The recent release of the unemployment numbers indicate a very unsettling trend in our nations future for an economic recovery. In spite of the numbers showing a .2% decline in unemployment, the real disturbing numbers were the number of permanent jobs lost that are never to be recovered and the number of people who have simply given up on ever finding work.

There reasons for such miserable numbers recently cited by the L.A. Times include the following:

• Slump in retail sales and no plans for any expansion. Unemployed people simply can’t purchase things.
• Uncertainty on tax increases when the Bush tax cuts expire, increased government regulations on the financial sector, and uncertainty on energy costs as the Cap and Trade bill looms in Congress.
• Inability to obtain capital from previously available sources as well as uncertainty in the effect of the Financial Regulations being placed on our Banks and lenders.

Small business accounts for more than 70% of our workforce. In spite of incentives for new start up businesses, the growth rate among this group is near zero. Fewer and fewer people are willing to overcome the mountains of regulations, unwillingness to invest capital during uncertainty in the global economy, and uncertainty in taxation due to mounting government deficits. Add to the mix, the costs associated with the new Obamacare are directly impacting the bottom line of every small business and few are willing to venture into a new startup with requirements to provide healthcare benefits from day one, face the prospects of fines if they don’t, and have needed capital to overcome that 3 year window of uncertainty in which over 70% of the failures occur.

Let’s also add to the mix the increases in government jobs at every level of local, state, and Federal government. Those are additional taxes needed to pay the salaries and benefits of newly hired government employees. At the time when government deficits on every level are climbing due to losses of previously stable tax revenue, government still insists on creating jobs with the Stimulus dollars with “use it of lose it” rules. Instead of using those dollars to temporarily fund the deficits, new government jobs are created and more debt is incurred.

These state and local governments are also facing budget shortfalls that has resulted in the loss of many teachers, policemen, and firefighters. Yet, due to the rules of the Stimulus money, few of those funds are being used to save those jobs. The talk of tax increases to maintain these lost jobs are receiving push back from those citizens who understand they are being squeezed so much now in taxes, that there is nothing left to pay higher taxes with. Countless small businesses too, are feeling the burden of increased local government taxation needed to keep their budgets balanced.

We are in a death spiral of government debt, excessive regulation, and more mandates from the Federal government. Washington has failed to “get it”. The solutions are simple and lead down one path alone and Mike believes that until that uncertainty is removed, we will not see our economy recover. His plan is simple:

• Enact the FairTax. Removing the burden of Income taxes puts more money in peoples pocket and allows them to have the needed money to make buying decisions, not wishful thinking. It will bring over $13 TRILLION in private investment dollars into our economy and allow free market principles to work when there are no tax implications from those investments. This alone will begin the job creation needed to spur economic growth.
• Cut the deficits in half this year. Until our government can learn to live within it’s means and end the borrowing just to pay for basic government needs, taxes will escalate and those burdens are being passed through “generational theft” to our heirs.
• End any additional Stimulus and TARP spending. These programs have failed in their intent and are simply adding to the debt of this nation.
• Repeal Obamacare and end the uncertainty of higher taxes to our small businesses. The promises of lower health care costs are false promises and already escalating premiums, higher costs, and loss of coverages are occurring. The $1.3 TRILLION dollar price tag again, adds to the debt of this country and we can ill afford to be faced with increased taxes to pay for it.
• Begin serious reforms of our entitlement programs. We are faced with over $106 TRILLION in unfunded liability(DEBT) over the next 20 years in these programs. Since they are NOT part of the Government budget- that spending is on automatic pilot- we are facing financial collapse in paying for these programs.

We as a nation must return to the principles and foundation of our Founders of smaller government, regulations that do not impede business but PROMOTES it, and low taxes to fund a smaller and less intrusive government. It is time to head the warning of Jefferson:

A government big enough to give you everything you want is strong enough to take away everything you have.

With our National Debt continuing to rise to nearly $14 TRILLION dollars, this Congress and Administration still haven’t seen the reality about to hit this nation. We ARE the largest debtor nation in the world and the divesting of American Debt by other nations should be sounding a resounding alarm, but hasn’t for this group in Washington.

Greece and Portugal are on the brink of financial collapse for one simple reason- their governments, in an effort to continue their massive entitlement programs, have reached the point where no one wants their debt instruments. Countries like Germany are going to either prop up their debt with loans or they face complete bankruptcy.

Great Britain is also facing the same possibility unless they too, get a handle on their deficits and resulting debt. Even the head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has warned repeatedly about the necessity to get control of the debt or face the same issues in Spain, Portugal, and Greece:

Speaking to the annual conference of the Institute of Directors about the need to deal with the record debt, he said: “If anyone doubts the dangers that face our country if we do not, they should look at what is happening today in Greece and in Portugal.”

