businesses continue to do business with the same vendors because that's the way it's always been. We hear it too. If prospective vendors could get close to the same price as present vendors, many businesses would swing their business to a new vendor, if they could get better service and be taken care of more professionally. Over the years, we have received lots of good suggestions and ideas from our readers. This has to be among the best. We’ll do it. But to make it most useful, we will need to hear from as many businesses as possible. We reach a lot of them. In addition to the thousands of households that receive The Q & A Times, whether inserted in a publication to which they already subscribe, or by direct mail, our publication goes to as many as twice the number of businesses as does any other publication in the market. We need to hear from each of you. In building the criteria for this list, we have only two rules for submitting names:1. The individual (and his or her company) who nominates the businesses as their Best Vendors of 2005, will remain anonymous. After all, we are not wanting to alienate any vendor by a business nominating another vendor; and2. The only two attributes to consider for those businesses being nominated are their service and professionalism displayed in 2005. We need to know the name of the vendor, the primary contact's name, the vendor’s address, phone number and e-mail address if they have one. Then, in 25 words or less, why they are your best vendor, or one of your best vendors, of 2005.Think about it. Who was always there when you needed them last year? Who was it that you could always depend on, whether in a crisis or just regular everyday business? What vendor's employees were most always courteous and professional in all that they did when taking care of you and your needs? Were they a printer? A technician? An insurance company? An investment firm? A freight line? A graphics or design firm? An outsource?Consider every vendor you used for 2005. They got paid for doing what they did, but here's a chance to give them an 'attaboy' they should treasure.I've got our best vendor of 2005 for our company. How about you?We have placed a form for you to use to nominate your vendor or vendors, below. Complete a form for each vendor you nominate. Please limit your total submissions to three vendors per company. We need to receive your submission(s) no later than January 15, 2006. As stated previously, you and your business will be kept anonymous, just as we do the names of those who send us questions. Complete all areas of the form, then fax it to (316) 721-2671.If you would like to send an e-mail, you may send it to editor@theqandatimes.com. Be sure to include all of the information on the form.We will print the entire list of 'Best Vendors of 2005' in our February issue.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2005-02-01 11:24:00

: Is long-term care a serious threat to most people?

