How many of [your] values do you want politicians to diminish or eliminate so they can "reach across the aisle"?

May 30, 2008 - Home schooling in Michigan... "The number has been put any anywhere from 2,000 to 100,000, based on enrollment in home-school associations, number of parents who voluntarily report their enrollment to the state and calculations done by subtracting public and private school enrollment from census figures. Whatever the number, home-schoolers can hardly be considered underground any more." Read the entire story...

May 28, 2008 - "No-Confidence" in Grand Rapids teachers' union... That's what the Grand Rapids Board of Education finally said in response to the local MEA bunch after many months of pretend bargaining over a $4 million difference of opinion. Although the "No-Confidence" statement has no teeth to it, they backed up their frustration by refusing to continue collecting union dues for them -- $57,000 every two weeks to be exact...

I am aware, first-hand, that a Michigan MEA bargaining strategy back in the 1970's successfully used high paying auto industry jobs as a comparison tool in local contract negotiations; fine... But I think reasonable people would agree that if the auto industry was justification for [more money then], that it makes perfect sense to use the auto industry to justify [less money now]...

May 15, 2008 - To the Battle Creek, Michigan, City Commission. As a whole, it is depressing how current-day Republican politicians have come to [interpret] long-held standards of governing. Would it not be an interesting exercise for every elected Republican politician to actually have to support every "yes" and "no" vote they make with a reference to what Ronald Reagan said about the role of elected Republican politicians.  -- There is a glimmer of hope that common sense is on the return  with decisions coming from the Battle Creek City Commission -- and that is good!

Ronald Reagan said; "We, the members of the New Republican Party, believe that the preservation and enhancement of the values that strengthen and protect individual freedom, family life, communities and neighborhoods and the liberty of our beloved nation should be at the heart of any legislative or political program presented to the American people."

"Our task now is not to sell a philosophy, but to make the majority of Americans, who already share that philosophy, see that modern conservatism offers them a political home. ... The job is ours and the job must be done. If not by us, who? If not now, when? Our party must be the party of the individual. It must not sell out the individual to cater to the group. No greater challenge faces our society today than ensuring that each one of us can maintain his dignity and his identity in an increasingly complex, centralized society. "

"Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise. They are the residue of centralized bureaucracy, of government by a self-anointed elite. Our party must be based on the kind of leadership that grows and takes its strength from the people. Any organization is in actuality only the lengthened shadow of its members. A political party is a mechanical structure created to further a cause. The cause, not the mechanism, brings and holds the members together. And our cause must be to rediscover, reassert and reapply America's spiritual heritage to our national affairs. Then with God's help we shall indeed be as a city upon a hill with the eyes of all people upon us."

May 15, 2008 - To the Calhoun County, Michigan, Republican Establishment... Since 1968, the Democrat Party has become increasing Liberal. In order to maintain their power and influence, the Republican Party has determined to do the same. That Republican notion of “reaching across the aisle” is now culminating in the destruction of the party.   

In 2008, Nancy Pelosi wants a bigger majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives; Liberal or Conservative, it doesn’t matter; to her, a Democrat is a Democrat.  It is generally agreed, even by Republicans that their party will lose twenty congressional seats this Fall. How does the Republican Party respond? They call that [probability] a “predictable consequence” following eight years of a Republican Presidency. The nicest thing I can think of to explain this Republican attitude is complacency.  

In the South, The Republican Party is ceding conservatism to the Democrat Party. Conservative Democrats have taken congressional seats in Mississippi that George Bush carried handily in 2004, as well as the supposed Denny Hastert “safe seat” in Illinois.  

Locally, Conservative Republican Congressman Tim Walberg will be taken apart by MEA, etc., backed Mark Schauer. Why; because Republicans have no idea what “fighting the good fight” means… There is no fire in the Republican belly, nationally or locally; it’s the nature of the beast!  

John McCain was Okayed by Republican elites to head the ticket this Fall because of the “predictable consequence” theory. It has been the nature of Republicans to give up as well as “give-in” - Republicans know that Democrats attack; they lie and lie, and then lie again. Republicans will admit that is a successful strategy for Democrats but they don’t know how to respond to it.  So, they continue to spend an untold amount of public awareness time defending themselves against those Democrat lies instead of going on attack themselves.  

An old Liberal friend once told me that it is OK to lie as long as it’s for the greater good… We all know what Liberal “greater good” is- power in [their] hands. And who is there to help? Is it the public watch-dog; the media? The answer is an obvious, no! Why; because the media is actually the power behind the throne. A prime example of this is how fast media fell out of love with Hillary. Media now strives to protect Obama’s past while hee-hawing about Hillary dodging bullets in Kosovo. For media, it is not who heads [their] party, it’s all about [their] party being in control; control that is necessary to bring to life more of the Liberal agenda. Obama is a pure socialist; Hillary is only an opportunist! 

Rush Limbaugh has twenty million listeners; I am one. I listen to him because he articulates my thoughts better than I can; millions of others agree with me. We are not Independents, we see the larger picture. We are not Democrats, although most of us over 50 once were. We are not Libertarians, although we have much in common. We are not Republicans, although we vote for them. We are Conservatives; we are Conservatives because we have the ability to apply reason to the best interests of America without fear of personal power interrupting our thinking process. 

Rush Limbaugh has the pulse of an ever-growing segment of the Republican Party; Conservatives. I urge you to read what “Rush” has to say about all this. It is a monologue from the first hour of his show on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. It should be a must read for every Republican politician!

May 14, 2008 - Libertarian Presidential Candidate Bob Barr on "Boortz". For those of you who may be unaware; former Republican Congressman from Georgia, Bob Barr, is the Libertarian Candidate for President of the United States. I liked Bob Barr when he was in Congress. He was a leader and an integral part of the "Contract with America". Working with Knewt Gingrich, Barr played a key role in the 1994 Republican take-over of Congress for the first time in eons.

My on again/off again love affair with the notion of actually voting for John McCain was briefly decided when I heard of Barr's candidacy, but...... today I listened to Baar being interviewed by Neal Boortz. Boortz is, in fact, a life-time member of the Libertarian Party but has differences with their position on the Iraq War. Baar referred to our forces as "occupation forces", which inspired further questioning from Boortz.

