Prayers like this are needed badly, whether you are a church goer or even have a named religion. We need CHANGE in this country and our leaders in Washington, Governors, Mayors, County Board Chairs, School Administrators, and oftentimes preachers who preach but are heard only by the "choir" and then most times do NOT follow through with their good "intentions".
Merle Widmer (Forwarded to me by a friend)
A Pastor with GUTS!
Thought you might enjoy this interesting
prayer given in Kansas at
the opening session of their Senate. It seems
prayer still upsets some
people.. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open
the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is
what they heard:
Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask
your forgiveness and to seek your direction and
guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those
who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we
have done.
We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed
our values.
We have exploited the poor and called it
the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it
welfare..
We have killed our unborn and called it
choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it
justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our
children and called it building self esteem.....
We have abused power and called it
politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions
and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and
pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values
of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts
today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free..
Amen!
The response was immediate. A number of
legislators walked out during the prayer in
protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian
Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than
5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls
responding negatively. The church is now receiving
international requests for copies of this prayer
from India , Africa and Korea .
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on
his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and
received a larger response to this program than any
other he has ever aired.
With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep
over our nation and wholeheartedly become our
desire so that we again can be called 'one nation
under God.'
If possible, please pass this prayer on to
your friends... 'If you don't stand for something,
you will fall for everything.'
Think about this: If you forward this
prayer to everyone on your
e-mail list, in less than 30 days it would be
heard by the world.
How many people in your address book will
not receive this prayer....do you have the guts to pass it on?
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Go Arizona Lawmakers
I lived in Phoenix off and on for many years yet despite, at that time, being a sports fan, I only attended Sun games when Roger Phegley or David Thirdkill (both Bradly graduates) played. Today, I do not attend any professional sports. The big ego owners, the overpaid players, the costly admissions and concessions, plus traffic jams, have turned me off on professional sports.
I wonder how many of these professional athletes vote? Or even are citizens or have made application?
Recently, efforts were made to apply a tax on tourists to support these expensive stadiums. Fortunately, this effort was killed, at least for the time being.
Merle
GREAT COMPARISON
This comment follows the Phoenix Suns' protest of the new AZ law.
"What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people
were sneaking into games without paying? What if they had a good
idea who the gate-crashers are, but the ushers and security
personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their
ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn't be ejected.
Furthermore, what if Suns' ownership was expected to provide those
who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink? And what if, on
those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns had
to provide free medical care and shelter?"
- This was posted by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on FaceBook
I wonder how many of these professional athletes vote? Or even are citizens or have made application?
Recently, efforts were made to apply a tax on tourists to support these expensive stadiums. Fortunately, this effort was killed, at least for the time being.
Merle
GREAT COMPARISON
This comment follows the Phoenix Suns' protest of the new AZ law.
"What if the owners of the Suns discovered that hordes of people
were sneaking into games without paying? What if they had a good
idea who the gate-crashers are, but the ushers and security
personnel were not allowed to ask these folks to produce their
ticket stubs, thus non-paying attendees couldn't be ejected.
Furthermore, what if Suns' ownership was expected to provide those
who sneaked in with complimentary eats and drink? And what if, on
those days when a gate-crasher became ill or injured, the Suns had
to provide free medical care and shelter?"
- This was posted by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on FaceBook
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Robinson, Pitts and Adams - All Peoria Journal Star Columnists Need to Read
About half of what these bleeding liberal race baiters write is just that - race baiting. Whether Buchanan wrote this or not, I agree. So do many of my black friends.
Merle
BUCHANAN TO OBAMA
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America .. Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation.. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to.... This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and demands heard. And among them are these:
First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.. Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.
Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the ' 60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream. Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks -- with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas -- to advance black applicants over white applicants. Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over America have donated their time and money to support soup kitchens, adult education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks.
We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude??
Barack talks about new 'ladders of opportunity' for blacks. Let him go to Altoona ? And Johnstown , and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for 'deserving' white kids...? Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America ? Is it really white America 's fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?
Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?
As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?
Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?
We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena . And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.
Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago. This needs to be passed around because, this is a message everyone needs to hear!!!
OK...........
will you pass it on ?
YES. I did but will you?
Because I'm for a better America
Honor our Veterans - it's the right thing to do.
I am
Not racist,
Not violent,
Just not silent anymore.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE...SOMEONE HAD TO PAY FOR IT
If you can read this...thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English...thank a veteran.
Merle
BUCHANAN TO OBAMA
By Patrick J. Buchanan
Barack says we need to have a conversation about race in America .. Fair enough. But this time, it has to be a two-way conversation.. White America needs to be heard from, not just lectured to.... This time, the Silent Majority needs to have its convictions, grievances and demands heard. And among them are these:
First, America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here that 600,000 black people, brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.. Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.
Second, no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans. Untold trillions have been spent since the ' 60s on welfare, food stamps, rent supplements, Section 8 housing, Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs designed to bring the African-American community into the mainstream. Governments, businesses and colleges have engaged in discrimination against white folks -- with affirmative action, contract set-asides and quotas -- to advance black applicants over white applicants. Churches, foundations, civic groups, schools and individuals all over America have donated their time and money to support soup kitchens, adult education, day care, retirement and nursing homes for blacks.
We hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude??
Barack talks about new 'ladders of opportunity' for blacks. Let him go to Altoona ? And Johnstown , and ask the white kids in Catholic schools how many were visited lately by Ivy League recruiters handing out scholarships for 'deserving' white kids...? Is white America really responsible for the fact that the crime and incarceration rates for African-Americans are seven times those of white America ? Is it really white America 's fault that illegitimacy in the African-American community has hit 70 percent and the black dropout rate from high schools in some cities has reached 50 percent?
Is that the fault of white America or, first and foremost, a failure of the black community itself?
As for racism, its ugliest manifestation is in interracial crime, and especially interracial crimes of violence. Is Barack Obama aware that while white criminals choose black victims 3 percent of the time, black criminals choose white victims 45 percent of the time?
Is Barack aware that black-on-white rapes are 100 times more common than the reverse, that black-on-white robberies were 139 times as common in the first three years of this decade as the reverse?
We have all heard ad nauseam from the Rev. Al about Tawana Brawley, the Duke rape case and Jena . And all turned out to be hoaxes. But about the epidemic of black assaults on whites that are real, we hear nothing.
Sorry, Barack, some of us have heard it all before, about 40 years and 40 trillion tax dollars ago. This needs to be passed around because, this is a message everyone needs to hear!!!
OK...........
will you pass it on ?
YES. I did but will you?
Because I'm for a better America
Honor our Veterans - it's the right thing to do.
I am
Not racist,
Not violent,
Just not silent anymore.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE...SOMEONE HAD TO PAY FOR IT
If you can read this...thank a teacher.
If you can read this in English...thank a veteran.
Bear Arms Rights
The widespread efforts of those who wish to control the rights of a concerned citizenry must be thwarted by every means possible.
Merle
For Immediate Release: 8/16/2010
CHICAGO, IL – The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago’s new gun ordinance, asserting that “by banning gun ranges open to the public…under color of law,” the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Joining SAF in this lawsuit are the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), Action Target, Inc., and three individual plaintiffs including a retired Chicago police detective. They are represented by attorneys Alan Gura of Virginia and David Sigale of Chicago, who teamed up with SAF and ISRA on the landmark case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, which incorporated the Second Amendment to the states, effectively striking down Chicago’s 28-year-old handgun ban.
“While the city has adopted new regulations that make it legal to own handguns,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “they have crafted this new ordinance to make it virtually impossible for prospective gun owners to meet all legal requirements unless they travel outside the city for mandatory training. The new ordinance prohibits public gun ranges inside the city yet the city demands that handgun owners get at least one hour of range training time.
“This is a ‘Catch-22’ scenario,” he continued, “that seems deliberately designed to discourage Chicago residents from exercising their firearm civil rights barely two months after those rights were restored by the Supreme Court.”