ANSWER: If you already have a condition that forecasts a high likelihood of needing long-term care, you've gone a long ways towards answering the question yourself.  These conditions might include but not be limited to such things as high blood pressure, heart conditions, arthritis, cancer, memory impairment, etc.  But what if you are in good health… how big is the threat then?  I answer it the only way I know how… it is a matter or risk management.  For instance… 1 in 88 houses will have a major fire this year.  1 in 70 cars will be involved in a major accident.  1 in 2 people will need convalescent care after age 65.  If these numbers are not staggering now… they will be soon.  A nice home might be valued from $100,000 to $200,000.  The value of a vehicle is of course much less.  Most people mean it when they say they would not be able to sleep at night if they did not have insurance to replace their home or vehicle in the event it burned down, blew away or was totaled for some reason. Yet, the potential loss of a home or a vehicle pales in comparison to the loss incurred for a long-term care confinement… and the loss is apt to occur as much as 4,400 times more often!  A long-term care confinement at today's costs (these costs are rising at a pace of approximately 3 and 1/3% a year) could easily reach as much as $400,000 or more over the term of the confinement.  Over 94% of all persons past the age of 65 have no insurance to cover any of this loss!  It makes you wonder why some people so diligently plan their retirement, yet leave it all exposed to something that could be remedied for so little.Here are just a few comments I have heard from people thinking about getting a long-term care policy, or from the kids trying to counsel Mom and Dad:"Upon my disability, my wife will take care of me.  I weigh over 200 pounds and my wife weighs about 120, but she's a strong woman.""My kids will maintain the house, the property and watch after Mom.""Mom can't drive so our daughter will take time from her professional career to do our grocery shopping, run us to the doctor's office, and around town.""Our son will abandon his career and move his family back to town to take over our small business.""The grandkids will stop by weekly to mow the lawn and shovel the driveway.""Mom and Dad do not need a policy because us kids are going to take care of them.  Everything will work out just fine."The truth is… none of the above will continue for very long, if at all.  A 120-pound, 70 year old woman, is not going to throw a 200-pound man over her shoulder and carry him to the bathtub, scrub him down, dress him, and carry him down the stairs to breakfast.  The real issue here is people never see themselves leaving their home.  Since they are not going to leave their home, why would they require long-term care insurance?  They know the statistics.  They all have friends or family in nursing homes, but it isn't going to happen to them.  I am sure the kids' intentions are good… but that's not the way it happens.  The kids are glad to take care of Mom and Dad… as long as they are okay, but when an illness or affliction sets in… somehow… things turn out much differently.  Although there may be several siblings, most have a reason why they just can't do it today.  It doesn't take long before those that are carrying more than their share of the load are bickering with those that are not.  Stress mounts… for not only the siblings… but Mom and Dad as well.  After years of watching these types of situations, I feel I am qualified to say… if at all possible… get a policy!  If the kids want to be involved on a daily basis… fine… but have the policy to take care of the times they don't… or can't.Then too, many people believe they are covered under Medicare for a long-term care confinement.  They are always surprised to find they most probably have no coverage at all under Medicare.  If they do… it's very little.  As you might remember from earlier articles, Medicare only pays for Skilled Care, and for only the first 20 days of this type of care.  Most people do not need Skilled Care at the onset of an illness, injury or affliction.  They most generally need a lower level of care, and then… as their condition worsens… need more care.  Nearly 80% of all people receiving long-term care are receiving a care less than Skilled Care, (i.e. Simple Care, Personal Care, Custodial Care, Assisted Living, Supervised Care, Intermediate Care) thus Medicare pays nothing.  If one does need Skilled Care, and if all of the conditions are met, it is possible that Medicare will work with one's Medicare Supplement to pay up to an additional 80 days of this type of care.  After this… there is nothing else.  There are only 4 ways to cover the costs from that point forward:• You use your own income and assets• Your family pitches in and pays the costs• You exhaust your resources and then try to qualify for Medicaid (Social Welfare)• You have a Long-Term Care policy that will pay all of or most of the costsSo, we're down to the four ways of managing a risk: Avoid, Reduce, Retain, TransferAvoid: (Sources:  Nursing Home Utilization by Current Residence: 2003; Publication #PB 90 163 015, National Center for Health Statistics, October 2002; Aging America, 2002 Ed.; U. S. Department of Health & Human Services; Health Insurance Association of America, 2002)• The average length of stay for men in a    Nursing Home is 3 years, 10 months;    women average approximately 50% longer    (Note:  Does not include  time spent at    home prior to confinement).• Of all persons past the age of 65, 7 out of   10 will enter a Nursing Home some time in    their lives.• Of all persons past the age of 70, 8 out of    10 will enter a Nursing Home some time in    their lives.• Of all persons past the age of 80, 9 out of    10 will enter a Nursing Home some time in    their lives.It's not too likely that one can avoid the risk.Reduce:About all you can do to reduce the risk is to do your best to keep fit and stay in shape.  Take your medication.  Get regular checkups.  In the event of a Long Term Care confinement on one or both spouses, be sure you (or a member of your family) do everything possible to exhaust all benefits available from Medicare and your Medicare supplement.  Your income and assets however are still exposed as illustrated below.Retain: You will see above that one of the options to pay for long-term care costs is to use your own income and assets.  This would be called 'retaining' the risk in risk management.  Unfortunately, this is what most people end up doing.  They understand, but fail to act on the premise that it is much easier to plan and budget for a small monthly amount now, than it is to plan and budget for several thousand dollars a month later.  The worksheet below will assist in letting you know how long you could last… by paying for your own, and/or your spouse's long-term care costs.Annual Costs per person for Nursing Home Confinement: $30,000 to $60,000 or moreMonthly Costs per person for Nursing Home Confinement: $2,700 to $5,000 or moreDaily Costs per person for Nursing Home Confinement: $90 to  $160 or moreCan you afford to retain the risk?  Complete the following and find out.  All income must be figured 'net' or after taxes.

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What's New

Charlie Traffas

2005-02-01 09:22:00

: The language of long-term care policies is enough to confuse even the most savvy of consumers.  What do all of these terms mean?