Responding to a Boortz question on the use of that term in regard to U.S. involvement in past wars and conflicts, Baar said; "I'm not sure if a lot of Americans have a memory of history or even a knowledge of history". When Boortz asked him if he was worried about Iran going into Iraq if the U.S. left, Baar said; "I'm not certain if Iran has any thoughts about taking over Iraq"... These two statements did it for me; no Barr for me! This is not the Bob Baar I remember. Rather, it is Bob Baar, a typical Republican politician who is willing to sacrifice their values for power -- nope, no Bob Baar for me. I would just as soon hold my nose and vote for McCain; that, for the [only] reason I still stand by George Bush; because to date, we have not had any further attacks on America.

May 13, 2008 - Mackinac Center for Public Policy puts it all together. While Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm blames the "Central American Free Trade Agreement" and the "North American Free Trade Agreement" for her failures, Indiana and other states thrive. As the research indicates; "The competitors who are eating Michigan’s lunch aren’t Mexico or Canada, but other states where investors and entrepreneurs enjoy lower tax rates, better labor climates and fewer excessive and unreasonable regulations".

May 12, 2008 - Nicole L. V. Mullis wrote what was probably intended as a tribute to her mother. It appeared in the Battle Creek, Michigan, Enquirer. It says that Mullus is a freelance writer- I do hope their use of the term "freelance writer" is a literal interpretation, and that she actually wrote the article for "free"!

I trust Nicole L.V. was being cute by saying to her mom 21 times that she was sorry for doing stupid things as she grew up; my goodness, one can only slobber all over themselves so much...

Wouldn't it have been more meaningful and nicer to say" thank you" just one time to mom for doing her job as a parent? After all, it is expected that kids do dumb things; that's why there are terms like "parenting" and "childlike"; it's because their decisions "suck" and they don't know "squat" about life!

A footnote for Nicole's mom --- Mom, if you are responsible for young Nicole L.V. describing her formative years under your wing as an atmosphere of "pseudo-omnipotence", then dear mom, I'm sorry too!

May 6, 2008 - Remember the vote to ban racial discrimination in Michigan? It was instigated because U of M was using a racial quota system? Litigation to stop the law that you voted for stopped abruptly when attorneys for defendants (Michigan voters) in the case found some pretty sickening statistics at the university and were about to find much more. The full story is here, courtesy of intellectualconservative.com.

April 28, 2008 - More intelligent surveillance camera input... First, I have no idea if there is convincing proof that surveillance cameras are effective in cities that have been using them, but--- why is all this rhetoric against them based on feelings?

"Battle Creek Enquirer" Editorial Board's answer to crime in the city -

• "We doubt that many people actually would be deterred from committing crimes because of the cameras. Instead, it seems more likely that they simply would move their activities outside the camera's view. While that might prove helpful for residents in the camera's immediate vicinity, we doubt it would have a substantial or sustained impact on overall crime."  -  "we don't think officials should consider investing tens of thousands of dollars in a video surveillance system."   -   "support for young people to find positive alternatives to gang activity"     

There you have it. The problem of crime has been scrutinized by a greater power (Enquirer). After discussing the issue amongst themselves, they "doubt that", and they believe it "seems more likely", and they "don't think". But they conclude that it, "might prove"...

Conclude what, you say? Their answer is; "find positive alternatives to gang activity"... Like Full Blast, for instance???

And then there is the Enquirer's Stacey Hanna... She says -

• "Forget cameras; rely on neighbors, police"

• "About 30 years ago my great-grandmother, Anna Terry, started the neighborhood watch program on her block, with the assistance of some helpful folks at the police department who walked her through the process. As a little girl I can remember sitting on her front porch listening to the "grown-ups" talk about what was happening in their little corner of the city's southwest side. Not just the big-picture stuff, mind you, but details about who was doing what."

• "If there was a new face in the midst — even minding his or her own business in broad daylight — Anna and her neighbors introduced themselves and, more importantly, found out the individual's purpose for being out and about."

• "I don't see how surveillance cameras could provide a reasonable return on our investment."

• "Also, to expect crime would decrease significantly in the proposed targeted areas is, in my opinion, unreasonable. It won't work."

• "Behnke is proposing the cameras run 24 hours a day, but no one would view the resulting footage unless a crime was reported in that area."

• "Warm bodies in police uniforms, whose charge it is to protect our neighborhoods and build face-to-face relationships with the residents who live in them is the key."

• "Perhaps, if we're determined to throw money at this issue, it should be aimed at the police department to be used for more officers or enhancing resident relationships."

Stacy wants to "rely on neighbors, police", because, "As a little girl I can remember", so, "I don't see how", and, "in my opinion", it is, "unreasonable", and, "it won't work". So what, "is the key"? "more officers", "relationships".

This brings to a close all of the thoughtful input from the staff of the Battle Creek Enquirer's response to the question of Surveillance Cameras on the streets of Battle Creek.

Stacey Hanna had one more observation. She said; "no one would view the resulting footage unless a crime was reported in that area". Hey, I love your idea Stacy, take an officer off the street, put the officer in front of the surveillance camera monitors and direct street cops to wherever suspicious activity occurs; I love it! What is the difference between a cop with a camera on her dashboard sitting driving down Stacy's street and a cop sitting behind a monitor at headquarters? Stacy, you are the bomb! That is a much better idea than Eric J. Greene's response to child abuse when he said; “I don’t understand, and I’m not sure I want to.”

April 27, 2008 -  Thugs shoot up Democrat controlled Chicago, Republican Battle Creek Mayor wants surveillance cameras...  But Democrat Commissioner Ryan Hersha is worried about what those cameras might see on public streets in the city! Here is Hersha's input into an increasing crime rate in Battle Creek.

