Jon Stewart Destroys Media for Ignoring Ron Paul

This is truly bipartisan!

Press Release, for immediate release.

Contact information:

Ramsey County DFL Chair, Rod Halvorson, halvorrod@yahoo.com , 66 9th St East, Unit 1312, St Paul, 651-235-6036

4th Congressional District Republican Chair, James Carson, jbcarson@comcast.net , 3425 McKnight Rd N, White Bear Lake, MN 55110, (651)773-0488

Bi-partisan Opposition to the Vikings Deal

Today, the Chair of the 4th Congressional District Republicans, James Carson, and the Chair of the Ramsey County DFL, Rod Halvorson, announced their joint bi-partisan opposition to the Viking stadium deal that was recently agreed to by the leadership of the Vikings and two Ramsey County Commissioners, Tony Bennett and Rafael Ortega.

“We urge our party activists and all citizens of Ramsey County to contact Governor Dayton, their State Senator and Representative, as well as their County Commissioner to urge them to vote against this horrible agreement,” said Carson and Halvorson. “It is simply wrong to force a $350 million sales tax onto the people and businesses of Ramsey County, especially without a vote of the people. Why are these politicians so afraid of their own voters?”

Halvorson said, “I find it offensive that at a time when the state is planning to cut billions from education, health care and human service programs for our children, elderly, disabled and poorest Minnesotans that we would even consider raising the regressive sales tax by a half-cent to fund a luxury stadium that will only be a serious benefit to their billionaire owners and millionaire players.”

Carson said, “I would always be skeptical of any proposal by the Ramsey County Commission to fund a stadium with a sales tax increase. However, it is simply outrageous to propose this at a time when the legislature is struggling valiantly to keep government spending within its means. An increase in the sales tax will not only burden already stressed household budgets in these difficult times; it would also harm retailers and their employees who may well lose their jobs and businesses. In particular, I am dismayed that Commissioner Bennett would so blithely ignore the principles of limited government under which he sought and received Republican endorsement years ago.”

Halvorson and Carson agreed that “we are also offended as citizens of Ramsey County that the Ramsey County Commissioners would disenfranchise their constituents.” As a member of the Ramsey County Charter Commission, Halvorson added, “The Ramsey County Charter firmly places our county at the forefront of voter involvement in our county’s public policy. Our county is the only charter county and it stands out with its voter approval of the charter that includes initiative, referendum and recall provisions. With such history of direct voter involvement, how could our Commissioners ever justify ignoring the voters will?”

Finally, we want to recognize and thank all the legislators in the Ramsey County delegation who have already said no in public statements and interviews and we urge the others to join the majority of their colleagues in opposition. We urge the Governor, legislators and our Ramsey County Commissioners to take note of this unprecedented bi-partisan opposition.

Oil Company Profits

How much do the industry fat cats get?

WASHINGTON, September 19, 2007 – Who owns ‘Big Oil?’ It’s not who you think. As Congress debates national energy policy, a new study finds that ownership of oil and natural gas company shares is made up of a broad cross section of Americans.

“This study disproves the popular misconception that ‘Big Oil’ is owned by a small group of industry insiders. In reality, across the oil and natural gas industry only 1.5 percent of shares of public companies are owned by company executives,” said study author Robert J. Shapiro, undersecretary of commerce for economic affairs under President Bill Clinton. “The data show that ownership of industry shares is broadly middle class, with the majority of industry shares held by institutional investors, often on behalf of millions of Americans through mutual funds, pension funds and individual retirement accounts.”

API Chief Economist John Felmy added: “When politicians seek to punish these companies and ‘take their profits,’ they are not targeting industry executives but the hard-earned savings of working people.”

Shapiro and economist Nam D. Pham’s study was commissioned by API. The study shows that:

1. Almost 43 percent of oil and natural gas company shares are owned by mutual funds and asset management companies that have mutual funds. Mutual funds manage accounts for 55 million U.S. households with a median income of $68,700.

2. Twenty seven percent of shares are owned by other institutional investors like pension funds. In 2004, more than 2,600 pension funds run by federal, state and local governments held almost $64 billion in shares of U.S. oil and natural gas companies. These funds represent the major retirement security for the nation’s current and retired soldiers, teachers, and police and fire personnel at every level of government.

3. Fourteen percent of shares are held in IRA and other personal retirement accounts. Forty five million U.S. households have IRA and other personal retirement accounts, with an average account value of just over $22,000.

