A little taste of political logic (with a side dose of insanity and humor to make things interesting.) My life will occassionally be brought in with some journalism.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Dirigo State Opportunity
How about we, the Dirigo state, take the lead once again in America. Let us have a year of politics without calling someone a Nazi. Please, we can end the madness by simply having civility and common sense.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sarah Palin Continues Reagan Principles
In a recent statement regarding her endorsement of Doug Hoffman, she said the following:
Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.
Quote over. Not mentioning pro-growth policies I forgive, but she mentions almost word for word the same principles Reagan stated were the core of Conservative thought. It should be noted Hoffman is running as the Conservative Party candidate and not a Republican.
Religious Right ideas and Conservativism may agree on some things, but the Religious Right does not represent Conservatives; only a Conservative can.
Doug Hoffman stands for the principles that all Republicans should share: smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense, and a commitment to individual liberty.
Quote over. Not mentioning pro-growth policies I forgive, but she mentions almost word for word the same principles Reagan stated were the core of Conservative thought. It should be noted Hoffman is running as the Conservative Party candidate and not a Republican.
Religious Right ideas and Conservativism may agree on some things, but the Religious Right does not represent Conservatives; only a Conservative can.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Walk along with nothing better to do
Just see the sights and enjoy the view
Yet as you walk you hear a fight start to brew
A man throws her against the wall and you enter with only a single clue
To intervene on her behalf
As he strikes and makes a laugh
Your bound to make sure she isn't another dot on a graph
As you shout for him to stop
He doesn't so you give him a bop
He turns and you suddenly wish there were some cops
The guy pulls out a knife
Stabs you seven times trying to end your life
You fall back hoping this is the end of her strife
As you scream in pain entering a whole new fight
Later as you lay and recover
You think of her and wonder
Before this lightning had there been other rolls of thunder?
What made that man go asunder?
How can we turn on those we love?
Clip their wings and cage them like doves?
The tears fall like boulders in troves,
so I wish you all luck in having safer homes.
Just see the sights and enjoy the view
Yet as you walk you hear a fight start to brew
A man throws her against the wall and you enter with only a single clue
To intervene on her behalf
As he strikes and makes a laugh
Your bound to make sure she isn't another dot on a graph
As you shout for him to stop
He doesn't so you give him a bop
He turns and you suddenly wish there were some cops
The guy pulls out a knife
Stabs you seven times trying to end your life
You fall back hoping this is the end of her strife
As you scream in pain entering a whole new fight
Later as you lay and recover
You think of her and wonder
Before this lightning had there been other rolls of thunder?
What made that man go asunder?
How can we turn on those we love?
Clip their wings and cage them like doves?
The tears fall like boulders in troves,
so I wish you all luck in having safer homes.
Working Families Party
The political wing of ACORN and the weld connecting the Democratic Party to ACORN has appeared in the news for voter fraud and possibly stealing an election.
For example:
Thirty-eight forged or fraudulent ballots have been thrown out -- enough votes, an election official admits, to likely have tipped the city council and county elections in November to the Democrats.
Excerpt over. They may have stolen an election. This isn't your standard accusation of gerrymandering or disenfranchising voters, this is inventing votes. Who did this? Take a read:
Someone took my signature and voted with it and I felt extremely violated," Suozzo [said]. He is a soft-spoken 28-year-old environmental engineer who says he never saw, let alone signed, the Working Families Party Absentee ballot application that carried his supposed signature. He was flabbergasted that someone would vote for him and submit it.
Excerpt over. The WFP, highlighted as the political side of ACORN in my assessment, should face the same pressure as ACORN. I say that for a time period of two years no WFP candidate (even when affiliated with other political parties) can receive Election Funds from the government. Considering the scale tipping they are willing to take when the rules are provided for them to follow, the scales should be tipped against their candidates as a punishment for tarnishing the most valued civic duty in our nation.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/20/tried-steal-election-ny-voter-fraud-case-heats/
For example:
Thirty-eight forged or fraudulent ballots have been thrown out -- enough votes, an election official admits, to likely have tipped the city council and county elections in November to the Democrats.
