It's Time To Take A Stand

Vote Nov. 2 or remain silent

2010-11-01T17:13:00.004-04:00

It is now time for all to put up or shut up.

If you haven't researched the candidates by now, may I suggest that you don't vote tomorrow. If you think that the status quo is OK, I suggest you don't vote tomorrow. If you like high unemployment, don't vote. If you like personal responsibility and think it is your duty, then vote but not unless you have researched the candidates first.

But if you think the government is out of control or trying to get more in control of your life, I suggest that you vote for the candidate your research has concluded.

Vote, Vote, Vote, that is your duty but not unless you have researched the candidates.

Does this sound like a broken record, it is. Research and vote.

Vote but not without the research.

Vote November 2 like your life depends on it because your life probably does depend on it.

See you there! Remember NO NEW TAXES!

Follow the Money

2010-10-30T08:42:00.006-04:00

If you believe everything Gary Peters says about Rocky Raczkowski, I have some prime ocean front land for sale at a bargain price in Nebraska!

If you watch any crime shows on television, you hear the line all the time, "Follow the Money!"

In politics it is called PAC money, short for Political Action Committees. These committees are set up to circumvent the laws, yes, I know they are perfectly legal, to avoid the appearance on any impropriety.

Rocky raised a total of $45,200, according to filings of the latest campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission. Special interests is another name for PACs.

On the other side of the SPECIAL INTEREST financing is Gary Peters. He has raised $1.13 million from PACs, including PAC called the Leadership PAC, a Nancy Pelosi controlled PAC. He has received over $66,000 from insurance PAC, $65,000 from Industrial Union PACs, and another $56,500 from Building Trades Union. Lawyers and Law Firms are among Gary Peters largest contributors to the tune of $306,473, according to today's Oakland Press article. Follow the Money.

Rocky has raised money from PACs as well. He received $3,500 from Iraq Veterans for Congress PAC, $2,000 from Republican Member Senate Fund PAC. I am sure they have a hidden agenda, much like insurance companies and unions. I could list all of Rocky's little donors but it doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

Follow the money. All you have to do is "Follow the Money" and you will find out who is who's pocket.

Vote for Rocky Raczkowski on Tuesday and lets start cleaning up Washington.

That is my stand.

Sad Times Ahead

2010-10-29T11:01:00.004-04:00

Listening to Mark Brewer today on the Frank Beckman show on WJR with John McCullough filling in for Frank, I have made a decision thanks to Mr. Brewer's continued truth distortions and spreading of lies.

I have never voted a straight ticket in my life. I have always split my vote based on my research of each candidate and the position each candidate took on issues which I felt were important.

The decision Mr. Brewer helped me make was to vote a straight line Republican ticket.

It is a sad state when our voting choices are based on how many lies one party tells but I feel it is important to take a stand. Each party needs to stop this constant barrage of lies and mis-truths. By mis-truths I mean half truths and innuendos that really make false statements but are disguised as true statements. Candidates need to stop "Politics as usual" because many Americans are fed up with this tactic.

I feel the Republicans are trying to take the high road most of the time. Yes, I know that some will stoop to levels that only Politicians will descend but generally they try to maintain some civility. Washington needs to know we will no longer take it as does Lansing and our local politicians.

Remember to vote on Nov. 2nd because it is very important to America.

Michigan Constitutional Convention

2010-10-26T13:09:00.008-04:00

The last time a state Constitutional Convention was held, it was 1961/62. Things have changed since then. We were the ones who protested the Viet Nam war. We burned our bras (well not me personally). We had long hair, now we are balding. We have mellowed somewhat since the 60s and hopefully gotten wiser. So now our kids should be take the lead because many of us will not be around in 16 years.

The current vote "NO" ads about costing $45 million are somewhat misleading. The last Constitution Convention cost about $928,000, adjusted for inflation that would be $6 million in today's dollars. It didn't tie up our legislators for two years as stated. The entire convention took a little over 4 months.

So why are they fighting for a "NO" vote? Because that want to keep the status quo. They want to keep the power where they have control of it. They don't want younger or newer or even better ideas to emerge because it is all about the money. They want to keep the ball and let us play when we can't do any harm.They like the size of our government and are afraid that we may force it to be smaller and more responsive to the times.

There has never been a better time or more of a need for a Constitutional Convention than there is today. Michigan is hurting and its citizens are hurting with it. The question of can we afford it should be just the opposite. Can we afford Not to?

There are pros and cons to any convention. One of the Cons is that it removes all tax caps and places them in jeopardy. One of the Pros is that it remove all the tax caps and places them in jeopardy.

Whenever a Constitutional Convention is convened there is always risks but without risks, there are no rewards. We need to take this risk. If we don't do it now, it will be another 16 years before we can attempt it again.

People will say the time is not right. The time is never right if you are standing on the sidelines! Get involved.

That is my stand.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

2010-10-22T08:35:00.003-04:00

The Obama administration has accused the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of using foreign contributions to fund their campaign for more friendly to business legislation!

They claim the Chamber, by not disclosing its donors, is illegally funding campaigns against Democrats. The Chamber is made up of some of the largest U.S. Corporations and many foreign corporations with U.S. subsidiaries. By law, the Chamber, as a non-profit organization, is not required to list its donors or how much they have contributed.

So what is wrong with all of this? Nothing, absolutely nothing. The Chamber is supporting a Republican agenda 90% of the time. George Soros' Media Matters supports Democrats 100% of the time and is not required to list any donors either.

Remember President Obama started all of this with his raising and spending almost $1 billion to become our 44th President. He claimed most of his donations were for less than $200 and therefore he was not obliged to list his donors.He even bought his own 24/7 cable network.

Apparently it is OK for the Democrats to raise ungodly amounts of money and spend it distorting the truth about their opponents but it is not OK for any Republican group. Hypocrisy seems to start with a D. Remember if you tell a lie often enough many will believe it to be true. Shame.

There is a fundamental problem with the amount of money in politics that needs to be addressed and removed but that is for another day.

Remember this on November 2nd and vote to replace most of the current politicians.

Retire John Dingell

2010-10-19T06:41:00.005-04:00

Talk about a career politician, John Dingell is epitome of the career politician. First elected at age 29 because his father passed away while serving in congress, Dingell has been relatively unchallenged since the mid 60s. Time to retire Dingell.

It is time for change, Dingell misrepresents the 15th Michigan Congressional District and has been MIA since 1955. He is so well entrenched in Congress that he is the longest serving (questionable at best) representative in Congress. Time to retire Dingell.

He is an old style politician. His advertising shows it and his lack of representation of the people is tragic. He only shows up when there is an election to ask for voters money to support his lifestyle. Time to retire Dingell.

One of his claims is that he helped write the "Do not call" legislation, but he exempted political calls and banks. I should probably thank him because political phone calls is why I cancelled my home land line. Take that Ma Bell! Time to retire Dingell.

In 1985, Dingell, age 59, reached his 30 year anniversary representing Southeast Michigan in the US House of Representatives. He is currently in his 27th term (54th year) of Congress at age 84. Time to retire Dingell.

Dingell has sponsored such notable legislation as Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, the Energy Tax Act of 1978, Trading Sanctions Act of 1984, to name a few. Some good, mostly expensive to tax payers. You can't be in congress for over 50 years without being involved in some good and bad legislation. Time to retire Dingell.

As Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce he was responsible for establishing one of the most wasteful agencies in government. He also voted against the Equal Rights Amendment, giving equal pay to women back in 1972. Take that ladies. Time to retire Dingell.

Thank you for your service but it is time to retire. It is not like it will hurt his income level. As the longest living member of Congress he will receive 93% plus of his salary for life.

The people of Michigan’s 15th District deserve a Representative who has their issues at heart, not the issues of D.C., special interests or the needs of career politicians. I intend to represent the people. This approach scares the D.C. elite, but it is not radical. This is what our founders intended.

Dr. Rob Steele is that candidate. Vote for Dr. Rob Steele on November 2, 2010 and give John Dingell some needed rest.

That is my stand.

Truth in Advertising*

2010-10-14T06:57:00.015-04:00

When you listen to all the political commercials on radio or television, you get the true sense of the values and morals each candidate possesses. Or do you!

According to many of the commercials, most of the candidates are either morally bankrupt, ethically challenged or just plain crooks.

On the local level, according to Democratic Rep. Gary Peters, Rocky Raczkowski is a crook who stole $6 million from his partners. Rocky Raczkowski wants Peters to stand on his voting record as a supporter of the Obama, Pelosi and Reid agenda. He voted for ObamaCare, supports Cap and Trade and more regulation of the American public. Peters ignored the majority he represents and voted the party line.

Then according the 27-term (D) Congressman John Dingell, (That was 27-term John Dingell) Dr. Rob Steele (Not a professional politician but a doctor) is selling Social Security up the river to private business. But it was Dingell's Democratic Party that during the 70s voted to take the separate protected money in your Social Security account and put it into the General Fund so they could get their hands on it. It was just too much money to not waste.

On the state level, we have Virg Bernero telling people that Rick Snyder did nothing at Gateway except line his own pockets with millions of dollars. Bernero is a career politician who will say anything to get a new job or keep his old job.

Then on the national level, President Obama's Democratic Party's latest commercials claim the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is accepting donations from foreign sources and lining Republicans pockets to buy the party. David Axelrod's, Obama's Senior Adviser, only comment on Meet the Press was, "Can you prove they don't?" Really, throw out a damaging statement and then ask them to prove the opposite. Classy, really classy! That is not the American Way. Prove you are innocent. No it is up to the Democratic Party to prove you are guilty. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce should file a class action suit against the Democratic Party for their Chicago-style thuggery.

Why don't Republican candidates answer with their own politically distorted commercials? Because they have character. They stand on principle that their opponents can't. They won't lie just to get or keep their job. It is that simple. They want to run on their record and let the voters decide. That is what a Democracy is. Letting the people vote based on their voting record or character, not distorted lies and innuendos.

Is there "Truth in Advertising?" Yes, most of the time, well some of the time, *Except in Politics!

Vote November 2nd but remember the commercials.

So much for giving up blogging.

A Blogger no more!

2010-09-08T06:27:00.004-04:00

It is time to end my blog with The Oakland Press. I appreciate the audience afforded me by The Oakland Press but lately I lack the passion for blogging three times a week.

The requirements to be a blogger featured in the Oakland Press is simply to write three blog pieces a week and no name calling. That is the only direction I have ever received from them. They do not edit any blogs, nor do they attempt to control any content. They give their blogger's free reign as long as you keep within these simple boundaries.

However, the time necessary to write a blog is somewhat demanding but when the blog is something for which you have little or no interest or for that matter any direct involvement or particular knowledge, it becomes even more time consuming for me because my heart is not in it. I am not a writer by trade, just a passionate citizen who cares about the direction our country is taking and most of the time have some opinions about it.

The left wants more control of the mainstream media and wants to turn this country into another socialist country by continually taking more from its citizens, not allowing them the opportunity to be responsible for themselves. They seem to want to coddle every citizen and make us dependent upon them for more and more. I have always been taught personal responsibility, never depend on anyone for anything except yourself and your family. Stand up for yourself and be responsible.

Then you get responses from people like "Anonymous" or "Frog" who exhibit a total lack of courage and are afraid to take a stand under their own name and it gets down right ridiculous to even respond and try to have an open and honest dialogue with them. Their opinions are downright hateful and show their true colors. They seem to have an axe to grind and some hidden distorted agenda so ending my blog should make their day.

At least when I state my opinion, I own it, admit it and stand by it with my name and if I am wrong, I will admit it and correct it and take responsibility, not hide behind some fictitiuos name.

I enjoy blogging but not three times a week. I may continue to blog but only when I have something to say for which I am passionate. Something that raises my blood pressure and is an issue of importance, at least in my opinion. Something that God has directed me to do and wants me to stand up and talk about it. Not just senseless blogging because it is part of an arrangement.

The problem with many bloggers is that some people take what they say as fact and not opinion. A blog is just an opinion, sure some facts are probably contained within the blog but for the most part it is strictly the opinion of the author.

I follow many blogs and find them interesting to learn about their opinions. I wish The Oakland Press well as they transition from a traditional newspaper to one of the leaders of electronic media in the Metropolitan Detroit area.

One thought, if Obama wants every citizen to prove they have healthcare, why not have to prove you are a citizen? We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power.

Have a wonderful day because on Friday, I am pulling the plug!

Thank you Oakland Press, keep up the great work!

Driver's Licence, Michigan Style

2010-08-27T15:44:00.008-04:00

Have you ever wondered what it takes to get a driver's licence in Michigan?

While recently transferring a car registration at the Secretary of State Office in Wixom on a Wednesday night, they are open until 7:00 pm, I was waiting for my number to be called. One of the employees was attempting to prescreen the people in order to speed up the process and make sure everyone who was waiting had the right paperwork. Listening to this employee speak, I was somewhat surprised to hear what was required to obtain a driver's licence.

The conversation went something like this:
SOS employee: "What are you here for?"
Customer: (in very broken English): "Want driver's licence."
SOS: "Do you have two pieces of identification?"
Customer: "No, nothing."
SOS: "Do you have any bills with your name on them? Maybe a phone bill or a utility bill with your name and address on it? Maybe a gas card invoice with your name on it?"
Customer: "No, I don't think so."
SOS: "Do you have any at home, where you live?"
Customer: "I don't know, how do I find out?"
SOS: "Go home and find a bill or even a letter addressed to you at that address. Do you have a bank account with your name and address on it?"
Customer: "No, I come with nothing."
SOS: "OK, here is what you need to do to get a driver's licence. Maybe open a bank account, you don't have to put much money in it, when they send you a statement, you will have one piece of ID. Or apply for a gas card. You just need two pieces to get a driver's licence. Find someway to get another piece of ID and then come back."

I sat there with my mouth open. It is that simple to get a Michigan driver's licence. The guy next to me was just shaking his head in disgust. You can use any name as long as you have two pieces of mail with a name and address on it. She didn't ask for any proper ID or if she was in this country illegally. She just wanted two pieces of very poor ID. If your licence has been revoked, you just pick up anyone's mail from his or her mail box and bring them to the local SOS office and voila, a Michigan driver's licence.

It is time we enforce our laws or change them to have a common sense approach to proving who you are. With a driver's licence, you can get a voter's registration card, collect welfare, get a SS card, credit cards (well maybe not credit cards, most people can't get them these days).

Where does it stop? We need new requirements for licences. Tat s my stand, what's yours?

Difference between Canada and U.S.A.

2010-08-11T11:18:00.008-04:00

During the recent Winter Olympics, I tuned into CKLW radio (Canadian radio station) to catch some of the action when I couldn't watch it on television. While listening to Canadian radio, I realized that our political situation with government ineffectiveness, inefficiency and corruption is more common throughout the world.

If you want a different take, listen and watch Canadian radio and television. Our friends north of the border seem to be complaining about Canada's government being bloated while wasting millions of dollars. And that is the difference, while Canadians talk about millions of dollars being wasted, we talk about billions and trillions. When you consider that their total population is only around 35 million and ours is closer to 10 times larger with around 350 million people, take away the estimated 40 million illegals, the problems are pretty much the same.

Their politicians don't listen to them either. Their politicians think they know better as well. Their politicians are all experts or at least claim to be and were elected by making promises that they had no intention of keeping. As Rodney Dangerfield used to say, "Their politicians don't get any respect" nor do they deserve it.

One of the differences is in what they call themselves. They have the Liberal Party (founded in 1867 as a liberal movement), the Conservative party of Canada (formerly the Progressive Conservatives and relabeled when merged with the Canadian Alliance party in 2003 as conservative) and the New Democratic party (a social democratic party founded in 1961) and the Bloc Québécois party, (founded in 1991 as a social democratic, Quebec nationalist organization).

Stephen Harper, is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada, and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became Prime Minister after his party won a minority government in the 2006 federal election. He is the first Prime Minister from the newly reconstituted Conservative Party, following a merger of the Progressive Conservative and Canadian Alliance parties.

The bottom line is that Canada is struggling with the same problems we are facing here in the U.S., just on a smaller scale but real none the less. For a long time, they struggled with the two party system but frustration over government policies lead to the formation of new parties. Canada seems to face many of the same circumstances as we face here when dealing with their respective political parties.

Canadians originally didn't think a third party would have a chance for survival but they are and continuing to grow in numbers because Canadians feel they are not being properly represented in government. Sound familiar? Maybe it is time for a major third party in the U.S.

Do yourself a favor; listen and watch Canadian television to get a different perspective of the world around us.

You might find views that are much more worldly and less just the U.S.

That's my stand. Let's hear your opinion but not before listening Canadian radio and television.

Obama Family Vacations

2010-08-09T09:43:00.003-04:00

I don't know why everyone is so upset with Michele Obama going to Italy and bringing many of her friends with her. She doesn't have another vacation scheduled for another week. You would think that the American people were paying the in-excess of $250,000 (for security) out of their own pockets. To these people, I say, "RELAX".

OK, when you add in Air Force II, advance security teams, chase planes, ground transportation and local support costs, the actual cost may be between $1 and $2,000,000.00

So RELAX, it is not your money, it is only tax dollars! And nobody in Washington seems to care about tax dollars being spent, just tax dollars being collected.

That is my stand! Sad isn't it?

In God We Trust...

2010-08-01T12:55:00.010-04:00

I am not considered a very religious man, although I go to service most Sundays. My wife and two daughters are avid church goers and true believers, so I used to go to keep peace in the family by accompanying them but it didn't have much meaning for me.

Being raised Catholic in Canada was an experience unlike any because I was always taught that you would go to hell if you missed going to church on the first Friday of every month or on Sunday. When I moved to the U.S., I stopped going to church because the threat no longer existed from my mother.

However, I have been watching the U.S. liberalism, the ACLU, the atheist movement among others corrode the effect of God in our daily lives.

First, they allowed the removal of the Pledge of Allegiance from schools because it said, "...one nation, under God..." Then they wanted to remove it from the Pledge completely. Life started to change. It seemed people became less respectful of one another. People started calling each other names. Our politicians are the worst offenders of name calling.

Politicians continually refer to each by very disgusting descriptions. Both Democrats and Republicans are to blame for this. If I had my way, I would take them out to the wood shed and tan their hides bright red or wash their mouths out with soap.

They want to take God off of our money. "In God We Trust", all others pay cash!

They have taken prayer out of school, out of football games, out of the locker room, hell, you can't even say, "Bless You." to someone when they sneeze for fear of some wacko being offender.

The minority has taken over because they are louder than for the majority. This is totally wrong. It is time that we stand up to liberal ACLU loving atheist wackos and put God back into our lives.

In God We Trust...One Nation under God...God Bless You...A Christian Nation.

Time to take back America from the liberals and stand up for our real God fearing values. We may have a Muslim raised President but by God he is not going to get away with turning us into a bland socialist country.

That is my stand and I am sticking with it. If you don't like it, tough!