Individual plaintiffs are Rhonda Ezell, a victim of three attempted burglaries who has disabilities making it difficult for her to travel outside the city; Joseph Brown, a WWII U.S. Army veteran who was among the liberators of the infamous Dachau concentration camp, and William Hespen, a retired police detective, all of whom must qualify for Chicago Firearms Permits.
Action Target, a Utah-based company, builds shooting ranges and manufactures gun range equipment and supplies. It has a long history of providing gun safety equipment and training, and has previously built law enforcement shooting ranges in Chicago. However, Action Target is prohibited from building a public target range within the city’s limits under the restrictions of the new gun ordinance.
Randy Graham, vice president of Action Target, said, “We believe that citizens have a constitutional right to use and train with firearms in a safe and controlled environment. As a leader in the firearms training industry, Action Target is committed to standing up for these rights.”
“By banning public gun ranges,” Gottlieb said, “and by banning the loan and rental of firearms at such ranges, Chicago is acting under color of law to deprive citizens of their right to keep and bear arms, and to conveniently receive the education required under the ordinance that is necessary to obtain a Chicago Firearms Permit. The city is violating both the Second and First amendments, and we are asking the court to put an end to this nonsense.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.
-END-
Merle
For Immediate Release: 8/16/2010
CHICAGO, IL – The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Chicago’s new gun ordinance, asserting that “by banning gun ranges open to the public…under color of law,” the city is depriving citizens of their right to keep and bear arms in violation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Joining SAF in this lawsuit are the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA), Action Target, Inc., and three individual plaintiffs including a retired Chicago police detective. They are represented by attorneys Alan Gura of Virginia and David Sigale of Chicago, who teamed up with SAF and ISRA on the landmark case of McDonald v. City of Chicago, which incorporated the Second Amendment to the states, effectively striking down Chicago’s 28-year-old handgun ban.
“While the city has adopted new regulations that make it legal to own handguns,” said SAF Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb, “they have crafted this new ordinance to make it virtually impossible for prospective gun owners to meet all legal requirements unless they travel outside the city for mandatory training. The new ordinance prohibits public gun ranges inside the city yet the city demands that handgun owners get at least one hour of range training time.
“This is a ‘Catch-22’ scenario,” he continued, “that seems deliberately designed to discourage Chicago residents from exercising their firearm civil rights barely two months after those rights were restored by the Supreme Court.”
Individual plaintiffs are Rhonda Ezell, a victim of three attempted burglaries who has disabilities making it difficult for her to travel outside the city; Joseph Brown, a WWII U.S. Army veteran who was among the liberators of the infamous Dachau concentration camp, and William Hespen, a retired police detective, all of whom must qualify for Chicago Firearms Permits.
Action Target, a Utah-based company, builds shooting ranges and manufactures gun range equipment and supplies. It has a long history of providing gun safety equipment and training, and has previously built law enforcement shooting ranges in Chicago. However, Action Target is prohibited from building a public target range within the city’s limits under the restrictions of the new gun ordinance.
Randy Graham, vice president of Action Target, said, “We believe that citizens have a constitutional right to use and train with firearms in a safe and controlled environment. As a leader in the firearms training industry, Action Target is committed to standing up for these rights.”
“By banning public gun ranges,” Gottlieb said, “and by banning the loan and rental of firearms at such ranges, Chicago is acting under color of law to deprive citizens of their right to keep and bear arms, and to conveniently receive the education required under the ordinance that is necessary to obtain a Chicago Firearms Permit. The city is violating both the Second and First amendments, and we are asking the court to put an end to this nonsense.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, CT; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers and an amicus brief and fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.
-END-
Monday, August 16, 2010
Locked out of my Facebook Account
I've been locked out for quite a while. I have not forgotten my password. The instructions they send me do not make sense. I had someone help me with no success. Anyone want to give me instructions?
Sunday, August 15, 2010
We Were Not Promised an IMAX
So said Tim Riggenbach, former County Board member and now a City Councilman as quoted in the JS today. I am delivering a letter the the JSEB today refuting his claim in detail. If the JSEB elects not to print my letter, the whole letter with comments will be printed here in the near future. From what I read, hear and see, the public is wearying of this "Saga of Flim-Flam on the Riverfront".