From the Battle Creek Enquirer... At-large Commissioner Ryan Hersha said Behnke proposed video surveillance program "appears to be a feel-good, look-good response to real problems that require real solutions." "If this Commission wants to get serious about fighting crime, it should support neighborhood requests for things like community-oriented foot patrols — not give people false hope with political gimmicks," he said. "Among my serious concerns is that this very politically-driven commission is looking for ways to score points by slashing essential services, and that the camera idea is just one more way of providing them with political cover as they do so, at the expense of true safety and quality of life in our neighborhoods."

Where's the beef? Unless Hersha's only intention is to whine about the increased Conservative influence on the City Commission, he should have bowed out of this conversation. Hersha teaches young minds of mush Liberalism 101 on the internet for a George Soros funded non-profit organization (non-profit; yeah right - You have to love how they use well-intentioned laws to further their political agenda)... Anyway, keep talking Ryan; it helps everyone get to know you... and understand your agenda!

April 27, 2008 -  Are monsters born monsters or are they born innocent and later created as monsters? Eric J. Greene asks; "What is society to do with it’s monsters?"  What happened to the family life-line? The safety net use to be the family, but some years ago Liberal Republicans and Democrats, pushed on by the well-intentioned Eric J. Greene’s in the world, decided that it was OK for [young] females, who [got themselves] pregnant, to be out on their own; with no strings attached! They cemented the notion by giving these [young] females taxpayer money for each child they bore, food to eat, and an apartment to house them. Soon, because of the efforts of the Eric J. Greene’s in the world, the stigma once attached to receiving welfare became passé. 

Now, opportunists in the form of [young] males recognize a free ride. They are able to do so because [young] females are deprived of an important part of reaching maturity, and instead participate in an “environment” which, among other things, makes them vulnerable to predatorial behavior.

Another part in this extreme socialist government fiasco is that by giving out money for bad behavior to [young] females, it has also created a negative environment for [young] males. They too are deprived of their opportunity to mature into adulthood, and instead, take advantage of free and easy sex and a free place to live.

All would be hunky dory if not for the presence of “children’. “Children” inject into all of this a demand for an emotional level of maturity not yet attained, and the result has flummoxed the Eric J. Greene types of the world.

And let’s not forget the parents… Why don’t parents of these [young] girls bearing babies, encourage them to stay in their home so they can keep their [young] daughter and their [grandchild] safe, provide them with support, and instill [appropriate] values?

Eric J. Greene responds to all of this by saying; “There are monsters among us and they do not belong -- ” “My heart weeps for the little ones who are hurt” – “ Nothing makes me more furious” – “My gut instinct is to strike back on behalf of the dead” – “What is society to do with it’s monsters?” -- “I'm interested in how a grown person can cast evil on a little girl or boy and how our society seems to keep breeding such vile, broken people”.

The quote most telling by Eric J. Greene goes a long way to explain what is happening to our society. It clarifies every well-intentioned Democrat/Socialist/Liberal program enacted starting with Lyndon Johnson ---- Eric J. Greene says; “I don’t understand, and I’m not sure I want to.”

April 25, 2008 - Racism, or extremely cheap politics? You decide... Borak and Michelle Obama brought their children to a church lead by Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Most reasonable thinking people, after hearing clips  of Wright’s sermons, should have no problem concluding that the words; “God Damn America” and “The Chickens have come home to roost” (in obvious reference to the massacre of Sept. 11), represent that preacher’s attitude.  [note; Wright's sermons, in their entirety, are available at Foxnews.com.]

Further, those same reasonable thinking people would also conclude that for a child, if not also for adults, that that influence is in fact, some form of teaching, instruction, training and coaching. A real negative response to this scenario might even conclude that it is propaganda and/or programming. Not surprisingly to you and me – the literal meaning of all six falls under the banner of “indoctrination”. Think about it!  

With that said; what is the difference between a church in the U.S. that indoctrinates children with hate and terrorist nations that indoctrinate children with hate? The only answer I can come up with is; in terrorist nations, the government forces children to attend. In a U.S. church, [only] the child’s parents force the children to attend! Who do you want to become president?

April 24, 2008 - Which is it; "equal pay for equal work" or "equal pay for 'comparable' work"? This is a question answered by Liberal/Socialist Republicans and Democrats some years ago, during the inception of the pursuit of "fairness" in the workplace, etc., etc., etc.

The following commentary was first authored by Mr. Lawrence Reed and published on the "Mackinaw Center" website Aug. 29, 2001. It is being re-run there in light of the Michigan House of Representatives’ vote Tuesday on House Bill 4625.) I also have a copy here. I think every once in a while we should all take a look at the notion of how "fairness" affects society; be it a TV episode of "Cops", raw footage of firefighters rescuing someone from a burning building, or just driving by a construction site- Yes, I think that's a good idea...

April 23, 2008 - MEAexposed.com/MEA and the Gladstone School Board... Updating my April 21st post, below, here is what went on at the Gladstone School board meeting Monday night. Sources at MEAexposed.com say; "the Gladstone video is just a snapshot of the actions we're planning to take in several Michigan communities; another will begin next week". So stay tuned folks. I'll keep you informed.

April 22, 2008 - "Operation Chaos"... Is it chaos by design or is Obama really the "second coming"? Rush Limbaugh has ordered the Limbaugh Pennsylvania brigade to switch their party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and vote for Hillary. To do so, Rush says, will keep the Democrats going crazy into the Democrat Convention (shades of Chicago, 1968).

It is known that upwards to 100,000 Republicans in PA have switched party affiliation so they can vote Democrat in the Primary.  Pundits disagree about Rush's influence in all of this. The proof in the pudding will be how many Democrats switch back to Republican when the Primary is over. Fun times abound...

April 21, 2008 - MEAexposed.com is an organization who says they are; "a website dedicated to showing the hypocrisy and self-interest of Michigan's largest school employees union.  Their mission has little--if anything--to do with education quality and more to do with promoting its health care plan, protecting the worst, and suppressing meaningful reform.  We are exposing the financials and personnel of the MEA union in order to show how and why they block educational reform in our state." They posted a video of their first project on "youtube" showing interviews and a billboard they put up in Gladstone, Michigan, during some nasty contract negotiation shenanigans.

