Palin’s husband was member of third party

This is encouraging. We can have hope that she will have a libertarian influence on the presidency.

http://kstp.com/article/stories/S564355.shtml

(AP) ST. PAUL, Minn. - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s husband, Todd, twice registered as a member of the Alaskan Independence Party, a fierce states’ rights group that wants to turn all federal lands in Alaska back to the state. Sarah Palin herself was never a member of the party, according to state officials.

Iraq signs $3B oil deal with China

China gets a huge oil contract with Iraq and what do we get? I recall that when this war was about to begin it was reported that Iraqi oil was going to fund the war. We liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein, spend trillions of dollars on it, and after the deaths of thousands of our young soldiers, China gets a big contract. What a kick in the teeth! The only thing I can think of hoping for is that somehow our debt to China will be reduced by this. But I doubt it.

Read the whole article here,

http://www.cnn.com/2008/BUSINESS/08/30/iraq.china.oil.deal/index.html?iref=topnews

An Example of How Environmentalists Affect Our Lives

I just bumped into this article written one year ago. It stirs up some thoughts in my head. What relationship does the democrats and environmentalists share here in Minnesota? Rick Hansen, Jim Metzen and John Zanmiller all have been catering to the Sierra Club. For instance, the Sierra Club has a seat on the Robert Street Transit Corridor Study. Why? Could it be that any transit decision must be approved by them or they will file suit in court and litigate it to death from now until eternity like the Stillwater Bridge?

Affordable energy is another subject that is hampered by environmentalists. We have two electrical power plants in the twin cities that no longer burn coal. Natural gas is now the fuel of choice. We may soon have a third. Electricity is costing us more everyday with no end in sight. Road blocks created by environmentalists are preventing access to the Big Stone II power plant in South Dakota which will have the latest emissions devices. Because of environmental roadblocks the Big Stone II plant may have to burn natural gas.

Every fall for as long as I can remember, there has been an article in the newspaper that states that we will be paying more to heat our homes because of natural gas shortages. Just last month there was an article that stated that this winter we can expect to pay as much as fifty percent more. Yet now environmentalists are basking in the glory of clean energy by burning up all the natural gas!

The amount of oil in Alaska, the continental shelf, and the Bakken formation which stretches across North Dakota, Montana and southeastern Saskatchewan is estimated to have enough oil (as well as plenty of natural gas) to supply the United States alone for 125 years. Environmentalists are planning to file suit to stop exploration by claiming that the Sage Grouse is an endangered species.

I am posting this article to point out how much power environmentalists have in this country. Our countries Constitution states the "We the People" are in charge of the government. Now it appears that its the environmentalists that rule the land. Time to shake things up and put the people back in control.

We all want a clean environment, be it air, water, or the land, to be stewards of the resources that God gave us. However, discussion on these issues, is not tolerated by the Sierra Club or their allies. Facts have become irrelevant, and any type of descent is subject to punishment, by whatever means possible.One has to ask, if this really represents freedom and liberty, that we say we cherish.

Bill Jungbauer


By Eric Christen
September 2, 2007

On Labor Day, we take time to reflect on and celebrate accomplishments and new beginnings regarding union labor in the United States. Considering the recent local controversy over the Gaylord-Chula Vista bayfront project, debate over the future relevancy of the organized labor movement now seems more prescient than at any time in our regional history. But to understand that future, we must turn our attention to the past.

The father of the modern union movement was Samuel Gompers, the legendary founder of the American Federation of Labor. Gompers made sure that labor remained inoculated against the burgeoning threat of socialism and the bitter rancor of partisan politics, focusing instead on organizing and winning concessions from targeted industries through collective bargaining. In the first half of the century, the AFL even refused to support minimum wage legislation. Labor under Gompers was dedicated to the principles of free enterprise under a market economy and opted for what he and his colleagues referred to as “trade unionism,” a collective bargaining strategy on which workers from across the political spectrum could agree.

