Tell your friends who think 'free health care' is gonna be great that... the taxes are coming way before any possible (and obvious to us fake) improvements in the health care system.  


• Taxes go up as soon as it passes. 
• 'Changes' come in 2013!


Under the Democratic bills, federal tax credits to help make health insurance affordable for millions of low- and middle-income households won't start flowing until 2013 -- after the next presidential election. But Medicare cuts and a sizable chunk of the tax increases to pay for the overhaul kick in immediately.  


Full article HERE


Discuss this topic on our main site HERE

John Stossel had a simple, clear discussion about the issues:

Seems that we have Cap and Trade with or without the congress. Our republic stands bloodied by the current executive and their shadowy goverment full of czars handpicked to "Fundamentally transform our nation".

Article from Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration took a major step Monday toward imposing the first federal limits on climate-changing pollution from cars, power plants and factories, declaring there was compelling scientific evidence that global warming from manmade greenhouse gases endangers Americans' health.
The announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency was clearly timed to build momentum toward an agreement at the international conference on climate change that opened Monday in Copenhagen, Denmark. It signaled the administration was prepared to push ahead for significant controls in the U.S. if Congress doesn't act first on its own.

The EPA finding clears the way for rules that eventually could force the sale of more fuel-efficient vehicles and require plants to install costly new equipment or shift to other forms of energy.

Energy prices for many Americans probably would rise—though Monday's finding will have no immediate impact since regulations have yet to be written. Supporters of separate legislation in Congress argue they could craft measures that would mitigate some of those costs.

Environmentalists hailed the EPA announcement as a clear indication the United States will take steps to attack climate change even if Congress fails to act. And they welcomed the timing of the declaration, saying it will help the Obama administration convince delegates at the international climate talks that the U.S. is serious about addressing the problem. Obama will address the conference next week.

But business groups said regulating carbon emissions through the EPA under existing clean air law would put new economic burdens on manufacturers, cost jobs and drive up energy prices.

"It will choke off growth by adding new mandates to virtually every major construction and renovation project," declared Thomas Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which in recent months has been particularly critical of the EPA's attempt to address climate change.

The EPA signaled last April that it was inclined to view heat-trapping pollution as a threat to public health and welfare and began to take public comments for formal rulemaking. That marked a reversal from the Bush administration, which had refused to issue the finding, despite a conclusion by EPA scientists that it was warranted.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said Monday, "There are no more excuses for delaying," adding that the so-called endangerment analysis from global warming had been under consideration at the agency for three years. After the official finding, she said the agency is now "obligated to make reasonable efforts to reduce greenhouse pollutants under the Clean Air Act."

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Barack Obama "still believes the best way to move forward is through the legislative process"—something Obama has expressed on a number of occasions as he has pressed Congress to shift the nation's energy priorities away from fossil fuels and to reduce climate-changing pollution.

The EPA said scientific evidence clearly shows that greenhouse gases "threaten the public health and welfare of the American people" and that the pollutants—mainly carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels—should be reduced, if not by Congress then by the agency responsible for enforcing air pollution.

"These long-overdue findings cement 2009's place in history as the year when the United States government began addressing the challenge of greenhouse-gas pollution," said Jackson.

She rejected claims by climate skeptics that the science of global warming remains in doubt, an argument given additional attention in recent weeks with the disclosure through intercepted e-mails that a British scientist had privately discussed ways to shield certain climate data from public scrutiny.

"The vast body of evidence not only remains unassailable, it has grown even stronger," said Jackson.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a lead author of a climate bill before the Senate, said of the finding: "This is a clear message to Copenhagen of the Obama administration's commitments to address global climate change. ... The message to Congress is crystal clear: Get moving."

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., also a co-author, said, "The Senate has a duty to act."

Business groups have strongly argued against tackling global warming through the Clean Air Act, saying it is less flexible and more costly than the cap-and-trade legislation being considered by Congress. Any regulations from the EPA are certain to spawn lawsuits and a lengthy legal fights.

"Such regulations would be intrusive, inefficient and excessively costly, chill job growth and delay business expansion," argued Jack Gerard, president of the American Petroleum Institute, which also has been critical of the climate legislation before Congress.

"The Clean Air Act can complement legislation," said Jackson. In fact, if Congress were to cap greenhouse gas emissions, the EPA probably would be given the responsibility of implementing the law.

The EPA's involvement in reducing climate-changing pollution, stems from a 2007 Supreme Court decision that declared that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are pollutants under the Clean Air Act. But the court said the EPA would have to determine if these pollutants pose a danger to public health and welfare before it could regulate them.

___

On the Net:

Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov...
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

article here




Thanks to Paul for posting this on the WSR main site... join us in discussing & fighting  it HERE.