I'm wondering if the MEA (Michigan Education Association) might be pushing a little too much. The "Mackinaw Center", a Michigan think tank, has also published a link to all teacher contracts in the state.

April 20, 2008 - Battle Creek Enquirer's Eric J. Greene is not a happy camper. Eric J's Liberal/Socialist humor, always on the [cutting] edge when a Conservative hits a "high note" was in evidence in his "Quick recipe for new model of city government" column. [Seemingly] defending embattled Battle Creek, Michigan, City Manager Wayne Wiley, Eric J. strikes out against newly elected City Commissioners, saying they "have axes to grind". Although I might agree with Eric J. if he blamed the commission in total for their weak-kneed management style, Eric J. chose only to blame those recently elected; a conservative majority, duh! Hell, The BC Commission has been playing footsy with Wiley long before those folks were elected.

In reality, Eric J. is P.O.'d about "newly" elected Commissioner, Chris Simmons', blueprint for the city; "Making city government more efficient, effective". Chris Simmons is an extremely savvy individual who is not wasting any time and if [representing the best interests] of citizens and taxpayers is what Eric J. calls [having an axe to grind], I say; "make that axe double edged, Chris"...

April 17, 2008 - A must see. This video http://youtube.com/watch?v=u_HhdZ_AeUs was taken from an in-depth news report. It shows actual footage of children who absolutely do not hear a smoke alarm going off. If you have children, grandchildren, or know people with children... Watch it!

April 16, 2008 - "Makin' more money"... The Battle Creek, Michigan, Enquirer used big and bold 1" font to tout [their] candidate for the upcoming U.S. Congressional seat now held by Republican Tim Walberg. The AP did not use this headline for the story, but the "Enquirer" chose to do so. Was it their usual rant against all the money in politics? Ummm; don't think so, it sounded too happy for that! Was it an acknowledgement that money is in fact [the bellwether] that measures political success? Ummm; in part, maybe so! Do they "hate" Tim Walberg and his Conservative ideals? Oh yeahhhh!

April 15, 2008 - Becoming knowledgeable about the "Fair Tax" is no easy task. I've mentioned in previous posts that in my opinion, it is a responsibility of our politicians to become knowledgeable about proposals that have a serious chance to become reality so that they can provide their constituency with some level of leadership; I think the Fair Tax proposal nationally, as well as in Michigan, fits that criteria. However, our politicians are not responding. 

I believe the "Michigan Fair Tax" proposal deserves the attention of "we, the people" and if our elected politicians refuse to get involved, then it becomes obvious that "we, the people" educate ourselves. The authors, Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder, have made chapter 13 of "Fair Tax, the truth; answering the critics" available on line. I've included it here for you to read. It is my opinion that at a minimum, the "Fair Tax" proposal in Michigan should be voted on by the general public.

If you are not sure that what you read in this one chapter is consistent with what you already know to be true, please do the research.

April 13, 2008 - Our societal evolution in action... I found this "letter to the editor" in an Adrian, Michigan, newspaper. The letter and the photo say all that needs to be said!

April 12, 2008 - State Representative Fulton Sheen to speak at Fair Tax Info Meeting... Most Michigan politicians are running [away] from admitting any knowledge about the Fair Tax proposal (An example is my April 9 post, below)... But not District 088 Rep. Fulton Sheen. He will be in Battle Creek April 23. From what I'm told, area CBS/NBC/ABC TV affiliates will be there, while local state reps have been invited. It will be held at Champs Restaurant on Columbia Avenue at 7:30 AM. Because it is billed as a business info session, the early start time is an attempt to recognize the concerns of those folks.

The Fair Tax issue in Michigan has not been afforded the debate it deserves. The evidence of which becomes obvious when one looks at the political reaction to it. With most politicians it seems to be a scary thing for them. Instead of becoming familiar with it, they choose to pretend it doesn't exist; Mark Schauer is one of those politicians. (my April 9 post below) 

The Fair Tax may or may not be the biggest and best thing that has happened to this country, this state, since our government started to collect taxes of any kind; although by most accounts it is! However, the people of this state deserve to have their politicians educate themselves about high profile issues that may have an affect on their lives. Mark Schauer has been invited to attend this Fair Tax business info meeting in Battle Creek on April 23; so far, no response. Insiders tell me that indeed the Fair Tax book is in the back seat of Mark Schauer's car and that he said it will stay there, and he says he has no intention to read it!

Everything I know about The Fair Tax tells me it is [for] the people. Come to this meeting. There will be a politician there who can give you some input from the legislative level; albeit not from our area of the state!

April 12, 2008 - Dear Stephanie... I'm sorry you "missed the application deadline for graduation" from Battle Creek's Kellogg Community College dental hygiene program. Yes, life is hard and many of us out here in the working world also have "tight schedules" and just hate it when we are forced to follow rules, yuk, we do feel your pain... For instance, I am so busy that I am constantly late for appointments and forget to pay my bills, but oh well... Please give us an update as you go out to "practice" your dental hygiene trade; I would like to be one of your patients:)

April 11, 2008 - Three generations on welfare that can only be described as the Democrat legacy! My initial reaction to the Battle Creek, Michigan, Enquirer article was to get angry; damned angry in fact. When I get angry it often results in sarcastic humor; but this didn't seem to be a typical Liberal media "in your face" story. This story had a depth that most certainly the 'Enquirer' was oblivious to. (I hate ending a sentence with a preposition, but sometimes it's just the way it has to be)

As the day progressed and I thought more about the story, my attitude changed. This is, in any regard, a terribly sad story; certainly not for any of the reasons intended by the Enquirer writer, Elizabeth Huff, but for the millions of uninspired welfare recipients and indeed the millions of potential uninspired welfare recipients, all of whom are represented in this article by a photo of a grandmother, her daughter, and her granddaughter - Yes, the 'Enquirer' just had to go to the grocery store to catch real people buying groceries with food stamps. (I chose not to include the photo when I copied the Enquirer article).

On a personal note, how dare the 'Enquirer' talk about welfare stigma and then print this photo of a three generation [local] family, minus any men, actually on welfare.

