Who 'deserves' the HOPE Scholarship and Zell Miller Award

In last weekend's Atlanta Journal-Constitution online, a story was published regarding the HOPE Scholarship here in Georgia (Link to story), specifically about the 'full' scholarship called the Zell Miller Award.  This scholarship is awarded to students who perform at the top of their class.  According to the story, :


'Zell Miller scholars must graduate high school as the valedictorian or salutatorian, or with at least a 3.7 grade-point average and a 1200 on the SAT’s math and reading sections. While in college they must maintain a 3.3 GPA.'

To say the least, these students are the highest academic achievers in our state school systems.  The article goes on to question the legitimacy of the scholarship, due to the fact that the authors of the story believe that too many of the recipients are from affluent areas of Metro Atlanta.  Rather than debate the presented facts (which I believe are debatable... read the article and you may agree), I would rather debate the bigger story, which is, Why does it matter where the kids are from? 

The last time I checked, there were no guarantees that any parent, no matter how rich, was required to provide a college education for their children.  The education is for the student, NOT the parent.  So, are we to assume that just because a student's father or mother is successful, a student is entitled to their money and assets and therefore not worthy of a scholarship?  Just because a student's parents make a good living does not mean that this student is guaranteed success, let alone tuition payments.  It baffles me that we have become a culture that just inherently believes that all parents should pay for their children's educations... ever heard of student loans?  Or earning a scholarship? 

The AJC has a clear agenda in attempting to manipulate us, the people, into believing that the rich are getting richer, when the reality is that the students who work hard and earn their good grades are getting richer by getting the opportunity to graduate from college with zero to little debt... that sounds like capitalism at its finest to me.

“Free” coverages… Thanks ObamaCare!!

My employer’s benefits programs renew and update every March 1^st, so last Friday we sat down in a staff meeting to discuss the upcoming changes and enhancements to the program. During this meeting, we learned about healthy lifestyle choices, alternative ways to better use our benefits and insurance, and other riveting facts and figures. In attendance were representatives from our benefits broker agency as well as a representative from our carrier.

The representative from our carrier informed us of a new benefit we would be receiving. We now have the ability to go two times per year for ‘wellness’ visits. These visits will not even require a co-pay, she tells us! She is so excited about this feature that she actually personally thanked President Obama, and praised his “new healthcare initiative” (her words) as the reason for this change. My co-pay for an office visit ranges from $25-$60, depending on the type of doctor, reason for visit, and services rendered. So, at best, these two visits would save me $120 per year. On the surface, that is not a bad deal, and on the surface is where she left it.

Ten minutes later, our benefits broker stood up in front of his PowerPoint slides and explained to us that our rates were rising, and went through the variety of reasons that health care costs are rising. If my math is accurate, the increase in my premiums will be nearly $300 per year. Furthermore, my premium only represents a fraction of the total cost of my coverage, as my employer contributes a significant majority (75-80%) of the total cost. So, if my cost is going up $300, my employer’s cost for me is going up at least 3 times that much. Hmm, something is not right here… I now get up to $120 in wellness visits for free, but I am paying almost 3x as much in premiums.

I will not be so naive as to claim that this wellness visit option from ObamaCare pumped my premiums up that much. It is much more likely that the overweight, out-of-shape, always sick co-workers of mine had a significant impact as well, but that is a post for another day. But these “free” initiatives, such as the birth control mandate that has been front and center in the news this week, are NOT FREE. My favorite cliché from my years in college getting a business degree is, “There is no such thing as a free lunch”. Someone always pays. The politicians who pushed the health care bill through in 2010 will claim that this cost is going to be picked up by the insurers, and on paper it will. But any business that seeks to make a profit (is there a business that doesn’t??) will be forced to take action. They will find other ways to pass the cost on, as they should. Every business that operates is in the same industry... the industry of making a profit. Even if they get subsidies from the government to cover their increased costs, we as taxpayers will foot the bill.

I think what makes me most angry is the fact that this representative could sit there with a smile and pontificate about the “free” visits and then listen to the broker explain about our increased premiums. Does she think I am stupid? Or is she that stupid to believe what her own words? Either way I lose.

He's baaack

Hello ladies and gentlemen... I mean lady and gentleman. My alter ego and blog writer, Stewie, called it quits last year on the posts.  Although I will miss him, I think I can handle the job from here...  I have been sitting on my hands stewing (no pun intended) for too long about some of today's hot topics. So I am back.

I plan on putting up at least a post per week for the foreseeable future. As those of you who know me can attest, I have a lot to say. Hopefully I can provide some unique and entertaining insights into topics and policies that have impact on our everyday lives. This election year should prove to be good for the posts, as we are in the midst of so many important decisions being made.  Whether you agree or disagree, please leave comments and if you see fit, pass this blog address on to those who may have an interest. Just click 'Follow' at the top of the page.

One request: I would love to have some new readers of this blog who will disagree with me.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy it, hate it, whatever... My desire is to make you think.

Who's Fault?

First things first... long time no see. Glad to have both of you that read this blog back for more.

I, like most everyone else in this country, have been reading about, listening to, and seeing the images and video from the Tucson shooting for the past few days. Its been the lead story in every news broadcast, blog, and news site on the web that you can find. Its a tragic story that should never have happened, and my prayers go out to all of the individuals who died or were injured and their families. It was senseless, and I hope that our judicial system does its job and sends the guy to an early dirt nap.

