Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge

Fiscal conservatives in congress are taking a pledge called the Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge.  Please check out the website and add your name to the growing list of supporters. 

http://www.cutcapbalancepledge.com/

Once you have completed the form you will be asked to contact your Senators and Congressperson.  I used the e-mail functions which took a few minutes to enter personal contact information, but I just cut and pasted the following (you may have to change the salutation).

Congresswoman Hochul, Congratulations on your recent election to congress.  I am one of your many constituents in the 26th district of NY.  I speak for many, when I say we are sick of the government squandering every dime that they TAKE from us and then coming back for more.  With this in mind, I urge you to consider joining with fiscal conservatives and sign the "Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge."  It is about time that our elected officials began to act responsibly.  We all know the cuts are going to hurt. Do it now! Get it done!

Senator Gillibrand,  I am one of your many constituents in upstate NY.  I speak for many, when I say we are sick of the government squandering every dime that they TAKE from us and then coming back for more.  With this in mind, I urge you to consider joining with fiscal conservatives and sign the "Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge."  It is about time that our elected officials began to act responsibly.  We all know the cuts are going to hurt. Do it now! Get it done!

NY State Legislative Alert

Please note there are two important votes coming up in the state legislature...

1.         NYS Property tax cap and school district mandate relief

Click on link to find your NYS assemblyman, then cut and paste the following message in the Assemblyman's e-mail:  http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?sh=search

Assemblyman, I have been told that the Property Tax Cap and Mandate Relief bill (bill A03982) has been passed by the Senate and is now being considered by the NYS Assembly.  Please do all that you can to support this bill and get it approved prior to the end of this legislative session.  We need this bill passed so that we can finally see some progress towards reducing the tax burden on the hardworking families of New York.  Without this positive step, people will continue to leave the State to make their fortunes elsewhere.  Thank you.

2.         Extending full marriage rights to all couples in New York

I know many of you reading this blog will disagree with me on the following issue.  Just so you know, I don't hold this one moment of idiocy against you.  Many of you have been brought up to feel that it is acceptable to discriminate against people if they don't fit your definition of an ideal.  I may be guilty of this myself, from time-to-time.  But when I need to lever my head out of my ass, I read about Suffragettes or the civil rights movement.  Both were situations where we discriminated against another group because we felt they were is some way inferior, when in fact, all they were was different than us.  During this NYS legislative session we have the opportunity to right another wrong and recognize that two consenting adults, any two consenting adults, can love and care about each other. Any two people that are willing to share their lives with each and commit to the long-haul of life should certainly be granted every right and responsibility that comes with that type of loving, committed, long-term relationship.  Please contact your senator and ask them to pass bill S66003.

Click on link (or cut and paste into your explorer address field) to find your NYS Senator: http://www.nysenate.gov/

Then cut and paste the following message in the Senator's e-mail:

Dear Senator, Please pass bill S66003 and stop state sponsored discrimination of an important part of our community.  Please extend full marriage rights to all couples in New York.   Thank you.

Please don't confuse legal acknowledgment of a civil union as an assault on your religion.  No one wants to change your religious ideas, whether they are right or wrong!

FoR

Defeat Obama Care

Mike Huckabee is asking for our support to repeal Obama Care.  Call 1-800-632-6099 to add your name to the petition.  Hold-on after completing the petition to donate some cash to the cause... every little bit helps!

Let's face it folks, the democrats forcefed us a health care bill load with fat and pork.  And I thought we were supposed to be watching our intake of fatty BS.  They used some 3000 pages and did not accomplish what was needed.  I will cover what is required in less than one letter-sized page. 

1. Cover dependent children until they can purchase their own insurance through work or through an organization.  This was very likely, the only thing Obama Care almost got right.  Obama Care permits parents to cover dependent children to the age of 26 but does not provide additional opportunities to the "young adult"  to become independent.  One way this could have been accomplished is by allowing clubs, social organizations, churches, etc. to solicit and obtain quantity discounted health care from health care insurance companies, to offer their members.

2. Insurance must cover pre-existing conditions without exhorbitant increases in cost to the consumer.

3. Allow interstate competition between insurance companies to reduce consumer prices.

4.  Torte reform to reduce malpractice payouts.  We all know that medicine is more art than science.  And if you are worried that lowering payouts won't hurt enough to get the quacks out of medicine - Use a tiered penalty system, like three strikes and you are out - payouts increase, premiums increase and the physician moves closer to lose of license.  Basically if you make the same mistake three times, you don't get to practice medicine anymore.  Research situations, where the patient is made fully aware  of the risk would not be subject to this penalty system (we do not want to stiffle innovation and research). In research situations the patient would be informed and would sign a release.

DONE

FoR

Save our savings and our homes...

I sent the following letter to my Senators and my Congressman.  I also sent a follow-up letter explaining how all of this could be accomplished.  Please read this and consider sending it to your Congressman and your Senators.  Just copy it out of the blog and paste it into a word document or an e-mail and send it off.