On a societal and generational level, this is such a revealing story... Do the math; the 'Enquirer' article unwittingly gives you plenty of figures to see how much just this one welfare program costs taxpayers, and to what avail???... Generation after generation after generation of millions of uninspired people; and more on the way... Liberal Democrats increasing their constituency by buying votes with tax revenue... Weak Republicans; hanging on to what little they have left, but only by the power of Conservatives who have no home... How sad it all is!

April 10, 2008 - Is Michigan State Senator Mark Schauer a crook, or is he getting railroaded? Read this RM Exclusive: Investigation into major Schauer campaign finance violations progressing... slowly... We in Mark Schauer's district aren't hearing much about this in the Battle Creek Enquirer. What's going on with that????

April 9, 2008 - The “Fair Tax” is not political; or it shouldn’t be….  "Fair Tax" petitioners are in the final stages of collecting signatures to get the “Fair Tax” on the Michigan ballot. There are probably many citizens of Michigan who feel they don’t know enough about the “Fair Tax” to even sign the petition. With that said, it seems to me that one important responsibility of a politician is to provide their constituency with information relative to potential changes in the way government does business.  

This past Monday, April 7, 2008, State Senator Mark Schauer appeared on "Hotline with Renk” on WBCK 95.3 FM in Battle Creek. "Renk" asked the Senator; “Do you have a position on the Fair Tax?” Senator Schauer responded; “Not yet; I keep promising Jim Hazel III, who gave me the book, that I would read it. It’s in the back seat of my car. I’m certainly open to looking at it.” Soon Senator Schauer’s comments started to take on more of an opinionated response… 

He said; “I always look at the regressivity of a new tax; how it affects lower income groups.”   --Then why has he not at least read the book to find out, I wondered? He said; “I’m concerned about big ticket items like automobiles, the last thing we want to do is hurt the auto industry in Michigan”    --Then why has he not at least read the book to find out, I wondered, again!

Eventually his motives became clear-- He said; “Conservatives always say if you want less of something, tax it more, so if you want less auto sales in Michigan….” Putting his own words in context, Senator Schauer is convinced the “Fair Tax” will mean a tax hike to Michigan residents although he hasn’t even read the book! Additionally, by giving an off-hand quote of so-called Republicans, Senator Schauer also found someone to blame for something he just got done saying he knows nothing about! What a shame!

April 8, 2008 - Kids rioting on MSU Campus; not for the poor - not for the elderly - not for civil rights, but for the right to PARTY!  52 "young people" were arrested, 28 of them were MSU students. These are the [citizens] who drive our political agenda - they get out there and act like damn fools and fully expect to get their way, and they usually do!

They should all be forced to pay costs associated with their [mischievous behavior] and lose the right to vote until they pass a maturity test given by me. The students should be forced to work at a job and/or borrow the money for their education. The non-students should be taken off welfare, kicked out of daddy's home and forced to work for pay. Any of them identified as being graduates of Hillary's', "It takes a village", should lose their citizenship!

April 4, 2008 - Just in case my message wasn't clear about who runs the show... After posting the article below I overheard Neal Boortz interviewing Dick Morris on the radio. They were talking about the demise of Hillary's campaign. Boortz said he had no idea [why] Hillary went down the tubes. Morris said he didn't know why but he did know [how].. Well folks, that is the message I attempted to get across in my previous article. I will make my point clear... If you are familiar at all with some of Rush Limbaugh's thoughts you might have heard him often say; "... Democrats and their willing accomplices in the media"... Rush has it backwards; it should be, "the media and [their] willing accomplices in the Democrat Party!"

True socialist Liberal types are very sincere in their [feelings], emotion rules. They really do believe it is OK to lie as long as it's for the greater good (in their minds)!  Interviews with any of them will tell you they chose their profession because they "want to make a difference" (in their mind). "The media" has never liked the Clintons; listen to some of their talking heads nowadays. The Clintons however, served a purpose; that is until Leftists dreams came true- and an "articulate black" (not my words, but the words of Democrat Joe Biden) came on the scene. It took only a short time and media was sold on him and Dem Party elites followed. And so it goes...

March 29, 2008 - “They have put their rules ahead of common sense"; says former Michigan Dem Governor James Blanchard... Is this an opinion of one Liberal Democrat, or is it the Party at war with themselves, airing their dirty-linen in the process? It is not just Jim Blanchard publicly spouting off; there are Democrat elites boo-hooing to media all over the country. Although they most certainly will put on their happy face once this primary thing is over, until then Republican Party strategists better be busy taking notes for general election ads. I've talked before about how Liberals admit, when caught, that it OK to lie as long as it's for the greater good; in their mind! The Clintons have always understood this and also understood that the mainstream media did too; that is, until the definition of "greater good" became a point of contention...

For 40 years Democrats have touted the black voter as a large part of their base; indeed they have been. The problem arose when elitism and the party seniority syndrome became an issue. As in the Republican party, there is the notion that [the party] is all encompassing; you have been a member and you have "paid your dues"... Real Libs don't subscribe to the notion, neither do Conservatives who are currently voting Republican. That is the only thing Real Liberals and Real Conservatives have in common; no real home of their own!

Anyway, after years of [using] blacks to beat off the Conservative influenced Republican Party, up pops a black with assumed substance. Not a street urchin like Jackson and Sharpton, but someone who captures the mind and hearts of blacks and the weird emotional "under 30 bunch", who, for the most part, are currently having their emotions bent by college professors. How could this be? The Dem elites had put together such a great plan to keep blacks in their place; make them prime beneficiaries of government programs and support the "keep hate alive" notion.

Anyway, it soon became obvious to Dem Party elite that if this new black guy, Barak Obama, was not supported, the 1968 Dem Convention riots might repeat themselves. Hence, the elite lead by Teddy Kennedy and swift boat commander John Kerry ran away from the heretofore Democrat shoe-in, Hillary Clinton, and they were happy to do it; the Clintons have been a pain in the butt for many years. The only trouble with all of this was her highness, Ms. Travel-gate herself, Hillary! As with all real Socialist Liberals who are licensed with a certifiable personality disorder, she will have none of it! Ya gotta love it...

