Category Archives: Politics

UPDATE: ACORN. What’s one more nut.

I would hope some serious soul searching takes place at every level concerning the recent events involving ACORN and their reprehensible actions within the videos circulating the internet.

Three cities. Starting with Baltimore, then D.C. and now New York City.
Employees have been fired in two of these events, but another instance?
I can’t believe what I am hearing and reading. Don’t believe it?

Read this article and play the videos. Our own Sen. Mikulski thinks that funds shouldn’t be pulled from this organization.

I remind you there are currently THREE separate events in THREE different cities.

Will we see more come about? Well, now it looks there is a fourth in San Bernardino, California. Holy Moly, now there’s FIVE! San Diego joins the list!

The question now is – what will we do about it? What will you do about it?

I know what I would do.

UPDATE: It would seem this problem is just getting worse each day.

Not to mention the fact that there is a question about whether ACORN is operating illegally in Maryland. Tsk tsk on whoever dropped the ball here.

That “question” looks a bit different here.

And if you haven’t watched the second video in the first link, John Fund made a reference about a comment that Senator Barbara Mikulski made just this past March – Sen. Mikulski made a motion to kill Vitter’s amendment, saying “I think this is an amendment that has no purpose and [sic] has Draconian consequences if passed.”

Really? This means she DIDN’T want to strip ACORN of federal funds then. What about now? Yes, what about now.

And then? Here’s a reminder and a timeline of ACORN’s involvement up until now.

Psst. Don’t tell anyone, but Senator Mikulski had NOT VOTED on the first amendment (SA 2355) proposed by Senator Johanns [R-NE] on September 14th.

Here’s how that read:
After section 414, insert the following:
Sec. 4__. None of the funds made available under this Act may be directly or indirectly distributed to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN).

But later, on September 17, 2009, Sen. Mikulski voted YEA on amendment SA 2394 again proposed by Senator Johanns. Here’s how that read:

On page 240, between lines 13 and 14, insert the following:
PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS
Sec. 4__. None of the funds made available under this Act may be distributed to the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) or its subsidiaries.

UPDATE2: Well, it appears that ACORN is going to follow up on their threat. However, I find the following statement from their local lawyer here that is just unreal.

“This is really more about the principle than about the money.”

Really? Wow. Where is the humanity in all this? Besides, someone should explain the “privacy in a business office” that is open to walk-in business.

912 – A Special Day

If you are interested in the 912 Project but couldn’t go, then perhaps this is the next best thing.

This site gives traffic cam (live) images of the crowds in D.C. You may see the crowds that may not be that well covered on news stories. Maybe. Or, maybe they will be on tonight’s news.

And, you can watch Glenn Beck’s coverage of the event on the FOX News Channel today from 1pm to 3pm.

Watch History as it unfolds.

The Upcoming Financial Picture

Well, it seems the Heritage Foundation has come out with their analysis based on H.R. 3200 and the Affordable Health Choices Act. Both contain a mandate that one has to play or pay a fine (if they don’t play into it). About that, this appears to be the first time in our history that individuals who do NOTHING will be taxed (fined, call it what you will) for not selecting health insurance for themselves.

Not to mention the fact that there is another tidbit buried in H.R. 3200 which gives the UAW another $10B – which amounts to a third bailout in less than a year.

And what chance does Congress have to take on and consider passing H.R. 2550, a Republican effort towards reform that calls for increased competition beyond state borders – including tort reform? (Needless to say, Howard Dean is quoted as saying that the reason tort reform isn’t in these 1,000+ pages of the health care reform such as H.R. 3200 is because Congress doesn’t want to make enemies of trial lawyers.)

So what to do between now and next September and November in 2010? Wait for their votes and then we vote? I wonder what the results will be?

Bel Air BBQ

It was a pleasure meeting a lot of fine folks at the BBQ contest in Bel Air this Saturday, Aug 15th. My Sister-in-Law and her husband were surprised to find out I was there and working … well, wonders never cease.

I hope everyone had a fine time, enough food and drink (and didn’t get sunburned in the attempt).

I know I did.

Hello and Welcome.

Well, let me explain a little why I am here and what I hope that we can achieve.

Quite frankly, I have taken this rather extraordinary step (for me) because I have come to the realization that it is no longer enough to sit on the sidelines and gripe & moan about the current state of affairs.  I get the impression that all my prior attempts over the years  at communicating with my representatives, letters to the editor, attending rallies, support groups, and recently tea parties – just don’t seem to be getting quite the traction they should be.

Do you feel the same way?

My frustration has driven me to join in the process of running for office. Perhaps this is a good thing.

For those that wish to read a summary of my life here in Maryland, you will find it in the About page.

This will tell you I am not your typical politician-wannabe.  I am not a lawyer, maybe this is what we need less of on The Hill.  I am technically oriented and understand how to budget projects, which could be a significant benefit.

I believe myself to be a conservative. Republican, but you probably figured that out by now. But even at that, I feel that being fiscally responsible and prudent is necessary at all levels. Certainly at home, even at work and doggone better be in government activities/jobs/services.

For most issues those of us concern ourselves with, I consider myself to be Pro-Life, Pro-Constitution, Pro-Bill of Rights (all 10, of course).  I strongly believe in the Rule of Law but not Zero Tolerance. I believe in family and the responsibilities we have concerning our continued welfare for us all. These are affected by the choices that we make. Hopefully, we make the right choices.  I insist we keep the ability to exercise our choices. That, and our individual freedoms along with that, are central to what has made our country the most desired place to want to live and grow.

And lastly (for now at least), thinking of truly recent events, I am deeply concerned that most (how many?) of our elected officials in Congress are currently voting, or about to, on bills that – they haven’t read, couldn’t read because of their sheer size and complexity, and Parliamentary procedures are seemingly being ignored. The unintended consequences can and would hurt us all because the haste to enact sweeping changes without being fully understood by anyone … it is just too mindboggling to conceive let alone think it could possibly be a good thing. I can’t see myself doing such a thing. So I can’t fathom how on earth our elected officials are in fact doing so.

This isn’t right.  This isn’t fair – to us or to any one.  Slow and steady wins the race – isn’t that something we have heard before?  Isn’t that a good thing?

We need balance in our Capitol that I do not find right now.

I hope to assist in providing some of that balance and fiscal prudence.

That outcome depends on us.  Not just one person.  Us.