Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Brasil E'

01. O único país do mundo onde se pode abastecer simultaneamente um carro com Álcool, Gasolina e gás. Tudo isso, com tecnologia nacional;
02. Que seremos o primeiro país do mundo a desenvolver o biodiesel à base de mamona. Novamente tecnologia nacional. Será a redenção do Nordeste, pois a mamona é praga por lá e a PETROBRAS já está começando desenvolver o sistema produtivo;

03. Que as fábricas mais modernas de produção de automóvel (General Motors, Mercedes Benz e FIAT) e Volks Caminhões, também estão aqui;
04. E entre outras coisas, a PETROBRAS é a única empresa do mundo a deter a tecnologia completa de produção de petróleo em águas profundas;
And among other things, PETROBRAS is the only company in the world to

05. As empresas produtoras de aço estão em sua capacidade máxima instalada;

06. Finalmente os Estados Unidos renderam-se a qualidade de nossos aviões (EMBRAER) e vão adquirir aviões altamente especializados para Treinamento de sua força aeronáutica.

Os dados são da Antropos Consulting:

01. O BRASIL é o país que tem tido maior sucesso no combate à AIDS e outras doenças sexualmente transmissíveis, e vem sendo exemplo mundial.
Brasil is the frontrunner on AIDS and other STDs and is seen as an example.

02. O BRASIL é o único país do hemisfério sul que está participando do Projeto Genoma.

Brasil is the only country in the southern hemisphere participating in the Genova Project.

03. Numa pesquisa envolvendo 50 cidades de diversos países, a cidade do Rio de Janeiro, acusada por violência, foi considerada a mais solidária.

04. Nas eleições de 2000, o sistema do Tribunal Regional Eleitoral (TRE) estava informatizado em todas as regiões do Brasil, com resultados em menos de 24 horas depois do início das apurações. O modelo chamou a atenção de uma das maior es potências mundiais: os Estados Unidos, onde a apuração dos votos teve que ser refeita várias vezes, atrasando o resultado e colocando em xeque a credibilidade do processo.

05. Mesmo sendo um país em desenvolvimento, os internautas brasileiros representam uma fatia de 40% do mercado na América Latina.

06. No BRASIL, há 14 fábricas de veículos instaladas e outras 4 se instalando enquanto alguns países vizinhos não possui nenhuma.

07. Das crianças e adolescentes entre 7 a 14 anos, 97,3% estão estudando, hoje!!!.

08. O mercado de telefones celulares do BRASIL é o segundo do mundo, com 650 mil novas habilitações a cada mês.

09. Na telefonia fixa, o país ocupa a quinta posição em número de linhas instaladas.

10. Das empresas brasileiras, 6.890 possuem certificado de qualidade ISO 9000, maior número entre os países em desenvolvimento. No México, são apenas 300 empresas e 265 na Argentina.

11. O BRASIL é o segundo maior mercado de jat os e helicópteros executivos.



Por que esse vício de só falar mal do Brasil?



01. Por que não se orgulhar em dizer que o mercado editorial de livros é maior do que o da Itália, com mais de 50 mil títulos novos a cada ano?

02. Que o BRASIL tem o mais moderno sistema bancário do planeta?

03. Que as agências de publicidade ganham os melhores e maiores prêmios mundiais?

04. Por que não se fala que o BRASIL é o país mais empreendedor do mundo e que mais de 70% dos brasileiros, pobres e ricos, dedicam considerável parte de seu empo em trabalhos voluntários?

05. Por que não dizer que o BRASIL é hoje a terceira maior democracia do mundo?

06. Que apesar de todas as mazelas, o Congresso está punindo seus próprios membros, o que raramente ocorre em outros países ditos civilizados?

07. Por que não lembrar que o povo brasileiro é um povo hospitaleiro, que se esforça para falar a lí ngua dos turistas, gesticula e não mede esforços para atendê-los bem?

08. Por que não se orgulhar de ser um povo que faz piada da própria desgraça e que enfrenta os desgostos sambando.

É! O BRASIL é um país abençoado de fato.
Com suas raças e todos os credos.
Bendito este povo, que sabe entender todos os sotaques.
Bendito este povo, que oferece todos os tipos de climas para contentar
Bendita seja, querida pátria chamada Brasil!

Free Agency in relation to my political views

First and foremost, I am an advocate to free agency. I believe that we all have the free agency and the right to voice our opinions and to believe as we would like. At no point does it mean that I am IN FAVOR of the actions that each American decides. People CAN commit abortions, they can do stem cell research, they can get a same sex marriage. They can do LEGALLY what they insist on doing. Americans should have the free agency to do that which they feel is morally correct. It is NOT my abortion. I do not have to feel the consequence of the actions of another anymore now, than I have had to for the better part of my life. I am not making these actions ok, nor am I condoning them, but due to free will being a concept that I truly DO believe in, I feel that we will all be held accountable for our actions and we have responsibilities for the rights that we are so happy to have. The freedoms and rights that we have received, have been afforded to us by the blood of the military regimes of this country that have kept us safe and sound. We DO have the right to make our own choices. These choices should NOT be limited by a government that has better things to do than to cater to personal decisions of individual americans.

