In a recent poll among Mormons, Ron Paul beat Mitt Romney. More information can be seen at,
http://www.ldsmag.com/pollmentor/pollmentorres.asp?id=111
Aditional straw poll results can be seen here,
http://www.ronpaul2008.com/straw-poll-results/
As you can see, Ron Paul has quite a following! It is a shame that the media does not give him more respect.
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Here is an interesting article on transportation from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. It does support a gas tax increase of five cents per gallon. It also supports accountability and the reform of operations and policies to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Seems to me that several constitutional issues are being violated at Normandale. Separation of church and state, gender equality, and if the Muslims are denying any one access to worship as a Jew or a Christian, the right to worship freely is also being violated.
This Article is from the StarTribune.com.The full Article, with any associated images and links can be viewed here.
Katherine Kersten: Normandale's 'meditation room' is home to a single faith Katherine Kersten, Star Tribune
Last week, I visited a Muslim place of worship. A schedule for Islam's five daily prayers was posted at the entrance, near a sign requesting that shoes be removed. Inside, a barrier divided men's and women's prayer space, an arrow informed worshippers of the direction of Mecca, and literature urged women to cover their faces.
Sound like a mosque?
The place I'm describing is the "meditation room" at Normandale Community College, a 9,200-student public institution in Bloomington.
Until recently, the room was the school's only usable racquetball court. College administrators converted the court into a meditation room when construction forced closure of the previous meditation room.
A row of chest-high barriers splits the room into sex-segregated sections. In the smaller, enclosed area for women sits a pile of shawls and head-coverings. Literature titled "Hijaab [covering] and Modesty" was prominently placed there, instructing women on proper Islamic behavior.
They should cover their faces and stay at home, it said, and their speech should not "be such that it is heard."
"Enter into Islaam completely and accept all the rulings of Islaam," the tract read in part. "It should not be that you accept what entertains your desires and leave what opposes your desires; this is from the manners of the Jews."
"[T]he Jews and the Christians" are described as "the enemies of Allaah's religion." The document adds: "Remember that you will never succeed while you follow these people."
A poster on the room's door advertised a local lecture on "marriage from an Islamic perspective," with "useful tips for marital harmony from the Prophet's ... life." Other fliers invited students to join the Normandale Islamic Forum, or participate in Ramadan celebrations.
One thing was missing from the meditation room: evidence of any faith but Islam. No Bible, no crucifix, no Torah.
Normandale's administration is facilitating the room's Islamization. The college's building crew erected the barrier separating men's and women's sections, according to Ralph Anderson, dean of student affairs. College officials also posted signs at the room's entrance asking students to remove shoes -- a Muslim custom before prayers. This was "basically a courtesy to Muslim students," Anderson said.
Despite the room's Islamic atmosphere, Anderson says it "is open to everyone."
Why is the meditation room segregated by sex? "Muslim students prefer that areas be divided into male and female," he said. "Other students don't care."
Doesn't sex-segregation present a constitutional problem in a public educational institution? "I don't want to comment on that," he said.
And the literature regarding Jews and Christians? "I would probably take it out if I knew it was in there," said Anderson.
Normandale's zealous effort to accommodate Muslim students is not new. Chad Lunaas, a former student who works at the college part time, cites examples.
Last year on Fridays, he says, he often entered the bathroom to find that "every sink and toilet stall had someone washing his feet." Other students couldn't use the bathroom at these times, and those who tried felt awkward.
Lunaas finally expressed his concerns to a Muslim student who "seemed to be in charge."
"His attitude was, 'We don't have to listen to you, we can do whatever we want,' " he said.
Confrontations also erupted in the sex-segregated meditation room, according to Lunaas. "Muslim students just took it over. They made people who were not of the Muslim religion feel very uncomfortable, especially if they were female."
One female student tried to use the room when Muslim students were in it, said Lunaas. "She believed she should be treated equally. They were telling her to leave, to take off her shoes, to go to the other side of the divider."
Anderson says he met several times with concerned students. But "the whole thing was just basically swept aside," according to Lunaas.
Anderson said that in the incident involving the young woman, "both sides were probably out of line."
Howard Odor, who advises the college's Somali Student Association, said he has not been aware of "any issues" since the meditation room has been in the racquetball court. "I can guarantee that college policy is that anyone who wants to go in there and pray or meditate can do so."
But many at the college see a bigger issue.
"For all practical purposes, this meditation room is essentially a Muslim prayer room," said Chuck Chalberg of Normandale's history faculty. "Something this unprecedented goes beyond religious toleration."
Katherine Kersten • kkersten@startribune.com Join the conversation at my blog, Think Again, which can be found at www.startribune.com/thinkagain.
I attended the Sewer Fair Open House on Wednesday, December 12. I could not stay long but I had the opportunity to ask some questions.
First, considering a worst case scenario, what would the approximate cost of a full blown excavation of someones front yard be?
We were told "it could be as much as several thousand dollars."
This, to me, is an under estimate. After talking to a person who used to work in the sewer profession I have learned that it could be as much as ten thousand dollars!
Second, Who would be doing the work?
I believe that we would be able to hire our own contractor. I have been told that some other cities get bids from contractors and a home owner must use the cities hand picked contractor.
Third, Would a homeowner be assessed on their property tax?
Yes. A homeowner could pay it off right away, or pay it off over ten years, with interest of course. Consider this for a moment. You are a senior citizen. You live in an older home. You are on a fixed income. The city says you must replace your sewer line. The cost to you could be as much as an additional one hundred dollars per month on your property tax bill! For ten years! On top of rising property taxes, school levies, and in my case, ten years of paying off a street assessment, where do our elected officials think all of this money is going to come from?
After I had a chance to sit down and read a copy of the proposed ordinance I became angry at some of it's wording. This ordinance is for the purpose of complying to a directive handed down by the Met Council. The Met Council is made of people that have never been elected, but appointed. They have the power to rule over us even more so than any of our elected officials. They can even impose their own levies onto our property taxes!
Now here is the bazaar part! As it is written the building inspector "is authorized to conduct inspections of improved real estate that discharges into the City's sanitary sewer system for the limited purposes of confirming that there is no sump pump or other prohibited discharge of clear water drainage."
The inspector will notify a property owner by a written notice and will be required to allow, within thirty days, access to the inspector. The inspector shall also be granted "emergency access" any time when there may be an actual instance of danger to the public health or safety. How any ones sewer line would cause such an occasion is beyond my imagination!
"Application for a Search Warrant. If a property owner refuses to allow an inspection, the City may apply to the district court for an appropriate administrative search warrant."
"Surcharge. A monthly surcharge of $50 for a single family property and a surcharge of $300 for all other properties shall be added to each sewer and water bill if:
An owner or occupant refuses to allow an inspection within 30 days of the postmarked date of the notice, unless otherwise agreed to by the inspector."
"The surcharge shall be added for every month during which the property is not in compliance."
