The Fight for America’s Economic Soul‏

I received this email from the Freedom Foundation.  It is pretty good and has some good links with information and an entrepreneurial contest:

In her classic novel Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand describes a battle for the soul of the U.S. economy. The nation’s “producers” work hard, innovate, and create prosperity, while the “looters” and “moochers” live off of the work of others.  Sound familiar?

Atlas Shrugged was written over 50 years ago, but the battle at the heart of that story is still raging today. In fact, things are turning for the worse as the Congressional “looters” hand out seemingly endless bailout to growing list of “moochers” from Wall Street, to Detroit, to your neighbor who bought a house he couldn’t afford.

We are in danger of forgetting that American prosperity is built on hard work and innovation, not taxes and government spending. Now, as we face a recession and financial panic, is the time to remember that our system prospers from private action, not public handouts.

That’s why FreedomWorks is launching a new project to celebrate and reinforce the role that entrepreneurs play in our society and having the “I am an Entrepreneur” competition.

We want to call attention to the good work and solutions from people in all walks of life who innovate, initiate, and create. The people about whom Ayn Rand said: “Throughout the centuries there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision.”

At this moment in history, America needs to look to entrepreneurs, not government, as providing the solutions to today’s challenges.

Unfortunately, our political leaders seem to have lost confidence in America. John Maynard Keynes, the Depression-era economist, is back in favor as Congress grapples with the economic crisis (which was created largely by government subsidies for housing and debt, but that’s another story). Keynes was a leading proponent of government intervention in the economy, and it is Keynesian logic that Democrats are using to justify their federal deficit of $1.5 trillion—a deficit nearly equal to all federal spending in 1996!

Keynes also offered misguided ideas about taxing entrepreneurs, writing:

“Thus we might aim in practice…at a scheme of direct taxation which allows the intelligence and determination and executive still of the financier, the entrepreneur et hoc genus omne (who are certainly so fond of their craft that their labor could be obtained much cheaper than at present), to be harnessed to the service of the community on reasonable terms of reward.”

Keynes is saying that government should raise taxes on determined entrepreneurs, because they will do the work anyway and the government can take a larger share without deterring their activity.

Keynes is right to recognize the passion of entrepreneurs, but his solution to “harness” them with exceptional taxes is wrong. It is wrong morally and it is bad economic policy—clearly higher taxes reduce risk-taking and discourage hard work.

This is dangerous logic, especially at this time.  Yet we see the same idea resurfacing in Barack Obama’s proposals for higher payroll, income, and capital gains taxes on the “wealthy”.

It is time to stand up and defend private enterprise and initiative. If you agree that the battle for America’s economic soul is entering a new phase, I’d like to invite you to join our Entrepreneur Circle and participate in our “I Am an Entrepreneur” video and essay competition.  Please click here to find out more.

I hope you’ll join us in this important effort to fight the looters and moochers.

Sincerely,

Dick Armey

P.S.  In addition to participating in our “I am an Entrepreneur” competition, do you want to do more to encourage people to pursue the freedom-enhancing path of entrepreneurship?  If you or someone you know is an aspiring entrepreneur, there is valuable guidance, inspiration and wisdom from master entrepreneurs at www.ActonGuides.org.

How Much Will The Market Drop Tomorrow After Obama’s Speech Tonight?

Since Obama has taken office the market has dropped roughly 26% of its value (aproximately 2500 points).  One of the common things noticed by people is that everytime Obama speaks the market drops.  With this being a trend I thought it might be fun to do a poll on how much you think the market will drop tomorrow or if it will actually make gains.

BREAKING NEWS: Iran Has Enough Enriched Uranium To Make A Nuclear Bomb!!!

It was just announced on Foxnews that Iran has enough enriched uranium to make a nuclear bomb.  This does not mean that Iran has a bomb, but it shows just how close they are to attaining one.  No word as of yet of a reaction form the Obama administration.

Not to mention Hillary Clinton is claiming no one really knows if North Korea really ever had a highly enriched uranium program….

Dems Use $500k in Taxpayer Money for Annual Retreats

The Hill has this story about The House Democratic Caucus spending more than $500,000 of taxpayer money to help pay for their annual retreats:

The House Democratic Caucus spent more than $500,000 in taxpayer money over the past five years for its annual retreats at resorts in Pennsylvania and Virginia.