For the most part, labor took neutral or centrist political positions – particularly on social issues. For example, in 1968, when the United Auto Workers threatened to leave the AFL-CIO because of AFL-CIO founder George Meany's opposition to an alliance with radical left-wing activists, Meany bid the UAW good riddance. With this type of focus and centrist leadership the organized labor movement in America flourished throughout much of the 20th century.

Nonetheless, over the last three decades, union membership has witnessed a rapid decline – from 35 percent of workers in 1960, to 12 percent today – while the mission of organized labor radically shifted course into one of political hyperactivity and intensive partisanship. The 1995 election of John Sweeney, a card-carrying member of the American Socialist Party, as head of the AFL-CIO was a watershed moment in the evolution of modern-day union radicalism.

It is Sweeney who immediately determined that the only way for unionism to survive under a modern, technology-driven global economy is to bastardize the collective bargaining process and employ any and all means necessary to force nonunion workers to join unions – while making them pay for the pleasure. This serves as much a practical as ideological purpose – it inflates union coffers to finance union political activities while increasing regional-level union influence throughout the nation. In the meantime, Sweeney and his ilk have taken out huge positions in the Democrat Party by bankrolling candidates who claim nearly 100 percent of all of organized labor's election-cycle donations – never mind the fact that 40 percent of individual union workers consistently vote Republican.

The Gaylord issue is a perfect example of this radicalized plan in local action. Throughout a turbulent year of negotiations with local labor leaders concerning a union project labor agreement, or PLA, for the company's $1 billion hotel and convention center plan along the Chula Vista bayfront, Gaylord displayed an incredible level of good faith by agreeing to almost every single union demand – except one. Labor leaders insisted that the project be built union-only.

Where do union leaders draw leverage for this type of negotiation? Simple. They tap their left-wing allies within the environmental movement, particularly on those regulatory commissions that approve projects such as Gaylord's. If a company such as Gaylord acquiesces to union demands, it can expect to zip through the regulatory process with little or no cost. If not, it is sure to incur the extra multimillion-dollar expense of regulatory delay and even frivolous environmental litigation.

The tactic – known as “greenmail” – is nothing more than a modern-day form of extortion, but has proven wickedly effective in the past, including on San Diego's beloved Petco Park, where all threats of environmental bureaucratic hullabaloo vanished as soon as the owner succumbed to union pressure over a union-only PLA. Of course, union-only PLAs have absolutely nothing to do with preserving local ecosystems, just ensuring union work force monopolies and ergo political primacy, which is exactly why the National Labor Relations Board recently voided a union-only PLA signed under similarly dubious circumstances in New York.

However, Gaylord is standing firm against union intransigence, and now that union officials have unilaterally withdrawn from negotiations, intends to pursue its project without their input. So, in this case, what have local union leaders achieved for their members by pursuing a politically rather than practically driven agenda? Absolutely nothing. In fact, they almost chased Gaylord out of San Diego and are still trying to kill the project.

Whom does that protect? How can you promote better wages and benefits if you're too busy killing jobs? If that is the union-present, union members should be very concerned about the union future – particularly those hundreds of thousands of hard-working men and women who simply want to earn a living and would rather their representatives not spend their dues lobbying such issues as more gun control. Or more access to abortion. Or the repeal of the death penalty. Or greenmail.

Unions are supposed to defend workers' rights, not stampede over them on the way to the political trough. If there is one lesson to be taken from this Labor Day, it is that union members deserve sound, solid, capable representation. The Gaylord debacle proves that union leadership across the board has been corrupted to the point of illegitimacy.

If the movement is ever to regain its original prestige and influence in the name of workers' rights, it must turn away from the radical job-killing political agenda of the John Sweeneys, Jerry Butkiewiczs and Tom Lemmons of the world and shift back to the practical collective bargaining path laid down by Samuel Gompers and nurtured by George Meany. Otherwise, the American labor movement is not likely to survive the next decade, let alone the new century – and rightly so.

Action Alert From the Minnesota Majority!