For a complete text of the study, more information on the authors and an audio podcast of an interview with Robert Shapiro and John Felmy visit www.energytomorrow.org or www.sonecon.com.

Always room in the budget for white guilt

Teachers are headed for a conference that brims with fashionable grievances.

Katherine Kersten
April 10, 2011

These are tough times for Minnesota schools. In Lakeville, for example, the school board recently announced wrenching cuts of almost $7 million.

Ninety-four teachers will lose their jobs, arts programs will suffer and a school will be closed. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, but the board set its jaw: There's not a dime for anything extra.

Unless you've got an ax to grind with white folks. Then the money spigots open.

The Lakeville schools are sending a delegation of teachers to the 12th annual "White Privilege Conference" at the Bloomington Sheraton from April 13-16. The district is shelling out $160 a pop -- plus $125 a day for teacher subs -- for this "white guilt" festival.

Organizers say they expect attendees from a number of other Minnesota districts.

The conference is "built on the premise that the U.S. was started by white people, for white people," according to conference materials.

Its mission is to get participants to confront their biases in a "journey in understanding white supremacy, whiteness, privilege, power and oppression," and to "agree to take action in [their] own circle of power."

The conference is sponsored by the Minnesota Justice Collaborative, a consortium of local higher-education and philanthropic institutions.

It is expected to draw 1,500 teachers, students, activists, artists, social workers and counselors from more than 40 states. Minnesota public schools are represented on the list of speakers and workshop presenters.

What can Lakeville parents and taxpayers expect for their investment?

To find out, we can peruse the keynote address for the 2009 conference. It was delivered by "social justice educator" Paul Kivel and appeared in the conference journal, "Understanding and Dismantling Privilege."

Kivel begins with what passes these days as a prayer: "I want to acknowledge the creative spirits in the world that nurture and sustain us and that connect us to each other and to the plant and animal life around us."

Then he winds up for a fire-and-brimstone sermon. We Americans "are completely dependent on U.S. imperialism and war to sustain our daily lives."

Our schools, too, are riddled with racial bias. "Our school system has been set up ... to perpetuate white supremacy and white privilege." Poor and minority students "do not drop out -- they are pushed out."

What's gone wrong? For one thing, Christianity has far too much influence.

It "has played a key role in developing and justifying sources of oppression" such as "violence and genocide," Kivel tells us, and is "the beginning of modern or biological racism."

But don't despair, he counsels.

We must look beyond our "declining empire" to "exciting progressive developments" in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela -- among them, "land reform and redistribution of wealth, neighborhood committees, recognition of women's unpaid labor, end of spanking."

I feel better already.

At this year's conference, participants can look forward to a tongue-lashing from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of "Outlaw Woman."

"Clamor" magazine describes Dunbar-Ortiz as "a fiery, indefatigable public speaker" on issues of capitalism and imperialism who cut her teeth in Cuba with the Venceremos Brigade, then built "associations with other revolutionaries across the spectrum of radical and underground politics."

In addition to drinking in Dunbar-Ortiz's wisdom, Lakeville teachers will have countless opportunities for navel-gazing or self-flagellation. They can sample workshops where participants will "discuss how white privilege, white supremacy, and oppression affects daily life."

Every grievance get its due, with topics including not just skin color but sexuality, gender, class and disability.

Teachers also can seek counsel from Ruth King, "a recognized authority on emotional wisdom and the author of the groundbreaking book 'Healing Rage and the Emotional Wisdom Cards'" -- or relax with Victor Lee Lewis of the Radical Resilience Institute, who will instruct them how to "rapidly release and overcome stress, trauma, drama and toxic beliefs."

Whom should we thank for this rich smorgasbord of white guilt? Sponsors include the University of Minnesota, MnSCU, the St. Paul Foundation, Hamline University, Gustavus Adolphus College, the YWCA of Minneapolis and Augsburg College, among others.

"This conference is on the radar of conservatives because it threatens the status quo, because we're not just talking about individual change, we're talking about systems change," University of Minnesota professor Lisa Albrecht, a local organizer, told MinnPost last fall.

The website reported: "There's always the possibility that the 'haters,' as one of the organizers puts it, will descend in mass and try to disrupt peaceful discussions about the advantages of being white in America and the oppression that has led to."

Not a chance. We're laughing too hard.

Katherine Kersten is an American Experiment Senior Fellow. She is at kakersten@gmail.com.

This commentary originally appeared in the Star Tribune on April 10, 2011.
Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted.

