The Heat Is On

April 24, 2009 was set to be the biggest head to head match-up to date. You could almost hear the Rocky themed music playing in the background.

Every issue should have it's debate and the stage was set. The Subcommittee on Energy and the Environments was having hearings on the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009. The House Democrats boasted about a unnamed "celebrity" witness they had lined up to testify in front of the subcommittee in support of global warming, "green" jobs, and the carbon cap program. This turned out to be, none other than, Al Gore. In turn, the House Republicans lined up their own unnamed "star" witness. This being a person, perhaps not as well known here in the United States, but someone who is no stranger to Mr. Gore.......Lord Christopher Monckton.

Monckton is a former science policy adviser to Margaret Thatcher during her years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He has been quoted as saying, "A careful study of the substantial corpus of peer-reviewed science reveals that Mr. Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, is a foofaraw of pseudo-science, exaggerations, and errors, now being peddled to innocent schoolchildren worldwide.". Monckton issued a challenge to Gore on March 19, 2007. It was a challenge to "step up to the plate and defend his advocacy of policies that could do grave harm to the welfare of the world's poor. If Mr. Gore really believes global warming is the defining issue of our time, the greatest threat human civilization has ever faced, and then he should welcome the opportunity to raise the profile of the issue before a worldwide audience of billions by defining and defending his claims against a serious, science-based challenge.". Monckton and Gore have clashed heads before but only in print. Monckton never did succeed in getting his nationally televised debate with Al Gore concerning the threat of global warming back then but what would happen now? Fast forward two years:

Al Gore, the Nobel Peace Prize and Oscar winning global warming supporter
verses
Lord Christopher Monckton, former science advisor to Prime Minister Margret Thatcher

The joint appearance of Mockton and Gore was scheduled to take place before the Subcommitte on Energy and the Environments. Lord Christopher Monckton's plane touched down in DC from London the day before the April 24th hearings. Upon his arrival, he was told there would be no joint appearance with Gore. Old Al had chickened out. When the House Democrats found out who the GOP had flown in to give testimony, they refused to allow Monckton to testify alongside of Gore because of their fear of humiliation. Why would that be? Shouldn't the American citizens (and the world for that matter!) have the right to hear both sides of the issue? Their refusal to allow the public debate can only lead to one conclusion.....The House Democrats were afraid of real science blowing holes all through the global warming scam! But, hey! Gore was allowed to rant and rave about the effects of global warming and liken the pending "Clean Energy" legislature to the civil rights movement. I really believe this is one of the greatest swindles of our time.

Did you know, according to applied environmental ecomonics, the following can be said about the effects of "green jobs" on our economy:

1. On average, for every 1 "green" job created, 2.2 regular jobs are lost.
2. Only 1 in 10 "green" jobs are permanent.
3. In the wind turbine industry: For every 1 "green" job created, 4.27 jobs are lost. And this is the industry that the Enviromental Defense Fund claims is the largest job creator?!
4. For every 1 "green" job created in the solar power industry, nearly 13 jobs are lost.

I will continue to drive my SUV with pride until they come and remove me by use of force.

You Might Be A Right -Wing Extremist If...................

One of my favorite ladies on the hill has seemed to really hit it out of the park with this one. Our Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet- from- another- planet, seems to be rounding the bases and heading for home. On April 7th, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memo to law enforcement offices across the country titled: "Right-Wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment". That's a mouthful but what would you expect from the woman who renamed the War on Terror, "Man-Caused Disasters". Let's follow along with the theme of "Say What You Mean" and "Mean What You Say" attitude: If you vote for Life, favor strict immigration policy, defend the 2nd amendment, protest big government, and are a returning Veteran......You may be a Right-Wing Extremist. Or, in the eloquent words of Jeanne Garofalo, during an NBC interview, a tea-bagging racist. Nice. And you wonder why NBC's ratings are in the tank.

Let's take this memo one step further. I find the timed release of this memo more than a bit suspicious. The memo was released on April 7th with all of the "Tax Day Tea Parties" scheduled to take place just one week later on April 15th. Things that make you go..... Hmmmm. Part of the DHS' official definition of a Right-Wing Extremist is "...those that are mainly anti-government and reject federal authority in favor of State or local authority". What a convenient way to paint all of the protesters last week as crazed neo-nazis. If the protesters were such extremists, how is it that over 300,000 people across the country assembled together, from all backgrounds, united in one cause, and I have yet to find any reports on any violence that occurred or arrests.

