THE CONTINUING TRANSFER OF POWER TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Please go to the following links! To quote a blog by Cheryl Bowman on Patriotic Resistance: "This is about the White House seeking to transfer authority over Social Security/Medicare from Congress to Executive Branch..." and "The deliberate setup for the White House power grab is built into the each of the health care bills and, if they fail, little-known twin bills called “MedPAC Reform of 2009” are waiting in the wings. The bills, S.B. 1110 and H.R. 2718, craftily amend the Social Security Act and transfer the Medicare guideline and rule setting processes, from the legislative branch to the executive branch. "

http://www.resistnet.com/group/watchdogforthehealthcarebill?commentId=2600775%3AComment%3A1837141&xg_source=msg_com_group

http://biggovernment.com/2009/12/08/a-white-house-power-grab-that-congress-and-america-doesnt-see/

Oh my God! and I do mean that as a prayer!

There is a world wide power grab coming to fruition after at least 40 years of planning. The players are billionaire financial types and most are in the shadows, with the exception of George Soros. The goal is World domination, not just the U.S.

It is an attack on all fronts, and much of it has been put in place while most of us were busy getting on with our lives and trusting our elected officials to protect us. Half the country is still in that mode. How do we get through to them?

I don't think we have time. Most of us are exhausted trying to read the gargantuan bills, and trying to fight on so many fronts at once. I fear that we cannot get enough people in place fast enough, beginning from the bottom up in local government. With the FCC working, as we speak (blog?), on control of the internet, and taking away the licenses of all Conservative Media; how will we communicate?

The whole thing sounds like a comic book scenario; "the evil rich villain and his minions scheming to take over the world". How do we cut through the placid faith of most Americans that our Government will always be "of the people and for the people", and our freedoms are inviolate no matter how much power we give to our Government? How do we do that without sounding like crazy conspiracy theorists?

LETTER SENT TO SENATORS REF. HR 3590

Dear Senator,

We are in a vicious cycle; Congress creates a huge, government takeover, boondoggle, Health Care Reform Bill that will cost trillions. The people speak, and the bill is defeated. Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid go back to the drawing board, behind closed doors. In the process, they completely shut out the loyal opposition

They labor mightily and bring forth a new bill which is basically a regurgitation of the bill that was already defeated, only worse. Oh, to be sure, there will be slight changes to convince holdouts to vote “yea” this time; changes that they will reverse in reconciliation. There will also be some bribes, a whole lot of strong arm tactics for the more recalcitrant, as well as some obvious financial accounting tricks to make the bill seem “deficit neutral”. These tricks would be laughable if the bill weren’t so dangerous.

All of the proposed bills will increase the cost of health insurance, and none of them will cover all of the uninsured so why would you vote for them? Any number of free market solutions have been proposed, which will lower the costs of Health care. Free market solutions which do exist, such as direct primary care and Health Savings Accounts, will be wiped out. In addition, we can cover those who cannot afford health insurance without spending trillions.

Given the above, the American people know that the only reasons for all these colossal bills are to move yet more control to the Executive Branch, to take away more of our personal liberties, and to further bankrupt the United States. All of them will necessitate crushing taxes on the middle class, especially the health care bills.

It does not matter what is in the Senate bill, it is merely a Trojan horse for the same old agenda. If passed, it will be combined with the House bill, all objectionable measures will be back, and the Government will have taken over the entire Health Care Industry. If the vote is allowed to proceed, this takeover will be passed with only 51 votes. That would be unforgivable!

We will either actively support, or actively campaign against every elected official, wherever they are, who facilitates the current bill in any way.


Vote against the motion to proceed; vote against cloture. The Nation is watching. Your constituents are watching.

LETTER TO SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM REF. ENERGY BILL

Dear Senator Graham:

We support alternative fuels, wind, and solar energy. We also support more nuclear plants, clean coal technology, and offshore drilling (because if we do not drill for this oil, Russia, China, Cuba and etc. will, from just outside of the International Line). Their technology is not environmentally safe. Our technology is state of the art environmentally safe, as the lack of spills after Katrina, Ike and other major hurricanes attest.

We have studied the "global warming problem", and found that most noted Scientists (Those that are not dependent on the US or European governments for funds) agree that the planet is currently in a cooling mode. They also agree that high levels of carbon in the atmosphere follow a warming period, they do not cause it, and that man’s contribution to atmospheric carbon levels is negligible. Over the summer, approximately 30,000 scientists signed a petition disputing the claim that global warming is an anthropogenic phenomenon. http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/al_gore_global_warming/2008/05/19/97307.html

The evidence is that high sunspot activity in the sun has the closest relationship to intermittent warming periods on the earth. There is also a new book called “The Chilling Stars” by Henrik Svensmark and Nigel Calder that supports the theory that sub-atomic particles from exploded stars have more effect on the climate than manmade CO2.

However, even if we believed the extravagant claims of Al Gore, taxing carbon emissions and creating “carbon credits” will do nothing to curb carbon emissions. The carbon credits will likely become a new security that financial wonder boys will trade, ultimately creating yet another bubble.

We understand your reasoning that, if legislation is not created, the fallback will be the E.P.A., who will create, supposedly, even more onerous regulations. However, any bill that passes the Senate will be unrecognizable after Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid have “reconciled” it with the House version. It will have all the worst provisions of HR 2454, will further the complete takeover of the U.S. economy by the current administration, and will have crippling taxes for the Middle Class. We know this because it has become a consistent pattern.

If you pass an energy bill in the Senate, you will open the door to the above. Whatever the E.P.A. does can be undone. When Conservatives control the Congress and Senate you can address the other issues in your op-ed piece in the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/opinion/11kerrygraham.html

For now, Vote “NO” to any global warming bill; for God’s sake, don’t create one!

THE FCC IS VOTING ON NET NEUTRALITY TOMORROW, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22ND.

Thursday, October 22, the FCC will decide on whether “Net Neutrality” rules will guide the new regulations they are proposing for the internet. This is yet another grab for power, and this one is serious because it opens the door to censorship of the internet. I think we need to flood the FCC with comments opposing it.

Following is a copy of a letter I sent to the FCC’s new “Join the Discussion” site at:
http://blog.openinternet.gov/?p=1

You can also contact them at: E-mail: fccinfo@fcc.gov
Tel# (1-888-225-5322)
Fax: (1-866-418-0232)
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Complaints
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554

Dear Sirs:

Net Neutrality will result in slowing the internet down for everyone by making the use of Broadband extremely inefficient. It will stifle innovation because new enterprises will not be willing to invest in new applications when they will not be able to recoup their investment.

