Monday, May 7, 2012
The impossible dream
I have accomplished the impossible dream or climbed the tall mountain or accomplished the labor of love.
Tonight I scanned the last of my uncle Sam's 23240 approximately slides. I have scanned all that are developed although he has a roll to be developed and a roll in the camera.
I still have to edit most of them to then put on DVDs for his family and get prints for him. I have done the editing on about 3000.
I started doing this project in September 2006 and finished on April 4, 2012.
My cousins have called a labor of love for several years. There were times I wondered if I would finish in my lifetime, but I have reached the first goal. Now to do the editing and make the DVDs.
His collection of 23000+ slides covers 60 years an dare in amazing good shape and the slides look like new after I scan and quick edit. Most I scanned as TIF (uncompressed) format and then edit to JPG with a auto color on most. A few needed a red or blue tint removed.
Dwight
Five years at GNTC
Last week marked my fifth year as an instructor at Georgia Northwestern Technical College in Rock Spring Georgia. The time has been marked by a lot of good things and also by a couple not so good events. Overall it has really been a good five years.
In 2007 I was hired as a database specialist instructor at Northwestern Technical College. Since that time a number of changes occurred in my job title and the name of the college. The first fall I was teaching 2 hours a day at Chattooga County High School in Summerville. I taught A+ preparation to a group of high school students that year. During that year my job on campus evolved from database instructor to networking instructor when the adjunct Cisco instructor ceased teaching. Since I was already an approved/certified Cisco instructor I could teach the classes with no additional training needed. I also picked up the Windows networking classes partly as part of database and then as the networking program. I initially taught traditional in-person classes and now have evolved to where most of my classes are on-line and rest are hybrid.
In 2009 the college merged with Coosa Valley Technical College and became Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
After being hired as database instructor I was chosen at the state level to head the database curriculum committee in the state teachers organization which maintains the curriculum standards. When I moved to networking the instructors from the state chose me to head the networking curriculum and I still hold that chairman ship (the joke at the state meeting in February was the only way I can quit as chair is to either retire or die).
Since I have been at GNTC I have made a number of friends on the faculty and with students and former students. I have participated in several activities at the college including being on the faculty volleyball team my first year (we will not discuss our success, but lets leave at we finally won a game in our last match and had a perfect record in matches). I also took a blacksmithing class at GNTC which was real interesting learning.
When i started at NTC we were using Blackboard as our on-line CMS. Then abruptly one July we switched to Angel where we are now, but expecting change in the future. I served as a trainer for Blackboard and Angel for a while as I had administered Blackboard at HGTC. I still get faculty questions on how to do stuff in Angel. I have added lots of videos and audio lectures to my on-line/hybrid classes as I have learned a pocket recorder really works well for doing audio recordings of my lectures and since it is digital it is simple to transfer to the PC, edit and upload the lectures so on-line students benefit and hybrid can listen again if they want.
I have received additional certifications since being at GNTC including MCT, MTA, Adobe Photoshop, Critical Thinking and just a few weeks ago five certifications from BrainBench.
We had a good snow winter 2011 that closed the college a week but the other years not much snow and this year never saw any. I lived thru the tornadoes a year ago that devastated much of the area, but stayed in air when went over my apartment. Two years ago I saw the major flooding we had as I had to drive thru water about a foot deep top get back that Sunday night.
This year and next year I am serving as chair of the library advisory board, and had not served on a library advisory board before.
I enjoy the scenery and the weather and the people in the area and have become involved in First Baptist of LaFayette last year and enjoy the Wednesday night programs including Bible study and dinner. I was in their Run for God program last year.
I am active in the Fort Oglethorpe Kiwanis serving on the board of Directors and as webmaster. Although the club meets in Georgia it is in the Kentucky-Tennessee District and for the past two years i have served as editor of the district newsletter, K-T Notes, after serving about five years as technology chair/webmaster for the Georgia Kiwanis district.
My first teaching job in Georgia was in Brunswick (southeast) and it looks like i will finish my career at the opposite corner of Georgia in the northwest
Dwight
pictures out west
The pictures from my trip out west last July are now posted at http://tripwestjuly2011.shutterfly.com There are also some videos there which are not edited. I also have the pictures with me in them (leaving out pictures I am not in) in a separate folder if you don't want to look at all 2000+ pictures. There is also a folder with just pictures that Carl is in (Carl Bramell went with me).
Dwight
volunteer of month
Last Sunday it was announced at Swainsboro First United Methodist Church (membership about 600) that I was volunteer of the month for October for my work on the web page, running video presentation system, sound technician, lay speaker, emailing bulletins weekly and Sunday school teacher.
