As kids, teenagers and even adults we often do not realize just how lucky we are to be raised in the United States. Way too many of us want more and more to be given to us. Some of us expect the government to take care of us. [Read more...]
Paying National Debt
January 11, 2011 By 4 Comments
As a kid that keeps getting put deeper in debt before I even get out of middle school I was wondering if the Presidents or Congress is the blame for our continuing increase in the national debt. Math is not my best subject but it looks to me like both are and both the Democrats and Republicans share in the blame. I tried to look at this in the simplest way I could and will share with other kids here at Kids Speak for America what I learned.
The National Debt as of 9/30/1981 was 997,855,000,000 or just under a trillion dollars. Today the national debt is over 14 trillion dollars. Otherwise about 13 TRILLION dollars has been added to the national debt since 1981. Of this amount about 4 Trillion was added under a Republican congress and about 9 Trillion under a Democrat congress. The tables are turned when it comes to presidents for about 4 Trillion was added under a Democrat president and about 9 Trillion under a Republican president.
The President of the United States proposes a budget to the Congress and Congress recommends funding levels for the following fiscal year, beginning October 1. (A fiscal year is a 12 month budgeting period and unlike a calendar year it does not always start in January.)
After the Congress approves an appropriations bill, it is sent to the President, who can then sign it into law or veto it. If the bill is vetoed it is sent back to Congress and they can pass it into law with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
So Democrats and Republicans I do not give a d*** who is at fault for our 14 TRILLION DOLLAR national debt. What I do care about is that all of you get your heads out of your behinds and start doing something about reducing it before us kids are so far in debt we will be working in rice paddy for the Chinese government.
At the time this article was written the national debt was over 14 TRILLION
National Debt as of 9/30/1981 997,855,000,000.00
| Year | Dem | Rep | Pres | National Debt | ||
| 1981-1983 | 97th | 242 | 192 | Reagan | * 1,377,210,000,000.00 | |
| 1983-1985 | 98th | 269 | 166 | Reagan | * 1,823,103,000,000.00 | |
| 1985-1987 | 99th | 253 | 182 | Reagan | 2,350,276,890,953.00 | |
| 1987-1989 | 100th | 258 | 177 | Reagan | 2,857,430,960,187.32 | |
| 1989-1991 | 101st | 260 | 175 | Bush | 3,665,303,351,697.03 | |
| 1991-1993 | 102nd | 267 | 167 | Bush | 4,411,488,883,139.38 | |
| 1993-1995 | 103rd | 258 | 176 | Clinton | 4,973,982,900,709.39 | |
| 1995-1997 | 104th | 204 | 230 | Clinton | 5,413,146,011,397.34 | |
| 1997-1999 | 105th | 207 | 226 | Clinton | 5,656,270,901,615.43 | |
| 1999-2001 | 106th | 211 | 223 | Clinton | 5,807,463,412,200.06 | |
| 2001-2003 | 107th | 212 | 221 | BushGW | 6,783,231,062,743.62 | |
| 2003-2005 | 108th | 204 | 229 | BushGW | 7,932,709,661,723.50 | |
| 2005-2007 | 109th | 202 | 232 | BushGW | 9,007,653,372,262.48 | |
| 2007-2009 | 110th | 233 | 198 | BushGW | $11,909,829,003,511.75 | |
| 2009-2010* | 111th | 256 | 178 | Obama | 13,561,623,030,891.79 |
As of January 11, 2010 at 9AM just before this article was posted the national debt was over 14 TRILLION and now all I can think about is working in a rice paddy to pay off the national debt.
~Submitted by Jake K.~
A Trillion Dollar Explanation
December 20, 2010 By 1 Comment
I asked my dad, my grandpa and a couple of my teachers what a trillion dollars was. All they seemed to know is that it was a lot of money and a one with 12 zeroes behind it. $1,000,000,000,000. Wow that must be a lot of money but I was still confused. My allowance when I do my chores is $5 per week. Since I don’t like cleaning my room I don’t always get my $5. Now if I cleaned my room for 2 weeks in a row I would have $10. but it would take me 20 weeks to get $100 or 200 weeks to get $1,000. If you get the idea where I am going.