LT Colonel Allen West is much more than a Great Speaker / motivator .
He tells it like it is and if you don't like the truth ,he'll show you the door
and you can leave . We need more candidates with this fire & honesty &
courage to speak the truth and shove PC ,BS to the side for the
survival of Our Country. I recommend everyone watch this video in
it's entire length , just shy of 6 minutes . 




Thanks so much to Jiggs for posting this to the group and Guy for the above comments. I think it's a great example of the new kind of bold conservative candidate that we will see in 2010. I think conservative voters are sick of the old mealy-mouthed PC candidates and will support great, solid candidates. Now we don't officially 'endorse' anyone... but just like to show you some of the folks who are out there (and LT. Colonel Allen is in FL anyway!).  And it's funny, but I totally didn't look to see his Party affiliation... totally didn't care. I checked the state to see if I could vote for him!!

Visit WeSurroundRochester to discuss this video HERE.

Here was their very succinct description of 'Climategate' for anyone who asks:
Climategate, as readers of these pages know, concerns some of the world's leading climate scientists working in tandem to block freedom of information requests, blackball dissenting scientists, manipulate the peer-review process, and obscure, destroy or massage inconvenient temperature data—facts that were laid bare by last week's disclosure of thousands of emails from the University of East Anglia's Climate Research Unit, or CRU.

Here were my favorite parts:
Consider the case of Phil Jones, the director of the CRU and the man at the heart of climategate. According to one of the documents hacked from his center, between 2000 and 2006 Mr. Jones was the recipient (or co-recipient) of some $19 million worth of research grants, a sixfold increase over what he'd been awarded in the 1990s.

Why did the money pour in so quickly? Because the climate alarm kept ringing so loudly: The louder the alarm, the greater the sums. And who better to ring it than people like Mr. Jones, one of its likeliest beneficiaries?

(snip)

In the U.S., the House intends to spend $1.3 billion on NASA's climate efforts, $400 million on NOAA's, and another $300 million for the National Science Foundation. The states also have a piece of the action, with California—apparently not feeling bankrupt enough—devoting $600 million to their own climate initiative. 


From the Wall Street Journal Online HERE. Thanks to Dan at WSR for finding it... Discuss this article HERE

Glenn Beck is doing education events across the country in 2010. He's asking to see where he should hold them (The first one will be in Orlando at UCF Arena on March 27th.) 
He'll be using this system to see what other cities to add:

View all Rochester events on Eventful

And this administration thinks the answer to our problems is to grow government and create more programs?

Govt report: Over $98B wasted in improper payments
Nov 17 11:35 PM US/Eastern
By HOPE YEN
Associated Press Writer


WASHINGTON (AP) - More than $98 billion in taxpayer dollars spent by government agencies was wasted, much of it on questionable claims for tax credits and Medicare benefits, representing an increase of $26 billion from the previous year.

In all, about 5 percent of spending in federal programs in fiscal year 2009 was improper, according to new details of a government financial report that were released Tuesday. Saying the overall error rate was similar in 2008, officials attributed the $26 billion jump to some changes in how to define improper spending as well as an increase in overall spending due to the recession.

President Barack Obama is expected to sign an executive order within the next week aimed at cracking down on government waste and fraud, particularly in Medicare and other benefit programs. In the 2009 report, the government officially reported questionable Medicare payments of roughly $36 billion, but that amount will be revised upward to about $48 billion next year as the Health and Human Services Department fully converts to a new methodology that imposes stricter documentation requirements.

"We need to protect taxpayer dollars," Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget, told reporters. "Every dollar that goes to the wrong recipient or in the wrong amount is a dollar not available to help an unemployed worker, or to invest in education or key priorities of the administration."

Under the executive order, every federal agency would have to maintain a Web site that tracks improper payments, error rates and outstanding payments. If an agency doesn't meet targets for reducing error rates for two years in a row, the agency director and responsible official will have to directly report to OMB to explain the delinquency and new actions they will take.

The Obama administration will also seek to impose penalties on government contractors that receive improper payments so they have incentives to return the money, Orszag said.

Among the reported waste:

_Agriculture: $4.3 billion in improper payments, or 5.9 percent of total department spending. Much of it was in the food stamp, federal crop insurance and school meals programs.

_Defense: $849 million, or 0.5 percent.

_Education: $599 million, or 2.1 percent.

_Health and Human Services: $55.1 billion, or 9.4 percent. That included improper payment rates of 7.8 percent and 15.4 percent in the Medicare fee for service and Advantage programs, respectively.

_Homeland Security: $644.5 million, or 3.7 percent. Much of it was in the Homeland Security grant program as well as Disaster Relief Fund Vendor Payments.

