Happy Easter

Hope you all enjoy the Easter Holidays.  Be back soon.

Moving The Needle

It doesn't take a Harvard Ph.D to figure out why in the last 149 years, ever since Republican Abraham Lincoln was president, that America has trusted a Democrat to run the country only one third of that time; It's just too costly.  19 Republican presidents have sat in the White House for 91 of those 149 years.  Only 10 Democrats have occupied the oval office in the remaining 58 years, and the multi-term duo of FDR and Harry Truman, whose combined 20 years in office skews even those numbers.  Inch by inch, step by step, though the country moves ever closer to the progressives dream for the government to take care of everything, for everyone, cradle to grave.

Medicare and Social Security have become staples of American society.  Even though they're close to insolvency.  Job placement, and training, until the '60's, was handled mostly by the private sector.  Now it's become an administrative nightmare of federal regulations, delivered mostly by the states, with horrible results.  Same with k-12 education.  Although American higher ed may be the best in the world, the typical four-year degree now takes five, six, or even seven years to complete.  Why?  Mostly due to federal involvement.  When the feds started backing student loans, tuition began to skyrocket.  It will get even worse now.  With the passage of Obamacare, the federal government has taken over the student loan business entirely, pushing out the private sector, while removing most penalties and interest for non-payment.

Of course the latest government takeover is Obamacare.  Believe what you wish, but the end result of nationalized medicine will lead to higher costs and more regulation, along with diminished and less effective care.  For proof, look to the countries that have already passed it.  I heard on the radio the other day a story about a women who makes a living arranging medical trips to the U. S. for wealthy foreigners.  Business is booming.  Medical care as an export.  Wait until Obamacare is fully implemented.  In another decade, wealthy Americans will be following their expatriated doctors to offshore facilities where they will be able to bypass the the byzantine medical monopoly run by Uncle Sam.  Here at home, the less fortunate will face poor and rundown medical facilities with equally dismal results.  But they'll learn to live with that disappointment.  Just like they've learned to live with government run public schools, government run job training, government run automobile companies, government run banks, government run.........  

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another

The Democrats are celebrating their passage (cramming down our throats) of Obamacare, while simultaneously thumbing their nose at the American people.  With their "we know what's best for you" attitude, who knows what kind of crap they'll subject us to next.  The conventional wisdom points to immigration reform where the Democrats will be able to nationalize tens of millions of illegal immigrants through amnesty thereby further increasing support for, and the expansion of, already runaway entitlement programs including Obamacare.  Or maybe we'll get cap and trade that will send gas prices soaring.  Or how about expanding the number and size of employee unions through card check.  Don't forget climate warming.  That is if you can find your car, buried under all that snow brought about by climate warming.  Whatever they have planned, you can darn well be sure that it won't be helpful to our economy, won't stop the insanity of reckless and unabated spending, or create very many private sector jobs.  What any of these things can and will do however is create more government bureaucracy, add further to our nations' soaring and suffocating deficits, and to cement the progressives stranglehold on American freedom and liberty.

Middle-East Side Story

Saif al Islam al Gadhafi, the second eldest son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, just convinced his dad to let several hundred members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group out of prison in Libya.  Why?  So they can fight their rival jihadists who are members of al Qaeda.  This Libyan Sharks vs. Jets remake is designed to thwart the growing popularity of al Qaeda and at the same time offer a Bronx cheer to Osama bin Laden.  "This was a big event," says Noman Benotman, a former commander in the LIFG.  "Al Qaeda leaders will not be happy about this."

Apparently, for years, ever since the two groups fought side-by-side (with American help) against the Russians in Afghanistan, the two groups have gone their separate ways.  One turned their attention to us infidels in the U. S., while LIFG fought the Gadhafi regime in armed conflict.  The leaders of both groups used to be very close.  As a matter of fact, Al Saadi, the LIFG's religious guide, was a close confidant of both OBL and his second lieutenant Ayman al Zawahiri.  Mullar Omar, the Taliban leader, once viewed Al Saadi, and not OBL, as "the emir of the Arabs."