On Thursday, Democrats will head to the Kingsmill Resort and Spa in historic Williamsburg, Va., for the three-day planning powwow. The resort boasts multiple championship golf courses, a full-service spa and six restaurants.

Individual lawmakers pay for most of the expenses related to retreat lodging through their campaign committees, but the Democratic Caucus subsidizes some of the costs for what aides consider “official business” — to the tune of nearly $100,000 each year, according to a Democratic aide involved in retreat planning.

 Democratic leadership sources were reluctant to talk about any aspect of the trip, but they defended it as an important planning session for the entire country.

“This retreat is strategic planning for the country,”said Democratic Caucus spokeswoman Emily Barocas. “The president, vice president and three Cabinet secretaries will be meeting with the caucus to plan the direction we are taking the country in.”

So can I write off on my taxes my next vacation and call it necessary for the strategic planning for my families future?  This next part says it all:

The topic is particularly sensitive this year after several Democratic lawmakers slammed American International Group (AIG) executives for spending more than $440,000 at a company retreat in Monarch Beach, Calif., just days after the federal government bailed the company out with $85 billion in taxpayer funds.

Several Democratic lawmakers also excoriated banking and financial companies for flying in corporate jets to Washington to testify before several committees about their need for billions more in bailout money.

And now a list of some of the expenses you and I have had to foot the bill for:

In 2004, for instance, the caucus paid more than $27,000 to Executive Jet Management for a chartered flight for Bill Clinton, who addressed the issues conference. A Democratic aide said costs soared for Clinton’s travel because there was a “horrible blizzard” that caused his plane to become stuck two days longer than expected and the caucus had to spend extra money for de-icing and storing the plane.

In 2005, the caucus cut a $1,100 check to retired Gen. Wesley Clark’s consulting firm for a speaking fee. Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright’s firm received $864 in 2003 for her retreat address.

Besides Obama, Biden and three other Cabinet secretaries, Democrats this year are hosting Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who will talk about stimulating the economy through technology and innovation.

In the past, the caucus has also paid for food and after-hours entertainment. In 2003, for example, the Caucus spent $11,200 on food and $6,900 on entertainment. Costs for renting conference rooms at the resorts also make up a large chunk of the total. In 2004, the caucus spent at least $15,000 on space rental.

Democrats spend the most money, however, on transportation.

Wait a minute, didn’t members of Congress and the media chastise the big 3 automakers for using private jets to get to D.C.?  Well let’s take a look at the Dem’s transportation decisions that you and I paid for:

Since 2005, the caucus has chartered an Amtrak train to ferry members to the Kingsmill resort. It costs roughly $70,000 each year for the Amtrak charter. Democratic aides argue it’s necessary so that members can spend time together and not end up taking separate cars and arriving at staggered times. Traveling by train also helps ensure the safety of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who is second in the line of succession to the presidency and requires constant security detail. In this case, the source said, security helicopters fly above the train.

In 2003 and 2004, the caucus used chartered flights and rented cars and buses to transport members to the Nemacolin resort in Woodlands, Pa. The chartered flight cost more than $10,000 and the buses were $6,500, but the hassles weren’t worth it: One year, a Democratic aide recalls, the buses broke down and closed down an entire highway.

Of course the Republicans had their own retreat.  It was funded partly by lobbyists

Democrats and Republicans have criticized each other for the way each party pays for its annual retreat. Republicans huddled at the Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., last week. The Congressional Institute, a nonprofit that pays for activities at least in part through dues from lobbyists, subsidizes the GOP retreat. Republicans also allow members of the institute’s private sector advisory board, many of whom are lobbyists, to travel to the resort each year for a dinner with the members.

Democrats don’t allow lobbyists at the retreat, but Republicans criticize the use of taxpayer dollars for expenses for retreats at resorts, especially during the economic downturn.

I guess the meaning of Obama’s Hope and Change message is for the taxpayer’s to Hope that they have some Change left in their pocket by the time the Democrats’ are done with their fleecing of America.