The following quotes are from an article by Steven Titch, a Political Analyst, from the Reason Foundation:

"An unmanaged Internet, consumed by an exaflood, endangers the ease of which smaller Web publishers, bloggers and merchants can reach users."

"The network neutrality issue has dwindled to a political agenda supported by a handful of vocal advocates at Moveon.org and Freepress.org. And while these groups may have good intentions behind their support for Internet regulation, the neutrality rules they favor will not result in what they hope for. Quite the contrary, they will lead to higher broadband prices, mediocre service and cede a lot of market power to one segment of the market. In this, network neutrality is no different from many of the radical new regulatory programs the Obama administration is introducing to the American economy, be it banking, insurance, auto manufacturing, health care or alternative energy—they allow a select group of favored companies to privatize the gains and socialize the costs. Such programs don’t encourage competition, job growth and entrepreneurship, they impede it."
http://reason.org/news/show/how-net-neutrality-regulation

Implementing "net neutrality" will destroy choice of services, and increase costs to the public because of the inefficiency and rules against banning the business practice of “Levying surcharges on content providers that are not their retail customers”. Consumers would have to pay full service rates for small and limited applications.

"Net Neutrality" is about government control and special interests. The American people know this, and will express their displeasure at the polls if it is implemented

CONTENT OF LATEST LETTER TO CONGRESS

Per economics Professor Martin Feldstein(1) there are three problems with the American health-care system:

1. Health-care costs are rising much faster than our incomes.
2. More than 15 percent of the population has neither private nor public insurance.
3. The high cost of health care can lead to personal bankruptcy, even for families that do have health insurance.

None of the bills that Congress is attempting to reconcile solve these problems. Their mandates will force Private Insurance to raise their rates or go bankrupt. The various taxes to pay for them will finish bankrupting the rest of us. In the rush to pass “something”, little research has been done into current free market solutions that are working.

Consider the following:

1. Direct Primary Care Practices, such as Qliance in Seattle(2), which operate outside of health insurance. Imagine; they can offer complete primary care much cheaper than the cost of health insurance plans alone; no co-pays, no maximums etc., just a flat, all inclusive, monthly fee, as little as $49.00! They can do this because they do not have the administrative costs of dealing with health insurance plans.

Their patients can use health savings accounts for such things as an MRI or a Colonoscopy. They can also buy a catastrophic health policy, and they will still pay less than those with employer subsidized complete health insurance.

Patients who are uninsured can, at least, get basic care at a very reasonable rate.

For these reasons, Direct Primary Care Practices are spreading across the country. In South Carolina we have Access Health Care.

2. Integrated Care models such as The Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation that have replaced the fee for service model. They achieve better care at lower cost.

3. Innovative insurance plans, such as those of the State of California, The University of California, and Stanford. These plans offer a choice of several plans, but only pay for the cheapest.

4. Pre-tax Health Savings Accounts, which many people with serious illnesses use to manage their disease.

The bills being considered would put all of these practices out of business. This would surely anger the millions who currently depend on them.

Congress has also not considered the following:

1. The high administrative costs of health care insurance and of government regulations are part of the problem. My doctors tell me are these are about 40% of their bottom line. All the current bills would double and quadruple those costs.

2. Medical liability is the second greatest cause of increased costs. What about tort reform? Look to Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California for tort reform solutions. They just capped punitive damages.

3. If there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, solve those problems first. This is the true responsibility of government.

4. Every government dollar spent on health care requires $1.25 in tax dollars. Therefore the public option is the most expensive.

5. Healthcare insurance tied to employers is not portable, and creates many problems. Give individuals the same $5000 tax break as employers and let them own their own policy.

6. Health Insurance Companies have only a 3 to 5 percent profit margin(3). Without the access to the large pools that nationwide competition would provide, they cannot cover everything for everyone. If you mandate it, they will go bankrupt. The states can work together to standardize requirements.

7. Innovative ideas such as Professor Feldstein’s elegant solution, which would solve all three problems; without involving the Government in the delivery or rationing of healthcare, without increasing the National Debt, or requiring taxes to be raised.(1)

8. If there are 20 million core uninsured, we could give each of them $10,000 per year for only $200 billion. We don’t need to spend trillions!

The only reason to pass Health Reform legislation based on the models Congress is considering is to intentionally further our march toward total government control of every aspect of our lives and total destruction of the dollar and our economy. Why would you do that?

We are demanding you vote “No” to the boondoggle bill that is being created, then do your homework and create legislation that will actually solve the problems.

Remember, the American people are doing their homework, and they are watching you. There are millions of people who are becoming politically active for the first time. We are joining together and forming independent networks whose main purposes are: fiscal responsibility; defense of the Constitution; and the defeat of any members of Congress who take us further down this insane path.

1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072701905.html
2. http://www.qliance.com/
3. http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/52745

HEALTHCARE COSTS & SOLUTIONS; GOVERNMENT & HEALTH INSURANCE ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.

Following is yet another letter I have written to my Senators and Representative:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear

All of the health care bills that are being considered create multiple bureaucracies, greatly increase reporting requirements, and generally increase administrative costs to all providers. Congress is basically trying to reduce what providers can charge while, at every level, greatly increasing their operational costs.

I read a 1998 CBO study that named the three largest contributors to increasing health care cost as: technology, administrative costs, and malpractice insurance. We don’t want to stifle new technologies, which leaves tort reform, and reducing reporting and administrative burdens as the best ways to reduce costs.

A large part of the admin burden comes from health care being tied to employers. As health care costs increase, companies begin changing plans every year, trying to find the cheapest one. As every plan has different negotiated terms with providers; doctors, hospitals and other providers have to hire multiple employees (and pay their benefits) to figure out and process all the claims.

Another part of the admin burden is created by the maze of government programs. Providers need to hire trained personnel to interpret and process the myriad rules, regulations and reporting requirements.

I know that our legislators and government officials live in a bureaucratic sea, which they probably don’t think about, any more than fish in the ocean think about the water in which they swim. However, those in private industry don’t have a bevy of clerks, paid for by the taxpayers, to interpret, manage and create all the paperwork mandated for us. They have to do it themselves, at a great loss of productive time, or they have to pay someone to do it.

The massive increase in new programs, rules and regulations, layered over old programs will do to the Health Care System what “No Child Left Behind” did to education. That is, it will so burden the health care providers that many will retire early, or otherwise leave the profession, just as many teachers have. We don’t want our doctors and teachers spending all their time grappling with red tape; we want them doctoring and teaching.


Please do everything you can to block "one size fits all" mandates for health insurance that will nullify free market solutions that are working.