For those of you not sure what a lay speaker is, that is a person who is not a minister who speaks at church.
single logon
An article at CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/tech/web/government-online-id/index.html?hpt=hp_t3) today reported that the USA federal government is trying to develop a single logon for the Internet. The idea is that individuals will no longer have to remember lots of logons and passwords. The thinking is also that this will make the Internet more secure.
This proposal by the Obama administration that is being developed has a number of problems. This is not the first time that a proposal has been proposed like this. Private industry has tried it before. There are concerns on our security information kept in one place and by the USA government.
Does any body remember this was already tried by Microsoft and it flopped. Windows Live is the remnants of that. The program was called Microsoft Passport. You were going to be able to set up an account at Microsoft and log in anywhere. The approach remains with Windows Live for Microsoft websites, but most other companies and individuals did not want Microsoft having this information. Few companies trusted Microsoft and the people did not trust Microsoft. Yes the government has my address, name Social Security number, and drivers license but drivers license is at the state and Social Security number is at the federal government. Why would I trust my security to the USA government? I could just let the police have keys to my house and I will call them when I want in. Would I feel secure? No. Interesting enough the federal government passed a law several years ago that no longer allows agencies, state governments, etc to use a single identifying number everywhere, your Social Security number.
How likely is it that the rest of the world is going to agree with doing a centralized logon that is developed and maintained by the US government? Can you see the Chinese lining up to join in, or how likely would the US join in a Chinese developed single logon? For it to be single logon the Internet it would have to have all countries participating. The Internet is not just in the USA contrary to what politicians think and it is used by all the world and the USA citizens access sites outside the USA all the time.
What happens when someone hacks the federal database (and it will happen) and everything you have done that is on the Internet becomes available to the hackers. Not just accounts at one bank but all banks, all credit cards, payroll records, etc. This is truly big government that will then ruin everyone. The economy will tank and make the Depression look like nothing .
This is not something the government should be doing and it is a waste of our tax dollars. This should be dropped by the government.
Dwight
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Bucket Lists (Watt Thoughts)
Bucket Lists (Watt Thoughts)
It has gotten popular to talk about bucket lists or what things people intend to do before they die. Life dos not tell us how long we have so we may have short or long lives and we really can’t plan for which as accidents occur and cause unplanned untimely deaths.
After having taken a major trip last summer out west I have had lots of people say that must have been on my bucket list and what else is on it. Given that and seeing untimely deaths close to me recently I have reflected back on what goals earlier in life were and how well have I done.
Thinking back to high school and college and as I was looking at what I hoped to accomplish in life these are items I remember. A few will be noted as high school or college as they changed then.
1. To see all 50 of the states in the USA
2. To get bachelor’s degree and probably master’s degree
3. To teach biology (high school)
4. To teach about computers (college)
5. Be a successful computer person (college)
6. To write a book
7. To write a newspaper column
8. To travel internationally
9. To do some type Christian ministry including preaching
10. To make enough money to do things want to do and to help others
11. To have wonderful close friends
12. To succeed in politics in some way
13. To do lots of photography
14. To do some type of art
So how have I done?
1. I have been to 49 states and flown over and taken pictures of the one I have not touched which is Alaska. I am pleased with that it is accomplished. I may set foot in Alaska still, but the mission I accomplished.
2. I got a BA in Political Science in 1977 from Winthrop University and then got a MBA in 1979 from Winthrop. In 1983 I got the opportunity to enroll in a doctorate program at University of Georgia and Georgia Southern. In 1989 I earned my EdD thereby going well beyond my education goal. In 2007-2009 I took 3 online graduate courses in computers at Georgia Southwestern toward a graduate certificate in computers but did not complete other the classes. I was busy with consulting work and teaching fulltime.
3. I gave up on the biology teaching idea in college when got into computers. However when I moved in current office at GNTC I sort of completed this one as I am sharing the office with the biology instructors and am across the hall from the biology lab.
4. I have been teaching about computers on the college level since 1979. I have taught programming to microcomputers to networking to database to Internet. I have served on the Georgia statewide committee of CIS technical college instructors as an officer for most of the past 20 years that develops and maintains the state curriculum. I am currently chair of networking and was just re-elected for 2 more years last week. I have served several times as overall chair and also as chair of the programming, microcomputer specialist and database areas.