White Privilege Conference?

Sent to me by a friend,

April 13th marks the beginning of the 12th Annual White Privilege Conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Bloomington, Minnesota.

This event is being sponsored by such left wing institutions as the St. Paul Foundation, the University of Minnesota's Office for Equity and Diversity, and the Minneapolis YWCA.


The White Privilege Conference offers three days of liberal indoctrination on "white guilt" and "social justice." This is the same old propaganda that says White Men are responsible for all the poverty and injustice in the world, and the only solution is more laws and welfare programs.

Here are some examples of "White Privilege" from their website: http://www.whiteprivilegeconference.com/white_privilege.html

'White people can go out in public without fear of being harassed or constantly worried about physical safety'

Reality check: According to the National Crime Victimization Survey for 2001-2003 Blacks were 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against Whites than vice versa. Blacks were also 2.25 times more likely to commit a hate crime against Whites or Hispanics than vice versa.


'Being able to assume that if you work hard and follow the rules, you will get what you deserve'

Reality check: generous social welfare benefits such as food stamps, section 8 housing, and school lunch programs are available to poor and minorities. Meanwhile, for working Americans the more they earn the more they have to pay in taxes to support such programs.

'Being able to assume that most of the people you or your children study in history classes and textbooks will be of the same race, gender, or sexual orientation as you are.'

Reality check: Millions of dollars are spent in public schools to raise awareness and teach children about figures such as Harriet Tubman, Booker T. Washington, and W.E.B DuBois. Martin Luther King Jr. is the only American to have his own holiday and the entire month of February is dedicated to Black History. The above claim is simply a part of the liberal agenda to remove "Old White Men" such as the Founding Fathers from American schools and abandon traditional values.


Dear Friends it is time to show the liberal left, that us hardworking Americans are not feeling the "privilege."

On April 13th-16th, 20011. Wednesday thru Saturday, 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Please join us to protest their event: Minneapolis Sheraton Hotel
7800 Nomandale Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55439
(952) 835-7800
MAP http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/area/map.html?propertyID=1493

Dear Friends and Neighbors:

Earlier this past week, virtually all of our local weathermen were forecasting lots of rain and even the potential for quite a bit of wet snow by this Sunday night and into Monday morning. Watching the 10 p.m. news last night (less than 5 days after the gloomy forecast), they are now saying, whoops – never mind, it looks like this system will be far to our north. I have a friend who often says that he wishes he had a job where he could be so wrong, so often and still get paid so much!

What does this have to do with a legislative update? Let me explain:

Our state government hires an economist to do what weathermen do, create long range forecasts to determine the amount of revenue we will (could, might?), bring in over the next two years. Politicians then create spending plans based on that forecast. Unfortunately, our economic forecasts have proven to be as reliable as our weather forecasts.

As an example, our economic forecast for revenue in the 2010-2011 biennium fell approximately $2 billion dollars short of what was desired, forcing Gov. Pawlenty and (eventually) the legislature to implement a series of immediate budget cuts (unallotments), and budget shifts (paying June’s bills in July), to meet the constitutional requirement for a balanced budget. Again, in November 2010, our economist predicted a revenue amount of approximately $32 billion dollars for the 2012-2013 biennium. By February 2011, that forecast had grown to $34 billion dollars, a huge difference in less than four months. Large swings have become the rule, not the exception.

Here is where things currently stand at the Capitol: Both the House and Senate have passed budget bills that spend every penny that the state is forecasted to have over the next two years. The Governor trumps that by about $3 billion more; spending every forecasted penny AND proposing a number of tax increases which will hit the pocketbooks of every single Minnesotan. Unfortunately, if our economist’s forecast follows recent trends and are far rosier than what actually happens, two years from now we’ll be seeing exactly what we are seeing today in terms of huge deficits. This will be true under either plan and under a plan which will ultimately be the compromise solution.

There is a more sane and rationale way. A number of us legislators are pushing for a change in how we develop budgets by basing revenue not on forecasts, but on what was actually collected in the last biennium. For this biennium it would mean creating spending plans of approximately $30 billion dollars. Yes – the hue and cry would be tremendous as folks would surly say we are gutting the state of all that is good and wholesome, but to put it into perspective, this level of spending is approximately what the state spent in 2006-2007. Unfortunately, the number of legislators who espouse this philosophy is currently too small to carry the message of fiscal responsibility. Yet, it is our hope that clearer heads will prevail before the end of this budget setting process. If not, we will continue to fight for this fundamental change for the next budget setting cycle.