"The City may suspend water service to a property that is not in compliance with this section."
So now I hope you get the general idea of what the Met Council is ramming down our throats. They want the right to enter our homes as they desire. To impose upon us a surcharge if we do not comply. And they want the right to obtain a search warrant to enter our homes against our will to do a lousy sewer inspection! Is it not reasons like this that people from other countries flock to our shores? To escape such governments that impose such injustices upon its citizens? I consider this proposed ordinance to be unconstitutional. It threatens our right to be safe in our homes from unreasonable search and seizure as well as a violation of due process.
Here is what we need to do. We need to contact our City Council members and the Mayor. I want to remind you that these are all good people that take their jobs seriously. I have faith in every one of them to do the right thing, as long as we let them know how we feel. Listed below you can see how to contact these people,
Mayor John Zanmiller
651-451-1741
john.zanmiller@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. Jim Englin-Ward I
651-308-1844
jim.englin@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. VanMoorlehem-Ward I
aaron.vanmoorlehem@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. Mark Tessmer-Ward II
651-552-1467
mark.tessmer@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. Ed Iago-Ward II
651-731-4447
ed.iago@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. David Wright-Ward III
651-450-1143
david.wright@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
Clpn. Darlene Lewis-Ward III
651-457-8835
darlene.lewis@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us
I received a card in the mail today. It was from the city of West Saint Paul. Our fine city is proposing to pass an ordinance that would enable the City to inspect private sewer lines. This means the sewer line from your house to the street. It would also require property owners to repair sewer lines that are shown to be damaged. I find this to be another fine example of government sticking their nose where it does not belong. The cost to replace the sewer system requires heavy equipment digging a hole in your front yard about eight feet deep from your house to the street. This could cost a home owner as much as ten thousand dollars or more. I urge every citizen of West Saint Paul to attend "2007 Sewer Fair." Here is the information that was on the card. More information can be found here http://www.weststpaul.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={716A3D37-B68D-4FBC-B392-E19CD34CC8C9}
2007 SEWER FAIR OPEN HOUSE PROPOSED I/I (INFILTRATION/INFLOW) ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY OF WEST SAINT PAUL
The City of West Saint Paul will be holding a Sewer Fair Open House on December 12, 2007 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chambers regarding the proposed creation of an I/I (Infiltration/Inflow) sewer ordinance in the City of West Saint Paul. The City Hall adress is 1616 Humboldt Ave. City staff will be available at the Open House to answer questions. All interested residents and property owners within the City are invited to attend this Open House. The proposed I/I ordinance would enable the City to inspect private sewer lines. It would also require the repair of broken sewer lines found during inspection. More informatoin on the Open House and the proposed ordinance can be found on the City's website at www.ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us You may also conntact City Engineer/Pubplic Works & Parks Director, Matt Saam, with any questions at 651-552-4130 or by email at matt.saam@ci.west-saint-paul.mn.us.
Brady's Shamelessness-Will They Ever Learn? This week's outrage comes, not surprisingly, from the Brady Center. You may recall back in May, we reported on the Brady Center prescribing its remedies for the horrific Virginia Tech slayings well before any of the facts were known. Not content to stop there, they even sent out an extremely distasteful fundraising solicitation seeking contributions in the amount of $32-one dollar for each of the Virginia Tech slayings.
You'd think the Brady Center would have learned its lesson after being pilloried for this stunt by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (among others), who said, "People who want to take this (the Tech shootings) within 24 hours of the event and make it, you know, their political hobby horse to ride, I've got nothing but loathing for them. To those who want to, you know, try to make this into some little crusade, you know, I say take that elsewhere. Let this community deal with grieving individuals and be sensitive to those needs."
Once again, though, the Brady Bunch has proven it has no learning curve.
We need to contact Senator Coleman on this ASAP!
There is an issue in Congress right now - the Energy Bill - known as SR 6.
Here is a little synopsis:
Democrat's House/Senate Energy Bill
Status: Headed for a House/Senate Conference Committee to work out the differences
Key points in the Democrat's Energy Bill:
1. Increases taxes on oil and natural gas - our energy supply
2. Gives tax credits/subsidies to "alternative energy" programs
3. Repeals/delays provision that encourage energy exploration domestically in America - which in turns sends people overseas
1. What's wrong with taxing oil and natural gas, our energy supply?- Higher taxes is not the free market way! This Energy Bill would raise taxes on U.S. oil companies by as much as $32 billion. This same-old, anti-market approach of higher taxes and increased regulations will not help consumers or reasonably grow the energy industry.
- Higher taxes will lead to higher energy prices for consumers and businesses. Because oil and gas will be more costly, costs will be just passed along to businesses and consumers. The Heritage Foundation's study found that under current policies, the price per gallon will be $3.67 in 2016. Under this bill, the price per gallon would be $6.41. Isn't $3 gas at the pump enough already without increased taxes?
2. Why is giving subsidies to "alternative energy" bad?- The free market should be deciding what is best - consumers - not the government. Policies should be fair for all energy sources, not favoring one over the other.
- Americans will use more energy in the future - specifically oil and gas. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that Americans will consume 28 percent more oil and 19 percent more natural gas in 2030 than was consumed in 2005. The Democrat's policy will make energy more expensive for the consumer in the future, and not help provide a stable supply of energy needed in the future to meet the growing demand.
3. How would repealing or delaying energy exploration in America affect us?
- New taxes and regulations on energy exploration will discourage new American oil and gas production and make us more dependent on foreign producers. Tax increases make domestic production more expensive compared to the cost of doing business overseas - making foreign oil more economically viable.
- Exploration in America helps our national security. The higher taxes proposed by the Democrat's in congress will make our nation more dependent on fuels from other countries - and more than likely, political volatile regions. This would be bad for America's economy and make America less secure.
Basically: Energy conservation should be a high national priority. Renewable fuels, despite their current limitations, should continue to be researched, developed and utilized to the extent possible. But any energy policy that circumvents the free market, increases the cost of domestic production, makes imports more attractive, and reduces capital investment in the nation’s energy infrastructure is a policy that reduces our nation’s energy security and increases the risk of a more volatile international situation that may put us in harm’s way
SENATOR COLEMAN ON THE ISSUE:
- Voted Yes on the Senate floor for the Senate bill, without the tax increases in it
- Leaning yes on the bill because of the ethanol subsidies for corn farmers in Minnesota – the “alternative energy” subsidies
WHO’S AGAINST THE BILL? MY SIDE: The majority of Republicans, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Taxpayer’s Union, National Association of Manufactures
WHO’S FOR THE BILL? The majority of Democrats, environmental organizations, Greenpeace
WHAT TO DO:
* Call Coleman’s office in St. Paul at 651.645.0323 and get Matt Ketelsen on the phone. He is very nice. Make the basic statement and a supporting statement (written below) and then he will ask for your name and address. He will not ask questions. This is very easy. Do not leave a message.