Now to help you visualize it a bit better a MILLION = 1,000,000, a BILLION = 1,000,000,000, a TRILLION = 1,000,000,000,000 and our national debt is over 13 trillion and nearing 14 trillion and it has grown over a trillion dollars since the video on this page was made.
Not even the richest people in the world like Bill Gates has a trillion dollars. I really don’t know how to explain a trillion dollars but if you will watch this video you will see that it is a whole lot of money and that our government is doing a real good job of putting every one of us kids, our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, friends and even people who live on the street so deep in debt it will take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to solve this one.
Hiroshima Connection to Hawaii
December 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
On December 7, 1941 the Japanese launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. This surprise attack triggered the Pacific War. Four years later America dropped the atom bomb on Hiroshima to bring it to a close.
The connections between Hiroshima and Hawaii is much deeper than that brought on by war. In many ways it was a financial connection. This connection goes back to the late nineteenth century to a boom in the Hawaiian sugar industry. This boom attracted a large numbers of male Japanese migrant workers who were seeking to escape difficult economic conditions in Japan as that country underwent modernization.
Early workers came from the Yokohama area of Japan. These workers did not prove satisfactory, so more docile and harder working Japanese from rural areas such as Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures were preferred to work the sugar cane plantations.
The young men who went to Hawaii found that there were no Japanese women around whom they could marry. A new industry therefore sprang up which is referred to as “picture brides”. Girls wanting to marry would send photos to an agency and receive a selection of photos of eligible Japanese men. Once a choice had been made, the young woman would get on a boat and sail to Hawaii to meet and marry her intended husband.
Those Japanese who emigrated to Hawaii were know as “first generation” or “issei” in Japanese. It was impossible for them to get American citizenship. Their children, however, born in America, grew up as American citizens and are known as “second generation” or “Nisei” Japanese Americans.
However, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and brought America into World War Two, the Japanese community found itself in a difficult situation. On the American West Coast the Japanese, both Japanese nationals and American citizens, were arrested and concentrated in “war relocation” camps.
In Hawaii, however, the situation was different as the Japanese made up a large minority of the population, about 34% in 1941, and were considered by Lt. General Delos Emmons to be necessary for the war effort.
There was deep suspicion of those Japanese-Americans who were serving in the US armed forces at the outbreak of the Pacific War, with fears that they might act as enemy agents. Nevertheless, in the spring of 1942 a new Japanese-American unit was formed out of the nisei soldiers and called the 100th Infantry Battalion, serving under Caucasian officers.
In 1943 the unit went into action on the Salerno beachhead in Italy. The 100th was later absorbed into the 442nd, a unit of new Nisei recruits. By the end of the war the 100th/442nd had fought in seven campaigns in Italy, France and Germany and been awarded 18,000 decorations for valor.
Because so many of the first generation of Japanese-American migrants went to Hawaii from Hiroshima, many of the Nisei soldiers would have had relatives living in the Hiroshima area when the atom bomb was dropped on 6th August 1945.
After the war, the Hawaiian Nisei veterans returned home changed by the experience of war and determined to fight for their constitutional rights. Many took advantage of the G. I. Bill of 1944 to get a college education. Many of them entered the legal and other professions.
In 1952 the first generation were granted U. S. citizenship and voting rights and two years later dozens of Japanese Americans became candidates for legislators in Hawaii. At that time, Hawaii was a Territory and not a State of the U. S. A. so full voting rights were denied until the Japanese Americans and others succeeded in their campaign to have Hawaii made a U. S. state, which happened in 1959.
Today, Hawaii remains one of the most popular overseas destinations for Japanese tourists, many of whom travel from Hiroshima and feel quite “at home” when they arrive in Hawaii and find they have many opportunities to speak Japanese, and perhaps even the Hiroshima dialect of Japanese.
~Submitted by a Supporter of Kids Speak for America~
Should Presidents Stay Home?
November 7, 2010 By 1 Comment
Hearing $200,000,000 a day for the trip that President Obama took to Mumbai, India I did some more checking. I am certainly not an Obama fan but in all fairness I tried to look into it to see if it was possible for this to be the real amount.
