Buying a new vehicle? You have been blinded.

There comes a time in every person's life when you must purchase some kind of transportation.

I've heard my whole life how the least-stressful route is buying new.  The mentality of this country is one of 'Keeping up with the Jones'.  People gotta have the latest and greatest things.  People ignore the bad, and embrace the good reasons to get something new.  Besides, new comes with a warranty, right?  And nobody likes underhanded used car salesman.  But does it benefit you to buy an older vehicle?

For whatever reasons, most manufacturers re-design their vehicles every few years.  The newest technology goes into them, sometimes the newest kind of problems come out.  They are also the quickest to inflate over the years.  Obviously used cars do not inflate at the same rate.

From an inflation perspective, lets look at prices...  As an example, we'll use the vehicle with the most all-time sales, the Ford F-150.

In 2000 you could get a base model new F-150 for $15,520 MSRP.  Assuming 8% interest, it amounts to 60 payments of $314.xx dollars a month.

Today, a base model 2012 Ford F-150 has an MSRP of $22,900.  The payment? $464.xx dollars a month.  Inflation sucks.

Keep in mind, the above prices are for a completely base model.  They are called "strippers" in the business.  Everyone knows dealers don't stand to make as much selling base model vehicles, and most people do not even consider the base model. Very few are ordered by dealers.

Most F-150 buyers will buy the 'XLT' model or higher.  The current MSRP of the XLT model is $27,690.  That's still with a regular cab V6 and limited options. The payment is now north of $560.00 a month, and that's with good credit!

From a depreciation stand-point, it's what kills you on a new vehicle (besides the price).  Lets say an upper middle-class family buys a new Escalade every 4 years.  New, they cost $63,170.  In four years you're looking at probably $40ish grand if you're lucky.  Trading it in probably $35,000 at most.  That means operating the Escalade for 4 years will cost you $28,000 dollars or more in just payments and depreciation.  That means in 12 years, the family is burning through $84,000 dollars.  Is driving the latest and greatest really worth that much to you?  Even if they kept the first one, and drove it into the ground, they're still out over $60,000.  That's a modest house, or a full ride at a darn fine university.  As much as this example family are screwing themselves, they're screwing and teaching their kids worse.

Lets clear up another myth, not all vehicle owners are created equal.  Some drive their vehicles hard, with a majority of city mileage over the life of the vehicle.  Others, will pamper their vehicle, driving it only on the highway or farm-to-market roads once or twice a week.  With a trained eye, you can tell the difference.  You can also notice a garage-kept vehicle vs. a slightly sun-damaged one that has been outside its whole life.  If the paint looks too good for its age, check underneath for overspray.  There's almost always some if the vehicle has been re-painted.  Whether it's on the spare, frame, or suspension there will almost always be some.  Also, the condition of fluids and any maintenance records can help you estimate Vitality.

Vitality is based on on-time maintenance, and how far and hard it was driven.  You better believe age does not remove half the vitality that mileage does.  So it might be a few years old... big deal.  If it's been sitting in a garage and has low mileage, who cares?  I'll give you a perfect example.

Example #1:

A 2005 F-150 with 28k miles or a 2010 F-150 with 60k miles...

Assuming the 05 was taken care of and maintained, not only will it cost less, but parts will cost less and there is more vitality left in the vehicle.  In this example, the condition of the 2010 isn't even relevant.  Let some sucker buy it for way too much because he's told it's "almost new" and believes it.

Example #2:

What you see there is a 1997 Dodge 1500 Extended Cab V8.  Power everything.  It sat in a garage when not being driven by its senior-citizen owner.  Mileage? 54,000.  That's about 2,000 miles a year.  The asking price was $6,987 dollars.  Payment comes out to $141.xx.  In perspective, for roughly 1 year of payments on a new XLT F-150, you could own this truck free and clear.


Driving the example Ram another 100,000 miles will cost roughly 50% in depreciation.  Not considering inflation, you're only going to be out $3,000 dollars.  With inflation, probably less.  As long as repairs total less than $21,000, You're in the black.