Thanx,

FoR

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

The Honorable Charles Schumer

United States Senate

313 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Schumer:

With economist predicting anything from hyper-inflation and slight increases in unemployment to a full blown second recession, your constituents are afraid of losing their jobs, homes, and retirement savings.  I believe that I know a way to alleviate, or at least reduce, this fear. 

I would like you to consider an amendment to current tax law that would permit anyone to use their 401(k) or IRA to pay for their primary residence, without penalty.  Allow them to use it as a payoff or as a larger down payment to ease refinancing and to significantly lower their mortgages and thereby their monthly mortgage payments.

For me, and others like me, it would allow us to payoff our homes and provide several benefits:

1. I would not be loosing my retirement money.  I would simply be investing in real estate rather than stocks.
2. If a second recession should hit, I would not loose this money through my 401(k) like I did during the last recession.  Many of these 401(k)’s permit you to select from a great variety of poorly managed mutual funds that are adversely impacted by minor economic factors.  Why not, instead, let me invest this money in my home to secure a safe haven for my family during hard times?
3. With my house paid-off, it will be much easier for my family to survive the recession should I loose my job.  I will not need to worry about paying a monthly mortgage payments which currently eats up a quarter of my wage.  It will also expand the number of job opportunities for me as I will be able to take a job that pays less than my current position and will more likely be able to survive on that income.
4. If I do not loose my current job, once my house is paid-off I will have increased disposable income equal to my mortgage payment.  Multiply this by the number of people that take advantage of this program and you have a reasonable economic stimulus plan.
5. Also consider the increase in tax revenue that will become available as the mortgage interest deduction is removed for everyone that takes advantage of this program.
6. If enough people have the resources to do this, it may help stabilize the housing market and slow the number of bank foreclosures.

I may be overstating the benefits to the government in points 5 & 6 but I am not overstating the benefits to me and my family.  This, like most well intentioned ideas, may have unintended consequences.  For example, it may cause further stock market fluctuations or there may not be many people with the appropriate resources.  I think, however, for those of us that do have the resources, this will have a huge and lasting impact.  Please consider introducing this to the Senate as soon as possible.

Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Let Albany Know How You Feel!

Let's not let New York State go the same way Wisconsin has gone.  Wisconsin, where roughly 3% of the population (Public Employee Union members) are holding 66% of the population (registered voters) hostage.  The 3% is demonstrating at elected officials homes, intimidating people on the way to work and threatening their families.  All of this to convince a few democrats to continue to hide their heads in the sand and prevent the remaining elected officials from making the tough budgetary decisions they were elected to make. 

Please take the time to visit:

                Cleanupalbanynow.com (http://www.andrewcuomo.com/landing/cleanupalbany)

Also email you state representatives and remind them that you are watching and it is important that we make the tough budgetary decisions now. 

                http://assembly.state.ny.us/

                http://www.nysenate.gov/

This should be on Commedy Central...

Joke #1: To get elected, Obama said that one of the first things he would do is end the war in Iraq.  He also promised to bring the troops home from Afghanistan and to close Quantanimo Bay. 

Punchline:  There will be 100,000 US troops in Afghanistan at end of 2010 and Iraq will be down to 50,000 troops by 31 Aug 2011, according to an article in the NY Times.  Nothing has changes at Quantanimo Bay that I have heard about.  And now we have a carrier battle group engaging targets in Libya.  I'm guessing a battle group and associated personnel may be 30,000 more or less.  More troops in harm's way as well as wasting millions of dollars in weapons, ammunition, fuel.

Joke #2: Muamar Gaddafi, Libyan dictator, had a seat on the UN Security Council.  The mission of the UN Security Council, and this is taken directly from their website, is stated as follows:

"Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are:

•        to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;

•        to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;

•        to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;

•        to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;

•        to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;

•        to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;

•        to take military action against an aggressor;

•        to recommend the admission of new Members;

•        to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";

•        to recommend to the GeneralAssembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice. "

Punchline:  A couple of months back, I recall watching the news and seeing the terrorist convicted of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing, return to Libya under the false pretenses that he was terminally ill.  He was greeted like a conquering hero with parades and well wishers lining the streets.

This Libyan, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was convicted of murder on 31 January 2001, and was sentenced to life imprisonment in Scotland for his part in the 1988 PA 103 bombing.  The bombing killed all 243 passengers and 16 crew members as well as eleven people in the village of Lockerbie, Scotland.

On 24 February 1988 resigned justice minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil revealed that Muamar Gaddafi personally ordered the Lockerbie bombing.

Joke #3: The US Administration, Obama, Hillary, et. al. feel that we now need to help these idiots by establishing a no fly zone to protect them and by providing "Humanitarian Aid." 

Punchline: The US Administration pressed the UN Security Council to establish a "No Fly Zone" in Libya.  Of course, the Security Council agreed because they look like inept fools for allowing Gaddafi to be a member of the Security Council in the first place.

How much Humanitarian Aid did the Passengers and Crew of Pan Am 103 get?  How about the people of Lockerbie, Scotland?  How much did their families receive from Muamar?  There was rumor that he was going provide restitution.  Did he?

