Vrais USA's Blog

How Political Groups Are Leveraging Technology With Mobile Apps

VraisUSA — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:58:54 +0000

How to get Disability Answers. How to choose the best Car. How to invest in mutual funds. Keep in touch with Lady Gaga!

Do any of these have anything in common to you? To me, they’re all different reasons for apps for smartphones (yes, there is an app to keep in touch with Lady Gaga). The smartphone revolution had given ground to the uprising of new and wonderful (and many not so wonderful) apps. With the ubiquitous mobile phone and the relative ease of use for apps (have you ever seen a manual for angry birds?), apps are becoming the de facto distribution for many groups to disseminate information. This holds true especially for political groups.

There are numerous political action groups who have their own apps. These apps typically heavily oriented toward RSS feed sharing and some social media leveraging. However, many political groups have begun using apps for donations, canvassing, candidate information and more.

The 2008 political campaign showed many pundits and citizens alike how useful mobile technology is to mobilize action. SMS messages, push notifications, Social Media integration and more are examples of tools that many respectable apps are hosting. These functions are needed to make the cause, group, or candidate more:

Accessible
Respectable
Mobile

Let’s consider the access. This can go two ways. First, the group/candidate/cause (from here, I will say marketer to catch all of those) can share access outward to the target audiences. In this case, people who elect to download the app to their smartphones. Second, with the right tools in place, users of the app can ‘share back’ with the marketer to provide feedback, strategic information, opinion, polling data and more. This two way dialogue (of sorts) gives new interest to marketers (in campaign efforts) to harness another channel for getting more people involved.

Let’s face it, if you have an app, you’re using “cutting edge” technology. Right? Well, that’s no longer the case. I’ve been writing mobile tools for some time now and I know this isn’t rocket science. I do know it’s not simple enough for just anyone to do. But, if you have an app, many people will immediately acknowledge that you must have any (or many) of the following: 1) Great ideas, 2) Money, 3) Great connections, 4) Great/unlimited technology resources and 5) Great consideration (after all, you’re sharing with others). Whatever the case, if you have an app, you’re going to find yourself far more respected than a marketer without an app.

Mobile is the way to go these days. People are disconnecting and no longer tied to a desk or home computer. They’re moving around and accessing (hey, this goes back to that accessible point, doesn’t it?) the web and the mobile universe from smartphones. Data has to be mobile to be used. An app travels with the phone and the user always has the phone (test it yourself, you will find that you’re seldom away from your cell/mobile phone) nearby. This gives the marketer amazing potential to mobile branding. Imagine, having a billboard in your audiences’ purses, pockets, desks, and more 23 or 24 hours a day!

The technology from hybridization of native coding and HTML and other tools allows for more robust apps helps now more than ever before. This gives the clear advantage to any campaign, cause, or candidate harnessing a mobile app – at least from a technological point of view.

David Pratt is a creative consultant with iDesign Mobile Apps, a smartphone application development company located in Nevada and North Carolina. Smartphone users can take advantage of technology by using smartphone apps which help them improve their lives. Mobile apps and mobile web solutions can be discussed with the experts at http://www.iDesignMobileApps.com.

Take advantage of an Ezine referral special and get a one-hour consultation on ‘Deploying social media and mobile technology’ for your company. Contact iDesign for details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_C_Pratt

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Are Americans Taxed Fairly?

VraisUSA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:43:48 +0000

View This Poll

Are you an Idler? Nanny State promotes Idle Behavior

VraisUSA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:36:30 +0000

As a Conservative American, I tend to believe that the money I earn should mostly still be mine. I work hard and don’t mind paying reasonable taxes. For a quick definition of reasonable, I’d like to suggest that they should be for the needs specified in the Constitution and should not be used for supporting people who can support themselves. If they need support, there should be a quick ‘wean’ process – this way, people do not stay under the care and feeding plans of the government. I will pay taxes and expect to keep most of my income because I work hard. If I did not work at a ‘real’ job, I’d mow lawns, do garden design, write, run errands or something else for revenue. I’m not going to sit on my tail for long – I know I need an income to live with the lifestyle I’ve developed. Plus, I want to improve my station in life.

