Bush Makes a Good First Step

Shocking, but true: President Bush has threatened a veto against a pork-laden war-funding bill. Still, the article says "The administration had proposed about $92 billion in emergency funds for combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and to continue rebuilding southern states hit by Hurricane Katrina." $92 billion???? Emergency funds? Where is this money coming from? (Adding to the $3 trillion debt the administration has created is the unfortunate answer) What is it for? (Casinos and sin-laden New Orleans is part of the answer) I wish more scrutiny were given to federal spending sprees.

But at least the man's questioning the other pork, right?

Let's Go Flat Tax

I've long been intrigued by the idea of a flat tax system, as opposed to our current system of being taxed on every level: payroll taxes, corporate taxes, income taxes etc, etc, etc. Daniel J. Mitchell, Ph.D, of the Heritage Foundation, offers some commentary on why we should adopt a flat tax and what's stopping us (Hint: picture your Congressman as a drunken sailor ordering one more round for his buddies).

For another great read on the flat tax movement, check out World Magazine columnist Timothy Lamer's article. Lamer offers a brilliant argument.

"There is an old adage," said Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.), a FairTax co-sponsor, "that if you want more of something, you should subsidize it. If you want less of something, you should tax it. And what do we do in America? We tax income. We tax investment. We tax savings. We tax productivity. We tax all the things we want more of, and yet we subsidize consumption, indirectly."

Lamer also lists some downsides to a flat tax:

"[A flat tax] would leave the door open to a European-style system of both consumption and income taxes; the temptation to restart the income tax would be tremendous for big-spending politicians, [some] say, and the country could end up with a tax structure far worse than what it has today."

His suggestion: Repeal the 16th amendment. You know, the one that gives the feds permission to take your justly earned income from you before you get a chance to see it.

Live Like You Mean It

Here's some inspiration to live confidently today: do God's will all the time. I know we like to compartmentalize God: he gets the prayer before meals, the prayer before bedtime and maybe a ten minute devo if he's lucky. Unfortunately, this is all the attention many of us give to the great Creator of the Universe!

Following God is not always easy, but that's what makes it worthwhile. Try following some of Jesus' teachings from the Sermon on the Mount; you'll see what I mean. Jesus says to turn the other cheek. When your boss throws yet another assignment on your already wobbling tower of projects, look up at him and smile. Tell him you'd be happy to help him. And what happens? Rather than making you a stupid peon, you become the salt of this earth to a boss who may not know who Jesus is.

Just an example. But I think Jesus was quite wise by giving us the commands he chose.

"I have come that they might have life, and they might have it more abundantly!"