Sooner or later, the inevitable will happen as long as this nation continues this spending spree. Our debt instruments, Bonds and Treasury Bills, will NO LONGER be wanted at the current interest rates they are being bid to yield. Eventually, our Bonds will also be downgraded simply because the creditor nations and individuals will DEMAND higher rates and unless was can pay that interest to service that debt, it collapses as well.

It is imperative that Congress ends the deficit spending, reforms ALL entitlements, and returns to the Constitutional powers that are specifically enumerated in that document. Once we look beyond our own financial issues and look at the history behind every 20th Century war, we can understand we are at a crossroads- we either sacrifice today and change the course we are headed upon, or face the fact that sooner or later, we could be in another major world wide conflict.

Not only is our debt a major national security issue, it is abject failure on the part of our elected officials to end this cycle of deficit spending that is NOT reviving our economy, but placing our nation into the abyss of failure yet to come.

After listening to the President’s State of the Union Address I have come but to one conclusion- our President has little regard for individual liberties and views “big government” as the solution for issues our nation is facing. His inability to recognize that his massive expansion of government has not fixed a single thing and the voice of the American people don’t have his ear.

His desire to pass Health Care “reform” in which the people overwhelmingly have said “WE the People” don’t want your Plan, indicates he hasn’t taken the time to listen to both sides. Yet, he want’s unity from Congress in this matter and views the opposition as somehow a personal attack on him personally. It is not a personal issue Mr. President, but is the American people’s voice that isn’t being heard and I will stand up for them long before I stand up for your agenda that is laden with “behind closed doors deals”.

You, Mr. President, were hired by “WE the People”, not the special interest groups, the union bosses, and lobbyists. You convinced the American people that a $787 BILLION Stimulus bill would keep unemployment below 8%, yet no jobs are being created, people are losing their homes, and the banks and Wall Streeter’s are standing on solid and profitable ground.

Small businesses are under attack as you press for Cap and Trade, Health Care, and “Card Check”. As I listen to these business owners, they feel threatened by your agenda and will most likely not survive your onslaught of taxes and fees. Yet, you offer the smoke and mirrors that “capital gains tax reductions” and “hiring credits” which in reality, will not create jobs. “Capital gains” don’t happen in a small business, but it’s capital investment in people, in expansion of inventories, and increased business activity they need. Investment in those areas make business succeed and are never subject to any “capital gains taxes”, but are what fuel the economic engine of our nation and result in those PROFITS you want to tax even more. We are not stupid Mr. President as you pandered the those who have never owned a business and won’t understand either, when they lose their source of family income when their employer closes his doors.

Good speeches don’t pay the bills of the ordinary American, jobs do. Cap and Trade, Health Care, and bank bailouts don’t put food on the table, jobs do. More regulations and higher taxes on our Small Businesses, and the threats of even more, don’t cause economic growth, and won’t create new JOBS, Mr. President.

Making college tuition loans part of a Government sounds all nice and fuzzy and having payback in 20 years has a nice ring to it, but making Public Service a condition of a 10 year payoff tells me that more expansion of GOVERNMENT is on the table for this Administration. Mr. President, the PEOPLE want LESS government, and and end to the deficits and your plans will produce another $1.9 TRILLION this year alone. Sooner or later, Mr. President, no nation will want our Debt instruments (bonds), as they aren’t so sure that your agenda will bring back the needed economic growth to pay back that debt.

It is time for Fiscal responsibility from our government and that means accepting the fact we are spending far too much, not taking the steps to cut the size and scope of government, and to offer a “spending freeze” that isn’t really a “freeze” on the areas where government needs massive overhaul. THAT, Mr. President is nothing more than pandering to the American people and is simply more “smoke and mirrors” that the American people are tired of. You promised to cut spending,  not increase it 25% so you could simply freeze a mere $20 billion.

You want to create more exports from our nation, yet, what did you put on the table that would bring more manufacturing from American shores? Those jobs are gone to where Mr. President? Let me give you that answer- China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. You can’t export things you aren’t making, so those cargo ships that come into Jacksonville’s Port, simple return with the ONLY thing we seem to be exporting- AIR.

I’m sorry Mr. President, but your agenda falls well short of the desires of WE the PEOPLE. Excuses and “blame Bush” will no longer cut it for your failures and inability to listen to what the American people are telling you. No longer will promises of transparency, no lobbyists, and no back room deals for the cronies be acceptable as every single promise you ran on have been broken. We are a Representative Republic Mr. President, not a nation that you “RULE”, but one you GOVERN. You can’t govern unless you listen and you have lost the trust of those who hired you. Our government has 3 distinct branches Mr. President, and your chastising the Supreme Court indicates that you feel all 3 are there for you pleasure, and you don’t understand their roles are to protect us from the very tyrannical “RULE” you wish to impose.

Like any CEO will tell you, without the results you promised, the stockholders want a new direction. Let’s make sure we bring that new direction that works to our nation in 2010 and put our nation back in the hands of WE THE PEOPLE. Let’s not be lulled to sleep by a great speech, but compare the words to the actions and the actions have fallen far short.