No Obama, 99.9% of Muslims Are Not Peace Loving

I've said that Obama is wrong about everything. Obama was recently flapping his lips saying that 99.9% of Muslims want peace and prosperity. Well, they may want peace and prosperity, but they often mean that they want it under Sharia Law! OK, I'm joking a bit. The President is wrong again if you believe survey results.

It's true that an overwhelming number of Muslims in the US mostly don't support violence "in defense of Islam from it's enemies" --whatever that means. Still 8% say yes or maybe. That's not 1% or 0.1% as the President insists. But overseas, it's an entirely different matter. There are substantial minorities in support of violence for Islamic causes.

Pew Survey of Muslims in America

Although Muslims in the US, in general, are overwhelming against violence, there is an alarming number of young Muslims (26%) in the US that believe violence is justified in defense of Islam. So it shouldn't be a complete surprise about Mohammad Abdulazeez, a young US Muslim, shot 4 military personnel in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I'm not hearing a defense of Islam from our Muslim-apologist-in-chief?? "Crickets...."

Overseas is where the heart of darkness of Islamic evil exists.  More data from Pew Research Center showing substantial minorities or persons who support suicide bombings.

US Black Culture in Collapse

US Black culture is collapsing in front of our eyes.  Blacks are killing some 140 persons per week (52% of 14,000 murders per year according to BJS, Table 1); week in and week out.  Some 90% of victims are other blacks.  Instead, everyone focuses on the sensational cases like the pathetic thug Michael Brown or the sad case of Trayvon Martin. I don't know what happened in Baltimore, but neither do the hothead looters and rioters.

This cultural collapse extends all the way to the White House. Did you know that protests in Sanford and Ferguson were coordinated by the Obama administration?  Does that surprise you?   This trouble-making by our Anarchist-in-Chief is therefore responsible for the ridiculous, free-for-all looting in Ferguson.

Dire statistics detailing the collapsing "culture" of Black Americans:

• They receive 3 times the benefits given to whites but remain unhappy as 'welfare' just keeps people more comfortable in their poverty. Yet, more welfare is the Left's only idea.
• If you add the numbers of black men in prison to the ranks of unemployed, unemployment for black men is 20%, (not 10%)
• Black are committing crime at 7 times the rate of whites (page 11 of link)
• Blacks (mostly black men) committed 52% of all murders, 57% of the gun murders and committed 66% of the drug related homicides (1980 to 2008) or about 7 to 8 times the crime rate of whites. (table 7 at this link)  Remember, 90% of victims are black.
• Black men comprising only 6.5% of the population, are committing more than 50% of all violent gun crimes. But no one will suggest seizing all the guns from black men!
• From the BJS (page 11), in 2008, the offending rate for blacks (24.7 offenders per 100,000) was 7 times higher than the rate for whites
• By the time they turn 18, one in four black children will have experienced the imprisonment of a parent.
• More young black high school dropouts are in prison or jail than have paying jobs.
• In 2008, one in nine black men was incarcerated on any given day. (Huffpost).
• Blacks make up about 40% of prison population but only 13% of the population. Whites are only 34.7% of the prison population but 77% of the population. Blacks are therefore about 7 times more likely to be in prison.
• Comparing all males aged 20 to 34 yrs old, black rates of incarceration in 2010 is 10 times that of white Americans. (link)
• Some 37% of blacks aged 20 to 34 without a high school diploma are in prison right now! (link)
• The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that black women accounted for 35.4% of all abortions in 2009 but only represent 12.5% of the population. Abortion rates for black women is 4 times the rate of those for all other women. Sadly, no one wants to adopt black babies.
• Blacks are 44% of new HIV infections or about 8 times the rate for whites (link)
• Washington DC has higher HIV infection rates than most African countries (and DC is only 58% black) (link and here)
• Black gonorrhea infections among young black men (aged 20 to 24) are 26 times those of whites.(CDC)
• 72% of newborn black babies are born to a family without a father. (link)
• Over 80 percent of black children have been abandoned emotionally and usually economically by their fathers. (NYT)
• No one wants black people on juries.