Anyone who tells you that you can't get a decent used car or truck for $10,000 is blatantly lying to you.  The truth is most families will not be buying a new Escalade every 4 years, but many will buy new vehicles every 6 or 7.  The key to retaining wealth and vehicle value is buying one that has taken the depreciation hit, but not the mileage or the vitality hit.

I'm not an ego-maniac or a used car salesman... I just think one of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is being honest with yourself.  Ditch what doesn't truly serve you.

Living within our means not only helps us, but other people and future generations as well.  Hard-earned cash can be invested in feasible and positive things, and not guaranteed financial failures every time.

Our economy does not re-new itself through 'the government'.  It renews itself through private citizens.  When private citizens stop throwing money in a hole and burning it, good things have a chance to happen.

Oh, and don't buy a vehicle from somewhere that won't negotiate...  That's just un-American.

A Deadly Agenda

Think about the America previous generations lived in.  What was the most controversial government fiasco?

Think about Watergate. More specifically, think about the mentality surrounding it.  It might have well as been the shot heard round the world.  Newspaper headlines, complete hours of news programming dedicated to the coverage of it.  Everyone knew about it, everyone cared. A slightly corrupt government today became a multi-headed hydra of corruption tomorrow.  They knew the slippery slope of politics.

Now, this year, information has come to light that states in 2009 our government spent $24 million dollars of taxpayer money allowing the sale of hundreds if not thousands of assault weapons. They let mexican drug cartel straw-buyers purchase assault rifles with the known intent of them being funneled (or tunneled) to mexico.  Yeah, the same ATF that is now trying to keep constitutionally guaranteed weapons out of the hands of medical marijuana patients.

In 2009 a very confident Eric 'I should be in jail' Holder stated, many of the cartel's weapons were sourced here in the U.S.  Why was he so confident?  You see, he authorized the purchases.  Anyone who thinks otherwise has not been in government.  A federal agency does not allow the sale of weapons to known cartels without the OK from the top.  A federal agency doesn't do anything unless they think it benefits them somehow.  Of course Obama knew, but that is all but un-provable.

So now, those weapons have already been traced to two federal agents deaths.  Where is the outrage? Where are the newspaper and tabloid headlines?  Nowhere besides Fox News.  Really, ask yourself why.

I want to you honestly think about this.  You, a lawful citizen of the USA bought hundreds of rifles, and sold them to mexican drug cartel personnel.  Some of those weapons were traced (to you) and then to the deaths of an ICE agent, and a CBP agent.  What do you really think would happen to you?  I know.  A perp walk, followed by a jail cell for the rest of your life.

On the flip-side of the coin, has anyone in the ATF or DOJ even resigned over this? We are faced with a government that now does as it pleases, with absolutely no repercussions. No checks and balances.  The people no longer control our government.  Misconduct is swept under the mat with a lateral transfer to somewhere else in the government.  Not exactly justice for the two dead federal law enforcement officers.

No-knock raids, wire-tapping without warrants, GPS tracking without warrants... the list goes on and on.  Our founding fathers would be more than pissed.  They would be rounding up one hell of a protest, and pointing it right at Washington.  But now, what is the result of all this un-constitutional  behavior?  Nothing.  A few hearings where the most common theme was deny-deny-deny.  I've only seen one news outlet even covering the fiasco.  Maybe it's out of an agenda, maybe it's out of FEAR. When the free press fears its out-of-control masters, we are all faced with a big problem.

What will our un-elected bureaucratic masters attempt tomorrow to further their political agendas?  Will you, or someone you love be the collateral damage of it?

Before you say it can't happen, two border agents are dead by the government's own doing.  Marine veteran Jose Guerena survived two tours of combat overseas only to be shot 71 times in his own home.  What was his crime?  Nothing at all.  Houses in proximity to his were involved in illegal activity and the government ASSumed he was too.  The raid team threw flashbangs first, which by definition blind and deafen.  So a partially blind and deaf Jose Guerena woke up to a home invasion, and grabbed his rifle.  He took a defensive position to try to figure out what was happening.  He never fired a shot, but was shot 71 times in his own home defending his family.  No outrage, little to no media coverage.