"Yes sir, right here in RiverCity."
When I was in business and we sold a customer a Herman Miller (a prominent name brand) and delivered, say a Hon, we would have lost that account,
"Yes sir, right here in RiverCity."
When I was in business and we sold a customer a Herman Miller (a prominent name brand) and delivered, say a Hon, we would have lost that account,
Friday, August 13, 2010
BelWood New County Nursing Home Bond Passes 12-5
Democrat Allen Mayer kept up his successful rants about the 2003 successful tax levy increase referendum to "MAINTAIN" BW, gave the County Board the power to build a new BW for $29 million, oops, $34 million, ooops, $45 million, oooops, $54.6 million, whew!, without a new referendum to build anew. This 2003 referendum hinted that BW might need to be closed if the referendum didn't pass. (Neither Tazewell County or Sangamon County has County owned nursing homes). BW is touted as a safety net for the poor despite the fact that administration said that new BW rates MIGHT be just slightly less than the private sector and that the Medicaid people had no place to go despite having, so far, 130 beds in the private sector, that a location hasn't been selected yet and demolition and site preparation might mean $3-4.5 million more, that we don't have the money saved, that BW was supported by $3.2 million in property tax last year, that administration told maintenance to repair only life-safety issues starting in 2007, that 3 months ago, we were told that 24 residents came from OUTSIDE PEORIA COUNTY, that selling BW was never an option or SUGGESTED by our administrator, (now vacationing in Maine) despite the costs of remodeling rose dramatically from $12.5 million to $26 million after the hiring of a new consulting group, that the contractor that made the newest estimate on remodeling was the same contractor that is making the new estimates on building a new BW, despite the fact that the present building is about the same age as my house which the Assessor, until I appealed, said was rising in value.
Could it be possible that BW employs 167 union members, that the Peoria County Board has 12 Democrats, that Mike Everett, a union boss or Marty Clinch also representing the union, set in on all critical vote issues or was it the fact that the 12 members voting yes (Bob Baietto voted with the Democrats, Democrat Junior Watkins was absent)were such compassionate people? Or was it because as board members kept saying we had to "compete" to attract residents (at the last meeting it was suggested by one of these 12 that maybe we should drop the word "compete").
Or is Peoria County following the Federal Government and believes in more government growth? The County plans to use the old BW for other county functions if a new site is selected. Of course, all these things can be justified just like I can justify the need for a new car. Only my problem and yours, is that WE pay for it
I asked if so, why not store old records there? Good question, and administration said it was a possibility. Wanna bet?
Or is it after 10 years of service, I can escape, I mean, I had decided 2 1/2 years ago to not run for a fourth term in December.
Whew, I'm going to stop even though there is much more of the BW story to be told, fines, huge monetary settlements of lawsuits and the allegation that a union business manager was caught in a residents bed, allegedly the resident was there also and that it was confirmed in a letter from administration today that the state charged BW of another violation of some sort occurred and corrective action is being taken.This spring we paid the State $10,000 for numerous violations that I understand were negotiated down.
Stop. Administration says that the new 223 bed BW will be self-supporting. Similar to the claim that there still will be an IMAX in the museum? And that an extra $1 1/2million will be spent on a basement in the new BW to POSSIBLY hold old records that hardly anyone looks at (we will borrow that $1/12 million also) and disregarding the fact that there are empty buildings within walking distance of the courthouse. And the possibility of using the old BW for storage since we are going to keep it anyway.
Hey, it's OPM, let's spend it because we can justify because our residents want a new building and the 43 year old building is obsolete and run-down, so Board member Phil Salzer, ex-teacher and track coach and official, keeps saying. And 11 others agreed.
Boy, has this last 2 years on the board been fun, or what? Only 4 more months (whew, again) to go and most of the board can't wait till I'm gone.