Arizona Immigration Law

2010-07-28T09:56:00.005-04:00

If you think the Arizona Immigration Law is encroaching on peoples rights, watch the two videos below. You might have a different opinion about what the Federal Government is failing to do.

Channel 2 in Atlanta knows why Arizona passed SB 1070

According to the Border Patrol the public is being mislead as to WHO is coming into the US from Mexico. This IS THE TRUTH as reported by WSBTV in Atlanta.

Video 1 http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438021/index.html

Video 2 http://www.wsbtv.com/video/23438712/index.html

And for the benefit of those who doubt this report, this is not a FOX channel, it is an ABC affiliate, one of the rare mainstream local media who has the courage to tell the truth.

Shirley Sherrod firing!

2010-07-22T19:08:00.008-04:00

There is not much on which I agree with Mitch Albom but he did hit on something this week that I have not heard from any other radio talk show host. I usually listen to Albom while driving home from a meeting until he and Kenny Brown start trying to talk over each other and then I switch to a music station.

However, this week they managed to not yell over each other and Mitch brought forth an excellent point. I know Albom is not a fan of bloggers when they attempt to play journalists. Let me say from the onset, a journalist I am not. My blog is strictly my opinion, whether it is formed by the truth or my misguided idea of the truth, it is strictly my opinion.

In the case of Shirley Sherrod being fired because of the video that was placed by Andrew Breitbart on his website as legit journalism, I agree with Albom. The problem is Andrew Breitbart, not Fox News, or MSNBC, or the White House, or even the NCAAP, although I think they all acted irrationally with typical knee jerk reaction. As John Wayne used to say, "You have to shoot first and ask questions later."

Well, that might have worked in the Wild West but not in 2010. Everything should be checked for validity, especially if it is picked up from the internet buteven more so with the advent of digital video with every laptop being able to edit it and distort the facts. Anything can be taken out of context and manipulated to represent itself as something totally different.

Just ask any politician, they are masters at distorting the truth and using it in their commercials to either paint an opponent falsely or make themselves look like heroes. Ask the news media, they are some of the biggest offenders of only showing portions of a video to make their point because they know that if they showed the entire video, people would know the truth about their agendas. The news media are the originators of editing to fit their agenda.

The guy to blame is Andrew Breitbart. Plain and simple. He knew this video would falsely paint Shirley Sherrod as a racist and there would be consequences to it. He is the one who should be under the watchful eyes of the public. His alleged credentials as a journalist blogger should be revoked and he should be fired. Plain and simple.

That is my opinion and I take a stand with Mitch Albom on this one. Your comments are always welcomed.

Democratic Heritage (Shhhh)

2010-07-20T16:00:00.013-04:00

While driving around, I notice and attempt to read most political signs. I enjoy their good and sometimes terrible designs. Some standout and are a good read at a glance at 45 mph. Some are so poorly designed that you would have to be stopped in order to read them, let alone figure out what the mean. And what is with the colors? Does anyone actually look at them before going to print?

Signs for judges, State Senators, Congressmen (Oops, Congresspeople - got to be PC - LOL) County Commissioners, etc... The one thing I have noticed most of all is that just about all Republican Candidates state right on their signs that they are Republican. Democrats seemed to have left the fact that they are Democrats off many signs. Why? (I am sure that if you look hard enough, you will find some signs touting Democrat heritage so don't waste your time writing me about it.)

It seems to me that if you are proud of what your party has accomplished, you should be screaming it from the rooftops. If I were a Democrat or a Republican, I would be proud of my connection to either party. As an Independent, and I am, I would share that information in hopes to attract voters.

Are Democrats ashamed of their heritage or their stand? Are Obama's policies failing them? Is Obama's penchant for Socialism and Marxism giving them heartburn? Did they purposely leave off their Democratic lineage?

My guess is YES!

They may want to contribute to the confusion of the elections by not identifying themselves as Democrats hoping that they will get votes from a voting public that is not aware of who is with which party. (Yes, I know the ballot will eventually identify their party affiliation but it may be too late by then.)

That is my stand and opinion.

Obama's Immigration Agenda

2010-07-06T23:08:00.003-04:00

Shame, shame, shame. I heard today that the Obama Administration, through the inJustice Department, filed a lawsuit against the State of Arizona's sb1070.

I find this action to be completely unacceptable of the Federal Government. This is an absolute waste of taxpayers money. If this doesn't bring down this administration, we all deserve what we are in for next because this is just the beginning of the end as we know it. I wouldn't be surprised if they had some liberal federal judge in the wings waiting to rule the law unconstitutional.

It is OK for Obama to disregard the constitution when it benefits his agenda but he then claims racial profiling of Arizona's law is unconstitutional. What crap.

This is the most outrageous act of bigotry and corruption to date. This has got to stop. The recklessness of this administration should have every citizen in the country upset, unless you are an illegal immigrant. But if you are an illegal, you should be worried because the reason you came here is going away and fast.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer created a legal defense fund to fight the Federal Government. Her office says Brewer already has received about $10,000 in unsolicited donations from more than 40 states.

To contribute to the fund, contact her office for instructions.
The Honorable Jan Brewer
Governor of Arizona
1700 West Washington
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

Telephone (602) 542-4331

The Federal Government, Obama, Holder et all have got to be stopped. Help.

The Declaration of Independence

2010-07-03T16:30:00.003-04:00

Always a great read and it should be mandatory for all immigrants to be able to read and understand it. Below is the text and signers of the Declaration of Independence.

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
hen in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.

— John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton

Hypocritic Oath

2010-06-20T08:46:00.008-04:00

Where will it end? When one gets elected to public office, there must be a secret oath that they pledge to be hypocrites whenever and wherever possible. And I also think the media takes the pledge as well.

Head hypocrite Rahm Emanuel, the White House Chief of Staff, leads the way along with most of the Obama administration, including the President and Vice-President.

Just because Tony Hayward decides to take a weekend break and try to relieve some stress, the media is all over it almost declaring that work in the gulf has come to a complete stop. It is OK for the President to take a day off and play golf but not OK for anyone else. What hypocrites!

Rahm Emanuel is going to be on This Week with whomever is the host this week and declare that Tony Hayward shouldn't be taking a day off. He is probably going to criticise BP and Tony Hayward for taking a day off while his boss, President Obama and Vice-President Biden play golf. It is not like he is personally working in the gulf. What hypocrites!

Should the President of ABC take a day off or will the news world come to a screeching halt? What happens when the President of Macy's takes a day off, do all sales stop? What hypocrites!

Everyone needs to have some stress relief from their jobs and Tony Hayward is no different and this is just another example of the ugliness, stupidity and hypocrisy of Chicago-Style politics. If I didn't know better, I would say that Al Capone was their mentor.

Every lead story on the news is about Tony Hayward boating for the weekend but you don't hear about the President's golf game or his mini vacations that he takes about every 6 to 8 weeks. What hypocrites!

I am sure BP is working around the clock trying to stop the leak, not Tony Hayward personally. If anything, it is the government that is putting road blocks in BP's way.

The government denied help from the Danish government that would have taken 20,000 barrels of oil out of the gulf a day per ship but the Obama administration, with its false pride, said no thanks, we don't need your help. Many foreign governments have offered assistance only to be rejected because our government is so egotistical that they think they know better than everyone else. They don't want anyone to take credit for stopping the oil leak. They would rather have it gush for another month than stop it and give credit to someone else. What hypocrites!

It is time to remember this in November when you go to the polls.

When did common sense leave?

2010-06-19T07:11:00.012-04:00

One of the things that really attracted me to my wife when we first met, beside the fact that she was pretty, smart with a great sense of humor, was that she had a boat load of common sense. More than most women I had met. Now I am not saying that most women lack common sense but they do dance to a different drum.

Common sense is probably one of the most important traits for survival in the world in which we live. Yet, it is probably the most lacking of traits in business, education and government. It is probably the most lacking in government with all the PC crap that they do.

Common sense says that when there is a tragedy, you do something. That you act upon your instincts. You don't just sit there and wait for someone else to do something.

The gulf oil spill is one of the most recent events that has shown a total departure from common sense. Everyone waited for the government to do something. BP requested permission to act accordingly but was denied any action by the government hell bent on trying to evaluate the situation. "Let's wait and see how bad it will be" before we react is not common sense. Let's turn it into a real disaster before we act on it. A total lack of common sense. BP missed the boat as well trying to be PC. They should have done everything themselves and ask the government for forgiveness later rather than ask for permission. Governor Jindal of Louisiana requested permission to build berms to protect the shoreline but after 6 weeks of studying it on the federal level, the government decided it was too late to build them. It wasn't "too late" when he first asked for help. Where is the common sense?

Another example of common sense gone wrong is from Providence, R.I. where a young man, David Morales, age 8, wore a hat to school on "Hat Day" and it had tiny soldiers glued to the hat with tiny guns. It was a salute to our men and women serving our country in the armed services. You would think this young man was a terrorist from the reaction of the school officials. "Weapons are not appropriate in school". HUH! Get real!

Another great example of common sense missing is in San Joaquin Valley in California where they have been experiencing a drought because the government, make that environmental wackos, has decided that the extinction of the silver fish is more important than the extinction of farmers and has turned off their water supply.

The result has already been devastating for the state's farm economy. In the inland areas affected by the court-ordered water restrictions, the jobless rate has hit 14.3%, with some farming towns like Mendota seeing unemployment numbers near 40%. Statewide, the rate reached 11.6% in July, higher than it has been in 30 years. All because of a complete lack of common sense and a silver fish.

Let's bring common sense back to society.

A True Teaching Moment

2010-06-15T21:23:00.009-04:00

If you were fortunate enough to watch Tom Izzo this evening telling Michigan State fans and the country that he is staying at MSU for life, you were treated to one of the classiest moments in sports history. No, he didn't win anything and he didn't lose anything either. Well, he might have lost a few million dollars but what he gained is priceless.

Tom Izzo was being Tom Izzo. He explained his and his family's last couple of weeks, the ups and downs, his meeting with the Cavaliers owner, a former MSU Alum, the MSU fans and student's appreciation of his efforts.

He talked about former players calling him to encourage him to at least listen to the offer. His current players were all there to support him. Wow, MSU sure is fortunate to have Tom Izzo on their staff.

Every professor, every college sport fan, every high school coach should sit their teams down and have them watch Tom Izzo's press conference. Every parent of a student athlete should make their kid watch the press conference and then explain how fortunate to be living in the same state as Tom Izzo. I know I felt fortunate to watch it.

The last three months has left us with some incredible teaching moments from the sports world that I will remember forever and that should be models of how to act. There was Brian Davis at the Heritage Golf Tournament calling a $400,000 plus penalty on himself without hesitation. Truly inspirational. Then there was Armando Galarraga pitching a perfect game only to lose it to a Jim Joyce error. Even more inspiring was his reaction. Then Jim Leyland jumps in with his two cents and more inspiration. Next General Motors shows how classy they are with a gift to Armando Galarraga.

Now you have Tom Izzo, turning down a 100% raise to stay at MSU. Turning down what is arguably the opportunity to coach one of basketball's premier athletes. Turning down an offer to coach in the NBA.

Say what you want about Michigan but God is looking down on us and he is liking what he is seeing. Thank you, Tom.

Blame Israel, Again...

2010-06-05T11:32:00.011-04:00

Lately the main stream media and many nations have been spewing their hatred for Israel because Israel has the audacity to defend herself from possible terrorists attacks.

I will be the first to admit that I don't completely understand Middle East politics but I do know that Israel is a peace desiring nation with a democratically elected government. Israelis don't want to be at war. They don't want to be on high alert all the time. They don't want to harm anyone. They just want to live in peace with the freedom to do as they wish.

They boarded a rogue ship last week in an effort to defend herself, plain an simple. They boarded 5 other ships to verify the humanitarian supplies without incident but the sixth ship resisted and refused to allow them to board. Their blockade is not something new. It has been in effect for quite some time without incident.

But don't take my word for it. Check out the link to PJTV and listen to more knowledgeable people discuss how the Middle East and nut cases like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (Wack-mo-deen-a-job) and his fellow Iranian radical Islamists will effect your future if something is not done about it soon. Copy the below link and paste it in your address to learn more.
http://www.pjtv.com/?cmd=mpg&mpid=121&load=3505

And don't count on Obama to do anything substantive. It is not is his best personal interest and he doesn't do anything unless he gains personally.

That is my opinion and stand. Let the hatred roll.

Rodriquez must be a Democrat!

2010-05-26T09:57:00.010-04:00

After 20 years of coaching football on the college level, Rich Rodriguez still doesn't know what compliance means or how to achieve it. Are you kidding me?

Listening to the news conference yesterday was painful. Here was a Division I university Athletic Director, not just any university, the University of Michigan, the university with the most wins in college football, the university with one of the most ethical records, claiming they made mistakes. Not taking any responsibility for the actions of his staff.

Yes, I know he wasn't the Athletic Director when it all happened but he is now and his first action is to slap the hand of his head football coach for making some mistakes.

Rodriguez claimed that the Compliance Dept. didn't notify him of his non-compliance. Excuse me,as head football coach, he should have been on top of this, all the time.

Rodriguez must be a Democrat because they never take responsibility for anything. Maybe he should look for a job in the Obama Administration where no one is to blame. I know, It's Bush's fault.

In the couple of years Rodriguez has been at the University of Michigan he has only embarrassed the university with his conduct. The stealth meeting in Toledo to hire him, his lawsuit, his player rebellion and departures, his losing record are all reasons to replace him.

I have been a staunch supporter of the U of M for over forty years but not anymore. Go Green - Go White!

Congress over reacting again, still, yet!

2010-05-24T21:25:00.006-04:00

According to reports, Congress is getting ready to quadruple—to 32 cents a barrel—a tax on oil used to help finance cleanups. The increase would raise nearly $11 billion over the next decade.

The tax is levied on oil produced in the U.S. or imported from foreign countries. In other words, all oil. The revenue will allegedly go to a fund managed by the Coast Guard to help pay to clean up spills in waterways, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

The House could vote on the bill as early as Tuesday. Senate leaders hope to complete work on it before Congress goes on a week long break next week.

Lawmakers want to increase the current 8-cent-a-barrel tax on oil to make sure there is enough money available to respond to oil spills. At least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico since a drilling rig exploded April 20 off the Louisiana coast.

Whenever there is a crisis, Congress never fails to seize the opportunity to raise taxes. I am sure the spin will be that they are just taxing Big Oil and not the people who pay Big Oil. That they are just making BP pay for the cleanup but didn't BP already state that they will pay for the cleanup. So why is Congress once again over reacting?

As White House Chief of Staff Rohm Emanuel once said, "Never let a serious crisis go to waste…it’s an opportunity to do things you couldn’t do before." Like raise taxes again!

Any fund that Congress sets up with the Coast Guard will turn into another mismanaged slush fund for politicians to play their power games.

As bad as this tragedy is, it probably cannot be avoided in the future. We need to find out what happened and try to improve safety but their is never a guarantee it will never happen again. It is like a plane crash. We study it and try to improve safety but when you get on an airplane, there is never a guarantee that it will not crash. Congress is like an alcoholic needing a drink, one is too many and 20 is not enough. They can't help themselves when it comes to raising taxes.

Congress never needs a reason to raise taxes but they really like it when they can pretend they are doing it for the good of the country.

Vote out all incumbents in November. Let's start over.

Is Mexican President Calderon being hypocritical?

2010-05-21T06:56:00.013-04:00

Listening to Mexican President Calderon speak to congress yesterday and wondering why not one single Senator or Congressman walked out on him has me wondering "What the hell are they thinking?" Having a third world country leader claim the Arizona law is wrong is none of his business. He said he supports President Obama in claiming the law is wrong. Obama has had three weeks to read the bill and he still hasn't read it. And then most of the Democrats and a few RINOs gave him a standing ovation. The last person to stand up was Eric Holder(maybe he finally read the law). I wonder if Calderon has read the bill yet or if he is just going on what he has heard about the bill from the Obama Administration and hearsay.

It is only 17 pages including the title page. Read the damn bill, I have. I admit it is a tough read with all the legal double speak and cross references to other bills but I have read it, twice to try to understand it. It does not support racial profiling, nor does it even allude to it but President Calderon and Mexico support racial profiling by his own admission. He condemns Arizona for taking a stand against "unauthorized aliens" who are draining the Arizona economy, yet he clearly stated that Mexico views illegal immigration as unlawful and strongly enforces their laws.

On the talk shows where Calderon appeared the other day, he stated that Mexico has tough immigration laws and a first offense usually results in two years in prison. He said it is against the law to illegally enter Mexico and that Mexico uses racial profiling to stop illegal immigrants from entering Mexico, and that immigrants must have "papers" with them at all times to validate their status or be subject to imprisonment. And Mexican jails are no picnic.

I support the Arizona Law and applaud Governor Brewer for signing it but I think they didn't go far enough and should include whatever means possible as a way to identify and control illegal immigration because the Federal Government has failed in its job to protect our borders.

The answer to the question is a resounding, "YES, he is being hypocritical!" but that is SOP for most politicians.

That is my stand, what's yours?

It is still Bush's fault!

2010-05-15T06:55:00.007-04:00

It is all George Bush's fault. If he hadn't taken action after 9-11, none of this would be happening. He tried to protect our country, as a matter of fact, he did protect our country. He ran up debt in a war that the American public first supported and when he told them that it would be a long war, the American public, as fickle as ever, had a conveniently short memory.

The administration of George Bush ran the government. They tried to warn Congress and us of the impending collapse of the housing market, 23 different times they attempted to slowdown Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac, but the Democrats wouldn't let it even get to the floor for a vote. So the housing crisis is George Bush's fault.

George Bush, through Obama, promised to put all bills on the White House website 5 days before voting on them. Never happened.

George Bush, through Obama, promised to have a bipartisan discussion about a Health Care bill and have it broadcast on C-Span before ramming it down our throat. Never happened.

George Bush, through Obama, promised to end earmarks. What a joke that is. Never happened.

George Bush, through Obama, promised to end the hiring of former lobbyists to high level White House jobs. Never happened. Count the number of CZARS in the current administration.

George Bush, through Obama, promised to find a church and attend on a regular basis. Never happened. Probably because he is really more Muslim than Christian.

George Bush, through Obama, apologized to the world for American behavior because Bush set such a bad example of leadership. This happened.

The government had a plan in place for accidents like the BP Oil Spill but George Bush, through Obama, would not let them put it in place on day one because of Obama's inability to make real decisions. Now it is too late.

As Chuck Green, Denver Post columnist asked, "Will the failed administration of George Bush ever end and the time for hope and change ever arrive?"

The definition of a narcissist is the inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity. Enter Obama!

It is no longer George Bush's fault. Remember this in November.

Aid Should Begin at Home

2010-05-14T08:09:00.006-04:00

We're "broke" & can't help our own Seniors, Homeless, Veterans, Orphans, etc. ?????

This so pathetically true...in the last months we have provided aid to Haiti, Chile, and Turkey, not to mention the countless other countries where we provide billions and billions of dollars of foreign aid annually.