_Housing and Urban Development: $1 billion, or 3.5 percent. All of it was attributed to public housing and rental assistance.

_Labor: $12.3 billion, or 9.9 percent. Almost all of the improper payments were in the unemployment insurance program.

_Treasury: $12.3 billion, or 25.5 percent. All of it was attributed to improper payments in the earned income tax credit.

_Transportation: $1.5 billion, or 3 percent. Much of it was in the Federal Highway Administration planning and construction program.

_Veterans Affairs: $1.2 billion, or 2.7 percent. That included improper payments in the pension and other compensation programs.

_Social Security Administration: $8.0 billion, or 1.2 percent.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., who chairs a Senate panel on federal financial management, said he worried that the latest numbers "may still be just the tip of the iceberg" since they don't include estimates for several programs such as the Medicare prescription drug plan.

"It goes without saying that these results would be completely unacceptable in the private sector, as they should be in government, especially at a time of record deficits," Carper said.

http://www.breitbart....


Thanks to Lorene for posting this... discuss it HERE on WeSurroundRochester

Posted at the Tenth Amendment Center. Exactly what we've been talking about... what's our next effective move, since it seems 'write your Congressman' is moot with these non-representing 'Representatives'??


 If only 35% of people *wanted* the Health Care Takeover, and it's such a radical change... it's obvious that we are no longer being heard in Washington.


So, check out this article posted below, and also this one on a great idea... States Nullifying bad Federal laws.

Here's the article:

by Rob Natelson

The recent election results in Virginia and New Jersey – representing in part a strong repudiation of the threats to freedom over the past year – have energized many pro-liberty activists. It is imperative that we keep the pressure on.
But we can be sure the other side will try to trick us into damaging statements in order to discredit us, or lure us into time-wasting strategies.

So here are a few things to remember:

* Let’s keep our eye on the ball. The ultimate goal of most in the Tenth Amendment movement is to restore constitutional limits to the federal government. Our Constitution – not any peripheral or personal causes – is what we are working for.

* Swarm, swarm, swarm. The focus for the short-term has to be continue to “swarm” our elected representatives, get in their faces, and tell them over and over that more deficit spending or tax increases are simply unacceptable. So also is any major expansion of government control, particularly a takeover of heath care.

* Restoring limits on the feds. The focus long-term has to be one or more constitutional amendments to put the federal government’s house back in order and protect future generations from the kinds of assaults on our freedom we have faced over the last year. When a system breaks down, sometimes you have to patch up to set it right — just as our fathers and grandfathers adopted the 22nd Amendment to re-establish the two-term presidential tradition that Franklin Roosevelt had disregarded. That’s our situation now.

* 2010 elections. The focus medium-term is now the 2010 elections – not just for Congress, but particularly on the state level. This is because constitutional amendments to curb Congress’s powers are probably not going to come from Congress. The states will have to use the Constitution’s state-proposal procedure.

* Don’t let the bad guys marginalize you. Talk of actions such as secession suggest that we are the ones willing to destroy our constitutional system – when in fact the opposition has that dubious distinction.

* Work smart. The other side has a lot of people who work full-time in politics or who work for the government, which sometimes amounts to nearly the same thing. That’s in addition to Soros money. So we have to carefully husband our resources – devote your time and energy only to things that make sense in view of our goals.

* Don’t waste your time on stupid or impossible causes. Here are a few causes that are certain time-wasters: (1) impeaching Obama (impossible while the Dems control Congress, even assuming there are grounds to do so), (2) recalling U.S. Senators or Congressmen before their terms are up (there is no recall procedure authorized by the Constitution or federal law), and (3) secession movements (which, besides conceding the Constitution to the other side, overlooks the fact that they have the nuclear weapons).

* Again, keep your eyes on the ball – restore the Constitution. That means letters to the editor, candidate identification, working in the political party of your choice, fundraising, keeping in touch with others in the Tenth Amendment movement, and educating yourself by visiting great websites like the Tenth Amendment Center.


Rob Natelson is a constitutional law professor at the University of Montana, and runner-up in the 2000 “open primary” for Governor of Montana. His opinions are his own, and should not be attributed to any other person or institution.


Discuss it on our main site We Surround Rochester HERE

Fed X vs. UPS Union costs example... funny and makes a great point.  
Gang, this is the paradigm of changing people's minds on the net, fast, funny, makes the point clearly. 


From Reason.tv  

Dear “Representative",

You do not know me, but I know you; for I have been watching your work in Congress very carefully. Unlike my previous letters and phone calls to the so called representatives in Washington DC, this is not a plea for my voice to be heard, and I am not going to ask that you “take my views into consideration” when you vote on legislation that can affectively eliminate my personal liberties. The time for pleas has come and gone, and so has my tolerance for your complete disregard of The Constitution. No, this letter is not coming in the form of a request, but more it should be regarded as a warning of what is to come for you and your colleagues on the Hill.