Democrat Lynn Pearson, 19 year member of the board, who said a year ago that if we didn't build a new BW by 2012, an outright lie, that BW would be closed by the State, is up for re-election in November. Karrie Alms is running for Ms. Pearson's position. Her election would bring some sense and intellect to this board. And you can bet, Karrie will not be swayed by special interests. Please, those of you that can support her campaign by volunteering and/or contributing money that is always needed to win elections.
Thanks for reading me and please correct any errors of omission or commission in the comment section of my blogs.
Read more about BelWood Financials
Could it be possible that BW employs 167 union members, that the Peoria County Board has 12 Democrats, that Mike Everett, a union boss or Marty Clinch also representing the union, set in on all critical vote issues or was it the fact that the 12 members voting yes (Bob Baietto voted with the Democrats, Democrat Junior Watkins was absent)were such compassionate people? Or was it because as board members kept saying we had to "compete" to attract residents (at the last meeting it was suggested by one of these 12 that maybe we should drop the word "compete").
Or is Peoria County following the Federal Government and believes in more government growth? The County plans to use the old BW for other county functions if a new site is selected. Of course, all these things can be justified just like I can justify the need for a new car. Only my problem and yours, is that WE pay for it
I asked if so, why not store old records there? Good question, and administration said it was a possibility. Wanna bet?
Or is it after 10 years of service, I can escape, I mean, I had decided 2 1/2 years ago to not run for a fourth term in December.
Whew, I'm going to stop even though there is much more of the BW story to be told, fines, huge monetary settlements of lawsuits and the allegation that a union business manager was caught in a residents bed, allegedly the resident was there also and that it was confirmed in a letter from administration today that the state charged BW of another violation of some sort occurred and corrective action is being taken.This spring we paid the State $10,000 for numerous violations that I understand were negotiated down.
Stop. Administration says that the new 223 bed BW will be self-supporting. Similar to the claim that there still will be an IMAX in the museum? And that an extra $1 1/2million will be spent on a basement in the new BW to POSSIBLY hold old records that hardly anyone looks at (we will borrow that $1/12 million also) and disregarding the fact that there are empty buildings within walking distance of the courthouse. And the possibility of using the old BW for storage since we are going to keep it anyway.
Hey, it's OPM, let's spend it because we can justify because our residents want a new building and the 43 year old building is obsolete and run-down, so Board member Phil Salzer, ex-teacher and track coach and official, keeps saying. And 11 others agreed.
Boy, has this last 2 years on the board been fun, or what? Only 4 more months (whew, again) to go and most of the board can't wait till I'm gone.
Democrat Lynn Pearson, 19 year member of the board, who said a year ago that if we didn't build a new BW by 2012, an outright lie, that BW would be closed by the State, is up for re-election in November. Karrie Alms is running for Ms. Pearson's position. Her election would bring some sense and intellect to this board. And you can bet, Karrie will not be swayed by special interests. Please, those of you that can support her campaign by volunteering and/or contributing money that is always needed to win elections.
Thanks for reading me and please correct any errors of omission or commission in the comment section of my blogs.
Read more about BelWood Financials
Maxine Waters - Blame it on the White Folk
Typical. What I like about Goldberg is that he "pulls no punches".
Merle
Jonah Goldberg Race-Card Payment Coming Due
EMAIL JONAH GOLDBERG | COLUMNIST'S ARCHIVE SHARE THIS: Share150 2911diggdiggSign-Up "The race card is maxed out."
That was the punch line for a recent hilarious exchange on "The Daily Show" in which Larry Wilmore, the faux news program's "senior black correspondent," reported that the race card is not only over its credit limit but is in fact "void during a black presidency." This discovery came in the wake of Maxine Waters' allegation that her political problems stem from a racially biased congressional ethics investigation.
Wilmore said he should have seen this coming, given that "the Congressional Black Caucus has been overusing the race card for years." Like when it circled the wagons around Rep. William Jefferson. The CBC in effect argued it'd be no big deal if a white congressman had been videotaped receiving a $100,000 bribe and if the FBI then found most of it in his freezer. Singling out a black congressman for this sort of thing, Wilmore jokes, amounts to punishing Jefferson for "Legislating While Black."