ANSWER: Last month’s article should have helped in explaining the differences between qualified and non-qualified policies.  Perhaps this article will explain a few more of the terms.The most important element of any Long-Term Care policy is its daily benefit.  As you know, this is the amount of money that is available on a daily basis to pay for the care you need.  If your policy is a non-indemnity policy, you will have up to this many dollars available for the care.  If your policy is an indemnity policy, you will receive this much money for each day of care.  It will be up to you to negotiate and pay for the costs of care out of the money you receive.  Whatever you have left is yours to keep.  You not only get what you pay for, but the money comes to you and not to the nursing home or residence providing the care.  By them only knowing that you will be paying for the costs yourself allows you a greater degree of negotiation on the cost of the care.  They never know and never need to know the benefits of your policy.  The first thing you do therefore when buying a policy is to get as much in daily benefits as you will need to cover all or most of the cost of the care when you need it.  If you are 10 or more years away from the ‘window of use’ (the time, actuarially speaking, that the probability first exists for this type of care… is around the age of 83), you will most definitely want to factor in inflation.  For instance, today’s costs for long-term care in the 6 counties in which I work (Sedgwick, Sumner, Harvey, Cowley, Butler and Reno) varies from $80 per day (for simple, personal, custodial care and assisted living), to $150 per day (for skilled, heavy or critical care).  In 10 years, with 3 1/3% inflation (the rate this type of care has averaged increasing over the last 30 years), these costs will vary from $110 to $200 per day.  In 20 years these costs will vary from $150 to $280 per day.  In 30 years (meaning you are in your mid-50’s now), these costs will vary from $200 to $400 per day.  That could be as much as over $12,000 per month.  It’s hard to believe isn’t it?  What is even harder to imagine is, what if you had no policy and had to pay for the cost of this care out of your monthly income or assets?  Once, based upon your current age, you find the daily benefit number that makes sense, either with an inflation rider (be sure it is 5% compounded annually), or without, then the next most important thing is the benefit period.  This is the amount of time the daily benefit will be payable.  If possible, you will always want to get a lifetime benefit period.  This means the daily benefit will be payable for life.  If you cannot afford a lifetime benefit period (always check to see what the cost is for lifetime versus a shortened benefit period of say 3, 4 or 5 years), then you buy as long of a benefit period as you can.  As you know from previous articles, the average time a man needs some form of long-term care is over 3 years.  The average time a woman needs some form of long-term care is over 4 years.  You will find the younger you are when you apply, the more insignificant the difference in premiums are for a lifetime benefit period versus a shortened benefit period of say 5 years.  If you have a shortened benefit period, it means that the policy will only pay its daily benefit for this period of time.  When that time is up, the policy is through paying.  There is however a feature most of the better policies have which can assist with shortened benefit periods.  It is called the ‘restoration of benefits’ provision.  What it means is that if you are receiving benefits under the policy, and prior to the expiration of the benefit period, your doctor certifies that you no longer need to receive benefits under the policy, and you are then benefit-free for a period of 6 months, the benefit period is restored to its original length of time.  There is generally no limit to the number of times this can happen.  In many cases, it would be possible for the person to rehabilitate and no longer require benefits under the policy; thus this provision would be most valuable.  In other cases of course, the affliction, injury or illness may be such that it is progressive and care would be needed from the onset.  Again, you buy a Long-Term Care policy to protect and preserve income, assets, independence, peace of mind, and those and that of your family.  Unless it is absolutely necessary for the sake of making the budget work on buying a policy, do not fall into the trap of trying to figure out how long you will need benefits.  We all know plenty of folks who have needed care for only a few weeks.  We should also know many folks who have needed long-term care for many years.  Buying a lifetime benefit period removes all possibilities of benefits ‘running out’.  