Our retired seniors living on a fixed income receive no aid while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of millions of dollars and tons of food to foreign countries.

We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans, mostly because of red tape.

Why are so many American citizens, and the American government, so star struck they won't provide for our own?

The USA is a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have celebrity benefits for the people of Haiti on 20 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents, clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies.

Imagine if we gave ourselves the same support that we give all other countries.

I feel bad for them but I also care about our citizens in the U.S.A. We are the most giving, caring and loving people in the world when it comes to other countries needs. Why can't we take care of our own?

Sad isn't it?

Supreme Court Nominee

2010-05-10T10:40:00.008-04:00

Are we ready for the mud slinging to start?

With the announcement of Solicitor General Elena Kagan as Nominee to U.S. Supreme Court surely the Liberals, Conservatives, Democrats and Republicans will crawl out of their respective holes to attempt to discredit and torch her. Last month, CBS News reported that she could be the "first openly gay Justice."

Here is a nominee who has no voting record to distort, no history of making decisions to invalidate and question, with the distinction of being a brilliant legal scholar with both liberal views and conservative friends. She has no or limited personal life to attack. She is not married and doesn't have any children to embarrass her. Her focus always seemed to be her career.

Kagan's reputation for bringing together liberals and conservatives as dean of the Harvard Law School, with the hiring of young conservative scholars "sent a strong signal to conservative alumni that, despite her own party affiliation, she was committed to intellectual diversity and meritocracy at the law school," said Harvard alumnus and former Bush administration lawyer Brad Berenson.

As Solicitor General, Kagan argued against the military "don't ask, don't tell" policy, calling it "just flat out wrong."

"At Harvard, she was known as an avid listener, who could get to the heart of the matter with a measure of both logical analysis and compassion. Sound like excellent qualifications to me, " according to Lis Wiehl.

Let's see, no judicial experience, a good listener, analytical and compassionate, a brilliant mind by most standards. Not your typical Washington, D.C. resident, maybe she is a good choice but that will be decided when all of the name calling and mud slinging subside.

Now we get to hear from the Left and Right for the rest of the summer. Let the games begin.

NHL Hockey on TV

2010-05-07T07:18:00.018-04:00

If you are a hockey fan, this time of year is exciting and stressful, all at the same time. Lately I have been switching between Versus, Fox Sports Detroit, and on weekends CBC and NBC.

Sometimes I wonder if I am watching the same league. While switching between the Detroit/San Jose and the Montreal/Pittsburgh game last night I had the feeling I was watching different leagues.

While both broadcasts featured some of the best hockey players in the country, they were worlds apart in viewer friendliness and excitement.

With Detroit taking a 5-0 lead in the first period, I would have thought that it would be an exciting game but I was surprised to listen to announcers who were putting their audience to sleep. If this is the best the Red Wings can offer in live announcers, they should hang up their skates. Play by play was mediocre at best. It appeared almost folksy. Folksy is fine if you are telling a bedtime story but not for hockey. The live audio mix was muted and lacked excitement.

Watching and listening to the game on Versus and CBC was a completely different experience. The announcers were animated, excited and actually gave a play by play description of the game, offering excitement even when there was a lull in the action. The audio mix (fan noise to some) was fairly high so the announcers had to be heard over the spectators, and they were.

If I were to guess, the Detroit broadcast team is probably in a broadcast booth that is glassed off from the spectators resulting in muted spectator mix and lacking excitement.

One of the reasons hockey doesn't play well in the States is because the media doesn't understand how to broadcast it. They may know broadcasting but they don't know broadcasting hockey. If they are going after your entertainment dollars, they should at least use technology properly and make it as exciting as possible. Even CBC with their fuzzy analog NTSC signal without HDTV is much more enjoyable to watch than Fox Sports Detroit broadcasts.

With the Detroit Red Wings being one of the premiere teams in the NHL, the product they put on the ice is usually above average but the product they put on TV is definitely sub par at best. They could increase their fan base if only they elevated their broadcast to match their level of play.

That is my stand, what's yours.

Human Side of the Gulf Oil Explosion

2010-05-05T06:31:00.014-04:00

What is taking so long to cap the oil well?

I know it is 5000' below the surface but surely they must have known the possibility that an event like this was possible. No amount of resources or politics should stand in the way of capping this well.

President Obama visited the Louisiana Coastline the other day to get briefed and to give his "expert" opinion of what needs to be done. As a community organizer, he is great at holding meetings, blaming someone else and throwing someone under the bus. Everyone keeps looking for someone to blame. It is not time for blame, it is time for action.

News media have all moved people on site to report the latest stories about how disastrous this will be for Louisiana, Alabama and Florida citizens when the oil reaches the shoreline. They can't wait to compare it to Hurricane Katrina. They are interviewing fishermen talking about the impending affects on the region.

What about the 11 men who disappeared?

I know this will have huge economic repercussions for a long time and I know that we will be paying BP's costs for years to come in higher gas prices but one element is missing in all of these stories. The human one.

What about the 11 men who disappeared at sea?

210,000 gallons of crude oil are leaking into the Gulf of Mexico every day and something needs to be done immediately. Something should have been done the day it happened. There should have been contingency plans in place for such a disaster. And there were but politics reared its ugly head.

So what about the 11 men who disappeared.

Usually the media has photographs of these men the day it happens! They usually have company bios of each of the missing men but not this time. Why? We haven't heard a mention about them. Who were they? How old were they? Did they have family? Where are they from? Nothing except a passing mention that 11 men are missing.

And don't call this an oil spill. I may spill a glass of milk, this is an oil leak of major proportions, not a spill. This will have devastating affects of the entire U.S. economy for years to come and BP will probably get their hand slapped and a small fine.

I am sure that, as a result of this disaster, off shore drilling will be set back at least 50 years and the environmental wackos will be reciting their talking points.

But what about the 11 men who perished?

The media once again is losing its focus and trying to make the news rather than report it as journalists.

That is my stand on this tragedy, what's yours?

Mainstream Media's Faux Pas!

2010-05-03T10:41:00.005-04:00

Have you ever wondered what Toyota did to deserve the kind of negative press they have been receiving lately? What have they been doing for the last 20 to 25 years that they received all of the great praise and support? Has Toyota always been that good? Has any other car company been fairly judged when compared to Toyota? What part does the media play in elevating Toyoto quality? Has Toyota been receiving favors from the press? Have they discovered a great marketing tool in media relationships? Do they really deserve their claim of greatness?

These are questions that should to be asked. Questions about the role a JD Power and Associates plays in raising Toyoto to emperor-like status. And the media, when talking about runaway Toyota's, never mentions that Lexus has the same problem. It is always Toyota this and Toyota that but the very first vehicle with "unintended acceleration" was a Lexus. Four people died in that San Diego tragedy. But the media always says Toyota.

I know that Toyota is the parent company but you never hear them advertise a Toyota Lexus. It is always Lexus. A stand alone franchise wholly owned by Toyota.

Unintended acceleration and a poor braking system are problems for both Toyota and Lexus, not just Toyota.

So what role of responsibility does the media have in reporting Toyota and Lexus? Do they really play favorites?

As a well known politician who should know biased reporting would say, "You betcha!"

We know how the media treats politicians. They are either for or against. It is either Fox or the rest of them. Newspapers, once the bastion of integrity, are either conservative or liberal, for or against. Very few present both sides of an issue. Happily I think the Oakland Press does that. Is the rest of the mainstream media just printing information from press releases? Where have all the journalist gone? How could this happen to their beloved Toyota?

The answer is simply that it was Toyota's turn in the box! Everybody gets a turn in the box and Toyota has avoided it for many many years, mostly thanks to the mainstream media. Who's turn will it be next? BMW? Mercedes? VW? Nissan? GM? Ford? Maybe it should be the Media's turn in the box! Maybe the media needs a time out!

In many people's opinion, the NY Times selected John McCain to run against Barack Obama because they felt Obama had a better chance to beat RINO McCain in an election by editorials supporting McCain. Once the McCain won the primaries, the NY Times turned on him like a caged lion.

It is time for the media to stop playing king maker and start reporting the news. Period. Plain and simple: report the news. No taking sides, just solid old fashion journalism.

That is my opinion and my stand, what is yours?

Arizona Citizenship Law!

2010-04-29T18:24:00.009-04:00

Don't call it an immigration law because it is not an immigration law. It is simply a citizenship verification law. It is not a law against illegals, it is a law for citizenship validation. If you are Hispanic and a citizen, there is nothing to worry about. Many Hispanic speaking citizens in Arizona support the law. Why? Because they are legal. They paid their dues and became legal through whatever process they had to go through. Whether is was done legally or through previous illegal alien resident forgiveness programs, they are now legal.

When I first came to this country, I worked for a Canadian company for four years in the U.S. before I finally became legal, although I was never illegal. I paid Canadian taxes until I got my green card and then began paying U.S. taxes. I had access to all privileges afforded a U.S. citizen except the right to vote and become president, although that seems to have changed recently. I was even eligible for the draft and would have gone had I been drafted because if you want to live here, you have to abide by all of the laws.

When I became a citizen, I was the only English speaking person being sworn in that day. I was the only person who was able to speak the language.

I am in favor of the Arizona law and salute the governor for having the courage to sign it into law. Even John McCain, a RINO, is in favor of the law. I am also in favor of making it mandatory that in order to become a citizen, you must speak, read and write basic English.

Why all the hoopla is beyond me? When politics rears its ugly head, we all lose. Arizona will no more be a police state than any other state. The only difference is that Arizona is finally attempting to take care of the illegal immigration situation that is draining their economy and state budget. The Federal Government refuses to do what it is constitutionally mandated to do. Protect our borders.

Mexico, which annually deports more illegal aliens than the United States does, has much to teach us about how it handles the immigration issue. Under Mexican law, it is a felony to be an illegal alien in Mexico.

We should learn a lesson from Mexico and make it a felony to be an illegal alien.

It should be a felony to hire an illegal and it should be enforced.

If you took a survey of all the road construction companies you would probably find out that the majority of Hispanics employed are illegal. It is time to act.

That is my stand, what's yours?

Business Ethics Gone Missing!

2010-04-28T12:55:00.006-04:00

Looking for a job for many Michigan residents is a full time event these days with the unemployment rate ranging from 12 to 30% depending on different economists opinions.

People are applying for jobs they would never have even considered two years ago. If you made $50 an hour last year, you may be offered $10 an hour for the same work.

Some employers are taking advantage of the soft job market. Companies are coming to Michigan and salivating about hiring (taking advantage of) some of the most talented people in their field.

There is something missing with the current crop of human resources professionals and that is their total lack of professionalism.Their lack of common courtesy. Their lack of business ethics. Their lack of respect for human beings.

And it is not just small independent business that lack these qualities, it seems to be almost universal these days.

I am sure some companies treat people who apply for positions with respect but I have not seen it personally, nor have I heard about it from any of my friends or associates seeking employment.

It used to be a standard policy among most companies, when someone applied for a job to send acknowledgement and receipt of the application. No more.

If you were fortunate enough to receive a call back and attend a second interview, you would be notified about the outcome of that interview. No more!

When someone was hired for the position, you used to receive a polite and pleasant notice that the position went to another person. No more!

Either most companies lack proper business etiquette or our universities are failing to educate their human resources majors in the importance of business relationships and respect for human beings.

Companies like Lowe's and Home Depot, although they have computers in their stores for applicants to apply or offer "online" applications don't even send a response that acknowledges receipt of the application. An "auto response" would be simple but it never happens.

When you click "send" it goes into cyberspace and a job applicant is left in virtual limbo.

Smaller companies are also at fault. Yes, I know that for every job there are hundreds of applicants but an email or a form letter is not expensive to send.

Many Michigan residents are hurting and just need a little respect. A note to say "thank you" for your application can go a long way to building a company's reputation and turning a potential customer into a loyal customer.

Let's bring back solid business ethics and decency.

That is my stand, what is yours?

Listen up!

2010-04-22T23:10:00.011-04:00

I should say right from the start that I consider myself independently conservative . Periodically, when I have the time or when I am driving somewhere, I listen to conservative talk radio . Just for kicks I try to listen to liberal talk radio every now and then when I can find it just to see or hear where they are coming from.

What bugs me about many conservative radio hosts, and I lump in Limbaugh and Hannity in that group, is that they are terrible listeners. Many times I agree with their message and monologue, although Hannity repeats himself way too much. Sometimes he reminds me of a drunk sitting at a bar telling the same story over and over.

This evening as I was driving home after a late day I happened to listen to Mark Levin. Three things about Levin that really bug me is that he screams all the time, constantly insults his listeners and he always sounds angry. It doesn't matter if a listener is calling in to agree with him or not, he is down right rude. He reminds me of the quintessential rude New Yorker. He may be as brilliant as he claims but his mannerisms are way beyond acceptable.

Now Limbaugh and Hannity are not rude to their listeners, except that Limbaugh never takes a call for the first hour and a half. They only hear what they want but they usually let a person speak his or her piece. They just don't listen well.

It is a different problem with Mitch Albom. As soon as he and Kenny start to talk over each other, I am on to a different radio station.

On the other hand, listening to Frank Beckman (WJR 9:00 am to noon) is such a listening pleasure. Frank, a self proclaimed conservative, listens well, always shows respect for his guests and listeners, lets liberals have their say before rebutting them and has what is probably the "best informed audience on radio." I have many times thought that he should choke his guest for the statement they make but Frank treats them all with respect and I find myself applauding him for his sense of decency, his upbringing and his manners.

So here is my advice to talk radio hosts. Follow the Frank Beckman mold. Be knowledgeable and on top of the news. Don't scream, ever. Don't insult every guest or listener, just the ones who truly deserve it. When someone is talking either cut him or her off before speaking or wait, don't speak over them. And most importantly listen carefully.

What do Golf and Politics have in Common?

2010-04-18T21:44:00.012-04:00

What do you get when you cross a golfer with a politician? You either end up with an politician who has ethics and integrity or you end up with a cheating golfer.

What happened on Sunday, April 18th, 2010 at Hilton Head,SC during the final round of The Heritage Golf Tournament is a lesson from which the world would benefit.

During the sudden death playoff between Jim Furyk of the U.S.A. and Brian Davis of the U.K., Davis' second shot ended in the natural bunker , just below the hole. Furyk's shot ended on the green about 30 feet from the hole. Furyk putted first because he was away. He came within a few feet of the hole. A simple 4 foot putt to get his par.

Meanwhile, Davis studied his next shot. Since his ball was in a bunker, he had to treat it like a sand trap. Once in a trap, your club face cannot have any contact with anything but the ball and sand when you swing to hit the ball. You cannot touch anything with the club. You can take a practice swing but it cannot come in contact with anything. That is the rule.

Davis lined up with the ball three or four times to try to visualize his shot. He climbed out of the bunker to look for a landing spot, then he went back to the bunker to line it up one final time. He lined it up one more time and during his back swing slightly brushed a dead piece of seaweed and he struck the ball, it flew out of the trap and landed on the green about 25 feet from the hole. All he had to do was sink the putt for par. Not an easy putt by any means but sinkable.

He did the unthinkable for the average golfer. He called a penalty on himself. He didn't hesitate for a second and immediately called for PGA Tour rules official Slugger White.

He said he didn't know for sure that his club came in contact with the seaweed on his back swing but his golf ethics said he had to say something. Replay the first time was inconclusive as was the second. Upon close inspection, something so close that even the image had to be magnified to verify. If the club did come in contact with seaweed, even on the back swing, it would mean a two stroke penalty and loss of the tournament.

The club did indeed very slightly touch the seaweed on his back stroke and he was assessed a two stroke penalty. Jim Furyk won the tournament but the class of Brian Davis and his ethics will be talked about in the golf world for years to come.

"It was classed as a loose impediment," said Davis. "Shouldn't have hit it in the hazard. What can you do? It's one of those things we all live by. Live by the rules."

So what do you get when you cross Bill Davis with a politician, you just might end up with an honest politician. Can you ever fathom a politician calling a penalty on himself. Live by the rules is not a politician's mantra, circumvent the rules is more like it.

Hats off to Brian Davis for calling a penalty on himself and thanks for the lesson of honesty and the courage. His parents certainly must be proud.

So what do Golf and Politics have in common? NOTHING, absolutely NOTHING!

Last Chance for Dems and GOP!

2010-04-15T16:25:00.003-04:00

Watching politics during the past 30 years has, at times, made me nauseous, to say the least. Whether Republicans or Democrats are in power, they have failed the American people. The only element that has been consistent is the constant name calling and failure to put the American people first.

Neither party is without fault. Democrats, on the liberal side, see no harm in opening their bank accounts to some very small but boisterous special interest groups and lobbyists.

Republicans, with their “better than ya’ll” attitude have failed to provide leadership when given the opportunity, have demonstrated that money is their key alley and hide behind the definition of conservative politics.

To watch their constant back and forth bickering and never putting the needs and wants of the American people in their sights is felonious at best. If there ever is a reason for term limits on the Federal level, these politicians we send to Washington are prime examples. If two terms is good enough for the President, two-terms, or at most, 8 years should be the maximum for any Congressman or Senator and then they should be banned from serving in the government forever and as lobbyists for at least 10 years. Age limit should be 75 years old and out!

Pundits will say we would have novices running the country. If you can’t learn your job in 6 months, you should be fired anyway. There is not a company that would keep you around after 6 months; most will give you 90 days to learn your job. But our elected officials get 30 and 40 years to learn the ins and outs of how to circumvent good government for their own benefit.

After Term Limits, we should reform our election process and limit the amount of money a candidate can spend on his or her election campaigns. A “level the playing field” measure bringing politics back to the grass roots level. Remember by the people, for the people, of the people? It is currently “by the extremely wealthy, for the totally corrupt, of the greedy” or as they say in Washington for “me, myself and I”.

The political leaders of our country are driving voters away from both the Republican and Democratic parties. They should pay more attention to voters and less attention to their parties and lobbyists. We will eventually win and elect actual leaders to take control away from the left and right.

The Republicans say that a third party will just empower the Democrats and give them victory. I say great because the Democrats will screw it up so bad that a third party will eventually win and then, maybe, we can move forward with less government regulations and interference. Fewer taxes, less out of control spending, fewer backroom deals, less pork projects, less waste and minimal bureaucratic BS and mostly fewer lawyers.

If the Republicans (read Conservatives) gain control and don’t perform to our desires, we will have a third party by 2014. The American people need to keep their eyes on Washington and hold them accountable.

What will Republicans do?

2010-04-10T06:46:00.011-04:00

Assuming the November elections go the way many people think they will go and Republicans gain a majority in the House and the Senate, the questions becomes, "What will Republicans do with their majority?"

Will they repeal Health Care reform? Will they really stop all earmarks? Will they close Guantanamo Bay? Will they propose their own stimulus bill? Will they come out with their own wasteful jobs bill? Will they truly lead us out of this recession? Or will they just drink the koolaid as in the past and become more like the current majority party? So many questions, so little time.