Of course, Wilmore (a great comic talent) is joking, but not everyone is laughing. Waters, the representative for South Central Los Angeles since 1991, is one of America's premier racial hucksters. A notoriously nasty piece of work, she sided with the murderous rioters in what she called the post-Rodney King verdict "rebellion" and danced the electric slide with the Crips and the Bloods. (Who says she's not bipartisan?) So it's hardly surprising that she'd lump all of her problems on Whitey.
In Aesop's Fables, the scorpion must sting the frog because that is what scorpions do. In real life, Waters must blame her problems on, well, you know who.
Waters is alleged to have offered special help for OneUnited, a minority-owned bank where her husband served on the board until April 2008. Her husband owned roughly $350,000 worth of OneUnited stock. If it didn't get bailed out by the Treasury Department, the bank would have gone under. Waters told Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, about the potential conflict of interest, and Frank -- not everyone's idea of a scrupulous ethicist to begin with -- told her she should stay clear of it. She ignored his advice and allegedly helped secure OneUnited $12 million in TARP money, saving the value of her husband's bank shares. Waters says it's all a misunderstanding since she was barely involved. She merely outsourced most of the work to her chief of staff, aka her grandson.
She insists she won't be anyone's "sacrificial lamb" and points to the fact that eight members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been subject to ethics investigations -- which she and many in the CBC suggest is no coincidence.
And they're right.
1 2 | Full Article | Next > Jonah Goldberg's Biography Jonah Goldberg is editor-at-large of National Review Online.
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Spiked! AVP cancels rest of beach
Merle
Jonah Goldberg Race-Card Payment Coming Due
EMAIL JONAH GOLDBERG | COLUMNIST'S ARCHIVE SHARE THIS: Share150 2911diggdiggSign-Up "The race card is maxed out."
That was the punch line for a recent hilarious exchange on "The Daily Show" in which Larry Wilmore, the faux news program's "senior black correspondent," reported that the race card is not only over its credit limit but is in fact "void during a black presidency." This discovery came in the wake of Maxine Waters' allegation that her political problems stem from a racially biased congressional ethics investigation.
Wilmore said he should have seen this coming, given that "the Congressional Black Caucus has been overusing the race card for years." Like when it circled the wagons around Rep. William Jefferson. The CBC in effect argued it'd be no big deal if a white congressman had been videotaped receiving a $100,000 bribe and if the FBI then found most of it in his freezer. Singling out a black congressman for this sort of thing, Wilmore jokes, amounts to punishing Jefferson for "Legislating While Black."
Of course, Wilmore (a great comic talent) is joking, but not everyone is laughing. Waters, the representative for South Central Los Angeles since 1991, is one of America's premier racial hucksters. A notoriously nasty piece of work, she sided with the murderous rioters in what she called the post-Rodney King verdict "rebellion" and danced the electric slide with the Crips and the Bloods. (Who says she's not bipartisan?) So it's hardly surprising that she'd lump all of her problems on Whitey.
In Aesop's Fables, the scorpion must sting the frog because that is what scorpions do. In real life, Waters must blame her problems on, well, you know who.
Waters is alleged to have offered special help for OneUnited, a minority-owned bank where her husband served on the board until April 2008. Her husband owned roughly $350,000 worth of OneUnited stock. If it didn't get bailed out by the Treasury Department, the bank would have gone under. Waters told Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, about the potential conflict of interest, and Frank -- not everyone's idea of a scrupulous ethicist to begin with -- told her she should stay clear of it. She ignored his advice and allegedly helped secure OneUnited $12 million in TARP money, saving the value of her husband's bank shares. Waters says it's all a misunderstanding since she was barely involved. She merely outsourced most of the work to her chief of staff, aka her grandson.
She insists she won't be anyone's "sacrificial lamb" and points to the fact that eight members of the Congressional Black Caucus have been subject to ethics investigations -- which she and many in the CBC suggest is no coincidence.
And they're right.
1 2 | Full Article | Next > Jonah Goldberg's Biography Jonah Goldberg is editor-at-large of National Review Online.