Excerpt over. They may have stolen an election. This isn't your standard accusation of gerrymandering or disenfranchising voters, this is inventing votes. Who did this? Take a read:
Someone took my signature and voted with it and I felt extremely violated," Suozzo [said]. He is a soft-spoken 28-year-old environmental engineer who says he never saw, let alone signed, the Working Families Party Absentee ballot application that carried his supposed signature. He was flabbergasted that someone would vote for him and submit it.
Excerpt over. The WFP, highlighted as the political side of ACORN in my assessment, should face the same pressure as ACORN. I say that for a time period of two years no WFP candidate (even when affiliated with other political parties) can receive Election Funds from the government. Considering the scale tipping they are willing to take when the rules are provided for them to follow, the scales should be tipped against their candidates as a punishment for tarnishing the most valued civic duty in our nation.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/10/20/tried-steal-election-ny-voter-fraud-case-heats/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Time for Honesty
I haven't been posting as much as I'd like to. I have followed the process of events in Venezuela for several years now, and watched how freedom of speech has slowly been wiped out. Cuba is cracking down on bloggers, and China has strengthened its "Great Firewall of China". I have been watching the opening salvos of the Fox News v. White House battle and am greatly concerned: the White House has gone to the extent where a reversal of their position will simply end their credibility and leave us with three years of basically useless government. They may be there and they will be crying, but America will have put them in the corner, turned out the lights, and closed the door.
To watch the situation go this far this fast is the same thing going on in other countries around the world. America is on a dangerous path, and my blog has already made me the target of some, but to have real power behind the attacks against me is something, to be honest, I do fear.
I'm not regretting what I post at all. I am fearful of the power some will have if they are able to say what I can post, or to tell me I can't post at all. Even worse is my fear that I will be punished for what I have posted: which is the truth followed by my opinion.
To watch the situation go this far this fast is the same thing going on in other countries around the world. America is on a dangerous path, and my blog has already made me the target of some, but to have real power behind the attacks against me is something, to be honest, I do fear.
I'm not regretting what I post at all. I am fearful of the power some will have if they are able to say what I can post, or to tell me I can't post at all. Even worse is my fear that I will be punished for what I have posted: which is the truth followed by my opinion.
Halloween Political Correctness
A costume with a gray alien in a jumpsuit labeled "Illegal Alien" was removed due to immigrant rights group's demands.
I am only angered by this because I've made that joke for years during Halloween. People always joke I'm from another planet and should go back, so I chide back "yes, I'm an illegal alien, I forgot to get my passport from Mars." This simply shuts everyone up so we can move on to something more constructive. It becomes either silent, awkward, or both and that is just how I like it when I get insulted.
Now, taking that joke and saying other people can't indulge in expressing it through other, possibly artistic, means is simply an attempt to deny freedom of speech. Look at all the offensive things done to religions in this country protected by freedom of speech, if a person who has broken the law can't take a joke then they should simply leave the country.
I am only angered by this because I've made that joke for years during Halloween. People always joke I'm from another planet and should go back, so I chide back "yes, I'm an illegal alien, I forgot to get my passport from Mars." This simply shuts everyone up so we can move on to something more constructive. It becomes either silent, awkward, or both and that is just how I like it when I get insulted.
Now, taking that joke and saying other people can't indulge in expressing it through other, possibly artistic, means is simply an attempt to deny freedom of speech. Look at all the offensive things done to religions in this country protected by freedom of speech, if a person who has broken the law can't take a joke then they should simply leave the country.
With Friends Like These...
It has been revealed, allegedly, that the Italian Secret Service paid the Taliban to not attack their forces in Afghanistan. This deal ended when French forces took over as the region's NATO force of control and the French sent in troops expecting the ease the Italians had there, leading to the deaths of 10 French soldiers when confronted by the Taliban. This was the worst loss for France in over 25 years.