Unadulterated Truth From an Ordinary Citizen

I was reviewing comments on an article recently and came across someone with some very savvy comments for our time:

What exactly has Obama done to warrant any praise? The overall economy sucks, his healthcare takeover is an increasingly expensive disaster, our borders are unsecured leaving illegals free reign to tie up public resources that they don't pay for, wages are down, labor force participation is at a low, welfare participation at a high, he uses unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to punish political enemies and trample liberty, he circumvents the Constitution to legitimize illegals, he promotes class warfare and racial tension at every opportunity, he spies on citizens and is currently implementing a huge database through HUD that will seek to rebalance every neighborhood in America according to his utopian vision, further restricting our liberties, he undermines our allies and helps our enemies. He is nothing less than a traitor to this nation. My only fear is that we will be too far gone by the time you brainwashed sheep realize that you too are going to be screwed along with us conservatives.

Bush made mistakes, no argument there. But I never doubted that he had the best interest of the country at heart. Obama is not making "mistakes." He is wrecking America on purpose, and I'm tired of dancing with you leftists about it. Wake up before it's too late.

The same person commenting on another article:

...Liberals on college campuses bully anyone who doesn't express sufficient support for correct speech orthodoxy regarding race or gender issues, CEO's are being fired for disagreeing with gay marriage orthodoxy, southerners are being marginalized for daring to display a contentious symbol of their region and history, IRS thugs leaning on tea party groups, credentialed climate scientists hounded out of publishing for daring to publish papers that undermine climate orthodoxy, and just recently, a liberal columnist made a thinly veiled "joke" that Republicans and conservatives would be the first to be rounded up and executed in the revolution.

Sounds like we are closer to Nazi Germany than you may be comfortable admitting.

Bravo!

More Debt Won't Work; Charts to Prove It

For those people and economists that still advocate more government spending (and debt creation) to combat a sagging economy should look at the following charts.  The marginal utility of debt is dropping to nothing.  Someone better tell Paul Krugman!

Diminishing Margin Returns On Debt in the USA

Here's the same chart but different author

Looking at the above charts, you can see that Keynesian spending "firepower" is continuing to drop. It might even become detrimental at some point.  It doesn't work anymore. Ordinary citizens without PhDs can feel that something has changed. Rogoff and Reinhart said that highly indebted countries grow slower, which may be related to what we're seeing.

China, since 2007, has spent itself right into the same situation. There's little firepower left for them either.

It's a dangerous situation for the world: more debt doesn't help! And it may be hurting now. So, we've learned that QE doesn't work.  Zero Interest rates don't work either.  The world economy is still (slowly) sinking.  We're reaching (or reached) the end of the road. There's no way out now.

The US Federal Reserve Now Root of all Evil

More enlightened leaders at the Federal Reserve would never have allowed, much less intentionally encouraged, yet the third speculative episode in 15 years. Unfortunately, the idea that repeated cycles of mal-investment and yield-seeking speculation have actually been the cause of the nation’s economic malaise doesn't seem to cross their minds.

John Hussman, June 21, 2015

Another Great Depression tried to happen in 2008, nearly 80 years after the start of the last one. Only extraordinary measures of zero interest rates and huge deficit spending here and in China "saved" the world from an economic free-fall. But as of July 2015, some 7 years after the mortgage market meltdown and banking crisis, zero interest rates persist thanks to our Federal Reserve.

Allen Greenspan was widely criticized for leaving short term rates at 1% for several years in the early 2000s and he was correctly blamed for accelerating the housing bubble that ultimately burst in 2007.

Now, fed funds rate has been even lower at zero for seven years with 3 rounds of Quantitative Easing (Central Banking buying of bonds and who-knows-what). And it's driven short term interest rates to near zero for most of the world since any country with a positive interest rate will see it's currency rise sharply and hurt their economies (Australia is a good example). So, most country's rates are near zero or below zero.

But the cure may be worse than the disease. Their policies have managed to create a new housing bubble and new bubbles in stocks and bonds. The Fed has reignited the same bubbles that burst prior to 2008. Just think, our prosperity is dependent on ever rising bubbles!!

Housing prices have soared to new records. "Flip That House" TV show is back too, with dozens more offerings of the same ilk! Unfortunately, the millennial generation finds themselves priced out of the market -- even at near-record low interest rates. This has caused many people to rent instead. But guess what?  Rents are soaring as well! Another fine mess your Central Bank has caused.