An analogy might be buying homeowner’s insurance through only April 15th every year.  There are lots of things that can happen after this.The next thing you want on your policy, given the ability to afford, is a guarantee to be able to get the care you need at home, as well as in a nursing home or assisted living residence.  This is called a Home Health Care Rider.  In the years I have been working in the long-term care arena, I have yet to deliver a policy where both spouses say, “I can’t wait until we need to go a nursing home.”  What they do say is “This is going to be very good if we need it, but you can bet we are going to do everything we can to stay at home, for as long as possible… first!”  We all want to stay at home.  I do not however recommend buying a Home Health Care policy only, as no one knows what the affliction, illness or injury might be that causes a need for long-term care.  Much of the care one might need can be received at home, but the heavier care (Skilled Care, Critical Care, and Heavy Care) would be cost prohibitive to receive at home.  That could run as high as $15,000 per month or more, and that is today’s costs.  Once you qualify for benefits, you will want the choice to decide where you want to receive the care.  By adding a Home Health Care Rider to your policy, you receive this choice.  This makes your policy into a ‘Comprehensive’ policy… the best kind.If you get one of the better Home Health Care Riders included with your policy, you will see that it will not only pay for professional services (that care rendered by a licensed practitioner such as a nurse, CNA, CMA, therapist, etc.), but that it will also pay for basic services (someone to come in an cook, clean, shop, run errands, provide companionship, etc.).  These basic services are also called ‘homemaker’ services in some policies.  As you can see, these are things you normally would not think of, but could prove to be most important at the time of need.  The next most important item is to get a zero-day elimination period.  An elimination period is the number of days that must expire before benefits are payable.  Some agents will tell you that you have coverage under Medicare and your Medicare Supplement for the first 100 days.  This is untrue most of the time.  Medicare only pays for the first 20 days of Skilled Care.  They pay nothing for the lower levels of care.  Only 22% of all people in a nursing home, licensed for all levels of care, are receiving Skilled Care.  This makes sense.  Generally as one’s condition worsens, he or she needs more care.  Skilled Care (that care administered in the presence of a Registered Nurse 24 hours a day) is not the type of care most folks need at the onset of an illness or affliction.  If Skilled Care is being received, and all of the conditions have been met, it may be possible for Medicare and your Medicare Supplement to pay up to another 80 days, past the initial 20 days that Medicare would cover.  So, if you buy a 100-day elimination period on your policy, and you have no coverage under Medicare or your Medicare Supplement, you will be paying the entire bill.  I do not believe you will be too tickled with your policy when you realize you have paid on it for many years, and then, before it pays a dime, you have to pay for the first 100 days.  If your policy is a $100 per day policy, that’s $10,000!  I’ve said it for years.  You will never save enough in premium on an elimination period to warrant the exposure you will have.  Under no circumstances would you ever want to get a policy that the elimination period had to be satisfied more than once in a lifetime.  This could be a financial nightmare.  These are the most important elements of any Long-Term Care policy.  Once you have these taken care of, you can then look at the other options that are available, such as a Paid-Up Survivor Rider (where after a certain number of years of owning the policy, usually 4 or 5, if a spouse should die, the policy is paid up for the life of the surviving spouse), or a Return of Premium Rider (where after a certain number of years, all or most of the premium paid in is returned less any benefits paid out).  These can be very beneficial, but most certainly come after the most important elements about the policy are taken care of which have been detailed above.  Some agents might spend a lot of time talking about other benefits such as a bed reservation benefit, hospice care, respite care, adult day care, etc.  These are nice to have but I liken them to the car dealer throwing in floor mats or undercoating on the car you just purchased.  They are not the main reasons why you buy the car.  These are not the main reasons why you buy a policy.  Furthermore, most of the better policies have these things as standard issue on the master policy anyway. Next month we will talk about risk management and how it works with Long Term Care.