Makes you think about where the DHS received their information from in order to compile this report. Well, that would be the left leaning Southern Poverty Law Center. As if the above I've already spoken of isn't bad enough, they did they greatest disservice to our country's veterans. The SPLC even went as far as labeling the American Legion as a hate group because of it's stance on immigration enforcement. How is that for a "Thank You" for serving the country honorably. But yet, Secretary Janet Naplitano defends the report.

Another key concern in the DHS report is the stockpiling of weapons and ammo in anticipation of restrictions and bans. This may be one of the only talking points in the memo that has any validity. Have you been to a gun store lately? My husband is a hunter and I've been hearing from him about the lack of stock in both of the above categories. So, the last time we were in such an establishment, I decided to peruse the isles and check things out for myself. Honest to Abe! It was amazing to see empty shelves where ammo should be. And, in some cases, firearms that the gun shop owner would not even bother to order for an individual because the backlog was too incredible to even bother with. But, here is my absolute favorite discovery. At a local shop near my home, there is a picture of President Obama on the door with a sign that reads "Salesman of the Year". I defend the 2nd amendment.....PERIOD. More than anything, from gun owners that I know personally, it is the fear of believed bans to come which is fueling the upswing in sales of firearms and ammo. Not a conspiracy to commit extremist acts.

FYI: I will continue my weekly blog for as long as I possibly can. However, being as I "chatter on the Internet about the country's economic downturn", the FBI may be showing up at my door to take me away. I may very well fit the mold of a Right-Wing Extremist. And, as many of you would say to me........Welcome to the Club.

Change is Brewing

What a triumphant day! There are hundreds of Tax Day Tea Parties taking place across the country today. People from all party lines are joining forces in their disgust of government spending. Unfortunately, my little one is sick and I was not able to get out and join in the fun. Even though I'm homeward bound today, I can still feel the excitement of the day through news reports and pictures from friends. And they said it couldn't be done! I congratulate all the organizers and participants across the country for a job well done.

Here are a few of my favorite protest sign sayings:

* For the first time in my adult life, I'm afraid of my government.

* It's "We the People" not "We the Government".

* I'll keep my money and my guns.......you can keep the "CHANGE"

* From a child in the crowd.......Mr. President, I'll be paying your bills for the rest of my life.

* Yes We Can: Take Our Country Back!

* Get Barney Frank's Dirty Hand Out Of My Pocket!

* Give Me Liberty Not Debt!

* King George Didn't Listen To Us Either.

* T.E.A. = Taxed Enough Already

Send me your favorites. It seems like our brothers and sisters on the front lines got their creativity on. But this is only the start of what needs to come. We need to keep talking and doing. This is what will lead to true change and accountability for "We the People".

Don't Tread On Me

Say What You Mean

Here is a phrase to consider:

Say what you mean and mean what you say.

These are words I've been trying to live by more and more these day in all aspects of my life. Whether it's dealing with friends, my kids, or my political adversaries....*wink, wink*. We are so concerned about being perceived a certain way or being politically correct, we lose the true meaning of what we are saying. I've grown tired of it. Whatever the case may be, I am committing myself to just "SAYING IT".

There has been a move to change the phrasing of things by the Obama administration. We are no longer to use the title "War on Terror". It is now recognized as "The Overseas Contingency Operation". And don't call what happened on 9/11 an "act of terror" because it now being called a "Man made Disaster". Why is Washington trying to diminish what has happened in the past and what is still currently taking place? We are in the middle of an ugly, uphill battle and we should call it by a rightful name that stands as a testament to the war being fought. We should never forget what happened on this country's soil almost 8 years ago, the people who laid down their lives because of it, and those who continue the fight today.

While I'm on the subject, here are a few more things that do not convey their true meaning:

The Employee Free Choice Act: This bill being circulated through the House and Senate is aimed at taking away an employee's right to a secret ballot. The right of a secret ballot has been a cornerstone to our American society. Without it, employees face increased intimidation and pressure by union organizers. Unions come in, get 50% of the employees to sign union cards, and then the union is recognized. No secret ballot vote......bye-bye small business. I have several friends who are small business owners and I'm sure you do too. Talk to them and see how they feel about this pending legislature.