- If Matt Ketelsen is unavailable, call Tony Eberhard at the Washington DC office at 202.224.5641
- or try Gerald Woodley at the Mankato office at: 507-625-6800. Leaving messages will not help, we need to actually speak to them.
WHAT TO SAY:
Basic message: Senator Coleman, I encourage you to vote against the Democrat’s Energy Bill.
Examples of supporting statements:
* I see first hand what higher oil prices mean for my small business and for others in my community. These rising costs really affect my company and bottom line, and we’ll have to increase prices for our customers – other consumers as well. This will not help my bottom line, and our nation’s bottom line.
* I strongly urge you to NOT support increasing taxes. The free market through consumer decision is the best way to decide on energy sources, and also on prices. Government shouldn’t and cannot solve problems that the free market and consumers can do better!
* The energy bill headed for the house/senate conference committee will do more harm to my small business and employers like me. Please vote against this energy bill that includes tax increases and prohibits free markets from working!
* I strongly encourage you to oppose the Democrat’s energy bill because it raises taxes, gives, incentives to “alternative energy” that isn’t proven to work, and inhibits companies from providing lower-priced oil and natural gas right here in America, instead of going oversees to provide the same thing for a higher price.
* The cost of oil and natural gas are high enough!!! Three dollars at the pump is very high, and a real strain on my budget. Any further taxes put on by the government will have a real impact on my bottom line – and the consumers in the area as well. These harmful new taxes and regulations on the energy industry will only hurt people like me.
* Please DO NOT support tax increases on energy in America, and please DO support domestic energy exploration.
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For the second time in less than a week, Archbishop John Nienstedt has been publically vilified for simply communicating the Catholic Church’s teaching on human sexuality. In today’s Minneapolis Star Tribune, Nick Coleman castigated the Archbishop for his recent column in the Catholic Spirit newspaper in which the Archbishop concisely and charitably explained the Catholic Church's teaching regarding a homosexual's obligation to chastity and the Church's obligation to support and encourage such a chaste lifestyle. Nick Coleman’s criticisms, together with those of other homosexual activists, expose a deep-seated intolerance and hatred some have towards those who hold traditional values regarding human sexuality.
TAKE ACTION
Click here to send a note of thanks to Archbishop Nienstedt for having the courage to speak-out on the moral teachings of the Church.
Click here to write a letter to the editor in response to Nick Coleman's article attacking Archbishop Nienstedt.
Please FORWARD THIS MESSAGE to friends and family members.
I went to the library recently and realized that I no longer possessed a library card. When I asked about getting a new one , I was asked to provide valid identification.
I was at the Holiday gas station on Robert Street last week and the lady in front of me in line was asked to show her ID to purchase a pack of smokes. She appeared to me to be about thirty but the cashier was playing it safe.
Quite often, people are carded at the liquor store. If you are pulled over as the result of a traffic stop you must show your drivers license. If you go to the bank to conduct business you must show identification. If you go to a gun shop and purchase a firearm, you must show a valid ID.
At a local credit union, a St. Paul police officer became upset. He was refused service because he did not have his drivers license. He was in uniform and had his name tag on, but as the teller had told him, anyone could dress up like a cop and print up a name tag.
According to Mark Ritchie, Minnesota's Secretary of State, requiring valid photo ID would only disenfranchise voters. Why is it that every thing we do, we must show identification to conduct business in our day to day lives, but some do not think it should be required to vote?
I recently became aware of a study by Jeffrey D. Milyo, a professor at the University of Missouri. In this study, the professor claims that the new photo ID law in Indiana did not hurt voter turn out in a recent election and showed a 2 percent increase in democrat voter turn out from the 2002 election.
Click on this link to be further enlightened on this issue. It is an interesting article on the subject.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071127/NATION/111270031/1002
It is odd, in my opinion, that an ID is required for everything we do, but to exercise one of most important traditions of our democracy this issue would be contested. I have no qualms with same day registration as long as a photo ID is required.
Here is where you can make a difference and take the step toward protecting your 2nd amendment rights! Contribute to the NRA here! https://secure.nraila.org/Contribute.aspx
Sarah Brady and her gaggle of anti 2nd amendment numb nuts are busy preparing their own brief for the Supreme Court. We must support the NRA! Contribute here! https://secure.nraila.org/Contribute.aspx
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Fairfax, Va. - The United States Supreme Court today announced its decision to take up District of Columbia v. Heller-a case in which plaintiffs challenge the unconstitutional gun ban in the nation’s capital. The District of Columbia appealed a lower court’s ruling earlier this year affirming that the Second Amendment of the Constitution protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, and that the District’s bans on handguns, carrying firearms within the home, and possession of loaded or operable firearms for self-defense violate that right.
The NRA will participate in this case through briefs as a friend of the court. Oral arguments are likely to take place in early 2008.
In March, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit held that “[T]he phrase ‘the right of the people,’ when read intratextually and in light of Supreme Court precedent, leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual.” The D.C. Circuit also rejected the claim that the Second Amendment does not apply to the District of Columbia because D.C. is not a state.
The decision marks the first time a Second Amendment challenge to a firearm law has reached the Supreme Court since 1939.
The public can attend one of three workshops at the end of November and early December where comments will be collected as part of the Robert Street Corridor Transit Feasibility Study. The study will evaluate transit alternatives to identify opportunities and impacts to improve transit along the Robert Street corridor.
Transit options being considered along primary county transportation corridors include light rail transit, bus rapid transit, modern streetcars, and express buses. Possible corridors include Robert Street and South Robert Trail, Highways 52 and 55, Highway 110 and Mendota Road, Yankee Doodle Road and 80th Street, and County Road 42.
Workshops will be held at:
Dakota County Northern Service Center
1 Mendota Road W., West St. Paul
Wednesday, Nov. 28, 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m., presentation at 4 p.m.
Dakota County Technical College
1300 145th St. E. (County 42), Rosemount
Thursday, Nov. 29, 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m., presentation at 6:30 p.m
(in the Dakota Room- off west parking lot)
Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building
179 Robie St. E., St. Paul
Wednesday, Dec. 5, 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m., presentation at 6 p.m.
The workshops are part of Dakota County’s development of a long-term transit vision for the County. The study, conducted in collaboration with the Dakota County Regional Railroad Authority, Ramsey County Regional Railroad Authority and local municipalities provides local decision makers and stakeholders with tools to develop transportation solutions to congestion and transportation issues for the future. To guide the study, the County hired a consultant, URS Corporation, and assembled a Technical Advisory Committee and a Steering Committee, which includes elected officials and staff from throughout the study area.
The study area extends from downtown Saint Paul to Rosemount and from Highway 35E to the Mississippi River. It includes the cities of Saint Paul, West St. Paul, South St. Paul, Lilydale, Sunfish Lake, Inver Grove Heights, and portions of Mendota, Mendota Heights, Rosemount, and Eagan.The study will also consider transportation opportunities in the UMorePark area. Population in the corridor is expected to increase by 44percent, and employment by 27 percent by the year 2030.