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Charlie Traffas

2005-01-01 08:51:00

: Last issue you mentioned the HIPA Act.  What is this all about?

ANSWER: This law is also known as HIPA '96, or the J.R. 3103.  This act separates Long-Term Care polices into two types… 'qualified' and 'non-qualified'.  A 'qualified' policy has a portion of its premium that is tax-deductible (in accordance with the act), and a 'non-qualified' policy does not. All policies purchased prior to December 31, 1996, are grandfathered as 'qualified'.  Here is the way HIPA '96 was written originally.  The increases, as allowed for in this law, have not been shown.If a policy is 'qualified', it means that it meets the benefit criteria set forth by HIPA.  It does not necessarily mean it is the best deal for you. For instance, if a policy is 'qualified', you can treat a portion of the premiums as medical expenses, and they will be tax-deductible according to the following schedule, if total non-reimbursed medical expenses exceed 7 1/2% of your adjusted gross income:Age during Tax Year Being Figured:  Amount of Premium that is Deductible *:Age 40 or less $200Age 41-50 $375Age 51-60 $750Age 61-70 $2000Age 70+ $2500*  The above amounts will increase each year to the nearest multiple of $10 for calendar years after 1997, based upon the medical component of the Consumer Price Index.  It may change, however, if inflation growth for Long-Term Care services is greater.  The legislation makes all benefits received under 'reimbursement' policies, or 'non-indemnity' policies (which will be covered in greater detail in the next issue), tax-free, and all benefits under 'indemnity' policies up to $175 per day, tax-free.  Amounts paid to the Insured over $175 per day will be taxable, unless the actual costs of care for Long-Term Care services exceed $175 per day.  This $175 maximum will increase each year for calendar years after 1997, again based upon the medical component of the Consumer Price Index, and can change even more if the cost for Long-Term Care services out pace this component. The act goes on to address issues such as: • Penalty free withdrawals to purchase Long-Term Care insurance are not available from 'qualified' plans such as 401(K), 403(b), IRAs, 457s (government programs).  • Long-Term Care insurance cannot be included in a cafeteria plan under Section 125; nor can Long-Term Care services be reimbursed by a Flexible Spending Account.• Long-Term Care insurance premiums are, however, an acceptable expenditure for the new medical savings accounts that this law makes available to the self-employed people and small businesses under 50 employees.• Integration features of the act if more than one policy is owned, and how they would be figured together for tax- deductibility purposes, and more... But what does it all mean?In most cases, the 7 1/2% of adjusted gross income cap is going to be the biggest barrier in making this a relevant issue.  Most people do not itemize.  If they do, most do not have non-reimbursed medical expenses over the 7 1/2% cap.  If you already have medical expenses at that point or beyond, qualifying for a Long-Term Care policy may be somewhat difficult (as mentioned earlier, all policies are medically underwritten).  The act, upon first glance, seemingly tends to favor non-indemnity policies.  It does not.  As you have been told all of your life, "it is better to make more income and pay the taxes, than to make less and pay less in taxes".  An indemnity policy indemnifies you in benefits against the premium you paid.  You deserve to get what you paid for.  The act goes on to say that all the benefits up to $175 per day are tax-free, and in subsequent years following 1997, this amount will increase as detailed earlier.  An indemnity policy is still your best policy and will be discussed in more detail in a future article, as will the 'return of premium' rider, which makes a Long-Term Care policy non-qualified, but still what I recommend.  A 'qualified' plan (one that is tax-deductible up to the limits stated above, which are now higher due to automatic adjustments, and after the 7 1/2% of adjusted gross income threshold is reached through non-reimbursed medical expenses), can only stay a 'qualified' plan if the following conditions are met:Medical Necessity cannot be a trigger for benefits under a 'qualified' policy.  Medical necessity means your doctor has decided that due to whatever reason or reasons (may or may not be medically related), you are in need of long-term care.  Not having this as a 'trigger' for benefits is not in the best interest of the insured, as the way most people qualify for benefits under a Long-Term Care policy is due to medical necessity.The second way most people qualify for benefits under a Long-Term Care policy is meeting the ADL test.  ADLs (activities of daily living) are different for each policy; but, in the case of 'qualified' plans, the ADLs are more stringent.  The insured must need assistance from another person, walker or wheelchair, to perform at least 2 of the following: eating, toileting, transferring to or from bed or chair, dressing and continence.  Furthermore, a licensed health care practitioner must certify that the insured will be unable to perform these ADLs for at least 90 continuous days.  This again, is not in the best interest of the Insured, as the Insured may have purchased a 'qualified' plan, but when he/she is in need of care, it is very possible the care may not be needed for 90 days.  An example of this would be hip or knee replacement surgery where, following surgery, the insured needs some assistance at home or in a nursing home for a few days or weeks, but not necessarily for 90 days.  Even if the Insured purchased a zero-day elimination policy (to be discussed in more detail in a future article), no benefits would be payable under the policy, unless 90 days of care are needed and certified by the practitioner.  The third way most people qualify for benefits under a policy is through a  diagnosed cognitive impairment.  A 'non-qualified' plan allows for the doctor to prescribe long-term care based upon his or her findings.  This 'trigger' under a 'qualified' plan is much more severe, in that the cognitive impairment must be measured by clinical evidence and standardized tests... again, potentially making it much more difficult to qualify for benefits.A 'qualified' policy cannot include a 'return of premium' rider.  As has been explained earlier, this is a very important feature of the better policies, as well as a feature rarely found in other insurance products.  The 'return of premium' rider, combined with the 'waiver of premium' provision after 90 days, allows the Insured to be paid well and in accordance with its provisions if the policy is needed, and after 90 days, no longer have to pay the premium on either spouse.  On the best 'return of premium' rider, if the policy is not used to the extent of the premiums, the Insured will receive 80% of all premiums paid in, less the aggregate total of all benefits paid out, at the end of each 10 year period.    As you can see, this is a most important feature for the insured, and now it can only be available in a 'non-qualified' policy.So you ask... do I want a 'qualified' policy or a 'non-qualified' policy?  The bottom line is, what you're getting (a tax break) may not be all that much (if any at all), but what you give up are some features that make a Long- Term Care policy so attractive, as well as the ease at which benefits are payable.Many people… once they understand the differences… will want a 'non-qualified' plan, particularly when the government has yet to rule on whether or not benefits from a 'non-qualified' plan will be taxable… and most all companies provide the insured with an 'anytime exchange certificate' from a 'non-qualified' plan to a 'qualified' plan until they do.  Others may believe the requirements are not too stringent for a 'qualified' plan, and are more interested in the deductibility of the premiums.  Next month, we will begin to talk about the differences between all policies, their definitions and restrictions.