Counterterrorism experts believe this new development could prove to be an extremely useful tool against al Qaeda.  A 417 -page religious document, "Corrective Studies," issued by LIFG, repudiates al Qaeda's ideology.   In essence a new code for jihad.  It states, "Jihad has ethics and morals because it is for God.  That means it is forbidden to kill women, children, elderly people, priests, messengers, traders and the like.  Betrayal is prohibited, and it is vital to keep promises and treat prisoners of war in a good way.  Standing by those ethics is what distinguishes Muslims' jihad from the war of other nations."  Indeed.  Take that al Qaeda.

Preserving Stupidity

This house is one of hundreds that the City of Saginaw wants to clear away with the help of $17.4 million in Obamacash.  Trouble is, this property is located within a formerly fashionable neighborhood which has long since fallen into ruin but still remains on a list of historic significance.  19th century homes have become 21st century crack houses.  In 2004, the city first requested permission from the State Historic Preservation Office to demolish this structure along with 40 others.  Six years later, this property and 30 more still pose a serious danger to area residents because the city cannot convince the preservationists that this house appeals to no one but druggies and prostitutes.

This story caught my eye not only for it's message of misaligned priorities and bumbling bureaucrats, but the inherent trouble that's always prevalent when dealing with government agencies and programs.  Several years ago, well-meaning citizens in search of loose and unregulated government change, appealed to well-meaning government bureaucrats for some extra dough to fix up rundown neighborhoods.  These places were special because rich people used to live there they claimed.  But like everything else that the government subsidizes, after their money had replaced any private investment, and well-meaning people lose interest, the government takes ownership of the remains.  I need the governments help and permission to fix my place up.....I need more government money, and again their permission, to tear my place down.  The cycle continues.

I know I'm just whistling in the dark here, since the Democrats have just further exploded our nation's debt with Obamacare, but please let's stop the insanity.  Let's turn things back around and make personal responsibility and homegrown solutions our path to progress.  Let's end the practice of seeking permission and answers from outside our own communities.  We know what's best for us so let's start demonstrating   it.

Meathead

Michigan's governor Jennifer Granholm has proclaimed Saturday, March 20th, as "Michigan Meatout Day."  The governor urges us all to eat a "plant-based" diet which would presumably be better for us and supposedly keep us safe from infectious pathogens like E. coli, salmonella, and something called campylobacter.  Sounds pretty icky.  Included in her proclamation is a plug for the "vegan" or vegetarian lifestyle which she promotes as superior to America's meat-based diet, proudly passed down to us from our knuckle-dragging forbearers.  This would all be very PC and harmless if it weren't for the fact that encouraging residents to not eat meat is a direct rebuke to our state's many livestock and dairy farmers.

Michigan's agriculture industry is $71 billion behemoth.  Next to our anemic automobile manufacturing business, Michigan farmers are responsible for generating and maintaining our state's second largest purveyor of profits.  So you better think twice before dissing a large portion of that economic engine of success.  Even more disturbing then the proclamation itself, according to the Michigan Farm Bureau, "is the Governor's nerve to declare Michigan Meatout Day on the same day as National Agriculture Day."  As Republican candidate for Saginaw County commissioner, farmer Ben Ritter said, "This is a nice way for the Democrats to end Michigan Agriculture Week."  As Ben rightly points out, former governor John Engler proclaimed March 20th, 1998 as Farmer Appreciation Day.  Governor Granholm uses the same date in history to boycott one of our biggest products.

In the spirit of good natured ribbing, and in response to green veggie Jenny, Saginaw County's own Ken Horn, who represents the 94th District in Lansing, has proclaimed tomorrow to be "Michigan Meat on the Grill Day."  He urges all Michiganders to "grill, baby, grill."

Race for County Commissioner

I officially filed today to run for Saginaw County commissioner, along with 7 other fellow Republicans.  Saginaw County Democrats have controlled the Board of Commissioners for the last 30 years and they currently hold an 11-4 majority on the 15 member board.  We expect to run Republican candidates in all 15 districts, yet we used today to announce what would constitute the core of a new majority if all eight of us are successful.  Out of these 8 individuals, 4 are incumbents, three are challengers (including myself) and one is currently an incumbent Democrat who has decided he's more conservative than the progressives who have hijacked his former party, and will run as a Republican.
If you read the press release from an earlier post, we are running to apply conservative principles to county government which will include shrinking the cost, size, and scope of county government at every level.   Follow along with me on these pages as we go forward with the campaign.