Avoiding Mandates

This Review Journal editorial points out that Obamacare is not working. It states,

As a matter of fact, today was the day when those provisions of the new law were set to take effect. But it didn't work out quite as planned.

"Major health insurance companies in California and other states have decided to stop selling policies for children rather than comply with a new federal health-care law that bars them from rejecting youngsters with pre-existing medical conditions," the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.

Anthem Blue Cross, Aetna Inc., Cigna Corp. and others said they were taking the step because the new federal mandate "could create huge and unexpected costs for covering children," by prompting parents to buy policies only after their children became sick.

What a surprise! Who would have thought that insurance companies actually want to protect themselves from losses and want to make a profit?

ObamaCare is perfect example of government at its worst. A bill rushed through congress without being read and consequences being considered.

Clark County middle school system is broken

This is a major problem with our school system and is one reason why I don't think that more money will fix the problems.

This letter to the editor states that

It is painfully obvious that the middle school structure as it stands is not working for today's children. Many children are coming to middle school reading below a fifth-grade level and/or not knowing their multiplication tables. Because the district requirements to pass from one grade to the next are so lenient in middle school, students can fail most of their classes and still be promoted to the next grade. The students are aware of these low expectations, and many take advantage of the opportunity to pass with limited effort.

I have made it one of the steps that Nevada needs to take to improve the educational system. We need to require that students learn the material or they will fail. This must start at the first grade.

Staying alive.

This article in the Review Journal states,

Two parties are simply not enough to represent all the principles, values and interests of the citizens of this country. We need more parties -- especially more viable ones -- not fewer. Voters should have real choices each election cycle.

That is why I suggest that voters change their voter registration to the Independent American Party. If enough voter would change, the IAP would become the third major party in Nevada. Voters could still vote for any party, but it would send a message that voters have had enough.

Getting Nevada running again

This article in the Review Journal by Danny Tarkanian states,

Nevada is suffering through the worst economic crisis in our state's history. Where our state leads the nation, we do so in unenviable categories: unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies. Our $6.5 billion state budget is projected to have a $3 billion deficit. Yes, you read that right -- Nevada can only fund a little over half of its current obligations.

This is because of the additional expenses that will be added to the budget in 2011. We should refuse to increase the spending when we are in this economic crisis.

He continues by saying,

Although an increase in economic activity in the private sector will certainly help Nevada's economy, it alone is not the solution. Neither is raising taxes or cutting $3 billion in spending (though undoubtedly some unnecessary spending must be cut).

I agree that another record tax increase in not the answer, but I do think that we should cut the budget to the 2008 budget figure of $2.8 Billion. We have to continue the pay freezes and one-day-a-month furloughs of state agencies and education until the economy improves.

We need to have the state post financial reports for each year on the internet in an easy to read format so that the actual figures are available to everyone.

Personal responsibility can untangle government's mess

This article in the New York Times and the Review Journal states,

The heart of any moral system is the connection between action and consequences. Today’s public anger rises from the belief that this connection has been severed in one realm after another.

Financiers send the world into recession and don’t seem to suffer. Neighbors take on huge mortgages and then just walk away when they go underwater. Washington politicians avoid living within their means. Federal agencies fail and get rewarded with more responsibilities.

What the country is really looking for is a restoration of responsibility. If some smart leader is going to help us get out of ideological gridlock, that leader will reframe politics around this end.

I think that the author is correct about this is really the heart of our problems. We are asking the government to solve all our problems and to protect us from any difficulty.

Our legislators are taking advantage of this and using it to stay elected and spending our money.

4 interesting articles on the Review Journal Nevada section front page

One is about question 4 which seeks to revise the PISTOL amendment about eminent domain. It says that

If voters approve the question, then they revise the Peoples' Initiative to Stop Taking Our Land (PISTOL) constitutional amendment that 60 percent of them approved in 2008.

Why should the government be able to take land from an owner to give to a private company for any reason?

Another is about voters demand balanced budgets. It says

A majority of Nevadans say they believe it is time to revive a proposed constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, according to a new poll.

I am sure that they would support the Tax and Spending Control amendment here in Nevada.

The third one is about the school district spending. It says

In a year when the Clark County School District budgeted for a $140 million shortfall and contemplated teacher layoffs, it might seem odd that it spent $200,000 to recruit and retain 80 teachers with one year or less of experience.

But district officials have a contract they must honor with Teach For America, a non?profit organization that recruits outstanding college graduates who are not professionally licensed for education.

