Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Incarcerated - U. S. Leads the World

Over 2,200,000 in prison at any given time, we lead the world despite having only 5% of the world's population. We are believed to worse than China.

Why?

Largely because of  failed drug USE eradication programs and treatment and preventative measures that are EFFECTIVE. After the November elections, we need to get serious about this failure that affects almost every household in the U.S. one way or another.

So sad for so many.

"In Flanders Fields"

Thanks to the Wall Street Journal, "Kudos to Jason DeSena Trennert for starting a campaign to bring the poppy back to Wall Street. He and his colleagues will be wearing red paper-crepe poppies and will be sharing them with clients. He's trying to renew a great tradition.

Once upon a time, before Memorial Day inspired thoughts of a weekday at the beach, it marked an opportunity to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of America. The poppy became a symbol of remembrance and gratitude for departed soldiers after World War I and the publication of the 1915 poem, 'In Flanders Fields'".

Written by Canadian army officer and physician John McCrae after he witnessed the horrific carnage at Ypres, Belgium, the poem began with the words, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow between the crosses row on row and ends with "To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep, though poppies grow in Flanders fields."

Nearly a bloody century later, Americans have infinitely more reasons to remember and to be thankful for all those who have since died in defense of liberty."

When I was in about the fifth grade our teacher had us remember the words to this poem. For those of you who have never heard it or have forgotten this poem, I quote the entire poem:

"In Flanders fields the poppies blow
  Between the crosses, row on row,
 That mark our place; and in the sky
 The larks, still bravely singing,fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
  Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
      In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
  The torch; be yours to hold it high,
  If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
     In Flanders fields."

Unfortunately, the many peace treaties signed did not bring peace to Europe. Too many sactions were imposed on Germany and within a short few years, the world was heading for WW II in which another 10,000,000,000 more lives were lost.

I doubt if one out of ten grade or high school kids know much about the causes of war and why wars will continue to be fought by those given the wrong education such as those terrorist who exist in probably every country in the world. "Make love; not war" won't stop those who wish to do us harm from harming us.

To learn more about John McCrae, insert his name on your search bar.

Giant Screen Coming to the PRM

That's right. That's it's name, Giant Screen. No IMAX  or Global Immersion as promised after the IMAX deal fell through.

Look up Giant Screen on the internet.

Interesting.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Alta Road and it's Dangerous Curve Near Allen Road?

So how many accidents compared with War Memorial and Knoxville? Why no "Caution" blinking lighted signs or warning "Dangerous Crossing"?  Well, why not, if it is "such a hazard"?? Why wern't less costly stop lights installed years ago? An why isn't this "dangerous culvert repaired years ago when it first became apparent?

How many years of time and gas savings to make up the $4 million for the RAB, TWENTY MILLION  for the whole project at this location? How much time will be lost as this area is torn up for two-three years creating real traffic problems. How is government going to get tax dollars from  battery operated vehicles that don't pay road taxes?

I warned years ago that this community would at some date be the highest taxed community in Illinois.

It's "acoming".

A Roundabout in Peoria For only $20 Million?

I blogged on this event earlier this month but had no idea it would cost taxpayers TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS. A near bankrupt state who can't pay their bills and would close the Peoria Adult Transition Center and send 60 ex-cons back to prison is another example of how screwed up our politician are.

The City Council is going to take $4 million for this project while the Public Works Depart. can't even repair our lousy streets.

I'm getting weary of hearing high paid engineers with IDOT and the unions saying this project will create jobs. If this RAB was to be built in a right-to-work state, it would cost maybe $10 million.

Our City Council is acting like RAB are something relatively new. If you call 500 years ago in Rome relatively new, they are correct.

The council approved the $20 million so it's just a matter of design of this "reason the state and city are near broke". Here's the councils thinking. Real intelligent, but we should grab the $13.5 million from the state before East Peoria, Washington or Bloomington takes the money.

The old "if we don't take it someone else will". That's why it is newsworthy that once in a great while someone returns something someone else lost. Even if the lost item has the owener's name on it and has any real value. Years ago I lost a camera that had my name on it. Get it back? No, even though I've always been listed in the phone book.

This is the way policticians think.. So in the end it probably won't make that much difference who wins the election if these politicians plan to reduce the spending and the horrendous debt.

So send the ex-cons back to prisons and open up the unused prison  up north.

WE are getting more of what Rusk warned us about years ago. Urban sprawl. Let the people serviced by this TWENTY MILLION "union job creator" pay for it. There the ones racing back and forth causing the traffic jams they complain about.

So sad.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Newsmax Reports on National Concern Issues



Insider Report from Newsmax.com




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Report Questions Citizenship for ‘Anchor Babies’

The issue of “anchor babies” — children who automatically become citizens upon their birth to illegal aliens in the United States — has become a hot topic as their numbers continue to soar.

But nearly 60 percent of Americans now oppose “birthright citizenship,” according to a Rasmussen poll, and some lawmakers are calling for legislation to end it.

House Minority Leader John Boehner says that a revision of the 14th Amendment — which forms the basis for birthright citizenship — is “worth considering.” And legal scholars including Yale Law School Prof. Peter Schuck and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Posner question whether the amendment does in fact confer citizenship on the children of illegal aliens.

The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) has released an in-depth report on birthright citizenship that includes these disclosures:

Each year, 300,000 to 400,000 anchor babies are born in the United States and automatically recognized as American citizens.
Only 30 of the world’s 194 nations confer automatic citizenship on children born to illegal aliens, and just two of them are advanced economies — the United States and Canada.
No European country has birthright citizenship.
Over the past few decades, a number of countries have repealed birthright citizenship provisions, including the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Ireland, and New Zealand.
The number of U.S.-born children with illegal alien parents soared from 2.3 million in 2003 to at least 4 million in 2008. Between 2001 and 2009, such births surpassed 542,000 in Texas alone.
The Supreme Court has ruled that children born in the U.S. to permanent resident aliens are citizens, but has never decided if the rule applies to the children of aliens whose presence is illegal or temporary.
Due to birthright citizenship, the undocumented immigrant families of anchor babies can qualify for welfare benefits they would otherwise not be entitled to receive.

Also, a child born into those families has the ability “when he grows up, to legalize his parents, and also to bring into the United States his foreign-born spouse and any foreign-born siblings,” according to CIS Legal Policy Analyst Jon Feere.

“The sponsored spouse can, in turn, sponsor her own foreign-born parents and siblings, and the siblings can, in turn, sponsor their own foreign-born spouses, and so on, generating a virtually never-ending and always-expanding migration chain.”

The child born in the U.S. to illegal aliens thus forms an anchor for the legal immigration of a number of relatives — hence the term “anchor baby.”

The anchor baby phenomenon has led to the growth of “birth tourism” — pregnant women traveling to the United States to give birth on American soil.

Feere points out: “Is automatic birthright citizenship for children of all legal and illegal aliens expressly required by the U.S. Constitution? On its face, the answer is ‘no.’

“The 14th Amendment confers citizenship through naturalization or by birth to persons ‘subject to the jurisdiction’ of the United States, but provides no guidance on when an alien is to be regarded as subject to U.S. jurisdiction.

“One might say the practice has become policy without becoming law.”

The 14th Amendment was passed in 1868 in the aftermath of the Civil War, and its Citizenship Clause was intended to ensure that freed slaves would be recognized as U.S. citizens.

“There is simply no direct evidence that Congress wished to confer citizenship on the children of temporary or illegal visitors, but there is some evidence that they did not,” Feere observes.

Sen. Jacob Howard, a Michigan Republican who debated a resolution that would become the Citizenship Clause, limited citizenship by birth by stating in 1866: “This will not, of course, include persons born in the United States who are foreigners, aliens, who belong to the families of ambassadors or foreign ministers accredited to the Government of the United States.”

Feere also notes that an illegal alien is, under law, a citizen of a foreign country and therefore subject to that nation’s jurisdiction, and the authors of the Citizenship Clause intended that “jurisdiction as to the child would be imputed from the status of the parents.”

He maintains, then, that a child born in America to illegal aliens is not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States, and therefore is not entitled to citizenship.

John Eastman, a professor at the Chapman University School of Law, said in a media conference in August that illegal immigrants are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction in the sense that they cannot be drafted into the American military or tried for treason against the United States.

Their children would share that status, via citizenship in their parents’ nation or nations of birth – and so would not be eligible for a U.S. passport, even if born on American soil, according to Eastman’s statements reported by the Christian Science Monitor.

Furthermore, Eastman said, federal courts have upheld the right of Congress to regulate naturalization policies over and above the basic constitutional guarantee.

Therefore, CIS report author Feere concludes, “Some eminent scholars and jurists have concluded that it is within the power of Congress to define the scope of the Citizenship Clause through legislation and that birthright citizenship for the children of temporary visitors and illegal aliens could likely be abolished by statute without amending the Constitution.”

To that end, last year Nathan Deal, then a Georgia Republican in the House, introduced legislation — which has nearly 100 co-sponsors — that would limit birthright citizenship to persons born in the United States to at least one parent who is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident alien, or an alien performing active duty in the armed forces.

Editor's Note:

Special: Protect Our Borders, Wear the Cap.


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

2. No-Warrant Ruling Brings U.S. ‘Closer to Police State’

A “dangerous” court ruling holds that government agents can sneak onto your property, attach a tracking device to your car, and monitor your every move — without a warrant.

The ruling was originally handed down in January by the three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers California and eight other Western states. In August, a larger group of judges decided to let it stand.

“It is a dangerous decision — one that, as the dissenting judges warned, could turn America into the sort of totalitarian state imagined by George Orwell,” Adam Cohen, an attorney and former member of the New York Times editorial board, writes in Time magazine.

The case began in 2007, when Drug Enforcement Administration agents suspected Oregon resident Juan Pineda-Moreno of growing marijuana. Agents sneaked onto his property at night and attached a GPS tracking device to the underside of his Jeep, which was parked in his driveway next to his trailer home.

Agents used the device to track the suspect to a marijuana growing site. He was arrested and convicted on marijuana manufacturing charges.

But Pineda-Moreno challenged the DEA’s actions, claiming they violated his Fourth Amendment rights protecting him from unreasonable search and seizure.

“The invasion of his driveway was wrong,” Cohen declared. “The courts have long held that people have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their homes and in the ‘curtilage,’ a fancy legal term for the area around the home.”

But the Ninth Circuit panel ruled that Pineda-Moreno’s driveway was not private.

“If a neighborhood child had walked up Pineda-Moreno's driveway and crawled under his Jeep to retrieve a lost ball or runaway cat, Pineda-Moreno would have no grounds to complain,” the judges stated. “Thus, because Pineda-Moreno did not take steps to exclude passersby from his driveway, he cannot claim a reasonable expectation of privacy in it, regardless of whether a portion of it was located within the curtilage of his home.”

The court also ruled that the underside of Pineda-Moreno’s Jeep was not private property.

Chief Judge Alex Kozinski dissented from this month’s decision not to reconsider the case, stating: “The panel’s rationale for concluding that Pineda-Moreno had no reasonable expectation of privacy is even more worrisome than its disregard of Supreme Court precedent.”

He also wrote: “1984 may have come a bit later than predicted, but it’s here at last.”

Cohen warned: “If government agents can track people with secretly planted GPS devices virtually anytime they want, without having to go to a court for a warrant, we are one step closer to a classic police state.”

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has now ruled that tracking a person for an extended period of time with a GPS device is an invasion of privacy that requires a warrant.

Observers believe the issue will probably be decided by the Supreme Court


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

3. U.S. Funding Mosques Abroad

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the planned mosque near New York’s ground zero comes the disclosure that American taxpayers are funding the construction and renovation of mosques around the world.

The State Department’s U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) is spending millions of dollars on at least 29 mosque-related projects in 18 countries, including Pakistan, Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Sudan, and Albania.

State Department spokeswoman Nicole Thompson told The Daily Caller website that the AFCP is a type of “diplomatic effort and outreach.”

She said: “It is helping to preserve our cultural heritage. It is not just to preserve religious structures. It is not to preserve a religion. It is to help us as global inhabitants preserve cultures.”

The State Department recently provided Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, Ranking Republican on the Committee on Foreign Relations, with a document explaining that the funding of mosques was given a green light in 2003. At that time the Justice Department said the Constitution did not bar using federal funds to preserve religious structures if they had cultural significance.

But Robert Spencer, director of Jihad Watch, told The Daily Caller that funding mosque renovation and rehabilitation is “disastrously wrongheaded and unconstitutional. They are not going to win hearts and minds. It is not as if they are going to say, ‘the Americans built this mosque for us so we shouldn’t wage jihad on them.’”

He added: “A mosque is a mosque is a mosque. It is where prayers happen. That is a religious installation.”

And Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, president and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, said: “We have always felt this type of outreach is completely ineffective and that ultimately we have to approach it like the Cold War where we are fighting an ideology.

“If we are going to have this long war of ideas we cannot fund these religious institutions. We can fund anti-Islamist institutions based in liberty.”



Tyranny On Our Door Step Until November Election

The Power of Words


by Jenny L Keller

As I read a Biography of Benjamin Franklin, I understood the power of words. I realized that Franklin spent a lifetime developing his thoughts. Of course he had a printing press. But had he not spread his philosophy via the written word, along with Thomas Payne and others, I doubt that we would have ever become the United States of America. I also realized that, just like us, the “tension” under which Franklin lived, trying to get others to understand what he was saying and why it was important, also just like us. It was not until Franklin was 81 years old that he was privileged to finalize the Constitution of the United States.

In reading the Biography of Thomas Jefferson, I was impressed with the fact that he didn’t just write the Declaration of Independence and later when our country was independent, become the third President – and all was well.

Not at all, he fought all through his life for the principles that had spawned the USA. The Federalist Party tried to take government back to “the old ways.” Jefferson fought to keep the government small, not adding “departments” and “offices.” He fought to keep the Federal Government from taking power from the States. He did all that he could to keep from taxing the people. And on the fights went, battling many of the same things that you and I battle today, like limited government and lower taxes.

If we do not continue in pursuit of the principles on which our country was founded, we will revert back to tyranny. In fact we are well on the way. Tyranny is at the door. Never give up expressing what you believe, what you know to be true. As it was for Jefferson, this is a lifetime pursuit!





Guns - Hold on to Them, Registered or Not

Forwarded to me by a friend.
This message is for people concerned about what Obama and Chicago Democrats Do

Merle
HERE IT COMES, BE PREPARED !!



FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION!



The Full Article Here: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE59E0Q920091015





U.S.reverses stance on treaty to regulate arms trade



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States reversed policy on Wednesday and said it would back launching talks on a treaty to regulate arms sales as long as the talks operated by consensus, a stance critics said gave every nation a veto.



The decision, announced in a statement released by the U.S. State Department, overturns the position of former President George W. Bush's administration, which had opposed such a treaty on the grounds that national controls were better.



On Wednesday Obama Took the First Major Step in a Plan to Ban All Firearms in the United States. The Obama administration intends to force gun control and a complete ban on all weapons for US citizens through the signing of international treaties with foreign nations. By signing international treaties on gun control, the Obama administration can use the US State Department to bypass the normal legislative process in Congress. Once the US Government signs these international treaties, all US citizens will be subject to those gun laws created by foreign governments. These are laws that have been developed and promoted by organizations such as the United Nations and individuals such as George Soros and Michael Bloomberg. The laws are designed and intended to lead to the complete ban and confiscation of all firearms.



The Obama administration is attempting to use tactics and methods of gun control that will inflict major damage to our 2nd Amendment before US citizens even understand what has happened. Obama can appear before the public and tell them that he does not intend to pursue any legislation (in the United States) that will lead to new gun control laws, while cloaked in secrecy, his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is committing the US to international treaties and foreign gun control laws. Does that mean Obama is telling the truth? What it means is that there will be no publicized gun control debates in the media or votes in Congress. We will wake up one morning and find that the United States has signed a treaty that prohibits firearm and ammunition manufacturers from selling to the public. We will wake up another morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that prohibits any transfer of firearm ownership. And then, we will wake up yet another

morning and find that the US has signed a treaty that requires US citizens to deliver any firearm they own to the local government collection and destruction center or face imprisonment.



This is not a joke nor a false warning. As sure as government health care will be forced on us by the Obama administration through whatever means necessary, so will gun control.



Please forward this message to others who may be concerned about the direction in which our country is headed.



We are being led like a lamb to the slaughter (Socialism/Dictatorship).

DON'T KEEP THIS - SEND IT OUT TO YOUR LI

"Apparently, I'm supposed to be more outraged by what Mitt Romney does with his money than by what Barack Obama does with mine."



.





Saturday, May 19, 2012

The National Citizen Survey, the PRM and the Children's PlayHouse

Peoria County paid for a survey by this company in early 2010. A summation of this survey was given to County Board members on 2/16/10, stating, "Riverfron Museum (page 31) 65% somewhat or strongly oppose a sales tax increase".

On 7/5/04, the JS reported "Kids getting own museum", and I quote from this article written by Carrie Kepple. "the first phase of work on the Peoria Zoo and Gardens is scheduled to break ground in September. The plan is to open the zoo and gardens in 2006, with the PlayHouse to open in 2007. The PlayHouse will be located in the Glen Oak Pavilion now occupied by the Peoria Park District Headquarters. Museum officials are making plans to move into the 110 year old pavilion as soon as park district officials make definite plans to move to another location. Park District President
Tim Cassidy gave the former IDOT building on Knoxville as an example of locations in consideration".(No mention made of Lakeview).

Some have stated that Lakeview Museum was always intended to be the park administration building. That is not true. The downtown museum was certainly not a "done deal" at the time this article was written in 2004. In fact, it took a $600,000 "educational advertising campaign to get the tax referendum to support a new museum, passed on April 7, 2009. The vote in favor of the tax was 15,305 with 14, 895 voting in opposition.

Until this date, April 7, 2009, there was no guarantee that a museum would be built down town (it is NOT on the riverfront. It is near the riverfront.) at mainly taxpayer expense; here again false promises were made to the public and the Peoria County Board who issued the referendum. Three major ones were the size of this  museum would only cost $65 million, it was to be a Regional Museum, would for sure include an IMAX Theatre and  would be funded "only with 33% taxpayer funds" now 70%+ and counting.

So, as the Peoria Illinoisan wrote me that it was ALWAYS the plan for the park district to locate in the presumed empty Lakeview Museum, is not a true statement. It was the elite including Caterpillar who assumed that funds would easily flow in from private source. $13,000,000+ did flow in and quickly out, much from Caterpillar or its Foundation, but was spent by December 31, 2010 before a shovel of dirt was turned. Unfortunately, easy money from the state, feds, and the private sector was not the case for the museum that was to open in 2009. Nor have sufficient funds flowed in for the playhouse that was to open in 2007.

As a member of the Peoria County and as an opponent to the museum I would ask at every discussion of this new museum, "show me the money".The museum backers "hemmed and hawed", failed to land an IMAX and to this date are still talking about an unnamed large screen theatre and have failed to come up with valid funding figures and the recent source of funds for an endowment, still short of funding..  I was first in favor of the museum as my blogs will testify but I changed against it when the private monied elite failed to come up with their 66% of the funds and to this date there is no indication from the PRM Committee and the PlayHouse promoters that the money has been fully raised as promised.  I became more disenchanted with the whole proposition when our previous county  administrator sold the board on owning the building. It is highly possible that 5-10 years down the road, there will be second major white elephant downtown, the first one still; in the making.

All appear now to be counting on the draw success of Pro Bass, the expanded Civic Center and now the taxpayer backed new Marriot Courtside. And Caterpillar.

As I have often stated in my blogs, most predictions of the past decade have been missed. Some badly. I hope this decade proves me wrong but don't count on that happening.

It is now almost the middle of 2012 amid a series of falsehoods and missed projections, with 2007 and 2009 long gone. Dreamsville, as one wag called Peoria. Big ideas confronted with tight wallets and purses from the monied set and a lot of dubious little guys.

Some will say, "well it's the economy". Myself and other gave plenty of unheeded warning about the dangers of this economy.  It may get worse as there appear to be a lot of nervous spenders these days. Read my blogs, "Wake up, Peoria" easily found on my search bar.

Former YWCA Building Up For Sale

If you buy the building being auctioned on June 26 for $1,450,000.00+ you will need to lease the land from the Peoria Park District. You won't be able to buy the 33,000 sq. ft. Lakeview Museum building as that is destined to be the Peoria Park District new Administration building. I guess that means no new ball fields as promised by Noble and Cassidy in 2002, no erosion control of the silt delta expanding from park owned land into the Illinois River, higher activity fee listings in the parks' Quarterly Issue Playbook, no new skateboard park to replace the drug dealing Becker skateboard location, and probably soon a boost in property taxes for those who live in the park taxing areas of the City of Peoria.

You may recall I posted the JS article in which Park Board President Cassidy finally admitted that the 10 year bond for the RiverPlex, "this bonded indebtedness, if not all, will be paid through RecPlex\operations". (Js, 3/12/99)The project got so much negative publicity that the name was changed from "wreck" (Rec)  to "Plex" and the bond payoff date was recently extended another 6 years. At no time did the complex pay any of the projected principal and interest of what then was a $6 million dollar loan.

Those with an honest memory will recall that the busted State of Illinois gave the IDOT building complex to the PPD for one dollar and the park made official public notice that that would be their new headquarters once the money was raised for the Children's Playhouse.

Why did IDOT give up a good building complex on North Knoxville? Was it a "sweetheart" political deal as rumored. Some old local ex politicians could tell you but they won't because I believe the major recipient is still living.

My, how time flies and lies are forgotten. You won't see an of what I post in the new Peoria magazine touted by the JS as the "History of Peoria".

This blog is the roughly 2200 blogs I have posted on this site. All are available by typing in the subject of your search on my "Search Bar" above my profile on any of my 2200 posts. For more info  type in Peoria Park District or PPD for more history on the park district, Children's Playhouse, #150, etc.

My Union Stance Based on Observations and Experiences

Start with the union strike on Caterpillar in Joliet. Cat stock has plummeted from a high of $117 to Friday's finish of near $89. All indications are that this country is still in some form of depression or recession. Caterpillar has recently moved several segment of their manufacturing sector to lower cost right-to-work states who offer the same kind of incentives as almost all other states, including Illinois.  Illinois has a hostile business environment yet has made certain concessions to major manufacturers to make it financially feasible for those companies to remain in Illinois, at least for now.

I would not be surprised if Cat left Joliet in the next few years and some strikers may find themselves working at minimum wages if they could even find jobs.

Companies are in business to make a profit, more profit in some years to offset what they know, will be bad years, (CAT's great last quarter is a good example),such as we are currently experiencing whether we believe it or not..  There are those, especially in union boss dominated unions, who are led to believe that the workers should dictate to companies how these companies are run, how much the work they do is worth, pay scales for executives, more vacation time, personal days, the right to not work if they don't want to, etc. More evidence of creeping socialism I've warned you about for years on this blog site.

I do not oppose unions. There was in past years, a great need for unions such as there was a great demand for slavery. Much has changed. The Teamsters Union and Widmers worked together successfully for 22 years and the the company that still bears my name, for 20+ years. I am from the The Samuel Gompers school. He felt that union bosses, by denouncing freedom of choice for workers and who believed that only by compulsion, could union bosses control their workers. I add, and these belligerent bosses, ensure their reelection. Union members, mainly Democrats, who are mostly herd-like, (fortunately, many are not) are taught to believe in following the leader without thinking or reading about what-ever position be  the state of the union while being  educated (brain-washed) to only the one side of of the situation, mainly,what's in it for me.

The Wisconsin union bosses told the teachers not to take ANY cuts or changes in their contract while the state struggled financially in the late year 2000s. While workers in the private sector in Wisconsin were being laid off, hours, earnings and benefits reduced to meet the depressive situation.

But not the Wisconsin Teachers Union who feel they are under paid and generally oppressed by those above them. I always recommend people who feel that way, are also free to get another job. This is still a free country to leave one job for another,

Also, I don't like liars, especially those of the Obama ilk who seem to dominate the public unions today. Yes, we have incompetent leaders in the public sector as well as the private sector. Those who are over seeing them are responsible for correcting the situation and the option of firing them is not the option of those they are supposed to lead. Exsept, in the public sector, you can vote them out.

If you have someone willing to run who would, you believe, do a better job.

As a long time observer of union employees work habits, especially in the Public Works sector, my observations lead me to believe that maybe 60% are efficient including management; managers who are usually promoted up through the union ranks. If we have thousands of bridges that need repair now, we will still have thousands of bridges that need repair 10 years from now and this lack of progress can't be solely pinned on "lack of budgeted funds".

Except in RTW states, these workers are all union. Reading, listening and observing, if I had my "druthers", I wold prefer to live out the rest of my life in a RTW state.



Wisconsin Recall Election Travesty

This June vote scheduled for June 5, still time to send your money to "Friends of Governor Walker" (see my previous post for the address), is all about unions continuing to exert their power over running schools and most all other unionized public sectors such as highway construction and bridge repair. "What unions really want is legal standing to SUE employers and prevent ANY changes -  in wages, hours, or other conditions of employment - unwanted by their members", so says Attorney Christopher M. Toner writing a column in today's WSJ.

Unions sue for the right of union teachers to review pornography in the classrooms, for principals to sell drugs to students and to retain proven incompetent teachers of which their is a fair sized minority. Review my previous post where out of all Illinois teachers, less than 7 were discharged for incompetence or worse, and instances of where taxpayers had to spend up to $600,000 to fire just one teacher.

A sadder part is that the man promising CHANGE strongly supports the belligerent uniionization of all working people. Some change.

And oboy, look at the competence of our state politicians. If  Walker is recalled, so will go the State of Wisconsin. Already, there is a shift of population out of Wisconsin, some because of the large number of retirees seeking warmer climes, and young common sense people seeking a better environment to raise their families.

To quote Toner further, "Education is easily the most important social equalizer in our society, yet there is no evidence that Wisconsin previous levels of retirement and health benefits improved student performance. many factors harm student performance - including that we can't  fire our most incompetent teachers and seldom reward the best, thanks to union contracts that forbid merit based compensation and block the dismissal of teachers except in very rare circumstances.

Recalling Governor Walker and reinstating collective bargaining rights would guarantee a tax hike to pay astronomically, pre-Walker-level health benefits to union members."

To further quote Attorney Toner, Governor Walkers's charges wouldn't have been needed, except that most politicians are unwilling to confront their friends and constituents".

Expect that habit to get worse all over the country if the union bosses and their followers prevail on.
june 6. Weak school boards or union dominated boards such as our union dominated Peoria County Board, now running a deficit for the first time since 2000 are the ruination of our country by the growing public sectors belligerent unions and the weak boards that are supposed to control them, not the other way around.

As the JSEB reported back on 6/12/95, "Union can't run District #150". Well, they did and still do along with their many union supporters on the school board.

So sad that this great country is in a downward spiral. No, I don't blame it all on the unions, but also on the greedy or incompetent politicians that we continue to elect because the best minds seldom run for public office because of the intense over-scrutinizing of their past history and the continuing assault of them by the least competent people, including many left-wing liberals reporters dominating the media..

Friday, May 18, 2012

Round-Abouts In Peoria- Pressure From the "Outliers"?

The "competent" Peoria City Council possibly bankrupting us in the next few years, has decided to put a RAB out north where the wealthy are moving. Council members say this round-a-bout will save time and fuel for their SUV's.  I say that the repair of washboard streets in Peoria would save a lot more wear and tear on vehicles than one multi-million dollar RAB will save on these Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac and Lincoln SUV's. No, I'm not jealous, my 2004 Lincoln Town car is the best riding car on the road today.

I've driven over 1,600,000 miles in my lifetime ans seldom have I seen a RAB. RAB"s are more accident prone than more conventional "stop and go" now abetted by yellow 'flashing' left turn signals in use in some cities for 20 years. Even then, they (we) are paying some Bradley professors $160,000 to 'study' the effectiveness of these common sense time and gas saving 'flashing' signals.

And now the Peoria County Board, flush with money when I retired from the board in 2010, is looking at a $2 million, probably more, deficit,as BelWood expenses are exceeding the $3,000,000 they already collect from property tax payers. BW revenues are up but expenses are rising faster than revenues according to Peoria County financial records. Our former County Administrator says that the new BW will actually operate a a break even status, minus the $3+ million collected from property owners.

We will see what the state does with Medicade (spelled by some intellects both ways) and how many more elders opt for home care, a growing industry even for those with AZ.

When the new BW has it's first open house to "ahs and ohs" remember that this opulent home is a "safety net" for the poor and indigent"

Hmmmm.

Keeping Black Folks Enslaved on the Obama Plantation

Written by Mark Alexander - Patriot Post March 29.

An interesting read. I would spend more time blogging or commenting on Facebook, if I wasn't a voracious reader. I sometimes go through a 300 page book in one day. I read and understood,  in 24 hours, "Don't Shoot" a must read by anyone interesting in stopping the apparently senseless killing usually among barely literate blacks. These killings are almost all drug related or "girlfriend" related.

Pray we don't have a long, hot summer in Peoria. If we do, expect a lot more crime than the stealing of air conditioners. I suspect these thieves are white trash with scrap thieves accepting the "what they know is stolen" scrap.. And with the JS talking about the possibility of 40 less police in the city.

Some may be wishing we hadn't spent $45 million (actual cost plus 20 or 30 years interest) for new and renovated libraries and instead;  given this money to Chief Settingard. And the balance spent on our lousy city roadbeds or are we so used to them that we hardly notice??

Hm.

Only in the United States of America

In one of Johan Goldberg's recent books, "The Tyranny of Cliches", he quotes Democrat Charles Rangel in a sarcastic comment to some Republicans in reference to the growing number of people on welfare, "What do you want them to do? Eat cake?"

In today's WSJ there is a column wittten by Warren Kozak, an author, describing a recent trip he made to a large chain grocery in his neighborhood, a higher priced store that he doesn't often visit, 

I quote Mr. Kozak, "Recently I ran into this higher priced store to pick up two or three items that were not worth the savings of driving to  a lower priced grocer. I chose to stand behind a woman with one item in her cart. It was one of those large ice cream cakes. When the checkout person said, 'Forty one dollars', I wasn't the only one who blanched. The young boy with the shopper, repeated, "Forty one dollars'?t  The mother ignored the question and took out her benefits card (food stamps), swiped it through the machine, and they were off.

I stood there wondering if the young boy takes away a lesson from this transaction. Does he grow up with the faintest understanding of delayed gratification-that you have to EARN your money before spending it on a $41 cream cake? I wondered as to how this nation arrived at this point? No one wants a child to go hungry, but...........?"

Only in this country??

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Only in the United States of America

Forwarded to me by a friend. So sad.

Merle

Only in America---Top Ten


>

>

> 1) Only in America could politicians talk about the greed of the rich

> at a $35,000 a plate campaign fund raising event.

>

> 2) Only in America could people claim that the government still

> discriminates against black Americans when we have a black President,

> a black Attorney General, and roughly 18% of the federal workforce is

> black. 12% of the population is black.

>

> 3) Only in America could we have had the two people most responsible

> for our tax code, Timothy Geithner, the head of the Treasury

> Department and Charles Rangel who once ran the Ways and Means

> Committee, BOTH turn out to be tax cheats who are in favor of higher

> taxes.

>

> 4) Only in America can we have terrorists kill people in the name of

> Allah and have the media primarily react by fretting that Muslims

> might be harmed by the backlash.

>

> 5) Only in America would we make people who want to legally become

> American citizens wait for years in their home countries and pay tens

> of thousands of dollars for the privilege while we discuss letting

> anyone who sneaks into the country illegally just become American

> citizens.

>

> 6) Only in America could the people who believe in balancing

the

> budget and sticking by the country's Constitution be thought of as

> "extremists."

>

> 7) Only in America could you need to present a driver's license to

> cash a check or buy alcohol, but not to vote.

>

> 8) Only in America could people demand the government investigate

>

whether oil companies are gouging the public because the price of gas

> went up when the return on equity invested in a major U.S. oil company

> (Marathon Oil) is less than half of a company making tennis shoes

> (Nike).

>

> 9) Only in America could the government collect more tax dollars from

> the people than any nation in recorded history, still spend a trillion

>

dollars more than it has per year for total spending of $7 million PER

> MINUTE, and complain that it doesn't have nearly enough money.

>

> 10) Only in America could the rich people who pay 86% of all income

> taxes be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't

> pay any income taxes at all.



If you agree that everyone should read this-Pass it on!!!

Bill Anderson







Friday, May 11, 2012

Bishop Jenky - Don't Apologize

It is obvious the Democrats who are supporting Obama do not have the ability to interpret what the Bishop said. In comparing Obama to infamous dictators, the Bishop was making the point that these dictator wretches intruded on the rights of individuals so that eventually individual rights were forbidden. Many didn't care. They were eating well, led to hate the entrpenour class. hate certain ethinc groups, enjoying obscene  salaries and pensions or running "tort" corporations.

These dictators were demagogues and charltans able to incite some of the populationa and become feared by most of the rest. There is a lot of fear in our country right now and it is building.

Almost every day, Obama pushes through legislation that takes your rights away. HR 347 is a good example, understood by few ordinary citizens.. Even many Democrats don't understand what he is doing but they do not want to get on his growing "hit" list. Every move Obama makes is to satisfy his tremendous ego while leading the young (and usually the dumbest, taught by left wing teachers in college) and the hard 5 Demos could care less as long as the Democrats stay in power.

Many people who are well off including a large section of the middle and upper class are fearful of his growing power and the fear that if they don't support him they name will be found on his hit list and enforcement officials will come visiting. Why so many ethnic Jews support this demagogue, is beyond my comprehension. They must have a short memory when enforcement officials starting singling them out..

Democrats and the poorly read are too engrossed in "circuses" to fully understand what is going on around them. For me to say "wait and see" is not an answer because soon it will be too late.

Obama is the most dangerous politician ruling this country as anyone with  common sense should see. I fear for the future of this great country as I see so many signs and actions that will eventually bury us in so many dozens of trillions of dollars of debt to foreign countries that with Obama and his ilk intrigue and ignorance,  evil, greedy people will eventually conquer us within...

.

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Governor Walker and Republicans Must Win In Wisconsin

Forwarded to me by a friend. True.

Merle
If you have any friends in Wisconsin I'm sure they would like to know about this



WHAAAAAAAAAAT A COINCIDENCE!!!!!



Hey, this is great! Imagine the odds of this happening.



Do you know the park in NYC that the Wall Street protesters are occupying?

It's Zuccotti Park.



Did you know this park is not owned by the city of New York?



It is owned by Brookfield Properties.



Who was just hired by Brookfield Properties as an attorney?



Vice President, Joe Biden's son.



Who sits on the board of Brookfield Properties?



Mayor Bloomberg's live-in girlfriend.



Now, guess what company just received some of the last

of the Obama Stimulus $$$$$$$.



Thaaaaaaaaaaaat's right, Brookfield Properties.



Isn't life great in America???



Now, guess what, on a completely unrelated note, Wisconsin is



shaping up to be the swing state in the 2012 presidential



elections. Not Florida. Not Ohio. But Wisconsin.



Now, guess who owns the company that will be tabulating the



electronic votes in Wisconsin.



Thaaaaaaaaaaaat's right, the biggest contributor to Obama,



the puppeteer, George Soros.



Whaaaaaaaaaaaat a coincidence!



Now remember what Stalin said. "He who votes does not have the



power. He who counts the votes has the power".



Come on 11/06/2012!



Send this across the country so everyone gets into their minds the



importance of this day and the future of the USA.



VOTE!



























Caterpillar Visitor Center Expenditure Drop

The Js first announced that the Visitor Center would be a $51 million project. Then on 4/9/2009, in a Caterpillar "Talking Points" release stated, "Caterpillar is pleased to move forward with Build the block. The budgeted cost of the visitors center is $41 million. Planning for this project will be modified to reflect our current financial circumstances".

Scott Hillyard, JS reporter wrote on May 3, 2012 "The $37 million is scheduled to open the same time the $100 million PRM"..

Hillyard previously wrote the following on 7/29/11, "Construction began on the $53 million Caterpillar Visitors Center.

Hillyard also wrote the following on 4/1/11, " A design change to the $52 million visitor Center....etc.

JS reporter John Sharp wrote the following on 4/13/11, "The $52 million dollar visitors Center is  still on target.....etc.

Somewhere along the line JS Business????  page editor also talked about a $52 million dollar visitors center.

On 2/7/12, Hillyard wrote about work being done on a $90 million museum down from the $96+ museum described by various JS reporters in the past years or so. The media today stated that a new bus stop configuration was going to be added for museum visitors courtesy of the. taxpayer. Money spent on "enhancement" projects will never be known by the public, but the public should be concerned by the deficit being run up by the city; $6 million, and now the county; $2 million, while growth in Peoria County remains basically stagnant.

Same as the ballpark. No accurate figures were ever presented to the publicof the actual taxpayer involvement in this beautiful facility, complete with palm trees added every year since 2002 at an estimated cost of from $10,000 to $15000 each year while attendance continues to drop.(Keven Capie, JS Sportswriter, who recently wrote that attendance this season is off 199 per game after last years extremely low figures. 

Peoria's Peoria Riverfront Museum - More Tall Tales??


Memory Lane or the saga of tall tales? Do you remember when the first efforts were made to bring a Lakeview Children's Museum downtown with plans to open in 2003? (JS, 1/4/2002)  WTVP offered 5,000 sq. ft. of first floor space. Instead, grant funds the Junior League and WTVP  were seeking went to Chicago and that lack of tax dollars was blamed for the failure to proceed.  Also, Jim Richerson of Lakeview,   blamed the postponement on "very much a matter of  timing"

Slow or fast  forward to the day the when the Peoria County Board was approached (as a last resort)) after the collaboration team learned that the County was only planning to contribute  $600,000.00 towards a projected new downtown REGIONAL museum costing only $65 million that INCLUDED  the now 80,000 sq. ft. museum building, equipment, exhibits, management fees, a $4 million Reserve and Contingency Fund  and $8 million for an Endowment Fund or a total cost of the ENTIRE project of $65 million.

These figures were presented to the County Financial Committee in a document titled. " A Cultural Campus For the Heartland", a museum project update to the Peoria County Board".

According to this document in the hands of the full County Board, stated that of this $65 million, only $30 million was to come from the taxpayer. Today, the taxpayer is funding $41.6 million through a 20 year sales tax, the city contributed your land and other enticements totaling as much as $18 million according to an email sent to me from  ex-City Manger, Scott Moore, before he "departed".. Counting more of your money contributed by other governmental bodies, a total of  $70+ million of taxpayer dollars will go into this now $90 million , 80,000 sq. ft. museum building and parking lot complex.

I blogged that almost $13 million was spent before a spade of ground was turned and the land and demolition of the Sears Building was donated by you and Caterpillar.

It appears from newspaper articles that more funds are still needed from the public, including a recent plea from the PRM for  more money to fund a now $10 million Endowment Fund. (JS, 1/31//12...

No IMAX, the public later learned but an "unnamed" giant screen theatre"3/27/12, JS). If it is the Global Immersion screen the committee originally said it would be, why aren't they calling it by name??

Good question. I suspect no contract with this or any large screen company has been signed. If so, why not give it a name as Cat is doing by naming the walkway between the old Pere and the Civic Center in honor of their contribution of over $1 million for the hotels renovation and . construction.

On 5/3/12, the JS announced that the Caterpillar Visitor Center, originally said by Caterpillar to be a $51 million project is now a $37 million project. Cat had originally informed the board that economics would force it to cut the building cost to $41 million and now with Cat stock down this morning 19% since February, the Center is now  to be a $37 million.

Now we will see if the 15% discount on gallery tickets to Peoria residents will be honored..(Brad McMillan, then Chairman of the Friendsw of Build the Block (3/7/09, JSEB Spotlight)

Stay tuned here to get the latest news made available by the media and the non-transparent PRM Committee.

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Joliet IAM Workers Strike CAT

While the news media states some of the basic complaints of the strikers, the public is usually led to believe the whole problem is these basic issues of holding wages, note the "right to" and asking union members to pick up a greater share of their genorous health benefits.

The entire contract between CAT and the union is probably in a series of binders that would fill more than a file drawers. I'll bet that in that contract, the union is demanding that the plant will not be closed, profitable or not, no temporary workers despite the fact that more workers may be needed only if there are short peak periods of production to meet demand and 30 or so other changes in the contract that will never be published in the media.

I hope they get things worked out where both sides make some concessions but in the end, not like GM, Caterpillar owns the business and the workers not satisfied with conditions, have the freedom in America to seek higher paying jobs with more benefits.elsewhere.

Caterpillar and the stockholders own the business and the workers, if union bosses, are reasonable, become or already are, valuable workers that help the company make a profit while drawing a better than average wage with good benefits, from sick leave, vacations, and insurance. To fill a need and make a profit is the reason 95% of all companies are in business. What the execs make appear to be reasonable for a $60 billion dollar company with approximately 53% of its business conducted outside of the U.S.

In the meantime, I occasionally watch professional sports such as the Bulls, Bears and Cubs. The games appear to be all sold out and the occupants of the seats appear to be largely working class or middle class people. Perhaps instead of paying ridiculous prices to attend these games and buy the over-priced concessions, pay to park, etc,  they might watch on TV like I do and listen to the:"just the facts" news, the listen or read commentaries about where many people believe this country is heading, learn enough to cast a reasonably intelligent vote, if they vote at all.and save some of their money for the sure to come 'rainy day'..

And perhaps do some exercise to get rid of some of that flab around their stomachs.It's very possible that we have too many "circuses" in the U.S. to detract people from what is going on in government.

I know that those who would like to see this country fail are not watching a lot of overpaid athletic performers.in billion dollar stadiums.

Unions Early on Favorite was John Edwards

Edwards, whose corruption?? trial is underway was the early favorite of most unions with Harold Schaitberger, President of the International Association of Firefighters stating, "I'm very impressed with John Edwards because he's a candidate that comfortably uses the word 'union' and that is critical to rebuilding the middle class".

Edwards, a multi-multi millionaire participated in in 85 labor actions, joining demonstrators and organizing drives including calling on CEOs on behalf of unions in the years 2005-7.

Also, many in the labor movement appreciated Edwards appearing in the picket lines in a strike against Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. Union bosses also said they were impressed by the charisma of Obama but wanted to see what he says on real issues.

So Edwards was a phony and Obama is a phony but labor doesn't mind as long as they get thiers' and a little bit more no matter what shape the economy and the fierceness of the competition at home and abroad.

Did the IAM union strike Cat today in Joliet? If so, count on another possible Cat movement to a "right to work" where Illinois jobs have been heading.

Some excerpts from a column in the WSJ  dated March 8, 2007 written by Kris Maher.

Illinois (and City of Peoria) Desperate For Money

Forwarded to me by a friend. Doesn't say whether fine starts at 1 mile over limit but be careful. Several months ago while driving north of Rt. 57, I saw 3 bumper trucks lined up to protect 4 workers; that's right, three large bumper trucks.

How many workers were hit in downstate Illinois in the year 2011? Illinois ranks high in the top 10 having the worst highways in the country.

I saw probably 500 orange barrels on both sides of Rt. 57 with a total of 8 workers "working". Some highway workers sole job is to place and pick up barrels. Sometimes a day goes by after work is done and the barrels are still up. How much does the barrel maker who hold the contract donate to those in "charge of public safety" politiians each election season?

Recently, while driving in mid afternoon on Knoxville in Peoria,  I got radared. 13 miles over limit. Fine: $120.00, $20.00 higher for the same offense than CHICAGO.

Peoria City is desperate for money too and will get more desperate as time goes by. Our Public Works Director just ressigned. He told when hired, that he planned to spend a lot of time in the field making sure workers were working with efficiency, yet Peoria has some of the worst roads I've ever travelled.

Hmmm.

Merle…..


> All Illinois drivers or those visiting there.

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>

>>>Illinois will begin using photo radar in freeway work zones starting in July.

>>>

>>>Beginning in July the State of Illinois will use speed cameras in areas designated as 'Work Zones' on major freeways. Anyone caught by these devices will be mailed a $375.00 ticket for the FIRST offense, but the SECOND offense will cost $1000.00 and comes with a 90-Day suspension.

>>>

>>>Drivers will also receive demerit points against their license , which allows insurance companies to raise their rates.

>>>

>>>This represents the harshest penalty structure yet for a city or state using PHOTO enforcements. The State will begin with TWO camera vans issuing tickets in work zones with speed limits lowered to 45 MPH.

>>>

>>>Photographs of both the Driver's face and License plate are taken.

>>>

>>>Pass this on to everyone you know.

>>>

>>>For more info: http://www.dot.state.il.us/press/r062409.html

>

>

Dan Rutherford Has My Support

Dear Merle,




I knew Dan long before he was our State Treasurer or a state-wide political force. We went to college together & belonged to the same fraternity. I was his campaign treasurer when he was Student Body President at Illinois State University and I am still his campaign treasurer today.



Illinois is a fiscal mess. The state needed someone with business & legislative experience as State Treasurer. That is, in part, why the electorate overwhelmingly elected Dan Rutherford. He received more votes than the winner of the US Senate and Governor's races.



Dan works hard. In his first year as State Treasurer he has implemented several changes to help bring fiscal responsibility back to Illinois government. In addition, he asked that his budget be reduced to the level it was ten years ago. This will not cure Illinois' financial problems, but his intent is to lead by example. He believes doing things the right way is the only way. His expectations of performance are high. As Treasurer, he will not be an obstructionist nor will he be shy about speaking out.



As an attorney & CPA, I prepare Dan's personal taxes & audit his campaign committee's disclosure reports. For him, it is black or white; it must be right & never wrong. There is no gray or maybe.



Dan has small town values with extensive global experience. His honesty and business experience make Dan the right person to lead in our state.



Merle, I am writing you, personally, to ask you to invest in Dan Rutherford and the future of Illinois.



Your help can build the financial foundation for the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee.



Your gift to the Campaign Committee, at the highest level possible, is essential if you want Dan to continue doing what he does best in government and politics. Now is the time to make the investment.



We are all very busy, but no one more than Dan. He is working hard as the State Treasurer to help make a difference. You can help establish the foundation on which the difference in Illinois can be built.



Please consider participating. You can charge a donation to your credit card by going online to Dan's Campaign website: https://www.danrutherford.org/contribute/



I will be reviewing the replies with Dan. I know he will be very pleased to see your participation.



Thank you, very much, for your support of Dan Rutherford and your investment in a sound businessman as the financial officer of Illinois.





Sincerely,



Rex L. Schaeffer, LLM,JD,CPA

Treasurer

Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee



PS. I asked Debi to send this from her email account since I am not in the Campaign office full time.



To help keep you up to date, I am active on Twitter and Facebook Fan Page. Please feel free to follow:



Twitter: http://twitter.com/RutherfordDan (For those of you who do not Tweet and would still like to follow, I also post my Twitter feed at http://www.DanRutherford.org )



Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dan-Rutherford/104696265020
.



Paid for by the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is (or will be) available on the Board's official website (www.elections.il.gov) or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois. Contributions or gifts to the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee are not deductible for federal or state income tax purposes.



As State Treasurer, the Dan Rutherford Campaign Committee is precluded from accepting donations from entities that have a contract with the office of State Treasurer. In addition, Treasurer Rutherford has issued an Executive Order and his campaign committee will not accept donations from financial institutions doing business with the state of Illinois, or from employees of the Office of State Treasurer.



Clooney Wno "Made" Most Actresses in Hollywood??

From the Desk of:


Steve Elliott
From the Desk of:


Steve Elliott



merle,



On May 10, George Clooney is hosting a "Big Hollywood" fundraiser for President Obama in his home.



The cost of admission? $35,800/person. You heard me right -- $35,800 just for the privilege of hanging out with Clooney, Obama and the liberal elite of Hollywood.



Coincidentally...



That's almost precisely the amount of funds Patriot Super PAC -- the official Super PAC of Grassfire

Nation -- must raise by the end of the month to get our "False Change" ad on the air in May.



+ + One Clooney "Seat" By May 1st!



All we need is the equivalent of one seat at Clooney's liberal elite Big Hollywood fundraiser to get this on the air. But we don't have any deep-pocketed Big Hollywood or RINO supporters who can write that check. We are totally dependent on friends like you who can contribute $30, $50, $100 or perhaps $500 to make this happen.



And we have just SIX DAYS to reach that goal.



merle, I'm asking you to step forward today and help Patriot Super PAC with your best possible contribution to get "False Change" on the air in May. Please go here right now to make your gift:



www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp



+ + Obama Must Be Stopped!



The simple fact is, Obama must be stopped. And right now, Tea Party conservatives have an opportunity to do SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO STOP OBAMA.



Our False Change ad has gone viral with tens of thousands of views on the Internet. Response has been overwhelmingly positive from citizens who are saying that FINALLY an ad exposes how Obama's regime has undermined our economy and devastated millions of families.



But we simply cannot begin airing the ad in May unless we raise just about the same amount as some Big Hollywood liberal will be plunking down for a seat at George Clooney's Obama fundraiser.



I'm asking you to do two things.





First, if you haven't seen our "False Change" ad, go here and see for yourself how this ad exposes Obama's economic assault on our families.



MOST IMPORTANTLY, please make a special gift today to help Patriot Super PAC -- YOUR Super PAC -- meet this crucial goal by May 1. Go here:



www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp



Again, we have just SIX DAYS to reach our goal so we can air "False Change" in key Tea Party markets and swing states starting in May.



If we do not raise these funds, we simply cannot get this ad on the air.



Thanks in advance,



Steve Elliott, Board Member, Patriot Super PAC



P.S. The equivalent of just one seat at George Clooney's $35,800/person Big Hollywood Obama fundraiser will help us get FALSE CHANGE on the air in key swing states and Tea Party districts. But we have just SIX DAYS to reach the goal. Go here:



http://www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp?rid=34771959





This is YOUR Super PAC!

Donate Today To Help Defeat Obama:



http://www.grassrootsaction.com/r.asp?U=9100134771959





Paid for by Patriot Super PAC, patriotsuperpac.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.



+ + + + +





Click here to be removed from this list or send a written request to:

Grassroots Action

PO Box 277

Maxwell,IA 50161







You are signed up as: merlewidmer@msn.com.

Click here to change your email address.


















merle,



On May 10, George Clooney is hosting a "Big Hollywood" fundraiser for President Obama in his home.



The cost of admission? $35,800/person. You heard me right -- $35,800 just for the privilege of hanging out with Clooney, Obama and the liberal elite of Hollywood.



Coincidentally...



That's almost precisely the amount of funds Patriot Super PAC -- the official Super PAC of Grassfire

Nation -- must raise by the end of the month to get our "False Change" ad on the air in May.



+ + One Clooney "Seat" By May 1st!



All we need is the equivalent of one seat at Clooney's liberal elite Big Hollywood fundraiser to get this on the air. But we don't have any deep-pocketed Big Hollywood or RINO supporters who can write that check. We are totally dependent on friends like you who can contribute $30, $50, $100 or perhaps $500 to make this happen.



And we have just SIX DAYS to reach that goal.



merle, I'm asking you to step forward today and help Patriot Super PAC with your best possible contribution to get "False Change" on the air in May. Please go here right now to make your gift:



www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp



+ + Obama Must Be Stopped!



The simple fact is, Obama must be stopped. And right now, Tea Party conservatives have an opportunity to do SOMETHING SPECIFIC TO STOP OBAMA.



Our False Change ad has gone viral with tens of thousands of views on the Internet. Response has been overwhelmingly positive from citizens who are saying that FINALLY an ad exposes how Obama's regime has undermined our economy and devastated millions of families.



But we simply cannot begin airing the ad in May unless we raise just about the same amount as some Big Hollywood liberal will be plunking down for a seat at George Clooney's Obama fundraiser.