5. I have done computer consulting on a part time basis since 1979 and di that successfully on a full time basis from 2005 to 2007. I worked as computer operator/assistant programmer back in 1981 at Sea Island and was a Senior Programmer Analyst for PMSC in 1996-97. From 1981 to 1996 in addition to teaching at Swainsboro Tech I developed and maintained their IT structure including writing a multi 100,000 line COBOL program for student records and also did programs for payroll, accounting, etc. I networked the college. I have developed and maintain web pages for a number of organizations starting in 1995 and continuing to now.
6. I have authored one book Structured COBOL for Technical Students which was published by Prentice Hall in 1996. I also have co-authored a book on reviewing for the A+ exam which was published in 1997. I also wrote my dissertation which was printed in hard back form in 1989. In addition I have gotten to serve as a reviewer for a number of technical books and some fiction books also.
7. My watt thoughts article that I started on the Internet back in 1997 has been published at different times in a number of newspapers. I started a question answer article a couple of years ago that is published in the Swainsboro Forest Blade, Walker County Messenger and Catoosa County News each week. I also did a column for about 5 years on technology about once a month for the Georgia Kiwanian. For the last 2 year I have been the editor of the K-T Notes (newsletter for the Kentucky-Tennessee Kiwanis) and do a short article in it.
8. I traveled in Mexico and Canada and the Bahamas in high school and college. In 1999 I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Brazil. In 2005 I got the opportunity to go to China with a group of presidents of Georgia technical colleges which was a really neat but busy trip. So I have been half way around the world.
9. In high school I had the opportunity to preach several times on youth Sunday. For the past 20 years I have run the sound system at my church which included recording on cassette tape for many years although now on the computer. I put many of those sermons on the church web site. For the past 6 years or so I have also run the video system at church which puts words and notes on screens in the sanctuary which helps many people to follow the sermon or read words to scripture and songs. I have taught Sunday school for about 20 years and for many years was every Sunday but now about once a month. I have been a conference Certified Lay Speaker for the United Methodist church for a number of years and fill in for ministers at several different churches. In addition I speak at the Sunday night service at my church about once a month. I have gotten lots of opportunities to speak in SE Georgia. I also do the web site for two Methodist churches and send out their bulletins each week by email to members.
10. Although I have never made huge amounts of money I have always made enough to do the things I want to do and to be able to help others. I support several ministries and charities and help individuals. I have been able to travel and live a comfortable life. I have also had a couple times where money was tight (fall 1980 when I was unemployed it got down to pennies literally to pay rent and I was doing any type job including cleaning after banquets, cleaning houses, cleaning racquet ball courts including the locker rooms so I have literally cleaned toilets.
11. I have had a number of wonderful friends over the years that I have done lots with and have learned to love and have gotten loved. My friends have been there for me in the good and bad times and meant a lot and I hope I have been the same for them. Who knows how many people I have helped move and how many times people have helped move me. They have listened to me at times and me to them and we have also shared the high moments of life.
12. I majored in Political Science in college. I ran for a number of offices in high school and college serving as student government treasurer in high school and college. Although I won a number of races I also lost my share, but getting my message out was fun. In Jaycees I served on the local level in a number of positions including as president of my club that had about 75 members. I went on to the state level and served as district director, region director and as a state VP. I also served in a few appointed positions. On the national level I served as national representative for the Shooting Education (gun safety for kids) program for three years and traveled to a number of states. In Kiwanis I have served as an officer in 2 different clubs and served as technology chair for the Georgia Kiwanis for about 5 years and am serving for the past 2 years as editor of the K-T Notes for the Kentucky-Tennessee Kiwanis. I am pleased how I have done politically on the local to national level being able to serve people. I have also held positions on local and state levels in several other groups.
13. I sot tons of pictures using film for many years. I shot about 1000 slides and lots of prints. In 1999 I started shooting digital and have shot 10s of thousands of pictures. Last summer while assisting with the DNBBGCM (Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match) I shot about 100 pictures which you can see on their web site and I have done that several years. I also shot about 2000 pictures during July on my trip west. (I am still working on them as I shoot in raw format and then do basic editing to them to get exposure correct). They are at http://tripwestjuly2011.shutterfly.com You can also look at many of the pictures I have shot digitally over the years (and a few show on film) at dwightwatt.shutterfly.com You can see the 1000 or so pictures I shot in China there
14. Although I have never seen myself as an artist I have done a number of different artworks. In college I did some paintings. Since then I learned to do stained glass and did a number of pieces an have several pieces in different stages of development. I learned to blacksmith a few years ago and have done a few items by blacksmithing. I also learned to do molten glass and did some neat things but never have done any more. I have also done lots of photos that I have put in art shows and am proud of the art touch.