This is NOT a free for all. I am not allowing all to happen in the name of free agency. We have free agency already and BECAUSE of existing laws, we are able to coexist. There are rules and regulations that are common law and are approved by our congress and our society demands that they exist. There is a lot of gray area however that may allow things to be freed up considerably. We as a country need to put our efforts into activities and efforts that will strengthen this country. I do NOT condone, practice or approve of same sex marriage, abortion or stem cell research. I do not believe that same sex marriages should have the same benefits of a regular family. It is NOT my choice however. I am overstepping my personal bounds by limiting the free agency of other people. We are all taxpaying individuals, we are all adults. We all have the ability to make our own decisions. it is to be noted, however, that we will be responsible for every action of commission and omission. We will pay the consequences whether good or bad. it is up to each of us to make sure that we use our free agency to the best of our ability. Our free agency can and will affect other people and we will be held responsible for those actions.

I am not for drugs, but I am not for a drug war that has been proven inefficient. There is no reason to fight a war that has been going on longer than WW1, WW2, Vietnam and the Gulf War. We are dropping millions into a war that has not shown its efficiency. I am not saying that we should completely distance ourselves from illegal drug use, I am saying that, we should work with countries like Colombia and Venezuela and hold the governments accountable for the money they receive in order to curb drugs. We should receive a report that tells us how the money has been used. We need to know that we are not in an involuntary drug recycling program. We need to assure that the government is putting our tax money to good use in this war, or, put it to other uses completely.

I am not for abortions, I have seen the aftermath of a miscarriage and it is ONE THING to have a D and C involuntarily. I can only imagine what consequences and the culpability must lie in the hearts of those who do it voluntarily. it is a heavy weight as a husband to know in that situation, that I was literally useless, I felt bad for my wife, but i will never understand THAT physical and emotional scar. Again, I feel for those who would inflict that upon themselves voluntarily because they insist upon having untimely, irresponsible sexual relations with other people. Again, they will have faced the consequences of their actions and I can only hope that is the ONLY consequence they have to face. that said, it is a decision for every woman to decide, I will NOT put myself in the way. I much prefer that they are treated in a clinic to avoid back alley abortions do not occur. These are consequences that are naturally occuring due to choices that were made. Whatever divine consequence is believed upon, so be it.

Friday, January 25, 2008

AM I WHITE ENOUGH? SEE? RACISM IS IGNORANT!

If you need another reason to understand how STUPID and assinine the subject is. The US media moreso than anyone else, is responsible for keeping the subject on our televisions as often as it is. The concept of racism is at best, immature and self serving. People who have issues as far as race, have to look JUST a tad deeper than skin-deep.

When I was in Washington DC, I noticed a trend that happened in EVERY race, and it is based upon the concept of each race helping itself out. You can be in a parking lot and physically WATCH someone putting their purchases into their trunk, get into the front seat, their lights come on....and...NOTHING..that is...until you continue driving. At that point, they pull out from their parking spot RIGHT after you leave and allow the person behind you who is from their SAME race into their spot. Now I am not sure how their vision is SO adept that they can see a couple cars down, but if this happened only once or twice to me, then I wouldn't say anything. Unfortunately it happened SEVERAL times. I am NOT going to cry racism. I don't know WHAT provokes that kind of activity. I don't know if it is based upon racism or they just decided to eat something in the car or sorted mail. I cannot say why that happened with the frequency that it did. I just know that it happened a LOT.

There are African Americans who are discriminated against because they are NOT dark enough. Well that is, unless they are Halle Berry or other ridiculously hot celebrities where they MAY have faced these things in their youth, but not as much in their celebrity status. There is racism/nationalism in Asia where if you are from one country or another, you are NOT as good of a person as someone from THAT country. The nationalism that occurs in Asia is somewhat paralleled with the classism or class issues in Latin America where the problem is NOT so much racism, but is based upon rich vs. poor. They don't care about somebody's race in Latin America as much as they care about a very rich man marrying below himself to a poor woman or vice versa. If I were single, I could NEVER, even as an American, marry a rich Brazilian Victoria Secret model. I am NOT single, and I am NOT looking. My Brazilian wife is what makes me rich! That said, I don't make enough for a rich latina to marry me. I don't make enough and the class status DOES matter.

There are people from ALL RACES who are DETERMINED to keep marriages within the race. Often we see issues from parents in the Baby Boomer generation who have SERIOUS issues with interracial marriage and often their support HINGES conditionally upon who they feel is best for their kids. A young man or woman cannot marry someone that their parents are set against? Why can't I marry this girl/guy? Is it because they are a different race? They are a different nationality? What year is this?? What CENTURY is this? Isn't this MY choice? Ahhh but I don't know what I am getting myself into...right? And you, who have married several people from several races....you know? Ohhh no, wait, you haven't...so how do you KNOW this from a first account? This is my point. We are NOT in the 50s or 60s. Segregation is over, slavery is over. Racism is FAR overdue to end as well.

This country is SUCH a brewing pot, we have people from every country speaking over 100 different languages. We NEED to call people for what they are. They are illegal or they are legal. If they are Illegal, they are deportation bait. If they are legal, they are AMERICANS. I don't care which community they belong to, the latino, asian, native indian, african american...I don't care. They are AMERICANS., if they have their citizenship, then they are US Citizens! We as a country need to recognize as well that Americans ARE from North America, Central America and South America.

The concept of having a political race which continues to deal with gender and race is an insult to this whole country and the media drives as hard to the hoop as they can to keep the subject on the front page.