When weathermen make long term forecasts, we often create family plans that fit the forecast. When they are wrong, we shrug our shoulders, grumble a bit and then adjust our plans. However, when the state economist’s forecast falls short and government has spent every dollar based on a crystal ball prediction, people’s lives are greatly effected through either higher taxes on families and job providers or cuts in promised services to those most needy. We can and must do better!

God bless and please stay in touch,

Mark Buesgens
State Representative, 35B

Biden: Impeach President for Unauthorized Attack

Vice President Joe Biden has a very clear idea of what should happen to a president who orders U.S. military forces to launch an attack on a foreign country without congressional authorization: impeachment.

With some voices saying President Barack Obama should face impeachment for attacking Moammar Gadhafi’s forces in Libya, a videotape has surfaced from the 2007 campaign trail showing Biden threatening to impeach President George W. Bush if he attacked Iran without the approval of Congress.

“I have written an extensive legal memorandum with the help of a group of legal scholars who are sort of a stable of people, the best-known constitutional scholars in America, because for 17 years I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee,” Biden said in an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews on “Hardball.”

"I asked them to put together [for] me a draft, which I'm now literally riding between towns editing, that I want to make clear and submit to the United States Senate pointing out the president has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran.

“And I want to make it clear, I want it on the record … if he does, as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and former chair of the Judiciary Committee, I will move to impeach him."

He went on to say: “I think the best deterrent is for the president to know, even at the end of his term, we would move and move to follow through with that so his legacy would be marred for all time if he acted in what was clearly, clearly an impeachable offense.

“In the absence of that, what happens is, and you're going to think I'm joking about this — I'm not. If you're going to impeach George Bush you better impeach Cheney first. Not a joke.”

UNION SUPERPOWER! Featuring "Wisconsin Vern"

UFCW Exposed: Thanks UFCW Bosses

Meet the Liberal Elite!

DEPORT HER TO AMERICA !

The Rambo Granny of Melbourne , Australia

Gun-toting granny Ava Estelle, 81, was so ticked-off when two thugs raped her 18-year-old granddaughter that she tracked the unsuspecting ex-cons down... And shot off their testicles.

"The old lady spent a week hunting those men down and, when she found them, she took revenge on them in her own special way," said Melbourne police investigator Evan Delp.

Then she took a taxi to the nearest police station, laid the gun on the sergeant's desk and told him as calm as could be: "Those bastards will never rape anybody again, by God."

Cops say convicted rapist and robber Davis Furth, 33, lost both his penis and his testicles when outraged Ava opened fire with a 9-mm pistol in the hotel room where he and former prison cell mate Stanley Thomas, 29, were holed up.

The wrinkled avenger also blew Thomas' testicles to kingdom come, but doctors managed to save his mangled penis, police said. "The one guy, Thomas, didn't lose his manhood, but the doctor I talked to said he won't be using it the way he used to," Detective Delp told reporters. "Both men are still in pretty bad shape, but I think they're just happy to be alive after what they've been through."

The Rambo Granny swung into action August 21 after her granddaughter Debbie was carjacked and raped in broad daylight by two knife-wielding creeps in a section of town bordering on skid row.

"When I saw the look on my Debbie's face that night in the hospital, I decided I was going to go out and get those bastards myself 'cause I figured the Law would go easy on them,"' recalled the retired library worker. " And I wasn't scared of them, either - because I've got me a gun and I've been shootin' all my life. And I wasn't dumb enough to turn it in when the law changed about owning one."

So, using a police artist's sketch of the suspects and Debbie's description of the sickos, tough-as-nails Ava spent seven days prowling the wino-infested neighborhood where the crime took place till she spotted the ill-fated rapists entering their flophouse hotel.

"I knew it was them the minute I saw 'em, but I shot a picture of 'em anyway and took it back to Debbie and she said sure as hell, it was them," the oldster recalled...

"So I went back to that hotel and found their room and knocked on the door, and the minute the big one opened the door, I shot 'em right square between the legs, right where it would really hurt 'em most, you know. Then I went in and shot the other one as he backed up pleading to me to spare him. Then I went down to the police station and turned myself in."

Now, baffled lawmen are trying to figure out exactly how to deal with the vigilante granny. "What she did was wrong, and she broke the law, but it is difficult to throw an 81-year-old woman in prison," Det. Delp said, "especially when 3 million people in the city want to nominate her for Mayor."