Consider Direct Primary Care Practices, such as Qliance in Seattle, that operate outside of health insurance(See link below.) Imagine; they can offer complete primary care much cheaper than the cost of health insurance plans alone; no co-pays, no maximums etc., just a flat, all inclusive, monthly fee, often less than $80.00!

They can do this because they do not have the administrative costs of dealing with health insurance plans.

Their patients can use health savings accounts for such things as an MRI or a colonoscopy. They can also buy a catastrophic health policy, and they will still pay less than those with employer subsidized complete health insurance.

Patients who are uninsured can, at least, get basic care at a reasonable rate.

For these reasons, Direct Primary Care Practices are spreading across the country. In South Carolina we have Access Health Care.

Mandates that require all health insurance plans to cover everything, and that require everyone to have health insurance will put these practices out of business.

Please do not create laws that destroy these solutions. Please preserve HSAs and the ability to purchase catastrophic care only. Please preserve choice.

Please consider the fact that the government and health insurance providers themselves are a huge part of the problem. Please look to Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California for tort reform solutions. Please, if there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, solve those problems first. This is the true responsibility of government.

As for the 10 to 17 million American citizens who are uninsured for lack of money, we can figure out how to give them excellent care without spending trillions. $170 billion would give each one $10,000.

Not sinking the economy with hundreds of new taxes and fees, not to mention unsustainable debt, would allow the creation of millions of new jobs as the recession ends. This is the best solution for the uninsured.

Please do not create a huge, government takeover, boondoggle plan that will destroy our country while it rewards special interests at the expense of the elderly, minorities and disadvantaged it purports to help.

*http://www.xconomy.com/seattle/2008/12/22/seattle-docs-via-qliance-aim-to-revolutionize-health-care-by-freezing-out-insurance


On behalf of your Constituents:

LETTER TO CONGRESS

Following is a letter I wrote to my South Carolina Representative and Senators:

Dear

All of the health care bills that are being considered create multiple bureaucracies, greatly increase reporting requirements, and generally increase administrative costs to all providers. Congress is basically trying to reduce what providers can charge while, at every level, greatly increasing their operational costs.

I read a 1998 CBO study that named the three largest contributors to increasing health care cost as: technology, administrative costs, and malpractice insurance. We don’t want to stifle new technologies, which leaves tort reform, and reducing reporting and administrative burdens as the best ways to reduce costs.

A large part of the admin burden comes from health care being tied to employers. As health care costs increase, companies begin changing plans every year, trying to find the cheapest one. As every plan has different negotiated terms with providers; doctors, hospitals and other providers have to hire multiple employees (and pay their benefits) to figure out and process all the claims.

Another part of the admin burden is created by the maze of government programs. Providers need to hire trained personnel to interpret and process the myriad rules, regulations and reporting requirements.

I know that our legislators and government officials live in a bureaucratic sea, which they probably don’t think about, any more than fish in the ocean think about the water in which they swim. However, those of us in private industry don’t have a bevy of clerks, paid for by the taxpayers, to interpret, manage and create all the paperwork mandated for us. We have to do it ourselves, at a great loss of productive time, or we have to pay someone to do it.

The massive increase in new programs, rules and regulations, layered over old programs will do to the Health Care System what “No Child Left Behind” did to education. That is, it will so burden the health care providers that many will retire early, or otherwise leave the profession, just as many teachers have. We don’t want our doctors and teachers spending all their time grappling with red tape; we want them doctoring and teaching.

Please look for simple, market based solutions, like Qliance in Seattle. Please consider the fact that the government and health insurance providers themselves are part of the problem. Please look to Mississippi, Missouri, Texas and California for tort reform solutions. Please, if there are billions of dollars of fraud and waste in Medicare and Medicaid, solve those problems first. This is the true responsibility of government.

As for the 10 to 17 million uninsured American citizens, we can figure out how to give them excellent care without spending trillions.

Please do not create a huge, government takeover, boondoggle plan that will destroy our country while it rewards special interests at the expense of the elderly, minorities and disadvantaged it purports to help.

On behalf of your Constituents:

WHAT I DO AND DO'T WANT TO SEE IN A HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL

The following ideas have all been discussed by so many sources, I do not know who originated them, and therefore to whom to credit them. However, they seem good to me.

1. Language to the effect that any “Comparative Effectiveness” Information will be advisory only. No rationing.

2. Allow Health Insurance companies to compete Nationwide.

3. No mandates to Health Insurance companies, without changing restrictions that limit their ability to be competitive.

4. No price fixing.

5. Language that excludes illegal immigrants from free health insurance. (Immigration reform is a whole other issue that we have to solve.)

6. Tort reform – Just cap punitive damages!

7. Make sure the bill is “revenue neutral” for the States as well as the Federal budget.

8. Allow the insurance to be separated from employers while, at the same time, allowing individuals, small businesses and other self insurers to take part in large pools in order to lower their costs.

9. No extra audits on self insurers.

10. No employer mandate.

11. Encourage groups of providers, like Qliance in Seattle, who will provide basic care at much lower prices, in exchange for not filing for payment through health insurance. Perhaps with tax breaks. Remove laws that prohibit them setting their prices lower than a preset minimum.

12. Allow insurance companies to provide policies that cover major medical or catastrophic care only, not basic care.

13. Expand HSA’s, and allow them to remain active indefinitely, with no penalties. Perhaps even allow them to move unused funds from an HSA to an IRA after age 65. This way, families could use HSA savings for basic care, and purchase catastrophic insurance as described in number 10. This would also cut down on elective and unessential procedures, since people will think twice when they have to pay. This could also be an option for Medicare recipients, for their supplemental policies, or Medicare Advantage plans.

14. No Gateway or Exchange with Government strings attached. I would rather trust The Better Business Bureau, Insurance agents, recommendations from customers and health care providers or even the Internet to find insurance.

15. For those with pre-existing conditions, allow high risk pools.

16. For those who still cannot afford health care insurance, expand Medicaid, perhaps on a sliding scale. Right now, there are 10 to 17 million legal residents, who want coverage, but can’t afford it. In 2008 Congress spent 17.2 billion on earmarks, defending the practice by saying that this amount is miniscule compared to the overall budget, only a very small percentage. With this “miniscule” amount, they could have given $1,000 to each of the above toward insurance. With 170 billion, they could have each been given $10,000. Clearly, we can take care of these people without a new multi- trillion dollar entitlement!

17. If people choose to accept an Employer Group Plan and then leave their job, make sure they have the option to keep their insurance with the plan’s provider, at an individual rate, with no increases for “preconditions”.

18. Give doctors and Hospitals tax incentives to maintain free clinics for the poor.

19. Give wealthy taxpayers back the charitable contributions tax deduction for donations to these clinics and other providers giving free care.