Making Home Affordable: This is the government's answer to the failures of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. If you are a homeowner who finds themselves behind on your mortgage from one of these government entities, you're in luck!!! You get to lower your interest rate....in some cases to as low as 2%...and you can earn as much as $5,000 towards your principle over the next 5 years. Sah-weet!!! I would feel so much better if we could just call this what it truly is....welfare. Most of these people did not deserve loans in the first place and now are going to be given $5,000 bonuses towards their mortgage principles. Yep, that makes home more affordable....for some of us.

Making Work Pay: You may have noticed a small uptick in your paycheck this April. Obama's tax relief has officially taken affect and is withholding up to $400 less for singles and $800 for married couples. Before you go out and spend your new found wealth too fast, consider the consequences. Come April 15, 2010, you may very well being paying your tax relief back to the very same man who gave it. With all of the out of control spending going on in Washington, you should just consider the "Making Work Pay" a loan that will, inevitably, have to be paid back.

Last but not least......my favorite......the undocumented worker.....illegal immigrant.....you know the one.....who goes by so many names.....but all boils down to the same.......the Illegal Aliens. To my knowledge, you can not be an "immigrant" to our country unless you have come through the front door, the legal and right way. Let's say what we mean and mean what we say. These people are not here legally, they are not immigrants (yet), and they should not be allowed to stay here undocumented.

A friend of mine sent me this quote earlier in the week and I think it's the perfect tie-in for this subject.
"... Political Correctness remains just what it was intended to be: a sophisticated and dangerous form of censorship and oppression, imposed upon the citizenry with the ultimate goal of manipulating, brainwashing and destroying our society.." -- NewsMax.com

I think that pretty much says it all.

Shaking the Tree

Acorn is a group everyone should be familiar with at this point. After their involvement with the 2008 Presidential election, you would have to be living under a rock to not know. They are supposed to be a grass roots nonpartisan activist group that champions the underdog. In my view, Acorn succeeds by promoting the welfare state and undermines capitalism and personal responsibility.

In February, it was announced that Acorn would partner with The U.S. Census Bureau for the 2010 census. A census is an official count of the population as stated by the constitution. It is used to determine distribution of taxpayer money and the appointment of the seats in the House of Representatives. Every U.S. household unit, including those occupied by illegal aliens, must be counted!! Whose else do you think Rahm Emanuel would hire to run his census?

For a nonpartisan group such as the Census Bureau, Acorn's political connections are a little more than troubling. The group's activities were frequently questioned in the 2008 Presidential election. President Obama's campaign paid Acorn $800,000 to register voters and perform other political work. As to date, 15 states have charged Acorn with voter fraud. Washington State experienced the greatest act of vandalism from Acorn. The error rate of voter registration was at 17 percent. 17 percent!!!! Other groups working to "Get Out the Vote" come in with an error rate of under 5 percent. Let's not forgot this is a supposed nonpartisan group who receives 40% of it's revenue from taxpayer money. Now that's good use of your tax dollars, isn't?

They have also had their hands in our current housing crisis. This is the group that lobbied for the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) in order to bully banks into giving less than deserving credit risks a home mortgage......no matter if they were a U.S. citizen or illegal alien. The ball starting rolling with President Jimmy Carter and continued to be played by Presidents Clinton and George W. President Carter signed it, President Clinton put it on steroids, then George W hit it out of the park. Each time, with each subsequent signing, the CRA built more momentum until 57% of mortgages (by 2007) were required to service low income mortgages. And we wonder how we got into this mess with Freddie and Fannie? Now, to correct the situation, Acorn advocates civil disobedience by "Defending a family's right to stay in their home". In essence, the group mobilizes people to squat at homes that not longer belong to them in order to prevent foreclosure. Once again, those are your noble tax dollars.

It appears as though we will be shaking the Acorn tree yet one more time. They have been tapped to assist with the recruitment of 1.4 million temporary workers needed to go door-to-door in order to count every person in the country. Will you be opening your door?

And the Oscar goes to......

Did anyone else feel like they were watching a drama filled with bad actors being telecast from Washington DC? Anyone who was within spitting distance of a microphone was going on and on about how outraged they were about the AIG bonuses. Really? Really??!!! Looks like more than a few politicians, who are up for reelection in 2010, have been paying attention to their polling numbers. In the words of my kids, "What a bunch of Phony Baloneys!".