In August, 2009 thousands of Americans attended town hall meetings to voice their displeasure with the healthcare reform bill; you mocked us. On September 12, 2009, an estimated ONE MILLION patriotic Americans gathered on your front lawn to protest the growing strong arm of the government; you ignored us. On November 5, 2009 an estimated 40,000 Americans left their families and jobs on only days notice to protest the passage of “Pelosi/Obama-Care”; again you ignored and mocked us. We have taken every civilized measure to prevent the American Dream from morphing into a socialized nightmare, and yet we have been ignored.

We are done being ignored, and quite frankly we’re tired of being the only ones that are playing nicely. So we’ve decided to play the game your way; bat in hand and target in site. And who is our target, you may ask? Well…you are. Like our forefathers, the time has come to make war with our oppressors to preserve our freedoms. Unlike them, our weapon will be action, not artillery. Over the span of mere months we have built an army of millions, all willing to sacrifice their time, money and sweat to one cause, and that cause is to remove you from office and regain control of this country. From this day forward we will dedicate ourselves fully to the cause, and we will not stop until you have either agreed to abandon party politics and defend the Constitution with every vote you cast, or until you are removed from your position of power.

After we are finished organizing thousands of impassioned voters in your district to campaign against you, whether that be going door to door delivering handouts, financing commercials or supporting your opponents, we will move on to those entities that have pledged their financial support behind you. Slowly but surely we will expose every corrupt tie you have forged, every lie you have told, and every promise you have made to every special interest that backs you. The downfall of ACORN was just the beginning, and you can rest assured that you and the entities that have pledged their allegiance to your corrupt ways will not only suffer a similar fate, but all of the public humiliation that followed.

Like you, General Cornwallis underestimated the power and wrath of We The People before he was defeated by “mere farmers with pitchforks,” and like your career in politics, this miscalculation will be short-lived. We have put down our pens and picked up our pitchforks, and this is only the beginning.

With a Watchful Eye,

An American Patriot

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

I'd been mulling over what to do next when I received this letter from Heather. This I know: Like Heather, and I think like all of you, if the "Reps" in DC think they've beaten us, they've got another thing coming. I thought that I would go absolutely ballistic if the health care bill was passed, and yet I didn't. I'm disappointed, but more than that, I'm DETERMINED. They're going to have to pry my free America away from my cold, dead hands, if that's what it takes. Thanks to everyone here at WSR, and to folks across the nation like Heather (who is from Ohio), for helping me see that I am not alone! - Wendy A.

From a young mom named Heather in the "As A Mom" group, who has a true gift for writing. She's the author of the following letter, and has said: "Feel free to repost and send this to your reps!!!"

From another Group, but a great overview of the tone of the event. Reports from our group have the size at over 25,000 people... who dropped everything on 5 days notice, during the work week to go to the event. Rochester sent 1 bus and Albany did as well. NJ sent something like 14 busses.

(Posted by Wendy Ann)


I'm soooo exhausted - The bus had a flat on the way back, which delayed our return by nearly two hours, so I didn't get home 'til 6:15 am - just enough time change my clothes and get to work on time (I was the only one in today, so I HAD to be here!) Anyhow - The rally on the Capitol lawn was AWESOME! 


