ATTENTION: SOUTH ST PAUL VFW

By Mark Mohr

Your Senator Metzen twice voted (SF238) on March 28th, 2007 to stop you from having a smoke in your VFW in South St Paul!

Senator Metzen is way out of line on this issue as it relates to your VFW.

Veterans put their very life on the line for our liberty; at the least we can do is allow them the freedom to have a smoke with their beer.

I'm sure Senator Metzen would allow a lobbyist to smoke when they booze it up in his state senate office.

Call him, 651.296.4370 and ask him why you can't lite em up in your private club.

I remember Jim talking last campaign season about a "friend" that had recently spent about $100,000.00 installing a ventilation system in his bar and restaurant. He also said that it would be a shame for his "friend" to have spent all this money and then have the senate ban smoking state wide. He said that he felt some sort of compromise was in order.

The big thing I learned about Senator Metzen last fall was that he never takes a controversial stand on anything. Go online and do a search of "Metzen voting record" You will quickly see that he sits on the fence and goes which ever way the wind blows. Take for instance the concealed carry bill. His only reason for voting "yes" was because he new it was going to pass. That is how a career politician keeps his job.

Mohr / Jungbauer elected 39A BPOU Chair and Deputy Chair

PRESS RELEASE: March 24th, 2007


Mark Mohr, 1466 Charlton Street, West St. Paul, MN was elected “Chair” of the 39A Republicans BPOU (Basic Political Operating Unit). In his acceptance, Mark Mohr was humbled by his election and promised to bring a grassroots organizational outlook to his agenda of: Better educational opportunities for Minnesota’s children, lower property taxes for working families, and more affordable health care with control of your health, in your hands, not the providers, insurance company bureaucrats, or hospital insiders.

Bill Jungbauer was elected Deputy-Chair and promised to continue his campaign to vigorously defend the constitutional rights of the people, promote positive growth, and lower property taxes, from a hard working, blue collar worker prospective.

W. St. Paul Park and Rec. Board

I am proud to announce that I am a member of the W. St. Paul Park and Recreation Advisory Board. Be sure to bring your children to our Easter Celebration with the Teddy Bear Band.
This event will be on Saturday, April 7, 2007 at the Thompson Park Dakota Lodge, 1200 Stassen Lane. The fun begins at 9:30 a.m. The celebration will include the Easter bunny, a petting zoo (weather permitting) and the Teddy Bear Band to perform at 9:45 a.m. (BYOTB -Bring Your Own Teddy Bear). There will be Refreshments, Prize Drawings, Egg Hunt & more. Bring the whole family for a fun-filled morning!

Jim Metzen and Our Taxes

Our senator in District 39, Jim Metzen and his fellow Democrats at the Capitol, are on a tax and spend frenzy. The surplus is over 2 billion dollars of our money and they are dreaming up every way they can to tax us more.

On Thursday, March 15th, Senator Metzen voted against an amendment that would abolish the Metropolitan Councils authority to impose levies to our property taxes. Of course that would be forbidden because the amendment was proposed by Republicans. So much for bipartisanship.

So we pay property taxes to the state, the county, the city, the school district, and to the Met Council, as well as whatever assessments and levies our elected officials can dream up.

Also, during last years campaign season, Senator Metzen had proposed increases in the gasoline tax, the Motor Vehicle Sales Tax, and automotive licensing fees. This information he provided to the questions asked by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Prosperity Project. So it is easy to see, what is going on at the Capitol, was planned on by the Democrats, before the first vote was cast last November.

Last November, on the Minneapolis Star Tribune Election’06 Candidate Profile website, Metzen stated that he “Somewhat Agreed” when asked if legislators should rule out tax increases during the next session. A career politician will say anything to get reelected!

I will continue to read the Senate Journal and keep you posted on what Metzen and his cohorts are dreaming up to tax us more and more.

We the People Foundation

Check out this website. It is well written and very informative!

http://www.wethepeoplefoundation.org

Proposal: Let non-citizens vote in local elections

What a bunch of B.S. In my book, if your not a citizen, you don't vote!

BY RACHEL E. STASSEN-BERGER
Pioneer Press

A constitutional amendment introduced today in the Minnesota House would allow non-citizen residents to vote in local elections.

If the House and Senate pass the measure, 2008 voters would be asked: "Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to allow local units of government to authorize permanent resident non-citizens to vote in local government elections?" A majority of those voting in the 2008 general election would have to approve the measure for it to be written into the constitution.

Illegal immigrants would not be permitted to vote.

The measure is sponsored by four Twin Cities DFLers — Rep. Phyllis Kahn, Minneapolis, Rep. Jim Davnie, Minneapolis, Rep. Carlos Mariani, St. Paul, and Rep. Frank Hornstein, Minneapolis.

The measure comes on the heels of a Take Action Minnesota's move to ask St. Paul city council candidates their opinions on a similar change in the city. Take Action Minnesota is an influential political group in St. Paul's elections.

Health care, education and taxes not on Hansen's agenda

The following is a "letter to the editor" in the South West Review March 11, 2007 in response to Ted Trenzeluk's letter to the editor posted February 25, 2007 in the same newspaper.