It is rumored that,"to the caucasians, race means nothing and to everyone else, it means everything". While I can definitely understand how and why every race continues to reach back to their ancestors and their roots, and are proud of their forefathers for the sacrifices that were endured for over 500 years. I feel that race IS as important as WE make it in our own lives. We can make it the center of everything and use it as a scapegoat or as an excuse for everything we do, or we can just live our lives and ONLY talk of race when it is challenged or discussed. We all have to decide how our race will play in and to what degree depends on how sensitive we are about it as well as how our family has been impacted possibly DUE to our race. I will ALWAYS hold several Americans as heroes regardless of their race. I will also hold some Americans as heroes based upon how their civil right efforts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was MUCH more important than ANYTHING that LBJ could have created. He was the political piece that HAD to be there, but it would have been any other President had it happened before or after he was in office. Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey revolutionized how sports would end up today. The African American community had the homerun record LEGITIMATELY cornered with Hammerin' Hank Aaron and Willie Mays for decades! While Mr. Bonds is on trial, he STILL holds the record. You may think that THAT was all Jackie, but he just started everything off. I can't forget Dr. King's wife Coretta King, Frederick Douglass, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Thurgood Marshall, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, or Booker T. Washington. Walter White was the FIRST LEADER OF THE NAACP and was OFTEN criticized as not being Black enough. Condoleeza Rice is viewed as not being Black enough because she is a Republican. Where does that kind of stupidity end? Of course, the absolute stupidest thing ever stated was that Clinton is the first balck president...Really? Ask Martin Luther King III if he respects Clinton for sleeping in the background? Seriously, Barack Obama is not yet President, but he WILL be if elected.

But, no matter what, look to people for who they are, if the ONLY thing you do in life is look to the character of people rather than the color of their skin, then you are only cheating yourself.

Monday, January 21, 2008

The NEED OF Latin Participation here in the USA

My Fellow Latinos,

Independant of your native country, you are now here in the United States. Many of you have arrived here legally. I am grateful for your willingness to have completed the process here legally. I am grateful for your time and your will to read or hear my message to you.

The United States is a country of promises. It is time for these promises to be realized. The realization of these promises hinge on you doing your part.

During the last 2 terms, here in the USA, we have progressed, but not nearly enough. There are various programs of the government that simply are not doing sufficiently to help the Latino community that IS legal. This is NOT about those who are here illegally. This is about the benefits that legal latinos SHOULD be receiving and ARE NOT. Those who DO have their permanent resident cards should also have the benefits that they DESERVE to have. If you have a green card or are citizens, you SHOULD have precedence over those who are here illegally.

I need to talk to you about an unfortunate case of mortgage fraud that is occurring and that is where people are purchasing homes, they take out large HELOCs on their homes and simply return back to their native country. My hope is that that nobody reading this is in that company. This level of crime is deplorable and it undoes this country. We are already having difficulty in the housing industry where many people are being taken out of their country due to bankruptcy due to mortgage fraud and faulty lending where the paperwork is ANYTHING but transparent. My hope is that whoever is guilty of mortgage fraud or lending scandals are found, arrested and punished for whatever they have done that is unethical and illegal.

As far as hourly kitchen and cleaning jobs, I will look to augment the minimum federal salary and also create ways by which the LEGAL latino community will have all of the benefits that they rightfully deserve. One of the most important rights is that you all have the ability of taking English classes. While you can speak whatever language you desire in your home, I would hope that you would procure opportunities to integrate within the American threadwork and that you have the best academic opportunities that you can have whether at your work or in your community. Your opportunity to learn English can be at either a school, work, or at home. By learning English, the assumptions and discredits to the Latino community may begin to subside. It will also help your resume and allow you to compete for better paying jobs so that you can help your families.


The best part is to have someone who can empathize and present your questions and doubts and, with respect to your culture and having lived in Brazil for over 2 years, I have the capability to help you in a more personalized manner. I can show more sympathy and empathy in general. I have lived and I live now within the Latin population. I have lieved among you. I have lived in poor neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Vespasiano (Morro Alto) and Betim. I am not your typical rich ignorant politician, whose interest lies at those lobbysits and others who will help the rich and leave the poor behind.

I am just like you, married to Isabel, my Brazilian American wife who came here legally in June of 2000 and I am grateful to her for her support, her assistence and a different perspective that helps me remain empathetic and understanding for the need to have cultural awareness among all races and communities.


I will be very grateful for all of your help and participation. I will do all that I can to help you, the Latino community in each of your respective industries, be it education, transportation, food and hospitality, tourism, military, engineering, sciences etc. This country is ready and the need for a dramatic change is overdue. With your help we can make this country the one that realized all of our goals.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

La Necesidad de Participacion de los Latinos Aqui en Los EE.UU

Mis Queridos Latinos,

Independente de qual pais Ustedes pertencen ou llaman su pais nativa, Ustedes estan aqui en los Estados Unidos. Bastante de ustedes llegaran aqui legalmente. Yo estoy muy grato por ustedes tienen hecho y completado el processo de immigracion legalmente. Estoy grato por su tiempo e voluntad de leer y apoiarme al leer mi mensaje a ustedes.

Los Estados Unidos da America es um pais de promesas. Es la hora que estas promesas sean realizadas. La unica forma que estas realizaciones van acaecer, es se todos ustedes continuan haciendo su parte.