20. Give persons who purchase individual health insurance a tax deduction similar to that given to employers who offer group health insurance to their employees.

21. NO FEDERAL HEALTH BOARD!

22. NO PUBLIC OPTION! NO TRIGGER!

Like most Americans, I believe that, if we put our heads together, we can solve most of the health care problems without further bankrupting the country, or trampling on the people’s rights.

IDEAS FOR SIGNS

1.Speaker Pelosi, if you believe that “Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American”, why do you keep trying to do it?

2.Congress, what guarantee can you give that you will not steal the money from the Health Care Trust Funds as you did from the Medicare and Social Security Funds?

3.The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same thing but expecting a different result. You can’t spend your way out of debt!

4.Sometimes you just have to say NO!

5.Homemade signs =Homemade anger!

6.I’m for affordable Health Care that’s available to everyone and doesn’t bankrupt the country. That’s why I am against Obamacare.

7.Where the government controls everything, the people are slaves.

8.If you allow the government to take over every aspect of your life, you will be a slave, no matter what color you are.

9.When a million dollars equals one yen, who will have health care?

10.Al-Qaeda beheads people and I’m the Terrorist?

11.Freedom of Speech means you have to put up with opposing views. NO FAIRNESS DOCTRINE, NO LOCALISM, NO DIVERSITY!

12.It’s the Constitution Stupid!

13.It’s Congress that needs fundamental change!

14.Why are special interest groups running our government?

15.I’m angry because I read the bills!

16.My Guru is Charles Krauthammer.

17.Overspending, over borrowing, and risky investments crashed our economy.
Now we call these things “stimulus”.

18.When the theater is burning, you have to yell “FIRE!”

19.It's not wealth Obama is distributing. It's debt.

20.Our freedom depends on the media reporting ALL the news.

21.In a Federal Republic, the Feds should have to beg money from the States, not the other way around.

22.Who will pay taxes when all the taxpayers are bankrupt?

ANALYSIS OF HR 3200 HEALTH CARE REFORM BILL

As for HR 3200, there is a lot that is “not in the bill”. No death panels to kill your Grannies. No mandate for coverage of illegal immigrants. No rationing. However there is also nothing in the bill to preclude these things.

There is a lot about what private insurers must cover, and about price controls on all sorts of providers.

There is a Health Exchange which will greatly increase the already skyrocketing administrative costs for Health Care Providers and therefore their fees.

There are also multiple new bureaucracies created at local, state, and national levels, as well as councils and committees, all under the control of the Executive Branch. Lots of committees, and councils, and other groups are created to study and disseminate “comparative effectiveness” information, as well as to decide what areas will qualify for extra help or all sorts.

There are lots of clinics and jobs for nurses and doctors to expand health care in under served areas, as well as lots of study grants for medical personnel at all levels.

This is a huge jobs creation bill, probably thousands in every state. Unfortunately they are all government jobs, which, however much good you believe they might do, will be a drain on the economy. The Feds will mostly fund this boondoggle for two years, and then it will become a burden on the States, who will have to impose lots more taxes. It goes without saying that Federal taxes will also have to go up exponentially.

Otherwise this bill is like most of the bills passed under the current Administration; it gives authority to councils and committees, and authorizes lots of money, but then basically says “details will follow”. Who would sign such a contract? I hope not Congress!

Note: The Senate bill is almost as bad. Just because the “public option” is removed doesn’t mean it is a good bill. If the regulations in the bill result in forcing insurance companies to substantially raise their costs, people will be driven to demanding a single payer system after all. The "Gateway" idea is much the same as the Health Exchange, and has the same problems.

THE TAKEOVER OF AMERICA CONTINUES

Currently, there is a lot of furor in the media over Eric Holden’s decision to pursue the investigation of alleged prisoner abuse by CIA agents during the Bush Administration. However, I believe there is an even more sinister meaning for this move.

The Obama Administration is gradually bypassing all the checks and balances in our government (not to mention ignoring the Constitution). He is appointing czars, rather than Cabinet Officials, and moving power and control to the Executive Branch, while weakening our traditional institutions. I believe that the hoopla about the supposed “torture” is simply a smoke screen.

Obama already has his own military which was created within AmeriCorps, under the GIVE Act. This Act authorizes AmeriCorps, at the President’s command, to deploy the “National Service Reserve Corps” anywhere in the US; even though that would be a direct violation of States rights. Now, with the excuse of preventing further abuse, he has created his own “new, special terrorism-era interrogation unit"1.

“The High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group, or HIG will be headquartered at the FBI and overseen by the National Security Council, which puts the White House firmly in charge. Interrogation had previously been the province of the CIA and the military.”2

Given that some members of Congress have called Tea Party Protesters “Terrorists”, and I am a Tea Party Protester, I find this worrisome.


1.“Obama spokesman announces interrogation unit “By Delvin Barrett, Associated Press, Monday, August 24, 2009
http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2009-08-24/news/obama-spokesman-announces-interrogation-unit
2. “New Unit to Question Key Terror Suspects”, By Anne E. Kornblut, Washington Post Staff Writer , Monday, August 24, 2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com

OBAMA'S NATIONAL POLICE FORCE

In July of 2008, while Obama was still campaigning for the Presidency, he made the following astounding statement; "We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set. We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded." See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt2yGzHfy7s

Within the "National Civilian Community Corps, there is an actual military force established. It is called the "National Service Reserve Corps". (See Part II, Section 198H of the GIVE Act.) This force is to be made up former military and Veterans or, in other words, people who already have military training. This could include Regular Military, Special Forces, Navy Seals, SWAT or etc.

The force is like the National Guard in that they will be in reserve until called, and there are provisions to fund them, provide travel arrangements, living stipends, housing, and insurance. The money will be put into a fund, and any not used in the current year can be held in the fund for later years, and be used for "out of pocket" expenses. One presumes the money will also be used to equip them as needed.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Secretary of Defense, and other government entities are instructed to inform veterans, who are recently discharged, released, or separated from the Armed Forces, about the National Service Reserve Corps. This should insure that this force will grow fairly rapidly. It is modest now but, like many of the bills that the current Administration has passed, a framework is in place that can be augmented later.

The scariest part is that, unlike the National Guard, the National Service Reserve Corps only answers to AmeriCorps which answers to the President. There is nothing in the bill to stop them from being deployed in any State, with or without the permission of that State, neatly circumventing State's Rights and the Constitution. They are ostensibly for a rapid response to National Disasters, but the Act says "disasters or emergencies" and "emergency" is not defined anywhere in the bill.

Have we just created a national secret police, similar to Germany's SS Troops?