To the editor:

Rep. Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) is doing more than just putting money into town parties, making employers learn foreign languages and funding a study of contractors who use sponges to clean up water spills. Mr. Hansen is also asking for $2.5 million to measure the width of and plant perennials in rural drainage ditches (HF 577); enter into a treaty with Canada on the ballast water in oceangoing vessels (HF 145); and end trade and travel restrictions to communist Cuba (HF 828). Not to mention the money grab on unclaimed lottery prizes (HF 669). Health Care, education, taxes, who cares? Not Rep. Hansen, DFL from South St Paul, he's more interested in taking an oceangoing vessel through Canadian waters to Cuba.

Mark Mohr
West St Paul

Minnesota Self-Defense Bill Being Held Hostage!

Critical Minnesota Self-Defense Bill Being Held Hostage! Important self-defense legislation ("Castle Doctrine") could be defeated without being debated because of tricks played by the Chairman of the House Public Safety Committee, State Representative Joe Mullery (D-58A). Please contact Representative Mullery by phone at (651) 296-4262 or via email at rep.joe.mullery@house.mn and Speaker Margaret Kelliher (D-60A) at (651) 296-0171 or via email at rep.margaret.kelliher@house.mn and respectfully urge them to support your right to self-defense by allowing HF498 to be heard.

We must also contact our honorable Representative Rick Hansen (D-39A) at (651) 296-6828 or email at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn and Joe Atkins (D-39B) can be reached at (651) 296-4192 or email at rep.joe.atkins@house.mn

Appeals court overturns D.C. gun ban

BRETT ZONGKER
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court overturned the District of Columbia's long-standing handgun ban Friday, rejecting the city's argument that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applied only to militias.
In a 2-1 decision, the judges held that the activities protected by the Second Amendment "are not limited to militia service, nor is an individuals enjoyment of the right contingent" on enrollment in a militia.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the city cannot prevent people from keeping handguns in their homes. The ruling also struck down a requirement that owners of registered firearms must keep them unloaded and disassembled. The court did not address provisions that prohibit people from carrying unregistered guns outside the home.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said the city plans to appeal.
"I am personally, deeply disappointed and quite frankly outraged," Fenty said.
Washington and Chicago are the only two major U.S. cities with sweeping handgun bans. Washington's ban on owning handguns went into effect in 1976, and is considered to be the toughest in the nation, according to the National Rifle Association. While courts in other parts of the country have upheld bans on automatic weapons and sawed-off shotguns, the D.C. law is unusual because it involves a prohibition on all pistols.
In 2004, a lower-court judge told six city residents that they did not have a constitutional right to own handguns. The plaintiffs include residents of high-crime neighborhoods who wanted the guns for protection.
But on Friday, Judge Laurence Silberman, writing for the majority, said "The district's definition of the militia is just too narrow. There are too many instances of 'bear arms' indicating private use to conclude that the drafters intended only a military sense."
Judge Karen Henderson dissented, writing that the Second Amendment does not apply to the District of Columbia because it is not a state.
The Bush administration has endorsed individual gun-ownership rights, but the Supreme Court has never settled the issue. If the dispute makes it to the high court, it would be the first case in nearly 70 years to address the Second Amendment's scope.
"I think this is well positioned for review of the Supreme Court," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University.
Even as the appeals court overturned the city's 1976 ban on most handgun ownership, Silberman wrote that the Second Amendment is still "subject to the same sort of reasonable restrictions that have been recognized as limiting, for instance, the First Amendment."
Such restrictions might include gun registration, firearms testing to promote public safety or restrictions on gun ownership for criminals or those deemed mentally ill.

A quote from Jay Leno

"With hurricanes, tornado's, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

Jay Leno

Iraq, Foreign Policy, and Betty

According to Betty McCollum, the American people are all in favor of allowing the Iranian and Syrian governments to have a say in the future of Iraq. Why would we ever want to do this?

The Iranians are in the process of uranium enrichment and are believed to be about to develop nuclear weapons. The president of Iran claims that there never was a holocaust where millions of Jews died. He also has stated that Israel should be wiped off the face of the earth. Do you think Iran should have a say in the future of Iraq?

The Syrians are a terrorist state that has, until recently, occupied Lebanon for many years. During this time there was, and still is to this day, persecution of Christians in Lebanon. I asked my neighbors what they think of the Syrian government. My neighbors, on both sides of me, are Catholic, Lebanese immigrants. They cringe at the thought of the Syrians having any say in the future of Iraq or the middle east. Is this what the American people really want?

Betty McCollum and the employee intimidation act

As you all know, I have a deep dislike of our U.S. Congresswoman's partisan politics. The latest big vote of hers was a yes vote for HR 800. This bill, known as the Employee Free Choice Act, was enacted by a 241-185 vote. The Democrats are pushing to advance this bill to reward labor for help in last November's elections. It takes away the workers right to vote anonymously. No more secret ballots. A workers vote would be visible to coworkers and union officials. Republicans argue that the bill is a betrayal of workers access to a secret ballot election. Some called it the "employee intimidation act," maintaining that the process of majority sign-up could well entail union organizers bullying workers into signing pro-union cards.

Republican leaders in the Senate are prepared to block the measure and the White House said that President Bush will veto it. The vote was short the two-thirds majority required to override a veto.

I believe in the right of workers to form a union. There are places were they are needed and wanted. My question is, "What kind of communist crap is this?" If my vote is not a secret vote, what kind of country has this become? For Betty to vote along with all her Democratic cohorts for the union bosses rather than the working class, common people is just plain disgusting to me.