Durante esta epoca, aqui en los EEUU, tenemos progredido, pero nao es el suficiente. Hay varias programas del gubierno que simplesmente nao hacen el suficiente para ajudar el pueblo latino que SON legales. Esto, NO es sobre personas ilegales, esto son beneficios que no llegan por los latinos que no son solomente residentes permanentes, pero tambien algunos que pueden tener recebido su cidadania.

Infelizmente, hay una sistema de fraud adonde personas estan comprando casas, hacen emprestimos altos e simplesmente vuelvan para su pais de origen. Mi esperanza es que nadie haga esso, este nivel de crime e' deplorable y tambien abaja este pais. Ya estamos teniendo dificultad en la industria de casas adonde tiene mucha gente sendo tirado de sus casas por falta de pagar debido a um contrato y pagamiento que no tiene condicion de cumplir. Mi esperanza es que las personas culpadas desde fraud seam cativos e punidos, y se necesario..deportados.

Cuanto trabalho en las cocinas e trabajos horarios, me voy buscar a aumentar el salario minimo federal y tambien crear medios por qual los latinos legales van tener todos los sus beneficios. El mas importante, es que como residentes legales, es que ustedes tienen la capacidad de tener clases de Ingles. Por mientras que ustedes pueden hablar cualquer lenjua que quieren, buscamos oportunidades adonde ustedes tengan el mejor educacion que podan receber independente de su trabajo, para que todos tienen la oportunidad de estudiar, mejorar su Ingles y tambien ser capaz de abajar los preconceitos contra ustedes y aumentar sus curriculos vitales. Esto va ayudarles a ser capazes de conseguir trabajo bien mas facil y aumentar la cantidad que van ganar financeramente.

El mejor parte es de tener alguien que ustedes pueden pedir ou apresentar sus preguntas o dudas y, con respecto a su cultura y teniendo vivido en California Del Sur y endo hecho vacaciones en Mejico, yo tego la capacidad de ayudar ustedes en una forma personalizada. Yo puedo mostrar mi empatia. Yo ya vivia entre ustedes en un pais latino. Eu ya vivia em barrios pobres de Belo Horizonte, Vespasiano e Betim en Brasil. Yo no soy aquel politico rico, ignorante que solomente beneficia los ricos y ignora los pobres. Yo soy bien como cualquer persona, y la mejor cosa, es que casei me con una Latina! Yo soy muy grato a mi esposa por su ayuda y su apoyo y las diferencas de opinion de el porque ellos me ayudan a ver otros perspectivos y pontos de vision.

Me voy ser bien grato por su ayuda, y voy hacer todo que yo poda hacer pra ayudar los latinos adonde yo puedo me envolver en todas las industrias que ustedes se participan, sea educacaion, transportacaion, comida e hospitalidad, turismo, militar, engenerismo, ciencias, etc. Este pais bien listo para las mudanzas que estan por vir! Espero que ustedes sean a voluntade de me ayudar muevar este pais para el mejor!

A Necesidade de Participacao dos Latinos Aqui Na America

Meus Queridos Latinos,

Independente de qual pais voce pertence ou chama sua pais nativa, voces estao aqui nos Estados Unidos. Muitos de voce chegaram aqui legalmente. Eu vos agradeco por terem feito e completado o processo de immigracao legalmente. Estou grato por seu tempo e vontade de ler e me apoiar ao ler minha mensagem a voces.

Os Estados Unidos da America e' um pais de promessas. E' a hora que estas promessas sejam realizadas. A unica forma que estas realizacoes vao acontecer, e' se todos voces continuam fazendo sua parte.

Durante esta epoca, aqui nos EUA, temos progredido, mais nao o suficiente. Tem varias programas do governo que simplesmente nao fazem o suficiente para ajudar o povo latino que SAO legal. Isso, NAO e' sobre illegais, isso sao beneficios que nao chegam pelos latinos que nao sao somente residentes permanentes, mas tambem alguns que podem ter recebido sua cidadania.

Infelizmente, ha uma sistema de fraud aonde pessoas estao comprando casas, tomam emprestimos altos e simplesmente voltam para seu pais de origem. Minha esperanca e' que ninguem faca isso, este nivel de crime e' deploravel e tambem desfaz este pais. Ja estamos tendo dificuldade na industria de casas aonde tem muita gente sendo tirado de suas casas por falta de pagar devido a um contrato e pagamento que nao tem condicao de cumprir. Minha esperanca e' que as pessoas culpadas desde fraud sejam cativos e punidos.

Quanto trabalho nas cozinhas e trabalhos horarios, eu vou procurar a aumentar o salario minimo federal e tambem criar meios pelo qual os latinos legais terao todos os seus beneficios. O mais importante, e' que como residentes legais, e' que voces tem a capcacidade de ter aulas de Ingles. Enquanto que voces podem falar qualquer lingua que quiserem, procuramos oportunidades para que voces tenham o melhor educacao que possam receber independente de seu trabalho, para que todos tem a oportunidade de estudar, melhorar seu Ingles e tambem ser capaz de diminuir os preconceitos contra voces e aumentar seus curriculos vitais. Isso vai lhes ajudar a ser capazes de conseguir trabalho muito mais facil e aumentar a quantidade que vao ganhar financeiramente.