For more information visit: www.dakotacounty.us and enter “Robert Street” in the search feature. Dakota County’s Office of Transit coordinates public transit planning services for Dakota County residents. The Office’s mission is to improve existing and future mobility needs within Dakota County through comprehensive transit planning and innovative and progressive project development.
The source of the following quotes are from the House Republican Conference and press reports. Watching Hillary's campaign makes me think that she sure has learned quite a lot from her husband on double-speak. They have turned it into an art form.
"We need to provide a tax credit of up to $800 per child to ease the burden on working families."
-Bill Clinton, March 1992
"We will lower the tax burden on middle-class Americans. Middle-class taxpayers will have a choice between a children's tax credit or a significant reduction in their income tax rate."
-Bill Clinton, "Putting People First"
"We should cut middle-class taxes immediately by 10 percent."
-Bill Clinton, Campaign Document, September, 1992
"We want to give modest middle-class tax relief to restore some fairness, especially to middle-class people with families with incomes of under $60,000 per year."
-Bill Clinton, First Presidential Debate, October, 1992
"I've offered a comprehensive plan to get our economy moving again. It starts with a tax cut for the middle class." -Bill Clinton, First Campaign Ad, January 1992
"I want to make it very clear that this middle-class tax cut, in my view, is central to any attempt we're going to make to have a short term economic strategy."
-Bill Clinton, January 19, 1992
"From New Hampshire forward, for reasons that absolutely mystified me, the press thought the most important issue in the race was the middle-class tax cut. I never did meet any voter who thought that."
-Bill Clinton, Press Conference, January 14, 1993
"I will slash boondoggle projects."
-Bill Clinton, "Putting People First"
"We're slashing subsidies and canceling wasteful projects. Many of these programs were justified in their time and a lot of them were difficult for me personally .... We're going to have no sacred cows."
-Bill Clinton, State of the Union, February 18, 1993
"The Clinton team's search for programs 'that don't work or are no longer needed' found only eleven."
-The Wall Street Journal, March23, 1993
"I will not raise taxes on the middle class."
-Bill Clinton, June 21, 1992
"I'm not going to raise taxes on the middle class."
-Bill Clinton, July 13, 1992
"The middle class has paid through the nose for a decade. We have to be somewhat wary of making a problem of inadequate income even worse by taxing people whose incomes are going down. That's my premise."
-Bill Clinton, Quoted in Time, July 20, 1992
"I had hoped to invest in your future without asking more of you. And I've worked harder than I've ever worked in my life to meet that goal. But I can't."
-Bill Clinton, Oval Office Address, February 15, 1993, Announcing Middle-Class Tax Increase After Being in Office Less Than One Month
"I can tell you this. I'm not going to raise taxes on middle-income Americans to pay for the programs I've recommended. If the money does not come in to pay for these programs, we will cut other government spending or we will slow down the phase-in of these programs."
-Bill Clinton, Last Presidential Debate, October 19, 1992
$178 billion: cost of Clinton's proposed new spending.
$173 billion: revenues raised under Clinton plan from Social Security, income, energy, and gas taxes.
-Bill Clinton's Budget Document, "A Vision of Change for America," February 1993
"It is a disgrace to the American people that the president of the United States would make a claim that is so baseless, that is so without foundation, so shameless in its attempt to get votes under false pretenses."
-Bill Clinton, October 1, 1992, in Response to a Bush-Quayle Ad That People With Incomes of as little as $36,000 would pay more taxes under the Clinton plan.
"There are [tax] increases for every family making more than $20,000 a year."
-New York Times Analysis of Clinton's budget
"When I began the campaign, the projected deficit was $250 billion a year, not $400 billion."
-Bill Clinton, quoted in Business Week, July 6, 1992
"When I started in New Hampshire working with those numbers, we felt the deficit was going to be around $250 billion a year, not $400 billion."
-Bill Clinton, quoted in Time, July 20, 1992
"The deficit of this country is about $50 billion a year bigger than I was told it was going to be before the election."
-Bill Clinton, February 10, 1993, after "discovering" that the deficit was $290 billion, $110 billion less than he had claimed in July
"My plan will cut the deficit in four years and assure that the deficit continues to fall each year after that."
-Bill Clinton, June20, 1992
"My economics package will cut $500 billion from the deficit in five years."
-Bill Clinton, press conference, March 23, 1993
Deficit in 1998 with Clinton budget: $234 billion.
Deficit in 2001 with Clinton budget: $401 billion.
-Bill Clinton's budget document, "A Vision of Change for America," February 1993
"I don't like to use the word sacrifice."
-Bill Clinton, May 1992
"It will not be easy. It will require sacrifice."
-Bill Clinton, January 1993"
My plan is basically 50-50, spending cuts and revenues the first four years."
-Bill Clinton, February 1993
"If the Senate will adopt a budget resolution like the House did, the American people will know we are not going to raise taxes until we cut spending, and we are going to create jobs."
-Bill Clinton, press conference, March 1993
Net new taxes: $267 billion- Net new spending cuts: $55 billion- 83 percent taxes, 17 percent spending cuts
-Congressional Budget Office analysis of Clinton budget, March 1993
"He [Bush] hasn't fought a real war on crime and drugs. I will."
-Bill Clinton, Democratic National Convention, July 16, 1992
121 positions at the Office of National Drug Control Policy eliminated. Policy of random drug testing for White House staff revoked.
-White House announcement, February 9, 1993
"I think President Bush played racial politics with the Haitian refugees. I wouldn't be shipping those poor poeple back."-Bill Clinton, March 27, 1992
"The practice of returning those who fled by boat will continue, for the time being, after I become president. Those who do leave Haiti by boat will be stopped and directly returned by the United States Coast Guard."
-Bill Clinton, January 14, 1993"My Haiti policy is not the same as the Bush policy."-Bill Clinton, January 14, 1993
"Administration to Defend Bush Haitian Policy in Court."
-The Washington Post, March 1, 1993
"If [Mr. Hussein] wants a different relationship with the Untied States, all he has to do is change his behavior."
-Bill Clinton, Quoted in The New York Times, January 13, 1993
"Everybody who heard those conversations was astonished that such a conclusion could be drawn. Nobody asked me about normalization."
-Bill Clinton, January 14, 1993, Denying that he made conciliatory remarks regarding Saddam Hussein
"The president inadvertently forgot that he was asked and he regrets denying that it was asked."
-George Stephanopoulis, January 15, 1993, After New York Times transcripts revealed that Clinton had been specifically asked about "normal relations" and "normalization," not once, but five times.
"We call for an immediate repeal of the ban on gays and lesbians serving in United States Armed Forces."
-Bill Clinton, campaign document, October 1992
"I was frankly appalled that we spent so much time in the first week on geys in the military."