I see that many people are completely comfortable gaming the system of welfare. I recall the days when I worked in “Winn Dixie” (Grocery in the SE US). I would see people (mostly women) come in with several children in tow. They’d fill a cart with processed foods (not healthy stuff), chips, crackers, cookies, soda and so on. They’d pull out a stack of food stamps (they’ve upgraded the system from the old fashioned stamps since then) and pay for the groceries. Then they’d pull some cash out and buy some smokes (after all, they are affordable now that the food has been purchased by the government dole). As an employee, it was one of my jobs to help people with groceries in the parking lot. Quite a few times, not the majority, but many times – I would push the cart loaded with groceries to a Cadillac with customizations (I would guess that these were paid out of pocket and not by the government’s generosity), or another type of ‘nice’ vehicle. I understand that with a few kids in tow they’d need something that would transport people in safety. I’d unload the groceries into the spacious trunk (oft filled with fast food wrappers and empty soda cans) and glance over at my own beat up VW. I “guess” that the money saved on food by the use of stamps (nanny state handouts) enables them to buy a nicer car than I could afford. I was unafraid of asking questions in those days (still have little fear, just a bit more courtesy now). I’d often ask the folks what they did for a living, where they got the ‘great’ car, and even “Wow, how cool is it to pay for food with food stamps!”? I recall the answers pretty much fell into a pattern: Unemployed and proud of getting food stamps.

I’ve been unemployed a few times and each time, I itch to get to work. I don’t like sitting around. I don’t like being idle. Even when I lost a job in high tech through layoffs, I made myself busy by installing a rather complex irrigation system for my landscaping at my new house. I was lucky I was able to borrow some money needed to pay for mortgage once near the end of my unemployment period. Otherwise, I’d have likely needed to sell and get an apartment. Nonetheless, I work hard. I have had tough times but I manage to muster through and life teaches me things. I try to look through the lens of another person’s life and still find problems with sitting idle and continuing to take money from the government for not working.

Lincoln wrote a letter, years back, that made a lot of sense to me when I read it. I’d like to share it to help underscore my concern: Maybe more people should be taught to fish rather than given a fish. And, if they can fish, they should fish and not get free fish from the government for not fishing.

From a letter:

Abraham Lincoln letter to John Johnston, 24 December 1848

Dear Johnston:–

Your request for eighty dollars, I do not think it best to comply with now. At the various times when I have helped you a little, you have said to me, “We can get along very well now,” but in a very short time I find you in the same difficulty again. Now this can only happen by some defect in your conduct. What that defect is, I think I know. You are not lazy, and still you are an idler. I doubt whether since I saw you, you have done a good whole day’s work, in any one day. You do not very much dislike to work, and still you do not work much, merely because it does not seem to you that you could get much for it. This habit of uselessly wasting time, is the whole difficulty; and it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you should break this habit. It is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can keep out of an idle habit before they are in it easier than they can get out after they are in.

You are now in need of some ready money; and what I propose is, that you shall go to work, “tooth and nail,” for somebody who will give you money for it. Let father and your boys take charge of things at home — prepare for a crop, and make the crop; and you go to work for the best money wages, or in discharge of any debt you owe, that you can get. And to secure you a fair reward for your labor, I now promise you that for every dollar you will, between this and the first of next May, get for your own labor either in money or in your own indebtedness, I will then give you one other dollar. By this, if you hire yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you will get ten more, making twenty dollars a month for your work. In this, I do not mean you shall go off to St. Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in California, but I mean for you to go at it for the best wages you can get close to home, in Coles County. Now if you will do this, you will soon be out of debt, and what is better, you will have a habit that will keep you from getting in debt again. But if I should now clear you out, next year you will be just as deep in as ever. You say you would almost give your place in Heaven for $70 or $80. Then you value your place in Heaven very cheaply, for I am sure you can with the offer I make you get the seventy or eighty dollars for four or five months work. You say if I furnish you the money you will deed me the land, and if you don’t pay the money back, you will deliver possession — Nonsense! If you can’t now live with the land, how will you then live without it? You have always been kind to me, and I do not now mean to be unkind to you. On the contrary, if you will but follow my advice, you will find it worth more than eight times eighty dollars to you.