This is a complete waste of educational dollars. It has to stop.

Finally, an article about an immigration operation that nets 38 fugitives. It says

The operation focused on people who had prior criminal convictions and failed to leave the country after being ordered to do so.

What was interesting about this article was that these were people who had be ordered to leave the country and didn't leave. My question is why weren't they deported immediately.

Constitution Day today

This is an email that I received.

Dear Friends,
Today, September 17, is Constitution Day. We commemorate the signing of the Constitution 223 years ago today. How blessed this nation has been because of those who “pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.”

Then having risked their blood they started us on the grandest experiment of liberty in history…the Constitution of the United States of America.

In Article VII of the Constitution our Founders made a very important declaration that is often overlooked. They recognized the Lord of this Land, the author of our Liberty when they said, “Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven…”

Alexis de Tocqueville said, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”

Let us all remember this day to whom we owe our liberties.

With that clearly in mind we must then pledge our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor to rekindle the spirit of liberty in our blessed land.

Janine Hansen

I agree with her.

It's a big job, but school meals guru is happy to do it

This article in the Sun states that

Each school day, 300,000 high-spirited children and voracious teenagers — virtually a city the size of Pittsburgh — converge on the public schools to eat.

Of these, about 156,000 qualify for free meals.

It is very important to make sure that children are fed. However, it is sad that in America over half of the children going to public school qualify for free meals.

We have people closing their businesses, people losing their jobs, people losing their homes, people not able to provide lunch for their children in school. What happened to America the land of opportunity?

The government has spent and taxed America into the land of poverty.

A higher tax rate on wealthy would force investment

This letter to the editor in the Sun states,

We often read how more tax cuts will provide increased employment. If so, we should not have lost any jobs and should not have high unemployment with the Bush tax cuts still in effect. Where are all the jobs that were promised with those tax cuts?

Those tax cuts were made in 2001 and 2003. The economy started growing. As it grew, government spending increased. Here, in Nevada, we had the largest tax increase in history in 2003. Then in 2005, we had a 30% increase per capita in state spending. In 2009, we had another record tax increase.

It was the government encouraging risky loans, financial institutions greed, and the government taxing and spending that resulted in our economic problems today. If anything, the tax cuts helped to prevent even more damage. When they expire in 2011, we will have another huge tax increase.

Blame Barrack

This letter to the editor in the Review Journal states,

Any CEO or business executive who for almost two years continually blamed the person or group who previously held the job would be terminated for non-performance.

Considering the Democrats have been in control of the House and Senate for almost four years, and given the current state of the economy, they need to be voted out of office in November.

I think that we should consider that the Democrats and Republicans have been in control of our country for over 100 years. Isn't is time to vote them out of office for non-performance?

Register and vote Independent American Party now.

Threat of higher taxes hurting the economy

This letter to the editor in the Review Journal states,

This threat of future tax increases is currently causing businesses to hunker down and curtail any hiring or expansion.

An uncertain future hinders economic growth because a businesses do not risk expansion.

This letter makes a lot of sense, but I have not checked any of the statements for accuracy.

A taxing debate?

This article in the Sun states,

For years there has been a fierce resistance against increasing taxes in Nevada, and it is polarizing. Some conservative groups have made taxes a litmus test for candidates, urging them to sign a “no new taxes” pledge. Some people on the right wing have vilified government as bloated and out of control, even though the fact is that government in Nevada is among the smallest in the nation. The state has struggled to provide services over the past few decades.

This fierce resistance against increasing taxes is a result of the 'largest tax increase' in Nevada history in 2003 and then another 'largest tax increase' in Nevada history in 2009. Now we are facing another 'largest tax increase' in Nevada history in 2011. When will it end?

Will more taxes help the economy? Will more taxes create jobs? Will more taxes save people's homes?

Due to the faltering economy, everyone is spending less. The government should also spend less.

Social Security is not guaranteed to anyone.

In the 1960 case Flemming v. Nestor, the Supreme Court held that workers have no contractual right to Social Security benefits. And those benefits can be cut or eliminated anytime. Something to think about as we’re now, according to some estimates, just 30 days away from Social Security officially going into the red.

Will the younger generation be willing to support the boomers? In my opinion, it is not fair to ask them to support the older generation, but they will be asked to support them.

Stop ObamaCare lawsuit. Join now

WOW!