House Prices At New Highs and Sales Subdued

Not only are rents rising sharply, food prices are rising as well. Additionally healthcare insurance costs are absolutely rocketing higher thanks to the UNaffordable Care Act. Households are so strapped by rising costs and flat wages that retail sales have dropped for 6 out of the last 7 months. With zero interest rates!!  But get this, the Federal Reserve keeps saying we need MORE inflation! They are idiots -- educated idiots. You know the type.

Only falling oil prices are helping consumers in the very short term. But longer term, the oil price decline will hurt employment in the oil and gas sector. Layoffs of these high-paying jobs are going to reduce consumer income (in the aggregate).  In fact, all commodity prices are falling which, in turn, signals falling demand worldwide. We are witnessing the onset of worldwide deflationary depression. Expect entire countries to experience debt crises and defaults. Even Australia and Canada are finally facing recession and debt trouble.

A college tuition bubble enabled by US government student loan guarantees is burdening millions of young people to the tune of  $1.25 Trillion. Delinquencies are now 13% and loans in arrears are about 42% and rising. The point is that high indebtedness of young people is enslaving an entire generation. They aren't in a position to buy a house. The next generation won't be able to afford a house, afford to go to college or afford to live on their own or have their own apartment.

Super low rates are killing savers, retirees, pension funds

Low interest rates are killing retirees and savers. A recent report shows that Federal Reserve zero rates and QE policies have cost savers $470 Billion since 2008. I'm one of them. Retirees and savers that once invested in safe CDs to get 4 or 5% interest rates are now getting nothing. It has forced these same people into the equity markets for higher yields. But that's driven-up prices of stocks to very high levels. Savers have also been forced into bond market whose prices are as high as they have ever been.

Pension funds are also suffering. A recent report from Moody's indicates that some (not all) of the largest pension funds are underfunded by $2 Trillion dollars. It's because treasuries are not yielding enough.  Government bond yields of 2 to 3% are not high enough for pension funds who typically target 7% returns to meet their obligations. Insurance companies are suffering in a similar way.   So, they are tiptoeing into equities

Interest Rates Can Never Rise Without Widespread Damage

All of this creates problems going forward. What happens when interest rates normalize? Can interest rates ever normalize?  If rates go back to "normal" of 4 or 5%, who is left that could afford a home? What about our next generation? Will they be able to afford a house?

When the Federal Reserve tries to increase rates to more "normal" levels, prices of stocks and bonds will drop and hurt savers and investors once again.

And since in public debt in the US is up to $18 Trillion and we're paying $430 billion per year on interest on debt, indicates an average 2.4% interest rate on the national debt.  What happens if rates go back to a more normal 5%??  Then interest expense would go up to $860 billion per year!!  That would blow up the nation's deficits. Will Federal budgets ever be balanced again?

The Fed has backed themselves into a corner. Can interest rates ever rise?  If inflation unexpectedly rises, can the Federal Reserve ever control it? No!

The stock market bubble has given the public a false signal of well-being even though the economy is persistently weak . This false signal, along with $8 Trillion of new debt, has even influenced national elections--to our nation's detriment. The quantitative easing and zero rates have even enabled unlimited spending by Congress. Overall, the damage done by the Federal Reserve is pretty stunning.
.

Stock Market and Other Bubbles Will Burst

The Federal Reserve has intentionally reignited an equity and bond market boom with their policies. But wait, we are still suffering from the last crash! The stock market now has valuations similar to 2007 and 1929.  If history is any guide (it is, of course), the market could drop 70%. That'll pretty much wipe out wealthy people.  But hey, it'll fix income inequality that the Left complains about! But everyone will be worse off.  It'll kill pension funds and insurance companies, since they have also been forced (along with individual investors) into the stock market.

The Q Ratio is GDP Divided By the Total Stock Market Valuation.  A Decline of 70% Can Be Expected If History Is Any Guide

The scary thing is what happens during the next recession and the deficit soars to $2 Trillion per annum? Unless we legislate against "money printing" now, "QE" will commence anew and possibly forever until crisis or hyperinflation.  But there will be little/no recovery since it's proven to not work. And deficit (debt) spending contribution to growth does nearly nothing now as the marginal utility of debt drops nearer to zero.  I'll end with the scariest chart in the world showing that additional debt doesn't help anymore.