-Bill Clinton, Februaury 10, 1993
"Senators in the other party wanted it dealt with now. I actually spent very little time on the issue myself."
-Bill Clinton, February 10, 1993, a few minutes later
"I am going to ask them [Congress] to cut spending in a broad range of areas."
-Bill Clinton, February 10, 1993, referring to budget that cuts spending primarily in one area: the military
"As long as I am president, I will do everything I cna do to make sure that the men and women who serve under the American flag will remain the best trained, the best prepared, the best equipped fighting force in the world."
-Bill Clinton, Joint Session of Congress, Februaury 17, 1993
"I will save the country $700 billion by the turn of the century under my proposals to cap health care costs."
-Bill Clinton, September 24, 1992"This plan is not play or pay. It wil require no new taxes."-Bill Clinton, September 24, 1992, in a speech on his health-care plan to employees of Merck Pharmaceuticals in Rahway, New Jersey
"Clinton Health Plan to Cost $100 Billion a Year."
-Washington Times, April 23, 1993
"The health-care task force has just met."
-Bill Clinton, announcig the formation of the task force of 526 members under Hillary Clinton, January 25, 1992
"The health-care task force has never met."
-argument made by White House lawyers before federal judge Royce Lamberth on the legality of the closed task force meetings, March 1993
"I did not mean to float a trial balloon about a national sales tax. It's not under consideration at this time. Ten to 15 years away."
-Bill Clinton, February 19, 1993
"We have to reject tax-and-spend economics."
-Bill Clinton, National League of Cities conference, March 8, 1993
"Certainly, we're looking at a VAT tax."
-Donna Shalala, Secratary of Health and Human Services, April 15, 1993
"The problem with the structural deficit is rooted in the early 1980s when we cut income taxes and increased defense spending."
-Bill Clinton, "Putting People first"
Individual income taxes 1980: $244 billion
Individual income taxes 1992: $476 billion
National defense budget 1980: 5.1 percent of GDP
National defense budget 1992: 5.0 percent of GDP
-U. S. Budget Office, January 1993
"I'm sure-after almost five weeks in office-that there are more [budget] cuts coming."
-Bill Clinton, U. S. Chamber of Commerce, February 1993
"The president had no specific cuts in mind and no schedule for masking them."
-George Stephanopoulos, the next day
"We don't need to tamper with Social Security."
-Bill Clinton, September 1992
"The budget plan does ask older Americans with higher incomes who do not rely solely on Social Security to get by or contribute more."
-Bill Clinton, State of the Union, January 1993
"I have confirmed that I intend to present to the leadership in Congress a plan of action for the first hundred days of the next presidency."
-Bill Clinton, June 6, 1992
"If I'm elected, I'll have the bills ready the day after I'm inaugurated. I'll send them to Congress and we'll have a hundred-day period."
-Bill Clinton, "Good Morning America" June23, 1992
"My first one hundred days will be the most productive in modern history."
-Bill Clinton, June 1992
"People of the press are expecting to have some 100-day program. We never had one."
-Dee Dee Myers, January 12, 1993
A comment from a recent reader aroused my curiosity. The person who left the comment is involved with,
http://www.voteforhillaryonline.com/
After checking out this website, I was instantly amused by this paragraph.
Initially, the intent of this website was to promote Hillary Clinton and ensure that she is elected president in 2008. We were going to list her positions on this website, but because of how quickly her positions change on each issue, we simply don't have the staff to be able to keep up with all the updates. For now though, we have for you an outstanding clip from the last Democratic debate.
Is this supposed to be helpful to her campaign? I think not by a long shot. And I bet it will be updated really quick after they read this!! Hillary brings new meaning to flip-flop!
This clip from Youtube.com is hilarious! Just like the democrats march out little kids to stand behind when they "inform" us of the latest social crisis. How they stand behind these children and inform us "it's for the children." This video does a great job of parodying them.
Here is the latest from that wannabe kook, Chavez. He has nationalized the oil industry of his nation. He has nationalized the media of Venezuela. He is now busy changing their constitution so he can be president for life. Government sponsored paramilitary troops have recently opened fire on an estimated 250,000 student protesters who oppose his socialist rule. Chavez is doing all he can to be the next Castro. And Hollywood and Sean Penn tell us what a great guy Chavez is. Why, because he bashes our President. Go out and rent the movie Team America, World Police. If you have not seen it yet, you will be amused by the members of The Film Actors Guild, also known by the acronym FAG. Sean Penn is a member, which is a good roll for him.
Saturday November 17, 3:04 pm ET
By Sebastian Abbot, Associated Press Writer
Chavez, at OPEC Meeting, Warns US Attack on Iran or Venezuela Would Raise Oil Prices
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) -- In his opening address of a rare OPEC summit, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned the United States on Saturday that oil prices would further surge if the U.S. contemplates an attack against his country or Iran.
Minutes after Chavez declared that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries should "assert itself as an active political agent," Saudi King Abdullah appeared to rebuke the Venezuelan, insisting that "OPEC has always acted moderately and wisely."
"Oil shouldn't be a tool for conflict, it should be a tool for development," said the king, a close U.S. ally whose country is the world's largest oil producer.
The OPEC summit opened Saturday in Saudi Arabia, with heads of states and delegates from 12 of the world's biggest oil-producing nations. Chavez warned that the U.S. should not target OPEC members for foreign policy reasons.
"If the United States attempts the madness of invading Iran or attacking Venezuela again, the price of oil is probably going to reach $200, not just $100," Chavez said.
While Iran has been in a standoff with the U.S. over its nuclear program, left-wing Chavez is a bitter antagonist of President Bush.
"We are witnessing constant threats against Iran. I think OPEC should strengthen itself in this capacity and demand respect for the sovereignty of our nations, if the developed world wants a guaranteed supply of oil."
It was the third full OPEC summit since the organization was created in 1960.
The run-up to the meeting was dominated by speculation over whether OPEC would raise production following recent oil price increases that have closed in on $100.
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman called on OPEC to increase production earlier this week, but cartel officials have said they will hold off any decision until the group meets next month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
They have also cast doubt on the effect any output hike would have on oil prices, saying the recent rise has been driven by the falling dollar and financial speculation by investment funds, rather than any supply shortage.
Saudi Arabia opposed a move by Iran on Friday to have OPEC include concerns over the falling dollar included in the summit's closing statement after the weekend meeting.
I recently received the latest per diem records for our state senators. There are some interesting figures in this list. First, lets start with the members of the Rules Committee. They are responsible for the 45% increase to their own per diem. They did this without a senate vote! They are privileged enough to do this on their own!
Larry Pogemiller, DFL Minneapolis
Per Diem, $15,894.00
Mileage $677.91
Other $1500.00
Total $18,071.91
Tarryl Clark, DFL St Cloud
Per Diem, $16,436.00
Mileage, $3,142.09
Other $9,667.20
Total $29,245.29
David Senjem, Republican Rochester
Per Diem, $13,440.00
Mileage, $1907.02
Other, $11,353.04
Total, $26,700.06
Thomas Bakk, DFL Virginia This man has taken more from us taxpayers than any other senator!