DEPORT HER TO AMERICA - WE NEED HER!
******************************************************************** ************
Australian Gun Law Update

Here's a thought to warm some of your hearts....

From: Ed Chenel, A police officer in Australia


Hi Yanks, I thought you all would like to see the real figures from Down Under.

It has now been 12 months since gun owners in Australia were forced by a new law to surrender 640,381 personal firearms to be destroyed by our own government, a program costing Australia taxpayers more than $500 million dollars.

The first year results are now in:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 6.2 percent,
Australia-wide, assaults are up 9.6 percent;
Australia-wide, armed robberies are up 44 percent (yes, 44 percent)!

In the state of Victoria alone, homicides with firearms are now up 300 percent. (Note that while the law-abiding citizens turned them in, the criminals did not and criminals still possess their guns!)

While figures over the previous 25 years showed a steady decrease in armed robbery with firearms, this has changed drastically upward in the past 12 months, since the criminals now are guaranteed that their prey is unarmed.

There has also been a dramatic increase in break-ins and assaults of the elderly, while the resident is at home.

Australian politicians are at a loss to explain how public safety has decreased, after such monumental effort and expense was expended in 'successfully ridding Australian society of guns....' You won't see this on the American evening news or hear your governor or members of the State Assembly disseminating this information.

The Australian experience speaks for itself. Guns in the hands of honest citizens save lives and property and, yes, gun-control laws affect only the law-abiding citizens.

Take note Americans, before it's too late!

Will you be one of the sheeple to turn yours in? WHY? You will need it.

Red Skelton on The Pledge Of Allegiance

RULES OF MINNESOTA

Sent by email from Stan G.

Thanks Stan.

Here's to all of us who live in Minnesota , some born and raised here. Some got here as fast as they could and others who would like to be from Minnesota . This is the best version of this that I have seen.

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Let's get this straight; it's called a "gravel road." I drive a Pickup truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

3. You say our lakes smell to you. They smell like money to us. Get over it.

4. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 combines that are driven only 3 times a year.

5. So every person in every pickup waves. Its called being friendly. Try to understand the concept.

6. If that cell phone rings while a bunch of ducks are coming in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up to your ear at the time.

7. Yeah, we eat walleye & northern pike and love it. You really want sushi & caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.

8. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season It's a religious holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

9. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women, regardless of age.

10. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Order steak. Or you can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the pound of ham & turkey.

11. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats, vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: Onion, Pepper, and Garlic!

12. College and High School Football is as important here as the Lakers and the Knicks, and a hell of a lot more fun to watch.

13. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards --it spooks the fish.

14. Colleges? Try St. Olaf, Concordia, or St John's . They come outta there with an education plus a love for God and country, and they still wave at passing pickups when they come home for the holidays.

15. We have more folks in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines, than any other state, so "Don't screw with Minnesota .." If you do, you will get whipped by the best.

Minnesota is the greatest state ever!

Quantitative Easing Explained ... in simple terms!

Emmer for Governor, Republican Party of Minnesota Petition Minnesota Supreme Court to Ensure Number of Total Votes Matches Total Voters

Concerns have been raised over more votes than voters

St. Paul– Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton and Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb today announced that Emmer for Governor and the state Party have filed a petition with the Minnesota Supreme Court asking the court to ensure that reconciliation has occurred in each of Minnesota’s 4,136 precincts as required by Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 204C.20). The petition includes affidavits from election judges throughout Minnesota who prepared or observed preparation of summary statements for their precinct and did not witness election judges count the names of individuals signing the polling roster or the names of individuals who registered to vote on Election Day.

“The most basic right of our election system is one person, one vote. We cannot have a system that allows more votes to be counted than legal voters. After the 2008 election, estimates varied that there were between 17,000 and 30,000 or more ballots than total voters. In 2009, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie pledged to match voter registration with canvassing board results to within a thousand. Ritchie has had two years to address this issue and yet we’re receiving reports today from election judges stating they did not reconcile the ballots cast with the number of signatures on the polling roster on Election Night 2010. These reports raise concerns about the instructions and written guides given to election judges by the Secretary of State’s office as to the statutorily required reconciliation procedures for Election Day but more importantly, raise serious questions about the integrity of the result of the election.