The possibility of the Republicans repealing Health Care, in my opinion, is slim and none. Once these bills are passed into law, they are very difficult to repeal. I don't know any politician with the fortitude to follow through with repeal. They might talk a good game, remember Obama talked a great game, but actions speak louder than words.

The reality of the situation is that Health Care reform is probably here to stay, like it or not. So what Republicans need to do is fix it.

They claimed that Obama, Pelosi and Reid shut them out of the process. It is time to take the high road and prove to the American people that they can truly lead for the good of all people. It is time to rewrite the Health Care Bill into a bipartisan bill that it should have been. Incorporate Republican ideas, throw out some of the stupid ideas and keep the good stuff. Put in across state line purchasing, put in tort reform of some kind, clean up some of the language, cut the bill to less than 1,000 pages and make it understandable to the average citizen. After all, the average citizen is the one the bill is supposed to be helping. Make it user friendly, not lawyer complicated.

My Dad used to say when you have a problem, write down all possible solutions, then write down what problem each solution causes because there are always side affects. When you have that, crumple up the paper on which you wrote everything because the best answer is always the simplest one that you had in the first place. Let's apply the KISS method to government. Keep It Simple Stupid, not Keep It Stupid Simple.

My hope is that the Republicans will lead but for that to happen, a leader has to be identified from within the Republican Party and that hasn't happened yet. Republicans can't let the New York Times select its next Presidential candidate, like last time.

That's my opinion and stand, what's yours?

Feeling Bad for Illinois Citizens!

2010-04-05T18:07:00.012-04:00

I was channel surfing the other day and happened to catch Celebrity Apprentice, where "B" list celebrities join Donald Trump on a television program in an attempt to raise money for their favorite charities. It is almost entertaining but a worthwhile cause. What caught my eye was the fact that former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was one of the celebrities and he was selected as Team Leader for this particular task.

Intrigued, I decided to watch. The more I watched the more I felt sorry for the people of Illinois. Here was their former disgraced governor displaying to the world and probably the other 12 people who were watching with me, a level of incompetence that was so complete I felt sorry for him.

Here was a man who was in charge of his state as governor and he didn't even know how to use a cell phone, let alone a computer. He didn't know how to text, fax, make a phone call with his iPhone, email or even turn on a computer. It showed just how much he depended on someone do everything for him. I couldn't believe that someone could be that technology challenged. I know many elderly people who at least know how to use a cell phone, some email and a little Facebook but this was a level of incompetence that is subterranean.

I am not saying that an elected official should be a technology expert but they claim to be experts in every other field as a matter of fact. A minuscule amount of technology knowledge should be mandatory. Makes me wonder what our governor knows or doesn't know. Actually, it scares the hell out of me.

And then he spoke. Always answering questions with the usual skill of a politician, always talking for extended periods of time without actually saying anything.

When asked by Donald Trump to explain his managerial style, he attempted to defend his lack of knowledge with rambling answers and never making sense.

If he is an example of politicians who are running our country or our state, God help us.

In the end, Donald Trump said, "Rod, you're fired." It was music to my ears.

Think I am being too harsh, Celebrity Apprentice is run again on Friday evening on CNBC from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Watch it and let me know your stand.

The Concern about Meatless Day

2010-04-01T07:26:00.007-04:00

What is all of the screaming and shouting about a meatless day? People are writing letters to the editor, calling everyone who has an opinion about it names. It is becoming rediculous.

Catholics have gone meatless on Friday's for centuries, for all I know since the beginning of organized religion. As a kid growing up in a predominantly Catholic family, we always had fish on Friday. People choose to go meatless everyday. Diets have changed to eat less meat because of the Mad Cow scare. People are just choosing to eat healthier. But do we need to proclaim a special day Meatless?

Did the Governor have to proclaim a certain day to be "Meatless" day? That seems to be the concern. She got on her bully pulpit and announced to the media that a certain Saturday was going to be Meatless Day. She once again embarrassed all Michigan residents when the national media made fun of her and all Michiganians.

L.Brooks Patterson got involved because he felt that it was inappropriate for the governor to proclaim a day meatless, not because he was playing petty politics. Many people offered their opinion claiming that it is their perogotive to eat meat or not eat meat. They are missing the point.

The point is that it never should have come out of the governor's mouth. She should never have proclaimed a day to be "Michigan Meatless Day." That is all.

Our government has bigger fish to fry (pardon the pun) than proclaim a Meatless Day.

That is my opinion, what is yours?

Re-gaining our Trust

2010-03-26T17:34:00.007-04:00

When trust is lost it takes a long time before it is re-gained, if ever. You know the scenario, a wife or husband have an affair and it takes years before they will trust each other again, if ever.

A friend double crosses you and you stop talking to him or her forever. Can you rebuild his or her trust? Can you ever really be comfortable trusting them again?

Or a son or daughter gets caught or busted drinking and driving and you, as a parent, will forever be skeptical about their driving again. Every time they go out, you get on edge and you don't sleep. You don't quite know how to react until you see them home safe and sound.

Trust is something that is earned, and you don't earn it overnight. So then the question becomes "How can we trust the Republican Party to do right after the way they acted the last time they had a majority?"

We know that we cannot trust the Democratic Party based on how they lied, cheated and stole to pass the Health Care Bill. We really know that we cannot trust Obama, Reid, Pelosi, Frank, Shumer or just about any Democrat but are the Republicans deserving of our trust?

You earn trust by actions, not be words. Words are cheap and have no value when it comes to judging trust. As President Obama once said, "Words, just words." Actions can be the only true judge when it comes to trust.

Republicans have to act. They not only have to talk the talk, they have to walk the walk. They need to stop being politicians and start being human beings. Being Americans. For the people. By the people. Of the people.

Republicans don't have much time to demonstrate their trustworthiness. They have between now and November to lead by their actions.

I live by a basic rule. Question authority! Question everything and believe what your heart and brain tell you. And trust no one in politics unless they prove worthy.

That is my stand, what is yours?

Wrong about Democrats!!!

2010-03-22T08:48:00.019-04:00

I was wrong about Democrats! There I said it. I didn't think they had the courage , lack of morals and ethics or the will to pass the Obamacare Health Care Bill. I didn't believe they could sell out America so easily with such disregard for public opinion.

Conservative experts predicted that Michigan Democrat Congressman Bart Stupak would cave to Pelosi and Obama. He never caved. He was just grandstanding to get a reputation by pretending to have principles. He dropped his supposed opposition and any principles he allegedly held and voted "YES" on Health care. In October, he told a gathering in Cheboygan that even if he didn't get his abortion language in, he was still going to vote for health care. He was pretending to be against Federally funded murder of the unborn. He received an Executive Order promise from Obama that federal funds would not be used for abortion but it does not have validity as is with most of Obama's government. Would you trust anything that President Obama promises? He has made and broken so many in the last year alone but that is just Chicago-style politics. Tell them anything they want to hear and do what the hell you want to do anyway.

Ethics don't count if you are a Democrat because I believe they have a total lack of them. The Democrats knew all along they had Stupak in the fold and were just trying to appear as though they were working hard to pass it. They were playing Political Theatre with the American public as the audience. Stupak and the Dems were and still are playing us.

Free health care for anywhere from 10 million to 26 million illegal immigrants, depending on to whom you listen, is in the works and all taxpayers get to pay for it. Ten years of tax increases for 6 years of health care doesn't sound like reform. Drug companies, Democratic alleys, will be the big winners. Watch their market shares rise.

This bill will be good for unemployment, as long as you want to work for the Federal Government because it will create the largest bureaucratic agency in government. The efficiency of the Postal System will be the envy of this new department. They will more than likely be the epitome of incompetence and the taxpayers will have to pay for it. 12,000 new IRS agents to monitor your every move is just part of the reform.

Reports state that most taxpayers have to work until August 15 to pay their taxes. Just a few years ago, it was until May 15th. But that will change, it will now probably change to October 15 before you get to keep any money.

And did Congress sign up for this Health Care Bill? No, they exempted themselves from any participation or penalties from their Cadillac plan.

November is going to loom larger than ever now that this bill is going to be signed into law. We now know exactly who to vote out in November. Unfortunately, Michigan is traditionally a Democratically held state with the many union members blindly following their leaders. It is time for people to remember this in November and vote anyone out who voted for this bill.

That is my stand on the Health Care reform bill, what is yours?

Raises for ALL!

2010-03-18T07:40:00.007-04:00

Why hold it to 3% when we can give all of our government employees 7% or maybe even 10%? The recent events in Lansing allowing a 3% raise for UNION employees to occur on Oct. 1 is just another example of how out of touch Michigan legislatures really are. I know it is ONLY $43 million but it still adds up unless it is taxpayers money, then it doesn't seem to matter. They are acting more like Washington every day.

With unemployment in the high teens, although they will quickly point out that the numbers are dropping, they continue to feed from the public trough. The only reason unemployment appears to be going down is because of people giving up or people like me who are self employed or self-unemployed and are not counted among the unemployed. Michigan has one of the largest Freelance communities in the country and when work disappears, these Freelance people go without. They don't collect unemployment benefits, they don't get to be counted among the statistics, they just try to find alternative employment. They still have to pay their own health care insurance, mortgages, car loans, you name it.

They cut back in expenses. They stop going out to dinner or the movies. They trim their budgets to reflect their loss of revenue. Unlike Lansing legislatures, who in times of loss revenue, take or give a pay increase. Doesn't Lansing know that their revenues are down? Why can't they realize they have to make cuts? What is wrong with these people? Are they so stupid they can't see this coming? Or are they just so arrogant that they think we won't notice? Don't they know the difference? People are hurting but they just continue as if nothing has happened.

This Lansing and Washington elitist attitude disgusts me and come November, we need to remember who is doing what to whom?

Taking Advantage of the System

2010-03-17T07:53:00.006-04:00

You can be sure that if I or someone else claimed to have no money and requested a legal aid lawyer to file an appeal, we would be told to show proof that our family does not have the resources to hire a lawyer. That neither spouse has any money. That both partners are without funds.

If John Conyers is broke, he should not be in Congress representing the people. The man has been in Congress for 50 years, and makes $174,000 per year. How can this couple be broke? Why does the court system allow such flagrant disregard of the couples' finances and supply Monica Conyers with a lawyer at no cost to her or John Conyers. They are making a mockery of the system. Have they no shame.

While hard working people who get into trouble, struggle to pay for their own legal aid, embarrassed to file for government assistance because of the stigma attached to it, Ms. Conyers and her alleged husband, Congressman John Conyers, don't have a problem with it. This is a travesty being played upon the people they supposedly represent.

If they are not married, as it looks from his unwillingness to be seen in public with his convicted felon wife, that is an entirely different case. But all accounts are that they are still married, if only in name.

Let the people who actually need legal aid get it and stop this complete abuse of the system.

Thank is my stand, what is yours?

Politics of FEAR Remain Constant

2010-03-16T07:27:00.017-04:00

It doesn't seem to matter which party is in power. Fear and playing on people's fears make good politics or at least that is how the politicians think.

During the Bush administration, the Democrats were claiming that the President was using FEAR tactics to get and continue funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. They screamed it every time they had an opportunity.

Now that President Obama is using FEAR tactics in an effort to pass his Health Care Bill, it is OK. He is spreading fear every opportunity. Bringing out sick people and telling us all that we are going to all end up like that if we (politicians) don't pass his Health Care reform bill. He is telling us that if we don't act now, in 10 or 15 years, we will not be able to afford to fix it. That time is of the essence.

Remember when we had the gasoline shortage and the people were wondering why we couldn't drill for oil in our own country, in Alaska's Anwr region or off shore. The people said if you start drilling now, in ten years the problem would be over. The Democrats blocked every attempt to "Drill Here, Drill Now" Had we started drilling back in the 1990s, like we would have liked, we would probably have affordable gas now. But the environmentalists, like Al Gore, blocked every attempt to drill and still do using FEAR. We will ruin our landscape. There will be oil rigs on every shore line in the country. It will ruin our forests, kill off vegetation and animal life. What about the caribou?

Why is it OK to use FEAR if you are a Democrat and not if you are a Republican?
I don't think our political system is failing us, the people we have elected are failing us. I think we should vote them all out of office and start over. If you are a lawyer, you should be barred from politics, only real people allowed. People who care about the country, not people with hidden agendas. People who would like to go to Washington for a couple of terms and then hand over government to more willing ethical, morally sound people, not professional politicians.

That is my stand, what is yours.

Health Care Bill Intelligence?

2010-03-14T08:38:00.009-04:00

The Health Care Bill is something that we all know is needed. We all know that some sort of reform is needed. We all know that the current cost of health care insurance is not sustainable. We all know there is enormous profit to be had in health care with our aging baby boomers. Unprecedented levels of profit, to be sure.

So what are our politician thinking? The current Health Care Bill in its present form is a disaster and everyone admits. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, along with President Obama, admit it that it needs fixing, that it is not right, that it is broken and needs fixing. They all claim that they will fix it in Reconciliation. So why are we even thinking about passing it. When was the last time you believed a politician and it didn't happen. Broken promises are the stock and trade of a politician.

This is just like a family with a 1992 Oldsmobile that has 220,000 miles on it. They know it is on its last legs but they can't afford more than $17,500 to replace it. What are they going to do? If you are a politician from Washington, D.C. I know what they would do.

They would propose going out and buying a 1965 Dodge Dart for $10,000, even though they know it is not worth $10,000 that is in need of major repair. Then they would spend an additional $100,000 rebuilding it into a 2020 Crossover vehicle that hasn't even been designed yet. It is not going to happen.

The Health Care Bill is that same type of logic. The family can barely afford the $10,000 to purchase the 1965 Dodge Dart and cannot afford the $100,000 necessary to rebuild it, forget the fact that it is not even designed yet.

What are our politicians thinking? Obviously they are not thinking. It is time to clean Washington, D.C. of everyone who supports this bill and start over.

That is my opinion, what do you think?

Health Care - Who owns the football?

2010-03-10T08:52:00.015-05:00

When Democrats and Republicans face off about the Health Care issue, it is like a bunch of emotionally challenged elementary school kids playing in someone's backyard. He who owns the football, makes the rules.

Currently the Democrats feel they own the ball but there is so much protest about who makes the rules, the other team may just stop playing. Then what is going to happen? The Democrats will have to play with themselves, something for which they are eminently qualified. Taking a stand alone in politics is not anything either party wants because they will have to own their decision and be responsible to the electorate.

What to do with Health Care reform is an enormous problem? All agree that some measure of reform is needed but not to the extent of Obamacare. How do we handle the Health Care dilemma?

Will the Democrats produce a health care bill that contains true reform or just the self-serving gigantic bill currently being offered? If the Republicans had the majority, would they bring forth a series of reform bills that address the problems with health care? It seems that men still control the health insurance industry and have many politicians in their back pockets.

When Viagra is available to prison inmates for free and as a co-pay for men but birth control is not covered under most insurance programs, there is a problem. When malpractice insurance costs doctors so much that they have to practice defensive medical policies, there is a problem. When courts award millions of dollars in damages instead of what should be realistically awarded, there is a problem. When insurance is managed by the individual states and not available to people outside of the state, there is a problem. When congress gets their insurance, a Cadillac insurance, for FREE, and we the taxpayer foots the entire bill, there is a problem. When the President refuses to listen to the people, there is a problem.

We know we need reform but which party will actually have the courage to enact true reform, not their government mandated 2,600 page bloated, over the top, HB 3200 currently being discussed. I don't believe either party is capable of enacting real reform for health care alone so let's go back to putting America back to work because Health Care is not going to happen. When are they going to stop playing politics with health care and actually start doing something?

Now you know where I stand, what is your take?

Just more government waste

2010-03-10T06:25:00.009-05:00

Have you ever seen anything more wasteful than our Federal Government?

I received, as I am sure every American household received, a letter from the Census Bureau. It was very official looking, almost looked like a regular direct mail piece than normally gets thrown away with the rest of the junk mail we receive. It had a Presorted First Class stamp paid by the Census Bureau.

The opening paragraph read, "About one week from now, you will receive a 2010 Census form in the mail. When you receive your form, please fill it out and mail it promptly."

Don't you think that after their wasteful Public Service Announcements on the Super Bowl and on many TV programs that it would have been much more economical to just mail out the Census form?

I know they are trying to support another one of their failed enterprises, the U.S. Postal Service but the printing, handling, sorting, and mailing alone had to cost the already over burdened U.S. Taxpayer a couple of hundred million. But it is not real money, it is only taxpayers money. It is time the U.S. Government stop trying to support their failing business with their own failing mismanaged business.

The U.S. Census is estimated to cost over $10 Billion, why not start all that alleged saving of government waste now. Why wait for congress to pass some other useless expensive bureaucratic spending cut law that will only waste more money.

I can't wait until the Obama Administration passes the Health Care Reform, if they say it will cost less than $1 Trillion, you can bet it will cost many more Trillions of Dollars.

Now you know where I stand, where do you stand?

An open letter to the President

2010-03-07T08:41:00.008-05:00

I received this in my email and decided to check out the validity and found it to be true. The author is a retired Proctor and Gamble vice president. Read it for yourself.

Dear President Obama:

You are the thirteenth President under whom I have lived and unlike any of the others, you truly scare me.

You scare me because after months of exposure, I know nothing about you.

You scare me because I do not know how you paid for your expensive Ivy League education and your upscale lifestyle and housing with no visible signs of support.

You scare me because you did not spend the formative years of youth growing up in America, and culturally you are not an American.

You scare me because you have never run a company or met a payroll.

You scare me because you have never had military experience, thus don't understand it at its core.

You scare me because you lack humility and class, always blaming others.

You scare me because for over half your life you have aligned yourself with radical extremists who hate America and you refuse to publicly denounce these radicals who wish to see America fail.

You scare me because you are a cheerleader for the blame America crowd and deliver this message abroad.

You scare me because you want to change America to a European style country where the government sector dominates instead of the private sector.

You scare me because you want to replace our health care system with a government controlled one.

You scare me because you prefer 'wind mills' to responsibly capitalizing on our own vast oil, coal and shale reserves.

You scare me because you want to kill the American capitalist goose that lays the golden egg which provides the highest standard of living in the world.

You scare me because you have begun to use extortion' tactics against certain banks and corporations.

You scare me because your own political party shrinks from challenging you on your wild and irresponsible spending proposals.

You scare me because you will not openly listen to or even consider opposing points of view from intelligent people.

You scare me because you falsely believe that you are both omnipotent and omniscient.

You scare me because the media gives you a free pass on everything you do.

You scare me because you demonize and want to silence the Limbaugh’s, Hannity’s, O'Reilly’s and Beck’s who offer opposing, conservative points of view.

You scare me because you prefer controlling over governing.

Finally, you scare me because if you serve a second term I will probably not feel safe in writing a similar letter in 8 years.