Michele Bachmann rocks - She's a rare politician - says what she means and means what she says. John Voight & John Ratzenberger were the celebrity speakers, as well as Mark Levin, author of "Liberty & Tyrrany." Just in the area where we were standing, we met people from Atlanta, Long Island, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Missouri, California! Also met one of the moms who was on the Glenn Beck show that spawned "As A Mom." The crowd was at least 25,000. Not bad for a short notice. We're getting to be like a patriotic flash mob. At the rally, several times the crowd just started chanting "Nancy, Nancy, Nancy." We figure at that point Pelosi was hiding under her desk, cowering from the "angry mob." "Kill the bill" was also a favorite, and they are asking everyone to fax their congressman today with just "Kill the Bill" written on it. Michele Bachmann says they're going to vote on the bill tomorrow, and that everyone needs to call, call, call, fax, fax, fax, e-mail, e-mail, e-mail until they vote. PS - If you heard of 9 arrests made - According to what I heard on the Laura Ingraham show, the arrests occurred in the morning before the rally even took place, and it was a bunch of Lefties protesting in Joe Lieberman's office, saying things like he was on the insurance company's payroll, and that they were there to keep people from "dying every day." Definitely not tea partiers! After the rally, everyone descended on the Congressional office buildings. People shouted "kill the bill" as they waited to enter. The group I was with visited Eric Massa's & Louise Slaughter's office. Of course, the reps weren't there, but their chiefs of staff met with us. Massa's guy was pleasant enough, but he openly scoffed when the conversation turned to the "stimulus" package and I told him a tax cut for business, especially small businesses, would have stimulated more growth and jobs (too bad the announcement about unemployment hitting 10.2% didn't come out 'til this morning). He did refer to us more than once as "tea bag" people. After about the third time, Mike said, "it's not tea bag, that has some bad connotations, it's the tea party movement." Massa's staffer said, well, I'll just call you the "teas." God forbid, he was NOT going to make a connection between us and the original patriots. He was definitely sending a message that was not unnoticed by us. The good news is that he said Massa was not going to vote for the bill (but only because it DOESN'T have the full public option - what a socialist loser!), and he also said that he attended a staff meeting in the morning, and at that point, the votes weren't there to pass the bill. Slaughter's guy didn't even try to hide his disdain for us. He started right off the bat refering to us as "you people." They were sure to hand out three pages of pro-health care propaganda, and they only wanted to feed us the company (or should I say socialist) line as to why the bill was so great, and how it was really deficit neutral (BULL!). He wanted nothing of what we had to say. He went on this great tout and read a list of all the union groups that "support" the bill, including SEIU. 


One of our guys is a union member, and he said something to the effect of "The union reps don't represent the members when it comes to this political stuff - we're realizing that now. Nobody in my shop voted for Obama, but we know the union supported him in our name. That means nothing to me." (Hurray for our side!) At that point, another member of our group, who works in a hospital, whipped out a petition she circulated the morning before she left, containing over 50 signatures, and she said everyone on staff said that the bill won't work and that it's a joke. Slaughter's rep was not amused (TS!) It's really sickening how openly, sneeringly disdainful this dude was. Yeah, way to treat the taxpayers who are footing the bill for all of your hair-brained schemes. Thanks to everyone back home for their support and prayers. Thanks for calling, e-mailing, faxing, and visiting local offices. Don't know if it will work, but we have to keep trying. This is really catching fire. For example, my sister lives in Orlando, and she e-mailed me first thing this morning: [color=royalblue]"I was looking for you on TV last night. They showed quite a bit on Hannity. Looks like a great turnout. Do you know that Suzanne Kasmas (D) said today that she won’t back the bill “as is”. She knows she’s up for re-election next year in a predominantly Republican district. You guys are making a difference. I’m so proud and excited!"[/color] I know my sister and her hubby are hard-working conservative types, but I've never known them to be politically interested 'til just recently. We are truly connecting, nation-wide - Let's keep the ball rolling, 'til we take back our great nation from our domestic enemies. P.S. A big THANK YOU again to Mike for pulling the bus trip together. I would have not been able to make it otherwise.


(Posted by Wendy Ann) Discuss the message on our main site HERE

Fox is showing this press conference (and hopefully everyone down there protesting... We Surround Rochester send a bus down).

Go to the live fox video, and it's an alternate choice to what's on the TV now.

Here's the direct link.

The Rev. Dr. Tommy Davis has a good article up on the D&C Blog about spending less, and NY State fees, etc. It's simple, clear and logical... that's why we love having Tommy speak at our events.

Here's a sample:

The current situation in Albany should serve as confirmation. The expansion of government with the ability to tax utilities and hike Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) rates in the form of “fees” is a direct tax on citizens who are attempting to brave this economic storm. Do we want in Monroe County what we have in Washington and Albany? If we elect Democrats who will vote with their colleagues to “tax our way into recovery” we have no one to blame but ourselves.

If your monthly household expenses total $5,000.00 and your monthly income is $4,270.00, would you continue to spend and suffer overdraft charges to your account because you are borrowing money from fellow depositors? Would you continue to purchase items you cannot afford? A wise decision would be to stop spending, cut costs by eliminating non essential items and services from your budget, and build up savings. The same principle should apply in Albany and Washington. The literal meaning of “economics” is “home management.”


Full Article HERE.  Discuss it HERE on WeSurroundRochester.com

For those of you that missed the meeting on Saturday 10/24/09 or wanted contact information for our speakers:

Our 1st speaker, Don, was speaking to us on the phone from Virginia from REACT (Radio Emergency Associated Communications Teams). More information can be found athttp://www.reactintl.org/public. If you are interested in forming a team please contact Member Dean Morgan through the We Surround Rochester website.