O melhor parte e' ter alguem que voce podem pedir ou apresentar suas perguntas ou duvidas e, com respeito a sua cultura e tendo morado em Brasil por mais que dois anos, eu tenho a capacidade de ajudar voces numa forma personalizada. Eu posso mostrar minha empatia. Eu ja morei entre voces. Eu ja morei em bairros pobres de Belo Horizonte, Vespasiano e Betim. Eu nao sou aquele politico rico, ignorante que somente beneficia os ricos e ignora os pobres. Eu sou muito como qualquer pessoa, e a melhor coisa, e' que casei me com uma Brasileira! Eu sou grato a minha espousa por sua ajuda e seu apoio e as diferencas de opiniao dela porque eles me ajudam a ver outros perspectivos e pontos de visao.

Eu vou ser muito grato por sua ajuda, e vou fazer o tudo que eu puder pra ajudar os latinos aonde eu puder em todas as industrias que voces se participam, seja educacao, transportacao, comida e hospitalidade, tourismo, militar, engenherismo, sciencias, etc. Este pais esta' pronto pelas mudancas que estao por vir! Espero que voces estejam a vontade de me ajudar mudar este pais pelo melhor!

America and Homeland Security

As a member of the US Coast Guard, I was involved actively in our missions have centered around helping Americans feel more secure and comfortable. With terrorism being at the centerpiece of a table where every country that sits at the table wishes for peace and union between one another, our need to work diplomatically with each other and our insistance to NOT negotiate with terrorists, We may be able to remain incident free and assist other countries to remain equally peaceful.

Equally however, as a member of the Coast Guard, I was also very aware of our weaknesses and discrepancies at our ports. I am aware of where we are exposed and what is needed to ameliorate the situation.

We need to address the Airport security issues such as near hits/misses on the tarmac as well as oil plants, energy plants and water plants.

We need to assure that our natural minerals and resources are untainted and are well taken care of. We need to assure that any chemical warfare and suicide car bombs are not taking place here in the US.

We need to assure each and every person in this country that while there are natural emergencies, there are ALWAYS fellow americans in our neighborhoods and in our cities who are willing to show their charity and caring for their neighbor and help them where needed. Hurricanes, Nor'easters, Tornadoes, Earthquakes and Floods are challenges we face annually in this country...the strength of this country is NOT only how we deal with the emergency itself, but also to reach out to others and show our humanity towards others.

America's Men, Fathers and Family

"No other success can compensate for failure in the home."-David O. McKay. I love this quote. I know that you can look into this and break it down and spin it to your liking. I would expect that. However, if you take it at face value, it means what it says. Whether we are debating the role of the father, the role of the mother, the role of the husband and wife, the most important part and the most gratifying part of having a family and home, is that its success is based upon the example and love of the parents towards each other and to their children.

I would challenge every person who enjoys having intimate relations, to recognize that if it DOES result in pregnancy, that they take ownership of their actions and hold themselves accountable for their actions and father or mother this new child of theirs and provide a loving home in which that child can develop and grow with a loving mom and dad. Any man can become a biological father, any woman can become a biological mother. It is one thing, to do that, it is quite another to truly become a mommy or a daddy. The reason that those terms are endearing and tender, are because our memories of our own mommies and daddies are parents who care about us and take care of us. They have unconditional love and are willing to die for us. They sacrifice their wants and desires to assure we have what we need.

It is imperative that these parents truly take part of the education process of their childrens' lives from the get go and NOT rely purely upon the education system to take care of their kids. The Department of Education does NOT have a WING dedicated to babysitting. It is very important that parents are interactive with their children's schoolwork as well as with their teachers. it is important that we KNOW when our children are unfortunately in positions that they need to be removed from.

Our homes should be havens, they should be refuges for our families, they should not be anything less, but in order for that to happen, we need, as a country, as men, as fathers, to be daddies. We need to take time away from ESPN, away from our DVDs, OUr laptops, our work and all that consumes our time away from our children and re-dedicate ourselves to our children. We need the men of this country to BE examples to their children and to show their kids what they should and should not do. The rule of life should NOT be, "Do as I say and not as I do." We should educate our children in a way that our actions can be reflected in their behavior and we can be proud of their upbringing. If our lives are in disarray, what can we expect, when the lives of our children are comparably dysfunctional? If we have conditions that require prescription medication, please be a responsible parent and take them so that your kids may see you and respect who and what they see.

The healthier our homes are spiritually, physically, mentally and socially, the more mature and educated our kids will be and the happier the overall feeling will be in the home!

Our kids are the future of this country, they depend upon us to assure that they get the education and the training they need to become well balanced and mature adults. We as adults and parents are solely responsible to see that they have the ability to get to that point.

The Faith of an American

My beliefs in my Savior Jesus Christ who was crucified for all mankind, are NOT in anyway tied into my professional vocation where the American people are concerned.
There is a division between Church and State and it is my responsibility to assure that that division remains in place. My belief in God or in my religion will not be compromised, however, it is not my standard of beliefs that are on trial here. My candidacy and electibility IS. I would hope that we can move forward from a time where each person is pidgeon holed into a clique or group like we were in high school. I don't care if you are black, orange, grey, white, lesbian, gay, straight, latino, or anything else. I am not here to judge you, quite the opposite! My faith and religion will ONLY play in as much as common human decency and society agrees with what should be considered normal and correct on a grand scale.