Lou Pritchett

Mr. Pritchett is a former vice-president of Proctor and Gamble whose career at that company spanned 36 years before his retirement in 1989 and he is the author of the 1995 business book, Stop Paddling and Start Rocking the Boat.

Race to the Bottom

2010-03-06T07:56:00.017-05:00

The latest news that Michigan did not qualify for Race to the Top federal funds should not be a surprise to anyone. One leaders continually show us why our state and schools are in such turmoil. They lack character, commitment and action on a timely basis.

County Executive L.Brooks Patterson chastised the Michigan Education Association for not collaborating with the committee who wrote the application. Doug Pratt, communications director for the MEA claimed that the MEA only received a 12-page summary of the application, rather than the more than 600-page application and were asked to sign-off on it without any details. But on the Paul W. Smith show on WJR-AM radio on Friday, Iris K. Salters, president of the MEA claimed it was just a 5-page summary. They should at least get their stories straight.

Whether it was a 5-page or a 12-page summary or the entire application was made available is only part of the problem. The real problem is the lack of action on a timely basis. The committee wasted so much time bickering back and forth that they didn't produce any results on a timely basis. The deadline was upon them and they were still lacking an application or support.

Just like the Michigan legislature trying to enact a budget on a timely basis. They wait until the very last minute before they even consider doing something.

The real problem is that everyone is to blame but politics being politics no one accepts any responsibility for their actions or lack of actions.

The school system in Michigan is broken and needs fixing. It is not a funding problem, it is a spending problem and it is this writer's opinion that parental involvement is and will be the best remedy.

Parental involvement is the key to all successful students but we may need to teach parents how to be parents. Far too many are absent from their children's education. Far too many think schools should raise their children during the day. Far too many don't know how to be responsible parents.

If more parents were involved they would demand that school districts to be more efficient; they would demand an end to the waste; they would demand school districts spend more than the current 15% on their children; they would demand reform. It is estimated that 85% of all school funds go to salaries, benefits and administration of non-academic activities.

But school districts don't encourage parental involvement and don't spend any funds trying to improve parental involvement. Sure they pay lip service to it but they really don't want it. It is time that parents get more involved in their kids lives, maybe have a little less extra curricular activities and put a little more emphases on academics.

I know the economy is bad and that many parents are unemployed. Rather than sit around the house between looking for employment, get involved in your kids education. It doesn't have to cost a penny and the results could be amazing.

That is my stand, what's yours?

Extending Unemployment Benefits, Again!

2010-03-02T19:27:00.009-05:00

On February 23, 2009 - The White House: "The pay-go approach is based on a very simple concept. You don't spend what you don't have. So if we want to spend, we'll need to find somewhere else to cut," the president said at the White House Fiscal Responsibility Summit. "This is the rule that families across this country follow every single day, and there's no reason why their government shouldn't do the same."

The country is in a tizzy because Senator Jim Bunning, who is retiring after his term is over this year, took a stand for "Pay-go". Being the lone hold out vote to extend unemployment benefits another unfathomable amount of time has caused many to ask when is enough, enough? Some states now have unemployment benefits as long as 99 weeks. That's almost two years. Somebody has to pay for it.

Bunning is not being a hero, he is being your typical politician. Didn't have the courage to say no during the spending spree of George W. Bush because he wanted to get re-elected. Now that he is not running for office, he has found the courage. This is typical of Washington politicians and exemplifies what is wrong with this political system. This illustrates why term limits need to be instituted in Washington, although we all know that they never will.

We have heard all of the stories that it hurts the people who need help the most and I feel for them but it is not about the unemployed. It is about spending money we don't have. They could easily cut some entitlement program that wastes money left and right. Cut some money out of ACORN's budget. Cut foreign aide to countries that abuse human rights. Cut out a couple of pork projects, like the Jack Murtha Airport in Pennsylvania. There are probably a million places to cut but no one wants to do any serious work in Washington. They just want to spend.

Spend all you want, just make sure you cut the same amount out of the budget. If you don't have it, don't spend it.

Enough with the SPENDING is my stand, what's yours?

Thank You, CANADA!

2010-03-01T06:44:00.006-05:00

Wow! As a Canadian living in the states, I have never been more proud of Canada. Canadians displayed such style, grace, friendliness, kindness and creativity during the 21st Winter Olympic games.

From the moment the opening ceremonies began with whales swimming across the field (water) to the curling and the hockey game (it is only called "Ice" hockey in the states) between Team Canada and Team U.S.A., the people of Canada made all Canadians throughout the world proud.

Even NBC's coverage, at times, almost seemed as if it were produced by a Canadian.

As many Canadians know, they even apologized for always saying, "Sorry". Sorry we didn't have more snow, sorry it rained, sorry we sent you Jennifer Granholm.

Their sense of humour (Canadian spelling) showed in the closing ceremony with the fourth cauldron finally being raised.

During these trying times in the states, it was nice to have a reprieve from reality. Thank you Canada.

Health Care Showdown Partisanship Continues

2010-02-24T07:39:00.008-05:00

With the Obama White House Health Care seminar coming to a screen near you, the degree of misinformation is elevated to proportions of astonishing heights.

The Democrats claim it is going to be an open ended discussion with the opportunity to have Republican input. Republicans claim it is a closed ended game of political positioning by the Democrats because they have already finalized the bill without any input from them.

The only thing upon which both parties agree is that Health Care needs reform. That is where it begins and that is where it stops. Neither party is willing to give an inch of their territory. Neither party is really willing to negotiate or compromise. Neither party is willing to listen to the other side.

To be fair the Republicans have been barred from many closed door meetings by the Democrats. The Democrats had enough votes to pass the bill but failed because they don't have the courage of their convictions. They don't want to take the blame for the fiasco the bill claims to fix. They don't want to be held responsible for their own voting record.

The Republicans, on the other hand, claim they were shut out of the Democratic process by the Democrats. They claim that none of their ideas are included in the bill. They can't even get a vote on their ideas or suggestions.

I ask you what would the difference be if the Republicans were the majority power? Would they have the courage to tackle the Health Care mess? Would they shut the Democrats out? Would they mirror the Democrats actions?

They did in the previous decade when they had the majority control. What makes us think they will be different this time? Should they become the majority party after the November elections we will have to wait and see.

They now know that the public is looking for major reform on Health Care, on entitlements, on illegal immigration, on government deficit spending, on balancing the budget, among the many other actions required to numerous to list here.

They may get their chance but I guarantee it will be their last chance to get it right before a viable third party arises from the ashes of government to challenge both parties.

Many Americans don't like the way government is being run and want to see someone take the lead, but neither Republicans nor Democrats have any real leaders. As Lee Iaccoca said in his book, "Where have all the leaders gone?" We have nothing but bullys and tacticians in government and no one has any experience in the real world of business.

That is my take of the current situation, what is yours?

Political Expectancy

2010-02-18T06:51:00.005-05:00

How informed do your elected officials have to be?

Have you ever noticed when someone runs for an elective office, they get asked so many questions and they are supposed to know everything? They are supposed to, all of a sudden, be the expert.

Why does a person running for office feel he or she has to be the smartest person in the room? What makes them so intelligent that they are not allowed to say, "I don't know?" What is wrong with saying, "Let me research an answer to your question and get back to you."

What are you going to do about the recession? The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq? The unemployment problem? Gays in the Military? Immigration? Climate change? Abortion? Prolife or Prochoice? Energy? Nuclear? Coal Plants? Offshore drilling? The Asian carp? The deficit?

To me, if you have answers to everything, you probably shouldn't be a public servant. If I am the smartest person in the room, the room is more than likely filled with not very smart people. We should know how to find smarter people.
I recently attended a political forum and the questions asked of the people running for office were amazing. Rather than ask how they were going to win the election; how they were going to beat their opponent; how they were going to defeat an incumbent. The audience wanted to know their positions on a number of irrelevant subjects as if they were running to replace God. They were the party nominee so it wasn't a case of issues or party platform.

Politicians need to have the mettle to say "I don't know" or "I haven't completely formed my opinion on that issue" or "I haven't investigated that issue yet." I would be more likely to listen to a politician give me an honest answer than a line of BS that goes on and on without answering the question. Why do we feel they should have all of the answers?

I watched Barbara Walters interview Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown on This Week a while ago and she asked him if he would support a certain issue and he said, No." He didn't go on, he just said, "No." No long dissertation on why he said no. No explanation, she was asked a pointed question and the answer was no. No dancing or evading the question, just "No."

Can you ever imagine President Obama answering a question with one word? Or for that matter any Senator or Congressman. They know everything, at least they think they do. They are the "Experts of ALL." They know more of what is right for you than you do. You are the idiot for thinking for yourself. Leave it to them because they are smarter than everyone else.

It is time to take back politics from professional politicians and let normal average citizens do the job. We probably can't screw it up as bad as it is right now. It is OK to not know everything, to not have a position on everything, to not be the smartest person in the room.

Remember that when you go to the polls in November.

NBC Displays Poor Taste!

2010-02-13T10:13:00.009-05:00

NBCs constantly showing the Georgian luger who was accidentally killed on Friday during practice runs shows how out of touch they are with reality. Don't they know that by repeatedly showing the accident they could be scarring a child for life? Don't they realize that this is not about ratings? They are the only network televising the Olympics! They have displayed a total lack of class and sensitivity.

They showed the accident four times during a two hour broadcast of the Today show this morning. I am sure that when the Olympic telecast starts at 2:00 pm today, they will continue to show their total disregard for life and show it most of the day, over and over. Enough!

Come on NBC, wake up and show some good taste and stop playing the accident. We all feel bad that it happened but replaying it will only disgust most of the viewing public. It is a wonder none of the advertisers haven't complained. If I were a sponsor of the Olympics, I would be demanding NBC stop playing the death of this young athlete. It borders on criminal behavior.

Let NBC know how you feel. Send them an email at: nbcolympicsfeedback@nbcuni.com

That is my stand, what do you think?

Governor Granholm shows her incompetence, AGAIN!

2010-02-12T16:43:00.006-05:00

2010 Michigan budget estimate $45+ billion. 2011 Michigan budget estimate $47+ billion.

What is wrong with that? Everyone in Michigan is cutting expenses and our glorious governor is raising the state budget by over $2 Billion. Her recently proposed budget is just another example of how out of touch our governor and politicians in general are. What part of "CUT" is hard to understand. "CUT" seems pretty simple. Let's try "CUT NOW", not next year.

Cut 10% across the board would save $4.5 billion savings. The state has a $1.8 billion deficit right now. It needs to cut at least $1.8 billion to have a balanced budget so why Governor Granholm is presenting an increase of over $2 billion is beyond my pay grade of comprehension.

She must just be out of her mind.

Remember this in November when we get to vote to replace her.

Positioning for the Future!

2010-02-08T15:46:00.020-05:00

If for one second you think that President Obama, based on his Super Bowl Day interview, is sincere when he says he wants to change politics in Washington, I am afraid that you are going to be extremely disappointed.

Don't you hate it when an administration brings national known news reader from a network like CBS, hands her the questions to ask and pretends it is a news service that they are providing? Did this look like a completely fabricated political maneuver by the administration? This only demonstrates politicians' disdain for the voting public.

The audacity of our President to pay CBS for 15 minutes during the Super Bowl hyped pregame program is, by any standard, manipulative and repulsive. Cash may not have passed hands but I'll bet some heavy political capital was spent to get this very valuable time slot.

In case you missed it, President Obama used the 44th Super Bowl Pregame audience for his latest foray into the world of Chicago Style politics, inviting Republicans to participate in an open nationally televised debate on health care reform. I have some questions. (For his fully speech, copy and paste this CBS News link. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6184114n)

Why now? Why didn't Obama exhibit this degree of leadership when the Democrats began their closed-door meetings on the Health care Bill? Why did it take the Tea Party movement, the governor elections in N.J. and Virgina and the Senate elections in Massachusetts before he decided to maybe, possibly include ideas from Republicans?

So President Obama wants you to believe that he truly wants Republican ideas. That their input is going to count. That this is going to be a strictly bi-partisan committee dedicated to Health care reform.

"If Democrats and Republicans come together in a sensible way, putting everything on the table, not trying to position themselves politically ahead of time, then there's no reason why we can't start putting into place some serious measures that will start lowering the deficit long term" said President Obama. He went on to say that Health care reform is the first major step to reducing the deficit. He says it so believably only after positioning himself and the Democrat party politically.

Will he or Democrats take any Republican ideas seriously? I don't believe so. This was just political posturing at its best before the American people trying to postpone retirement for many Democrats.

Remember to vote in November.

President Obama and CBS Super Bowl Coverage

2010-02-07T16:49:00.002-05:00

Can you believe that President Obama has the gall to pretend to have an interview with Katie Couric during the coverage of the Super Bowl pregame? Unbelievable. Why didn't he wait until half time?

His ego is so large that he has to be center stage everywhere, every time. Using the Super Bowl stage to move his personal agenda and the Democrats is an outrage.

Remember this in November.

What's wrong with Lansing?

2010-02-05T06:29:00.006-05:00

House Bill 5649 (Appropriations: Revise Secretary of State funding ) Introduced by Rep. Kathy Angerer (D) on December 3, 2009. Passed in the House (65 to 41) on February 4, 2010, to restrict the ability of the Secretary of State to reorganize branch office operations, including closing lesser-used offices, by reorganizing the appropriations line item for its branch office funding from a single line item to numerous specific line items.

The Secretary of State, in case you haven't noticed, has been doing an incredible job. She has streamlined many procedures, made offices efficient, brought the offices into the 21st century technology wise, closed many small very expensive offices, created Super Offices and improved employee morale. Yet some people in Lansing are trying to tie her hands behind her back by restricting her activities.

Governor Granholm talked about balancing the budget during her State of the State address but politicians keep trying to pass stupid bills, always increasing the state budget. If they were serious about balancing the budget for next year, they shouldn't wait until September to start talking about it. They should be talking about it starting this week. They should be in session until it is balanced, without taking a spring break, a summer break or any time off until it is balanced. NOW! She should force them to stay in session without taking time off to campaign for re-election. That would get their attention.

Money is tight for everyone, except politicians. They haven't had to cut to survive. They haven't had to skip a meal or go without a roof over their heads as many people as having to do. They haven't lost their cars.

If the Governor really wanted to balance the budget, she should CUT. It is that simple. Eliminate all government vehicles to politicians, suspend all non-essential travel and expenses, reduce or eliminate all non-life sustaining programs, immediately cut all state employee pay (including politicians) by at least 10%, not wait until 2012 as is currently planned. I am not talking about programs that people need to survive, I am talking about programs for the arts (unfortunately), programs to build unnecessary buildings, like the new $145,000,000 Michigan State Police Headquarters in Lansing. (I know it is only $145 million but you have to start somewhere and that is a good start). We have become so jaded by Washington talking about billions and trillions that millions is no longer important. Ten million dollars here and there adds up to real money somewhere down the road, except in politics.

The inefficiency in Lansing is only exceeded by the incompetence of Washington. Remember to vote in November to take our country back from the despots who are ruining it.

Super Bowl Commercial

2010-02-04T09:47:00.011-05:00

What is with all of the hoopla about a Super Bowl commercial featuring a Christian football player? Pro-abortion advocates say it is because Tim Tebow is Pro-life and that CBS has, in the past, refused advocacy commercials. They would be right on both accounts. Why has CBS, in the past, refused advocacy commercials. Probably because they didn't have a solid tie-in with football. What they fail to take into account is that Tim Tebow is a football player who might have an impact on future Super Bowls as a player and interest in him is at an all-time high both because of his football skills and his religious beliefs.

Contrary to what President Obama believes, we are not one of the largest Muslim nations, we are a nation founded on Christian principles, i.e. a Christian nation.

Here is the bottom line. If pro-abortion advocates had been as creative as pro-life advocates, we would be seeing pro-abortion commercials on TV. Tebow is a once-in-a-lifetime personality for pro-life. Timing for the Tebow commercial is spot-on. The only reason pro-abortion advocates are against this is because they don't know how to best it. They can't produce commercials for abortions because an abortion is not something to celebrate as life is.

If pro-abortion advocates can come up with a really good case or message to deliver on the Super Bowl, I am sure CBS would be happy to take their money. Let me give them a hint, it has to tie-in to football and not just some talking head football player telling you about strong women.

And CBS is getting a lot of mileage out of this controversy because of the protests. They could not purchase the amount of FREE publicity that the pro-abortion advocates are generating by protesting. The best way for them to fight this is to let it go and remain silent with a resolve to be more creative in the future because nobody would be talking about this without their protesting.

That's my stand, what's yours?

Obama visits GOP Convention

2010-01-30T07:26:00.010-05:00

I listened to President Obama's lecture to the GOP Convention last week and I don't anyone to confuse it with a speech, it was a lecture. As Michigan Governor Granholm promised in 2004, I was blown away with his holier-than-thou attitude. His arrogance was without any evidence of bi-partisanship. Don't you know that you Republicans are the ones who have ruined America? Don't you know that you Republicans are the ones who are wrong? Don't you know that you Republicans are the party of "NO?" Don't you know that you Republicans are the cause of this economic train wreck because of former President Bush and his policies from the past eight years? Don't you know that we (Democrats) are going to spend our way out of this recession?

Don't you know that no Democrats has ever done anything wrong. Why can't you Republicans just accept that? Democrats don't ever admit errors or even that there is a possiblilty of an error!

Democrats are the party of write! You want wasteful spending for an airport in the middle of Pennsylvania that no one uses, just write a check for an earmark? You want a health care bill that will eventually bankrupt America, just write a 2562 page bill? You want to take your wife to NYC for a date, just fly Air Force One with all its support staff at a significant cost to the taxpayer (afterall Dems have an unlimited supply of money and we don't have to show any fiscal responsibility).

I watched Campbell Brown's program last night and was wondering how she can have such a 180 degree view of President Obama's lecture to the GOP? I mean, I know that America is made up of differing opinions but to be that far off and not admit that there was even a possibility that he was lecturing. Not even see the possibility that Obama is not allowing GOP input in his administration.

He said that both sides need to be more "civil toward each other", I say, lead by example. Show Americans that bi-partisanship begins with its leaders.

State of the Union Address

2010-01-28T16:57:00.027-05:00

Like many Americans, I watched the State of the Union address last night with the usual amount of curiosity. I purposely did not read any newspaper accounts this morning, nor did I listen to any analysis last night by the media. And I didn't listen to my usual round of talk radio this morning. I watched the speech again this morning since I DVR'd it and took some notes. I don't know what you saw but here is my take on it.

Limbaugh, Hannity, and Levin are probably saying it was an "I" speech. What I did, what I will do and they are probably saying he is just campaigning as usual. I will leave that kind of rhetoric to them.

What I would like to know is who produces these meetings? Who gives instructions to attendees? Who decides who sits where? Surely there has to be a person in charge of the orchestration of the evening events. Who stage manages it? Who decides who sits in the front row? Or the back row? How does a Junior Senator from Minnesota get a seat in the fourth row? I am sure the Justices get the same seats all the time but what about the rest. Is it all political protocol? Or is it payback time? Who gets camera time and who doesn't? It would be interesting to know.