What is to stop the President from declaring Martial Law and deploying this force against whoever he pleases? Or, if not this President, a later one?

**See Part II, Section 198H of the GIVE Act

HEALTH CARE COST SOLUTIONS

HEALTH CARE COST SOLUTIONS

Following is a list of solutions to the Health Care System that have been proposed by different Conservatives, and health care professionals. They have been mentioned by so many, that I do not remember where I first heard them. Note that none of these solutions involve a government single payer system. Here is what I have so far:

1.Expand HSA’s and allow them to be portable, and to be saved over long periods of time.

2.Tort Reform!!!!*

3.Allow Doctors to charge much less for routine care when they do not have to file for insurance payments. Then Health Insurance will be needed only for catastrophic care. (Example: Qliance in Seattle)**

4.Make Insurance Companies compete nationwide (ie. give option to buy individual or group insurance from companies nationwide).


5.Disconnect health insurance from jobs. Allow people to shop for their own best deal. Allow young, healthy people to buy individual insurance at low rates; then keep it over time no matter who they work for, as they do now with life insurance.

6.If people choose to accept an Employer Group Plan and then leave their job, make sure they have the option to keep their insurance with the plan’s provider, at an individual rate, with no increases for “preconditions”.


7.Eliminate voluntarily uninsured, temporarily uninsured, and illegal aliens from the uninsured statistic (Leaves about 10 to 17 million). Then we can look at ways to help this core group.***


8.Give doctors and Hospitals tax incentives to maintain free clinics for poor.


9.Give back the charitable contributions tax deduction for donations to these clinics.

10.Demand that any “Public Plan” mandated by Congress will apply to them as well.


11.On a gradual scale, increase the age of eligibility for Medicare for anyone who is 60 or less similarly to what has been done for Social Security.

12.Allow Medicare recipients the option of carrying only catastrophic health insurance and allow Doctors to charge them less for the routine care, as above.

13.Vigorously investigate and prosecute fraud.

14.Allow self insurers ie. individuals, medium and small businesses, to group together in pools in order to get lower group rates.

15.Give persons who purchase individual health insurance a tax deduction similar to that given to employers who offer group health insurance to their employees.

*The cost of malpractice insurance, plus the practice of “defensive medicine” is a huge cause of the increased cost.

**I believe another large part of the increasing cost of health care is the huge administrative cost of health insurance to Doctors and Hospitals. I remember when no-one had health insurance and the vast majority of the population could afford to go to the doctor, and to go to the hospital to have a baby, or an appendix or etc. removed.

***I had said that it is Un-American to require people who don't want it, to carry health insurance. However, many have pointed out to me that we require licensed drivers to carry insurance. I'm thinking about this.

LOCALISM AND THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

Back in April, I posted a copy of a letter that I had sent to our congressmen asking them to block “Localism” which is the new Fairness Doctrine. In the letter I stated:

“These boards would have the power of intimidation, or even the ability to cause the loss of broadcast licenses. This would amount to blatant censorship, and would be the death of free speech in America.

Any entity with the power to determine whether media content “serves the public interest” would do so according to their own agenda. Whoever is in charge would have the ability to silence any opposition, thereby ensuring continued power. This would be the death of democracy in America.”

What I did not understand at the time is that there was no legislation to block. All was and is, already in place. It only waits for the new FCC Chairman, Julius Genachowski, to be confirmed.

Lately, complaints from the liberal media and the blogosphere regarding Conservative members of Congress, Fox News, and radio talk show hosts have been greatly stepped up. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Glenn Beck, and Bill O’Reilly have been accused of inciting violence, including the murder of the Abortionist, George Tiller! There are many articles talking about domestic conservative terrorists and worse.

I believe there is, as usual with our liberal friends, an underlying agenda, behind these charges. They will become part of the case for complaints filed with the FCC in Localism Proceedings, just before licenses become due for renewal. Broadcast licenses will be revoked, and given to minority owners in the name of promoting diversity.* The new owners will be able to obtain financing through the initiatives put in place by former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. In other cases, Conservative pundits will be fired by stations under the threat of losing their license.
*I am for minority ownership and diversity of information; just not at the expense of conservative sources. Without them, there is no longer diversity.

It is not only talk radio and broadcast television that will be targeted. The following documents indicate to me that the plan is to bring cable television and the internet under the Localism purview as well. Possibly, the Recovery Act funds for the expansion of broadband internet access, like the TARP funds, will become the excuse for a government takeover of the internet.

There was a time that I would not have believed all this could be possible, but we have lately seen that there is no limit to what the current Administration with the Democratic Majority believes it can do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


DOCUMENTATION:

Per Connie Hair at www.humanevents.com:

“The framework for the attempt by Democrats to silence political opposition is already in place in what the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) calls localism, a scheme set up in the form of local “community boards” that will decide whether or not your local broadcast station is meeting the standards required to review and renew their broadcast licenses every two to four years.”

In “The Public and Broadcasting: How to Get the Most Service from Your Local Station; Revised July 2008” at: http://www.fcc.gov the FCC defines “localism” as follows:
“In exchange for obtaining a valuable license to operate a broadcast station using the public airwaves, each radio and television licensee is required by law to operate its station in the “public interest, convenience and necessity.”

This publication also states that each station must provide the public with information about how it has met this obligation by means of quarterly reports which must be made available to any member of the public. Further, it says that “The public file is an excellent resource to gauge a station’s performance of its obligations as a Commission Licensee.”

Localism Proceedings are described as “
The purpose of Localism Proceedings is to gather information from consumers, industry, civic organizations, and others on broadcasters’ service to their local communities. Along with competition and diversity, promoting localism is a key goal of the Commission’s media ownership rules.”

At the end of this publication is a Complaint Section with contact information for Community organizations and individuals who wish to file complaints. Or they can go to http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm for online instructions. Note that a radio, or television station may lose their license as a result of these complaints.