Deficit (Debt) Spending Doesn't Work Anymore

No Options Left

So, we now live in a world where we know that "money printing" doesn't work. We know that there is no additional stimulus available from low interest rates, since we're at zero already. And we also know that deficit-financed spending provides very little stimulus. There will be little or no recovery from the next recession since we have no policy tools left. In short, we have no options left. The next recession may become the next "great depression." It might be the greatest depression.

Failures of Big Government are Everywhere

Democrat's cling to the dream of ever more big government despite the fact that government failures are all around us. Like Socialists and Communists, they worship at the church of big government.

Defenders of big government cite the "success" of Medicare and Social Security.  But, the Democrats refuse to acknowledge that Social Security and Medicare are in the late stages of a demographic crisis where the number of workers compared to beneficiaries is rapidly dropping toward 2 to 1 (from 16 to 1 at conception).  Both entitlements are already in deficit and will be for as far as the eye can see.  No one can even talk about reform. And how can you fix them when Democrats refuse to admit there's a problem?  (Answer: vote them out!)

If that's not bad enough, ObamaCare sold by promises that are all proven false, and will also add to the deficit forever going forward. Big government types don't care. They'll spend with borrowed money unto crisis. Never mind that ObamaCare has created a huge cost hardship for 98.5% of Americans vs the 1.5% newly covered. Liberals always will raise more taxes (look at Western Europe). But, did you ever notice that even after tax increases, deficits never seem to close? But that's what happens when the real problem is spending. Democrats will never admit to that either.  Notice a trend of reality-denying?

It's not just health insurance costs that the government is inflating.  Government guaranteed student loan debt is fueling a huge and unsustainable increase in college tuition costs. That bubble has reached $1.25 Trillion, enslaving an entire generation with debt.  The whole thing is blowing up as delinquencies have reached 13% and rising. Proving that government never fixes anything, they are still enabling more and more of this debt -- despite evidence that the bubble is bursting!

Or how about the line that Hillary and Obama spout; 'they didn't build that." That's the most ridiculous bunch of reality-denying, history-denying bullshit ever. They DID build that and they did it while the government was as small as the Constitution envisioned. The plain truth is that the likes of Ford, Edison, Vanderbilt, Rockefeller, Morgan and countless other entrepreneurs built this country. In comparison, the government hasn't done squat. Big government apologists cite the national highway system as a big contribution of the Federal government. Good, but it could have a system of toll roads and done by the private sector.

Government caused the financial fiasco in 2008 that is still causing lasting problems. FHA, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae helped create the great housing crisis and resulting bust. They have required numerous taxpayer bailouts as these programs under-priced mortgages and continue to do so. Regulators at SEC and the vast Central bank bureaucracy all failed to regulate. What good are they?  Over 6 administrations or more, US government policy encouraged housing ownership. Mortgage interest deductions and favorable capital gains boosted housing all along. Artificially low interest rates, engineering by our Federal Reserve, really got the housing bubble going in the early 2000s. What a mess!

The Government and the Federal Reserve have caused the past two financial crises and will soon cause another.  They have learned nothing and have, in fact, they have doubled down on failed policies. Bubbles in the stock and bond market are pretty obvious here and abroad. Zero interest rates are creating dangerous imbalances everywhere. We're close to having the 3rd financial crisis in 15 years. It's coming.

Look at the failure and deception of ObamaCare. The VA shows that socialized medicine does not work,  and the failure of "the war on poverty".  Amtrak is worse than the rail system in the old USSR. Amtrak crashes are killing passengers. The VA is killing patients. How bad does it have to get for people to recognize that Big Government doesn't work?  Privatize all that!

Add the collapse of black American culture to the list of Big Government failures. Rather than helping, too many government giveaways have created more problems than they've solved. Black American culture is worse and more violent than ever. They are committing violent gun crimes and murders (and incarcerated) at 7 times the rate of whites. The collapse of families augurs for a much worse future. African American culture is in collapse.  Poverty is at all-time highs.  Children in poverty is higher than ever. Black unemployment is double that of the White population. Why? Thank Democrats.

Democrats used to be a reasonable party. JFK called for income tax cuts to help the economy and improve tax revenues. Even Bill Clinton was a good President because he adapted and worked with a Republican majority. But not Obama. Noooo!  The Obama Democrats over-regulated and overtaxed an already weak economy in 2009 and hurt black persons the worse.  Black people obviously don't know what's good for them, as they voted for this incompetent administration at about 85% despite worsening conditions. This is reminiscent of the 60 year reign of black Democrats in Detroit that bought nothing but failure, corruption and financial collapse to Detroit.