Our 2nd speaker was Joe Indelicato, talking about general Preparedness Planning, including which telephones will and won't work when the power goes out. Joe has a lot of valuable information and gives presentations in the Rochester area. He can be reached (Join the group for this info please)

Our 3rd group of speakers was from the Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA): 
Bill K, Peter Fournia and Bill Marinucci. They were very knowledgeable, and will set up licensing classes for group members is we want. They can be contact through the local website (www.rochesterham.org) or Phone (585) 671-2424. If you are interested in the classes please contact Lori at (Join the group for this info please)

Some local meetings that may be of interest:

Rochester Amateur Radio Association, Inc.
First Friday of each month, 7:30 PM at the Henrietta Fire House, corner of Lehigh Station Rd and East Henrietta Rd (15A)

Also, the next meeting of the Monroe County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) will be held on Wednesday morning, November 18, 2009 at the Public Safety Training Facility, 1190 Scottsville Rd, Suite 200 (Emergency Operations Center). LEPC meetings are federally mandated to prepare for and respond to hazardous material spills and related emergencies. The LEPC is open to the public and all are welcome. Please sign in as a guest; coffee and doughnuts are available.

Local Website:
Rochester Amateur Radio Association (RARA)
www.rochesterham.org
111 Westfall Rd
Rochester, NY 14620-4647
(585) 671-2424

The National site is www.arrl.org.




(Thanks to Lisa G for the info... discuss it HERE on our main site)

The idea that the Federal Government should do very little and only what the Constitution says is being discussed at the Tenth Amendment Center.

Check out this letter from Tennessee to the other 49 State Legislatures.

One key part:
There are clear limits to the power of the federal government and clear realms of power for the states.  However, the simple and clear expression of purpose, to secure our natural rights, has evolved into the modern expectation that the national government has an obligation to ensure our life, to create our liberty, and fund our pursuit of happiness.


Read and learn more HERE 

From July... great summary of the free market, small government view of the Health Care Takeover (thanks to John for posting it to the group!)

The Senate Finance Committee will be voting on this plan 10/13/09. PDF of the Congressional Budget Office info I mention is HERE. The members of the Committee and easy contact info is (including e-mail) HERE.

FYI for anyone that cares, here's my (way to long, but I'm mad) message to Senator Schumer:  
Dear Sir, As a registered and active voter in your district, I want to strongly tell you to NOT vote for the 'America's Health Future Act 2009'.  

FIrst, I believe the Federal government has no Constitutional authority to undertake such sweeping changes to such a critical area of my life.  

Second, the only way this bill is even remotely 'revenue neutral' (as per my reading of the CBO information on your web site), is through TAXATION and FINES of our citizens.  

Third, the idea that fines and taxes on high-rate plans will fund the expensive program is fatally flawed. Once fined, a person will then switch to your system... causing a double negative effect to the budget: The costs increase with their addition, the revenue decreases by losing their fines. Finally Sir, I am outraged that you are even considering such fines and taxes.  

What gives the Federal government of the United States the right to charge an individual money FOR NOT DOING WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WISHES. 

Sir, this is a tyrannical act that will not stand with citizens.  

If a person is wealthy and choses to self-insure, how can you tax them for that? If a person chooses to belong to a private co-op that is faith based, how can you fine them, and essentially drive these sort of ideas out of business?? Forcing less health insurance options will not serve anyone. Please think beyond the details of this or that program and look at the big picture.  

Americans can figure this issue out themselves. It is NOT a crisis. If Medicare is in crisis, fix that, but DO NOT meddle in my health care in this way.  

Or at least consider that in such a crisis time in our country, there is no reason to experiment with such a key area and one that even the most positive polls show 40% support. We may have trouble voting you out of office for acts like this Sir, but you may wish to consider how many of your associates are not so well seated and will be affected by the nationally strong feeling against these plans.  

This is a new era in American politics, as evidenced by the millions of attendees at Tea Parties and Town Hall Meetings. You are acting in a way that will create a wave of votes against anyone that supports you.  

Please err on the side of caution and vote against ANY additonal Federal Government involvement in the health care system.  


And to the Republicans (with variations for Sir/Madam Senator, etc):

Dear Senator Ensign,

As a registered Republican and active voter, I want to strongly tell you to NOT vote for the 'America's Health Future Act 2009'.  

FIrst, I believe the Federal government has no Constitutional authority to undertake such sweeping changes to such a critical area of my life.  

Second, the only way this bill is even remotely 'revenue neutral' (as per my reading of the CBO information on a Senate web site), is through TAXATION and FINES of our citizens. Third, the idea that fines and taxes on high-rate plans will fund the expensive program is fatally flawed.  

Once fined, a person will then switch to your system... causing a double negative effect to the budget: The costs increase with their addition, the revenue decreases by losing their fines. Finally Sir, I am outraged that they are even considering such fines and taxes. What gives the Federal government of the United States the right to charge an individual money FOR NOT DOING WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WISHES. This is a tyrannical act that will not stand with citizens.  