Affectionately your brother,

A. LINCOLN.

Author:

Abe Lincoln

Source:: The Project Gutenberg eBook, Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865, by Abraham Lincoln, Edited by Merwin Roe

Remember, we have a Republic in the US – Not a Democracy

VraisUSA — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 20:22:33 +0000

A Conservative/Liberal test

VraisUSA — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:52:35 +0000

I really wish I knew who to credit for this text. I received it in an email and it was a hit. I hope everyone appreciates the sharing.

“A rather gentle explanation of the difference in thinking between people with opposite outlooks.

A young woman was about to finish her first year of college. Like so many others her age, she considered herself to be very liberal, and among other liberal ideals, was very much in favor of higher taxes to support more government programs, in other words redistribution of wealth.

She was deeply ashamed that her father was a rather staunch conservative, a feeling she openly expressed. Based on the lectures that she had participated in, and the occasional chat with a professor, she felt that her father had for years harbored an evil, selfish desire to keep what he thought should be his.

One day she was challenging her father on his opposition to higher taxes on the rich and the need for more government programs.

The self-professed objectivity proclaimed by her professors had to be the truth and she indicated so to her father. He responded by asking how she was doing in school.

Taken aback, she answered rather haughtily that she had a 4.0 GPA, and let him know that it was tough to maintain, insisting that she was taking a very difficult course load and was constantly studying, which left her no time to go out and party like other people she knew. She didn’t even have time for a boyfriend, and didn’t really have many college friends because she spent all her time studying.

Her father listened and then asked, “How is your friend Audrey doing?”

She replied, “Audrey is barely getting by. All she takes are easy classes, she never studies and she barely has a 2.0 GPA. She is so popular on campus; college for her is a blast. She’s always invited to all the parties and lots of times she doesn’t even show up for classes because she’s too hung over.”

Her wise father asked his daughter, “Why don’t you go to the Dean’s office and ask him to deduct 1.0 off your GPA and give it to your friend who only has a 2.0. That way you will both have a 3.0 GPA and certainly that would be a fair and equal distribution of GPA.”

The daughter, visibly shocked by her father’s suggestion, angrily fired back, “That’s a crazy idea, how would that be fair! I’ve worked really hard for my grades! I’ve invested a lot of time, and a lot of hard work! Audrey has done next to nothing toward her degree. She played while I worked my tail off!”

The father slowly smiled, winked and said gently, “Welcome to the conservative side of the fence.”

If you ever wondered what side of the fence you sit on, this is a great test!

If a conservative doesn’t like guns, he doesn’t buy one.
If a liberal doesn’t like guns, he wants all guns outlawed.

If a conservative is a vegetarian, he doesn’t eat meat.
If a liberal is a vegetarian, he wants all meat products banned for everyone.

If a conservative is down-and-out, he thinks about how to better his situation.
A liberal wonders who is going to take care of him.

If a conservative doesn’t like a talk show host, he switches channels.
Liberals demand that those they don’t like be shut down.

If a conservative is a non-believer, he doesn’t go to church.
A liberal non-believer wants any mention of God and Jesus silenced.

If a conservative decides he needs health care, he goes about shopping for it, or may choose a job that provides it.
A liberal demands that the rest of us pay for his.”