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Charlie Traffas

2004-12-01 10:02:00

: Can you get any help through Medicaid?  How does one qualify?

ANSWER: Yes, it is possible… but not too probable if you have much in the way of income and/or assets.  The first thing you would do is to make application.  Prior to Medicaid (SRS) paying, you will generally go through a 'spousal division of assets' program.  The maximum community spouse resource allowance this year is $92,760, not counting the residence and one vehicle (these are called exempt assets, there can be others).  This means that in the division of non-exempt assets between spouses, up to $92,760 could be put in the name of each spouse.  All amounts over $185,520 (2 x $92,760) would have to be spent down on the cost of care prior to this division of assets.  It would be wise to put the most liquid of these assets in the name of the spouse who is ill or afflicted.  That person would then have to spend his/her portion down to $2,000 on the cost of care, before being eligible for Medicaid.  The exempt income allowance this year is $1,692 per month.  In order to figure what Medicaid pays, take the total monthly income of the person or couple, and subtract the exempt amount. Then subtract this number from the total monthly cost of the care.  This is the amount Medicaid would pay (in accordance with this schedule re-figured each year) for the rest of the life of the confined spouse.  The amount you subtracted from the monthly cost of the care would have to be paid by you on a monthly basis.  SRS would however file a first class claim on the exempt assets for what they pay.  This first class claim goes ahead of all other claims to assets other than those for final expenses.  This first class claim would not be settled as long as the well spouse lived in the home.  If the well spouse should need care in the future, he/she would have to spend down his/her assets to $2,000.  At that point this spouse would also qualify for Medicaid.  Once both spouses were not residing in the home and/or neither had an intent to return, SRS would satisfy their first claim from the sale of the proceeds of the exempt assets.There are varying views about Medicaid from its recipients and their families.  The proponents of Medicaid say it should be looked upon as one of the best government programs there is because it guarantees each person that he or she will receive the type of care they need if they cannot pay for it.  The opponents say the program requires that the recipient and ultimately the recipient's spouse be at poverty in order to qualify; and that care received at many places when one is on Medicaid is substandard to care received when one is using his or her own assets/income to pay the bill.Next time we will talk about how real the risk is of needing long-term care, and the different ways to manage this risk.

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