France has had a massive increase in demands to withdraw its forces ever since.
So what should our military's response be?
I say get out of our way. We are pulling out of Iraq, or so we are told, so how about we take some of those 140,000 troops, bring them home, send some of our other 1 million strong forces over to Afghanistan to replace all NATO and otherwise forces. Let this be a U.S. and Afghanistan military war. The Europeans don't have the stomach for a war obviously. So they should get out of the line of fire and let us do the job that needs to be done.
You see, in World War 2 allies worked together to win the war. We raced for control of Sicily with British and American forces. With the Allies and Soviet forces we raced to Berlin. The war had allies operating jointly, but separately but the difference between then and now they raced to win. We seem to be in a race to quit with the other nations.
Whether it be Spain's shameless withdrawal of troops from Iraq to the lesser vocal but still very active withdrawals by other nations from Iraq to the current calls for withdrawals in almost every nation in Europe and Canada, we have joined those calls.
Iraq was luck because of the surge. Afghanistan? It is at its worst right now. A withdrawal of forces would lead to a collapse of the Afghan government and the return of Taliban control and continuous civil war which would grant the Taliban new recruits constantly. Long road traveled would lead to more attacks on the U.S.
So instead of letting the situation get worse by having cowardly allies or withdrawals let the American forces take over and do the job the way it needs to be done.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/world/europe/16italy.html?em
France has had a massive increase in demands to withdraw its forces ever since.
So what should our military's response be?
I say get out of our way. We are pulling out of Iraq, or so we are told, so how about we take some of those 140,000 troops, bring them home, send some of our other 1 million strong forces over to Afghanistan to replace all NATO and otherwise forces. Let this be a U.S. and Afghanistan military war. The Europeans don't have the stomach for a war obviously. So they should get out of the line of fire and let us do the job that needs to be done.
You see, in World War 2 allies worked together to win the war. We raced for control of Sicily with British and American forces. With the Allies and Soviet forces we raced to Berlin. The war had allies operating jointly, but separately but the difference between then and now they raced to win. We seem to be in a race to quit with the other nations.
Whether it be Spain's shameless withdrawal of troops from Iraq to the lesser vocal but still very active withdrawals by other nations from Iraq to the current calls for withdrawals in almost every nation in Europe and Canada, we have joined those calls.
Iraq was luck because of the surge. Afghanistan? It is at its worst right now. A withdrawal of forces would lead to a collapse of the Afghan government and the return of Taliban control and continuous civil war which would grant the Taliban new recruits constantly. Long road traveled would lead to more attacks on the U.S.
So instead of letting the situation get worse by having cowardly allies or withdrawals let the American forces take over and do the job the way it needs to be done.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/16/world/europe/16italy.html?em
Friday, October 16, 2009
Gary Locke and Missile Tech
The current head of the Commerce Department, Gary Locke is a very unique Democrat (yes, Democrat, he served as governor of Washington). Now he controls, well, here is the article:
President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department. The president issued a little-noticed "presidential determination" Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Excerpt over. I didn't know the White House had any issues in dealing with these problems. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. However, as for the risk, lets look at what Gary's priorities are shall we? I mean, his record should show if he actually puts money ahead of, say, the American people:
Among his spending-reduction proposals were laying off thousands of state employees; reducing health coverage; freezing most state employees' pay; and cutting funding for nursing homes and programs for the developmentally disabled. In his final budget, Locke suspended two voter-passed, pro-school initiatives while cutting state education funding. That same state budget, though, had record-high allocations for construction projects.
Excerpt over. The Wikipedia article used here is sourced, and the sources check out for the most part, several are broken (thanks Yahoo) but most check out.
So in the sake of money over us, I think it is quite clear he will go with money. Should we really let him handle sensitive materials when given the option to put them on the open, or not so open, market?
Common sense people.