No push-back today equals even more deaths of law-abiding citizens tomorrow.  What will America look like for your children? The assault on the constitution and our freedoms continues...

Eroding Our Constitution

Is it just me, or lately have people forgotten what our country originally stood for? How about what it didn't stand for?

Here's an example of what I mean...

Quiz yourself on these four things.  Afterward, pick a friend or family member and quiz them.  By all means, quiz your children...

The following are Articles.  Pick which is from the Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, or the Constitution. It is possible more than one is from the same source.

1)  Article 41. Citizens have the right to rest and leisure. This right is ensured by the establishment of a working week not exceeding 41 hours.

2) Article 21. The state concerns itself with improving working conditions, safety, and labor protection.

3) Article 43. Citizens have the right to maintenance in old age, and in the event of complete or partial disability, or loss of the breadwinner.

4) Article 25. There is a system of public education, which is being constantly improved, that provides general education for citizens, and serves the educational and intellectual and physical development of the youth.

So the title of the post is 'Eroding Our Constitution'. Recently, it sure seems parts of our history are being erased.

I'm under 30 years old. After watching episodes of the Glenn Beck program I was amazed at how much of our Country's history I was not taught. The philosophy that existed between our founders went unmentioned during my public schooling.

Public schools are teaching kids the US was based on freedom. Period. That's it. Not how... not why... or more importantly -- the alternative. A country where everything the government does is planned. A country where no crisis goes to waste. A country where the government has lots and lots of power. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Our founding fathers knew what big government leads to. When government gets bigger, the average joe gets smaller.

Type 'Government' into Bing, the search engine. The first thing that auto-fills is 'Government Jobs'. It takes a lot of searches for something like that to be the first choice. It takes a lot of regulation to make government jobs more attainable than jobs with private companies. It also takes a lot of not mentioning our founding principles for people not to realize in a recession, everyone getting a government job only makes things worse. You have that on one hand, and on the other you have the fed buying its own bonds and refusing to be audited. You don't have to be an accounting major to understand there will be a negative consequence to the sum of it. These socialists are spreading the mentality, and spending money at an alarming rate on purpose. Yes, it is planned, and yes it benefits them in every way.

Even if we were to vote every last socialist puke from our local, state, and federal government (Which would be quite shocking) we would still be left with one hell of an economic nuclear winter. On top of this, regulatory agencies are both growing and dictating at an alarming pace. You don't have to work in the banking industry to understand it, either. Go to a local or state park. Check out the regulations... Down here in the "free" state of Texas, you can't be in my local park after sundown. You can't have a weapon (including knives) on you to defend yourself in the park. Why can't I have my legally permitted, second amendment guaranteed firearm on me? More importantly, on what basis is this regulation even legal? When were we given an opportunity to vote on this? On a national level, why is what the EPA does not legally contested and overturned? It's because people these days do not understand the slippery slope of progressive legislation and regulation. Today it's a little, tomorrow some more, and the day after that even more. As Washington slips more and more under the radar, the Constitution becomes less and less relevant. If people don't stand up and demand something, nothing will ever happen. These liberal democrat socialists know it too. This means you have to get involved. You have to call a spade a spade. If you're able, this means as a patriot, you might have to run for office. We can't just sit here and ignore the unconstitutional legislation and regulation coming out of Washington at a record pace.

I have the answer to the four questions on the quiz... 

Indeed all four are from the same document. Maybe you've read it and knew all along, maybe you didn't.

All four articles are from the 1985 Soviet constitution. The USSR. The Socialist/Communist constitution.


Now ask yourself how many of those articles seem to have taken hold in the USA today? Social security, medicare, unemployment insurance, government run schools???? Why is all that now the government's business? How did we go from a government that left everyone alone, to a government like this? How does the free world resemble the Soviet Constitution?

We're VERY far off track. The first step toward fixing the problem is spreading the word we have a big one.