I am almost certain that the instructions Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner both gave to fellow Democrats and Republicans respectively went something like this. "If I applaud, you applaud; if I stand up and applaud, you stand up and applaud." Keep your eyes on me most of the time. To the Democrats, Nancy Pelosi probably said, "Don't ever shake your head left to right." Likewise Boehner said, "Whenever you feel like it, shake your head left and right." And someone probably advised Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice-President Joe Biden to both wear purple as their sign that they are not red or blue tonight.

That aside, here is what I heard. We will more than likely, maybe, possibly, have a spending freeze of non-essential services in 2011. What you didn't hear was, "So don't cut any budgets in 2010, spend until you are blue in the face because next year we may be held accountable and try not to spend more than 2010. We don't have the courage to call for an immediate spending freeze or even some cuts."

We are going to setup a Bi-Partisan Fiscal Commission to see if we can help us from spending more of your grandchildren and great grandchildren's money. Have you ever seen a government committee work?

Talk about the Supreme Court decision last week to open the political market to a free for all from a guy who spent almost $1 billion to get elected president is beyond the definition of "chutzpah."

Earmark reform. Words, just words. Want to see how many earmark requests get posted online? So do I!

President Obama's statement about Republicans just saying "No" to everything is, in his words, "not leadership". Leadership is not letting Republicans in on closed-door meetings, that is his style of leadership. What about letting C-span in on all meetings or at least have meetings open to the public.

President Obama stated that he will "continue fixing the immigration system." When did he start?

He stated, "We are working with Muslim communities around the world to promote science, education and innovation." Why is he singling out reaching to Muslims? What about Christians, or Jews, or Protestants? It was the only mention of any religious group in the entire speech. His Muslim up bringing always shines through.

He also stated, "Each time a CEO rewards himself for failure, or a banker puts the rest of us at risk for his own selfish gain, people's doubts grow." Someone should give him a mirror on that one. As a matter of fact, they should give mirrors to each and every politician in the audience.

And the last comment about the speech was when the cameras cutaway to show brief cuts of the audience, the amount of head shaking, discontent and disgust, even on some Democrats was obvious. John Dingell looked like he was up way past his bedtime and bored. The Levins looked their usual and Senator Stabenow didn't look too excited either.

Oh, I could go on about his comments concerning nuclear energy, solar power, clean coal power, energy independence but it was just words. Nothing speaks louder than actions but they don't do actions in Washington, D.C.

I didn't watch the Republican response, I should have.

Toyota takes one giant step backward

2010-01-27T11:36:00.016-05:00

With the recent announcement of Toyota stopping production and sales of eight of their top sellers, many are taking another look at how great our American-made products really are.

How would you feel if you recently bought a Toyota Camry or Corolla, two top selling cars in America, for your son or daughter, as a graduation present? Would you let them continue to drive knowing that the company now admits there is a major problem with the accelerator pedal? What do you do? Park the car? Try to sell it? Buy another foreign car? How comfortable do you feel having a Toyota following you down the freeway? For a company the likes of Toyota to admit this problem, it must be much more serious than being admitted. This is not simply a recall of almost all of Toyota-made vehicles, it is an indication of the serious flaws in Toyota engineering, manufacturing, and products. Can Lexus be far behind? Remember it first came to light that the problem originally started with a Lexus speeding down a California highway, resulting in death of the passengers.

But what does this say about companies that have claimed Toyota builds the Number One car in the world. What does this say about JD Power and Associates, a company built on evaluating everything under the sun? Does this diminish their results? Will their status be tarnished because of Toyota's actions?
Would an American company take such a bold move? Probably not but I contend that an American company would not have that ability or need to take such a step. Our media would be all over an American company had it had the problems Toyota has had. It would have been headlines in every newspaper and on every TV newscast in the country long before a company would have to take the step of stopping sales and production of eight of its models.

In the past, Toyota didn't have recalls, they had service announcements and the announcements usually ended up on page nine in the newspapers and usually didn't get any mention on TV. The media let Toyota get away with this for a long time. Maybe it is time to take a closer look at all companies, not just American companies.

That is my stand, what do you think?

The cost of Reid's grand standing before Christmas

2010-01-26T09:11:00.007-05:00

Now that Harry Reid's version of the Health Care Bill has been sidelined and his keeping of the Senate in session until the very last minute before Christmas, one has to wonder what the cost has really been.

Forgetting the $300 million given to Senator Nelson of Nebraska and the $100 million given to Louisiana and all of the other pledges that probably will not come to fruition. I mean the cost to taxpayers in hard cash.

No one could make travel arrangements until the last minute. Those who might have made early travel arrangements with those "non-refundable" airfares to return home for Christmas vacation probably lost them. President Obama left on time but he and his entourage were probably the only ones. The entire senate and their staff were being held hostage by Harry Reid. They could not make travel arrangements ahead of time. They could not save any money. When they could finally travel home for the holidays, they had to pay top of the line airfares. I am not just talking about the 100 Senators from their respective states. Each Senator has a staff of dozens, even hundreds of clerks, advisers, administrative assistants and family. What was that cost?

If I made a flight from Washington, D.C. to Detroit today for a flight today, the cost would be $617.84. However, if I made the arrangements ahead of time, the cost of the flight would be $217.75 So who picks up the difference $400.09, the taxpayers. Oh, I didn't choose to fly first class as most senators would do. The penalty for flying first class is less severe but the average costs for the same flight is $1,453.40. Who pays? The taxpayers!

If this were a private business, someone would have been called on the carpet for wasteful spending. What needs to happen is that the Federal Government needs to be audited and congressional spending needs to be put under a microscope.

That is my stand, what do you think?

The Real Nancy Pelosi - A horrible woman!

2010-01-23T13:41:00.007-05:00

Don't take my word for it, I am not the one who called Nancy Pelosi a horrible woman. Watch the video and judge for yourself. While the Speaker of the House tries to ram through many untimely bills and make life for the average American worker or should I say unemployed worker, she spends recklessly and with total abandonment to her fiduciary responsibilities as the third most powerful figure in American politics, at least currently. She needs to step down as Speaker of the House and retire, with 95% of her pay of course, from politics.

It is bad enough that the Copenhagen "Climate Change" meetings had a carbon foot print that will take five years of normal living to reduce the waste exhibited. This kind of "Do as I say, not as I do" philosophy has got to stop. Anything that Nancy Pelosi does is a lie and anything that she advocates for is a farce. The only one that Nancy Pelosi is concerned about is Nancy Pelosi.

By the way, I agree that she is a horrible woman.

Massachusetts Senate Seat election

2010-01-18T19:04:00.014-05:00

President Obama weighed in on the Massachusetts Senatorial election. He is confused. He calls Scott Brown's ads slick and insults anyone who drives a truck.
I have watched Scott Brown's ads and they are not slick by any standard and his truck is a Government Motors truck so why is President Obama slamming his truck and making fun of his driving around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts? Nearest I can tell is that the Democrats are afraid of what is going to happen to former Senator Ted Kennedy's Senate seat. As Scott Brown said, "it is not Ted Kennedy's seat and it is not the Democrat's seat, it is the people's seat." So to the fine citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I urge you to vote for Scott Brown. Don't believe me that the ads are not slick. Click on either ad below and watch for yourself.
Here is another slick ad run by Brown.

Chicago politics has now entered Massachusetts. You figure it out but remember in November.

Good news and bad news

2010-01-16T11:56:00.019-05:00

There is good news and bad news coming out of our illustrious leaders in Washington these days. While everyone is focused on the terrible tragedy in Haiti, congress is moving forward with the Health Care reform bill, all behind closed doors with no input from the Republican Party but plenty of input from private interests.

By private interests, I mean Unions. I heard about this a couple of weeks ago but thought it was just too bold and corrupt a move to be real. I was wrong. It seems that the Unions are going to get a free ride on their "Cadillac" health care insurance.

So there is good news and bad news.

The good news: Unions are not going to be taxed on their "Cadillac" benefits for the next five to seven years and for lifetime on dental, and optical insurance, thanks to the SEIU, UAW, MEA et all.

The bad news: If you are not a Union employee, your wallet is about to get a lighter. A lot lighter.

Estimates figure the cost to taxpayers will be in the $60 Billion range. Those especially hurt by this latest form of corruption will be the engine of the American economy, small businesses.

All along you probably thought that Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow were not working for Michigan. That Representatives John Dingel, Carolyn Cheecks-Kilpatrick, John Conyers, Sander Levin, Gary Peters and the rest of the Democrats were not doing anything to support the people of Michigan.

Congress and the Democrats keep paying off their debts for electing the President Obama. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid keep spending like there is an endless amount of money, spending like a drunken sailor in a (well you get the idea). Their benefits package alone is the most outrageous extravagant package in the world. They will never participate in this new Health Care Bill. They have exempted themselves and all federal employees for life. They are trying to make this bill so it cannot be repealed by future Congresses, although that will be a Constitutional challenge right out of the box.

The bottom line is that every non-union worker in the country, except for the fine folks in Nebraska, Louisiana and a few selected state which received even bigger payoffs, will be paying additional fees (taxes) for life. The Democrats are going to start taxing everything they can get their grubby little hand on. First to be taxed will be Social Security and Medicare benefits that cover our senior citizens. If you are currently receiving $2,000 a month from Social Security, expect to start receiving less than $1,800 a month. Fixed incomes are about to be lowered. These are the people that can least afford it.

How do you like "Change" now? Remember this in November.

Race to the Top

2010-01-13T12:32:00.004-05:00

Reading various articles on the Race to the Top school reform and money grabbing effort to throw more money into our failing educational system, I am amazed how much of our government doesn't learn or listen.

They (our Lansing elected officials)are asking the MEA (Michigan Teachers Union) to approve the reform measures without letting them have the opportunity to read the reforms. I may not be a big supporter of the MEA but isn't that what we all bitched about with the Health Care Bill. And the stimulus bill. No one read them but voted for them.

When will our legislatures learn? Post it online and let every one read the bill before a vote is taken. Let everyone read the reform plan before approving it. Do things on a timely basis, not at the last minute. Plan ahead. Hell, just plain plan would be good.

Even though many of the reforms are long overdue, it is just plain old R-E-S-P-E-C-T for all involved to allow them to read the proposed reforms. I thought it was only our Washington Congress who didn't read the bill. I guess I was wrong.

Companies lack the human touch

2010-01-07T07:43:00.016-05:00

With the economy of Michigan in the tank, many people have had to look for alternative sources of income. Many have had to wait in long lines and fill our countless job applications. Many are under employed but have a commitment to support their families so they have decided to do the right thing and possibly find a different line of employment that would not be their normal line of work.

That is where a big problem exists. Many companies have moved to online job applications or even have kiosks in their stores that require a person to sit near an entrance way for an hour filling out the application and then answering countless scenario questions to test their aptitude for an available job.

I know people who have filled out a 100 applications and sent out countless resumes. They have made phone calls, left messages and sent emails.

So what is this blog about, you might ask? It is about the lack of responsiveness people receive from most companies. I have personally filled out many applications and have not had the courtesy of a response. Not even a "Thanks for your recent application." The problem is that these companies lack ethics of old.

Today's youth, the ME generation, who are in key personnel positions at many of today's companies, seem to lack some basic communication manners. I am sure they have the education to hold these positions, their parents made sure of that. But they are so used to immediate gratification, i.e.: Blackberries, iPhones, Facebook, etc... that they don't realize that the person on the other end of the application, email, resume, letter, is a human being in need of a job. Many times they are looking for a little respect to get them through tough days. To give them some hope of survival.

I am not talking about Mom and Pop companies, I am talking about some major players, like Home Depot, Lowe's Home Improvement, Costco, to name a few.

A simple automated, "Thank you for your interest in our company, your applcation will be reviewed and a representative from our company will be in contact with you in the near future." would be, at times, a heartening response. Wow, someone is actually listening. It is not a big thing to generate such a response, it is simply good etiquette. Something that is lacking in business today.

I know times are tough these days and that companies are running lean and mean but the basics of good business still require the human touch. When I personally hear about such companies, I make an effort to stay away and shop elsewhere.

The Blame Game

2009-12-31T07:25:00.009-05:00

Washington is doing what it does best. Blame someone else and take no responsibility for whatever happens.

And it is not only the politicians. The media, and I mean all media, is so busy looking for whomever they can pin the latest terrorist "leg bomber" attempt on, that the extent of the blame game has lowered the level of mediocrity to sub par levels.

I don't care if you listen to Fox News, they blame President Obama for even going on vacation. On CNN, they blame former President Bush for not fixing the communication problem, after all he had 8 years. The A.C.L.U. doesn't want racial profiling. Congress is afraid to take any position. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said it didn't work and then retracted her statement. The CIA doesn't talk to the FBI, the FBI doesn't share with Homeland Security. We should rename it Homeland Insecurity.

Here is a novel idea, take a cue from Nike sports. JUST FIX IT! Quit looking for an escape goat! Quit putting tactics in place to delay travellers in America. The TSA is a joke in the U.S. but the real problem is not in this country. The "leg bomber" did not originate in this country. He boarded a plane in Nigeria and transferred in Amsterdam (without going through additional security) bound for Detroit.

Why not have bomb sniffing dogs inspect every passenger at the final boarding point before leaving for the U.S. In this case, it would have been Amsterdam and it would have stopped the "leg bomber" from getting on the airplane. And we would not need additional insecurity checks in our travel procedures and I probably would write about some other government attempt to interfere in our lives.

JUST FIX IT!

Democracy at work - NOT!

2009-12-28T11:00:00.007-05:00

One viewing of this example of Rep. John Murtha - D-Pennsylvania and you will understand why the citizens of the U.S. have contempt for our elected officials. This type of behavior is disgusting and dispicable; more like a dictatorship than a democracy.

A total, complete and absolute abuse of power. Disrespectful to all Americans. He spits in our face and still gets re-elected. What is wrong with our values, electing someone like this in the first place and then re-electing him again and again? Are we all that blind to the truth?

He is one of the leading PORK purveyors, bringing money to Pennsylvania for self-serving projects like the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport, a $200 million contribution of taxpayer money. Offering three flights daily, all backed by stimulus money earmarked by Murtha, otherwise the airport is void of people.

For the complete story on the airport, go to:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/23/murtha.airport/index.html

Nation welcomes Detroit political mentality!

2009-12-24T07:46:00.009-05:00

Welcome to Detroit! The highest rate of unemployment in the country. The lowest student test scores in the country! Home of some of the most violent crimes in the country! Home of some of the most corrupt city governments in the country! Home of some of the most polarizing unions in the country! Home of the MEA that is hell bent on serving its members without regard to student impact!

And why? Why has Detroit been on this spiral of self destruction? Why is Detroit, once one of the great cities in the country, losing residents faster than any other city in America? Detroit reached its peak in the 1950s and 60s and has been on a downward slide since. Why does Detroit always seem to be in a crisis mode?

The answer is simple! Detroit residents don't learn from their mistakes. The voters of Detroit vote blindly for their self-serving leaders. Evidence is aplenty. Coleman Young - 20 years, Kwame Kilpatrick - 6 years, Carl Levin - 29 years, Debbie Stabenow - 9 years , Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick - 12 years, John Dingell - 49 years, John Conyers - 44 years, Jennifer Granholm - 6 years, all have many characteristics in common. They were re-elected in spite of their dismal self-serving Democratic Party records.

Whenever an elected official in Michigan attempts to correct the errors of the past, like former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer or current Mayor Dave Bing is trying to correct, they run into an angry citizenry. Incumbent Senators don't even take any challenges to their seats seriously. They know that if you are elected in Michigan, you will automatically have the citizens of Detroit vote for you simply by being a Democrat. It doesn't matter what you values are. It doesn't matter what your politics are.

With the current politics in Washington, now the nation is experiencing the stupidity of Detroit politics. With the Democratic controlled Senate voting for the Health Care Bill this morning, they have accepted Detroit Style politics. Vote blindly for whatever the party puts forth. Shame.

German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel said it best, "If we don’t learn our history, we’re doomed to repeat it"

Time to wake up and vote them all out in November, 2010.

How much is your vote worth?

2009-12-22T16:25:00.011-05:00

So what do you think your vote is worth?

If you are a private citizen, probably not much more than the satisfaction that you participated in the democratic process but if you happen to be a Senator, the ranges are from $100 million to $1 billion, depending on how corrupt you are or how low you allow your ethics to sink.

I can't believe the Senators, make that Democratic Senators only, in Washington, D.C. prostituting themselves for personal gain. They are saying that it is just the nature of politics. It is simply deal making. I contend that it is not politics as usual. This is the most vile type of behavior I have ever seen come out of our nations capital.

These guys are defecating on the entire nation. They have no shame. They lack ethics and morals. They make Tiger Woods behavior seem like that of a boy scout. Senator Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska, sure pulled the wool over the eyes of the rest of the Senate. They must feel completely stupid to let him pull the coup of the century on them. Did your Senator get his millions?

Apparently Senator Nelson's abortion stand of alleged ethical proportions was just his way of extorting money from taxpayers in states other than Nebraska. He was just playing the game of "what's in it for me?"

You know that this bill is terrible when not even Republican Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snow, R-Maine vote for it. They are major RINOs (Republican In Name Only). If they don't sellout, no Republican will.

So are the Republicans just playing politics. Maybe but they are committed to stopping this travesty of a bill from becoming law.

And what did our illustrious Senators from Michigan, Senators Stabenow and Levin, get for the fine citizens of Michigan. Nothing, nada, zip, zero.

Either they are just plain incompetent or in the pocket of Harry Reid and President Obama but there vote for this bill is a complete sellout. Even the unions that elected Levin are against this bill. If this bill passes, they will probably lose the most.

How do you like that change now?

Cash for Clunkers - Japanese Style

2009-12-21T06:39:00.013-05:00

Japan 2 - USA 0.

That is about the net results of the Japanese Cash for Clunkers program designed to shutout all U.S. made vehicles.

According to the Automotive News, Japanese automakers sold 319,342 vehicles under the U.S. cash-for-clunkers program this year, almost half of the roughly 677,000 vehicles purchased. About 115,000 of those Japanese vehicles were imported.

Now Japan is running its own stimulus plan and the rules shut out all U.S.-brand vehicles.

Japan's cash for clunkers plan pays ¥250,000 ($2,778) to buyers who trade in cars that are at least 13 years old that meet Japan's 2010 emissions standards. Buyers with no trade-in get $1,111 if their purchase beats Japan's 2010 emissions standards by 15 percent or more but no U.S. vehicle qualify, according to James B. Treece of the Automotive News.

Our government representatives at work with their usual efficiency. The rules for the Japanese program were laid out more than half a year ago. Yet nobody seems to have seen this coming. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk only broached the matter when a Detroit 3 lobbying group prodded him this month, after the program was extended.