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PRM - The Grand Lies Continue?
A message from Anne. Yep, a Giant Screen Digital Theater. Oh boy. The scary thing about this whole mess is that the County Contract puts certain restrictions on the PRM; one being that if they don't come up with additional financing when required, the contract calls for them to cut down on "operating costs and overhead which could cause further financial problems and eventually, possibly no tenant. Then what? Or would Peoria County use it as a larger "old record" storage system - or Cat - a larger Visitors Center Or more likely, another "white elephant" on the riverfront??? Or more taxes? Which would be the more likely scenario?
Merle
AnneC has left a new comment on your post "IMAX SAYS NO ONE IN PEORIA IS INTERESTED"
Hi, I'm Anne---the one that contacted IMAX. Yes, I have forwarded this email to the mayor.
To see the "Grand Lie" about IMAX, you need only go to the Build the Block website. It's STILL up there! Go to http://www.petitiononline.com/BTB0001/petition.html
wait for it to load, then click on---yup---IMAX (upper left of the design). Read the very informative pop-up. Nothing about an IMAX knock-off there.
Some more interesting facts about the planned "Giant Screen Digital Theater":
It will have just 200 seats---less than the Town Theater in Chillicothe.
First-run movies will only be shown once per day, and only at night. During the day, "educational" films will be the only shows available.
Since the "educational" films will have an admission price about half that of the first-run movies, receipts will be lower than if first-runs were shown more often. IMAX requires its partners to guarantee a certain dollar amount in ticket sales (the majority of a ticket price goes to IMAX). If those sales are not met, the partner (in this case, PRM) would have to make up the cash difference. Do you think PRM has that kind of money in reserve?
Merle
AnneC has left a new comment on your post "IMAX SAYS NO ONE IN PEORIA IS INTERESTED"
Hi, I'm Anne---the one that contacted IMAX. Yes, I have forwarded this email to the mayor.
To see the "Grand Lie" about IMAX, you need only go to the Build the Block website. It's STILL up there! Go to http://www.petitiononline.com/BTB0001/petition.html
wait for it to load, then click on---yup---IMAX (upper left of the design). Read the very informative pop-up. Nothing about an IMAX knock-off there.
Some more interesting facts about the planned "Giant Screen Digital Theater":
It will have just 200 seats---less than the Town Theater in Chillicothe.
First-run movies will only be shown once per day, and only at night. During the day, "educational" films will be the only shows available.
Since the "educational" films will have an admission price about half that of the first-run movies, receipts will be lower than if first-runs were shown more often. IMAX requires its partners to guarantee a certain dollar amount in ticket sales (the majority of a ticket price goes to IMAX). If those sales are not met, the partner (in this case, PRM) would have to make up the cash difference. Do you think PRM has that kind of money in reserve?
Facility Tax Referendum Was Sold on False Premises
A major part of the the reputed $640,000 spent by the Lakeview Museum Committee to "educate" the public, contained constant references to the riverfront museum having a main attraction feature: An IMAX Theater theater installed in the PRM. (One source - FACTS ABOUT THE PEORIA RIVERFRONT MUSEUM - 8/14/08).
Now that it appears there will be no IMAX, or maybe never was going to be an IMAX in the PRM. Peoria County Board Member Andrew Rand was quoted in the JS as saying that a "large digital theater would be just the same thing." Advertise a name brand and substitute a generic? And it be a MAJOR seller? I think not.
And Rand is a "businessman"? And Chairman of the PRM Construction Committee??
Another widely circulated document "Building on the Legacy promised an opening by 2009 with an Endowment of $8,000,000. How about after all these years and Endowment of MAYBE $3,600,000?? Lot's of problems in keeping promises for what started out as an 110,000 sq. ft. and is now projected to be 81,000 sq. ft.
The problem, lack of Peoria's "big hitters" who backed these promises to come up with the funding. The County Board approved the selling of the bonds, cost of over a million dollars just to sell the bonds, without even having title to the land, the missing money for the Endowment, the uncertainty of the validity of the $19 million in outstanding pledges, over $1 million in pledges deemed noncollectable as of June 30, 2009 and no requested indication of additional uncollectables for the past 13 recent months.