Democrats are hoping illegal Latinos will be similarly hooked on government. Why do you think they've created a border crisis and are trying to let illegals vote by blocking voter ID laws?

Even one of the few enumerated duties of the Federal Government -- the US Post Office, is in financial crisis and unfixed. Privatize it!

The failures of big government are evident not only here, but in Europe. The truth is that Leftism destroys countries and cultures everywhere.

80 Famous Lies of Obama

1. "My position hasn’t changed" on not using executive authority to address immigration issues
2. Says his comment about extremists being a JV team "wasn’t specifically referring to" Islamic State.
3. "Most young Americans right now, they’re not covered" by health insurance.
4. The "most realistic estimates" for jobs created by Keystone XL are "maybe 2,000 jobs during the construction of the pipeline." [Not what administration reports said.]
5. "Fast and Furious" began under the Bush administration.
6. If the Supreme Court throws out the federal health care law, it "would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress."
7. Obama claims to be a Constitutional law professor. [He was a "senior lecturer" not professor.]
8. "30 million Americans, including a lot of people in Florida, are going to be able to get healthcare next year because of that law." [At last count, only 5 million newly covered nationwide.]
9. Under President Barack Obama, the United States has "doubled our exports."
10. "I didn't raise taxes once!"
11. "The vast majority of the money I got [for campaign] was from small donors all across the country.''  [Nope, mostly big, rich donors.]
12. Insurers delayed an Illinois man's treatment, "and he died because of it." 
13. Health reform will "give every American the same opportunity" to buy health insurance the way members of Congress do.
14. "I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter."
15. "We import more oil today than ever before."
16. "In eighth grade math, we’ve fallen to ninth place.  
17. "Oil companies ...currently have 68-million acres that they're not using."
18. “If you like your health plan, you can keep it, Period!”
19. “If you like yourdoctor you can keep him, Period!”
20. "The ACA will save a family $2500.00 a year"
21. “I’ll put the Health Care negotiations on CSPAN so everyone can see who is at the table!”
22. “Obamacare will cost less than your monthly cell phone bill”
23. “This health care package will pay for itself”
24. “The health care bill will not raise the deficit by one dime”
25. "We should not mandate the purchase of health care"
26. “This law will save the average family $2,500 a year”
27. “Planned Parenthood provides mammograms”
28. “Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions”
29. “ObamaCare is not a new tax”
30. “Annual checkups, screenings, and vaccines are now free” (once your deductible is met)” [nope]
31. “Doctors choose amputation because they get better compensation”
32. “Greedy Doctors taking out tonsils for more money” [WTF?]
33. “Illegal immigrants will not be eligible for Obamacare” 
34. "Mitt Romney raised nursing home fees eight times
35. "I won't rest until everyone that wants a job, has one"
36. “I promise 100% transparency in my administration.”
37. “I promise NO NEW TAXES on a family making less than $250K a year.”
38. “I will allow 5 days of public comment before I sign any bills.”
39. “I will remove earmarks before I sign any bill.”
40. “I will end Income Tax for seniors making less than $50K a year.”
41. “I’ll have no lobbyists in my administration."
42. "I'll close GITMO in my first year."
43. "I'll resign if I don't cut the deficit in half by the end of four years."
44. "I believe marriage is between one man and one woman."
45. "I won't seek re-election unless unemployment falls below 5%."
46. "I'll unite the people of this great country."
47. “This is the most transparent administration in history”
48. “I will not sign any non-emergency bill without giving the American public 5 days to review it”
49. “I am not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage”
50. “The NSA is not abusing its power”
51. “The IRS is not targeting anyone”
52. "There's not a smidgen of corruption at the IRS"
53. “The War on Terror is over”
54. “Benghazi violence was caused by an internet video & demonstrations”
55. “I said Benghazi was a terrorist attack from the beginning”
56. “We only changed one word in the Benghazi talking points”
57. “First of all, I didn’t set a red line”
58. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance court is transparent”
59. “I think it’s important for us to understand that the Fast and Furious program was a field-initiated program begun under the previous administration”
60. “I’ve done more for Israel’s security than any President ever”
61. “Fence between US and Mexico is “Practically Complete” [DHS says it’s 5% completed]
62. “I will save the average family $8,000 a year in gas”
63. “We have run out of places in the US to drill for oil” [oh really? Tell that to PA, TX, ND, see here]
64. “The recovery act will save or create jobs” [Later claimed it saved 1.5 million jobs. Cost: $400,000 per job.]
65. “No earmarks in the $787 Billion Stimulus” [No shovel-ready jobs either.]
66. “Unemployment rate will be 8.5% without stimulus” [yeah, but at what cost?]
67. “I will walk that picket line with you, if workers are denied the right to bargain”
68. “We got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system”
69. “My budget will cut the deficit by $4 Trillion over 10 years”  [Instead, he's responsible for $8 Trillion in debt-- up 80%.]
70. “You didn’t build that”
71. “Virtually every Senate Republican voted against the tax cut last week”
72. “Every idea that we’ve put forward are ones that traditionally have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike”
73. “The GOP is responsible for my Jobs Bill Not Passing” (Dem’s rejected the bill)
74. “You have 80 percent of the American people who support a balanced approach that include revenue increases and spending cuts”
75. “The jobs bill is paid for”
76. “Then you’ve got Republicans which want dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance”
77. “The rich are not paying their fair share”
78. “Mitt Romney would deny gay people the right to adopt children””
79. “I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States”
80. “I pledge to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”