-Sean™

Obama Entitlement Syndrome

I want you to think back to 2008.  More specifically I want you to think back to the day of the election.

After the polling results were in, a glowing Barack Obama took the stage in Chicago.  The crowd cheered endlessly.  Obama announced that even if you didn't vote for him, he would do whatever possible to be "your" President too.

After his speech, two very distinctive things happened.  I will never forget either one of them.

First, on the national news feed, it cut to a scene of the crowd that had gathered in front of the White House in D.C.  In the sea of campaign and home-made signs, was a large communist flag waiving proudly.  This picture was immediately print screened and posted to internet message boards.  The response from a conservative message board was passive.  Most responses described the scene as 'stupid kids'.  Opinions were that certainly this new President would not, and could not embrace communist policies.  The idea of such was too far fetched for most to accept.

The second thing I'll never forget was a middle aged african-American lady dancing around, proclaiming on national TV that she would no longer have to worry about paying her bills.  She definitely believed that her financial troubles were now over.  The same message board weighed in that she was in for a "rude awakening".  Surely in a Capitalist nation it would not be possible for this to come to pass.

Fast forward a little while...  All of a sudden the federal government owned quite a stake in two very large "US" automakers.  I used quotations because GM  & Chrysler were already heavily invested in foreign countries.  Canada and Mexico housed not only part suppliers, but assembly plants as well.  The government touted the American worker.  The UAW made out the best, while private bond holders quietly got screwed.  What would follow this, was the biggest welfare budget the U.S. had ever doled-out.  A deficit-conscious Obama before the election was now spending taxpayer money like it was going out of style. To Obama, it was a win-win situation.  His people got money for their votes, the national debt and private riches start to inflate away.

Now things were starting to become clear...  We were clearly walking away from 'business as usual'.  This was nearly impossible to deny.  Van Jones spun it as 'Eco Capitalism', but in a capitalist nation this could not and would not happen.

Obama supporters knew this too, so at this point they went all in.  They were no long "tolerant" of their political opponents.  Their true communist colors came shining through.  If you disagreed with them, you are a right-wing extremist.  Other times, you were a racist instead.  This is classic mis-direction.  Basic psychology type stuff.

You see, every liberal democrat had always said they wanted a social safety net. Under the guise of this, they have setup the framework for a socialist utopia right under our noses.  All Obama had to do was rev it up, and rev it up he did.

I want you to ask yourself an honest question: What is easier to get these days... a job for every unemployed worker in your family, or a government check for every unemployed worker in your family?  From this point forward, as long as regulation keeps business choked down, human nature takes care of the rest.  Our founders knew we as a country would be screwed the second that voters could vote for their living.  That is exactly what Obama brought to fruition.

Turns out, the dumb kids "ignorantly" waiving the communist flag, and the lady with the bills were right.  They knew exactly who Barack Obama is, and what he stands for.  To this day conservative candidates and pundits are still afraid of the repercussions of calling Obama a socialist, marxist, or communist.  You see, mis-direction is the only weapon in the administration's arsenal.  They can't deny these things have taken place.  They can only create confusion and counter-speech that counters what Obama's critics accuse.  The more real American patriots stand up and call a lemon what it is, the weaker the Obama spin machine becomes.

Now here's the problem we are faced with... A lose-lose scenario.  Think of this:  What happens if you give a kid a brand new expensive toy... and then take it away?  Had you never introduced the toy, the child would have gone about its business as usual.  However, when the toy gets introduced and then taken away, rage and anger set in very quickly.  That toy has now become their toy.  Who are you to abrupt take it away?  You will pay.

If in 2012 Obama stays in office and continues his march to communism, America loses.  Future generations lose.  Freedom loses.

And if Obama and his policies are voted out of office, I predict we will see riots and backlash the likes of which our nation has never seen.  The entitlement syndrome has already been embedded in many Americans.  When the checks stop, or even get reduced, the rage will set in.  And this time the riots will not only be in the 'hood.  The looting and rioting will be coming to the suburbs... maybe your suburbs.  They won't be over in one day, either.

-Fo Pow