I have accomplished the many things I set out to do and if you notice I am still doing a number of them like being elected last week to networking chair again. I am constantly learning new stuff in computers and technology and lots of people showing me things. Working on my trip pictures last night reminded me of several things Michelle had taught me to do when working with my pictures. I continue to shoot pictures and am doing some videos now. I shot a number of one minute or so videos last summer on the trip and at match but have not looked at them yet or posted them but hope to do so soon. The newspaper column gets harder coming up with different topics after over 120 of them.
It has gotten popular to talk about bucket lists or what things people intend to do before they die. Life dos not tell us how long we have so we may have short or long lives and we really can’t plan for which as accidents occur and cause unplanned untimely deaths.
After having taken a major trip last summer out west I have had lots of people say that must have been on my bucket list and what else is on it. Given that and seeing untimely deaths close to me recently I have reflected back on what goals earlier in life were and how well have I done.
Thinking back to high school and college and as I was looking at what I hoped to accomplish in life these are items I remember. A few will be noted as high school or college as they changed then.
1. To see all 50 of the states in the USA
2. To get bachelor’s degree and probably master’s degree
3. To teach biology (high school)
4. To teach about computers (college)
5. Be a successful computer person (college)
6. To write a book
7. To write a newspaper column
8. To travel internationally
9. To do some type Christian ministry including preaching
10. To make enough money to do things want to do and to help others
11. To have wonderful close friends
12. To succeed in politics in some way
13. To do lots of photography
14. To do some type of art
So how have I done?
1. I have been to 49 states and flown over and taken pictures of the one I have not touched which is Alaska. I am pleased with that it is accomplished. I may set foot in Alaska still, but the mission I accomplished.
2. I got a BA in Political Science in 1977 from Winthrop University and then got a MBA in 1979 from Winthrop. In 1983 I got the opportunity to enroll in a doctorate program at University of Georgia and Georgia Southern. In 1989 I earned my EdD thereby going well beyond my education goal. In 2007-2009 I took 3 online graduate courses in computers at Georgia Southwestern toward a graduate certificate in computers but did not complete other the classes. I was busy with consulting work and teaching fulltime.
3. I gave up on the biology teaching idea in college when got into computers. However when I moved in current office at GNTC I sort of completed this one as I am sharing the office with the biology instructors and am across the hall from the biology lab.
4. I have been teaching about computers on the college level since 1979. I have taught programming to microcomputers to networking to database to Internet. I have served on the Georgia statewide committee of CIS technical college instructors as an officer for most of the past 20 years that develops and maintains the state curriculum. I am currently chair of networking and was just re-elected for 2 more years last week. I have served several times as overall chair and also as chair of the programming, microcomputer specialist and database areas.
5. I have done computer consulting on a part time basis since 1979 and di that successfully on a full time basis from 2005 to 2007. I worked as computer operator/assistant programmer back in 1981 at Sea Island and was a Senior Programmer Analyst for PMSC in 1996-97. From 1981 to 1996 in addition to teaching at Swainsboro Tech I developed and maintained their IT structure including writing a multi 100,000 line COBOL program for student records and also did programs for payroll, accounting, etc. I networked the college. I have developed and maintain web pages for a number of organizations starting in 1995 and continuing to now.
6. I have authored one book Structured COBOL for Technical Students which was published by Prentice Hall in 1996. I also have co-authored a book on reviewing for the A+ exam which was published in 1997. I also wrote my dissertation which was printed in hard back form in 1989. In addition I have gotten to serve as a reviewer for a number of technical books and some fiction books also.
7. My watt thoughts article that I started on the Internet back in 1997 has been published at different times in a number of newspapers. I started a question answer article a couple of years ago that is published in the Swainsboro Forest Blade, Walker County Messenger and Catoosa County News each week. I also did a column for about 5 years on technology about once a month for the Georgia Kiwanian. For the last 2 year I have been the editor of the K-T Notes (newsletter for the Kentucky-Tennessee Kiwanis) and do a short article in it.
8. I traveled in Mexico and Canada and the Bahamas in high school and college. In 1999 I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Brazil. In 2005 I got the opportunity to go to China with a group of presidents of Georgia technical colleges which was a really neat but busy trip. So I have been half way around the world.
