Cartoon View on Illegal Immigration

An interesting view on illegal immigration from a cartoon found on slate.com.  We hope that comics like these can start a debate on what we want from immigration policy.  Sure we want to secure borders and protect American jobs, but many immigrants represent what the spirit of America means.  They to want to live the American dream.  They are also good people.  

Debt Ceiling Political Shenanigans Are Ridiculous

It is time for the politicians to stop trying to gain leverage over each other politically and form a lasting deal that will save this country from financial ruin.  A deal that could help in the long run and not hurt as much in the short turn could look like this:

*Cuts to Entitlements--Entitlements are a severe drain on the budget.  They will soon become unaffordable.  A reasonable deal to limit the cost of these programs is necessary.  The Ryan plan may be unreasonable, but it does bring up the issue that we need to change what is broken.  We cannot afford to spend loads of money on entitlements down the road.

*Cuts to Defense--We spend WAY too much money on foreign wars, foreign bases, and expensive military technology.  We're not saying get rid of all of this, but surely some dough could be had from limiting foreign involvement and doing without a few new ships, tanks, or joint strike fighters.  These projects do bring money to several special congressmen's districts, so it may be hard, but limiting the expenditures of the state will surely help us down the road

*Cuts to make government more efficient--Lots of businesses are saving money simply by the way they operate.  The government could take a lesson from SOME private sector companies (HINT: NOT BANKS) in order to lower operation costs of some departments.  Trimming some here and some there may not seem like much, but applied to the whole government, one can have real and significant change.  People might not like it, but hey, we've got to trip money, and that's one way to do it.  Trim from the first and second bullets first though.

*Increase in revenue--Notice we didn't say "increase in taxes".  While others debate of what the exact meaning of not raising taxes is, there is no denying this: the governmental needs money.  In order to temper what will likely be harsh cuts, revenue must come to the government.  Taxes are how the government gets its money.  So, in order to ensure the severity does not fall to America's industrious middle class, who are fighting for their lives in the recession, we must turn to those who can stomach it, the rich.  We have tried trickle down economics, and it has not worked.  We need a strong middle class in America, so they shouldn't have to bear the burden of the recession and debt. Another note:  if the rich are taxed more, they're still rich, just as if the middle class are taxed less, they are also still in the middle class.


There are doubtless other ideas at how we can cut, trim, increase, decrease, or whatnot.  If we come up with any more, we'll definitely post them.  Feel free to tell us your own opinions.  We shouldn't throw out ideas just because of where they come from.  The citizens of this country must have their voice too.

Auxilia Party Now On Google+

The Auxilia Party is now on Google+.  You can follow our updates here: https://plus.google.com/101424940641010996189/posts

We'll keep you posted on any developments in our organization.  We will continue to post on this blog and try to link between or social networking sites.

Congressmen Must Take The Lead

Congressmen have to realize that the time for partisanship is over.  In the endless debates in congress over the payroll tax, the debt ceiling, and the budget, politicians seldom realize that it is the American people that lose because of the inaction.  Politicians are even greater procrastinators than students shoving off a huge project to the last night before it is due.  Congress chronically cannot come up with a deal until the 11th hour, and even then, the deal is a weak mix of ideas designed solely to get a jumble of votes pass.  Congress hasn't formed strong. well rounded compromises that will last beyond the election cycle.

Debt Must Be Decreased

The government has to stop kicking the can down the road with America's debt problem.

For years, Congress has been content to push this problem aside, not coming to a consensus on what to do.  Right now, Democrats and Republicans remain fiercely divided on what to do.

In order to form a lasting solution, though, both sides must come together and from a deal that will benefit the entire country.  We need strong reform to entitlements, some of which might hurt.  It will hurt a lot less now than 4 years down the road though.  Spending cuts besides entitlements have to be part of the picture.  The government spends a lot of money of programs that it does not need.  For example, we don't need more government programs to do a whole bunch of jobs.  We just need the existing ones to be more effective.  In addition, increased revenue has to be part of the picture.  Eliminating tax breaks for the richest Americans, those who can afford it, is necessary.  Taxes are necessary for government to function.  It's not redistributing the wealth, the rich are still rich.  But these solutions could go a long way to fix our crisis.  It's time Congress realized they have to do what's best for their country, not what's best for their jobs.