First, let's take a look at the numbers. In total, AIG has received over 170 Billion dollars of our taxpayer money. Do you know how that money was used? For starters, through AIG, billions were funneled to other financial institutes such as Meryl Lynch, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and other Wall Street failures. Even more interesting, over 62 Billion dollars was shipped overseas to help bailout banks in the UK, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Some of the tally sheets that I have seen put the amounts of money being sent overseas larger than the amounts of money staying here in The United States. But I don't remember seeing any outrage in Washington over this.....do you?

Now the question on everyone's lips is who knew what and when did they know it? Poor Timmy Geithner......he has alot of explaining to do. This issue touches the previous and current administration but Timmy was the chief cook and bottle washer at the New York Federal Reserve that negotiated the terms for the AIG bailout. He had a very intimate understanding of the executive compensation and bonus structure. Senator Christopher Dodd, the #1 receiver of AIG campaign contributions, was also caught with his hand in the cookie jar. His amendment in the Stimulus Package, called "The Dodd Amendment", paved the way for executives bonuses to be grandfathered in in the event of executive pay limitations in the future. Starting to think we have a bunch of weasels in Washington?

Am I angry about the payout of the AIG bonuses.....absolutely! However, the 165 Million is ashes in the wind compared to what you and I have already shelled out. At this point, I'm more outraged over the following facts:

1. Geithner knew about these bonuses (and others!!) and did nothing but sit back and try to look innocent once the American people got a hold of the information......but Obama is standing by his man.
2. Christopher Dodd tried to protect his campaign contributors....no backlash from those in his party.
3. The House and Congress passed a Omnibus Bill with over 9,000 earmarks that totaled more than the AIG bonuses but no outrage there. Senator Chuck Shumar went on live TV and said the earmarks were no big deal and the American people should just get over it.......waste is waste, isn't it?
4. Over 62 Billion, that we will never have a prayer of seeing paid back, went to fund overseas bailouts. Bonuses to other bailout companies, such as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, have been paid. Not so much as a peep was made!
5. Right or wrong, a contract is a contract and if there were no strings attached to the bailout money, we should honor the contract. Once the government steps in and targets a small group of people in order to manipulate or break a contract, then we are all in jeopardy.
6. Taxing the AIG bonuses at some astronomical amount is like eating fat-free jello after a loaded steak dinner with all the trimmings.......what's the point!?!?!?!

The American people are starting to rally and aren't buying the packaged smoke coming out of Washington. Perhaps there is a way to make up for the 165 Million in bonuses paid out. The House and Senate voted themselves a nice pay raise in the Stimulus bill. They could do the right thing, as they are asking the AIG bonus recepiants to do, and give that money back. In the words of our own Vice President, Joe Biden, it would be the patriotic thing to do.

Dr. Do-Good

It appears our economic crisis has been averted because our fearless leader is now on to bigger (spending) and better (even more spending) things. The wheels have already been set in motion for the coming of socialized healthcare. This is what we heard on the campaign trail, in the President's inaugural address, and his recent "State of the Union" address. We knew this "change" was coming...it's just the details that have been left blank.

One innovative American may have beaten the government to the punch.....and they are not too pleased. Dr. Muny, a doctor in NY state, has come up with a cost effective way to provide affordable heathcare to many patients who find themselves without jobs and health insurance. He has drafted a contract between himself and his patients that provides unlimited office visits, some tests (such as mammograms) , and in-office surgeries (such as mole removal) for one monthly fee of $79 and a $10 co-pay. Dr. Muny is not offering an insurance policy to his patients...just the services that can be performed in his office. How can he afford to do this? By cutting out the insurance companies, it relieves the burden of processing mountains of paperwork, claims, and hours spent on billing. Cutting bureaucracy = Lower costs.

But not so fast, the New York State Insurance Department is trying to shut him down. The NYSID is arguing that Dr. Muny is offering an insurance policy; therefore, he has to adhere to the pricing guidelines set by the Department. The NYSID is pushing the Doctor to charge more for unplanned procedures - such as an ear infection- because the $10 copay is under the current fixed rate set by the Department. Does the government have the right to set prices for goods and services rendered by private business?

You'll be happy to know, Dr. Muny is not giving up this fight. He does not want to be forced to charge his patients any more than he already is. In fact, he is hoping to sign up additional patients in order to lower the monthly cost even more.
Here are a few things to consider:
+ Look at how much cheaper healthcare is when insurance companies are cut out of the loop.
+ Look how the government's involvement is screwing things up for the people it's supposed to be helping.
+ Look at what the government has done to the Social Security System. Do you really want them in charge of your healthcare?