President Obama recently shifted authority for approving sales to China of missile and space technology from the White House to the Commerce Department. The president issued a little-noticed "presidential determination" Sept. 29 that delegated authority for determining whether missile and space exports should be approved for China to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Excerpt over. I didn't know the White House had any issues in dealing with these problems. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. However, as for the risk, lets look at what Gary's priorities are shall we? I mean, his record should show if he actually puts money ahead of, say, the American people:
Among his spending-reduction proposals were laying off thousands of state employees; reducing health coverage; freezing most state employees' pay; and cutting funding for nursing homes and programs for the developmentally disabled. In his final budget, Locke suspended two voter-passed, pro-school initiatives while cutting state education funding. That same state budget, though, had record-high allocations for construction projects.
Excerpt over. The Wikipedia article used here is sourced, and the sources check out for the most part, several are broken (thanks Yahoo) but most check out.
So in the sake of money over us, I think it is quite clear he will go with money. Should we really let him handle sensitive materials when given the option to put them on the open, or not so open, market?
Common sense people.
Campaign Note
The recent path of the gubernatorial elections has increased the number of those running and while every candidate may be important, unless they say something not already said I will probably give it a pass. However, there is one tactic of fund raising being used by Lynne Williams in her recent email:
But this can't happen without YOUR participation.To qualify for Maine Clean Election funds I MUST raise a minimum of $40,000 in seed money paid directly to the campaign AND collect a minimum of 3,250 $5 Qualifying Contributions for the Maine Clean Election fund. Once we meet these goals, we will qualify for $800,000 in Clean Election funding, so your $105 in contributions can yield a 7,200 percent return on your investment to allow my campaign to move forward on the issues of importance to you and to Maine.
Email quote over. The Maine Clean Election fund is, in fact, already paid by us. So we are not actually get the return she says. We also are not getting the return because her campaign, not us, is getting the funds. Would you, if a person came to your door, give them a hundred dollars if they said that with your one hundred dollars they were guaranteed $7,200 which they would not give back to you? Of course not, it would sound like a scam. Which, in essence, campaign funding really is a scam. It is a false investment, and for some reason people in this country, rich and poor, are willing to place money in these no-guarantee places. The lottery is among them, so are drugs (including tobacco and alcohol), and campaigns for politicians.
Common sense tells you a scam is a scam, but for some reason people think they can get big returns without risk, and then wonder why they don't have enough money. Guaranteed investments, such as a savings account, or a government bond (considered guaranteed) need to be looked at right now. The stock market is about as much of a science as voodoo, so I suggest against it. Thank you for reading.
But this can't happen without YOUR participation.To qualify for Maine Clean Election funds I MUST raise a minimum of $40,000 in seed money paid directly to the campaign AND collect a minimum of 3,250 $5 Qualifying Contributions for the Maine Clean Election fund. Once we meet these goals, we will qualify for $800,000 in Clean Election funding, so your $105 in contributions can yield a 7,200 percent return on your investment to allow my campaign to move forward on the issues of importance to you and to Maine.
Email quote over. The Maine Clean Election fund is, in fact, already paid by us. So we are not actually get the return she says. We also are not getting the return because her campaign, not us, is getting the funds. Would you, if a person came to your door, give them a hundred dollars if they said that with your one hundred dollars they were guaranteed $7,200 which they would not give back to you? Of course not, it would sound like a scam. Which, in essence, campaign funding really is a scam. It is a false investment, and for some reason people in this country, rich and poor, are willing to place money in these no-guarantee places. The lottery is among them, so are drugs (including tobacco and alcohol), and campaigns for politicians.
Common sense tells you a scam is a scam, but for some reason people think they can get big returns without risk, and then wonder why they don't have enough money. Guaranteed investments, such as a savings account, or a government bond (considered guaranteed) need to be looked at right now. The stock market is about as much of a science as voodoo, so I suggest against it. Thank you for reading.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Deja Vu?
