Refreshing Your Perspective

Life provides ongoing opportunities to refresh our perspective, to realign ourselves with our God-given leadership perspective, our mission, vision, and values. It might be the birth of a child, a new job, marriage, the turning of a calendar page, or the celebration of an accomplishment. As we set aside time to humbly reflect on what God has done and is doing, He may confirm continuing in the same direction or open our eyes to something new in ourselves or circumstances. What upcoming opportunity will you use to refresh your leadership perspective?

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.— Proverbs 20:27

Prayer: Lord, search me with Your light, expose my motives, even those I hide from others. Examine my heart and mind and behavior. Remind me of Your call to servant leadership. Transform me so that I can lead like Jesus. In His name I pray, amen.

Merry Christmas

Praying everyone had a wonderful day. Remember the reason for the season is Jesus and He loves you unconditionally.

New Blog

With all the goings on with the Government, including the Sequester and the Shut Down, I decided to express my opinions on another blog instead of tying this one up. I will continue to post pictures here from time to time, but I invite you to check out my new blog.  I know everyone will not believe as I do, but I invite you to let me know how you feel on issues.  Please do not get insulting and derogatory, but make legitimate arguments if you disagree.  Hope to hear from you.
 The blog address is called Return America to it's Roots and the address is returnamericatoitsroots.blogspot.com

Previous Post

On the below post I added a brief overview of the Antideficiency Act and will try to get more information for you.  The document consists of over 700 pages, so I will try to figure out how to post it on here. 

As always please let me know how you feel.

Antideficiency Act

Antideficiency Act Background

The Antideficiency Act prohibits federal employees from

• making or authorizing an expenditure from, or creating or authorizing an obligation under, any appropriation or fund in excess of the amount available in the appropriation or fund unless authorized by law. 31 U.S.C. § 1341(a)(1)(A).
• involving the government in any obligation to pay money before funds have been appropriated for that purpose, unless otherwise allowed by law. 31 U.S.C. § 1341(a)(1)(B).
• accepting voluntary services for the United States, or employing personal services not authorized by law, except in cases of emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property. 31 U.S.C. § 1342.
• making obligations or expenditures in excess of an apportionment or reapportionment, or in excess of the amount permitted by agency regulations. 31 U.S.C. § 1517(a).

Federal employees who violate the Antideficiency Act are subject to two types of sanctions: administrative and penal. Employees may be subject to appropriate administrative discipline including, when circumstances warrant, suspension from duty without pay or removal from office. In addition, employees may also be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both.

Reporting Requirements

Once it is determined that there has been a violation of 31 U.S.C. §§ 1341(a), 1342, or 1517(a), the agency head "shall report immediately to the President and Congress all relevant facts and a statement of actions taken." 31 U.S.C. §§ 1351, 1517(b). The reports are to be signed by the agency head. The report to the President is to be forwarded through the Director of OMB. In addition, the heads of executive branch agencies and the Mayor of the District of Columbia shall also transmit "[a] copy of each report . . . to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress." 31 U.S.C. §§ 1351, 1517(b), as amended by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Pub. L. No. 108-447, div. G, title II, § 1401, 118 Stat. 2809, 3192 (Dec. 8, 2004).
OMB has issued further instructions on preparing the reports, which may be found in OMB Circular No. A-11, Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget, § 145 (June 21, 2005). The report is to include all pertinent facts and a statement of all actions taken to address and correct the Antideficiency Act violation (such as administrative discipline imposed, referral to the Justice Department where appropriate, and new safeguards imposed). An agency also should include a request for a supplemental or deficiency appropriation when needed.
What if GAO uncovers a violation but the agency thinks GAO is wrong? The agency must still make the required reports, and must include an explanation of its disagreement.

Additional Information

For more information on the Antideficiency Act purpose, history, and requirements see Chapter 6, Availability of Appropriations: Amount

Principles of Federal Appropriations Law: Third Edition, Volume II

GAO-06-382SP, February 1, 2006

Additional Letters

As promised I have posted the note I wrote to my Congressman.  I have plans to write him another letter and one to the President as well.  Feel welcome to leave any comments about how you feel, it will give me a better idea of how people feel, so I can let them know what the perceptions of REAL people are.  When I get them written I will try to get them posted as well.

Letter to Congressman Lucas of Oklahoma

                                                                                                                                                  8/28/13

Congressman Lucas,

                This is the first time I have written a letter to one of my elected officials and I am writing you this letter today in the hopes I can relay my concerns and fears to you on where I see this great nation heading.  I also hope that this letter does not fall on deaf ears or a cold heart, but it spurs you and the rest of Congress…..No the entire Government to do what is right, just, and true for this great nation and its people.