I learned that the $200 million per day figure came from the news agency Press Trust of India. This figure might be true or it might be made up.
I heard that about 3,000 people including government officials, Secret Service agents and press will be in the entourage. Even though the press supposedly pays their expense I bet a little or even a lot of it is still paid by the government.
To get ready for one of these trips for Obama or any other President is quite involved. Prior to a trip like this our U.S. security agencies, ships, helicopters and security equipment needs to be in place.
In an Oct. 7, 2009, article for McClatchy Newspapers a reporter by the name of Steven Thomma did a bit of research trying to estimate the costs of these trips and this is what he discovered:
“The costs of the trips — borne by taxpayers — are difficult to measure, but they’re expensive. When (the president) uses the familiar blue-and-white reconfigured 747 as Air Force One, it costs $100,219 an hour to operate, according to the Air Force. And that’s just HIS plane.”
“There also are cargo planes, used to fly in armored limousines, helicopters, staff and other equipment, as well as the Secret Service. A single Air Force C-17 cargo jet, for example, costs $6,960 an hour, according to the Congressional Research Service.”
“A total of 77 other aircraft were used on one multi-country trip to Asia by former President Bill Clinton in 2000, according to the Air Force Times, including 14 C-17 Globemasters, 12 C-5 Galaxys, three C-141 Starlifters and two C-130 Hercules. ABC News at the time estimated the cost of that entire trip at $50 million.”
In another article it stated, “Presidential travel to foreign destinations requires planning, coordination, and logistical and personnel support,” the report stated. “The estimated incremental costs of President Clinton’s trips to Africa, Chile, and China were at least $42.8 million, $10.5 million, and $18.8 million, respectively. The largest of these costs consisted of operating expenses of the president’s aircraft and other military passenger and cargo aircraft; travel expenses, including lodging for the travelers; and telecommunications, vehicle, and other equipment rentals and procurement in the countries visited.”
Both Press Trust of India and the Times of India reported that two US Air Force Jumbos and four helicopters landed ahead of the president’s visit. They also reported that Obama will be protected by a fleet of 34 warships, including an aircraft carrier.
The Times of India also reported the following:
“Obama is expected to fly by a helicopter — Marine One — from the city airport to the Indian Navy’s helibase INS Shikra at Colaba in south Mumbai.”
“From there, he will drive down in a Lincoln Continental — the Presidential limousine — to the nearby the Taj Hotel.”
“Two jets, armed with advanced communication and security systems, and a fleet of over 40 cars will be part of Obama’s convoy.”
“Around 800 rooms have been booked for the President and his entourage in Taj Hotel and Hyatt.”
“The President will have a security ring of American elite Secret Service, which are tasked to guard the President, along with National Security Guards (NSG) and personnel from central paramilitary forces and local police in Mumbai and Delhi.”
“Similar arrangements will be in place in Delhi, with the Air Force One to be kept in all readiness throughout Obama’s stay here from Sunday afternoon to Tuesday morning.”
As I read all of that it sounded to me like we are spending way too much money and non-needed expense but if it really is I do not know. The White House disputes the $200 million dollar a day figure but whatever the cost for a trip like this really cost we need to ask – are trips like this really that necessary for our president regardless of who he is or what party he or someday she is a member of? It makes me wonder should Presidents stay home?
Thanks grandpa for helping me research this article.
Treat the National Budget Like a Family Budget
October 29, 2010 By 3 Comments
Have you ever wondered how a politician can go into office as a middle income American and a few years later are wealthy? Why is it that they can pad their own pockets while putting the rest of us further into debt? Could it be that they can only keep their eyes on a single budget and it’s their own?
When running for office most politicians both liberal and conservative believe that the Federal Government should act like any business or family and live within their means. Unfortunately once in office they are swayed by their party leaders to tow the party line and receive the goodies that come along with it or serve a single term in office.
Perhaps I am being a bit harsh but am I? If you are honest with yourself and consider what a rubber stamp congress has brought us during recent times you will understand. It is obvious that our politicians both local and national need to get back to budgeting the hard earned dollars of tax payers in the same way they would budget the income of their own family.
