President Clinton announced today a surplus is approximately $70 billion, the first so called budget surplus since 1969's $3 billion dollar surplus. It is being attributed to by some due to Clinton's administration in restoring fiscal responsibility to government spending. Which of these two statements are truth and which are not? That is the question. Here are the facts if you care you really know them.

Government spending has not been curbed and fiscal responsibility is not being seen in Washington to create a balanced budget. Despite what you are being told, the national debt has increased $328 million per day since September 15th, 1997 according to the National Debt clock. Yes, there has been substantial cuts of government spending, but the truth is, there is still a daily deficit. It is better than it was four years ago, but there is still a deficit. Want to see the totals, click here for complete details. Do we have a surplus of approximately $70 billion, that is true, however here is the rest of the story.

Americans are being lead down the yellow brick road to nowhere. There is a $70 billion surplus because of one simple fact, it is coming from social security funds. Since 1968, President Johnson ordered that social security funds be placed in the general funds and no longer be kept separate.
( Johnson did this to finance the Viet Nam war - read the details here), Social security funds have been used ever since to keep the government running so to speak. Since 1937, $4 trillion, 880 billion has been collected in social security taxes. Out of this, $4 trillion, 563 billion dollars have been paid out as of 1997 since its' inception. These payments include $64 billion, 694 million paid out to railroad trust retirement funds. And there was $43 billion, 155 million paid out in administrative expenses for running the social security administration since 1937. This would leave a balance in the social security funds of approximately, $589 billion, 121 million dollars. In 1997, $349 billion, 946 million dollars were collected in social security taxes. Paid out in 1997 was $316 billion, 257 milllion dollars. Interest earned on the funds was $39 billion, 795 million dollars. In 1997, there was a surplus of approximately, $75 billion in the funds, meaning that the ending balance in the social security funds increased by that amount. Now remember, this amount is added into the general fund balances. So in truth, we do not have a $70 billion dollar budget surplus, we still have a $5 billion dollar deficit. The simple truth is, if the Social Security Trust Funds of $589 billion, 121 million were taken out of the General Funds we are no where close to a so called "balanced budget". And the politicians are calling this a balanced budget. I would hate to see how they keep their personal checkbooks if they call this a balanced budget! If you would to see the exact figures, year by year and totals, read these figures compiled from data supplied from the Social Security Administration and which is available at SSA website.

So we have the President, members of the Senate and House running around patting each other on the back for a job well done. And to be truthful regarding this, they have managed to curb fiscal expenses, some in the wrong areas of social needs, but still they have done it. However, this creation of the image to the American public that we have a budget surplus is just another of the political untruths that we as Americans continue to absorb as truth. What concerns me the most is that the general population will believe this because that is what is being dished out by the Washington bureaucrats and the media. But that is why I am providing the "real" facts to you. And I am not alone. There are a some editors of newspapers in this country that still believe in publishing the truth and are printing such. They are assigning reporters to write articles giving you the "real" facts such as I am nationally. I hope you live in one of those towns that have such a newspaper. If you want to read the details of the U.S. Budget, got to this site: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget99/index.html. Budget of the U.S. Government.

Now, as Americans we have the choice to either accept this next round of "lies" or do something about it. It is your choice. If you want to be heard then write your Congressmen and tell them you have removed the blinders and are once again seeing daylight and are tired of the "lies".

In case you want to email the networks as to why they are reporting a $70 billion surplus, when it fact there is still a deficit, here are the email addresses: ( you can also just click on the names )

Here are the links to the Senate and Hosue of Representatives in case you want to write or email your elected officials concerning this.

Senate

House of Representatives

I know this column is about the balanced budget lies that you are being fed. However, I want to close this column regarding my feelings concerning the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. I'm sure you are tired of reading and hearing about it, but take a few more minutes to read my thoughts on "real" issues that have been surrounding this and how it has affected America.