So, if you are paying attention at all, and you didn't have a clue before all of this, you should be asking yourselves; "if the Democrats fall apart over constructing a sensible plan for primary votes in Michigan and Florida, how in hell do you figure they can bring peace to the world? Save trees? Stop global warming and replace oil with water?

If I'm wrong, than the only other explanation is that there is a secret Democrat cabal that will take over decision-making after Obama or Clinton are elected; duh!

March 19, 2008 - "What's clearly wrong is the convenient labeling - and silencing - of people as racist or sexist for expressing opinions that run counter to acceptable speech codes as determined by the minders of outrage." This is the very last sentence from a column by Kathleen Parker entitled; Silencing others' speech"...   This tactic, and that is all it is, is yet still another way arrogant Leftist elitists who are void of ideas and solutions, who have raped and pillaged a culture, who believe people are generally stupid and must be lead by those that know what is best for them, remain in control of your lives. 

March 16, 2008 - Does everyone really love "fairness"? In [their] mind, yes! --"The Fair Tax", in Michigan.  My friend Joe says he has cheated on his taxes; Joe says everyone cheats on their taxes - I guess that's a form of fairness... Not always accepting Joe's view of the world, I decided to contact the "Fair Tax" organization. I know petitions are circulating and meetings are scheduled all over the state; interest is high. Specifically, I asked; "People who are capable of making money under the table are probably against the "fair tax" -  Can you make an argument that will convince those people to favor the "fair tax"?

Although both state and county "Fair Tax" organizations responded, they could not directly answer my question. Instead, they said; "they would be able to lead a legal living", "would be eligible for Prebate", "not worth living in fear", etc., etc. There seems to be no valid argument to convince people who earn money "under the table" that they would be better off with the Michigan "Fair Tax".

Now I'm for the Michigan "fair tax" passing, and I'm "hoping" (it's OK to hope as long as it's accompanied by action) that as many voting segments as possible will be supportive; the sooner, the better. Joe says there are numerous people who own legitimate small business enterprises like restaurants, neighborhood contractors, etc., etc., that [hide] a part of their receipts and they believe they could not [survive] in business but for that ummmm, strategy! Now you may argue with the term "survive" as used in this context, but you can't argue with that person's perception. Perception is reality, reality is perception. Their perception is theirs and they will vote their perception!

I have an answer; demonize them. Pit as many people as possible against them. Make them out to be villains. Label them as "right-wing religious zealots". Tell them the price of gas would come down and teachers would get a raise if not for "those people". Sound familiar?

Stay tuned, I'm going to a Fair Tax meeting in a few days; maybe there will be a clarification...

March 15, 2008 - "Chickens coming home to roost"... This was spouted from a preacher, from the pulpit. It was Obama's preacher giving his explanation of the events of 9-ll. If you haven't seen the video, find it, watch it... and listen to the words.

Yes, the chickens have come home to roost- but for the Democrat Party... We have lived under politically correct crap for years, the negative results are all around us, affecting our culture and our daily living. Geraldine Ferraro, long-time Democrat stalwart and heretofore politically correct advocate recently suffered the downside of what in part was her own doing (see my March 12 post below)... She is now on the Democrat naughty list for absolutely no sensible reason at all. And this is how the Democrat Party shall eventually meet it's demise; from within. Stuff not based on truth, but supported by lies and innuendos, will always cycle out; it is the way of things. I don't mean the Democrat Party will disappear; rather it will evolve, much like the Republican Party will evolve from pressure from its' conservative elements.

I do believe however, that over time the entire political structure will experience subtle eventualities that will result in a long-term shift to the "Right", much as history tells us about the success the left has had over the last 40 years. I think this is a good thing at this time, but it doesn't mean we have to lower our guard. Politicians, of all flavors, will always be empire building and must be monitored. "Talk radio" has exposed the truth, awakened the "thinking silent Majority", and will continue to stay "on watch" until someday in the future, Leftist politicians will figure out how to silence them or indeed bring them into the "fold" as they did the so called main stream media and educational institutions. And so it goes... Pheww, my rant for the day, I guess. Hope it makes sense to all!

March 14, 2008 - I am happy, yes "happy", that all this crap is coming out about Obama's pastor AND the fact that Obama (and his wife, Michelle) listened to it for twenty years and exposed his kids to it for their entire life. I saw the videos and heard the words. I am happy because if it hadn't come out and he was to become president, only God could predict the outcome. Let me take you back 45 years... A young Cuban came to America and asked the CIA to help him organize forces to take over Cuba from the elicit gangsters in charge. The CIA cooperated. One day after the young Cuban and CIA backed forces successfully kicked out the gangsters in Cuba, the young Cuban admitted he was Communist and America can go to hell; that young Cuban was Fidel Castro. I for one, do not want anything of the sort to happen here; Democrats and their willing accomplices in the main stream media be damned and praise be to Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Conservative talk radio in general... Oh, and special kudos to Liberals who speak openly about who they are and what they represent, so those of us who are sane can see them coming...

March 14, 2008 - Chris Matthews on "Morning Joe" says he "understands where Obama's Minister is coming from"... This in response to Obama's pastor's response to 9-11, ONE DAY AFTER 9-11 wherein he said "America is to blame and instead of God bless America, it should be God Damn America". Matthews said he understood why the preacher would say that based on 300 years of slavery. I guess Obama's kids now understand the hate too after listening to the preacher [all] their lives... While pundits deliberate where this will take Obama politically should not someone be talking about what might be expected of a President whose "preacher" has a record of preaching this stuff for the twenty years Obama has been going to church there?

March 13, 2008 - Please read or listen to recordings of Obama's pastor preaching... We heard the response Obama and his wife gave for going to that church for the last twenty years... Wouldn't it be interesting to hear what their children have to say about what they hear in church too?????