Tell Congress to Act Now to Solve America's Energy Crisis

On August 1st, a majority of Minnesota's Congressional delegation voted to skip-town rather than address our nation's energy crisis (click here to see how your Representative voted). Speaker Nancy Pelosi was so concerned that she and her anti-energy allies were loosing the energy debate that she unexpectedly adjourned session for five weeks rather than allowing a vote on the American Energy Act. This bill offers a comprehensive approach for addressing America's energy crisis, including domestic drilling, funding for scientific research and common-sense conservation efforts.

Despite Pelosi's abrupt adjournment, a number of pro-energy House members decided to proceed with making statements on the House floor in favor of the bill. Pelosi promptly responded by shutting-off the lights, microphones and cameras in the House chamber. This has not deterred pro-energy Representatives fighting for lower energy costs for American families. They have continued to stage a protest in the House chambers without lights, microphones or cameras. They are calling upon Pelosi to reconvene session and allow an up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act.

For decades, liberal politicians have been advocating higher prices for energy. They want to "save the environment" by punishing Americans for energy consumption. They have passed policies preventing domestic drilling for oil, the use of coal and the development of nuclear power. The end result has been a growing dependence upon foreign oil, much of which comes from our enemies in the Middle East.

Most people are unaware of what is happening, thanks to the mainstream media which has largely ignored this story. Minnesotans should be outraged. At a time when most families are struggling to deal with record gas and energy prices, a majority of our Minnesota Congressional delegation decided to duck the energy issue and not allow domestic drilling for our own oil!

TAKE ACTION

1. Sign our petition calling on President Bush to reconvene Congress for a special session and for Congress to pass the American Energy Act by visiting www.ActNowOnEnergy.com.

2. Forward this message to friends and family members asking them to also take action on this important issue.

Thanks in advance for taking action to protect America's energy independence.

Sincerely,

Jeff Davis
President, Minnesota Majority

Ron Paul Delegates Hope for a Voice

Mon. Jul 28, 2008
by Gregg Sangillo
From National Journal Convention Daily
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/nj_20080728_5538.php

National Journal looks ahead at what to expect at the conventions.

When an expected 88 delegates for libertarian Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, descend on Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republican convention, they won't be crashing the party. From their perspective, they have a simple goal: defending the U.S. Constitution.

Officially, Paul's presidential campaign has shut down. But it's still operating a group, called Campaign for Liberty, that is planning a rally during the convention at the University of Minnesota on September 2. Paul's delegates initially pushed to secure him a convention speaking slot and are frustrated that he'll probably be denied the right to address the crowd. So, they say, they'll try to make their voices heard in other ways.

"The main issue is constitutional government," says Thomas Kiene, a Paul delegate from Oklahoma. "There's hardly any part of the Constitution that the federal government hasn't trampled on.... Paul understands that and stands up for it."

Steve Rogers, a Paul delegate from Minnesota, adds: "I'm just trying to spread the message--conservatism, liberty, honesty. We're just trying to have an influence as a voice against the crowd."

Another Minnesota delegate for Paul, Kris Broberg, even harbors a glimmer of hope for a convention revolt against John McCain. But Broberg concedes, "I realize that is a lonely hope."

Some Paul delegates have grumbled that pro-McCain forces have used heavy-handed tactics to prevent them from attending the national convention. Broberg recalls that at the Minnesota state GOP convention, a Paul delegate was replaced late in the game on a technicality. "The party always told us, if we adjourn this convention, whatever the results are, that's the way it stands," Broberg said. "And then they went and had their contest committee turn around and remove him as a delegate."

Patrick Eisenhart, a Paul delegate from Maine, is planning to put concrete amendments before the platform committee. "I would like to have the Republican platform demand that Iraq begin using its cash surpluses to pay for its own security forces," Eisenhart says.

Paul's staunch opposition to the Iraq war is a component of his delegate support, but it's certainly not the defining issue. "I was completely against [the United States] going in the way they did. I agree with the way Paul voted on that," says Paul Clayton, a Paul delegate from Oklahoma who fought as a marine in Iraq. "But given the situation currently, I don't think we can just up and leave right now."