According to ACORN’s website at http://www.acorn.org/index.php?id=2729 they are ready :

“The right to communicate is fundamental. The increasing concentration of ownership in communication industries ensures that, unless positive steps are taken, the concerns of low- and moderate-income people will continue to be ignored.
I. Make it possible for low- and moderate-income community groups to have their own sources of information
A. Initiate government funding to low- and moderate-income community groups in order to assist them in establishing their own sources of information.
B. Exempt government funding to low- and moderate-income community groups in order to assist them in establishing their own sources of information.
C. The Federal Communication Commission should revise its policies so that broadcast applicants with low- and moderate-income boards of directors are more likely to be awarded stations.
II. Make the mainstream media accessible and accountable to low- and moderate-income people.
A. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine in broadcasting, so that grass roots community groups have equal time to express their views.
B. Require cable TV companies to make good on their promises to allow community groups access to air time, or revoke their operating licenses.”
Personally, I am quite sure that ACORN has complaints ready to file, and that the FCC boards which have the responsibility to review the complaints, have been well populated with supporters of the Fairness Doctrine.
Declan McCullagh wrote an article dated March 3, 2009 at http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10187067-38.html titled “Obama picks Net neutrality backer as FCC chief”In it, he states “Genachowski is likely to continue the Democratic push for more Net neutrality regulations, which are opposed by some conservatives and telecommunications providers. He was a top Obama technology advisor and aided in crafting a technology platform that supported Net neutrality rules.”
Brad O’Leary, author of “Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech” states:
“Julius Genachowski, an Obama friend from Harvard Law School and the mastermind behind Obama's online fundraising machine, is an ardent supporter of so-called "net neutrality" regulations, perceived by O'Leary as a first step toward "Fairness Doctrine"-style regulations on content for the Internet. Genachowski would have government decide what content Internet operators and network owners must provide.”
Mr. O’Leary further says:
“Genachowski also advocates creating new media ownership rules that promote a diversity of voices on the airwaves. In fact, Genachowski is credited with helping craft the Obama technology agenda, which states: "Encourage diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promote the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum."
At http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/174018-Copps_Takes_Initial_Steps_Toward_Boosting_Minority_Ownership.php , John Eggerton quotes the acting FCC chairman Michael Copps:
“Copps said, "one of the big things I have been interested in is minority ownership of broadcast properties. The time to start moving on that is right now. But we have to make sure that as we go forward with new policies we have the legal underpinnings that we need to satisfy the courts and the factual documentation we need to have to verify our case and if we have to do additional studies, this is the time to do it. I am putting that into motion."
“He said he is teeing it up so that "when the new group gets here...they won't have to start from scratch." That new group is still expected to be headed by his presumptive permanent replacement, Obama tech policy adviser Julius Genachowski.
Per Mr. Eggerton:
“The FCC did approve a dozen or so minority initiatives under former Chairman Kevin Martin, including two key ones, says Honig -- one that made it easier for buyers to finance deals…”
“The Obama White House points out on its Web site:
"Encourag[ing] diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promot[ing] the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarify[ing] the public interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation's spectrum" is high on the administration's media/tech policy agenda, which Genachowski helped craft.”
“The Recovery Act calls for a comprehensive plan for national broadband, and the FCC is developing a plan due in February, 2010. The Recovery Act also provides for $7.2 billion for broadband internet access nationwide, including grants for rural broadband access, expanding computer center capacity, and sustainable broadband adoption initiatives.”

YES VIRGINIA, THERE IS A CONSPIRACY

Like many of you, I have been turned into a reluctant conspiracy theorist, since I began studying Obama and his background as well as the origins of the financial crisis, in October of 2008. Like you, I wake up every day praying that I am wrong, but the more I learn, the more evidence I find that there is a conspiracy.

George Soros, the patron saint of the Democratic Party, believes in; gay rights, legalization of all drugs, legal abortion, including partial birth, unrestricted immigration with entitlements, euthanasia, and a world wide totalitarian socialist society. In the 1960s, he began funding "Open Society Institutes" and other organizations with beneficial sounding names. These groups are all over the world. His strategy is to finance their start-up, and teach them to apply for government funding. He then remains a mentor and grooms promising candidates to enter the public arena, and spread his message.

He hooked up with Cloward and Piven who wrote "The Weight of the Poor. A Strategy to end Poverty", which described their strategy to force political change through "Ochestrated Chaos", the goal of which is to use manufactured crises to bring about the fall of democratic governments, in order to create the conditions for their perfect society.

Together, in 1967, they enlisted George Wiley, and created the National Welfare Reform Organization (NWRO) which bankrupted New York City. In 1970, Wade Rathke, a George Wiley protege', created ACORN.

Many of Soros' organizations use the Saul Alinsky method of community organization. They employ his "Rules for Radicals" which are, at best, underhanded, and follow "the end justifies the means" philosophy. Alinsky was a Marxist. Obama was trained at the Saul Alinsky Institute.

It was Obama who represented ACORN when they went to President Clinton, and successfully got the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) put on steroids, also paving the way for mortgages to be bundled as securities, and allowing community organizations to be the watchdogs.

In 1991, it was Obama who represented ACORN (and the US Justice Dept.) vs. Citibank to successfully force them to make more subprime loans.

I believe it was about 1993-4, that Obama represented ACORN in a successful suit against Illinois to force implementation of the Motor Voter Law.

George Soros has a long time association with Goldman-Sachs. For many years, virtually all of our government financial officials and advisors have come out of Goldman-Sachs.; including Greenspan, Paulson and Geithner. Bernanke is an exception.*

Countries, such as Poland and Russia, that have taken Soros' financial advice, have ended with their economies in shatters. He has orchestrated successful attacks on currencies, such as those of Great Britain, Italy and Thailand. The people of these countries end up poorer, pensioners bankrupted, and George ends up richer by billions.

He backs drug lords, and drug lord friendly candidates such as Alejandro Toledo, who he helped to overturn the anti-drug government of President Fujimori in Peru. George used Human Rights Watch, which he founded, to malign Fujimori's government. Within months of Toledo's victory the drug cartels (who routinely use murder and torture) were back in business.

I fear that the US is now taking Mr Soros' advice. I fear that much of Europe is too.

*This is a correction to an earlier version of this post.

IF THE DEMOCRATS ARE TRYING TO BRING ABOUT A TOTALITARIAN SOCIALIST SOCIETY, THEY ARE WELL ON THE WAY.

I recently came across an essay that described the characteristics of a totalitarian society (at free essays.com). I was struck by how many steps we have already taken in that direction, since the Democratic Party took control of Congress. In researching these steps, I was also struck by how things that sound wonderful, and are good in and of themselves, can be very bad if they make us dependent on any group that wants to control us.

Now, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT MOST DEMOCRATS WANT TOTALITARIANISM. However, as a tongue in cheek exercise I imagined that, if they did, and had a checklist, it might look like the following:

STEPS TO A TOTALITARIAN SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT, PROGRESS REPORT
IMAGINED* DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHECKLIST:
By Shelley Townley

*To my knowledge the Democratic Party has no such checklist or plan. I do not believe that most Democrats want Totalitarianism. I think they are going down this road unwittingly.

1.Need political, economic, social, or other crises to create public acceptance of unprecedented changes.