Per Diem, $17,406.00
Mileage, $10,375.61 Number two! My boss pays me forty cents per mile. At that rate Tom Bakk has claimed close to 26,000 miles. Divide that by 60 miles per hour and you get over 433 hours of driving. That is close to 11 working weeks of driving time! If he is doing all that driving, when is he at the capitol? If he is driving back and forth to home, why is he claiming so much "Other" expenses such as housing allowance?
Other, $15,255.66
Total, $43,037.27 Number One!
Linda Berglin, DFL Minneapolis
Per Diem, $18,144.00
Mileage, $167.83
Other, $3520.81
Total, $21,832.64
Richard Cohen, DFL St Paul
Per Diem, $11,687.50
Mileage, $0.00
Other, $1,575.00
Total, $13,262.50
Dennis Frederickson, Republican New Ulm
Per Diem, $14,400.00
Mileage, $5,117.69
Other, $11,439.72
Total, $30,957.41
Keith Langseth, DFL Glyndon
Per Diem, $16,236.00
Mileage, $10,829.35 Number One! See Thomas Bakk! Above
Other, $11,903.43
Total, $38,968.78
Jim Metzen, DFL South St Paul This man claims a 15 mile round trip to the capitol. Mileage information is available in the Senate Journal
Per Diem, $14,784.00
Mileage, $321.08 What for? His round trip to work and back?
Other, $725.00
Total, $15,830.08
Gen Olson, Republican Minnetrista
Per Diem, $14,688.00
Mileage, $443.29 She lives in Minnetrista. This is quite a bit further than South Saint Paul!
Other, $1,868.69
Total, $16,999.98
Mee Moua, DFL St Paul is the number one taxpayer gouger in per diem. And she lives on Saint Paul's east side! She probably lives closer to the capitol than any other senator! She could easily set a fine example to all of us and ride a bike to session!
Per Diem, $19,266.00 Number One!
Mileage, $0.00
Other, $4,105.24 What is this for? I am quite sure she does not receive any housing allowance.
Total, $23,371.24
Ray Vandeveer, Republican Forest Lake This man is responsible for bringing attention to the Rules Committee's behavior and causing our senators to declare on the senate floor whether they will be taking the full $96.00 per day.
Per Diem, $9,174.00
Mileage, $0.00
Other, $1,200.00
Total, $10,374.00
Other Notables,
Richard Day, Republican Owatonna He has taken the least amount of per diem than any other senator!
Per Diem, $8,844.00
Mileage, $3,729.25
Other, $8,934.13
Total, $21,507.38
Pat Pariseau, Republican Farmington Senator Pariseau lives quite a bit further than our own Senator Metzen. Just look at how much more money Senator Metzen feels he is entitled too!
Per Diem, $9,732.00
Mileage, $31.04
Other, $2,357.28
Total, $12,120.32
Leroy Stumpf, DFL Plummer
Per Diem, $14,610.00
Mileage, $10,029.85 Number four on the mileage list! See Thomas Bakk!
Other, $11,912.33
Total, $36,552.18 Number four overall!
David Tomassoni, DFL Chisholm
Per Diem, $17,700.00 Fourth in per diem!
Mileage, $10,152.13 Third in mileage!
Other, $12,824.12
Total, $40,676.25 Number two!
Those who have claimed zero mileage.
Don Betzold, DFL Fridley
Jim Carlson, DFL Eagan
Richard Cohen, DFL St. Paul
Tony Lourey, DFL Kerrick
Geoff Michel, Republican Edina
Mee Moua, DFL St Paul
Julianne Ortman, Republican Chanhassen
Those that have claimed less than $100.00 in mileage. All of these senators live further away from the capitol than our own Senator Metzen yet he claims more mileage than any of them.
D. Scott Dibble, DFL Minneapolis $63.05
John Doll, DFL Burnsville $91.18
David Hann, Republican Eden Prairie $54.32
Linda Higgins, DFL Minneapolis $11.64
Debbie J. Johnson, Republican Ham Lake $58.20
Dan Larson, DFL Bloomington $95.06
Ron Latz, DFL St. Louis Park $15.52
Pat Pariseau, Republican Farmington $31.04
Patricia Ray, DFL Minneapolis $40.74
Tom Tancredo has the brass stones to tell it like it is. Watch his new commercial and see for yourself! Then look him up and send him a check. You can find out how right here! http://teamtancredo.org/
This is a press release from House Minority Leader Marty Seifert. He points out that in just one year of House democratic control, the budget for the myriad amount of committees is doubled from $324,000 under the previouss Republican controlled House, to $646,000 under democratic control.
This is from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
Hamline University Student Suspended After Advocating Concealed Carry for Students
School Orders Psychological Evaluation
October 10, 2007
FIRE Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn., October 10, 2007—Hamline University has suspended a student after he sent an e-mail suggesting that the Virginia Tech massacre might have been stopped if students had been allowed to carry concealed weapons on campus. Student Troy Scheffler is now required to undergo a mandatory “mental health evaluation” before being allowed to return to school. Scheffler, who was suspended without due process just two days after sending the e-mail, has turned to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) for help.
“Hamline’s punishment of Troy Scheffler is severe, unfair, and apparently unwarranted,” FIRE President Greg Lukianoff said. “Peacefully advocating for students’ ability to carry a concealed weapon as a response to the Virginia Tech shootings may be controversial, but it simply does not justify ordering a mandatory psychological evaluation.”
On April 17, 2007, Hamline’s Vice President of Student Affairs, David Stern, sent an e-mail to the campus community offering extra counseling for Hamline students in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings. Later that day, Scheffler responded directly to Stern, arguing that Virginia Tech’s ban on concealed weapons was part of the problem and advocating that Hamline eliminate its similar policies. Scheffler also wrote that the university’s diversity programs may have angered some in the student body, himself included.
On April 19, 2007, Hamline University President Linda Hanson e-mailed the campus community again to address the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Scheffler responded directly to Hanson and again criticized the university’s concealed weapons ban, academic standards, financial policies, and the university’s efforts to promote diversity.
Hanson replied to Scheffler on Friday, April 20, offering him a chance to meet with university personnel to discuss his views the following week. Yet on Monday, April 23, before Scheffler was even able to respond to Hanson’s invitation, he received a hand-delivered letter from Dean of Students Alan Sickbert notifying him that his e-mails to Stern and Hanson were “deemed to be threatening and thus an alleged violation of the Hamline University Judicial Code.”
Sickbert’s letter also informed Scheffler that he was being placed on immediate “interim suspension” that could not be lifted unless he agreed to a “mental health evaluation” by a licensed mental health professional.
