Wall Street Stiffs Main Street Investors/Tax Payers

James 4:3 (King James Version)
3Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

The business of government is business. There is a misconception, propagated by many, that government has no business in the private sector. Clearly, our economic system could not survive without the active involvement of our government. Government assists the private sector in many ways: investment in infrastructure, protection of private property, mitigation of contract disputes, and regulation of financial reporting to encourage private investment just to name a few. Government has been, and will continue to be, a partner of the private sector.

Today, we are facing uncertain times of economic peril. Government has lent Wall Street over $700 billion and considering an additional $1 trillion in the hopes of jump starting the economy. However, reports have surfaced that Wall Street continues to over compensate top executives while 277,000 jobs have been lost in the month of January alone. In 2008, $2.6 million Americans lost their jobs while Wall Street paid out over $20B in executive bonuses--the sixth largest bonus distribution in history. Economist expect the current recession to be the worst since the 1930s; however, Wall Street continues to pay large compensation packages while at the same time begging for tax payer assistance. James 4:3 tells us that ye will not receive what you ask for because the spirit in which you ask is for selfish reasons of lust. It seems as if Wall Street has asked for help from YOU, the tax payer, for selfish reasons.

Attention All Tax Payers—your tax dollars underwrite the cost of doing business. Businesses rarely realize the true cost of doing business, rather they externalized many cost by relying on your tax dollars for support. When business fails to provide a “living wage” and adequate benefits, the tax payers help support health care and other supports. When business operations damage the natural environment, your tax dollars help protect nonrenewable resources. When you consider investing in a company though your pension, 401K, IRA, 403B and individual securities, your tax dollars regulate financial reporting that allow you to invest in the market with confidence. Tax payers have been good partners to business. Can we say the same about Wall Street?

It is arrogant to ask for YOUR money, but continue to shell out excessive compensation to executives. While the tax payer is struggling to hold on to their jobs, Wall Street continues business as usual. Without the tax payer, there would be no business…tax payers are a business greatest asset--human capital. Tax payers are also consumers of goods and services provided by business. However, tax payers are not considered as partners to business. I wonder why?
Tax payers have invest trillions each year to help support the private sector.

Consider the following:

• Corporate Citizenship Tax: If business wants to move operations over seas, consider “recouping” what was invested from tax payers. Whether this be reimbursement of tax credits to billing companies for infrastructure investment that associated with the development, planning, and implementation of business operations.

• Executive Compensation Reform: If a company experiences large layoffs, executives should forgo corporate compensation due to poor performance. In addition, executive pay should be equally reduced by the percentage of staff that is laid off.

Government establishes monetary and fiscal policy. Monetary polices control the amount of money in circulation while fiscal polices address the collecting and spending of money by the Government. If there is too much money in circulation, we could experience inflation. Inflation adversely affects the purchasing power of tax payers and reduces the currency value of US dollars held by businesses. Strong economic systems benefit from proactive monetary policies that prevent large fluctuations of currency values.

In addition, strong fiscal policy refers to the spending and taxing activities of a given country. If a country does not prudently apply taxing powers and/or incurs huge deficits, this could discourage the investments of foreign domestics—those companies that are headquarter in foreign countries but have significant operations and employ workers in the US. Countries that incur large deficits might send a message potential investors that a country could be insolvent and less apt to invest in infrastructure or business development.

Government has allowed for individuals to collectively negotiate standards for healthy work environments and equal pay.

Without the government intervention, the average consumer would have limited choices to purchase goods and services due to the development of monopolies.

Therefore, neither the government or its tax payers should be considered enimies of business. Without the success of American business, the Government's ability provide for the public good would severely limited due to the decline of tax revenue from consumers, workers, property owners, and businesses.

Pulpit Pimpin’: Promoting Prosperity and Perpetuating Poverty

Matthew 21:12-13 (King James Version)
12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

Weather you attend, watch or listen to religious services, it is difficult to escape the promise of prosperity that resonate from the pulpit of African American churches. Prosperity preaching can be specifically traced to two verses in the Bible:

Malachi 3:8-10 (King James Version)
8Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
9Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The crux of prosperity preaching states that if you tithe (bring all ye tithe into the storehouse) then God will bless you; conversely, if you do not tithe (or rob from God), you will be cursed.

Prosperity preaching (along with churches application of new technology) has given birth to “mega” and “super-mega” churches at the expense of low to moderate income families that attend these sanctuaries of great promise. Today, I ask the simple question of: “What impact does prosperity preaching have on the African American family and community.” Is prosperity preaching a viable business model for the 21st Century church or is it simply “pimpin from the pulpit?”

During the civil-rights movement, the African American church played an integral role to help bring about positive social change. The church was one of few places African Americans owned and served as gathering places fro grassroots organizing and motivating the community towards social action. The church provided a means to disseminate information to the masses in addition to raising financial resources to support the civil rights movement.

