Friday, June 22, 2012

Our Constitution: The future effectiveness of this document

No member of Congress apparently takes the time to ask the question: Is it constitutional?  I would imagine that only a handful members of Congress have read The Federalist Papers and  I also am adamant that they do not have a copy of the constitution handy to refresh their memories.

I am concerned, like all Americans, about the future of the United State of America.  We spend too much; make too many promises that we cannot afford and assume that we should just raise taxes whenever we have a deficit.

America has fought wars in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, China, Philippines, Southeast Asia, Central America, and Puerto Rico.  We have fought a Revolutionary War, a Civil War, two World Wars, and 27 (circa) non-declared wars  from Mexico, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Grenada, to Panama. We have spent billions $ (trillions) and lost hundreds (thousands) of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Why have we fought in these wars? What does it all mean to us today? Did we spend all this money and waste all these lives to defend our culture, our political system, to give citizens and non-citizens $ entitlements, or was it to defend liberty AND/or the constitution?  Are we grateful to the sacrifices of our veterans?  How many of these wars were fought with Congressional approval as proscribed by the Constitution?

We have enacted laws that provide $ entitlements for generations to come (e.g. Social Security, Medicaid, Obama-care, and Medicare) which are destined to cost us as much or more than we have spent on all the wars. Are we rasining taxes just so we can fight another war or are we seeing the end of the United States of America as we know it.  Why do we keep enacting new legislation that promises $ millions to current and future generations without taking the time to figure out how much it will $ cost and make sure it is sound $ financially?

We are so proud of our constitution but we abuse and discredit this document almost daily by Congress, by the Supreme Court, or by the Executive Branch (President). The President can issue "Executive Order" that has the standing as LAW without the consent of Congress. The President can attach a "signature statement" to legislation passed by Congress to deletes parts that he does not like.  Why am I frightened of Obama, a constitutional scholar, that he will abuse our Constitution even worse than did FDR, Woodrow Wilson, George Bush, or Lyndon Johnson, etc?

All the while, Congress uses filthy lucre $ to bribe States to do their bidding on entitlements, immigration, education, etc.  They dangle the opportunity to obtain free money ( with strings attached) to the States that shrink the amount of influence States have with their own citizens.  The Federal Government seems to be in a battle to win the hearts and minds of the citizens of every State of the Union with juicy entitlements like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that enhances the ability of the federal government to wean away the loyalty of citizens from their respective State.  Citizens are now more dependent upon the Federal Government than they are on State Government.  This in and of itself is an abuse of power.

Congress uses bribery to win converts

Congress has granted the Executive Branch the authority to control private property through the Environmental Protection Agency.  Congress created the private Federal Reserve System (FED) to handle all monetary policy of the United States without any oversight by Congress, the Executive Branch, or the Supreme Court.  Congress created the US Department of Education to allows the Executive branch to use filthy lucre $ to persuade States to hand-over their responsibility.  Since the creation of the Department of Edcuation our international ranking of scholarship has fallen each and every year while spending $ billions.

The Supreme Court has found new loop-holes in rights.  Abortion being the most notable and long-lasting of these new rights.  When was the last time you heard the Supreme Court declare a provision passed by Congress is unconstitutional?  Until ObamaCare came along, I do not remember such a ground swell about the constitutionality of any legistialtion.  Why wasn't Socail Secuirty added as a constitutional amendment rather than as a piece of legislation?








Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Rescission is coming

Jim Rogers: America to plunge into deep Recession in 2013

Jim Rogers : "...America had recessions and economic slowdowns every 4 to 6 years since the beginning of the republic , you can add by 2013 we are going to have another , and when it comes this time it is going to be worse than last time because debt is so so much higher , the 2008 slowdown was worse than 2002 slowdown because the debt was high next time the debt is going to be up there and it is going to be much worse "....The legendary investor says The Fed is only making the situation worse.


--

Larry Henson
405.471.4888
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Morningstar: Four key attributes of a good dividend stock

Dear Investor,
The appeal of dividends has grown a lot in recent years, but by itself, a fat dividend yield isn't enough. To work for you in the long run, these cash payments need to come from fundamentally attractive businesses. That's why at Morningstar DividendInvestor I focus on helping you separate the wheat from the chaff.
Once you find those reliable dividend-payers, hold on tight, because the dividends you earn are real cash in your pocket. You can reinvest them to supercharge your portfolio and watch them rise no matter which way the market goes.
Of course, we're not talking about crazy, speculative investments. I look for solid companies with strong competitive advantages. What kind of companies do I look for? Here are four key attributes I look for before putting my hard-earned capital to work:
1. Resilient earning power. Some businesses, like homebuilders or auto manufacturers, need a booming economy just to be profitable. Others are in better shape, but still ride the economy's roller coaster--as do their shareholders. My favorite businesses, however, are the ones selling products and services their customers need through all kinds of economic conditions, from packaged foods to petroleum pipelines. I may not have as much to "win" in the boom times, but I continue collecting big dividend checks through the inevitable busts.
2. Strong, identifiable competitive advantages. One hallmark of a good business is an ability to fend off rivals and keep profits high. Some have strong brands that command premium prices. Others have patents. Still others benefit from inherently low costs relative to their rivals. Whatever the reasons, these advantages support the profits that in turn fund my dividends, so I require evidence of competitive strength for any stock I would consider.
3. Attractive dividend policies. It's a shame so few large companies pay the dividends they're capable of paying. Many and perhaps even most good businesses divert their cash flow into questionable share buybacks or downright dubious acquisitions. I want my companies to grow, of course, and I like to see some reinvestment in the business. But a dividend policy that shares a large proportion of annual earnings with shareholders is a must.
4. Reasonable valuation. The number-one mistake an investor can make is to pay too much for a stock in relation to the intrinsic value of the underlying business. This can apply to any individual issue, or to the entire market--which goes a long way toward explaining why the past decade has been so disappointing overall. Fortunately, big dividends tend to keep investors rational. I'm not looking at any stocks that can't deliver a yield of at least 2%, and preferably 3%, 5%, or better. And I won't pay more than the business is worth, no matter what the yield may be.
My "pitch" holds no mystery: If DividendInvestor sounds like a service that might help you meet your financial goals, give us a try. And with our money-back guarantee, there's no risk.  
Best regards,
Josh Peters, CFA
Senior Equity Strategist
Editor, Morningstar DividendInvestor
Author, Ultimate Dividend Playbook



Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

stop the spending

 
 


Larry Henson
405.471-4888 
 
 

Happy days are here again!

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Thomas Sowell

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

Everyone involved should face criminal charges

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness



Where is the President? Why hasn't he spoken out against this wasteful spending? Where is Obama's indignation? What is Obama planning on doing about this illegal activity within his adminstration?

Friday, April 13, 2012

Thomas Sowell



Thomas Sowell: "The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never 
enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics 
is to disregard the first lesson of economics".



Stop abortions




Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

Class warfare is tearing the country apart!




Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness

Monday, March 05, 2012

Obama: loss of purchasing power

 


The American people are hurting from this prolonged economic condition.  We have a President that spends more time making speeches than trying to find a policy to help the economy recover.
 
 

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Social Justice


What do you call it when someone steals someone else's money secretly? Theft. What do you call it when someone takes someone else's money openly by force? Robbery. What do you call it when a politician takes someone else's money in taxes and gives it to someone who is more likely to vote for him? Social Justice.
---- Thomas Sowell



Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness