Dr. Seuss Book - A New Correct Version

Forwarded to me by a dear friend.

Merle

A new, updated, Dr. Seuss book.

I do not like this Uncle Sam,
I do not like his health care scam.
I do not like these dirty crooks,
or how they lie and cook the books.
I do not like when Congress steals,
I do not like their secret deals.
I do not like this speaker, Nan ,
I do not like this 'YES WE CAN.'
I do not like this spending spree,
I'm smart, I know that nothing's free.
I do not like your smug replies,
when I complain about your lies.
I do not like this kind of hope.
I do not like it, nope, nope, nope!

Rhode Island and Immigration Law

I believe this to be true. If so, why not????

Merle

Something Very interesting on Immigration = United States v. Rhode Island

United States v. Arizona — How 'Bout United States v. Rhode Island? (my Home State. Bob Langevin - Thanks Bob.)
Well whaddya know? It turns out that Rhode Island has long been carrying out the procedures at issue in the Arizona immigration statute: As a matter of routine, RI state police check immigration status at traffic stops whenever there is reasonable suspicion to do so, and they report all illegal's to the feds for deportation. Besides the usual profiling blather, critics have trotted out the now familiar saw that such procedures hamstring police because they make immigrants afraid to cooperate. But it turns out that it’s the Rhode Island police who insist on enforcing the law. As Cornell law professor William Jacobson details at Legal Insurrection, Colonel Brendan P. Doherty, the state police commander, “refuses to hide from the issue,” explaining, ”I would feel that I'm derelict in my duties to look the other way.”


If, as President Obama and Attorney General Holder claim, there is a federal preemption issue, why hasn't the administration sued Rhode Island already? After all, Rhode Island is actually enforcing these procedures, while the Arizona law hasn't even gone into effect yet.



Could it be because — as we've discussed here before — the Supreme Court in Muehler v. Mena has already held that police do not need any reason (not probable cause, not reasonable suspicion) to ask a person about his immigration status?



I belive this to be true. If so, why????

Merle

Could it be that just this past February, in Estrada v. Rhode Island, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld the Rhode Island procedures, reasoning that, in Muehler v. Mena, the Supreme Court “held that a police officer does not need independent reasonable suspicion to question an individual about her immigration status…”?



So, we have a Justice Department that drops a case it already won against New Black Panthers who are on tape intimidating voters in blatant violation of federal law, but that sues a sovereign state for enacting a statute in support of immigration enforcement practices that have already been upheld by two of the nation’s highest courts. Perfect.

Welfare State Expansion - Good Grief

Did you ever wonder why the the Federal government(or any government for that matter)can never control its spending? Here, another one in a million "feel good" ideas, is why-somebody sees a need to fix a problem that should be entirely the responsibility of the parents, that is, a good lunch provided at school. So, naturally, the Federal government must step in and use the taxpayers money to provide the lunch to impoverished children who otherwise would starve to death at school. And guess what, not only will the program never end, despite the huge obesity problem being suffered by our children today, but the program will expand exponentially to cover all children, will soon include breakfast and mid-afternoon snacks, take home sacks in case there is not enough truly nutritional food at home, the age limit will steadily increase until 28 year olds qualify for free lunches, etc. I still have yet to see a single article that suggests, let alone supports the notion that children are starving in the US and that the taxpayers have no recourse except to fund another multi billion dollar welfare program. And, of course, an unelected government official gets to decide to spend the money. Will it never end?

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/07/federal_government_eying_free.html

Comparison - Obama vs. McChrystal

--- On Thu, 7/8/10, Gary Kersteen wrote:


From: Gary Kersteen
Subject: FW: Biography comparisons
To: haroldcavallaro@cavco-mp.com, "JOHN J SHEEHAN" , "charlie munroe"
Date: Thursday, July 8, 2010, 7:05 PM







General McChrystal Biography
Commander, International Security Assistance Force/
Commander, United States Forces Afghanistan
United States Army

SOURCE OF COMMISSIONED SERVICE: USMA EDUCATIONAL DEGREES
United States Military Academy - BS - No Major
United States Naval War College - MA - National Security and Strategic Studies
Salve Regina University - MS - International Relations

MILITARY SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
Infantry Officer Basic and Advanced Courses
United States Naval Command and Staff College
Senior Service College Fellowship Harvard University

FOREIGN LANGUAGES:
Spanish

PROMOTIONS DATE OF APPOINTMENT:
2LT 2 Jun 76
1LT 2 Jun 78
CPT 1 Aug 80
MAJ 1 Jul 87
LTC 1 Sep 92
COL 1 Sep 96
BG 1 Jan 01
MG 1 May 04
LTG 16 Feb 06
GEN 11 Jun 09

FROM TO ASSIGNMENT:
Nov 76 Feb 78 Weapons Platoon Leader, C Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg , North Carolina

Feb 78 Jul 78 Rifle Platoon Leader, C Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg , North Carolina

Jul 78 Nov 78 Executive Officer, C Company, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg , North Carolina

Nov 78 Apr 79 Student, Special Forces Officer Course, Special Forces School, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Apr 79 Jun 80 Commander, Detachment A, A Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Jun 80 Feb 81 Student, Infantry Officer Advanced Course, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia
Feb 81 Mar 82 S2/S3 (Intelligence/Operations), United Nations Command Support Group Joint Security Area, Korea
Mar 82 Nov 82 Training Officer, Directorate of Plans and Training, A Company, Headquarters Command, Fort Stewart, Georgia

Nov 82 Sep 84 Commander, A Company, 3d Battalion, 19th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart , Georgia

Sep 84 Sep 85 S3 (Operations), 3d Battalion, 19th Infantry, 24th Infantry Division (Mechanized), Fort Stewart, Georgia
Sep 85 Jan 86 Liaison Officer, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
Jan 86 May 87 Commander, A Company, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
May 87 Apr 88 Liaison Officer, 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
Apr 88 Jun 89 S3 (Operations), 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
Jun 89 Jun 90 Student, Command and Staff Course, United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island
Jun 90 Apr 93 Army Special Operations Action Officer, J3, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Saudi Arabia

Apr 93 Nov 94 Commander, 2d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg , North Carolina

Nov 94 Jun 96 Commander, 2d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis , Washington
Jun 96 Jun 97 Senior Service College Fellowship, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University , Cambridge , Massachusetts

Jun 97 Aug 99 Commander, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Georgia
Aug 99 Jun 00 Military Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations, New York, New York
Jun 00 Jun 01 Assistant Division Commander (Operations), 82d Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina to include duty as Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Kuwait, Camp Doha, Kuwait

Jun 01 Jul 02 Chief of Staff, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg, North Carolina to include duty as Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force180, OPERATION ENDURING

FREEDOM, Afghanistan
Jul 02 Sep 03 Vice Director for Operations, J3, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC
Sep 03 Feb 06 Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
Feb 06 Jun 08 Commander, Joint Special Operations Command/Commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, United States Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Aug 08 Jun 09 Director, The Joint Staff, Washington , DC
Jun 09 Present Commander, International Security Assistance Force/Commander, United States Forces Afghanistan , OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan

SUMMARY OF JOINT ASSIGNMENTS:
S2/S3 (Intelligence/Operations), United Nations Command Support Group Joint Security Area , Korea (Feb 81-Mar 82, Captain)

Army Special Operations Action Officer, J3, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Saudi Arabia Jun 90-Apr 93 Major/Lieutenant Colonel)

Chief of Staff, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg, North Carolina to include duty as Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force180, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan (Jun 01-Jul 02, Brigadier General)

Vice Director for Operations, J3, The Joint Staff, Washington , DC (Jul 02-Sep 03, Brigadier General)
Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg , North Carolina (Sep 03-Feb 06, Brigadier General/Major General)

Commander, Joint Special Operations Command/Commander, Joint Special Operations
Command Forward, United States Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina (Feb 06-Jun 08, Major General/Lieutenant General)

Director, The Joint Staff, Washington, DC (Aug 08-Jun 09, Lieutenant General)
Commander, International Security Assistance Force/Commander, United States Forces Afghanistan, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan (Jun 09-Present, General)

SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS ASSIGNMENTS DATE GRADE
Army Special Operations Action Officer, J3, Joint Special Operations Command, OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/STORM, Saudi Arabia (Jun 90-Mar 91, Major)

Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Kuwait, Camp Doha, Kuwait (Apr 01-Jun 01, Brigadier General)
Chief of Staff, Combined Joint Task Force180, OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan (May 02-Jul 02, Brigadier General)

Commander, International Security Assistance Force/Commander, United States Forces Afghanistan , OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM, Afghanistan (Jun 09- Present, General)

US DECORATIONS AND BADGES:
Defense Distinguished Service Medal
Defense Superior Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster)
Legion of Merit (with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Bronze Star Medal
Defense Meritorious Service Medal
Meritorious Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Army Commendation Medal
Army Achievement Medal
Expert Infantryman Badge
Master Parachutist Badge
Ranger Tab
Special Forces Tab
Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge

_________________________________________________________________





Obama Biography:


Birthplace: Location remains questionable. Proof of United States Citizenship hasn't been provided.
Education: Columbia University , Harvard Law School . Records never produced, attendance remains questionable.
Military Career: None
Business Career: None
Political Career: community organizer, Chicago, 1983-86; civil rights attorney, Chicago, 1991-96; University of Chicago, assistant lecturer, early 1990s-2004; State Senator, 1996-2005; U.S. Senator, 2005-2008; President 2008-.

____________________________________________________________________



It looks like the wrong guy resigned...

Admit it, You Obama Lovers, the Man Lied and Lies

Americans may be slammed by shocking tax hike



By Andrew Conte
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, July 7, 2010



After nearly a decade of federal tax cuts, Americans could awaken New Year's Day with a whopper of a hangover.

Breaks covering everything from child tax credits to the death tax are set to expire that day, less than six months from now, bringing higher payments for nearly every American who pays taxes.

"We've never in history seen anything quite like this, where such a major portion of the tax code is set to expire on a single date and affect so many Americans all at once," said Scott Hodge, president of The Tax Foundation, a Washington nonprofit that tracks tax policies.

Enacted in 2001 and 2003, the cuts run out unless Congress votes to extend them. President Obama proposed extending some tax breaks, for couples earning less than $250,000 a year, but lawmakers could let them all expire.

If that happens, according to The Tax Foundation's analysis, everyone would pay more from bottom to top: Taxes for a couple with two children and a $50,000 income would more than triple to $2,825 a year, while a couple with no children earning $1 million would pay $44,000 a year more in taxes, for a total bill of $298,510.

"In that first paycheck in 2011, everyone will see a chunk missing. There will be a significant impact," said Curtis Dubay, senior tax policy analyst for The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington policy group.

Congress might choose to extend some benefits and let those for top earners expire, said Ryan Ellis, tax policy director of Americans for Tax Reform, a Washington tax policy nonprofit group.

But if lawmakers choose to do nothing, the changes would include:

• Across-the-board income tax increases of 3 percent to 5 percent for every bracket;

• The so-called death tax on estates would return after a one-year hiatus, at 55 percent on estates over $1 million;

• Capital gains tax would rise to 20 percent from 15 percent, and dividends tax would rise to 39.6 percent from 15 percent;

• The child tax credit would be cut in half to $500 per child.

Rob Malone, 32, of Beechview didn't expect this.

"I'm surprised," Malone said. "Obama's plan was not to raise taxes. He's said many things and done the opposite."

Lee Heckman, 51, who owns Custom Framing & Gallery on Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon, said he's worried about tax increases for small businesses. Two-thirds of small businesses are taxed at the top rate, which would increase to 39.6 percent from 35 percent, Americans for Tax Reform said.

"We're already overwhelmingly overtaxed," Heckman said.

Many of those concerned about higher taxes worry about the government's deficit spending. The government plans to spend $1 trillion more than it brings in this year.

Tax breaks are not the problem and should be frozen in place, said Glen Meakem, managing director of Meakem Becker Venture Capital in Sewickley.

"The rate of spending today is out of control," he said. "It's unsustainable and ... it's going to bankrupt the country."

One problem is that Americans don't know how much they will have to pay -- even if the news is bad, said Allan Meltzer, a political economist at Carnegie Mellon University.


Without knowing whether they'll pay higher taxes in 2011, businesses and investors are uncertain about how to spend their money, he said.

"Someone needs to announce where we're going and how we're going to get there," Meltzer said. "People won't like to hear it, but they're better off hearing it rather than speculating."

Educational Concept Worthy of Study

**************************
Since not all teachers want to be "principals", each school will need a few teachers who do want to lead other teachers else chaos will eventually reign. Expectations of not having these types of leaders emerging may take longer than three years or never. The Concept is worth a hard try.

Merle

From the Detroit Free Press, Thursday, July 8, 2010. See http://www.freep.com/article/20100708/NEWS01/7080367/Detroit-Public-Schools-tries-something-new-A-school-run-by-teachers
**************************
Detroit Public Schools tries something new: A school run by teachers

By Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki

Detroit Public Schools is set to open its first school without a principal -- teachers will be running the day-to-day operations and making all pertinent decisions.

They won't have to wait for the central office's OK to purchase needed items or increase their emphasis on fractions or writing, for instance.

Founded on the belief that those within the building know best what their students need, Barbara Jordan Elementary will be the district's first teacher-led school, open only to students whose parents agree to be involved. State officials know of no teacher-led schools in Michigan.

The Detroit school, for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, is modeled after teacher-led schools in Boston, Milwaukee, Denver and Los Angeles.

It's too early to know test results, said Michael McLaughlin of the Boston Teachers Union School. But he can name one indicator of the Boston school's success: "The families in the area, they're clamoring to get into this school."

In Detroit, the high-profile experiment in school reform could have long-reaching implications, said Keith Johnson, president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers.

"It's an unprecedented opportunity," Johnson said. "We cannot fail."

Less bureaucracy at school could make it easier to educate students

Summer has barely begun, but Ann Crowley can't wait for school to open in the fall.

The 22-year veteran teacher and administrator is part of a new experiment in Detroit Public Schools -- a school run by the teachers.

Her enthusiasm is obvious and contagious.

"I returned to the classroom to better meet the needs of the children, right at the ground level," said Crowley, who expects to teach at Barbara Jordan Elementary. "That's what this school is all about."

She's part of a DPS group called Detroit Children First, which is made up mostly of teachers. It has been asking for a teacher-led school for years.

With the backing of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, it convinced the district's emergency financial manager, Robert Bobb, to let it run a school that bypasses layers of bureaucracy that can often slow decision-making. It is a school where the staff makes all the decisions, from lessons to hiring to building repairs.

It is believed to be the first teacher-led school in the state.

The hope is to "cut out the middle man," said Kim Kyff, a teacher with more than 20 years' experience who also hopes to teach at the school.

Without bureaucracy, "there's more direct communication," Kyff said. "You are able to more readily implement and make changes, without having to go through multiple layers."

Increased responsibility will come with that increased autonomy. The school's success will rest on teachers' shoulders.

"Teachers here do not fear accountability," Crowley said. In fact, some had offered to surrender tenure in exchange for a teacher-led school -- a sacrifice the district didn't ask them to make in the end.

DFT President Keith Johnson knows the importance of the school's success and the price that could be paid for failure.

"I'm excited about it, but I'm also cautiously optimistic, because we've got to make sure that we do it right," Johnson said. "We cannot let the school crash and burn. I think the perception of teachers as effective educational leaders would be severely damaged if we can't make this school a success."

Detroit's teacher-led school initially will be for students in kindergarten through fourth grade, with a middle school operating in an adjacent building. Eventually, the entire K-8 campus will be part of the teacher-led school.

The school, which will be funded like any other DPS school, will have an extended day, with enrichment programs such as music or art after lesson hours, and a longer school year.

This first year, the DFT will hire the teachers, but Barbara Jordan teachers will eventually take over that task. There will be no principal. There will be a building administrator, probably with experience as a principal, to handle the administrative duties that teachers aren't familiar with. That position is expected to be phased out in about three years, with teachers taking over those duties, as well.

School governance will come from teacher committees. Teachers will meet in small groups to make decisions for their students. Each small group will choose a point person to represent the group at meetings of point people from the rest of the building. Teachers will rotate the point-person position.

"The teachers just did not have a lot of leverage in meeting the needs of the children that were sitting in front of them," Crowley said, explaining the desire for the school.

They hope to change that. The school is envisioned as a model of democracy, with every employee having a say in how it's run and parents as important participants. In fact, parents will have to sign a contract promising to be involved in their child's education and the school.

Admission will be based on the parent's willingness to participate.

DPS officials said it's up to the teachers to make this school a success.

The federal No Child Left Behind law "requires that failing schools face sanctions, up to and including closure. We have shown that we will close failing schools," said Barbara Byrd Bennett, Bobb's chief academic adviser.

"That said, nobody intends for this school to fail. Everyone is committed to making it a success, and interventions will be put in place to ensure it succeeds."
--------------------------
Contact PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI: mmwalsh@freepress.com
***************************************
--

Tea Party - Best Sign

Recession - when your neighbor loses his or her job
Depression - When you lose your own job
Recovery - When Obama loses his job

Evidently most politicians believe they can spend their way our of recessions and their supporters, usually unions, union workers, public employees, certain financial institutions and some businesses agree, especially if the spending helps them keep their jobs, benefits, and subsidies. After all, aren't politicians elected to benefit the voter? If these politicians support a minority of the electorate and this minority is the financial donater that pays to get them elected and then reelected, that's Democracy, isn't it?

No it isn't but it is. Expect a long recovery, more homes lost, more businesses closing, no increase in employment in the private sector but increases in the non-tax paying public sector, more enhancements like zoo's, trails and museums, being built (high priorities, you know) plus more temporary union jobs. With the intended or unintended higher taxes of all kinds.

I support the concept of Tea Parties but question the ability of the leaders to find the right people to run for office and their ability and resources to get these people elected. Slogans like, "throw the bums out" is not alone a solution.

Ann Coulter on Bill Kristol

Townhall Columnists Ann Coulter-Bill Kristol Must Resign

EMAIL ANN COULTER | COLUMNIST'S ARCHIVE Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele was absolutely right. Afghanistan is Obama's war and, judging by other recent Democratic ventures in military affairs, isn't likely to turn out well.

It has been idiotically claimed that Steele's statement about Afghanistan being Obama's war is "inaccurate" -- as if Steele is unaware Bush invaded Afghanistan soon after 9/11. (No one can forget that -- even liberals pretended to support that war for three whole weeks.)

SHARE THIS: Share81 0 10diggsdiggSign-Up Yes, Bush invaded Afghanistan soon after 9/11. Within the first few months we had toppled the Taliban, killed or captured hundreds of al-Qaida fighters and arranged for democratic elections, resulting in an American-friendly government.

Then Bush declared success and turned his attention to Iraq, leaving minimal troops behind in Afghanistan to prevent Osama bin Laden from regrouping, swat down al-Qaida fighters and gather intelligence.

Having some vague concept of America's national interest -- unlike liberals -- the Bush administration could see that a country of illiterate peasants living in caves ruled by "warlords" was not a primo target for "nation-building."

By contrast, Iraq had a young, educated, pro-Western populace that was ideal for regime change.

If Saddam Hussein had been a peach, it would still be a major victory in the war on terrorism to have a Muslim Israel in that part of the globe, and it sure wasn't going to be Afghanistan (literacy rate, 19 percent; life expectancy, 44 years; working toilets, 7).

But Iraq also was a state sponsor of terrorism; was attempting to build nuclear weapons (according to endless bipartisan investigations in this country and in Britain -- thanks, liberals!); nurtured and gave refuge to Islamic terrorists -- including the 1993 World Trade Center bombers; was led by a mass murderer who had used weapons of mass destruction; paid bonuses to the families of suicide bombers; had vast oil reserves; and is situated at the heart of a critical region.

Having absolutely no interest in America's national security, the entire Democratic Party (save Joe Lieberman) wailed about the war in Iraq for five years, pretending they really wanted to go great-guns in Afghanistan. What the heck: They had already voted for the war in Afghanistan in the wake of 9/11 when they would have been hanged as traitors had they objected.

The obsession with Afghanistan was pure rhetoric. Democrats have no interest in fighting any war that would serve America's interests. (They're too jammed with their wars against Evangelicals, Wal-Mart, the Pledge of Allegiance, SUVs and the middle class.) Absent Iraq, they'd have been bad-mouthing Afghanistan, too.
1 2 | Full Article |

Elected Federal Bureacracy Entitlements

Forwarded to me by a friend. I agree.

Subject: Governors of 35 states filed suit against Fed Government...

Governors of 35 states have already filed suit against the Federal Government for imposing unlawful burdens upon them. It only takes 38 (= of the 50) States to convene a Constitutional Convention.

This will take less than thirty seconds to read. If you agree, please pass it on. An idea whose time has come For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws. The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical. We do not have an elite that is above the law. I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever. The self-serving must stop. This is a good way to do that. It is an idea whose time has come.

Have each person contact a minimum of twenty people on their Address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one proposal that really should be passed around.

Proposed 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution "Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States ."

You are one of my 20.

America's Corrupt Big Cities, Start With Chicago

Forwarded to me by a friend: I'll believe that Kennedy and Jefferson said these words. Even if they didn't these statements are basically correct. However, both Kennedy and Jefferson had their share of detractors.

Merle

John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the

brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement:

"This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to

gather at one time in the White House with the exception of

when Thomas Jefferson dined alone."




When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe,
we shall become as corrupt as Europe .
Thomas Jefferson


The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those
who are willing to work and give to those who would not.
Thomas Jefferson


It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes.
A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.
Thomas Jefferson


I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government
from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
Thomas Jefferson


My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.
Thomas Jefferson


No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
Thomas Jefferson


The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms
is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.
Thomas Jefferson


The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of
patriots and tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson


To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.
Thomas Jefferson


Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
'I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to
our liberties than standing armies. If the American people ever allow
private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property - until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.'




I WISH WE COULD GET THIS OUT TO EVERYONE!!!

Peoria Park Board Seeks Trail Grants

PPD is seeking a grant for $122,500 for a parallel separated bike trail along Radnor Road to the new Peoria Public Library while the PPD has also put put bids for the Kellar Branch Trail. Some say Radnor Road is in bad shape. It appears to be a County Rd. so I'll find out and get in touch with our highway super.

Out State may grow broke while millions can't find jobs but the public sector continues to request money for such "priorities" as bike trails and walking paths??

Are we a world gone nuts or what do we have too many nuts making the world go nuts.

The PPD didn't have the money to do the ball diamonds they have been promising since 2002, build a decent skateboard park for kids ACTIVITY, it appears they have not properly used the $200,000+ plus stimulus grant to spend on Proctor Center, go see for yourself.

The Legislatures and bureaucrats are approving and our public bodies are spending all this money on enhancements when the State of Illinois can't even pay their bills and our Federal Government is spending and borrowing; interest on the borrowed money, much of it from foreign countries, will soon reach astronomical numbers.

Some or most of our "leaders" are out of their minds. Priorities are bike and walking trails. This appears to be the generation of I want, I want, I want.
I thught Ray LaHood knew better than to say he puts the same emphasis on trails as he does on highways. It sure shows it.

Hear no Truth, Speak no Truth and See no Truth

Forwarded to me by a friend. There is a Paul R. Hollrah on the net. I don't know if Mr. Hollrah wrote this piece or not but I agree with its contents. General MCChrystal would not be the first general would was forced to retire who knew more about was was going on in the field than any politician, or a community organizer turned president.

Merle

phollrah@fairpoint.net

The General and the Community Organizer

by Paul R. Hollrah


Channel-surfing from ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN through MSNBC and Fox News, the inside-the-beltway pundits had a field day trying to get inside the heads of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, General Stanley McChrystal, and McChrystal’s top aides. The one thing common to all of the analyses, by the most famous and highly-paid talking heads in the Western World, was that they are all wrong… dead wrong. What is certain is that they all owe General McChrystal and his senior aides an apology for assuming that they are lame-brained numbskulls.

The facts of the McChrystal case are not in dispute. General McChrystal and his senior officers allowed a reporter for Rolling Stone Magazine, Michael Hastings, to have almost unprecedented access during an extended stay in Paris. The extended stay was due, in part, to an excess of atmospheric ash from Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano, keeping the McChrystal party grounded for days. Hastings subsequently published a lengthy profile of General McChrystal on June 22, titled, The Runaway General.

In an interview with CNN, Hastings reported that he had a tape recorder in his hand most of the time and that McChrystal was “very aware” that his comments would find their way into print. He said, “McChrystal and his people set no ground rules for their conversations, although they did ask that some parts of their conversations were off the record.”

As Hastings wrote in his profile, McChrystal thought that Obama looked “uncomfortable and intimidated” by the roomful of military brass during their first meeting. Of their second meeting, an advisor to McChrystal quoted the general as saying that it was “a 10-minute photo op.” He went on to say, “Obama clearly didn’t know anything about (McChrystal), who he was. Here’s the guy who’s going to run his f_ _ _ing war, but he didn’t seem very engaged. The Boss was pretty disappointed.”
As General McChrystal flew from Afghanistan to Washington to face Obama in the Oval Office, the almost unanimous opinion of the talking heads was that the comments made by McChrystal and his staff were off the cuff and inadvertent. But to believe that is to totally ignore who these men are.

General McChrystal and his top officers are not simple-minded, knuckle-dragging brutes. To the contrary, they are intelligent, thoughtful, highly educated, patriots… graduates of West Point and other fine universities… who are dedicated to duty, honor, and country. To think that such men would be so careless as to speak unflatteringly of Obama, Biden, and other top administration figures, in the presence of a reporter for a notoriously left wing publication, defies logic… at the very least. To think that men who are trained to be careful and deliberate in everything they do, could do something so careless and so unguarded is simply beyond comprehension.

I would argue that McChrystal and his aides knew exactly what they were doing.

From the day that he became the handpicked “spear carrier” for Obama’s unique brand of warfare… playing at being Commander in Chief while playing to his far left constituency… McChrystal’s life had been one of constant frustration. After telling Obama exactly how many troops he needed to carry out his mission, Obama dithered for months before deciding to give him just half the troops he requested. McChrystal could not have been happy about that.

The Obama team insisted on new Rules of Engagement designed to reduce collateral damage (civilian casualties). Obama’s ROE required that U.S. troops must be able to see the enemy with weapon in hand before they were allowed to return fire. One videotape circulated on the Internet showed a platoon of Marines pinned down by enemy sniper fire. But since the enemy was firing from some distance behind the open window of a building, the Marines could not actually see the weapon being fired. Although they were taking deadly fire, they were prohibited by the ROE from putting small arms fire or an RPG through the window opening.

Under Obama’s politically correct ROE, our soldiers and Marines were required to fight with one hand tied behind their backs. McChrystal had to have been happy about that.

A strict new interrogation policy, dictated by Attorney General Eric Holder, required that prisoners must be delivered to an Interrogation Center within twenty-four hours of being captured or be released to return to the battlefield. A great deal of actionable intelligence was lost as a result and battle-hardened enemy fighters were returned to the field to kill Americans. McChrystal must have found that to be incomprehensible.

But the greatest insult to our troops in the field, and to the officers who lead them, may be a new battlefield medal designed by the Obama team. It is called the Courageous Restraint Medal and is awarded to soldiers and Marines who demonstrate uncommon restrain in combat by not firing their weapons even when they feel threatened by the enemy. Should we be surprised to learn that the preponderance these medals were awarded posthumously? McChrystal must have found that to be an insanity.

I suggest that, having his best military judgments subjected to the White House political sieve for nearly a year and a half, McChrystal decided that he’d had enough. And when he announced to his senior staff that he was prepared to retire they decided to push back… to make the most of a bad situation. It was clear that, if McChrystal were to simply take off his uniform and walk away, his retirement would be page-twenty news for a day or two before the mainstream media and the American people forgot all about him.

They had to make the most of his retirement because it provided a one-time opportunity to show the American people, as well as our enemies and our allies, that the man who claims the title of Commander in Chief of the U.S. military does not command the respect of our men and women in uniform. To make the most of that opportunity they had to choose their messenger very carefully.

They knew that, by openly showing their disrespect for Obama in front of just any newsman, they may not attract the attention they desired. Like any astute observer of the MSM, they knew that most reporters would turn on their own mothers if it meant a good story. But they could not take a chance that a mainstream media reporter might suffer a rare pang of conscience when confronted with the prospect of ruining the careers of some of the most senior officers in the War on Terror. They had to fix the odds as much as possible in their favor so they chose to use Michael Hastings and Rolling Stone Magazine.

During the long hours that General McChrystal was in the air between Kabul and Washington, Obama knew that he had just two choices… both bad. He could declare McChrystal to be an irreplaceable asset in the war effort, give him a public reprimand, and send him back to Kabul. Or he could fire McChrystal, sending a clear message that, at least in his own mind, he was the Commander in Chief.

In the former case, he was certain to appear weak and ineffectual… a man not totally in charge. In the latter case, he might at least win a few rave reviews from the Kook-Ade drinkers in the mainstream media. He chose the latter of the two options.

But what is now lost in all of the hand-wringing and speculation is the fact that McChrystal and his people have succeeded in doing exactly what they set out to do. They wanted to plant the seed in the minds of the American people that Obama is not up to the task of being Commander in Chief and that he does not command the respect of the men and women of the uniformed services… from the newest Private E-1 up to the top four-star generals and admirals.

That seed is now firmly planted and it cannot be unplanted.

From this day forward, no one will have to tell the American people that Stanley McChrystal is a true warrior, a man’s man, and that Barack Obama is nothing more than a… community organizer. Well done, General