RECENT UPDATES - DECEMBER 26, 2009

Never Surrender

The population of the United States exceeds 306 million. It is impossible for law enforcement or private security to detect each and every individual who intends to commit a terrorist act or have someone present, trained, and ready to react. To think otherwise is utterly foolish. The actions of the passengers and flight attendants of Northwest Airline Flight 253 who promptly responded should give notice to everyone that the only person you can ever count on is yourself. Fighting is the only choice in the situation involving Flight 253. To surrender, flee, or accept a fatal fate is unacceptable. Regardless of the conclusion from the tens of millions that will be spent investigating the incident, the hard cold facts are these:

Always be prepared.

Times have changed.

NEVER SURRENDER TO A TERRORIST OR TO A VIOLENT CRIMINAL.

A New King is Born

The insane spending continues as a $290 billion increase in the federal debt ceiling was passed by Congress yesterday, adding fuel to the argument that spending in Washington is out of control. After passage of this and the health care bill, our President flew off on holiday to the land of King Kamehameha.

A showdown at the ballot box in 2010 and 2012 by a nation that is re-discovering the Whigs is coming. Whig sympathizers (DINOs and RINOs) are making the switch more often each day. (Click here to download a Florida Voter Registration form and make your switch now.)

Should those who voted for increasing the federal debt walk the plank in 2010? Yes. As for President Obama’s forthcoming State of the Union address, hope is fading fast and will accelerate when pundits are finished picking it apart with a vengeance. A twist on the child rhyme about sticks and stones seems appropriate here: “While words and lies may hurt our feelings, your deeds are killing our nation.”

The Court Jester of the Senate, Senator Christopher Dodd, actually said that the failure to increase the debt would be catastrophic for the U.S. internationally while Senator Baucus threw the “scare grandma” card by claiming that Social Security payments to all recipients would stop immediately without passage. Regarding Dodd, if the average American was asked about the importance of giving millions and billions more to war lords in the Middle East, Asia, and China to curry favor versus lowering taxes, we believe lower taxes would win hands-down. We also believe Senator Dodd will find out for himself during his re-election in 2010 that his hypocritical behavior and giveaways will result in his seat being occupied by someone new in 2011. As for Senator Baucus, the day when the vast majority of retirees in the nation are walking in lockstep with AARP and drinking the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes of propaganda Kool-Aid is steadily eroding. While there are plenty of selfish grandma’s, there is a distinct growing number who care more about the lot their grandchildren will inherit and won’t buy the bull you’re selling anymore; you saw many of the enlighted grannies and grandpa's at your town hall meetings last summer if you recall.

No matter how Dodd and Biden cook the books, the economy will remain fragile because the collective memory of the rank-and-file consumer is keenly aware that ten years of zero stock market growth, plunging real estate values, sky-high fuel prices, unemployment, and massively increasing government spending has negatively impacted nearly everyone. The belt tightening will continue in 2010 after a brief relaxation for Christmas 2009. The upcoming unemployment numbers will perplex many cradle-to-grave academic elitists who think the worse is behind us. What many of the Harvard and Yale anointed experts lack is real life experience. On a daily basis we watch the successful Rodney’s of the world lecture the Dr. Bombay’s of the world, only to see the Bombay’s continue to use formal position and power to squash substance over form for the Keynesian Holy Grail Theory of Big Brother form over substance.

The President promised a “page-by-page” review of the budget during his campaign as if he had the authority for a line-item-veto, which he does not; however, a promise made should be a promise kept. In 2010, the Florida Whig Party challenges everyone to pick the budget apart, page by page, line by line, and demand the job we were promised be done. Question everything and the motives of everyone with the power of free speech and the Internet. Leave no stone unturned and no dollar unaccounted for.

One of those on the top of the list to watch is also one of the biggest hypocrites to ever grace the floor of the Senate is Charles Schumer. Senator Charles Schumer, who is in bed with Wall Street and big banks as much if not more so than Christopher Dodd. Schumer strongly supported the bailout of the financial industry and then organized a series of highly effective political action committee airway ad attacks on Republicans for supporting the very series of bailouts he voted for. Republicans will never learn that you simply cannot trust or make a deal with the devil. Their lack of backbone and inability to fight fire with fire is the bane of their leadership. The weak-sisters of the Republican Party, such as Senator John McCain, have been shown over and over why turning the other cheek merely gets another wack without a bit of remorse. If anyone wonders why bi-partisan support for nearly anything is nonexistent, remember Senator Schumer, the ruthless and ultimate backstabber of the Senate.

All the he said, she said, he did, she did game playing that goes on in Washington (and Tallahassee for that matter) is such that We the People need a daily score card to keep track of it all. Working men and women don’t have time for all this, and so, the easy and simple choice is this: “Vote all the incumbents out.”

The size of the debt, a never ending unbalanced budget, and compounding massive unfunded liabilities are being closely watched by the international community. The day of reckoning is approaching and it will not be pretty when it does if those in power do not pull their head out of the sand. Conscience-bound voting for that which is good for Americans has long given way to lobbyist and special interest-bound voting; however, the power of the political contribution is weakening daily as the power of We the People and our freedom of speech continues to grow through independent political thought. The traditional water cooler conversation and rapid expression on the net is changing the course of history, and history is what all incumbents need to be if we want to see the history of our nation continue.

The President has signaled he intends to make “deficit and debt reduction a center piece” of his State of the Union address; it will be hard listen to without holding one’s nose in light of all the spending we’ve witnessed. With that said, the Republicans need to keep Joe Wilson at home for this time he’s likely to erupt like an Alan Grayson carnival rant.