In 1995, under President Clinton, the U.S. threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Japanese luxury cars but that was just "cheap political talk" and Japan understood; the U.S. would never follow through with the threat.

We don't need the U.S. government to impose trade tariffs. We are and should be committed to free trade but it should be FREE TRADE for all countries, not just the U.S.

What we really need is for the American people to vote with their wallets. The real vote will come later in 2010.

When will enough, be enough?

2009-12-18T07:23:00.009-05:00

Remember the Wall Street bail outs? AIG? The stimulus money given to these companies and how they used that money to give bonuses out.

We have become a society of the "here and now!" Nothing ever lasts for long. Tragedy and sometimes good news make the front page of our newspapers and headlines on TV News shows for maybe a day or two at most before they disappear into the far recesses of our attention span. Unless it is some celebrity gone bad, then it is thrown at us on every form of communications from Twitter, television, tabloids, talk shows, you name it.

Wall Street, AIG, GM, Chrysler bailouts, Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac crisis; a thing of the past. Cash for Clunkers, gone. Never to be reported on again. Wall Street bonus packages; a second or third page item. Bonuses for banks; page eight. AIG; not even mentioned lately.

The Dubai pending economic collapse news was a prime example. It came on Thanksgiving Day because they knew that the U.S. Stock Market was closed for the holidays and couldn't do their normal "knee jerk" reacting to economic news. Cooler heads would prevail and the news would be a page 4 story Monday morning. And that is exactly what has happened.

With our penchant for instant communication, we receive so much information on a daily basis from the Internet and other forms of communication; we can only process what is relevant at that moment. We mentally “filter” all information out that is not on our immediate radar screens. We have become a nation of reacting to the "now" news. We no longer act in a timely manner, we just react.

Blackberry, iPhone, Droid, Twitter, Facebook, all designed for the purpose of instant communication and gratification. The media can only focus on the events of the moment because our world is so out of control that we are just passengers on the road of life. At some point, we have to say, "Stop the insanity" and let me off.

You have executives in major companies putting off decisions because they are on information overload. Everything has to be "on the front burner" to reach an executive or it falls through the cracks.

We need to take back control and not let ourselves become what we feared the most. A society of self absorbed, media driven, attention grabbing, self-centered, what's in it for me, go for broke, to hell with everyone people who are so hell bent on gadgets that we ignore common basic human elements of communication, personal contact.

And this coming from a self professed "gadget guy."

Supreme Court and Kwame!

2009-12-15T07:33:00.007-05:00

The Supreme Court announced that it will take up a case involving text messaging on a company paid or co-paid device which will have a profound affect and could impact some already convicted felons.

If the Supreme Court says that individuals have a right to privacy with their texting, or should I say sexting, it could impact the case of Kwame Kilpatrick.

Remember he was convicted as a result of the sexting messages he and his chief of staff Christine Beatty sent to each other.

The Supreme Court said Monday it would rule for the first time on whether employees had a right to privacy when they sent text messages on electronic devices supplied by their employers.

Reported in the L.A. Times, the justices agreed to hear an appeal from the city of Ontario, California which was successfully sued by police Sgt. Jeff Quon and three other officers after their text messages -- some of which were sexually explicit -- were read by the police chief.

At issue is whether the chief violated their rights under the 4th Amendment, which forbids "unreasonable searches" by the government. The Supreme Court's ruling on the issue, due by June, could set new rules for the workplace in public agencies, and perhaps in private companies as well.

While the 4th Amendment applies only to the government, many judges rely on the high court's privacy rulings in deciding disputes in the private sector, legal experts say.

Last year, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals broke ground when it ruled the officers had a "reasonable expectation of privacy" in their text messages. The officers had been led to believe by a supervisor that they could use their pagers for personal use, the appeals court said.

However, the city had a policy that said employees had no guarantee of privacy when they used computers, phones and other devices that were owned by the city.

The court said it would hear arguments in the case, City of Ontario vs. Quon, in the spring.

Could some of those text messages or all of them become inadmissible as evidence, I don't know, I am not a lawyer but it will be interesting, again.

Stay tuned, the saga of Kwame Kilpatrick continues.

The impact of Tiger Woods!

2009-12-12T08:49:00.007-05:00

With Tigers recent admission of transgressions and his announcement that he is going to take an indefinite leave from golf, I got to wondering about the impact of that decision.

First, I have to admire someone who will put his family and marriage first ahead of his living. I know he doesn't really need the money and he will lose some or all of his sponsors but the decision to try to repair his marriage is commendable. I am not saying his actions should be ignored but I am not judging Tiger because it is not our position in life to judge people. Let God do the judging, he is far more qualified than we.

But the impact of Tiger's decision to leave golf indefinitely is a major blow to the sport and the economy starting with his caddy, who is now unemployed. His agent, understandably, will lose a lot of commission , his direct employees will be evaluated as to their need, but some of the real losers are the networks. Without Tiger Woods in the mix, ratings will drop precipitously and tournament attendance will also suffer. TV crews will be downsized, tournament purses will re-evaluated and probably lowered.

Golf tournament purses have increased exponentially since Tiger turned pro. Sponsorship has increased and exposure has almost doubled. All of this will have to be re-evaluated.

But the real losers are the people who idolized Tiger. Millions of your children and adults who placed Tiger on a pedestal will now have to find a replacement. Hopefully they will select someone deserving of their worship. Maybe a police officer, a fireman, or a soldier, someone who truly perform acts of heroism daily without regard for their own safety, not sports figures making millions of dollars.

I have always appreciated that Tiger was one of the greatest golfers, took great pleasure watching him play the game and always cheered him to victory and I have always thought of him as a nice person, nothing more.

May God bless and guide Tiger.

How to buy American this Christmas!

2009-12-06T10:48:00.015-05:00

While we all feel good this time of year, many people are too busy to truly reflect on the reason for the season. The birth of Jesus Christ is celebrated on December 25th, but most of the month of December is taken up with trying to figure which gifts to buy for whom, when and how. That is if you are some of the fortunate Michiganians to be employed.

Statistics vary but unemployment in Michigan ranges from 15% to 20%. There is a way every citizen can help our economy. And that is to buy American, a task that is not always easy.

In his book, "How Americans can buy American" author Roger Simmermaker separates and lists companies that are American owned from companies that are foreign owned. He breaks it down by brand name, by country of origin, and by product. For those of you who don't have the time to read the book, Mr. Simmermaker has a website that you can sign up to receive weekly information about American products and companies.

I urge you to check out his website at: www.howtobuyamerican.com

Sign up for his weekly email. It is a great service that he is providing, doing all of the leg work and leaving the decision making to you, where it should be.

In a recent weekly email, Mr. Simmermaker writes, "One of the best and newest online sites I’ve discovered recently where everything is made in USA is simply named the ‘Made in USA Products Store’ and you can check them out at www.MadeInUSAProductsStore.com."

For those of you who want to buy Michigan products, you can research some products at: www.buymichiganproducts.com

This year in particular will be difficult for many Michigan families and a little wise shopping could go a long way. It is not the remedy for all that ails Michigan, but we have to start somewhere. We need to limit our foreign buying and attempt to buy American. Merry Christmas to all.

Setting priorities!

2009-12-03T07:25:00.007-05:00

According to the legend, while Rome burned, Nero fiddled!

Our members of Congress are much like Nero while the U.S. is at war, our economy is in shambles, the educational system is in turmoil, health care needs true reforming, and we have an alleged man-made global warming hoax members of our Congress are determined to continue to waste money in new and creative ways.

Now, they want to hold Congressional hearings about the State Dinner party crashers and reality TV wannabes Tareq and Michaele Salahi for walking into the White House dinner right past security. Congress continues to get involved in ridiculous hearings and interfere where they should stay clear.

The director of the Secret Service, Mark Sullivan, has agreed to testify but White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has indicated she will not. Rogers told The Associated Press last week that no one from her office was at the checkpoint through which the Salahis entered to help the Secret Service figure out who was and wasn't on the guest list.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, Homeland Security chairman, wants to have a panel look into the event. A panel in D.C. usually means beaucoup bucks wasted.

This is a Secret Service security issue, not a Congressional issue. If anyone should get their hands slapped, it is the Secret Service. They screwed up! Period!

Doesn't anybody in Washington ever accept responsibility? No, they would rather point fingers because they know that finger pointing is the most effective tool politicians have in their arsenal!

I have an idea, let's blame Canada, afterall they give us all the bad weather!

Time to put the fiddle down and get to work on real issues!

Fixing the school system!

2009-11-29T08:28:00.008-05:00

While schools struggle with budget demands and decreasing resources from the state, new challenges arise daily.

How to best serve students while maintaining a good working relationship with the MEA is one of the challenges facing school boards, escalating health care costs and building maintenance are others. Through most of the process, the students seems to take a backseat in many districts.

How to maintain the swimming pool quality, how to pay to resurface the football field or add new tennis courts were priorities during the late nineties and at the turn of the century. How to evaluate teacher performance has been a hot topic lately without a solution. How do we put students first is a priority.

The main ingredient necessary to a healthy quality education, along with good teachers, in my opinion, is parental involvement and disipline. These areas have been made more difficult with the current economy and have been battered and abused by a legal system that is hell bent on political correctness and is a casualty of our legal system.

While some disricts are looking at a state takeover, most of it can be avoided with better parental involvement. Parental involvement is an area that is taken for granted and is so important, but no one seems to be attempting to get parents more involved.

I know that many are struggling to make ends meet and that some parents have two or three jobs but a parent being involved in a child's education is one of the most critical elements in a child's development. It doesn't take much time, mostly an interest in their daily activities. If you can, drop by the school unannounced and stop by and watch the teacher's activities for 5 or 10 minutes. Parents who are able to attend field trips make a lasting impression on young minds. I am not suggesting doing their homework, I am suggesting listening to your student and become active in their education.

How to evaluate teacher performance is another area in which there never seems to be a solution. I would like to offer one idea for consideration, taken from the JD Powers playbook.

Why not have the students and their parents evaluate teachers? Much like JD Powers does for car companies, hotels, travel companies, etc..., send out an anonymous survey to students and families and get their opinions and have them score the teaching staff. Have the people with the most to lose or gain evaluate the teachers.

The currently used MEAP tests are under suspicion as to their validity. Some teachers teach for the test and waste a couple of weeks of a students time instead of teaching their curriculum.

Instead of MEAP test or in addition to the tests, why not ask the students and their parents?

Thanks to the Ladies of Kedzie

2009-11-22T07:15:00.003-05:00

Good things have happened since Rich Rodriquez became coach of the U of M Wolverines. For me anyway. I became a Michigan State Spartan football fan.

Then the ladies of Kedzie invited their parents to a pre-game tailgate party for the final game of their final year. It was their way of saying “thank you” to their parents for support for the last four years. Seniors all of them, it was a spectacular Michigan Saturday weather wise when the Penn State Nittany Lions came to East Lansing to challenge the Michigan State Spartans. A great time was had by all and they even let me win a game of Beer Pong.

So what is so important about the ladies of Kedzie and why am I writing about them? They are not going to be the Real Housewives of East Lansing after they graduate. They are four young ladies who belong to the Phi Sigma Pi Honors Fraternity and host pre-game activities for their friends, tailgate party if you wish. Their fraternity does fund raising events throughout the year and all fraternity members and their families are asked to support them. And they do. This semester they have raised over $2,000 for organizations-both local and national- like Teach for America, Help a Willing Kid Foundation (HAWK), and Multiple Sclerosis Michigan Chapter.

So I take my hat off to the ladies of Kedzie and thank them for their continued community support and a wonderful Saturday. Unfortunately, the Spartans lost but it was still a great day. Thanks to all of the Ladies of Kedzie and keep up the great work.

Politics as Usual or Real Transparency!

2009-11-20T06:42:00.007-05:00

"The American people want a Congress that is open and accountable to the people it serves. Previous majorities, Republican and Democratic alike, have failed to meet this standard, and the current majority has taken the abuse to new heights. It's time to change the way Congress works by opening the process up and putting it all on the web, where Americans can follow what their government is doing." - House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

See for yourself, go to: http://www.gopleader.gov/readthebill

Too often we believe these guys when they say they are going to change. They have said it before. They will say it again. Whether we are gullible enough to believe them again is for you to decide. Are we to believe that because they are not in power that they want real transparency? They didn’t want it when they had the power, they wanted the status quo. What has changed to make it believable now? We have nothing to lose by pressing our Senators and Congressmen and women to pass these five steps to have transparency in government.

Five steps that our elected officials do not have the courage to pass:

1 – Read the Bill – Put all bills online for at least 72 hours before they come to a vote. (Actually it should be 2 weeks, not 72 hours)

2 – Ban “Phantom” amendments. Require committees to post bill text online within 24 hours of adoption. (This should be 72 hours)

3 – Show the votes. Post Members’ committee votes online within 48 hours.

4 – Open Health Care Negotiations to the Public. Prevent secret deals behind closed doors and ensure a full and open debate.

5 – Bring Sunlight to the Rules Committee. Allow cameras in the secretive Rules Committee, which decides which bills come to a vote.

Is this just some more political rhetoric or is this finally going to happen? Talk is cheap and seeing is believing, until then I will remain an independent voter.

That is my stand, what do you think?

Who's afraid of Sarah?

2009-11-19T12:38:00.006-05:00

Most Democrats, some Republicans and many in the mainstream media dismiss her without much thought but why?

As Sarah Palin begins her book tour, the media has been full of opinionators falling over themselves ready to dismiss and disspell her. They are attempting to minimize her impact and possibly derail her political aspirations. And the more they try, the more power they are inadvertently granting her.

When the Associated Press assigns 11 research writers to verify content of her biography, you know they are attempting to neutralize her. They didn't even research books by Newt Gingrich, Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, so why are they so fearful of Sarah? What does she have that no one else has? Why are they running scared? Does she have typos in her book? OMG!!!

I will tell you. Although I haven't yet read her book, I don't need to read it to understand her motives and her agenda. She is a fresh, honest, down to earth, normal person, much like most citizens. She has common sense and the ability to attract many more people to her than her detractors can.

So why are they afraid of her? She is about to expose their gig. She has the ability to generate more publicity than Obama. The media is afraid that their blind support of Obama will be exposed. That their hidden and not so hidden agendas will be brought to light for what they are.

Her detractors will say she is a quitter because she resigned as governor of Alaska without hearing her reasons. Sure, they listened but did they hear. I think not.

Most interviewers are trying to minimize her by asking stupid questions! Does anyone really care what Levi Johnson thinks or says? He is a 19-year old for God's sake. Did the Katie Couric interview embarrass you? Instead of asking her policy questions, they ask her silly questions.

Channel surfing the other day, I came across TV personalties on The Insider discussing Sarah Palin and couldn't believe the venom being spewed. Don't know who they were and really don't care to know but that kind of obvious hatred does not belong on TV. I made a note to myself to never watch that program.

The real reason so many are dismissing Sarah is that she has the ability to take this country back from professional politicians and they are running scared. Government does not have to be complicated, it is just made that way to guarantee job security. Make it simple for all to understand and you will win.

Go Sarah Palin! That is my stand!

Red Shirt Fridays

2009-11-17T06:39:00.006-05:00

I was sent this email and I thought it was an interesting concept.

If the red shirt thing is new to you, read below how it went for a man...

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together..

After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.

No, he responded. Heading out I asked?

No. I'm escorting a soldier home.

Going to pick him up?

No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq, I'm taking him home to his family.

The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days.

I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."

Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.

So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that ... Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women a far, will wear something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is. "We need your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear something red every Friday.

Check out their webste: http://www.redshirtfriday.org/

Who cares about... (write your own headline here)

2009-11-16T20:31:00.014-05:00

There are things that are important and there are things that are a waste of time. Listening to talk radio today or watching the news and tabloid shows was enlightening beyond belief. For a producer to consider something important enough to put on the agenda it should be a worthwhile listen.

You would think that President Obama committed murder or something terrible. Why would anyone even care if President Obama bowed to someone or what Levi Johnson says or thinks about Sarah Palin? Why would you make a big deal about it. These are not important on any scale.

You would think we haven't a care in the world; that unemployment was non existent; the health care system wasn't a train wreck waiting to happen; that our car companies were making money hand over fist or that there was no corruption in politics. You would think that our school system is turning out grads at a 100% rate.

Media is driving our agendas on a daily basis and they have lowered program content standards to an all-time low. They are taking mediocrity to a new depths. I am not talking about conservative or the liberal media. They are all at fault. I am talking NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX. It is all about ratings. Fox "Fair and Balanced" may be more honest than most of them but they get on a subject and can't let it go. They hammer it to death and then hammer it some more. While the other major Networks take their orders from some other sources so they don't offend anyone. They ask their softball questions. It is absolutely disgusting.

Let's concentrate on issues that are important and let's present both sides of an issue without trying to be an opinionator.

That is my stand, what do you think?

The Party of KnoW!

2009-11-13T08:02:00.008-05:00

Learn a lesson from the Democrats when watching the Sunday Political shows. Learn how not to treat someone. Learn how to respect differing opinions.

While watching the Sunday Political shows, I noticed a trend. Whenever they had a Republican and a Democrat debating I was surprised how different each politician was. I watched how the Democrats rarely look the Republican in the eyes. They usually look straight ahead rather than look their opponent in the eyes. The Republicans, on the other hand, generally look their counterpart in the eyes whenever they can and address them directly, usually with some visible element of suggested respect.

The Democrats usually indicate that they are the party in power and act as if they were given free reign to dismiss everyone. They have their own agenda and the hell with the rest of the country.

The Republicans seem lost as to what to do. They are leaderless with John Boehner and Michael Steele at the helm. They should embrace the Party of KnoW. They should take it and run with it, use it to their advantage. Accept the fact that they KnoW how to listen, that they KnoW what the majority of citizens want and that they KnoW how to create jobs. Accept the Party of KnoW! as a charge, a battle cry, an advertising campaign. It is good to KnoW!

If you're not outraged at what is happening in Washington, D.C., you're not paying attention.

Thank a Veteran for our freedom

2009-11-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

The below video was sent to me by my Canadian relatives and it reminds us to thank a veteran and that many veterans from many countries have contributed to freedom. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Please watch the video and thank a Veteran today.

Term Limits - Good or Bad?

2009-11-11T06:56:00.001-05:00

Some Michigan residents and possible political aspirants are taking the current budget and unemployment crisis as another example of why term limits don’t work. One just has to look at the current group of politicians in Lansing trying to put forth a balanced budget to see why.

It has been suggested that newly elected members of the government can’t learn how to do their jobs in 6 or 8 years, that government is too complex.

It has also been suggested that we have a constitutional amendment to eliminate term limits. If term limits are not working, the question then becomes why? Is it because government is too complex and having term limits is like having novices attempting to address complex issues. Is the only solution to eliminate them? That is like having a splinter in your finger and cutting off your hand to get rid of the splinter.

We got term limits because Michigan citizens finally woke up and realized that politicians were feeding off the government trough without having to put in much effort.