                As an American citizen I am disappointed in the actions of the government.  We are trillions of dollars in debt and we have pledged millions of dollars in foreign aid to other countries, $250,000,000 to Egypt is the one that currently comes to mind.  I am not opposed to helping people in need, but we need to correct our own situation first and help the people here at home.  There are people here at home that need help and are unable to get it.  Our Government cannot even develop a budget.  This is a disgrace to the American people that our Government is supposed to represent.

                The US Government is supposed to REPRESENT the citizens of this nation, but that has not been the case.  It seems the members of the US government are interested in furthering their own agendas or DICTATING to the citizenship on what they should or should not do, that is not representation that is dictatorship.  The Government officials were elected into office to REPRESENT, not DICTATE to, the people.

                Take Obama Care for example.  When it was first introduced, numerous polls showed that the American people were opposed to it and it was put into effect anyway. This is not the actions of a responsible Government that Represents the People.

                The majority of the families in this country struggle to make ends meet.  Numerous families are on welfare or receive food stamps.  Some should not need to be on those programs and some families that need the help are not accepted, WHY?  Look at our Military and First Responders and their families.  Most of the families I know or have talked to struggle to make ends meet and a lot of them are on food stamps and some cannot get the help even though they need it.  I have read statistics through the years, where a good number of military and first responder families are in the poverty level.  These men and woman put their lives on the line every day.  The military members receive no kind of pension or health benefits when they leave service.  But our elected officials receive full benefits and retirement when they leave office, even if they only served for two years.

                When a solution to a problem can’t be reached all that is heard is that the Republicans or the Democrats are to blame.  WHEN did we become the UNITED  STATES of REPUBLICANS or DEMOCRATS?  I thought we were the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, so become the AMERICANS you are supposed to be and start making decisions that are best for the citizens of this country and decisions that benefit this great country.

                This country was founded by men and women of many different backgrounds and beliefs.  They had a dream of a better life for themselves and their families.  They were able to put aside their differences to form a nation that was “For the People”.  They did not think only of themselves, but of the people of the nation they were building and they formed a strong nation that many people wanted to come to.  The Government was formed “Of the people, by the people, and for the people.”  So put aside your petty differences and become the Americans you are supposed to be.  Become the leaders the people of this nation expected you to be when you were elected “By the People” to office.  Stop putting your owns self-interests first and put the concerns and welfare of this nation and its people first and put God first and foremost in every decision you make, as that was what this country was truly founded on.

                Items that need to take precedence are the deficit, the budget, and the economy.  It is difficult to correct any of the above areas when we are giving financial aid to other countries and we can’t even balance our own budget.  A way to correct the deficit is to reduce government spending.  I know that has been said by many people on numerous occasions, but it need to be done. 

                To simulate the economy you need to give the people more of the money they have earned.  With the cost of the basic essentials, it makes it difficult for a family to just make ends meet.  One way this can be done is by lowering taxes.  If government spending is cut then that eliminates the need for additional taxes.  The government needs to learn to live within its means just as any person or family needs to.

                A way to help balance the budget and also help cut into the deficit is to reduce the pay of the Executive branch, Congress, the Senate, and the House by at least 50%.  I know this will not be popular with the elected officials, but look at the numbers.  Members of Congress minimum salary is roughly four times what the average American family makes and the Executive branch  is even more.  Also eliminate the automatic pension that each office receives when they leave office.  No other job or career has that type of benefit.  It should be based on amount of time served.  Eliminate or reduce the health care package that is received after service.  Eliminate the ability to vote for your own raises.  There is no other position known that can do that.

                The American people are getting tired of the way the Government is running this country and the way they are running it into the ground.  Eventually the American people will get fed up and demand a change.  The tighter to try to squeeze the more respect will slip through your fingers.

                I was once told, “If someone has the wrong perception of you, then you need to change the perception.”  Right now the perception is that the US Government is not concerned about its people, only themselves.  Whether this perception is right or wrong is not for me to say, but it is up to each member of the government to change to perception.  The American people are tired of the lies that we have been told and are starting to see through those lies.  The Government needs to wake up and see that the people of this nation are tired of what is going on and want a change.  WE challenge YOU to step up and start the change for the better.

                I have recently read that the Government is planning to lay off 6000 civilian employees.  Why would the Government do this?  Why are you starting at the bottom trying to cut expenses, when that is where the least amount of money is at?  Why not start at the top and work down.  Start with the contractors.  There are a lot of areas to start than at the bottom where the everyday working person is at.

                “Look inwards for what is right and not outwards!”