America's To-Do List Updated

Here's my new list of important reforms ordered by most urgent or important:

1. Bring back manufacturing jobs from Asia. We desperately need more manufacturing jobs. Lower the corporate tax to something like 12 to 15%, reform the corporate tax code.  High marginal corporate tax rates in the US, now the highest in the world, create an incentive for companies to move and/or stay overseas. Apply the new and lower corporate rate to individuals filing as S-Corp and LLCs as small businesses and upstarts create the most jobs in this country. 
2. End the dual mandate and reform the Federal Reserve now -- before the next crisis.  Their sole functions should be to maintain zero inflation and be a lender of last resort only.  See Booms and Busts Due to the Federal Reserve. They are now creating the 3rd financial bubble in 15 years! Outlaw wholesale "money printing" now before the "printing presses" really heat-up in next downturn. Monetizing gov't debt enables undisciplined spending by Congress and prevents fiscal reforms. The Federal Reserve is perversely targeting higher inflation when they should be controlling it! The Federal Reserve has become our biggest 'evil'. Their money printing has been largely responsible for income inequality by overheating bond and equity markets which benefit the rich.
3. Reform immigration by securing border, bring the best and brightest to this country, bring illegals out of shadows and give them reasonable options. Marco Rubio has the right ideas.
4. REALLY reform our country's health insurance marketplace to end the current cost spiral and our path to hell and improve portability.  With ObamaCare, we've doubled-down on a broken system.  Also see here on why States and Federal government spending are driving up health care costs.  Consider block grants to States for Medicare and Medicaid along with real spending discipline.
5. Re-regulate banks and revert to a super-Glass Steagall act that separates investment banking (high risk) from traditional banking activities. Do this before the next crisis requires another big bank bailout.  Set maximum leverage for both entities at conservative levels. No off-balance sheet items. Bring back "mark to market" accounting. Put most derivatives on exchanges.
6. End Federal guarantees for student loans and end Sallie Mae. It has put an entire generation in debt. It's also created a huge bubble that is beginning to burst as we speak and we're still cranking them out!  Nothing is ever fixed in Washington!  Let local and regional banks make such loans at a interest rate that reflects reality and each individual situation. Get the government out of the student loan 'business'.
7. End FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac. Let banks make home loans like they used to do. Get the government out of the mortgage business. Government has "stolen" nearly the entire mortgage market, leaving banks taking "hedge fund" risks for profitability.
8. Reform the entitlements of Medicaid and Medicare in light of the demographic shift taking place. Now there are only 3 persons working to support 1 beneficiary--headed to 2 to 1.  It used to be 5 workers per beneficiary in the 1960s (16 to 1 at inception).  Right now, there's nothing but red ink for all entitlements as far as the eye can see -- totally unsustainable. Social Security and Medicare now show $25 Trillion and $28 Trillion of future deficits (unfunded liabilities).
9. Eliminate Federal laws against marijuana possession.  See my blog: It's Time to Legalize Marijuana.  Legalize and tax marijuana. Take power away from Mexican cartels, Empty prisons by releasing those with simple possession charges. 
10. Create an alternate path for High School dropouts.  About half of minorities are not graduating our current "academic" high schools----so let's focus on teaching them reading, writing and arithmetic but also practical job skills.  We need to create a "vocational high school" path for young people who can not graduate an "academic" high school.  It should all be voluntary. See Game-changer #12 here. 
11. Eliminate the stupid and phony ruling that Carbon Dioxide is "harmful or a threat to human health" since it's actually required for plant life and not harmful like sulfur dioxide or nitrous oxides.  Global warming is real but not a crisis.  The EPA is out of control.  The clean air act is being highly misused. 
12. Downsize and basically eliminate the NSA.  Repeal the Patriot Act.  Our government can't be trusted to prevent malfeasance, mission creep and "security" agencies running roughshod over our constitutional rights.  Change the focus of the NSA to the monitoring of all the financial transactions, emails, and phone calls of our national politicians and bureaucrats.
13. Give the States "block grants" of money to spending on Medicaid and Medicare.  Cap the growth of these Federal entitlements to 2% or less.  Let the States spend the money and take steps to better take care of their citizens.  State money would be added onto Federal money as is seen fit by each State.  Devolve power back to the States where it belongs.    Limiting government expenditures would truly slow medical cost inflation.  
14. Pass a law to require the Federal Government to balance the Federal Budget. Do this before the next crisis.  A constitutional amendment is not needed, just pass a law like most States.  More deficit spending and debt will do us little good going forward.
15. End public unions at Federal and State levels. Even FDR agreed that unions didn't belong in Government.  Pass nationwide 'right to work' law.  Scrap Bacon-Davis Act.  Total compensation for Federal workers is now some 40% higher than private sector. End that.