March 12, 2008 - Mit Romney... During the early primary season, when Romney was a contender, if not the Republican front runner, the media expressed an unusual amount of disdain for him. Unusual only if you don't know them; I do! Unusual only if you don't know the Liberal mindset; I do! Last night, Fox News' Sean Hannity interviewed Romney. Of course Hannity asked if he would accept the V.P. nod. Of course Romney said he would, as would anyone. Today the media is reporting that Romney is coming after the job. On the Left, Chris Matthews is leading the charge, saying their is actually "hate" between the two. My point-- The Liberals, and the Liberal media, will come down hard on those they are afraid of. They will do and say anything to keep a threat away from their doorstep. Liberals believe Mit Romney is that threat! Odds are the media will be successful insofar as McCain has thus far shown us he does not want  unnecessary confrontations with his Democrat foes, and the media knows it. I'm figuring that the media thinks that if they keep demonizing Romney, McCain will back off tapping Romney for the #2 spot. However, my friend Joe says that McCain has sanctioned Romney going public to test the waters. He says Romney is a team player and knows the "Blue Bloods" will give him the nod next time around if he behaves. Hence, he would not do anything to ruin that opportunity. Time will tell...

March 12, 2008 - One-time Dem V.P. candidate Geraldine Ferraro feels the pain... She said-- "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman, he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept." Her former Dem friends said; you are a racist! -- What she meant was,  if he had been white and saying the exact same thing, know one would have given him a second look. Instead, she was not informed as to what was going on and has fallen prey to her own parties "shark attack"! Geraldine finally got the message; don't even come within a mile of Obama being black 'cause we're going to get the Republicans with those kinds of statements after we're through with Hillary!

March 12, 2008 - "I felt this thrill going up my leg"... No not me, Chris Matthews!

March 11, 2008 - Hillary is finished and as she goes, so goes Bill... The math tells much of it, but the real story is how the Democrat Party left Hillary after so many years making excuses for her, and Bill... It really shows the shallow character of Democrats... Fact is, they flew the coup; no seniority considerations in that party (unlike the Republican Party, to my chagrin)! The Michigan/Florida primary fiasco is one example; only Dems can screw something up like that... If you think about it, they screw things up time after time and when it goes bad they blame it on Republicans. I can't argue that Republican politicians don't have a hand in screwing up the country, they do... But this Hillary thing is precious. She screwed up the lives of so many innocent people, only a few of which were the folks who got fired in "travel-gate"... So, time marches, and so goes Bill and Hillary... Into the [ass-heap] of history!

March 11, 2008 - Food for thought... In this current political atmosphere, it is not OK to talk about Obama for being black or Hillary for being female. It is OK to talk about McCain being old... Notably, a few short years ago it was not OK for a sitting U.S. Senator to run for President; Bob Dole was pressured to resign his Senate seat. Today, there are three sitting U.S. Senators running for the presidency. Of course things are different today; this time there are Democrat Senators involved.

March 11, 2008 - Battle Creek Enquirer front page, top-of-the-fold headline; "Gasoline continues record high". Huh, who doesn't know that? ---Third page, bottom of the fold; "B.C. employment outlook good". Wow, I didn't know that; the state and the rest of the country are both hurting for jobs and Battle Creek is doing well... ---Talk about portraying the negative over the positive... My friend Joe says it's intentional; they want to do their part to replace Republicans with Democrats. Joe says we haven't seen anything yet. They want Mark Schauer to replace Tim Walberg really, really bad. I told Joe he was full of beans. Joe said ok have it your way; the Enquirer has no political agenda, they are just not very good at their job!

March 10, 2008 - "Bridge" to nowhere, Michigan style... Latest from Lansing is "Michigan may be first state to issue food stamps twice a month" The State of Michigan food stamp program is otherwise known as "Bridge". There are 1.2 million people on the "bridge", the most ever, in Michigan receiving an AVERAGE of $88 each month. That  comes out to be just under $1.3 billion each year, I think. Of course that doesn't include overhead; cost related to getting the money to the people. I know these figures aren't important but I thought they were interesting. This seems to be the politicians "final solution" to get votes errrrr, to help people, and it's working; every year more and more people become eligible.

Back to the story- according to the article they get [their] average of $88 around the first of the month, at which time they all go to the grocery store and by fresh food. "Distributing food stamps twice monthly would give shoppers more flexibility and encourage them to buy fresher foods at least twice a month", says Highland Park Dem Senator Martha Scott. I personally think fresher food should be available more than twice a month. The Michigan Senate will probably approve the bill this week. I think they should think about fresher food being available even more often than twice a month.

But wait, there's another twist to this story. It seems the rush is so great for the "fresher foods" that fresher food workers, the 50,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union "are pushed to work extra hard in the first 10 days of the month, then see their hours cut for the rest of the month ". My friend Joe says there is a 50,000 vote incentive for politicians to approve the bill, but I'm thinking that this really has no bearing on their thought process. Oh, Joe also says that if the fresh food workers get there hours cut by 1/3 each month, it sounds like that would be a great part-time job for senior citizens. Nuff said...  NOTE: this whole idea AND the notion that it will be approved is so ridiculous that it truly deserved a ridiculous response!

March 9, 2008 - Some CNN fun-day/Sunday stuff... Wolfe Blitzer said Samantha Power, a Harvard Professor, human rights advocate (of course), and campaign advisor for Obama, said she "basically" resigned after calling Hillary a monster... Basically? What the Sam Hill does the word "basically" have to do with anything; she either resigned or she was canned. What the Sam Hill did Wolfe really want to say; and why didn't he? And another thing; If Hillary wanted to get some votes out of this, instead of whining when asked about being referred to as a monster, she should have just growled!

Then there was Claire McCaskel, Democrat Senator from Missouri who is on board with the party socialists for Obama. She told Wolf that "it is very dangerous for Hillary to say John McCain has more foreign policy experience than Borak Obama". "Dangerous"? These people are so damn caught up in themselves they have no idea what words really mean. "Dangerous?" I'll give ya dangerous-- try putting Liberal party politics in front of national security and people who want to kill you; that's dangerous! Oh yeah, in the same breath, she said "Obama will get the troops out of Iraq safely and fairly". Fairly; geez, I love the words Liberals use, I don't swoon over them like true socialists, but I love them anyway; I think, from my perspective, they call it fodder. And so it goes....