The problem now is just how political the debate has become over who is really responsible for one man's actions. I am still reading today how it is talk radio's fault for inciting violence through their rhetoric and propaganda. If we are going to blame any man's actions on what they hear on TV or on the radio, then why do we even have political discourse in the first place? It would be one thing if Glenn Beck or Neal Boortz was out telling people to go find their local congressman and get rid of them. It is entirely different when we have heated debate over policies and actions that we ABSOLUTELY HAVE to hold our elected representatives accountable for. The liberal pundits in this country want to use this heinous act of one person to put a leash on our ability to have real debate over the issues that matter most to the people of this country. The irony is that those on the left side of the debate use as much, if not more, hate speech than anyone else. They seek to control the debate not by merit of their words or beliefs, but by inspiring fear that their enemies in this argument are too dangerous to be allowed to speak.

I've got an idea... let's focus on the real problem here. In this case, it was a lone, deranged individual. It was not the Tea Party, not conservatives, or those who wish to limit the power of our imperial federal government. If a socialist did this, would I blame George Soros, Harry Reid, or any other liberal leader? (the answer is no, by the way) It was a tragedy that hopefully does not happen again. But let's not draw dozens of conclusions that have no ties whatsoever to what happened in Tucson.

Guns and the Media

On my commute into work the other day, I was listening to one of the morning shows go through their news stories. Typical weekday stuff, then I heard something that caught my attention. Georgia's legislature just passed a new gun bill that allows licensed gun owners to carry their piece into additional places, such as portions of Hartsfield Airport. The woman on the radio made a statement about how gun rights advocates were hopeful that the bill would be signed into law, but that 'gun safety advocates' were firmly against the passage of this bill.

Gun safety advocates? Classic work by the media to frame the argument the way they see fit rather than the way it really is. I would say most gun owners are the most stringent gun safety advocates I know. Study after study has shown how violent crimes are committed with unlicensed firearms and weapons in much greater number and frequency than with a licensed, owned weapon. The media would have us believe that gun owners are irresponsible wack-jobs and that this law would make ATL the wild west. I can't say I'm surprised, but I can't help but think of all the people who hear this broadcast and subliminally start believing the news the way it is presented rather than the way it really is.

Tax Day!!

Just wanted each of you four readers out there to know how special tomorrow is to our American culture. April 15th represents all that is good with America... yeah right. Another year, another tax refund, right? I'm sure you all are very excited about the money you have gotten or are about to get back from our imperial government and state government. But I want you to think about a few things as you spend that refund check or sock it away for a rainy day.

The government is not giving you anything (at least those of you reading this, as I am sure you are all taxpayers, not tax-moochers) with that check you get. That is payment you earned for your labors that the government has taken from every two weeks or so to pay for parks in Oregon, farm subsidies in Kansas, art museums in Boston, and conservatories in California. Maybe one day you will get to visit these fine places.

The top 5% of wage-earners in this country pay more than 50% of the tax revenues that good old Uncle Sam takes every year. I'm not a Mensa genius, but that sounds like they are already carrying quite the tax burden.

Imagine if your employer did not take out your taxes each pay period. Imagine every April that you had to come up with the total amount due to the feds. If you are in the 25% tax bracket, and make $75,000, then come tomorrow you owe nearly a $19,000 check to the IRS. And you wonder why they force employers to deduct taxes every pay period? Imagine the revolt that would occur if you had to pen that check?

Just a few random thoughts for you... So go spend that check while the dollar still has some value. Happy April 15th tomorrow!!

Watch Out

I was listening to some talk radio yesterday and heard a few soundbites from a press conference Obama gave the other day. He was talking about a number of things, most notably the Tea Party movement and its hoards of followers. Little did I know, but the core of the Tea Party movement is a bunch of Americans who only care about Obama's birth certificate and the idea that he is a socialist. These 'birthers' seem to run things on the conservative side of the fence... at least according to the White House.

It's simply a bait and switch tactic to get mainstream America to believe that those of us on the conservative side of the aisle are racist pigs who are convinced that Obama wasn't born in Hawaii like he claims. I have news for you Mr. President, I don't care about that. Neither do 99% of his constituents in the USA. His tactic to characterize those of us that are fed up with out of control looting and spending falls on deaf ears... at least to those with half a brain or more. He and his staff know that if this conservative uprising can be classified as radical and hate-filled, then it can be thrown off course as fast as it got started. What scares me are those idiots on our side of the fence that will make statements and act in ways that prove the Prez to be right. And then the media will have a field day stereotyping anyone of us who opposes this unsustainable agenda as radical racists... and it could work for them.

Its important that those of us who do speak out on the issues do so based on fact. The great news is that logical decision-making is what conservatives do best. We rely on cognitive ability to make decisions on what we do, who we support, and how we view our world. Get into a discussion with a real conservative and reason overpowers emotion. That's the problem with the left in this country. Very rarely can they make a logical argument to support their cause. They rely on the emotional context of an argument to carry them through.

This health care and economic stimulus plan are perfect examples. As a conservative, I cannot support Obama or the left's plans because they are unsustainable, over-reaching, and they hinder the real growth this country needs. "But people need health care" they'll say. "People need jobs" I've heard again and again. And on the surface, I agree. In that they are correct. But Pelosi and crew have let the emotions of the day fester and instead of enabling the private citizens and producers of this country once again put the economy on their backs, they create programs that over time will have negative impact on the country as a whole. All because it 'feels good' to help someone. The problem is all they are doing is enabling Americans to sit on their asses, do nothing, and loot from those of us who achieve.