President Obama: Educating us on the Progressive Agenda Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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Thanks to President Obama’s determination to implement his extreme agenda – which includes ObamaCare, Cap and Trade, Union Card Check, Amnesty for illegal aliens, over a trillion of Keynesian “stimulus” spending, FCC regulations that restrict free speech, and the government takeover of the banking industry and car manufacturers – Americans are learning just how destructive “progressive” left-wing thinking is to our economy, our foreign policy, and our way of life.

Many individuals who voted for President Obama in 2008 now understand that in spite of rhetorical campaign messages and promises, “liberals” / “progressives” (or whatever they want to call themselves) habitually raise taxes, increase government spending, and drive our nation further into debt. They refuse to implement policies strengthen our economy, or protect our borders, our allies, or our citizens from attack. “Progressives” think that they know what is best for everyone, and believe they must run our lives by dictating how much money we are allowed to make, how much energy and water we are allowed to consume, how much and the type of healthcare we are allowed to receive, the size of the houses we are allowed to build and live in, and the type of cars we are permitted to drive. The truth is, this nanny state mentality is offensive to the majority of Americans, which is why President Obama’s approval rating remains well below 50%. These policies are counter productive, and restrict everyone’s individual freedom and ability to take care of their own families.

Here are some of last week’s “progressive” failures on a national and state level.

On ObamaCare

This week, we learned that the Obama Administration has failed to implement certain aspects of ObamaCare by the deadlines required in the new law. This 2,700 page law is so complex and so poorly thought-through, that Obama’s own people cannot even figure it out and implement it on the timeline they set for themselves!

A new government report also revealed that in spite of President Obama’s promises, at least 35 million Americans will lose their current employer based health coverage and be forced into a Medicaid like government health insurance program.

And instead of bending the cost curve of health care down as the President promised us, Government analysts at the Congressional Budget Office and other organizations are now telling us that ObamaCare will actually increase deficit spending by at least $1 trillion (likely more) over the next decade. Surprise, Surprise! We cannot trust anything that President Obama or other Democrat Party leaders tell us!

The reality is that Obama’s healthcare law is a complete disaster and cannot be implemented as written. It limits the type and amount of care we receive, increases the cost of the care we receive, and increases taxes on everyone to pay for the crummy new care we will receive. This bill must be repealed.

On the Home Buyer’s Tax Credit

In an attempt to manipulate the distressed housing market, the Federal government offered a tax-payer funded credit of $8,000 to home buyers purchasing their first homes. This credit expired at the end of April 2010, and although April saw a 6% increase in sales agreements over the previous month (the highest level since October 2009), the tax credit was unable to stop the rising foreclosure rate. Furthermore, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, applications for new mortgages fell this week to their lowest level since April 1997. Sara Mohsin, owner of Mohsin Mortgage Corporation, joined me on the program to remind us that there is still some good news in the housing market. Current mortgage rates remain at historic lows. And even though many major banks are ignoring requests from qualified individuals for these low interest rate loans, Sara is able to offer competitive fixed rates below 5%. Sara and her team also offer superior customer service, so if you are looking to purchase a home, contact Sara and her team at 1- 800-662-9550.

On Onerous Government Regulations

Matt Pitzarella – director of public affairs for Range Resources – also joined me on the program this past weekend. In 2004, Range Resources pioneered and unlocked the Marcelus Shale for natural gas extraction. In just the last 2 years alone, Range Resources and other natural gas developers have created more than 50,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania. All of this economic development has led to incremental tax receipts for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of $1 billion per year. Yes, you read that correctly. Of Pennsylvania’s total tax receipts this year of approximately $24 billion (including state corporate income taxes, state personal income taxes, state sales taxes, and state payroll taxes), $1 billion is attributable to the new Marcellus Shale gas development of the past few years. Although the Marcelus Shale rock formation lies beneath Western New York, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania, all of the new development and all of the positive economic impacts are occurring in Pennsylvania because Pennsylvania’s current taxes and regulations are far less onerous than they are in West Virginia and New York. The result is that today Range Resources and others are creating huge numbers of new jobs in direct drilling as well as in a wide array of related industries. Despite the weak national economy, Western Pennsylvania’s economy is holding up well in part because of all the jobs, economic development, and wealth that development of the Marcellus Shale gas is bringing to the region.

But all of this will change if Governor Ed Rendell and his fellow Democrats in the state legislature have their way and pass huge new natural gas extraction taxes, on private land owners and private drillers. If passed into law, these new taxes will result in fewer jobs, less wealth, less growth, and less reasons for our children to remain in our beautiful state. Governor Rendell has made a mess of Pennsylvania’s state budget over the past seven and a half years. And despite all of his spending, education continues to stagnate, crime is up while it is down in the rest of the country, and social problems are worse than ever. Now Rendell and the other Democrats are attacking one of our only job creating bright spots. Rendell is so dishonest, deceitful and ignorant, and his Democrat Party is so misguided, that I cannot believe we have allowed them to stay in power for so long. If we care about the future of our Commonwealth and our children’s futures, we must do better!

On Deficit Spending

States all across our nation are faced with huge deficits and are struggling to balance their budgets this year. Lowman Henry, Chairman and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, joined me on the program to discuss Pennsylvania’s current $29 billion General Fund budget proposal. The bottom line according to Lowman is that PA is in deep trouble. We currently face a $5 billion deficit. But instead of cutting spending, Governor Ed Rendell is demanding that we spend even more money, and raise taxes on Pennsylvanians during an extended period of economic weakness to cover the increased costs. This is ridiculous! Each year that Rendell has been the Governor, he has increased government spending well above the inflation rate. And has this made Pennsylvania prosperous? Has this created new permanent jobs? Of course not! Instead, Rendell should look to New Jersey, where Governor Chris Christie has vetoed all spending increases this year and balanced his budget without raising taxes.

The fact is the majority of Americans now understand that the tax, borrow, and spend policies of the “progressive” left have failed. This is why so many Democrats who are running for political office are now distancing themselves from people like Ed Rendell, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama. The “progressive” political agenda is unpopular and will be the Democrats’ downfall.

So the time for real courage on the individual level has arrived. Do not be afraid to speak the truth! Do not be afraid to confront your Democrat friends with the facts! We must change hearts, minds, party registrations and votes. Do not be afraid to speak up!

Glen Meakem is a successful technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and conservative talk radio show host, who offers information and insights on how individuals and our nation can be more successful. Glen’s unique perspective has been shaped by his experiences as founder, chairman and CEO of the B2B internet success Freemarkets Inc – which he founded in 1995, took public in 1999, and sold to Ariba in 2004. In 2005, Glen co-founded Meakem Becker Venture Capital, a firm that invests in early stage start up companies. Concerned about the liberal political agenda that has gripped the United States and his home state of Pennsylvania, Glen launched the Glen Meakem Program in 2008. Glen served as an officer in the United States Army Reserve and is a veteran of the First Gulf War. He also earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his MBA from Harvard Business School. For more information about Glen and the Glen Meakem Radio Program, or to read his blog, please visit http://glenmeakem.com.

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