If a person is wealthy and choses to self-insure, how can you tax them for that? If a person chooses to belong to a private co-op that is faith based, how can you fine them, and essentially drive these sort of ideas out of business?? Forcing less health insurance options will not serve anyone.  

Please think beyond the details of this or that program and look at the big picture. Americans can figure this issue out themselves. It is NOT a crisis. If Medicare is in crisis, fix that, but DO NOT meddle in my health care in this way.  

Or at least consider that in such a crisis time in our country, there is no reason to experiment with such a key area and one that even the most positive polls show 40% support.  

This is a new era in American politics, as evidenced by the millions of attendees at Tea Parties and Town Hall Meetings.  

IF the Republican party has any interest in my considering their candidates in the future, this is a key issue I will be watching to see if they are strongly AGAINST.  

I am in no way loyal to the Republican party. Their liberal, big-government actions over the last 20 years have made that so. Does your party want my vote again? I am watching to see who will stand up against these plans on principle, not just for Party.  

Please err on the side of caution and vote against ANY additonal Federal Government involvement in the health care system.

In Glenn Beck's new Book 'Arguing with Idiots', he notes a terrific quote from The Economist:

"[France has] and archaic socialism that fails to understand, or at least explain that wealth needs to be created before it can be shared." (emphasis mine)

I think that is a stunning summary of many of America's current problems as well.

With as much discussion about redistribution of wealth and how it's unfair for so and so to make 'too much money', or that taxes should be raised,  people are forgetting that at some point the money has to be earned by someone taking risks, with ideas and skills. What the liberal world is planning would kill the incentive for people to create wealth in the first place.

It sounds great to want to help people, but once everyone is 'equal', where does the money to do that come from?  After you've driven all of the Tom Golisano's out of town with the NY State millionaire's tax... who will have the money to give (charitably, like Mr. Golisano... or forcibly by taxation) to anyone??

Of course, on an even more fundamental level, the real 'Key Misunderstanding' is deeper than a financial one... it's misunderstanding human nature...

It is over. The American people are beginning to shine the light of truth on your contempt and complete disregard for the Constitution. Your voice is wavering and ours is growing stronger.

I am part of a movement of freedom-loving Americans who have never before been politically active and who are now devoting nearly all of our spare time to thwart you and your and your corrupt colleagues from causing any more harm to this great nation. We will work hard to ensure that you and your comrades will be defeated in the next elections that you are up for office. Of course, if you all are convicted of participating in illegal activities and removed prior, all the better.

Before you write me off as an uneducated, white/racist party hack. Know that I hold a Ph.D., am an enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe, and recently left the Republican party to register as independent because too many party leaders had become a watered down version of you.

While I believe the two-party system is salvageable, we must rid both the Democratic and Republican parties of the disease which now sickens our great country. This means you.

You are now quarantined. Your voice is irrelevant and lost upon us. Whatever noble aspiration you once had of doing great things is over. We will seek out and speak out about your misdeeds and your career as a politician will end in the shame of your own making.

We will do this with our voices and our will, not with the violence you appear to be fantasizing about. I am led to believe that in a sick way, you may actually desire violence to erupt in order to justify your continued power grab. I have no plans or desire to oblige this notion, but know also that as a veteran of the U.S. Army, I, unlike yourself, took seriously my oath to defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

I have now done my duty to notify you of our demands, which in summary, is that you take responsibility for your actions which have caused great harm to our Country and depart your office post-haste so we can occupy it with an honest, Constitution loving American Patriot.

I offer you my mobile telephone number and address, not in any anticipation of you wanting to speak with me, but so that if desired, you can verify that I am a real citizen, not beholden to anybody but my creator and my family.

With utmost sincerity,

Paul S., Ph.D.

Let them know we mean business!
Here is a message that I just sent to Nancy Pelosi. In addition to sending electronic messages, I am also sending signed hard copies of my letters.

I'll give it a try, but I'm really not the most organized person in the world. Some days I feel like a whirling dirvish.

I'd say the most important thing I do is keep an eye glued to Fox, and my ear glued to the various news outlets on the radio while zipping around doing my "mom's taxi service" thing. Now that I have a car with satellite radio, I can really go nuts. I also keep an eye on our boards, because even with my obsession with the news, I miss important things that other folks have picked up on.

When I see or hear something that sets my blood to boil, I'll usually send an e-mail to each of my senators & to my congressman (just google the word "contact" and the reps name). Cut and paste is a great feature & saves a lot of time. If I have the time, I'll also send the e-mail to the members of whatever committee might be working on a bill. Of course, I'll often send "love letters" to the white house, along with Nancy and Harry.