I'm asking you to do two things.





First, if you haven't seen our "False Change" ad, go here and see for yourself how this ad exposes Obama's economic assault on our families.



MOST IMPORTANTLY, please make a special gift today to help Patriot Super PAC -- YOUR Super PAC -- meet this crucial goal by May 1. Go here:



www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp



Again, we have just SIX DAYS to reach our goal so we can air "False Change" in key Tea Party markets and swing states starting in May.



If we do not raise these funds, we simply cannot get this ad on the air.



Thanks in advance,



Steve Elliott, Board Member, Patriot Super PAC



P.S. The equivalent of just one seat at George Clooney's $35,800/person Big Hollywood Obama fundraiser will help us get FALSE CHANGE on the air in key swing states and Tea Party districts. But we have just SIX DAYS to reach the goal. Go here:



http://www.patriotsuperpac.net/1951/offer.asp?rid=34771959





This is YOUR Super PAC!

Donate Today To Help Defeat Obama:



http://www.grassrootsaction.com/r.asp?U=9100134771959





Paid for by Patriot Super PAC, patriotsuperpac.com. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Contributions are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.



+ + + + +





Click here to be removed from this list or send a written request to:

Grassroots Action

PO Box 277

Maxwell,IA 50161







You are signed up as: merlewidmer@msn.com.

Click here to change your email address.















Government Performance Summit



Save the Date
Dear Colleague,
We're excited to announce The Performance Institute’s upcoming Government Performance Summit in Washington, DC from June 18-20, 2012. In a time of transition for the government with the upcoming Presidential and Congressional elections, federal managers will need to learn how to successfully navigate and shift their priorities and focus from the current landscape to identify the future of government. Now, the manager will require skills in strategic leadership and tools such as predictive analytics and solid forecasting models to develop insightful analysis of future trends and demands. Moreover, managers will need to address program performance in order to solve not only agency needs, but also the future needs of the country.
At the Government Performance Summit, you will engage with experts and discuss how to:
Increase organizational results by addressing key challengies agencies are facing related to new administration efforts
Motivate your staff and create outcome-based performance measures
Maximize your current resources to make the most of what you have to improve performance.
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Drug Lobby Showers Money on Democrat Harry Reid


Tea Party people, Independents and some Democrats need to find a candidate this time who is electable and then really work to offset the advantage Reid will have in campaign funds.

Merle

Drug lobby showers money on its hero Harry Reid
TAGS: House K Street lobby Lobbying President Senate Timothy Carney White House
Comments (0) Share Print By: Timothy P. Carney 07/07/10 2:00 AM
Columnist

By: AP
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)No scalp would be as treasured by Republicans this fall as that of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. And no incumbent is receiving as much air support from the drug industry as is Reid, who championed a health care bill that pads drug company profits.

The drug lobby has begun a pro-Reid TV blitz in his home state of Nevada. One ad praises Reid for saving jobs and for understanding that "good jobs with good benefits [mean] a better future." The narrator then instructs viewers to "call Harry Reid today; tell him to keep fighting for Nevada families."

But "Nevada families" didn't pay for the ad. The drug lobby did. And while the TV spot makes only passing reference to the health care bill passed in March, there's no doubt this ad buy -- and the rest of the drug industry's generosity toward Harry Reid -- is a big thank you for the corporate-welfare "reform" bill that Reid shepherded through the Senate.

Flash back one year to last July, when Democratic congressmen going home for the Independence Day recess began to hear from their constituents about Obamacare, with the result that "reform" was threatened. That's when top drug lobbyist Billy Tauzin came to the rescue.

Tauzin was president of the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the largest single-industry lobbying organization in the country. He was also formerly public enemy No. 1 for the Obama campaign, which had held him up as the poster boy for Washington's revolving door and "game playing."

Last July, Tauzin visited the White House twice (and who knows how many meetings he had at nearby coffee shops?) and hashed out a deal on health care. As the Los Angeles Times first reported, Tauzin pledged to support Obamacare if the White House would keep its hands off the government favors the drug industry was already receiving. In addition, Democrats loaded up the bill with plenty more drug company goodies including subsidies, mandates and unprecedented 12-year, government-enforced monopolies on complex drugs.

In the end, PhRMA shaped "reform" as it wanted, and the group ran millions of dollars of ads supporting the bill. Reid passed it. Now PhRMA is doing heavy lifting for Reid, whose approval ratings are in the 30s.

Beyond the PhRMA-funded sappy TV spots, there are plenty more signs of the industry's affection for Reid.

Right after Tauzin's July 22, 2009, West Wing visit, for instance, drug industry political action committees began pumping cash into Reid's endangered campaign.

Tauzin visited the West Wing on a Wednesday, and Eli Lilly's $5,000 PAC check reached Reid on Friday. The following Monday, Reid got two $5,000 PAC checks: one from PhRMA and another from the nation's largest drug maker, Pfizer. Within a week, drug giants Merck and Astra-Zeneca had ponied up, too. That's at least $23,000 in pharmaceutical PAC money in 10 days.

When the bill became law in March, PhRMA, Pfizer, Lilly, the Biotechnology Industry Organization and other drug PACs all ponied up again.

Reid has received $154,000 from Pharma PACs as of May 30, making him the No. 2 recipient behind Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., whose base is in the Research Triangle. Reid is the only politician to get the maximum $10,000 contribution from PhRMA as of the end of May. He's also the only senator to get the max from Eli Lilly's PAC. The health sector is Reid's prime source of PAC funds: half a million dollars already -- and that doesn't count the TV buys.

Reid's lobbyist-bundlers (his volunteer fundraisers from K Street) also come from Big Pharma. Paul DiNino is a lobbyist at Cornerstone Government Affairs, which represents PhRMA, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis. DiNino also raised $23,950 for Reid last year alone.

Tony Podesta represents Amgen and Genzyme, and he has bundled at least $78,400 for Reid. William Singer, a Pfizer lobbyist, clocked $39,750 for Reid last year. DLA Piper -- the K Street firm that cut ties with Republican former House Majority Leader Dick Armey because of his opposition to Obamacare -- has a PAC that has raised at least $26,400 for Reid.

Reid this fall will likely follow Obama's lead, and falsely paint himself as the scourge of the special interests -- all on the drug lobby's dime.



Timothy P. Carney, The Examiner's lobbying editor, can be reached at tcarney@washingtonexaminer.com. He writes an op-ed column that appears on Friday.


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Father Jenky is Right And I'm Not a Catholic

Also, Father Jenky was partially quoted out of context. Ms. Werthmann gives us a lesson in history.

Merle
America truly is the Greatest Country in the World.

By: Kitty Werthmann





What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.



I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote. I've never read that in any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.



In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.



Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.



The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna, Linz, and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.



We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany, where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria. We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.



We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.

After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.



Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.



Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:



Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.



Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.



My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.



Equal Rights Hits Home:



In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.



Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.



Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:



When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.



Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:



Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.



As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.



We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.



We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.



"Mercy Killing" Redefined:



In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.

As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.



The Final Steps - Gun Laws:

Next came gun registration. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.

No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.



Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.

After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria. Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account.

"It's true..those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.



America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away

"After America , There is No Place to Go"

Please forward this message to other voters who may not have it.

After America , There is No Place to Go"



The author of this article lives in South Dakota and is very active in attempting to maintain our freedom. I encourage everybody to read this article and pass it along. I see so many parallels in this country, are we going to sit by and watch it happen? Spread the word; also contact your congressional reps; vote them out if they don't do what they should. Google Kitty Werthmann and you will see articles and videos.



Pat Alexander