The people of Michigan voted for term limits in 1992 because they were disgusted at government waste, inefficiency and special interest. So let’s see if we can find a way to make them work. Most politicians would rather get rid of them so they can continue to feed off the taxpayers.

In order to address these complex government issues, maybe we should have a special educational process that newly elected politicians must attend. A three month crash course or series of seminars that all new incoming elected official must attend before taking their new positions. Not just a two day seminar. They should be graded and rated as to their particular strengths, weaknesses and interests. It should be run by a non-partisan group or university, which in itself could be a challenge. It should not teach positions or policy but rather concentrate on how to find knowledge in state government. How to administer and propose laws. How to hold citizen forums. How to effectively run a state government. And most importantly, how to listen to voters.

In order for an educational system to work, the institution should be changed every 5 years so its influence would be limited in scope. It could have non-partisan consultants, not lobbyists, available to any and all elected officials.

Then on the other hand, maybe we have to look at reducing the complexity of state government, make it more people oriented, put a little common sense back into the government process and get it out of the hands of lawyers and lobbyists.

Getting rid of Term Limits in Lansing is a bad idea. Making Term Limits in Washington would be a major improvement.

Political Correctness - Our Downfall!

2009-11-08T10:59:00.008-05:00

When will we ever learn? We, as a society, have been forced to use political correctness in everything we do. Don't say this or that, it could offend someone. Don't do this or that, it could hurt some one's feelings. Don't report someone, it could cause bad feelings in the community. Don't answer questions with honest, truthful answers, you might offend a minority group.

Don't report a stressed out Muslim Army psychiatrist who spews anti-American propaganda because you might offend the Muslim community. This tragedy at Fort Hood, TX could have been averted if only we were not so damned concerned about political correctness. And it is not only in this instance.

Political Correctness (PC) has been around for too long and it keeps getting worse. There is not one organization that doesn't practice PC. A boss asks a subordinate a question and rather than give his or her honest answer, they give a PC answer. Ask a politician a question and see if you can get any kind of answer without the PC jumping out. 911 was a prime example of PC. Many people suspected something was going to happen but they were either afraid to report for fear of reprisals or for fear that they weren't being PC.

It is time to lose this BS PC crap. If you are not prepared for the answer, don't ask the question. If you are acting weird or saying things that might show your true colors, expect to be reported.

We bend over backwards trying not to offend anyone. If someone's actions offends your senses, take action to alert the authorities, scream it from the rooftops if you have to. Do whatever has to be done to avert another tragedy. Why do we always wait until after the fact to raise suspicions.

The silence of the Muslim Community is deafening about this recent tragedy. It makes you wonder just how much they approve or disapprove what Major Nidal Malik Hasan did. They should be denouncing this kind of hatred on every occassion.

Time to take a stand against PC.

Do you miss Lloyd Carr yet?

2009-11-08T07:04:00.003-05:00

I have never been a fan of Rich Rodriquez? I didn't like the way he left his former job, I didn't like the way he had secret meetings in Toledo! I didn't like the way he handled his legal affairs with his former school. I didn't feel he was the right person for the job! As Coach Schembeckler always said, "We need a Michigan man to be the coach of a Michigan Team."

I will admit that I was not happy with Lloyd Carr either. I was one of the people advocating his retirement. I never thought I would say I miss Lloyd Carr but "I miss Lloyd Carr."

Sure you are going to say, give Rodriquez some time. How much more time does one need to make a judgement? We need a Michigan man.

I want to throw a name in the hat right now. Jim Harbaugh! Former Schembeckler prodigy, former Michigan Wolverine quarterback, a quality person and a quality coach.

Look what he has done with Stanford? Two years ago, his team beat #2 USC and they weren't even ranked at the time. Yesterday, his team beat #7 Oregon, 51 - 42. Stanford is not normally a team that wins many games. They haven't been eligible to be in a bowl game in 7 years. He has openly stated that he wants to coach the Wolverines. He should be the next Wolverine coach and it should happen soon.

That is my stand.

Taking back our country

2009-11-05T15:25:00.003-05:00

How? Change how we financed political campaigns. The first step is to elect all new representatives who have the good of the country as their primary interest, not their own good and personal agendas.

Looking at the primary contributor to corruption in our government has to be money and power or power and money. Either way, it is the same results.

When a candidate collects over $1 Billion to get elected and spends it buying his own cable channel, you have to admit that spending is out of control.

We need to set limits on how much can be spent on election campaigns and how much can be collected. This should also include how much PACs can spend as well.

Here is an idea. For Presidential campaigns set a limit of $100 million. Surely, that should be enough to get your message out. If each campaign is given a limit of $100 million, again including both party spending, PAC spending, basically all spending in the candidate’s name. It would be like a salary cap in sports. You better learn to manage it properly or run out of money early. Visit a state and make it count. There is no need to visit a state 20 times to raise funds.

On Senatorial campaigns: Limit it to $10 million to reach the people of one state.

House of Representative campaigns: Limit $5 million to reach the people of each district.

What would be the outcome of such limits? More and better qualified candidates from which to select. Candidates would learn to spend wisely on their campaigns, which could translate into managing government budgets efficiently.

While we are doing this, we should limit the time campaigns can take. If you are running for President, you should not be able to declare your candidacy until July 4th of the year preceding the election. Make July 4th mean something beside a day off for most people. This would enable each candidate to spend much less than a four year campaign

If we get the money out of politics, we will take back our country from these professional politicians.

Vote NO on Huron Valley Millage Increase

2009-11-01T10:00:00.008-05:00

In 1999, I voted against the Huron Valley millage increase, even though my kids attended the schools in the district. We were told that it was important to update our two high schools in order to remain competitive. We were told that the two swimming pools and the fitness facilities would be self sustaining. We were told that the millage increase would be for ten years only. We were told that our taxes would be reduced in ten years. We were told that the kids needed a new gymnasium. At Lakeland High School, they reduced the parking lot to add tennis courts that are rarely used to capacity. The list goes on.

Sure they call it a "Renewal" not an increase but it should be a "Decrease" and since it is not a decrease, it is therefore an "Increase". A rose by any other name will still have thorns.

I do value and am thankful for the education my kids received from Huron Valley schools and know that the teachers are a great resource and value. But you can receive a great education in most places as long as the parents are involved in their kids education. I know some great kids who went through the Pontiac school system and their parents were deeply involved and these kids turned out great. It doesn't take swimming pools, new gymnasiums, tennis courts, new football playing field with a $40,000 "L" at center field to make a great school. It takes commitment from the teachers, the parents and the community.

Recently the Oakland Press took an editorial stand supporting the millage renewal for Huron Valley. I think they erred in their judgement. Vote NO on millage renewal. I will and that is my stand.

Cash for Clunkers - Final Analysis

2009-10-29T09:09:00.003-04:00

Now that the Cash for Clunkers program is over and we have had time to actually access the results, it is time to put the myth that the program was a tremendous success to rest. It was not.

According to Edmunds.com, the premier resource for online automotive information, the company has determined that Cash for Clunkers cost taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle sold.

According to the article, nearly 690,000 vehicles were sold during the Cash for Clunkers program,officially known as CARS, but Edmunds.com analysts calculated that only 125,000 of the sales were incremental. The rest of the sales would have happened anyway, regardless of the existence of the program.

To conduct the analysis, the Edmunds.com team of PhDs and statisticians examined the sales trend for luxury vehicles and others not included in Cash for Clunkers, and applied the historic relationship of those vehicles to total SAAR (Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate)to make informed estimates. These estimates were independently verified through careful examination of sales patterns reflected by transaction data. Once the numbers were determined, Edmunds.com`s analysts divided three billion dollars by 125,000 vehicles to arrive at the average $24,000 per vehicle.

One more thing, what cost to the environment does destroying all those vehicles have vs. leaving them on the road?

And you want the government to handle Health Care? Not me!

Funding not a problem, spending is the problem!

2009-10-27T11:19:00.003-04:00

I read that Governor Granholm was recently in Rochester meeting with area school superintendents trying to find a funding solution. That she purposely chose Rochester because it is Republican Mike Bishop's district. What the Oakland Press omitted to mention was that it is not a funding problem nor has it ever been a funding problem. Michigan schools have always been well funded. They may be disproportionately funded because some districts have more political clot than others. Some districts have chosen to spend money in Lansing to get higher per student funds in an effort to keeps their bloated budgets. The MEA, the most powerful lobby in Lansing, helps fund many of the politician's campaigns who are making decisions.

Like I said, it is not a funding problem, it is and always has been a spending problem.

We have too many school districts in Michigan, over 500 separate districts. Compare to a bankrupt California which has less than 200 districts, we have almost as much waste in Michigan school districts as there is in Washington, D.C.

Wise and intelligent spending is the answer along with consolidation of school districts. Unfortunately that is not on the Governor's agenda, raising taxes is.

GM’s loss will be another’s gain

2009-10-21T16:21:00.001-04:00

Not very often does one person impact a situation or a company with any significance. Normally we work our own areas and go about our life without much fanfare or notice. There are of course exceptions.

One of those exceptions is a person with whom I worked in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was merchandising manager for a General Motors Division that was run old school. Meaning that change or innovative ideas were not encouraged. The status quo was always desired. Statements like, “That’s the way we have always done it” were the mantra of the day. Eventually this person left and became the driving force behind another car company.

This other car company began to excel and people took notice so he was invited back to GM to manage his former division. He brought it to its current height and was elevated to a vice president of GM.

He was and is one of the most honest, ethical and moral people I know. He not only understood the inner workings of a car company, he also understood the responsibility that came with leadership. He always had time to say hello to the “little guy” and had a sincere desire to take GM to the next level of greatness.

Unfortunately, he left GM a couple of weeks ago to “pursue other interests.” I am not sure what that means but I know that the loss of Mark LaNeve is not good for GM or for the automotive community. Mark was an outstanding, dedicated and driven individual who, I feel, will be missed more than anyone can imagine and whichever company gains his leadership will be greatly improved because of his mere presence. Good luck, Mark.

He said, She said Politics!

2009-10-17T08:57:00.010-04:00

Where do we go from here! The blame the other side of politics has got to stop! Why can't our politicians see what they are doing to our country? Why can't they see how divisive their current actions are? Are they so wrapped up in themselves and their "my way or the highway" politics that they can't or won't even listen to the other side? Have money and special interest so corrupted politics that we don't have anyone who is willing to consider alternative plans? Or that there may be an alternative plan? Are your plans always the best?

Both the Democrats and the Republicans have created this mess together. Both are to blame but both could be the problem solver, if only they can let go of their egos and purse string attachment to special interests and put the good of the country and its people first.

No one is right in the health care debate and no one is wrong. How can that be? Can't we find some mutual acceptable points and work from there? Surely there are some good points to the Democratic bills and equally there has to be some good points to the Republican proposals. If only each side would step back and listen to the other side instead of all the rhetoric and name calling. It will require an open mind and an open heart to listen without prejudice, to actually listen to each other. To force anything on the American people is wrong. It is wrong for the Republicans and it is wrong for the Democrats. Listen to each other. That is all we ask.

It takes true leadership to listen, something that is missing in both Lansing and Washington. Just listen, you might learn something.

Shut down Government!

2009-10-16T06:30:00.009-04:00

I don't usually agree with many politicians but L. Brooks Patterson may have the right idea now. In 2007, when we had the previous budget crisis, I suggested we call Governor Granholm's bluff and shut the government down. A Lansing politician wrote back telling me that could not happen because too many people count on the government for subsistence and safety. Do you think that could be the problem? Too many people count on the government?

I know times are tough in Michigan and it has affected me tremendously but I am not running to the government for help. I am actively looking for work everyday. But what are our politicians in Lansing doing? They waited until late in September to try to balance the budget that was due in October. Then they passed an emergency interim budget delaying the budget decision process until the end of October. Where the hell were they in May, June, July, and August? Didn't they know that September was going to be the next month? Are they that dense?

Governor Granholm's office put out numbers today claiming that the stimulus is working. This month alone it created 400 jobs and saved another 19,500 jobs. What are they thinking? We have a 15.3% unemployment rate in the state and that is not counting the self-employed whose income has been cut by 50-60-70% and are not eligible for any government benefits or people who have lost their businesses or people who have already given up. The true rate of unemployment is probably more like 17% to 19%.

Governor Granholm's answer is to raise taxes! She is looking to raise taxes on anything that moves and somethings that don't move. She wants to make is more difficult on the unemployed. Didn't she see the lines of people at Cobo Hall last week looking for help? Is she blind? She wants to chase doctors out of the state with her physicians tax as well as a beverage tax, an entertainment tax, and more smokers taxes. She wants to keep bars open until 4:00 am. Don't we have enough drunks on the road already? Why not tax walking, biking, execise, or overweight people, maybe short people and tall people. I got it, let's tax political contributions? That should bring in a ton on money.
Time to Take a Stand!

What are Dems thinking?

2009-10-14T12:50:00.003-04:00

I have been struggling trying to understand the Democratic Party. I have been wanting to give them the benefit. I have even been listening to Talk Radio with their point of view, their spin. I even wrote about the fact that not all Democratic ideas are bad. I have bent over backwards to try to understand from where they are coming. All to no avail.
What are they thinking? They must think that all Americans are illiterate! They try to hide behind their own personal agendas. They pretend that Health Care Reform will be better for all of us. They talk a couple of renegade Republican Senators into supporting it and claim it is a non-partisan bill. When White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel invites Top Dems to the White House for a meeting, it is usually at gun point. This guy is about as subtle as a bull in a china shop. Chicago Politics.
Furthermore, it is bad enough that Charles Rangel, the Democratic Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee responsible for writing the Tax Code, under reported his income by $1 million and the Dems think it was a mistake. A mistake is when you forget to tell your wife that someone called for her earlier in the day. Under reporting a $1 million income is a wilful disregard for the law and Tax Code. He needs to resign and we need to vote every Democrat out of Congress as soon as possible.

That is my Stand.

I was Boo'd... in my own home!

2009-10-12T08:05:00.010-04:00

Can you imagine, I was sitting watching the New England-Denver football game with my family and we were boo'd! In our own home.

It wasn't because I was expressing one of my political views about government waste! I wasn't attending a Tea Party. I was just about to leave to drive my daughter to the airport for her return trip to Orlando because she recently graduated from CMU and couldn't find work in Michigan. She found it in Orlando.

And I was Boo'd! My family tried to console me and telling me that it wasn't me that they were boo'ing, they were boo'ing the entire family.

But we loved it! We actually enjoyed getting boo'd!

While sitting in our family room, we heard the doorbell and wondered who would be at our front door this time of day. We weren't expecting anyone. Looking out the window, we saw a young person running down our driveway. Maybe it is one of those pesky canvassers dropping off a political brochure, we thought. But why would they be retreating so quickly? Didn't they want to annoy us with their opinion?

We opened the door and saw this little plastic bag, filled with candy with a post it note attached.

The post it note read, "You have been boo'd! Pass it on."

What a delightful thing to do to someone. This could be the start of a wonderful tradition. I don't know who boo'd us and I don't even care, I think it was a great gesture of kindness and selflessness and a fun way to say something nice to neighbors and to the people of Michigan who could use a boo or two.

To our Boo'er, thank you for boo'ing our family. I will pass it on!

Health Care and Politics

2009-10-09T10:19:00.006-04:00

The Health Care mess continues with both parties blaming each other and getting no where.

A number of years ago, when the Republicans were in power, they failed miserably to address the Health Care issue. They didn't even have it on their agenda. They could have implemented tort reform, and easily addressed all of their current concerns but they didn't. Why? Now that the Democrats are in charge, the Republicans (Conservatives) are screaming foul and for good reason but why all of a sudden.

Politics in Washington has become so partisan. The Democrats are not even letting any Republican backed issues on the floor for discussion. It is there ball and they are not going to share it with anyone. They would rather take it and go home before allowing any Republican input. Much like the Republicans did when they were in power.

The Democratic Leadership think they are the only ones with any good ideas.

What the current controlling party (Democrats) and the previous Republcan party, when they were in control, are saying to the American public is, "Screw you, we don't give a crap what you want, what you think or what is good for the country. You are nothing to any of us except a free ride. We won't listen to you unless we have to get re-elected and then we will only give you lip service. Go to hell."

And the American public is accepting this with nary a whimper.

Conservatives can hold their Tea Parties (I attended a couple this year)and liberals will continue to call them UnAmerican, but no one has the courage to try to work together.

I can't believe that all Republican ideas are bad and that the Democratic bills are all incompetently written. There has to be some common ground from which both parties can agree.

This egomaniacal attitude has got to STOP! Special interests and lobbyists (campaign contributions) are controlling all of these politicians and not one of them has the courage, let alone the ability, to break through the crime and corruption of these political leaders.

People like Nancy Pelosi, Charles Rangel, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Alan Grayson, Michael Steele, Newt Gingrich have got to change their selfish, self serving, ideological attitudes and mindset. It is time to get rid of the entire bunch, starting in 2012.

It is Time to Take a Stand!

A guide for Lansing politicians

2009-10-08T07:44:00.004-04:00

During the recent round of the Lansing budget balancing act by our representatives, I have come up with a couple of simple strategies for them to follow.

It seems that they simply don't understand what the words "cut" or "balance" mean, so here is a lesson.

If a Bill starts with “to create…to establish… to author…to raise” it is probably just another government bill wanting to add more bureaucracy with additional costs (that would be taxes)and should be voted against.

If a Bill starts with “to eliminate…to cut…to reduce…to suspend” it is probably a good bill and should be voted for.

Of course, there are always exceptions but this would be a good start for them. And they say government is too complex for the average citizen to understand.

The bottom line is if you don't have the money, you don't spend it. Then you cut waste, programs and/or services. Many Michigan residents have had to cut major chunks out of their budgets and are struggling to survive and these Lansing politicians are trying to find a new name for taxes. They call them fees, service initiatives, renumerations, dues, assessments, contributions, capitations, fines, tariffs, tolls but they are all TAX INCREASES.

Governor Granholm and her Democratic party have raised taxes every year since she became governor and the Republicans have been hoodwinked to go along with her so their is plenty of blame to go around.

It is time to Take a Stand against any and all tax increases.

The Tigers Downfall

2009-10-07T09:12:00.003-04:00

Sadly the Detroit Tigers lost a playoff game on Tuesday night against the Minnesota Twins but who is responsible for their loss? Many people want to point fingers at Miguel Cabrera's Friday drinking with members of the Chicago White Sox and his early morning visit to a Birmingham Police Department. Is he really the culprit here? He certainly does own a share of the responsibility but he is not alone.
Dave Dombrowski and Jim Leyland deserve some blame for allowing him to play on Saturday during a critical game. They just wanted to take the easy way out. If they benched him, they would have had to explain why. They didn't, they took the easy way out and possibly sacrificing a victory. We will never know.

Had they had enough courage to bench him and then allow someone of lesser caliber play, who knows what the outcome would have been. That is my stand.