March 8, 2008 - Armed Student Kills Terrorist in Israeli School --- Yes, a legally armed part-time student killed the killer before he could kill again --- Students scrambled to flee, jumping out of windows as the gunman fired. Holy books drenched in blood littered the floor. Six empty bullet clips were found on the floor. David Simchon, head of the seminary, said the students had been preparing a celebration for the new month of the Jewish calendar, which includes the holiday of Purim. We were planning to have a Purim party here tonight and instead we had a massacre," he told Channel 2 TV. A part-time student who is an army officer and lives nearby rushed into the seminary with his weapon and killed the gunman, Simchon told Israel Radio. "He saw the terrorist shooting, and with amazing resourcefulness he went into one of the rooms and managed to kill him," he said.

Please tell me again why those of us who are legally licensed to carry a concealed weapon in a grocery store, hardware store, MacDonald's Restaurant, etc., etc., cannot legally carry our weapon into a school?

March 7, 2008 - Battle Creek Enquirer's Stephanie Antonian Rutherford (phewww) says "Kellogg Co.'s top executive, David Mackay, was [awarded] approximately $9 million in compensation in 2007." One does not have to wonder why they would choose to apply the word "awarded" instead of "earned"; Liberals love to promote hate and division; it gets their "flock" all worked up emotionally! Personally, I choose to pay the price Kellogg charges for their Corn flakes so I don't complain about how much their execs make. Now with bureaucrats like school superintendents, city officials, and politicians in general, I have no such choice; they just take my money! Oh by the way, as far as bureaucrats and a few thousand workers in Battle Creek are concerned; I'm sure they feel "blessed" that Kellogg [knows] how to stay in business... Stephanie Antonian Rutherford and the Enquirer should too!.. And while I'm at it, I buy my corn flakes when they're on sale. The only time a government bureaucracy has a sale is when they have first taken away someone's property!

March 7, 2008 - Thomas Sowell; Chickens roosting in Michigan, errrr, the rust belt.

March 5, 2008 - The commercial Hillary didn't want to run..... If Hillary beats Obama, it will be in part due to the; "who do you want to answer the phone at 3 O'clock in the morning" commercial. However, if she wins the primary, she will have to live with the results... If John McCain runs exactly the same commercial, it's over!

March 5, 2008 - Think about it... A caller to Battle Creek WBCK FM95.3 talked about how he wants politicians to make decisions based on the "long term" rather than the "short term" - Not gonna happen! Current day politicians are concerned with the here-and-now; Liberals especially. The real Liberal can't help it; they are emotion-based rather than reason-based, and "emotion" must have a consequence, and it must happen NOW! Take the variable rate interest rates so popular a few years ago that are now the scourge of the American way of life. The variable rate interest rate came into being because it was inspired by Liberals who wanted people who could not afford to own their own home, to actually own one. Of course it was supported by weak-knee Republicans who didn't want to take a chance on losing their re-election bid. So, where are we now? Those same Libs and weak-knee Republicans are manipulating laws to bail those same people out of an inevitable consequence. And so it goes.....

March 4, 2008 - More Dems than Republicans admit to mental health problems! I know there is a clinical tendency to put a label on everything but I don't subscribe to it. This story is worth reading only because it gives a better insight into the Liberal mind as opposed to the Conservative mind. I am personally of the opinion that differences have more to do with the Liberal mind being [more emotion] based while the Conservative mind is [more reason] based.

March 4, 2008 - Union wins $10.56 from a non-union contractor for a non-union laborer, Battle Creek/Lakeview High School Superintendent Cindy Ruble is no longer "wound up" - no longer "tired" and, no longer "worn down"! But... She still says she was glad "to put the heart away and make the decision with the head" (now that is a taxpayer friendly statement)... (Full story)  Self-proclaimed watchdog of electrical contractors, Steve Claywell, made the point that by not using local union labor, you may save taxpayers a bundle of money but his message to Battle Creek bureaucrats was clear; think twice before repeating that mistake- just ask Cindy Ruble! Don't get me wrong, I don't blame Steve one bit; he was doing his job. I do have some questions about the process that allows all this, but certainly not the union; they do only what they are allowed to do. So everyone is happy now and both sides will soon be working hand-in-hand, according to the article, on the yummy $52 million elementary school bond proposal in August. Hmmmm... Oh, Ms. Ruble--- Don't complain too much; a man I use to know many years ago told me he experienced a lot of that kind of behavior, he just figured that is why he got paid the big bucks!

March 1, 2008 - My emotional side took control for a moment in my February 28 post. No matter how Liberal John McCain is, there is no reason on earth to allow Obama or Clinton to become President! This election is about national security, not about Democrat vs. Republican. It's about getting [rid of] terrorists and NOTHING ELSE! It is about the lack of response to terrorist events on the U.S. under Bill Clinton and the Bush response to 9-11. It is about how current-day Democrat politicians grasp on to opportunities for political purposes [solely for votes], and why they are successful at it. It is about personality and emotional considerations. It is about character consideration, and it is about intellect as it applies to a persons ability to reason effectively. It is about we as a people and where we think we fit into these categories. Because I was alive and alert; because I read news reports, watched TV, surveyed the internet, and listened to BOTH Conservative and Liberal take on current events at the time, and NOW, I know the following to be true...

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sites worth your time

MEAexposed.com

fairtaxmi.org(Mich)

fairtax.org(Nat'l)

RightMichigan.com

michiganrecalls.com

mackinac.org

intellectualconservative.com

mediaresearchcenter.org

michellemalkin.com

Contact me at... nofool@foolmenot.com

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A note from me.... If I ever use the word "fair" or especially the word "fairness", in any context, I have gone over the edge. I will expect my conservative friends to pull me back!

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You don't have to teach a man to fish; teach him anything. Just get him off the welfare rolls. While you're at it-- teach your daughter some parenting skills and your son responsibility! Yes, all three are tied together; solve one, the other two are automatic!

Heck, if you're reading this you already know all this. So, so, so then go out and tell someone who needs it...

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