Faith is believing in something that you cannot see. We cannot see the wind, but some of us know first hand of its effects. Acting upon your faith by donating money and supplies to those in New Orleans, Florida and San Diego are not only ways of providing support to your fellow Americans, but is a way that Americans can show their love and understanding for charity and service towards others. As I said before, as we look outward from self, we shall be blessed from within. The more selfless we are in our communities, the more we grow as a family, neighborhood, city, state and country.

I have faith in this country and in its growth. As said before, I cannot SEE that growth right now, but with our efforts and actions and as we work through our faith, we will see the country progress as a result!

Don't worry about my religion, it is somewhat inconsequential with my professional vocation and my bid for office. I am convict in my beliefs, and will not waiver. This country is not led by the Prophet, or the Pope or any other religious leader. it is led by the President of the United States and that shall continue as it has since July 4, 1776.

America and its Fiscal Responsibilities

Doesn't fiscal responsibility lie within our grasp collectively as a country? Yes, it should and YES it does! Yes, the Commander in Chief can ok policies regarding tax breaks, tax cuts or even sadly, new taxes. Unfortunately to make money, every investor knows that they have to spend money to make money with the pre-requisite that they KNOW where this money is going and WHY it is going there. the days of NOT knowing where your tax dollars are going is over. The American people pay their taxes annually and every year, the American people should be able to find out how their money has been spended or how the government plans to spend their money. The areas where tax money needs to be used the most, is where they will be used. it will work in a daily priority and will be published for all Americans to see.

We need a President who is able to trim down the national debt with the budget set apart to get the country back to the green/black levels so that we can work as a country whose debt is minimal. We need to work to have a surplus. It was achieved under the Clinton administration, so it is possible. Let's not forget those who helped us get where we are, and lets bring it back to those who got our budget back where it belongs and put the money BACK into the pockets of those who need it the most!

The rich upper class will be able to live off of their interest for the better part of their lives and they can afford to give back to the community to allow others to grow and benefit. The rich and upper class do NOT need tax breaks as they get taxed plenty as it is and it should remain as it is. The poor, lower middle class, middle class and upper middle class are those who deserve the tax breaks and should get them. I would set up a tax code where the poor pay 5% taxes (salaries under 30,000), middle class (30,000-100,000) would pay 10%, Upper middle class (100,000-200,000) would pay 15% and the rich would pay 20% taxes annually. I would think that would be substantially better and all parties would be much happier than what they are paying now.

Special interest earmarks and pork barrel spending will be publically informed where all Americans can decide whether that is plausible.

Gas and oil businesses as well as other special interest groups will NOT get any more attention than any other industry.

Government spending will be made public and anything over a certain amount which should draw a red flag, will, and the government official that uses money erroneously will be made an example of publically. it will NOT be a slap on the hand, the difference between what is within the scale of normality (ex.price of an airline ticket) and the absurd spending that occured will be processed as a fee to that government official or it can be taken from their taxes in the following year.

American Ethics

The definition of work ethics is as follows: A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. The Definition of ethics is: The study of the general nature of morals and of the specific moral choices to be made by a person; moral philosophy. The definition of situational ethics is: A system of ethics that evaluates acts in light of their situational context rather than by the application of moral absolutes.

There is NO situation where I will contradict my values of what is right. My career, my marriage, my position as an example to my children are just a few of the things that I would risk by so doing let alone my personal character or any possible chance of getting anything that I lost, back. It is not worth the hassle or effort to challenge or compromise all that I have worked for to lose it all.

There will be closed door meetings regarding national security. There will NOT be secret meetings to develop national energy policy. Lobbyists worst nightmares will be realized, as their needs will be addressed as deemed necessary by me and others on my staff whose values and ethics are equal to mine or higher! You can probably guess how often that will occur.

The secrets that MUST be kept secret from this country to maintain national security are the secrets that the American people understand and are willing to allow remain at the level where those who need to know, will. However, I believe that the majority of information that is For Official Use Only (FOUO) and all unclassified information is available to public domain and I encourage my fellow Americans to join me and be aware and educated in how this, your country works, and to be participants in how it works! No more unnecessary secrets on how your tax dollars are spent and while we're on it, there will be a budget towards how government spends YOUR money. There will be no more wasteful spending, there will be audits, checks and balances towards how money will be spent and how it is currently being spent to assure that every day, money control and budgeting is better than the day before.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

America's Immigration Resolution

I think that, as you look at my beautiful wife, my position on Immigration speaks for itself. My wife came over legally with her permanent resident green card on Jun 6th 2000. She arrived in Salt Lake City, Fox News filmed her arrival, and Sandy Riesgraf covered the story from the beginning. Three years after arriving here, my wife renewed her green card and I was removed as her financial sponsor. In 2007, She applied for her US Citizenship and was sworn in as a US Citizen on December 4th of 2007. I met her exactly 13 years prior to that in Belo Horizonte when I arrived in Brasil. My wife stands as a living example that we DID it right in terms of her immigrating legally here AND that it CAN and should be done in the same way that we did. At no point did her visa lapse. At no point was she considered illegal. She never had to worry about her Social Security being anything less than legal and she has had all of her rights as a permanent resident and now she has every right that any other American has.