Today, the African American church is staring at new challenges—the institution of religion and family are severely being threatened by louder secular voices and changes in social-demographic behaviors. Considering marriage is becoming less of the norm, more are choosing never to get married, divorce rates continue to climb, and many children are being raised by only one parent, we must ask “Where is the Church?” Changes in the American economy has affected the functionality of the family—it is now expected, if not required, for two parents to work outside of the home to provide for the basic needs of the family. Therefore, if single parents continue to comprise of a signification percentage of church goers, a significant percentage of church congregations will find themselves in need of additional services to maintain the family unit.

In many respects (not all), the African American church has not mounted an effective response to the challenges that the African American community face. However, they have been very effective in raising resources to support the establishment of mega-churches.

Consider the following:

Compensation: Preaching has become as much of a profession than it is a calling. Compensation can be based on the amount of revenue that is brought into the church—which creates the incentive to raise additional dollars, rather than addressing core social ills. Some churches have established “franchises” and receive a percentage of affiliate churches' revenue. In addition, many ministers require payment to perform sacred ceremonies to include marriages and funerals. It will be interesting to see how the preaching profession will fare in a down economy.

Community Involvement: Many churches are oblivious to the social improvement strategies that are taken place in their community. They are separate from secular activities that aim to improve the social conditions of their congregation.

Charitable Giving: Churches often report to their congregation that they set aside 10% (or tithe) to charitable causes. I argue that 100% of all resources that are given to the church, should be directed to service and improving the conditions of the community. If churches are stewards of “Gods” tithes, then all of the tithes (not 10%) that are collected, should go to assist those in need.

Capital Projects: Mega churches often build campuses to support large crowds on Sundays. This seems like an inefficient way to use God’s resources since church buildings are only utilized less than 20% of the entire week. What is the building being used for beyond services and should the congregation support such inefficient use of capital?

If Jesus was to visit his temples today, would he consider them houses of prayer? Or, would he encounter money changers and a den of thieves?

The author attended a New Year’s Eve ceremony and visited the church's book store. There were only three small bibles in the entire book store. There were, however, multiple books and taped sermons by the Pastor of the church. In many respects, the church has become a place of commerce as oppose to a house of prayer. Sometimes I wonder if the church would rather charge a cover for Sunday service and Wednesday Bible study to circumvent the uncertainty tithes from the “cheerful giver.”

Today, I call upon the African American church to assume a new role in our community—one that meets the needs of the congregation, not the needs of the cloth.

Things your church can do:

Publish the Pay of Key Staff: It is often required to report the pay of key staff on charitable tax returns, IRS 990. Your church should practice full transparency so that there will be less of an incentive for church leaders to reap excessive profits at the expense of parishioners and church ministries.

Partner to leverage resources for Social Change: Your church can partner with other churches and community-based organizations to help address many social ills, to include: poverty, homelessness, hunger, unemployment, illiteracy, violence, child abuse and neglect, divorce and inadequate health care.

Provide Basic Needs Assistance: Create a system in which members of your congregation could access aid in the form of low- or no-interest loans and temporary emergency assistance.

Prepare Children for School: Early childhood development and literacy are critical to the success of an individual. Your church could partner to establish or support quality early childhood education programs, tutoring services, and college preparation assistance.

Promote Volunteer Engagement: From mentor programs to foster care families, people are volunteering to make a difference in the lives of young people. Instead of creating your own program, churches could help recruit mentors and foster care parents that might help address youth displacement and development issues.

Praise Excellence: Establish scholarships for young people that are achieving at high levels. This could help create a culture of excellence.

Preserve the Sanctity of Marriage: Develop specific programs and services to help preserve and support the sanctity of marriage. Develop programs to teach individuals how to develop healthy relationships and manage conflict.

This article is not an attack on the church, rather a call to action. It is easy to be a critic and condemn, rather than be critical and non-condemning to encourage a new approach to solving old problems.

National Security Policy Should Include Children

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it

Anonymous
"Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate."

Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. President
"Children are our most valuable natural resource."

Andy McIntyre
“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!”

In the post 9/11 era, Americans awaken daily to headlines that caution against threats to our national security. Less obvious are the headlines that highlight a more potent foe of the American way—the inability to prepare our next generation for leadership.

The greatest assaults to our way of living might not be from Al-Qaida and their quest to arm themselves with weapons of mass distraction…nor may it be from OPEC and its global control of oil resources. Rather, it should be debated if the greatest assault on America is taken place not abroad, but right here in our homes, schools, playgrounds, daycares and institutions of worship.

Local Indianapolis Star headlines provide a testament to this fact as reports of children being held-up at gun point while waiting for their bus to transport them to school serve as its top story. The story serves as an ironic metaphor that adults are robbing our children from their ability to reach their full potential.