On 9/11 I had a feeling. It was of knowing something was going on that was bigger than us, but not knowing what it was. I was just young, but after a day of the two towers being hit when she told is the Pentagon had been hit, I told my teacher we were under attack. I didn't know by who or why, I just knew I suddenly cared.
I've been tracking the reports from Afghanistan, Somalia, and our own corrupt politics for a while now and today was a series of events that don't make sense to me.
Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize doesn't add up. It isn't just me, nobody at the university could believe it, we all agree, liberals and conservatives, that he hasn't done anything to deserve it.
Then I see we are abandoning a base in Afghanistan where some of our troops died recently, and this is just another move in that country that doesn't add up to me. We are at war, and we should fight to win which means keeping the enemy on the run, not letting them put us on the run.
Add this to Ethiopia's attack on the Somaliland government, supposedly an ally, Iran helping Venezuela find uranium, and Socialists taking over Greece and while not as apparent as 9/11, something is going on. I do not know what it is, but there is something big in motion that I can't figure it out. I've had this feeling for a while, but not as powerful a feeling as it is today. So I thought I might as well let you know, so clarity might be gained somehow if we compare notes so to speak.
I've been tracking the reports from Afghanistan, Somalia, and our own corrupt politics for a while now and today was a series of events that don't make sense to me.
Barack Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize doesn't add up. It isn't just me, nobody at the university could believe it, we all agree, liberals and conservatives, that he hasn't done anything to deserve it.
Then I see we are abandoning a base in Afghanistan where some of our troops died recently, and this is just another move in that country that doesn't add up to me. We are at war, and we should fight to win which means keeping the enemy on the run, not letting them put us on the run.
Add this to Ethiopia's attack on the Somaliland government, supposedly an ally, Iran helping Venezuela find uranium, and Socialists taking over Greece and while not as apparent as 9/11, something is going on. I do not know what it is, but there is something big in motion that I can't figure it out. I've had this feeling for a while, but not as powerful a feeling as it is today. So I thought I might as well let you know, so clarity might be gained somehow if we compare notes so to speak.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Should Schools Pay For Sports?
Fundamentally, humans are evolved not because of our ability to wrestle a rhino. We are evolved because of our brains, and the things which strengthen our minds should be valued more than the things which strengthen our fists. It takes a lot of effort to wrestle someone, but just a twitch to pull a trigger.
We'll talk about who survives the apocalypse when it actually comes.
We'll talk about who survives the apocalypse when it actually comes.
Social Security Solution
We all hear about Social Security having problems and running out. We never hear of a solution. I will warn you this is going to be a long post, this is a big problem. This post, however, if followed in full by everyone in the country, would solve our social security woes (unless proven otherwise).
Where to start, this is big. We know its a problem and we know that nobody has a solution which works when keeping Social Security in existance. The problem that has brought the house of cards down: more old people than young people.
This can't be solved by killing old people, well, it could, but that just isn't nice. It is worse than nice: it is age genocide. We don't do that in this nation.
We could just print money to pay for it but that would lead (among our current spending) to hyperinflation.
So what should we do? I say we end the program.
Please stop running around like the end of the world is approaching. Hear my case before screaming about my evil heartless existence.
How do we end it? We could just stop paying now and witness our elderly bankrupt families who care enough to try and care for their elders, and see the elderly without caring families homeless in our streets and killing themselves to give mercy to their families wallets.
That isn't what I meant by end the program. We need to phase out the program in a way that new entries do not expect to receive the benefits but those who were promised those benefits receive them.
Hear that? Those who worked thinking they were going to get it will get it, those just starting won't get it.
Solution: an alternative.
Fact of life is you do not (if your lucky) work until the day you die. So having a place, an account, to put your money for retirement (still by government mandate) is the best option. An account where you pay the Social Security tax (possibly even Medicare, but that isn't the program I studied for this) and the cash builds up without having it pay for someone else, the government, or a bank's bad loans. An account which can only be increased until you retire and can only be touched by you.
