Steve Hoffacker's Sales Quips

Congress doesn't learn very quickly. They apparently haven't noticed that the American public is fed-up with their spending spree.

Next week, they get to try to spend even more money that we don't have on yet another program we don't need. Even more to the point, we don't need them.

There is still unspent over $500 billion of the $787 billion stimulus bill (roughly two-thirds) that just had to get passed or we would suddenly fall into a financial collapse. Well that may happen anyway - but as a result of the stimulus bill rather than the possible lack of it.

Next week the Democrats will consider Stimulus II, but they know that Stimulus I was such a resounding success (like the nearly $400,000 of it that was spent for a group of Georgia teachers to take a vacation in California)this week) that they have labeled this one a "Jobs Bill." Taking their lead from the President, they erroneously believe that spending money will create jobs. As I have said many times, they government can add people to the payroll, but they can't create jobs - not revenue producing jobs.

Worse than that, they think that we think that their methods will produce jobs and that we will reward their largese with another term in November.

We just need to keep the Congress arguing among themselves for a couple more months, and then will will get out of this term with no more damage.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

Recently, the American taxpayer got stiffed for a huge junket by Members of Congress and the Administration for their unrequired and unnecessary attendance at the climate change confab. It produced nothing. There is no crisis, there is no manmade climate change that can be substantiated, and the entire premise of the meeting was faulty.

Nevertheless, Nancy Pelosi, several other Members of Congress (from both parties), their staffs, the President, the Secretary of State, some 60 Administration staffers, and employees from the State Department and EPA - some 165 in all - attended this grand affair and apparently were charged the 6-night minimum at the 5-star Marriott hotel regardless of their length of stay. Airfare totaled over $1.1 million.

Hasn't anyone in the government heard of expedia, priceline or cheaptickets.com? A 5-star hotel? Really?

First, no one from this country should have even attended the event for three very simple reasons: (1) global warming climate change at the hand of man is not a fact so staging a UN conference to discuss something that doesn't exist is just silly, (2) no one expected any enforceable treaty would emerge from this event anyway - again making it unnecessary, and (3) we couldn't afford to send anyone - the real biggie.

Second, since these three simple concepts were ignored, anyone on the public payroll, who did not receive prior approval from us, the taxpayers, to attend should be required to repay every dime and not be allowed to take any international trips for at least 12 months.

Third, a citizens' council (we'll figure out the details of how it works later) should be formed to evaluate written travel requests by members of Congress and the Administration - and accept or deny them - based on the following criteria: (1) it must be in the budget of that department, (2) it must have a compelling economic or security benefit to the United States as explained in writing, (3) the lowest airfare and hotel rate will be determined for that city and this is all that will be allowed, (4) only the standard IRS per diem for meals will be allowed, (5) excepting the President acting as the Head of State, the reason for more than one person going as an official representative of our government must be explained and documented in writing, and (6) all spouses, assistants, and staffers will travel at their own expense unless paid for personally by their spouse or immediate supervisor.

As I recall, it was "Join the Navy and see the world" and not "get elected or work in Washington and see the world at our expense."

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

The "health care reform" bill which is an oxymoron in itself has an even worse official moniker. The health care bill that was originated and passed by the house retained the same number when it went to the Senate, Thus, H.R. 3590, the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" was approved without a single Republican vote in favor.

This is reform? This is bipartisanship? This is necessary? No, to all of the above.

Don't you love the cute marketing name they gave the bill - "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act"?

Tell me, which patients does it protect? The terminally ill? The elderly with degenerative conditions? Those on Medicare who will see their benefits and services cut? Unborn babies? Illegal aliens?

How about the affordable part. It has so many tax increases in it that I'm not sure they even know how much this will cost us. Then there is the creation of a whole new bureaucracy and provider network if the government option is included. Don't forget the increased cost to cover the people who still aren't included as well as the young people who are required to enroll but won't.

Then there is the increased cost due to inevitable reduction in research and development of new drugs and the unknown costs associated with waiting longer for treatment.

If Congress really wanted to be honest with the American people (which clearly they don't), they should have labeled this bill something like "The Tax Us Out Of Existence Act" or "The Give Government Control Over All Aspects Of Our Lives Act" or "The Throw The Constitution Out The Window Act."

What's that? You say it would never pass if it had a more honest name. Good. That's the way it should be.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2010. All Rights Reserved.

So, how did you like your Christmas present from Washington? Didn't get one? Look again.

Everyone got a lump of coal this morning at 7:00.

This health care "reform" bill was so special that it couldn't be worked on or discussed when we were around to watch so it was done outside of normal business hours or behind closed doors.

Nevertheless, it met the arbitrary and capricious deadline imposed by Obama, Reid, and Pelosi. We have a House passed version and now a Senate passed version - and that may become the final version. It remains to be seen.

Regardless, over 60% of the country did not want this, but that same percentage voted for it in the Senate.

Consider where we have come. Many organizations vowed that they couldn't support this bill, including labor unions and AARP - until their support was bought with promises. Many Senators (Lieberman, Nelson, Webb, Landreau, and others) felt they couldn't support this either until a lot of pork came their way.

Remember the unusual Sunday sessions, the trip to the White House with the chosen 60, the closed door meetings at the Capitol and the White House with the President, the exclusion of the Republicans from all such "strategy" sessions, the vote to move to final passage at 1:00 am on Monday morning in the midst of a two-foot snow storm, and then today's promised 8:00 am vote that was moved up to 7:00? By the way, the Senators are usually on their Christmas vacation, but this vote was so urgent that it had to happen now - the first time  in some 50 years that a vote has been taken on Christmas Eve.