A.Economic collapse – We had a lot of help with this one!
B.Global Warming - Thanks to Al Gore.
C.Swine Flu – Pandemic from Mexico

2.Need a charismatic, Popular Leader.

A.President Barack Obama
B.Positive propaganda by friendly press and elaborate rallies have been helpful in magnifying and even deifying the President.

3.Promise an Ideal Society.

A.Income Redistribution
B.National Health Care
C.Birth to grave Education System
D.Environment Saved
E.Economy saved and regulated by the government

4.Use of Modern Developments in Communication to Spread Message.

A.Internet - Very Successful. The President is able to reach millions with his message. His rallies and speeches are delivered instantaneously to the entire country (Also see Number 8).
B.Teleprompter – OK, maybe too much use of this one,

5.Identify opponents, use propaganda and ridicule to scapegoat them.

A.Republicans
B.Fiscal Conservatives
C.Religious Conservatives
D.Right to Life Proponents
E.Constitutionalists
F.Gun Owners
G.Independent thinkers
H.Libertarians
I.Anyone who doesn’t agree with us


6.Seem to be working toward solving the problems, but use methods that will worsen the crises, and therefore fail, continuing the crises and therefore the need for yet more government intervention.

A.Continue unprecedented spending funded by ill advised borrowing, and printing money, leading to unsustainable debt, and inflation, crippling the economy for decades to come, if not collapsing it altogether.(Also see number 8.)
B.Global Warming is easy. Already accepted as a crisis even though the means to collect supporting data on a global basis does not yet exist. Impossible to gauge the extent of human influence, so impossible to determine success or failure. Good one Al Gore!
C.Scare everyone with talk of a Swine Flu Pandemic, raise the alert level to a 5 (out of 6), but don’t put any screening stations, or otherwise curb border crossings from Mexico, telling people, ”The flu is already here”. Hopefully they are not smart enough to understand that every infected person that crosses will infect tens to hundreds more in the US, increasing the spread of the flu exponentially.

7.Use the continuing crises to consolidate power and expand government.

A.Approve cap and trade taxes that do little to eliminate carbon from the air, but do increase energy costs to most industries, and to all citizens, further crippling the economy.
B.Create dozens of new Czars and agencies as well as thousands of new government jobs, making many more people beholden to the government and requiring yet higher taxes from the people, thereby further impoverishing them.
C.Pick winners and losers in the market, through selective bailouts, making the “winners” beholden to, and dependent on the government while destroying the “losers”.

8.Gain control and censorship of all forms of the media. Use the media to silence, scapegoat and marginalize any opposition, and to blame the scapegoats for all problems and failures.

A.MSNBC & CBS -Done
B.Most newspapers - Done
C.Talk Radio - Use “Localism” which is the new Fairness Doctrine, an establish community organizations as review boards to censor content. ACORN, La Raza and other such organizations can then be appointed to the boards.
D.Extend FCC Authority to the internet as well as cable radio and TV. Use Localism as above to regulate broadcast content.
E.Movies make wonderful propaganda, especially falsified documentaries. George Soros’ influence on the film industry is invaluable. Al Gore and Michael Moore have been extremely helpful too.

9.Gain control of the education system.

A.Actually the Government does, for the most part, control the educational system from kindergarten through high school, in public schools and to a great extent in Charter Schools, because they accept Government funding. Exceptions are private schools, and home schooling. We will work to eliminate voucher programs nationwide, as we already have in Washington DC.
B.We will need to minimize home schooling, perhaps by enacting impossibly stringent requirements regarding curriculum and materials that must be met by parents attempting to home school their children.
C.President Obama envisions an education system that begins in utero, and ends with the grave. It would cover every aspect of life, at home, at school, in day care, in the community. All of these programs will be available on a sliding scale by income.
D.The President advocates government intervention at all stages, and stresses social re-education. By the time our children become adults, they will be well indoctrinated.
E.We have put massive amounts of money for education in every bill which can be available for this social re-education. We can use the Chicago Annenberg Challenge curriculum President Obama developed with Bill Ayers, with its revisionist history and Marxist agenda.

10.Gain control of the health care system.

A.The government already controls Medicare and Medicaid; Social Security too, for that matter.
B.The President is working to convince the American people that Nationalized Health Care will save money. Many are actually buying it. Let’s hope the public doesn’t figure out that the only way this could work is to have government rationing of treatment, and long waiting lists.
C.The Stimulus Bill includes up to 3.5 billion for Health Information Technology. This will put everyone’s health record into a National Data Base, which will be available to, and instantly updated by all their health providers. It will undoubtedly speed up care, and prevent many disastrous and possibly life threatening errors. We can also utilize it as the technological base for a National Health Care System.
D.The Stimulus Bill also includes 2.5 billion for Comparative Effectiveness Health Care Research, and has language that could allow the Federal Coordinating Council to make funding determinations based on the results of this research. This information will be helpful in the design of a National Health Care System that will eventually replace Medicare, Medicaid, and the current private system.
E.In the 2010 Budget Act is a provision that allows a “deficit neutral” health reserve fund to be set up, for funding a National Health Care System and another provision that will allow Congress to use Reconciliation to pass it. - Control of Health Care, Done.

11.Gain control of the banks and financial system.

A.Almost done, thanks to TARP & Bailouts.
B.The AIG bonus fiasco was genius. It took attention from the huge spending in the Stimulus and budget bills, and it put the fear of God in the banks. It also gave us an excuse for taking more control.
C.Timothy Geithner’s idea to change the bank stocks from preferred to common is brilliant. The common stock gives the owners the right to vote on company decisions. As the largest stockholder, the government would have almost complete control.
D.Next we will address control of credit cards.

12.Gain control of the country’s industry and commerce.

A.US Auto Industry-Done
B.GE – With 265 billion in bailouts, and their need for the wind turbine franchise, we own them too.
C.Construction and housing industry – By taking control of banks and by setting the mortgage rates and rules, we can control them.
D.Green Energy Industry- Massive Governmental infusion of cash, with directives will make this industry dependent on the government.
E.Fossil Fuel Energy Industry – Will be much reduced by Cap & Trade, and other heavy environmental restrictions.
Note: Cap & Trade will have the added benefit of enriching the less carbon producing companies, making them beholden to and dependent on the government. It will also make Al Gore and any investors in his company obscenely rich.
F.We can also find ways to make heavy environmental restrictions that will help the government to begin taking control of many diverse industries.
G.When the economy completely collapses, it will be easy to nationalize other major industries.

13.Eliminate or restrict all competing legal, social, religious, and political traditions.