Instead, the Paul supporters share the broad goal of a smaller federal government. They say that the late Sen. Barry Goldwater, R-Ariz., championed that principle, and they believe that McCain, Goldwater's successor in the Senate, has betrayed it.

The Paul delegates are a diverse group: Rogers from Minnesota is a firearms instructor who learned about Paul through membership in gun-rights organizations such as Gun Owners of America. Jeff Waksman, a Paul delegate from Wisconsin, is working on his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Wisconsin (Madison).

Paul delegates argue that they're not black-helicopter-chasing lunatics but rather normal, conservative Americans. "I think the media has gone a long way to try to discredit us as a bunch of '9/11 truthers' and conspiracy theorists, when that's not what most of us are," Waksman says.

Eisenhart concurs: "I'm 31 years in the military. I'm not some peacenik or some wacko."

Minnesotan's for Limited Government Picnic at Kaposia Park

I invite you all to enjoy a picnic with Minnesotan's for Limited Government at Kaposia Park in South Saint Paul on Wednesday July 30th.

We will be hearing from great speakers such as,

Sue Jeffers, Former Candidate for Minnesota Governor

Phil Krinke, President, the Taxpayers League of Minnesota.

Dr. Karen Effrem, Board of Directors, EdWatch

Bill Jungbauer, Candidate for 39A State Representative

Gilbert Higuera, Candidate for 66A State Representative

This will be good times with good people. Hope to see you there!

Here is a Bold Business Owner

From the Downsizer Dispatch

I just received an email with this information in regards to the federal Real ID Act. You can check out the source of the following information at a site called DownsizeDC.org http://www.downsizedc.org/

Our Governor, Tim Pawlenty, is a big proponent of the Real ID. He tells us that it will help keep illegal immigrants from taking jobs from law abiding citizens. He also has said that we would not be able to board airplanes without one. Or partake in commerce.

Among the possibilities of a national ID: biometric information such as retinal scans, fingerprints, DNA data and RFID tracking technology.

I spend many days in the Fall sitting in a tree deer hunting. I am a fan of spending my time reading the bible while I wait for some succulent venison-on the-hoof to enter the circle of death. One of my favorites is Revelation. In these pages it speaks of the mark of the devil. Anyone who does not have the mark will not be able to take part in commerce. No buying or selling. No job. Don't they sound eerily similar?

As a candidate for state representative, I feel it is my goal to fight such legislation. The great state of Minnesota must join in with the 21 states that have opposed this federal act so far. This is one of my goals when elected.

Quote of the Day:
"This Bill fundamentally adjusts the relationship between the citizen and the state. How could it be otherwise when it will put the state in possession of an unprecedented, consolidated file of information about every individual which it did not have before?"
-- Lord Holme of Cheltenham

Subject: 21st state rejects the REAL ID Act. The number of states that have rejected the REAL ID Act now stands at 21. The latest to do so is Louisiana. On July 8th Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law HB 715.

It's strong legislation. It directs the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections to NOT implement the REAL ID Act.

It's been a while since we've asked Congress to repeal the REAL ID Act.

We've been focused on other things. Now is the time to hit them again. Let Congress know that you won't forget about this issue. Tell them you're aware that Louisiana just became the 21st state to rebel against the REAL ID Act. Tell Congress it's long past time to bow to the will of the people, who do not want a centralized national identification system. You can send your message here.

We have many new members. If you don't know what the REAL ID Act is all about, we have introductory information on our Real ID campaign page where you can also send your message to Congress.

Rally For The Republic

August 31st thru September 2nd Ron Paul's alternative national convention will take place. You can check it out here,

http://rally.campaignforliberty.com/

Guests will include many great people such as,
Ron Paul
Tucker Carlson
Gary Johnson
Barry Goldwater Jr.
Bruce Fein
Grover Norquist
Doug Wead
Adam Curry
Aimee Allen
Marc Scibilia
Rick Ellis

Wish I could be there to join in the festivities. I will be doing my civic duty as national delegate at the Republican National Convention. I hope you all have a blast!

A Must See Video

Just viewed this video and thought I should pass it along.