Business as we know it will suffer. Our taxes will increase, what we have to do to provide insurance will be mandated. The regulations will start flying as fast as the printing presses can spit them out.

Free choice - a cornerstone of America - is no more  - at least not for health care insurance. The government now says you will have it - like it or not. Don't worry that's it's unconstitutional. No one at the national level is concerned.

So, let's all enjoy our coal - but we can't burn it - emissions, you know.

Let's send our Members of Congress some cardboard boxes. They can begin packing up their offices now instead of waiting until November.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Today, will be historic either way.

Speaker Pelosi is planning a vote on the health care bill in the House. This is an unusual Saturday session, but unusual measures call for unusual measures. How often is it that a few elected elitists attempt to change the basic fiber of America - and may actually get away with it (for now)?

Let's see, Pelosi is for its passage, Obama is for it, Hoyer and most of the other leading Democrats are for it, the AMA is for it (for now), the unions are for it, the AARP is for it. On the surface, this looks impressive.

The flip side is that none of the House Republicans are for it and aren't expected to cast a single vote for it. Also, the majority of Americans are against it.

In summary, Big Government and Big Unions want it. The average citizen does not want it. Result, we may get it anyway because we really don't know what's good for us.

Of course, it could fail to pass. That would really be historic and worthy of a celebration.

Never forget that the 2010 election season has begun. I expect to see many new faces a year from now. In fact, I'm counting on it.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

A few things in the news today are real head-scratchers. Here are three.

A person can be convicted of a crime for lying to the White House, yet the White House systematically lies to us, midleads, spins, and advances its own agenda. Why the double standard? And why the inanimate "White House" rather a specific person?

In the recent "Cash for Clunkers" program - which was disasyerous in so many ways - the most common vehicle traded-in was the Ford F-150, and the people trading those trucks in were just upgrading and purchasing a new F-150. That certainly helped the economy. Ford was doing OK anyway.

Rep. John Larsen (Democrat from Connecticut and the 4th ranking member in the House) was interviewed on TV  about the Health Care bill. He mentioned several concepts that he considers important in the bill, yet every single one that he raised is directly contradicted by the language in the bill. Nevertheless, he promises passage of the bill this weekend. Maybe he should actually read the bill, but there's probably not time before the vote tomorrow night or Saturday.

Oh, add a 4th. The President actually was consulted for his approval to allow a special Saturday session of Congress to vote on his bill. You mean the House members might have to work on Saturday? By the way, what ever happened to separation of powers?

Americans, Active Rainers, entrepreneurs, patriots, it's time we all question inconsistencies and excesses like this and put a stop to it. We deserve better.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Nancy Pelosi unveiled her party's "solution" to health care reform this morning. She is taking great pride in producing this tome - a whopping 2,000 pages. On the surface this is ludicrous and just plain unplausible - regardless of its contents.

At any rate. the Democrats - apparently without allowing any Republican input - crafted this weighty document, and it includes the government option just as Pelosi promised it would.

She boasts that they listened to the American people in drafting this - laughable, if but for that one inclusion alone.

No, Ms. Pelosi, you should not be proud, You should be ashamed at the misuse of power. The Constitution does not give the Congress the power to demand that people subscribe to health care, that you offer it, or even that you consider such a concept. Then you have the fiscal irresponsibilty to propose such a bill.

I'm outraged, and I'm ashamed for you.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

If you've been following the news or reading my posts the past few days, you're aware of the intent to purchase 8 jet for Congress for $550 million.

Well, there has been a pull-back but not as far as it seems.

First, Americans are outraged at the very idea of Congress getting these types of perks - corporate jets to fly them all over the world - let alone the idea of buying 8 more - regardless of whether they are newer, supposedly more efficient, or whatever.

Second, the Pentagon originally requested 4 new planes at a cost of $220 million.

Third, the House - never one to overlook a good thing - quietly (at first, until we got wind of it) doubled the request to 8. Guess they thought no one would notice, and after all, they are entitled to such luxury.

Fourth, the Pentagon has repeatedly insisted that they didn't request and don't want the extra 4 planes.

Fifth, today John Murtha, Chair or the Housing Defense Spending Committee, said that he thinks the planes are a great idea but that if the Pentagon doesn't want them, they will take the expenditure out of the bill.

Conclusion, Congress is still buying 4 planes at a cost of $220 million. The Pentagon will "own" them but they mostly are for Congressional use.

Did you catch that? It sounded like they were scraping the whole idea of buying more planes. No, just the ones that weren't requested.

Congress still wins, and we lose.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.

One thing you can count on from government - an over-reaction. And this usually leads to more, unnecessary regulation, legislation, bureaucracy, and expense.

Now the target is texting while driving.

OK, it's a dangerous practice - but so is drinking coffee, turning around to talk to the kids in the back seat, looking to the person in the passenger seat as we are having a conversation, changing the channel on the radio, adjusting the heat or air conditioning, changing the CD, eating a sandwich, looking for change for the toll booth, shaving, putting on makeup, trying to swat a bee that flew into the car, singing along to our favorite song, talking on the cell phone, looking for directions, thinking about our next appointment, or similar activites that take our total focus off of our driving.

Now the White House wants to convene a commission to study what laws can be enacted to address the issue of texting.

First, it's not that simple. Second, it's not a federal issue. Third, you can't legislate for every human eventuality that occurs inside the vehicle.

Give it a rest and just go on recess, Washington.

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For more information on my coaching and educational programs and services, visit my website stevehoffacker.com or go to my other blog homesalesinsights.com for additional sales tips, insights, and commentary. You can also listen to my free podcast messages at Steve Hoffacker's Happenings.

© Steve Hoffacker, 2009. All Rights Reserved.