Obamacare "Success"

The President of the United States is the biggest spin artist of all time.  Nearly everything out of his mouth is a half-truth or a lie.  What would expect from the Left?  They have to lie.  Liberalism must be imposed by lies and tricks since people won't accept their agenda otherwise.

This administration has continued to call Obamacare a "success" by constantly touting it's "benefits" and the high enrollment numbers.  This after everything said to promote the law has proved to be untrue.

First, the enrollment numbers are way below those projected. Second, polls have consistently shown that most people don't like the law and it's been that way since it's inception.  Why? Last year, healthcare insurance premiums went up nationally an average 38%!  That was more than the previous 8 years COMBINED.  Now, we are hearing of 19 to 50% increases in some states for next year.   From Slate on July 9th:

Last week Oregon’s insurance commissioner, Laura Cali, announced that the state had approved a 25 percent premium increase for the largest health insurer on the state’s exchanges. The second largest insurer...received permission to boost its monthly charge to consumers by 33 percent.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee requested an average 36 percent price increase for the plans it offers—after receiving a 19 percent bump last year. And that sounds like a relative bargain compared with Minnesota and New Mexico, where the BlueCross BlueShield family is looking for increases of more than 50 percent.

Overstating Enrollment Numbers

After touting "sign-ups" of over 11.7 million in recent months, the CBO announced that the number of people who actually paid for policies was only 10.2 million -- significantly lower.  Then, they spin the gross numbers as newly insured but it's not true.

We know for a fact that at least 5 million persons had their health insurance policies canceled (outlawed) by the law.   It is safe to assume that those people had no choice but to sign up for Obamacare, meaning that only 5 million people are newly covered at a maximum.  In a nation of about 310 million persons, those 5 million represent only 1.6% of the population.  So, for that 1.6%, the rest of the 98.4% have had to suffer large cost increases, higher deductibles, less access to their preferred doctors & hospitals as they are forced to buy an inferior one-size-fits-all policy that the government mandated.

It's easy to call your program a success when all other options are outlawed and people have no other choice but to enroll -- whether they like it or not.  And most don't.

Now many people are 'priced-out' of the health insurance market, thanks to governments, and forced to accept government subsidies.  But more government spending in the insurance market (already about 50% and rising due to Medicare and Medicaid) will continue to drive prices higher and higher and force ever higher government spending on subsidies -- until everyone, including the government, is broke.  This is occurring at the same time that Medicare and Social Security are in deep deficit FOREVER.  This country is on a path to financial hell.