Why this approach of a mandated approach to retirement? People just don't, en masse, plan for the future. Think of this: when you were 18 did you think of how you were going to pay the bills when you retired? People really don't think about saving. This account would allow that, but there is a catch.
All those people who were promised their retirement will still get it. How will we pay for it? Well, everyone will still pay the Social Security tax. Yes, a double dose of taxes for people. It is a very painful thing I know, but hey, such a problem requires some unsavory solutions. You have a better solution, let me know.
This will allow the funds to be raised to pay for social security without (long term) leading to the unending bankruptcy of the nation.
Four paragraphs and things sound pretty sound, but wait, there is more. The fund can not stop raising (as in collecting, not increasing) the Social Security double tax (double in the sense that it goes to two places) until the last person receiving benefits has, well, stopped receiving those benefits. This means having a shift of Social Security to just handling retirement accounts, and allowing and creating other programs for disabilities and other things.
When a person with the account dies, the funds should go to declared beneficiaries. Will you get all the funds when a person dies? No, the government will never let go of that inheritance tax. So basically, when a person dies, half of the funds in their account will go to the heir, and half to the government. This way the government still gets it's cut to pay for managing the accounts.
The agency could be called the Retirement Account Agency, and a requirement of a yearly audit would ensure proper handling of the finances.
Now the rate someone withdraws their retirement should be left up to them. I would personally recommend people prepare to live for 100 years. Odds are you probably won't live 100 years, but planning that far ahead will give you some breathing room to give a helpful boost to your beneficiaries for funeral costs and other purposes.
You got a better idea? Let me hear about it. Think my plan won't work, let me know why.
Where to start, this is big. We know its a problem and we know that nobody has a solution which works when keeping Social Security in existance. The problem that has brought the house of cards down: more old people than young people.
This can't be solved by killing old people, well, it could, but that just isn't nice. It is worse than nice: it is age genocide. We don't do that in this nation.
We could just print money to pay for it but that would lead (among our current spending) to hyperinflation.
So what should we do? I say we end the program.
Please stop running around like the end of the world is approaching. Hear my case before screaming about my evil heartless existence.
How do we end it? We could just stop paying now and witness our elderly bankrupt families who care enough to try and care for their elders, and see the elderly without caring families homeless in our streets and killing themselves to give mercy to their families wallets.
That isn't what I meant by end the program. We need to phase out the program in a way that new entries do not expect to receive the benefits but those who were promised those benefits receive them.
Hear that? Those who worked thinking they were going to get it will get it, those just starting won't get it.
Solution: an alternative.
Fact of life is you do not (if your lucky) work until the day you die. So having a place, an account, to put your money for retirement (still by government mandate) is the best option. An account where you pay the Social Security tax (possibly even Medicare, but that isn't the program I studied for this) and the cash builds up without having it pay for someone else, the government, or a bank's bad loans. An account which can only be increased until you retire and can only be touched by you.
Why this approach of a mandated approach to retirement? People just don't, en masse, plan for the future. Think of this: when you were 18 did you think of how you were going to pay the bills when you retired? People really don't think about saving. This account would allow that, but there is a catch.
All those people who were promised their retirement will still get it. How will we pay for it? Well, everyone will still pay the Social Security tax. Yes, a double dose of taxes for people. It is a very painful thing I know, but hey, such a problem requires some unsavory solutions. You have a better solution, let me know.
This will allow the funds to be raised to pay for social security without (long term) leading to the unending bankruptcy of the nation.
Four paragraphs and things sound pretty sound, but wait, there is more. The fund can not stop raising (as in collecting, not increasing) the Social Security double tax (double in the sense that it goes to two places) until the last person receiving benefits has, well, stopped receiving those benefits. This means having a shift of Social Security to just handling retirement accounts, and allowing and creating other programs for disabilities and other things.