America, over the course of the last nine months, and especially the last two, has been torn from the inside out concerning the fabric of what this country is suppose to stand for. Americans have had to take a stand on not only a moral issue of lieing. As I've written before, the events surrounding Clinton have nothing to do about sex. Yes, there was sex, but the real issue folks, the real bare bone issue, has been the issue of "lieing". Of telling the truth. It is amazing how because of this we have seen via various polls, and people speaking their opinions on the various news networks the "real" moral fabric of this nation. The real reason I believe people are tied of the Clinton scandal, and want Congress to just leave him alone is very simple. Most Americans I believe are tired of wrestling with their own moral consciousness of making a decision concerning Clinton because to be frankly, evidently, most Americans feel it is okay to "lie". What I mean is this. And if I am wrong about this, please let me know. But I believe that when people are placed in a corner so to speak to speak out against something like this, that if they themselves live their life in such a manner, they take the easy way out by avoiding it, or saying, they are tired of talking about it. By walking away from confronting the issue, they no longer have to deal with their "consciousness" of what they believe in is wrong or right to do. This is alarming for one mere fact. When a society decides it is no longer worthwhile to confront the very foundation of what their society or nation was formed upon, then the society as a whole has lost basis of their survival as a society. When this happens, you then see the gradual breakdown of the society, the government, the disbelief of the citizens of a nation that they have in their government. Eventually that society dies and turns into something else. All you have to do is look at the various upheavals that have occurred in various nations/societies over the last forty years. And when you do, you will see bloodshed, mankind killing each other for what? Their consciousness of what they believe is wrong or right. Hopefully, America in all the glory of why she was created, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", has not lost it all because of tearing of this moral fabric of its' society because of the Clinton scandals and how Congress is reacting to it. Hopefully, America will choose right over wrong, whatever it is about.

Our nation needs to go forward. The Clinton situation has dragged on more than it should have. My feeling now is, there are much greater issues facing our country. By the time that Congress gets around like they usually do in doing anything, to decide whether to impeach Clinton, his term will almost be over. During this time, much wasted energies and dollars will be spent on an issue that has already been decided by Americans and that is, they are tired of it. However, that in my opinion is an easy way out that most Americans are taking. However, what is truly best for the nation as a whole is, enough is enough with all this. We all now know all the "dirty" details thanks to Kenneth Starr and his investigation into the private sexual life of Clinton. More than I ever wanted to know. All I ever wanted to know and I think what most Americans simply wanted to know was, did Clinton lie under oath. We certainly did not need all the graphic details to prove this. All that needed to be asked was one simple question to Clinton without all the legal double speak and that was, "Did you have any type of sexual physical contact, meaning the touching of any genitals of either your or Mrs. Lewinsky with each other?" Now don't you think that this type of question clearly asks the simple question that Clinton should have been asked? And by doing so, Starr would not have had to go any further is proving that Clinton lied. Folks, I believe it is time to really see the truth for what it is. Starr was out to get Clinton because he had struck out on the Whitewater investigation. All Starr would have had to do was ask the question above and all the "dirty" details would not have had to be revealed. And then all that Lewinsky would have had to be asked was, "Did you or Mr. Clinton touch each others' genital areas in any way shape or form to participate in any sexual arousal, satisfaction, or gratification in any sexual way." Now by asking that, would Starr have needed to go further in getting graphic details of "what exactly happened"? I don't believe so. We all, including myself got so wrapped up with the "details", we forgot to use simple common sense to see that was truly happening here. The destruction of a President and the Office of President, ( that is exactly what Starr has done), by any means. This my readers is something I feel that we should have been questioning from the beginning. Now, does Clinton need to pay for his "lie". Folks, I believe he already has. I don't know about you, but would you as a President of The United States want to go down in the history books, ( and he will), as the President who had an adulterous affair in the White House using a "cigar". This has got to be the most humiliating thing that any human being could go through. The graphic details of ones sexual pleasures with another, especially to the nation of people he represents. I believe that punishment has been dealt and it is time to move on. This is a change from my previous column where I thought Clinton should resign. If this was the beginning of his term, I would still believe he should resign. However, as I stated above, enough is enough, and by the time Congress gets off their behinds to really decide anything, his term will be over. During this time, the nation would only suffer. Regardless of Clinton's moral fabric, despite what anyone wants to say, Clinton is an effective politician and has done some good for this country. Some areas that were badly needed. Some not. However, hasn't that been true with any President. In my opinion, all you need to do is just use some common sense concerning all this, and I believe if you do, you will come to the same conclusions. There are my thoughts on the matter. The last results on my poll, should Clinton resign will be posted in a few days. After that we will no longer be taking it. So get your vote in.

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In case any of you did not catch my June column about the Stock Market/Japan Asian Crisis,

I would like to end this column with a plea to the people and my readers in all countries. I call upon the loving grace of whatever you term is "GOD" in your life. Please use that grace to stop all the inhumane acts that are being done everywhere. That includes the rapes and murders in Indonesia. The bombings in Ireland. I call upon the Mothers of the world. Don't you realize the power you hold in which you could stop this all. Have we not grown into an uncivilized form of humanity who preach their different religions, but hardly practice them. What happen to the one similar teaching and law among all the religions, "LOVE THY NEIGHBOR". Or is that simply to hard for humans to do? God help us what another intelligent life form may think of us.