Maybe comparing the government to a family seems trite, but current events seem to justify the analogy.
A family has income supplied by the adults in the family through their own efforts–either through their employment or their entrepreneurial efforts. They can incur debt up to a certain point. And what is that point? When no creditor is willing to lend them any more money.
Up until that point, to borrow any further, they are likely to have to pay more in interest rates. Even to the point where they have to find lenders who would charge exorbitant fees and interest rates.
With the passing of Michael Jackson, the media related that he was 500 million dollars in debt. How could that be? Evidently there were those who were willing to extend credit to him and his operation on the basis of his ability to pay that debt at some point in the future. Or maybe his celebrity prompted others to extend him significant credit.
The average person or family normally wouldn’t have that much credibility to attract such beneficent creditors.
Well, the Federal Government has a similar situation to Michael Jackson. There is sufficient credibility and trust in the United States Government that others (including countries such as China) are willing to lend the money to continue operating. However, as has been the case, the government must increase the interest rate paid in order to continue to entice others to lend them the money.
At what point does a person or family realize that it can’t cover all the debt they incur? When their expenses exceed their income. At that point, perhaps after a period of hiding from the creditors, they have to declare bankruptcy or place their finances in the hands of an agent who will reduce their finance charges and allocate limited financial resources to them.
At what point does the Government realize that it can’t cover all the debt they incur? As we see, the creditors of the United States Government are willing to accept an appreciation on their investment. The Government only pays the interest on the debt because they roll over the debt every so often. As long as the government revenues cover the debt service–or interest–it is able to stay afloat.
However, there may come a time when creditors will not be willing to lend the United States Government any more money at any interest rate–same as families and individuals. It may be a ways off, but if the government continues to rack up the debt at the rate it is going, there must come a time when the Government truly will go bankrupt.
I hope you now understand how the family budget (and debt) is no different than the Federal Government debt. If you want the answer to how the politicians are able to pad their own pockets just look at the bills they support and you will understand!
~A Concerned Citizen~
A Letter to Poor Kids That Do Not Want to Be Poor
October 16, 2010 By 1 Comment
My name is Seth and Kids Speak for America is my website. I am 11 years old. You may be older or younger then me. You may be poor or think you are poor because you do not have what some of the other kids have. I have lived with my mom who is poor and know what that is like. I have lived in a tent in the park because my mom did not have a house. I have lived in an old camper shell with no water, electricity, radio or television. For a long time the nicest place I lived was a barn. So if you think I don’t know what being poor is you are wrong, wrong, wrong,
For the last few years I have lived in a nice house with my grandpa and dad. We are not rich now and we are not poor now. Where I live a lot of people do not have jobs. Some people do not want to work because the government is taking care of them. Some of my friends parents make more money on unemployment then they do working and can play around or do side jobs so they don’t want to get a new job. Some people like my dad and grandpa work because they do not want the government taking care of us like animals.
You might think that it is cool to be taken care of by the government but it isn’t. If you think that Obama and the liberals are going to make things real nice for you without working you are full of crap. If you want to be an animal that is told what to do by the government that is all you will ever be unless you get some brains.
I am a conservative like my grandpa and dad. Sometimes it is scary being a conservative because most people where we live are liberals and think we have to be crazy working so hard. I was even a little bit scared when I put signs up for Art Robinson because he is a conservative trying to win against a liberal Peter Defazio.
Most people where I live think the only way to make money is to do something illegal or win the lottery. My grandpa and dad have taught be that you will be happier if you work for what you have. My grandpa taught me that liberals teach dependency and conservatives teach prosperity. I want prosperity and if you are poor you should too.
So kids if you’re parents think that the democrats are going to take care of them let them know that you don’t want to live that way. Try to get them to understand that conservatives will help them get it better instead of taking care of them like a bunch of chickens. And if your mom or dad is still that stupid where they want democrats to tell them what to do I hope they won’t vote.
And if you think that democrats and liberals are good because they take from the rich and give to the poor you are just as dumb and if you want to be smart you will learn that they take care of you just enough to get your vote. The money that they take from the rich goes to pad the pensions of government workers, union workers and politicians. That is where the money goes so get smart and learn how to take care of your self and make some money and keep your money for Obama and the congress have already stuck you with bills that you need to pay back when you grow up.