This is Dam Funny

I received this via email, so I can not say if this is 100% true or not, but it would not surprise me to find out that it is:

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries regarding a pond on his property.   It was sent by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Quality, State of Pennsylvania .   This guy’s response is hilarious, but read The State’s letter before you get to the response letter.

State of Pennsylvania ’s letter to Mr. DeVries:  

SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County  

Dear Mr. DeVries:
 
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property.  You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:    

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.  

A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department’s files shows that no permits have been issued.  Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.  

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.   We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel.  All restoration work shall be completed  no later than January 31, 2007.  

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff.  Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..  

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.  

Sincerely,

David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division.

Here is the actual response sent back by Mr. DeVries:

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County  

Dear Mr. Price,
 
 
Your certified letter dated 12/17/06 has been handed to me to respond to.  I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania .  

A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood “debris” dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond.  While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials “debris.”  

I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

 

These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking.   As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?    

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued.  

(Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)

I have several dam concerns.  My first dam concern is, aren’t the beavers entitled to legal representation?  The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation — so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.  
The Department’s dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect.   In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.    

If you want the damed stream “restored” to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers — but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.  

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream.  They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond.  If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers’ Dams).  

So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2007? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area.  It is the bears!   Bears are actually defecating in our woods.  I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone.  If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!  

Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.

THANK YOU,  

RYAN DEVRIES
& THE DAM BEAVERS

 

 

The difference between lawyers in India and lawyers in the US….They get it

I saw this article on Foxnews.com.  It talks about the increased security measures and so on, but what really caught my eye was this:

 

Kasab, who was wounded and captured by police in the first hours of the Nov. 26 attack, has been repeatedly interrogated by authorities and reportedly offered key details about the planning of the assault and those responsible for it.

Many lawyers across the city, horrified by the attacks, have said they would not represent Kasab. On Thursday, Dinesh Mota, a lawyer asked by the court to defend Kasab, said he would refuse.

“I will not represent him, it is against all human values,” he said.

Here you have lawyers in India who actually get what terrorism is about, while in the US you have the ACLU and other ambulance chasers rushing to defend the GITMO detainees for reasons as petty as political posturing and fame.

Arlington National Cemetery

Below is from an email a very good friend of mine sent me.  If you have never been to Arlington National Cemetery you are missing out on one of our nations most moving historical sites you can see.  My wife and I had gone to DC on a site seeing trip and took our three year old son and two year old son to see the Tomb of the Unknown.  Even after the many hours of travel (we were stationed in Germany at the time) our two young boys watched in silent reverence as the guards performed their duty flawlessly.  Our boys still remember it to this day and they are now nine and ten.

 

 

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you’ve never had the chance.  Very fascinating.

 

 

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

  

 

 1. How many steps does the guard take during his walk across the

     tomb of the Unknowns and  why?

 

     21 steps:  It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is

    the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

 

 

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face & begin his return walk & why?

 

    21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

 

 

3. Why are his gloves wet?

 

    His gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his grip on the rifle.

 

 

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and, if not, why not?

 

    He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb.  After his march across the         path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder. 

 

 

5. How often are the guards changed?

  

   Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

 

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?

 

For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5′ 10′ and 6′ 2′ tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30.

 

They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way.  

 

After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. 

 

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.  There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery . A guard must memorize who they are

and where they are interred. Among the notables are: 

 

President Taft,

 

Joe Lewis {the boxer}

 

Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII of Hollywood fame.

 

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for

guard duty.

 

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

 

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching  Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. They respectfully declined the offer,

 

‘No way, Sir!’ Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson. The tomb has been patrolled continuously,

 

24/7, since 1930.

Heading Out On Vaction Till The 21st of November!!!

Just thought I would give you all a heads up that I am heading home for some much needed R&R (and to vote!!!).  WIth travel time and my two weeks vacation I wont be back till right around the 21st of November (I am sure some of you are not heartbroken over it).

Philly Inquirer Opinion Piece: White People Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Vote

The Philadelphia Inquirer has printed this opinion piece in it’s Sunday Oct 26th edition (h/t newsbusters.org).

  

White people shouldn’t be allowed to vote

 

It’s for the good of the country and for those who’re bitter for a reason and armed because they’re scared.