Those who have come in illegally, should return and do it the right way. The US Mexican war has occurred. Whether people choose to deny this or not does not mean that it did not occur. The holocaust has also occurred and yet it is not taught in German history. We may disagree with an event, we can deny or ignore these events all that we would like, but it does not change the fact that they occurred. People who have broken the law must understand that when laws are broken (again regardless whether they believe in the wars of the past or not) there are always GOING to be consequences and resolutions to laws that have been broken. over 200,000 prisoners will be deported back to their respective countries. and 170,000+ prisoners were deported last year. You break the law, you deserve the consequences of your actions regardless of whether your intentions are good or bad. You did not only break the law by coming in illegally or overstaying your visa, but then you began working without the proper paperwork, some of you have cost your employers thousands, all of you have cost the economy thousands of dollars. You cannot vote, you are always looking over your back, you always have to deal with horrible health care options, why would you do that voluntarily when you can do it all legally?

Loitering near Home Depots, Lowes, and other places should also be considered as it is, loitering on private property. Since you are NOT American citizens nor are you permanent residents, then I would have no problem assuring that all illegals who DO get work, that you be paid a comparable wage with what you were paid in your respective country. it is NOT about being inhumane, as it is about removing your incentives for being here.

Please understand, that I DO know what it is to go through the USCIS system and what it is like to be on the phone for hours on end to get anyone else on the opposite end. I am clearly aware after SEVERAL mornings outside of INS offices in order to be seen by an INS officer which before appointments became the norm, was comparable with winning the California Lottery. I was vehemently opposed to the fact that it took as long as it did for the INS to get papers processed. It is abhorrent that it takes over 9 months for someone's wife to be able to be legally admitted into this country. So while I understand that it is frustrating and expensive to bring your family here, as obvious as it may seem that this country discourages immigration, please know that while there are hoops to go through to get here, please know that one of the happiest days of my life, was when my wife walked off of that plane in Salt Lake City. Our marriage and the birth of our children were happier but all 4 of those days were incredible. The most important part, was doing the process the right way and winning!

Please do not misconstrue what I am saying, I am all for legal immigration. I am all for the immigration country and the land of immigrants where it all started at Ellis Island. Those people arrived legally. There were no fines, they did it as it ought to be done. There is no reason why illegal immigrants cannot return and do the same.

America's Energy and Environment Inprovement Efforts

It is NOT because my wife is a Brazilian American, that I find it incredibly important that our country signed the contract that we did with Brasil in order to free ourselves from the vice we found ourselves in the Middle East. Brasil has been using alcohol in its vehicles for over 30 years. They have thousands of acres of land DEDICATED to sugar and corn, possibly more than the US could ever grow and they have been anxious and excited to be able to import it to us. They have now found over 8 Billion barrels of oil and may have found another oil field of comparable size. They are prime to join the OPEC panel which controls the volume and pricing of oil worldwide. The US can only improve in this move. Brasil is also one of the few countries that are 100% independant oil-wise and we will benefit by joining and aligning ourselves with an ally rather than a neutral party.

Further energy issues are simple. We, as a country need to continue being responsible and turn off the lights in our home when they are not being used. Those who are in military housing should adhere more to this than others, since it is the taxes of this country that pay for those energy bills. I am not fathering you, by telling you what you should know all by yourselves, I am not lecturing or preaching environment to you. I am saying this because I feel that the majority of America already does not do this. Buy the energy reducing lightbulbs and appliances that will help us do our part as a country. Like I said regarding other subjects, America is only as strong as its discrepancies and deliquencies. We must progress individually and collectively.

We NEED vehemently, to dedicate ourselves to the automakers of our industrial midwest and bring back the jobs that have dissolved in Detroit so that we can have QUALITY green cars that will show the global ecojnomy that American made vehicles cannot only be made, but they can do everything that any import can do, and can do it for the same price or better. We need to have vehicles for families that are able to accomplish at least 35 mpg without any exception. Detroit will resurge again and its success and its workforce will not be as it was, it will be better!

Regarding global warming, lets look at the history of this planet. It has gone through several warming trends and has had little ice ages. The warming has not been uniform globally, in fact in some places, it has cooled. The warming has been all of .4C in the last century. I am NOT saying that we should ignore it, I am not saying we should blow it off, I am saying that it will NOT define the way we live in the next 50 years. We should do our part to conserve as much energy as we can.

America's Education and Success of our Children

Our education and the progress of our children are in the hands of the parents of this country. Get involved with your children. get involved with their teachers. Your childrens' education is a reflection of your involvement and their success is predicated upon your desire and your interaction with your children. Do NOT teach them self reliance in this manner. They will learn all of the self reliance that they need when they go to summer camps, athletic camps or even as Freshmen at the college/university of their choice. They need the assistance of their parents and they will not always ask for it. We as parents need to be there. When our children were born, we accepted the full package to maker sure that they are taught to the best of our ability. We need to assure that the best teachers remain in schools. We need accountability of said teachers and we need to pay them better. We need to show our children that their educations are paramount to the success of this country and that they can take over where we have left off. We need to guarantee that the exchange from our generation to theirs is seamless and that if anything, the quality of our childrens' education and our assistance and enforcement of the best teaching possible actually shows progress from one generation to another.