“Phantom votes have no place in the final vote count. There is a clear statutory remedy that must be followed, namely, that excess phantom ballots are removed from the certified vote count. Until reconciliation has been completed in each precinct, the legislatively mandated recount cannot begin. Today's petition is of course within the legal framework of the canvassing process and the recount. We are seeking the court’s assurance that only legally cast ballots are counted. The next governor should be seated on January 3 with an outcome that has followed the letter of the law,” said Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton.

“It is incumbent upon our election system to count each and every legally cast ballot and not include phantom ballots in the vote count. Our petition today is simply asking the Supreme Court to confirm that the number of votes matches the total number of voters on Election Day, as required by state law and that election officials follow the clear statutory remedy for the removal of phantom votes before the results are certified,” added Republican Party of Minnesota Deputy Chairman Michael Brodkorb.

Click here to read Minn. Stat. § 204C.20

Click here to read the filing

In 2008: Estimates Varied that there were Between 17,000 and 30,000 More Ballots Than Total Voters

Estimated 17,000 more ballots than total voters. "Kiffmeyer is 'absolutely sure' that Ritchie's efforts to eliminate voting regulations ensured Franken's victory. 'The first thing he did when he got into office was to dismantle the ballot reconciliation program we started. Under that program districts are required to check that the number of ballots issued by matching them with the number of ballots cast,' she said, ‘that way we know immediately that the vote count is accurate.' But that isn't what happened, she said. 'We now have 17,000 more ballots cast than there are voters who voted and no way to determine what went wrong. Why anyone would eliminate that basic check, I don't know,’ she said." (Ed Barnes, “States' Secretaries of State Are Tipping Balance of Power,” FOX News, February 1, 2010)

Estimated 30,000 more ballots than total voters. "He said the goal was to match voter registration and the certified canvassing board totals within 1,000 names. ‘You'll never get a perfect correlation between the two,' he said. 'We were at 40,000 in April. We're at about 30,000 now.'" (Patricia Lopez, “Ritchie is sued over voter-registration records,” Star Tribune, May 28, 2009)

In 2009: Ritchie Pledged to Match Voter Registration with Canvassing Board Results to within a Thousand

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie pledges to match voter registration and canvassing board result to within a thousand. "He said the goal was to match voter registration and the certified canvassing board totals within 1,000 names. 'You'll never get a perfect correlation between the two,' he said. 'We were at 40,000 in April. We're at about 30,000 now.'" (Patricia Lopez, “Ritchie is sued over voter-registration records,” Star Tribune, May 28, 2009)

Hitler on the Election

How Our Tax System Works - Explained in Beer

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100…

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7..

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do..

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men? The paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving).

The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.

“I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!”

“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”

“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”

“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

Thomas Jefferson said...

When we get piled
upon one another in large cities, as in Europe,
we shall become as corrupt as Europe .
Thomas Jefferson


The democracy will cease to exist
when you take away from those
who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson


It is incumbent on every
generation to pay its own debts as it goes.
A principle which if acted on would save
one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson


I predict future happiness for
Americans if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people under the
pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson


My reading of history convinces me
that most bad government results from too much
government.
Thomas Jefferson


No free man shall ever be debarred
the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson


The strongest reason for the
people to retain the right to keep and bear arms
is, as a last resort, to protect themselves
against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson


The tree of liberty must be
refreshed from time to time with the blood of
patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson


To compel a man to subsidize with
his taxes the propagation of ideas which he
disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson


Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
'I believe that
banking institutions are more dangerous to
our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow
private banks to control the issue of their
currency, first by inflation, then by
deflation, the banks and corporations that will
grow up around the banks will deprive the people
of all property - until their children
wake up homeless on the continent their fathers
conquered.'

Eric Magnuson Named Lead Litigator for Emmer for Governor, Republican Party of Minnesota

St. Paul- Republican Party of Minnesota Chairman Tony Sutton today announced that former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice and State Canvassing Board member Eric Magnuson has been named chief litigator for Emmer for Governor and the Republican Party of Minnesota. Former Chief Justice Magnuson joins a legal team headed by Michael Toner.

“I’m very pleased to announce that former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson will serve as lead litigator for Emmer for Governor and the Republican Party of Minnesota. Eric is an enormously talented litigator who is independent minded, thoughtful and substantive. As a former member of the State Canvassing Board, Eric understands the issues at stake during this process. Eric is a tremendous addition to our legal team, and I know he will do his part to make certain that every legally cast vote is counted,” said Republican Party of Minnesota Tony Sutton.

Eric Magnuson’s biography can be viewed here.