As far as I'm concerned... Let them kill each other.  After all, that seems to be what they want!  They don't deserve help from the USA or anyone else for that matter. 

FoR

Roof Rabbit Casserole

A friend clued me into a new and plentiful protein source that I want to share with you.  They're called roof rabbits and they are everywhere.  You may even have one in your own house.  Please note, the recipe does not take into account any time required to stalk and capture the roof rabbit.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare and approximately 2 hours of cooking time, but I understand it is worth every minute.

Ingredients:

1 x 3lb roof rabbit

1/4 cup seasoned flour

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup shallots chopped

2 carrots sliced

2 parsnips sliced

1 small tart apple peeled, cored and chopped

2½ cups of cider

1 tablespoon mustard

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F

Cube the roof rabbit.  Coat each piece with seasoned flour.

Melt the butter in a heavy iron skillet.  Add coated roof rabbit and brown the on both sides.  Remove from the skillet.

Place the shallots, carrots, parsnips and apple in the skillet.  Fry until lightly browned (just colored) and pour in the cider.

Stir in the mustard and seasoning, stirring continuously to thoroughly mix ingredients.  Allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

Pour the cider stock into a casserole dish and add the browned roof rabbit.

Add the bay leaf and the thyme.

Cover and place in the oven to cook for 1½ to 2 hours or until the roof rabbit is tender.

Remove the bay leaf and serve.

FoR

Is it arrogance or laziness?

When asked to identify their home (or place of origin), the people of this country say America.  That's partially correct.  They proudly state "I'm an American!"  Again, partially correct.  That is much the same as a Frenchman saying "I'm European."  Now we all know how arrogant the French are... there is no way a Frenchman would say that.  He has too much pride in who he is, his country, and it's history. 

Are we so arrogant in this country to assume we are the only Americans of consequence?  Let us face facts, the people living in each of the following countries are also Americans... Argentina, Aruba, Belize, Bolivia, Bonaire, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Ecuador, El Salvador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich islands, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.  They may be from North, Central, or South America, but they are all Americans none the less.

So why do we say "I'm an American!" if not out of arrogance? Is it that we lack pride in our country and its history and we want to hide our identity amongst the other people of the Americas? From everything I see and hear, especially during the last presidential campaign, the answer to that question is a resounding NO!

Perhaps we have just grown lazy?  It does take a lot of lung capacity to blow enough air past the vocal chords to say: "I am a citizen of the United States of America."  Of course, you could always save some air and some time by saying "I am a citizen of the USA." 

My point, I guess, is that we citizens can be proud of who we are without being arrogant or lazy.  Let's say it like it is...  I am not only an American... I am a Citizen of the United States of America!

One last note for the diehard lazy person out there that thinks he can simply say "I'm from the United States."  There are two United States in America.  In fact both are in North America. There is The United States of America and the United States of Mexico (or as they say in the official language of that country: Estados Unidos Mexicanos).

FoR

Cowards and Collaborators... or is it something more sinister?

Our country is defined by the Constitution of the United States.  This document defines our belief system and is proudly displayed in our capital for all to see.  Furthermore, it details those ideals for which our warriors and patriots are willing to defend to their death.  For proof, look at the oath that our warriors swear when entering the service of this country:  The Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment asks each enlistee to solemnly swear that they “will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…” Further, it asks them to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same…”  These people, and others like them that take a similar oath to the constitution and the ideals that founded the United States, are true patriots. 

But, as is the case in all wars (the war on terrorism, included), there are exceptions.  There are people that swear they will support and defend the Constitution but their actions prove otherwise.  These people are commonly called Collaborators, Betrayers, or Traitors.

It seems clear to me that anyone that would approve an Act, like the Patriot Act, that disembowels the Constitution is in fact at odds with those sworn to protect it.  The Patriot Act is the white flag of surrender to our enemies.  It says that everything that we believe in, as embodied in the Constitution of the United States, is meaningless and unnecessary. Our country’s leaders swear an oath to protect and defend this document also.  Instead, our “leaders” have used the Patriot Act to nullify much of the Constitution and in so doing have exposed themselves as traitors to this country.  If that is too harsh for you, then consider also that these same “leaders” leave our southern border open so that any drug dealer, terrorist, or pregnant woman with children can get in.  The very fact that our leaders are leaving the southern border of the United States open, while they repeatedly renew the abomination called the Patriot Act, indicates at the very least that they are collaborators with our enemies.

Benjamin Franklin is credited with saying “They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  This statement is as true today as it was in 1775 when Franklin penned it.  Our leaders expect us to believe that we need to relinquish our freedoms to be safe from terrorism.  The Patriot Act opens Pandora’s Box and allows our government to trample our rights, in the name of national security, and gives us little recourse but to except it.  It is transgressions such as permitted by the Patriot Act that lead to the revolution that formed this great country.  The politicians that are voting to extend this act, should always keep that in mind!

FoR