Congressional Greed
October 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
This cartoon video reminds me of the gangsters we have in Congress. In this video a small-gangster has hit the absolute bottom. Covered himself in unrepairable debt just like Congress is doing to us kids. This gangster now discovers unnatural financial possibilities by pressing a pimple on his face and the consequences of greed.
Pork Barrel Spending is Putting Kids in Deep Poop
October 2, 2010 By 7 Comments
What is pork barrel politics and pork barrel spending? You keep hearing about pork barrel politics and pork barrel spending and maybe you don’t know what it is. That’s okay for I didn’t either until I first looked it up.
Pork barrel spending is wasteful spending that our politicians do. Those stupid politicians that I keep writing about at Kids Speak for America. These idiots are spending so much money that us kids will never get out of debt unless we take things in our own hands and straighten them up as it sure doesn’t look like adults want to do it.
The adults or people of voting age that elect politicians and can also get rid of them are called constituents. A politician wants to keep these people voting so they can get elected again. Unfortunately way too many politicians are only thinking of getting elected and are not thinking about representing their constituents the right way.
One way politicians try to get reelected is by getting the government to spend money in the area where their constituents live. Some of the money they get is good and very important. Some of the money they get is wasteful and this wasteful money is pork barrel spending.
Lets say that your mom had $50 to buy some groceries and you wanted her to spend $25 of that money on soda and potato chips so you could have a party for some kids so they would like you better. Maybe that is not the best example for you shouldn’t have to pay people to like you if you are treating them right. But lets say your mom gave in spent the money on potato chips and soda for your friends. These kids would probably like you better while they were drinking the soda and eating the chips. The rest of the week you would be lucky to be eating pork and beans because there was only so much money to spend on groceries. That wasteful spending on party food would be just like the politicians wasteful spending because the money was not spent properly and the government only has so much money to spend.
It is good for politicians to represent their constituents and get money for important projects but the money has to be spent in the right way. Some pork projects might be good project when there is extra money for them. Many projects are outrageous, too expensive or should be paid for another way.
Here are some examples of some things that seem to be bad spending when our nation is already so far in debt.
North Carolina State got $253,123 to preserve dead bugs.
In Georgetown a ritzy Washington, D.C. neighborhood got 3 million dollars for bike racks.
Wake Forest University got $71,623 to study monkeys using cocaine.
Wake Forest University got another $141,694 to study how to reduce hot flashes through yoga.
In West Virginia they spent $380,350 to encourage people to grow shiitake mushrooms and ginseng.
University of North Carolina Charlotte got $763,272 to develop computer technology to record the dance moves of performers.
To me some of those things sound like real wasteful spending when our country has a huge national debt and is putting us kids in poop up to our heads.
When I was a little kid my dad didn’t spank me but he gave me timeouts. As I got older the timeouts were longer and longer. Timeouts are what these really stupid politicians need. I hope that all young people old enough to vote and all old people will give them a long time out by voting them out in November.
I am saying vote out Democrats, Republicans, Independents or anyone else that is wasting our money. Replace them with conservatives of any party as long as they will not put us kids so far in debt. If you only have a choice of two to pick the one that is more conservative. If they get elected and keep screwing us vote them out in the next election. If we don’t do something now we will never get out of debt.
Democrats Need to Listen
September 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment
People say no, no, no to Congress and do they listen? No! This is real bad. The Republicans want to do something about it but the Democrats wont listen.
Let me give you an example. Some boys and girls live together in the same house. They put all of their money in one bank account. The girls are Democrats and the Boys are Republicans. The girls take out all of the money and go shopping and then say to the boys what did you spend all of your money on? The boys say I don’t know we went to the bank and the money was gone. The boys decide they better do something about this and take over the control of the money.
So Democrats you better listen to the Republicans or there is going to be riots. People will start to march and say you have no right to do this.
You better be watching yourself for 2012 because if the Democrats are elected again the Republicans are going to be so mad you will have to put them in straight jackets to keep them under control.
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