Treatise on Open Government

It is the duty of any government to provide the means to its inhabitants an ability to follow and understand what the government is doing.  In our nation, the system of checks and balances keep either the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches from attaining to much authority.  The people, however, are the final check on a government.  They give the consent to govern.  It is from them that the government gets its authority and legitimacy.  As a result, the government has an obligation to do what the people wish and make it evident that they are doing so.  The government must always be held accountable to the people, so the government should provide as much information as necessary to let the people know what is going on.

Admitting One is Wrong: A Necessary Evil

There has been many a time, especially recently, where another politician stands at a podium, denying that they had any part in unsuitable behavior.  They nearly always turn out to be lying.  It seems to us, as it may seem to many people, that if we all just admitted we were wrong at first, then there would be far fewer problems.

Except people have a lot of trouble admitting they were wrong, stupid, or unreasonable in their actions.  They will maintain, if only publicly, that they were always in the right, and twist their story into knots in order to portray themselves as the sane, rational, glorious beings that they most definitely are not.

The truth is, we all make mistakes.  We're human.  Some of us make dumber mistakes than others.  No matter. What really matters is how we cope with mistakes.  As wise people once said or wrote, there are no mistakes, only lessons.  And a lesson is repeated until it is learned.

We must all learn our lessons, and in order to do so it is better to admit wrongdoing rather than lie to our friends, colleagues, constituents, family, and ourselves.  People who tell the truth and can admit they were wrong and attempt with all their effort to make things right gain the support of those around them far more than those who go along as if they were right all the time.

If we are to truly do the right thing for our reputations, work, country, family, and ourselves, we should tell the truth, and not be afraid to say, well, we were wrong.    

Debt Ceiling Vote

We agree with many that comprehensive budget reform must be made before increasing the debt ceiling.  This, however, must be done swiftly in order to avoid breakdown.  We need a comprehensive plan to stop the wasteful spending.

There are some areas where the government should invest in, but we must invest the money wisely.  The government must have a sense of accountability to the people, because it is their money that government is spending.  We need to make programs more efficient and evaluate each and every aspect of our government to see if we can cut costs.  We should aim not to leach the government dry, but to ensure that we can do an effective job managing the nation on a budget, without going into debt.

Memorial Day Thoughts

On this Memorial day, 2011, we must all take time to remeber those who have devoted their lives to the service of this country.  We are indebted to these men and women who have at times given their lives so our lives could be better.

As we are asking these people to give an ultimate sacrifice, we should treat veterans and current soldiers with respect.  Their lives are difficult.  No matter how difficult our lives are now, most do not have to go through them with the fear of death or capture.  No, these fears have been thrust upon our soldiers and we must honor them for this sacrifice.

With this in mind, we must also be mindful of how we deploy and use our armed forces.  We should not put good, brave people out into harm's way unless it is absolutely necessary.  Our armed forces are powerful, but we must also realize the stress put on soldiers and their families is significant, and should not be aggravated thorugh unnecessary conflict.

So during this Memorial day, take time to hope for peace, and honor those who have worked so that our nation could be a better place.

Politicians Must Stand Up For What They Believe In

It's time some politicians got a spine.

There are many issues being discussed, and there are many people with excellent ideas about how to fix or improve our nation.  When candidates run for president or another office, however, their views somehow shift to conform rigidly to party lines, sacrificing their individuality and independence as a result.

These are the people who have brought up interesting points and have been credited for working with others, regardless of who their party is.  While this practice can get much more done than partisan bickering, many politicians resort to the safety of adherence to party lines.

Elected officials: do not sacrifice your beliefs just to get elected.  We need people to take the lead and be an independent mind in government.  We all know what the major parties think.  The people want to hear what each individual person can bring to the table.  With independence in our politicians, we can hope to fix our problems in a more timely fashion and make our country even better.