We need to look at what we have done to this point, and work continually to do all that we can to improve on our delinquencies and fine tune our strengths. Our success in the education sector depends on us as parents, as adults, as teachers, and as Americans. We should all do what we can to assist our kids to succeed beyond our own successes. We need to do all that we can to assure that our country improves and that leans heavily upon our ability to improve the education of this country. There is NO reason whatsoever, that our education should be #2 to any other country for any reason. We are responsible to assure that this takes place.

America's Economic Future

I believe that America's free enterprise and our ability to live the American dream, is what makes this country shine. Millions of people come to this country for a reason, and that reason is due to our economy and our freedom to control our own financial destiny to a certain extent. While we DO have a certain amount of accountability and ownership. Education is the keystone of our overall success and that lies upon the teachers and more importantly, the student. The lighthouses of this country make sure that every sailor comes home safely. But while those lighthouses can provide the light, it still takes a strong sailor to navigate their way to safety.

We have to work as a nation in what we can bring to the table and combine and not duplicate our efforts to assure our success as individuals and as a country. Our innovative leaders in the private sector are equally as important as those who create the laws and execute them. More important than the big wigs of this country, are those who helped them get to where they are today. We cannot discount the blue collar workforce who give all that they have so that others may have more. We should, if anything, applaud them for all of their efforts and give them the breaks that they need in order for their progress as well. The white collar and big wigs of this country can afford to help those who have been working the grindstone their whole life and may struggle to get enough money for their kids education AND still have the ability to retire.

Our country must always appreciate the role of each person who supports our economy whether that person be an investor, a C-level executive, a middle manager or the hourly laborers who may even work a couple of jobs to make ends meet and may STILL live paycheck to paycheck. We should create and offer these people some slack on the line so that they be with their families or be able to create one. We are stronger as a country of home owners rather than a country of renters. While it is not always possible to buy a home nor is it always the "time" as housing right now is not a popular option, it is still a benefit to your credit level, providing you can afford the home and all that comes with it, NOT just the mortgage alone. Please, prior to purchasing a home, remind yourselves of the taxes, insurances, daily expenses that go unseen, as well as appraisals, landscaping and other expenses that often go overlooked. While home ownership is still better for America collectively, a country full of foreclosures or defaults is devastating to this country as we are all seeing. We NEED as a country, to make smarter choices and to recognize when bank and home loaners make offers that seem too good to be true.

We will progress as a country as soon as we stop worrying about ourselves and start building people up around us. Americans must work as a team rather than working against one another.

A team full of athletes who work for their own stats and their own success, may get to the Super Bowl, BCS Title Bowl,The World Series, Stanley Cup,The World Cup or NBA Finals. A team that is dependant upon indiviual talent will always fail to the team that works as a team. A team full of individuals will be successful throughout the regular season, however, the ultimate goal, more often than not, will be won by the team who works together. We need to be the team that works well with others.

The success of this economy depends on all of us working together and showing that we can work as a team!

Americans with Disabilities

My aunt has a mental disability and I couldn't love her more if I tried. She is a beautiful human being and she has a completely active lifestyle. She has the ability to work at a shop with other people who have equal disabilites and she does not let it get her down or keep her from doing what she wants.

There are countries where, if you have a disability, you may or may not be allowed to get a job depending on the disability. As an example, a trucker who breaks his leg may not have the ability to drive work in his vocation and will have to look for a job in another area completely.

our goal in this country should be, nationwide, to make sure that those who have disabilities are able to live their lives without any interruption as well as being successful and not having discrimination keeping them from being able to get jobs, homes or any other need that they may have in their lives. Their lives should not change any more than it has to. There are, obviously going to be some barriers due to the level of disability and when we are faced with the challenges, we need to find the innovation and the smart minds of this country in order to face these challenges head on and overcome these barriers as soon as we can with as little resistance as possible.

Civil Rights, how America must treat its own people

Race is as important as we make it. Every culture places a level of importance on race as they deem necessary. In some countries, it is one of the least important measures and in others it can dominate their lifestyle.

Growing up, my heroes were the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Willie Mays, Jackie Robinson, Harriett Tubman, Rosa Parks as well as many other leaders of the African American community. Sadly still today, the division of race affects this country on both sides. I have lived and traveled across this country and have seen it play out in several places and fault can be placed on both sides.

We need to focus on the same values and ethics that Dr. King spoke of and apply them in our lives. We need to show human decency to one another. We are all Americans before and after July 4th and we need to act that way towards all people regardless of their race, status or any other factor that we might use to discriminate or demean them. We need to take ownership for our acts of commission as well as those of ommission. People must be seen as who they are before anything else, people.

While we may disagree about their legal status and their right to be here, they are here. We need to treat people with human decency. We have rights and responsibilities towards those who are in prison, so why shouldn't we have laws of human decency towards any one person who is living in this country? We may not like that someone is here illegally but it is no reason to treat them as less of a person. The verbal attack of calling someone a "sub-human" was a derogatory term during a part of American history that was deplorable and abhorrent. This type of mentality exploits and exposes our overall ignorance for people in general and gets plenty of attention in this global economy that we live in and it DOES affect how other countries look to us as the example that we OUGHT to be.

During my time in Coast Guard, recruit training, if someone was punished, the whole company was punished. This applies to us as a country as well. When one of us is seen as culturally or racially insensitive, it weakens us as a country overall. We have all, for the better part, learned that if you don't have anything nice to say, then, say nothing at all.