A.The First Amendment to the Constitution, Separation of Church and State, has been used very successfully by the ACLU to marginalize the dominant religion in the US, Christianity. It has also been effective in pushing the idea that there should be absolutely no religious references in public life.
B.Charitable organizations of all kinds will be reduced by the loss of the tax deduction for charitable gifts which the Omnibus Budget had removed. More and more people will look to the government for charity.
C.In The American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 there is a provision that gives stimulus money to schools and universities for upgrades and renovation of facilities. The provision has a clause that prohibits any of that money going to a facility that allows “religious worship” on its premises. Also, additional funding for faith based initiatives is removed from the final version of this bill.
D.The Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act of 2009 also prohibits money going to religious facilities. In addition it eliminates the Points of Light Foundation that accepted private donations.

14.Participation in approved government organizations required.

A.Best to start with the Unions. They are already powerful allies. The Employee Free Choice Act will help here, when we get it passed.
B.Participation in the National Service Program (GIVE) is “expected” for all students in grant areas. This can be made mandatory in future.
C.Later, when we have more control, Democratic Party membership can be made mandatory.

15.Secret Police force answering only to the leader.

A.During his campaign, Barack Obama mentioned creating a Civilian National Security Force. He talked about it being as well equipped as the regular militia, except it would answer only to the President.
B.GIVE is a start. It covers all ages, has a lot of education reform, adds thousands of supervisory, education (in social reform), and organizational jobs to the public payroll. It also includes a National Service Reserve Corps composed of former military types that, in case of a national disaster, or other “emergency”, can be deployed anywhere in the country, by Americorps or simply at the President’s command. Unlike the National Guard, they will not need the permission of the state to come in. This can be gradually built upon.
C.Too bad HR 1388 was unable to pass with the service being mandatory. That can be changed later.

16.Opposition parties eliminated.

A.ACORN and LA RAZA have done a great job registering hundreds of thousands of voters, eligible or no, and diverting millions of dollars in government grants from their ”non-partisan” operations to their “Get Out the Vote” operations on behalf of the Democratic Party. Now that our party is in the majority, we have increased the grants to billions, more in almost every bill passed, so they will be even more effective in the future, especially now that our "Localism" initiative has become law. We can now make them the thought police.
B.The years of propaganda, which painted the opposition as evil war mongering extremists, plus the use of ridicule when smears weren’t effective, have really paid off.
C.It helps that we have control of much of the press. With luck, the opposition can be shut out until they are marginalized, and gradually elected out of congress. The law can then be changed to allow the President to serve for life.



17.The Leader is above the law. It is a tool he uses to control the citizens.

A.We will continue to work to put liberal judges in place in every state, who are willing to make decisions on a case by case basis, according to their political agenda. They will also be helpful when a close election is appealed.
B.We must be sure Trans-nationalist Professor Harold Koh’s appointment as legal advisor to the U.S. Department of State goes through.
C.We will continue to do everything possible to marginalize the Constitution, and encourage Legislation from the bench.
D.The President, of course, will appoint left wing judges to the Supreme Court at every opportunity. If we are successful, the President will eventually be able to rule by decree, and the court system will become a rubber stamp.

LOCALISM, ACORN AND THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

I just read an article, by Connie Hair, called "ACORN Pushes Return of Fairness Doctrine", dated 02/18/09, at http://www.humanevents.com/. Ms.Hair believes that "ACORN is readying a campaign to kill conservative talk radio".

I. Make it possible for low- and moderate-income community groups to have their own sources of information

A. Initiate government funding to low- and moderate-income community groups in order to assist them in establishing their own sources of information.

B. Exempt government funding to low- and moderate-income community groups in order to assist them in establishing their own sources of information.

C. The Federal Communication Commission should revise its policies so that broadcast applicants with low- and moderate-income boards of directors are more likely to be awarded stations.



II. Make the mainstream media accessible and accountable to low- and moderate-income people.

A. Reinstate the Fairness Doctrine in broadcasting, so that grass roots community groups have equal time to express their views.

B. Require cable TV companies to make good on their promises to allow community groups access to air time, or revoke their operating licenses.

I am extremely concerned about plans being discussed by the current administration regarding the imposition, on the media, of “community watchdog boards” with the purpose of judging whether the content “serves the public interest, locally”. These boards would have the power of intimidation, or even the ability to cause the loss of broadcast licenses. This would amount to blatant censorship, and would be the death of free speech in America.

Any entity with the power to determine whether media content “serves the public interest” would do so according to their own agenda. Whoever is in charge would have the ability to silence any opposition, thereby ensuring continued power. This would be the death of democracy in America.

We would consider any support of such legislation as evidence of intention to do away with free speech, and democracy in the United States. As your constituents, we expect you to fight any such legislation. We promise we will be watching.

Regards,

Qualifications for Supreme Court Judges

Justice David Souter has announced that he will retire from the Supreme Court. In discussing his replacement, President Obama said "I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes."

Well, I think that is a good quality for anyone to have, but it should not be an ingredient in deciding Supreme Court cases. If the Supreme Court begins ruling on a case by case basis they will be legislating from the bench, and we might as well dispense with the House of Representatives! Not to mention that the Judges' decisions could, more easily, be influenced by bribes from interested parties, or by manipulation from persons in power.

Worse, they would be deciding cases on an emotional basis, and their own agenda could not help but enter into the decision. Judges are there to interpret the law, according to the Constitution, and legislation that has been passed by the legislative branch. If this leads to an unjust decision, it is up to the Legislative Branch to amend the law. Justice must be blind!

Hello, let me introduce myself:

Hello:

My name is Shelley Townley, and I hope that this site will become a forum for political, social, philosophical and other discussions. For that reason, I will begin by telling you where I stand politically:

I believe:

1. In fiscal responsibility by myself, my countrymen and my government.

2. In personal responsibility by everyone.

3. In separation of church and state, but not obliteration of church from state.

4. That Judges must rule according to the Constitution and existing law and that they may not legislate from the bench.

5. That international law can never overrule our national or state law.

6. That justice and the law must be blind to race, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation.

7. In gun control, including a ban on assault weapons.

8. That abortion should be legal in the early stages of pregnancy, but not in later stages, and that partial birth abortion is murder.

9. That we, as a society, should provide assistance to the young, the elderly, and those who cannot provide for themselves due to physical or mental disabilities, or due to a temporary loss of employment. That this assistance should also be blind.

10. That our Republican and Democratic leaders have gone so far off the reservation that, together, they represent only a small percentage of our population.

11. That we need a strong Independent Party to represent the rest of us, preferably before the other two Parties bankrupt the country.

I am open to discussion on any of these topics. I can, and sometimes do change my mind, but only when I am presented with new, verifiable, facts, and/or new logic.

I look forward to hearing from all of you deep thinkers.