The political war of 2010 is rapidly approaching. The skirmishes have already begun, the full fledged battles are about to start. Will November 2, 2010 be akin to July 14, 1789 or July 4, 1776? Will November 6, 2012 be another October 19, 1781? We hope so and the odds are better than they have been in many decades that the American version of the English dukes, earls, noblemen, princes, and princesses have worn their welcome out. From city to countryside dweller, a growing number of We the People have had enough. While all the Kings horses and all the Kings men may be able to keep their family clans together again, persuading us Bohemians, who make up a third of the nation, that our wellbeing depends upon you is an argument does not hold water anymore and the face of that insane logic now greets you in the mirror each morning.

Merry Christmas

The Maji (Whigs, Independents, and No Party Affiliation) are here, spreading from east to west and transforming the dream to reality that the trilogy of legislative, judicial, and executive duopolistic control is ending. With faith, anything is possible.

Donald Ray Waiting on Our Dime

Donald Ray Wait - 05/27/1945

Donald is a well known panhandler in the City of Ocala. He can be found near the ChuckECheese begging for money from mothers and fathers walking their children to the store. Donald also frequents a Publix along State Road 200. From head to toe, Donald always appears filthy dirty. He holds a metal cross and looks at passersby out of the side of his eyes as he appears to have difficulty making direct eye contact. His crutch is always at hand (although he does not appear to need it) along with an ever changing bicycle with bags full of God knows what. Donald can be found panhandling at all hours of the day and night, and walking in the weekend hours amongst the closed medical buildings between the downtown hospitals and the West Marion Hospital. Donald is an aggressive panhandler having once grabbed my wife's forearm in while asking for money while our family was walking to our vehicle after grocery shopping; a bad move as Donald found out. Donald has become a character of interest for our family as we seem to have him in our neighborhood and among the establishments we frequent. He is hard to miss by sight, smell, or sound. He has provided a bit of entertainment as we have pulled over and watched him for several minutes at a time, going about his unique routines.

Donald was arrested on December 23, 2009 at 6:55 pm for panhandling and is spending a few nights at the Marion County Sheriff's Office Jail this Christmas (at taxpayer expense). A review of the court records of the Clerk of Court for Marion County Florida along with the Florida Department of Corrections shows that Mr. Wait has never been arrested before. Interesting.

With that said, our family has discussed Donald on several occasions. He is obviously walking a unique path that differs from that of the vast majority of those in the nation (oh the politically correct speech we are forced to use). Now that we know he is 64, we are surprised that he has made it this long but won't bet on a prolonged lifespan in comparison to the rest of society. And then, maybe he will live a normal life expectancy with the passage of federal health care.

The Donald's of the nation are a fact of life. They exist and are among us every day. If you attempt to talk to Donald and try to help him, he walks away, mumbling and flaring his arms, but then will approach you from behind when you least expect it in an effort to pocket a buck or two; again, a bad move.

As we’ve watched Donald (we now have a name for the one we’ve nicknamed Buster Brown), we’ve frequently discussed the cost he is having on our community. Food, shelter, medical care, and now, at least one confirmed confinement in our local jail. Has Donald ever worked and paid taxes? Has Donald ever paid for his health care? Had Donald ever stolen anything or left a back doorway to a business as tidy and free of human waste as he found it?

Tomorrow is Christmas and across the nation there will be many families like ours who will wake to the joy of Santa’s presents under the Christmas tree. We will have our coffee and hot chocolate and give thanks to God, the blessings bestowed upon us, and all that is good in the world. At the same time, there will be countless Donald’s who will wake up alone in the shadows of traditional society while walking like the rest of us in the sunshine for all to see. His needs are as obvious as his Buster Brown tattoo around his left eye and yet, there is nothing in the trillion dollar health care bill that will do a thing to help Donald; and should or can it?

The nation has problems that are as obvious as the nose on Rudolph. Rather than confront the difficult issues with practical solutions, far too often we watch the federal and state government throw millions, billions, and trillions into feel good pots that result in the greedy pocketing much more than their fair share. The time has come to simply call it the way it is and stop all the pussy footing around. We can be civil while at the same time not hamstringing ourselves with academic elitists telling us what is and is not politically correct.

And so here are my Three Christmas Wishes for Donald.

(1) A warm and comfortable bed for Christmas.

(2) A warm and healthy meal for Christmas.

(3) A judge who will order you to a long-term, no-nonsense, mental facility that will aggressively reprogram you thought processing capabilities so you can become a productive member of society. (A reasonable answer from a political party that offers real solutions to real problems.)

The collective whole of the nation must realize that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Health care is no different than buying a loaf of bread; it’s going to cost you unless you want it stale, hard, and moldy. The free lunch wagon is running out of food and those like Donald need to straighten up, fly right, or get out of town as our community with near 15% unemployment has had enough.

With that said, I will leave you with a quote from President Reagan: "Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them."

Merry Christmas Donald

Get help or get out of town; we can't afford you anymore.

Did 92 Year Old Senator Robert Byrd Read, Study, and Understand the Health Care Bill?

2,074 Page Senate Bill

1,990 Page House Bill

4,064 Total Pages

Estimated reference pages of legislation and administrative code (laws, rule, and regulations) on the federal and state level:

957,000+

The actual number is much higher; however, our group, whose average age is 39, simply wore out and stopped counting.

One of the most important decisions in the history of the United States of America rests on the shoulders of every single U.S. Senator. Without room to spare, passage will depend upon each of the 60 Senators making a decision and casting a vote that will affect everyone alive today and many generations in the future.

And so, today, December 24, 2009, we have been left in the hands of 92 year old United States Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia and must trust that he has read, studied, and fully understands each and every segment of the thousands of pages of changes that are contained within the Christmas Eve legislation.

Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Think About It