Senate and the $35 billion jobs bill

VraisUSA — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:51:42 +0000

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Senate will take up and vote on a $35 billion teachers and first responders jobs bill this week.
“We are going to make sure there is a vote on our bill this week,” Reid said. “To make sure that we do that I’ll protect ourselves by filing cloture tonight unless we work something out and have a vote. “

However, the bill was defeated with bipartisan opposition, with Senator Ben Nelson (D–NE) saying: “I don’t think you increase taxes for new spending,” and Senator Mark Pryor (D–AR) saying: “I’m not sure federal taxpayers should be paying for teachers and first responders. That’s traditionally a state and local matter.”

What does this indicate? Well, for one thing, it appears that some Democrats have actually understood the Constitution, at least in theory. We applaud Sen. Pryor and Sen. Nelson (at least this isn’t a Kickback for him) in their approach to this bill. It’s important for our Senators and Representatives to realize that States are responsible for their own Police forces, teachers and more. There is no reference to educating the people or policing the cities in our Constitution. We have strong local and State governments (for the most part) and we should have faith that they know what to do for their own areas of responsibility.

Also, doesn’t it appear that Msrs. Obama and Biden are continuing their divisive talk? This continues the wonderful “civility” which B. Obama stressed not so long ago.

How Modern Liberals Think

VraisUSA — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:06:57 +0000

How to tell if You’re a Liberal

VraisUSA — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:05:58 +0000

Ok, I have to post this link. I found this information hilarious. But, shame of the laughter is that so much of it is true.

You know you’re a liberal…

A comparison of Local Taxes

VraisUSA — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 18:59:06 +0000

So, We’ve been following the Orange County (NC) Tax Referendum to increase the local sales tax. Here’s what was recently said in there Annual Financial Report: “The Board …reflects their desire to not increase the burden on the citizens during these difficult times. The County’s financial condition remains strong and stable.”

So, why are they using an off-year election cycle to get a Sales Tax increase? They spent Taxpayer funds to publish a school advertisement to convince everyone to vote in favor of the tax increase saying it’s “For Education.”

Orange County commissioners are asking voters for a $2.5 million sales-tax increase at a time of high unemployment.
Twice before Orange County voters rejected tax increases. Just last November, rural county voters rejected a sales-tax increase by 2 to 1.
Vote manipulation for this also costs county taxpayers an extra $85,000 to open rural precincts.
Promises to spend the increased tax money for schools and economic development are attempts to gain support of special-interest groups and motivate them to vote for the tax increase.

Regardless of the county commissioners’ promises, all of the new sales-tax revenues would be available for spending on any legal purpose. Taxpayers have no legal recourse if the commissioners break their promises.

Here’s a sample of local sales taxes for neighboring States:

State	Rate	State	Rate
Virginia	5%	Georgia	4%
South Carolina	7%	Tennessee	2.75%
Kentucky	6%	Florida	6%
Alabama	4%	West Virginia	6%

Here’s the real shocking fact: Our sales tax is already 7.75%. If this referendum passes, then we will have an 8% sales tax!

If the North Carolina rate is ALREADY higher than our neighbors, does it make sense to make it even HIGHER? Perhaps we should consider what the County (and State) governments are doing with our tax money in the first place. It’s time they start getting more efficient. Makes sense, especially if other States are already doing it.

If this continues, what will the sales tax be for our kids and grand-kids as they become full-fledged consumers in our State? Don’t let the government get away with bad planning and decision-making. Vote against the tax increase. It’d be nice if the various County Commissioners learned to use the funds made available to them more wisely and eliminate inefficiencies first.

I’m going to delve into the State income taxes next. Maybe the Property tax rates would be fun for scrutinizing…

Fact finder info:

Barack Obama – Speaks out against Government Irresponsibility!

VraisUSA — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 17:49:37 +0000

The Quote of the Decade:
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America ‘s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government cannot pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America ‘s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, “the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.”
~ Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006