If it's a really important, hot topic (like shoving through health care by next Thursday), I'll also call - I have my reps' numbers on my cell phone.

If it's something that doesn't appear to be passed right away, I'll drop some post cards in the mail from time to time with simple messages like "Our family says no to public option." (Buy the pre-stamped cards from the post office and have a stack on hand.)

When the Blue Dog Dems were the hot ticket, I called their offices (someone forwarded me a list of their names & numbers, which was posted on the Denver 9-12 site - ain't networking grand?!), and I spent a couple of hours over the weekend leaving messages (free cell phone minutes).

I work part-time, get the kids off to work & school, kiss the husband and walk the puppy, and try to get to church every Sunday. What else do I do? Pretty much what I've outlined above. I don't expect everyone to spend so much time on this endeavor, but every little bit counts. I like to refer to it as "needling" our reps, to constantly remind them of where we stand and what we expect of them. - So it's family, faith and freedom (or working hard to preserve it) for me, unless or until we get this country turned back around in the right direction.

-From Wendy A., after being asked to chronicle how she manages to get so much done for the cause. Read the thread HERE.

Media coverage of ACORN and that organization's illegal activities in New York, California and elsewhere has largely ignored one of ACORN's most successful projects; New York's Working Families Party (WFP).

Because of the unique nature of New York State election law, candidates are allowed to be endorsed and appear on the voting machine ballot as the candidate of multiple parties, winning the cumulative total of all votes cast for that candidate on multiple party lines. Minor parties such as the Conservative, Liberal and Right to Life Party have played significant roles in New York politics.

The Working Families Party is not about working people or families and it isn't really a party. The WFP is a wholly owned subsidiary of ACORN. Bertha Lewis co-chair of the Working Families Party is the Executive Director of New York ACORN. New York ACORN leader, Steven Kest was the moving force in forming the party and WFP headquarters are located at the same address as ACORN's national and New York office at 88 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.

WFP is essentially a money funnel which pays for an aggressive door to door canvas. Largely funded by unions, the WFP is ACORN's "political arm" in New York State. Candidates supported by the Working Families Party and issues supported by ACORN are both advocated on the door steps of target voter homes as they share one major voter canvas.

The Working Families Party has no county organizations or county committee men or women and no local structure beyond its top leadership and an army of paid canvassers. Since the major parties no longer have the man power to organize an effective voter canvas, Democrats have turned to the WFP for their door to door campaign activities.

But more importantly, the Working Families Party is a criminal enterprise utilizing a for-profit political consulting firm, Data and Field Services (DFS) to skirt New York City election laws regarding public finance and campaign spending limits.
CONTINUE READING HERE

Outrageous claims abounded among anti-gun senators as well. Sen. (Charles) Schumer (D-NY)claimed that if the amendment became law, a juvenile gang member from New York could obtain a permit in Vermont, buy handguns there, shove them in a backpack, walk the streets of New York City trafficking the guns to criminals, and use the carry permit to satisfy the curiousity of any NYPD officer who might notice.

The author of the piece, NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox, properly noted that Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) pointed out "that Vermont does not issue carry permits, that juveniles are generally prohibited from buying and possessing handguns, and that no police officer could be fooled in the way Schumer suggested". To this I would add that Senator Media Hound also forgot that New York City already has a handgun ban, and that knowingly selling firearms to a criminal is a violation of federal law.

This is the kind of representation in Washington that makes New York Republicans wince. Oh, Al D'Amato, why couldn't you have run a better campaign in 1998?

I'd like to end with a great quote from P.J. O'Rourke -- "I'm not a liberal, so I have a poor grasp of subjects I know nothing about".

I was just e-mailed info from the US Chamber of Commerce.

The vote will begin on Tuesday 9/29/09 for amendments and the 'public option'.



•• Click here to easily send your reps e-mails about their flawed takeover of the Health Care system. ••


I think what they say below is is a great summary from a business perspective about what's wrong with the takeover):

Tell Congress to Oppose Flawed Health Care Proposals:

The U.S. Chamber continues to support reforming the health system, specifically efforts to control costs and improve quality, reforms of insurance markets, and the creation of a streamlined, simplified marketplace to purchase insurance.

However, bills in both the House and Senate fail a simple litmus test for health reform legislation: in its current form these proposals do not improve the current situation; in fact, they will largely make it worse.

Tax increases to pay for a public plan, employer mandates, and minimum coverage will do more than devastate the private insurance industry--they could bankrupt our economy.

This type of health reform would bankrupt our government and leave tens of millions of Americans without the health care they deserve. Tell Congress to oppose the creation of a "public plan," burdensome employer mandates, and minimum coverage requirements.