Had all the real facts been known by the public, this referendum would have never passes. Nor will it live up to it's projections once built.
Now that it appears there will be no IMAX, or maybe never was going to be an IMAX in the PRM. Peoria County Board Member Andrew Rand was quoted in the JS as saying that a "large digital theater would be just the same thing." Advertise a name brand and substitute a generic? And it be a MAJOR seller? I think not.
And Rand is a "businessman"? And Chairman of the PRM Construction Committee??
Another widely circulated document "Building on the Legacy promised an opening by 2009 with an Endowment of $8,000,000. How about after all these years and Endowment of MAYBE $3,600,000?? Lot's of problems in keeping promises for what started out as an 110,000 sq. ft. and is now projected to be 81,000 sq. ft.
The problem, lack of Peoria's "big hitters" who backed these promises to come up with the funding. The County Board approved the selling of the bonds, cost of over a million dollars just to sell the bonds, without even having title to the land, the missing money for the Endowment, the uncertainty of the validity of the $19 million in outstanding pledges, over $1 million in pledges deemed noncollectable as of June 30, 2009 and no requested indication of additional uncollectables for the past 13 recent months.
Had all the real facts been known by the public, this referendum would have never passes. Nor will it live up to it's projections once built.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
IMAX SAYS NO ONE IN PEORIA IS INTERESTED
How long has the Lakeview Museum Board the various PRM Boards know this? Talk about transparency in this community!! No wonder Ransburg wants his meeting to be closed.
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 9:43 AM
Subject: new response from IMAX
Well, this is interesting.....
Yesterday afternoon I emailed IMAX through their website. Here's the response:
Dear Anne,
Thank you for contacting IMAX Corporation. At this time, IMAX Corporation does not have a client interested in opening an IMAX theatre in Peoria.
Best regards,
IMAX Corporation
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 9:43 AM
Subject: new response from IMAX
Well, this is interesting.....
Yesterday afternoon I emailed IMAX through their website. Here's the response:
Dear Anne,
Thank you for contacting IMAX Corporation. At this time, IMAX Corporation does not have a client interested in opening an IMAX theatre in Peoria.
Best regards,
IMAX Corporation
PRM IMAX - Another "Smoking Gun"
An email dated 2/15/10 from Kathleen Woith, Lakeview Museum Administrator reads, " We continue our negotiations with IMAZ for a giant screen theatre, and the PRM is being designed for the IMAX format. We are still on track to open the first all digital IMAX in a museum. We will be the first designed specifically for the digital format. Our theater designers and we talk IMAX constantly as the building design evolves. Since the technology is changing every week, we are waiting to sign the official CONTRACT till we are certain we have the most up to the minute details.
With the digital picture, the screen will be about 42 feet tall by 70 feet tall??? And, of course, it will have the amazing IMAX sound system."
All kind of excuses coming now that say the public wasn't promised and IMAX theatre BEFORE and AFTER the referendum vote. What a confused state the PRM and the County are in.
The money, the IMAX and the Endowment needs to be s funded or this whole mess scrapped. And an Endowment proposed by the "movers and shakers" who supported this project to the tune of $640,000 or more in "public education" should step-up and fund the balance of this needed $12 million dollar Endowment.
After the news of nooooooo IMAX the Endowment must be increased to at least $16 million to be anywhere near safe.
With the digital picture, the screen will be about 42 feet tall by 70 feet tall??? And, of course, it will have the amazing IMAX sound system."
All kind of excuses coming now that say the public wasn't promised and IMAX theatre BEFORE and AFTER the referendum vote. What a confused state the PRM and the County are in.
The money, the IMAX and the Endowment needs to be s funded or this whole mess scrapped. And an Endowment proposed by the "movers and shakers" who supported this project to the tune of $640,000 or more in "public education" should step-up and fund the balance of this needed $12 million dollar Endowment.
After the news of nooooooo IMAX the Endowment must be increased to at least $16 million to be anywhere near safe.
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