9. In high school I had the opportunity to preach several times on youth Sunday. For the past 20 years I have run the sound system at my church which included recording on cassette tape for many years although now on the computer. I put many of those sermons on the church web site. For the past 6 years or so I have also run the video system at church which puts words and notes on screens in the sanctuary which helps many people to follow the sermon or read words to scripture and songs. I have taught Sunday school for about 20 years and for many years was every Sunday but now about once a month. I have been a conference Certified Lay Speaker for the United Methodist church for a number of years and fill in for ministers at several different churches. In addition I speak at the Sunday night service at my church about once a month. I have gotten lots of opportunities to speak in SE Georgia. I also do the web site for two Methodist churches and send out their bulletins each week by email to members.
10. Although I have never made huge amounts of money I have always made enough to do the things I want to do and to be able to help others. I support several ministries and charities and help individuals. I have been able to travel and live a comfortable life. I have also had a couple times where money was tight (fall 1980 when I was unemployed it got down to pennies literally to pay rent and I was doing any type job including cleaning after banquets, cleaning houses, cleaning racquet ball courts including the locker rooms so I have literally cleaned toilets.
11. I have had a number of wonderful friends over the years that I have done lots with and have learned to love and have gotten loved. My friends have been there for me in the good and bad times and meant a lot and I hope I have been the same for them. Who knows how many people I have helped move and how many times people have helped move me. They have listened to me at times and me to them and we have also shared the high moments of life.
12. I majored in Political Science in college. I ran for a number of offices in high school and college serving as student government treasurer in high school and college. Although I won a number of races I also lost my share, but getting my message out was fun. In Jaycees I served on the local level in a number of positions including as president of my club that had about 75 members. I went on to the state level and served as district director, region director and as a state VP. I also served in a few appointed positions. On the national level I served as national representative for the Shooting Education (gun safety for kids) program for three years and traveled to a number of states. In Kiwanis I have served as an officer in 2 different clubs and served as technology chair for the Georgia Kiwanis for about 5 years and am serving for the past 2 years as editor of the K-T Notes for the Kentucky-Tennessee Kiwanis. I am pleased how I have done politically on the local to national level being able to serve people. I have also held positions on local and state levels in several other groups.
13. I sot tons of pictures using film for many years. I shot about 1000 slides and lots of prints. In 1999 I started shooting digital and have shot 10s of thousands of pictures. Last summer while assisting with the DNBBGCM (Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match) I shot about 100 pictures which you can see on their web site and I have done that several years. I also shot about 2000 pictures during July on my trip west. (I am still working on them as I shoot in raw format and then do basic editing to them to get exposure correct). They are at http://tripwestjuly2011.shutterfly.com You can also look at many of the pictures I have shot digitally over the years (and a few show on film) at dwightwatt.shutterfly.com You can see the 1000 or so pictures I shot in China there
14. Although I have never seen myself as an artist I have done a number of different artworks. In college I did some paintings. Since then I learned to do stained glass and did a number of pieces an have several pieces in different stages of development. I learned to blacksmith a few years ago and have done a few items by blacksmithing. I also learned to do molten glass and did some neat things but never have done any more. I have also done lots of photos that I have put in art shows and am proud of the art touch.
I have accomplished the many things I set out to do and if you notice I am still doing a number of them like being elected last week to networking chair again. I am constantly learning new stuff in computers and technology and lots of people showing me things. Working on my trip pictures last night reminded me of several things Michelle had taught me to do when working with my pictures. I continue to shoot pictures and am doing some videos now. I shot a number of one minute or so videos last summer on the trip and at match but have not looked at them yet or posted them but hope to do so soon. The newspaper column gets harder coming up with different topics after over 120 of them.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The debt ceiling fears (Watt Thoughts)
Just over a week ago congress passed and President Obama signed a bill to raise the debt ceiling of the USA. In the debate leading up to Tuesday we heard many stories on what was going to happen if the debt ceiling was not passed. It has been 8 days now, so lets look at some of them and what has happened.
The biggest one spread all over was if the debt ceiling was not raised the stock market and economy was going to tank. Lets look what happened in 6 days of trading since. Five of those six days the stock market has not just closed down but 100s of point a day. Wonder what it would have been if this was the good?
We heard from commentators and politicians that if we did not raise the debt limit that the AAA rating the USA had would fall. Notice I used the word had. It fell on Friday when S&P cut it. If you had listened to the rating organizations they were not threatening to cut because debt ceiling was being hit, but that we have possibly out borrowed our ability to pay our bills. So one agency did cut and the others put out stronger language that a cut is possibly imminent.