Yesterday, in an historic move, a class action lawsuit was filed providing individual citizens an opportunity to sue to overturn Obamacare! You can join the lawsuit at www.peoplev.us.

Unlike other lawsuits by States Attorney Generals this is a lawsuit “by the people” charging the Obamacare violates the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, Tenth and 13th Amendments of the Constitution thereby violating our individual rights.

Don’t let this opportunity pass you by to challenge Obamacare! Find out more at www.peoplev.us.

Nevada Eagle Forum and the Independent American Party as organizations are part of the lawsuit.

Link to an Article from the Las Vegas Review Journal today.

Media supports only the Republicans and Democrats

This article, discusses the gubernatorial debates. It tells how the media is discriminating against 5 of the candidates.

How much longer will Americans tolerate being led to vote for the chosen 2?

It is time to fight back.

Had Enought? Fight Back!

This is a post by Chuck Muth. The link to this post is here.

A growing number of conservative Republicans have opted to support the independent conservative candidacy of longtime conservative activist Janine Hansen in Elko-area Assembly District 33 race instead of the moderate GOP nominee, John Ellison. As such, they recently formed an informal group called “Republicans for Janine.”

And Elko County GOP chief Charlie Myers is having a cow over it.

After the Elko Daily Free Press reported on the establishment of the “Republicans for Janine Hansen” group last week, Chairman Myers sent a rant-to-the-editor which was subsequently published by the paper.

In it, Myers complained about a “conspiracy” of some kind (no, no black helicopters are involved ... and they’re dark blue anyway), declaring that the paper’s headline — “Republicans for Janine Hansen” Announced — misled voters into thinking the Elko County Republican Party had endorsed Janine.

Oh, puh-lease. Does Chairman Myers really think Republican voters in Elko are that dumb?

“Our mission is to elect those that have sound conservative values, understand and follow the Constitution of the United States, are Republican and have a solid track record in demonstrating our core values,” Chairman Myers wrote to the Free Press.

Well, here’s the problem for Chairman Myers and the party establishment folks in Elko: When it comes to sound conservative values, understanding of and adherence to the Constitution, and possessing a track record demonstrating core conservative principles, Hansen beats the party’s nominee hands down.

Not just beats ... crushes. And twice on Sunday.

In fact, the only department in which Ellison beats Hansen is in being a registered Republican. But I guess if you’re an unthinking, lockstep party-line voter, that’s enough.

By the way, when asked this week whether or not he supports Republican Assembly Minority Leader Pete Goicoechea’s outrageous proposal to tax groceries as a way to raise an additional $500 million for the government, Mr. Ellison replied, “It depends on how they are going to do it.”

Which raises two questions for Chairman Myers:

1) Is raising taxes by a half-billion dollars by taxing milk and butter and eggs and cheese one of the Elko County GOP’s “sound conservative values” and “core conservative principles”?

2) If not, then why is the Elko County Republican Party supporting a candidate who says he might vote for just such a tax hike and refuses to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge?

Oh, that’s right ... because he’s a “registered” Republican.

Whether or not he embraces “sound conservative values” and supports “core conservative principles” is of secondary importance. As long as he has an “R” after his name, that’s good enough, right? My party, right or wrong ... right?

In concluding his rant, Chairman Myers asked: “What is the difference in this (“Republicans for Janine Hansen”) and Republicans for Harry Reid? I would say none!”

And you would be dead wrong, Charlie.

The difference is — and it’s a huge difference — that Janine Hansen is a conservative and Harry Reid is a socialist ... er, I mean liberal. And Sharron Angle is a conservative, while John Ellison is a moderate who apparently would vote for a new tax on baby food “depending on how they do it.”

The fact that Republican Party leaders continue to promote, support and shove wishy-washy moderates like John Ellison down our throats is why so many former Republicans, such as me, have gone independent, while others have re-registered with third parties that are more consistently conservative.

It’s also why a growing number of registered Republicans are rebelling against the GOP establishment and are supporting conservative independent and third-party candidates instead. That’s why so many Republicans have joined “Republicans for Janine Hansen.”

And that’s why there’s a darned good chance in this campaign cycle and this election environment that an independent, third-party candidate like Janine Hansen could actually win the general election.

Wake up and smell the soon-to-be-taxed-if-Goicoechea-and-Ellison-get-their-way coffee, Chairman Myers. You don’t have a conspiracy on your hands; you have a full-blown mutiny.

It is time to fight back and join the Independent American Party. You can vote for anyone, but send a message that you want quality candidates.