What accompanied the “Bus-stop Bandits” story was another report of a “Pedophile Priest.” This begs the question of: "Are we unintentionally mortgaging our future by not identifying child rearing as a national security issue?" Sure, most of us can make a valid claim for other issue to be re-defined as a national security issue; but, if we are not aptly raising the next generation of Americans, what will America be in the next generation?

In policy areas of education, juvenile justice, child welfare and mental health, we see failures in these systems to adequately care for youth and prepare them for productive citizenship. In social institutions of the family and church, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to instill proper ethos (belief systems) or provided adequate supports to promote the full potential of a young person. Certainly, we have many youth that achieve their full potential, the proportion of youth is what's more concerning. We need to be able to prepare a greater percentage of youth to assume their rightful place of participation and leadership in tomorrow’s America.

Essentially, youth development has reached the level of National Security Crisis ! As adults, we are not doing our part to ensure that our youth are ready to address tomorrow’s challenges.

Consider the Following:

· Responsible Parenting: Pledge to engage in the lives of all your children and set high expectations for their development.

· Mentoring: Assist with the development of a young person in your family or community by modeling effective interpersonal skills that will lead to success.

· Foster Parenting: Nurture the development of youth that lack a functional family by becoming surrogate parents.

· Teaching: Enlist your skills as a teacher (formal or informal) to encourage the full academic, social, and personal development every youth in your community.

· Community Service: Volunteer your time to assist with special programs that diversify youth experiences and contribute to their full development.

· Social Change Agents: Commit oneself to devoting time to help change key institutions.

· Faith Belivers: Reaffirm the values and beliefs of individual faiths in your life, family, church, and community.

President Obama's Inaugural Message of "Collective Work" is Ordained by GOD

Less than 48 hours removed from the 44th Presidents inaugural address, the collective consciousness of Americans is arguably imbued with the spirit of a shared purpose and a call for collective action. In his address, President Obama acknowledge that we are a great nation amidst great peril; he rebuked the politics of the past and pressed for new policies—ones that bind us to a common cause and renews a spirit of democracy…a sprit that reflects the creed that this government is of, for, and by the people. The new president firmly warned enemies of peace yet softly embraced nations of paucity. These were all resounding themes that provided many comfort in an age of contention. Yet, no theme resonates more strongly then the President’s call to WORK.

Consider the following 8 statements rooted in the inaugural address:

· “In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.”

· “Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”

· “Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life.”

· “Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.”

· “For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.”

· “All this we can do. And all this we will do.”

· “To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

· “But those values upon which our success depends — hard work ..."

On this day, the call towards action with courage was heard from coast to coast. Let America heed this call, and be transformed by the holy virtue of work. Let us begin rebuilding this country one person, one family, one community at a time. The president calls for each one of us to share in the plight of the nation and rejoice the profit of labor. Let it be known that this call to action is ordained by GOD.

· The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work and keep it.
Genesis 2:15

· Commandment: Six days you shall labor, and do all your work
Exodus 20:9

· Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings, he will not stand before obscure men.

Proverbs 22:29

· Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men…It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Colossians 3:23-24 NIV

Delight in the tasks that require your attention in your home, at work, and in your community…for your work is ordained by God and know that whatever you sow sow or reap, it is in accordance to HIS plan. Indifference breeds laziness and stagnation, find your passion and enlist your skills to support "Operation Rebuild America" as a soldier for freedom, fairness, fruitfulness.

We are not prisoners of the past

Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. –Phillippians 3:13

Today we remember the greatness of King and rejoice in the promise of Obama. The bible tells everyone not focus on things of the past, but concern oneself with the present--what is before us now.

Behold, we are at the dawn of a new era in America that certainly reflects a tumultuous past. Thus, it is difficult not to focus on the past and ask—“How did we get here?”

Undoubtedly, slavery gave birth to freedom, civil rights nurtured tolerance and Obama personifies the resilient nature of African-Americans to grow from both. This rich history burdens the consciousness of America but the bible guides all Americans not to focus on the past—things which are behind. We are to celebrate and remember the past accomplishments of all our fore-fathers/mothers…yet we shall not dwell on that which is behind.

Today, we call upon every American not to be prisoners of their past but patrons of the great promise that the present holds. If you were indifferent in the past, find passion in the present. Rejoice in the gift to shed the old and become anew.

Obama will inspire a whole generation domestic and abroad. He could not accomplish such monumental achievement if he had focused on what had been. Today, everyone has the choice to change and rewrite history. Obama has and so can you.

If you have not been true to your commitments…chose to honor fidelity today
If you have failed to sing the praise of the lord, compose a sweet meldoy today
If you have deferred to chase a dream, begin your distant run today
And remember, what gets done, starts with what is done today.

---RDS Wheeler, 2009