FIRE wrote to President Hanson on May 29, 2007, vehemently opposing the sanctions against Scheffler, since neither of Scheffler’s e-mails even came close to meeting the legal definition of a “threat.” FIRE also pointed out that Hamline maintains a “Freedom of Expression and Inquiry” policy that encourages the public expression of opinions and the freedom to examine and discuss all questions of interest. FIRE wrote that “it is difficult to reconcile these admirable commitments to freedom of expression with Hamline’s hasty actions against Scheffler.”
FIRE also informed Hamline administrators that subjecting Scheffler to a mandatory psychological evaluation poses a grave threat to liberty at Hamline. FIRE wrote, “A psychological evaluation, to be overseen by a Hamline administrator, is one of the most invasive and disturbing intrusions upon Scheffler’s individual right to private conscience imaginable. Because Scheffler has shown no proclivity toward violence and has made no threatening comments, this psychological evaluation seeks to assess his political opinions….”
Hanson responded to FIRE on June 11, 2007, claiming that there were several reasons for Scheffler’s suspension, including the e-mails, his failure to meet with administrators when invited, and “critical input from various members of the Hamline community.” FIRE addressed each of those claims in another letter to Hanson on September 17, 2007. Not only did FIRE reiterate that Scheffler’s e-mails were not threats, but it also pointed out that Scheffler was given less than one full business day before his suspension to respond to the invitation from school officials to discuss his views. FIRE also noted that the alleged information from “various members of the Hamline community,” which supposedly played a role in determining Scheffler’s sanctions, had not even been revealed to Scheffler himself, denying him the right to defend himself or present his side of the story. In a September 28, 2007, response, Hamline’s attorneys refused to address FIRE’s concerns that Scheffler has been denied his due process rights.
“How can Scheffler hope to defend himself when Hamline refuses even to tell him what he is accused of doing?” FIRE Vice President Robert Shibley asked. “Hamline’s policies promise freedom of expression and basic due process to its students, but this case brings the sincerity of those promises into serious question. FIRE calls on President Hanson to either admit that the suspension and order for a ‘mental health evaluation’ had no justifiable basis or give Scheffler all the information he needs to respond to the charges against him.”
FIRE is a nonprofit educational foundation that unites civil rights and civil liberties leaders, scholars, journalists, and public intellectuals from across the political and ideological spectrum on behalf of individual rights, due process, freedom of expression, academic freedom, and rights of conscience at our nation’s colleges and universities. FIRE’s efforts to preserve liberty across America can be viewed at thefire.org.
CONTACT:
Robert Shibley, Vice President, FIRE: 215-717-3473; robert@thefire.org
Linda Hanson, President, Hamline University: 651-523-2202; lhanson@hamline.eduDavid Stern, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, Hamline University: 651‑523-2088; dstern02@hamline.edu
Just a few weeks ago in northern Dakota County there were several Robert Street Transit Study workshops. I think that the most discouraging part of all of this was the lack of people that showed up. One lady expressed her desire for a personal helicopter for her transportation needs. I asked several questions and the one that you may find interesting is that according to the Metro Transit report for 2006 from the National Transit Data Base reports that overall Metro Transit received 32% of their operating costs from the farebox. It appears that the LRT (Hiawatha light rail line) gets about 42% of LRT operating costs from the farebox and the bus system gets about 31% of bus operating costs from the farebox. The balance is paid by you and I, with our taxes.
You may find this interesting. Senator Metzen and Representative Hanson introduced these bills asking for $6,000,000 to appropriate from the bond proceeds fund to the Metropolitan Council for environmental studies, engineering, real property acquisition, and construction of passenger facilities for the Robert Street corridor transitway along a corridor on or parallel to U.S. Highway 52 and Robert Street from within the city of St. Paul to Dakota County Road 42 in Rosemount.
House File 2540
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H2540.0.html&session=ls85
Senate File 2341
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S2341.0.html&session=ls85
So far $500,000 has been appropriated for this study. Now, before the study is even complete, they want $6,000,000 to start the process of purchasing land and build passenger facilities. Don't you think that our present infrastructure, (roads and bridges), should take priority? How much of our taxpayer money is going to be wasted on frivolous light rail lines when the money is needed for more important things?
Now check this out!
House File 2407
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H2407.0.html&session=ls85
Senate File 2156
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S2156.0.html&session=ls85
These little items ask for $500,000 to be appropriated from bond proceeds to study the feasibility of a high-speed rail line between Rochester and the Union Depot Concourse Multimodal Transit Hub in down town St. Paul. What really amuses me is that the Union Depot may have to get nixed from the Central Corridor light Rail plans because of the incredible cost of that project. Add on to that the revelation of having to rebuild or retrofit the Washington Avenue bridge any amount between $30,000,000 and $400,000,000 of our taxpayer money.
Also, here is a new one for you.
House File 246
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=ceH0246.1.html&session=ls85
and
Senate File 189
http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0189.0.html&session=ls85
These ask for $500,000 to study the feasibility of combining the Southwest Rail Transit Corridor with the Interstate Highway 394 Corridor between downtown Minneapolis and a point of divergence west of downtown.
All of this went on early last session. I am sure all of this gives you some idea of what is going on behind the scenes and is a good example of why we have to pay attention. I am reminded of the phrase "visions of the anointed." Our elected officials feel that they are anointed by us voters to fulfil their visions. All while spending our money.
Who said...
1)"We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."
A. Karl Marx
B. Adolph Hitler
C. Joseph Stalin
D. None of the above
2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few...and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."
A. Lenin
B. Mussolini
C. Idi Amin
D. None of the Above
3) "(We)...can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."
A. Nikita Khrushev
B. Josef Goebbels
C. Boris Yeltsin
D. None of the above
4) "We have to build a political consensus and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own...in order to create this common ground."
A. Mao Tse Dung
B. Hugo Chavez
C. Kim Jong Il
D. None of the above
5) "I certainly think the free-market has failed."
A. Karl Marx
B. LeninC. Molotov
D. None of the above
6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy that they are being watched."
A. Pinochet
B. Milosevic
C. Saddam Hussein
D. None of the above
Answers below:
(1) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/29/2004
(2) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 5/29/2007
(3) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(4) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(5) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 6/4/2007
(6) D. None of the above. Statement was made by Hillary Clinton 9/2/2005
Pretty scary!!!
This is from the Minnesota Taxpayers League. I believe it's time for me to check up on Metzen, Hanson, and Atkins. They live only five minutes from the capitol but sure seem to feel entitled to tap us taxpayers for all they can get.
I have been discussing the per diem issue with various people all summer. Some say that our legislators should just give themselves a raise and be done with their helter skelter use of per diem. If they vote for a raise, it will not take affect until after the next election. And with 2008 being an election year, I think they fear the implications that could cause them. I have heard the argument that for us to have the best people step up to represent us, they must be justly compensated. I don't go for that one bit. In New Hampshire legislators are paid $100. The people of New Hampshire have representatives who feel it is their civic duty to step up, rather than it being a second job.