We heard the economy would fall apart. Now we have heard all week that the risks of another recession (called a double dip) is now rated as about 25% possible by economists, much higher than before.
We heard that interest rates would go thru the roof if we did not raise the ceiling because we would lose the AAA rating. Well we lost the AAA rating and we find people and institutions are doing like always when stock market goes bonkers and buying gold and US Treasuries which has run the rate down
What do we need to do now? Get the federal spending in control. First that means actually doing a budget. (ask anyone who counsels individuals with debt problems and this is step 1). Second we need to pass real spending cuts but spending cuts that will take place in 5 or 10 years. Cuts now will take effect. Cuts in 5 or 10 years will be ignored by Congress and the President then. Look at cuts that were put in some medical programs on payments to medical providers but were to start a year or two down the road. Each year congress votes to kick the can down the road and to delay implementation. It does no good for me to say that I am going to reduce my budget in 2012 or lose 40 pounds in 2012 now. When 2012 gets here I will say lets just wait to 2013. Congress is the same.
The choices are cutting spending and raising taxes. We need to look at what the government needs to do and start cutting wants to do or would be nice to do. It needs to be real cuts now. We need to look at our tax structure and simplify it. We can probably get more revenue from it by cutting the different deductions (called loopholes when someone else uses it) and cut rates at the same time. Make it more fair. We hear Social Security is headed fro going broke and what did our leaders do. This year they cut payroll taxes, which are individuals contributions to Social Security and now I hear they want to keep the cut. If you are not collecting enough to make it solvent how does cutting amount you collect help, This is not part of the normal cut tax rates and we will get more. That argument is if we reduce the tax rate people will produce more to earn more. This was simply a case of cut the payroll taxes to give people more money. The group that most vocally passed the payroll tax cut are anti tax cutters.
Now the good news. Since we raised the debt ceiling oil prices (September futures) and wholesale gas prices (September futures have fallen about 15% to around $80 a barrel.
The deficit and debt crisis is real and we must get them under control.
The biggest one spread all over was if the debt ceiling was not raised the stock market and economy was going to tank. Lets look what happened in 6 days of trading since. Five of those six days the stock market has not just closed down but 100s of point a day. Wonder what it would have been if this was the good?
We heard from commentators and politicians that if we did not raise the debt limit that the AAA rating the USA had would fall. Notice I used the word had. It fell on Friday when S&P cut it. If you had listened to the rating organizations they were not threatening to cut because debt ceiling was being hit, but that we have possibly out borrowed our ability to pay our bills. So one agency did cut and the others put out stronger language that a cut is possibly imminent.
We heard the economy would fall apart. Now we have heard all week that the risks of another recession (called a double dip) is now rated as about 25% possible by economists, much higher than before.
We heard that interest rates would go thru the roof if we did not raise the ceiling because we would lose the AAA rating. Well we lost the AAA rating and we find people and institutions are doing like always when stock market goes bonkers and buying gold and US Treasuries which has run the rate down
What do we need to do now? Get the federal spending in control. First that means actually doing a budget. (ask anyone who counsels individuals with debt problems and this is step 1). Second we need to pass real spending cuts but spending cuts that will take place in 5 or 10 years. Cuts now will take effect. Cuts in 5 or 10 years will be ignored by Congress and the President then. Look at cuts that were put in some medical programs on payments to medical providers but were to start a year or two down the road. Each year congress votes to kick the can down the road and to delay implementation. It does no good for me to say that I am going to reduce my budget in 2012 or lose 40 pounds in 2012 now. When 2012 gets here I will say lets just wait to 2013. Congress is the same.
The choices are cutting spending and raising taxes. We need to look at what the government needs to do and start cutting wants to do or would be nice to do. It needs to be real cuts now. We need to look at our tax structure and simplify it. We can probably get more revenue from it by cutting the different deductions (called loopholes when someone else uses it) and cut rates at the same time. Make it more fair. We hear Social Security is headed fro going broke and what did our leaders do. This year they cut payroll taxes, which are individuals contributions to Social Security and now I hear they want to keep the cut. If you are not collecting enough to make it solvent how does cutting amount you collect help, This is not part of the normal cut tax rates and we will get more. That argument is if we reduce the tax rate people will produce more to earn more. This was simply a case of cut the payroll taxes to give people more money. The group that most vocally passed the payroll tax cut are anti tax cutters.
Now the good news. Since we raised the debt ceiling oil prices (September futures) and wholesale gas prices (September futures have fallen about 15% to around $80 a barrel.
The deficit and debt crisis is real and we must get them under control.
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