 

Jonathan Valania

 

is editor in chief of the blog Phawker.com

 

As a lifelong Caucasian, I am beginning to think the time has finally come to take the right to vote away from white people, at least until we come to our senses. Seriously, I just don’t think we can be trusted to exercise it responsibly anymore.

 

I give you Exhibit A: The last eight years.

 

In 2000, Bush-Cheney stole the election, got us attacked, and then got us into two no-exit wars. Four years later, white people reelected them. Is not the repetition of the same behavior over and over again with the expectation of a different outcome the very definition of insanity? (It is, I looked it up.)

 

Exhibit B is any given Sarah Palin rally.

 

Exhibit C would be Ed Rendell and John Murtha, who in separate moments of on-the-record candor they would come to regret, pointing out that there are plenty of people in Pennsylvania who just cannot bring themselves to pull the lever for a black man – no matter what they tell pollsters.

 

These people are ruining things for the rest of us white people who are ready to move on. Sure, they have their reasons, chimerical though they may be: He’s a Muslim. He’s a terrorist. He’s a Muslim terrorist. He’s going to fire all the white people and give their jobs to blacks.

 

But those are just the little white lies these people allow themselves to be told, a self-induced cognitive dissonance that lets them avoid saying the unsayable: I cannot pull the lever for a black man.

Hey, some people just aren’t ready yet, even the governor said so. Just like some people aren’t ready yet for computers or setting the clock on the VCR.

 

Or, to hear Murtha tell it, some people – specifically some people in Western Pennsylvania – will never be ready. But the fact is, if you did a statewide head count of racists, you’d find just as many in eastern Pennsylvania as you would in the western part of the state.

 

That’s why this ban on white people voting I’m proposing has got to be statewide. And I’m sorry to say, it’s going to have to include all white people, even those who would vote for Obama, because you can’t just let some white people vote. That would be unfair.

 

By this point, you either think I am joking or are calling me an elitist. I assure you I am neither. OK, maybe a little of both. But it wasn’t always like this. I come from the Coal Belt, from that Alabamian hinterland between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, as per James Carville’s famous formulation.

 

I am, in fact, just two generations out of the coal mines that blackened the lungs of my grandfather, leaving him disabled, despondent and, finally, dead at the ripe old age of 54.

 

So, understand that I am saying all this for the good of the country and, in fact, for the good of those hard-working white people that Hillary used to pander to.

 

I know those people, I come from them. They are not some shameful abstract demographic to be brushed under the rug of euphemism by Wolf Blitzer and his ilk.

 

I have broken kielbasa with those people. I went to school with their children. I have gone to Sunday Mass with a deer-hunter hangover with those people. They are bitter with good reason, and they are armed because they are scared. They mean well, but they are easily spooked.

 

I fear for what is to become of them after the campaigns leave town for the last time, and Scranton and Allentown and Carlisle go back to being the long dark chicken dance of the national soul they were before the media showed up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet the Left is always trying to claim it is Conservatives who foster racist tendicies and want to keep the racial divide in America alive.

 

Here is the contact information for both the Philadelphia Inquirer and for the author.

 

Guess Who Obama Let Out From Underneath The Bus?

While I was surfing the web today I came across this article and thought it was of interest:

Oct. 23–SANFORD — Retired four-star Gen. Wesley Clark, who once commanded all of NATO’s forces in Europe, used a downtown coffee shop Wednesday as his theater for political combat.

Clark, stumping for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, said this election season has shown him just how divided the nation is.

This is interesting as Obama threw Clark under the bus back in June:

Besides Obama’s personal remarks disdaining criticism of McCain’s military service, the campaign’s spokesman, Bill Burton said, “Sen. Obama honors and respects Sen. McCain’s service, and of course he rejects yesterday’s statement by Gen. Clark.”

Makes you wonder who else might find their way back out from underneath the bus?

In case you forgot, here is what Clark said that got him sent packing to begin with:

“In the matters of national security policy making, it’s a matter of understanding risk,” Clark said “It’s a matter of gauging your opponents, and it’s a matter of being held accountable. John McCain’s never done any of that in his official positions. I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war.

“He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee and he has traveled all over the world, but he hasn’t held executive responsibility,” Clark said. “That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn’t a wartime squadron.”