We all know that when politicians need a few bucks to cover some desperately desired item of spending they can simply raise taxes or fees. Of course you and I don’t have this option when bills come due at the end of the month so we’re forced to budget and make choices. Why so many elected officials can’t understand this has always puzzled me. Don’t they have to make tough choices around the kitchen table, too? Well, according to this story from the Star Tribune, I now realize they don’t. They just increase their salary when money gets a little tight. That’s exactly what a number of state legislators are doing when they claim ridiculous per diem expenses – in some cases doubling their $31,000 a year legislative salaries. State Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston), chair of the House Transportation Committee, “said many who top the lists are committee chairmen from communities far from St. Paul. Many of those committees conduct business even when the Legislature is not in session.” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the other problem. What part of the world “adjournment” don’t legislators understand? Granted, the 35W bridge collapse has necessitated an increased number of transportation committee hearings. But what possible business does the Capitol Restoration Working Group or the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources have that needs to be accomplished now? Go home! And if you try and say that these kinds of meetings are important but they get lost in the shuffle during regular legislative sessions, that’s a pretty good clue that the work you’re doing is worthless.
Gene sent me the link for this great website. It provides us with more information and reminders of what we have witnessed in the past and what we can expect to see if Hillary, (God forbid!) gets elected.
Here it is,
http://www.wyomingway.com/hillary_clinton.htm
Check it and be educated!
Her proposal to give every infant an account with $5000 in it will cost about $20 billion dollars per year. It was reported in the paper that about 4 million baby's are born annually in the United States. She has not mentioned how this will be payed for.
This is from the National Review,
Criminal Behavior
By The Editors
There are two kinds of crooks. The first cuts a deal. He tells the government what he knows and forever after is ostracized and hunted by his old partners in crime. The second is “stand-up.” He keeps his mouth shut. After serving his time, he is welcomed back into the fold. He might even get a “bump up” in rank from his grateful bosses.
No, we’re not talking about The Sopranos. What we have in mind is a new episode of a tawdry soap opera that began in the 1990s. Welcome to the case of disgraced former national security adviser Sandy Berger — and what it portends about a potential President Hillary.
Now Berger is back in business at Camp Clinton, advising New York’s junior senator in her bid for the White House. This warrants a review of Berger’s recent history. After his stint as national security adviser, he became Bill Clinton’s liaison to the 9/11 Commission as it investigated intelligence failures (many of which happened on Berger’s watch). Berger was accordingly given access to the national archives, both to prepare his own testimony and to get the former president ready for an interview with the commission.
Berger used his privileged access to steal top-secret national-defense documents. On at least two occasions he stuffed them into his clothing and briefcase, smuggling them out of the archives. He secreted some of these stolen papers under the wheel of a truck at a nearby construction site so that he could return for them later. Other documents he intentionally destroyed. These actions were serious felonies.
Berger’s behavior was so strange that the government noticed and investigated. Berger then lied to the authorities, denying what he had done and absurdly claiming he had taken the documents in an honest mistake. Only later did he fess up to his theft.
Because the archives lacked filing controls, it is impossible to know exactly how much Berger stole. Yet — as our Byron York has reported — among the highly classified haul were various drafts of an “after-action report” prepared by top Clinton counterterrorism officials after the Customs Service, in a stroke of luck, foiled the millennium plot to bomb Los Angeles International Airport. That report has been widely described as a scathing internal assessment of the Clinton administration’s performance and state of preparedness for domestic terrorist attack. It was highly relevant to the 9/11 Commission’s investigation, as was the manner in which it was finalized and the question whether the Clinton administration acted on its recommendations.
Yet the commission was not told about Berger’s unlawful actions. He was not questioned about them, and the public has never been permitted to see copies of what he took (such copies are said to exist). President Clinton and the Clinton Library are conveniently immune to Freedom of Information Act disclosure requests for 12 years. And the Bush Justice Department shamefully tucked this whole affair under the rug by permitting Berger to plead guilty to a misdemeanor, effectively shielding him from public disclosure of the evidence.
What kind of advice is Berger giving Mrs. Clinton, anyway? It can’t be legal advice: Berger forfeited his law license. It’s unlikely he’d be much help on Iran: The Clinton administration didn’t respond to the Khobar Towers bombing (in which19 U.S. Air Force personnel were killed) because Berger and others were convinced that then–Iranian president Mohammed Khatami was going to “reform” the hard-line mullahs. Berger failed on al Qaeda, too: Clinton declined to respond to the terror network’s bombing of the U.S.S. Cole (17 U.S. Navy personnel killed) because, according to Clinton, Berger’s intelligence services couldn’t tell him who did it.
Sandy Berger was a failure as national-security adviser. Then he became a criminal. As Americans contemplate making Hillary their president, they would be wise to consider the company she keeps.
This man is an American Hero and if he is ever prosecuted for such patriotic activities I will be the first to contribute to his legal fund.
A video of a veteran upset about a Mexican flag being flown above an American flag in Reno is popping up on Web sites and prompted a response Wednesday by police on displaying the American flag.
KRNV News 4 broadcast a story on Monday of a U.S. veteran, Jim Broussard, cutting down the U.S. flag flying above the bar and taking it away in protest of what the station reported was an illegal display of the flag.
“I took this flag down in honor of my country with a knife from the U.S. Army,” Broussard told the TV station.
“I’m not going to see this happen to my country,” he said. “I want to see someone fight me for this flag.”
Reno police received numerous inquiries about the legality of flying a foreign flag above the American flag. A Fourth Street cantina was identified as the site of the incident captured on video by News 4.
The United States Code establishes a protocol for the display of the American flag in relation to other flags displayed in the same location, Reno police say. But the protocol is advisory and is not a criminal statute. No sanction is in place for violation of the protocol and is not enforceable by local law enforcement.Nevada Revised Statutes contain provisions relating to the display of the American flag and the Nevada State flag.
“However, none of those provisions make it unlawful to violate the protocol established in the U.S. Code,” the city said in its news release Wednesday. “There are no provisions in the Nevada Revised Statutes regarding the display of flags of other countries
.”If any individual reports a crime, Reno police would take the report. If the facts warranted would investigate and then submit to the prosecutor’s office for a review regarding the potential for prosecution of the crime, the city said.“It is the policy of the Reno Police Department to protect life and property and to ensure that everyone’s rights are protected,” the release added.
-- The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Here is a very classy video from the Ron Paul camp. I differ with Ron Paul when it comes to leaving Iraq immediately. I feel we need to finish the job there. When we left Viet Nam, millions died. If we just get up and leave Iraq it would spark an instant civil war and a blood bath.
I agree with Ron Paul on numerous issues. Low taxes, small government, personal freedoms, a return to basic consitiutional principals and values, all of which I agree with.
![](<a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/img/banner1-square.jpg"></a>)
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