When a person with the account dies, the funds should go to declared beneficiaries. Will you get all the funds when a person dies? No, the government will never let go of that inheritance tax. So basically, when a person dies, half of the funds in their account will go to the heir, and half to the government. This way the government still gets it's cut to pay for managing the accounts.
The agency could be called the Retirement Account Agency, and a requirement of a yearly audit would ensure proper handling of the finances.
Now the rate someone withdraws their retirement should be left up to them. I would personally recommend people prepare to live for 100 years. Odds are you probably won't live 100 years, but planning that far ahead will give you some breathing room to give a helpful boost to your beneficiaries for funeral costs and other purposes.
You got a better idea? Let me hear about it. Think my plan won't work, let me know why.
Bruce Poliquin Interview
I had an interview today with Bruce Poliquin, a Republican candidate for governor. The conference call was very successful, many questions were asked and the responses were to the point and (for my taste anyway) very well spoken. We covered many topics. The first being education in which several points were made. First, he knows the schools work best without the state running them. He has the experience in managing and common sense, very important quality there to be able to balance the struggle of state and school board sovereignty. However, he did not give a specific answer to how state funds would be given if the state was giving no input.
The position of the governor on social issues being provided by the Constitution was avoided, but he did say that social issues such as same sex marriage should only be approved by the voters. He as governor does not feel like such an issue is best resolved for 1.3 million people just by his approval. He is very aware of the process that makes Maine unique in terms of voter petitions and supports that being used on such problems.
Reduced taxes in an all encompassing approach to making the code simpler is one of his primary goals. The need to expand business and give it, at least on the state level, the room it needs to grow with a combination of fewer and more streamlined regulations. The environment for business, Bruce says, needs to be made more attractive so we get the businesses we need to keep our kids here, provide jobs we need, and expand our economy.
However, politics is rarely without controversy. So I asked my first question on campaign controversy ever, which was a moment where Bruce became very passionate.
On the issue of a recent debacle in Portland, he said the accusations are baseless. He was invited like all other candidates, and his campaign accepted instantly. It was going to be a fundraiser event for the Portland City Republicans, not for the Poliquin Campaign. His campaign offered to pay for the campaign fee of $750 for their campaign to be represented, thus saving the Portland Republicans money so the event would not cost the group any funds. The other campaigns it seems made a completely false accusation in order to, by my own understanding of the situation, avoid paying the fee. He continues to be willing to fulfill that commitment at any time. Poliquin's campaign, however, supports giving voters as many opportunities to know the candidates and will take part in as many debates as possible.
To conclude: Bruce says the accusations were baseless and there will never be a conflict of interest with his campaign.
[The event in Portland was boycotted by the other campaigns on allegations of the Poliquin Campaign having a staff member benefiting from the fundraiser and, as the report I read stated, making this into a campaign fundraiser instead of the Portland City Committee fundraiser. Personally, I trust Bruce since no state filings for campaign ethics have occurred and his statements were either Emmy worthy performances or pure honesty.]
As I remember more of our half-hour conversation, I'll let you know. One thing you can be certain of: Bruce Poliquin is one of the most energetic people in politics I have ever seen. He has constant positivity and faith in this state and its people. Some candidates focus on other campaigns, but his is entirely focused on his message and policies.
There is another side of the story here. The outreach of the Poliquin campaign is one of the best I've ever seen. This opportunity to talk with Bruce was given to me by their invitation. I didn't even have to ask for it. My three emails each to the other candidates still go unanswered. However I've gotten two opportunities to speak with Bruce already and both times it was their outreach which gave me that opportunity.
I've written before about how a campaign needs a good outreach, and the Poliquin campaign has one which continues to have my support.
The position of the governor on social issues being provided by the Constitution was avoided, but he did say that social issues such as same sex marriage should only be approved by the voters. He as governor does not feel like such an issue is best resolved for 1.3 million people just by his approval. He is very aware of the process that makes Maine unique in terms of voter petitions and supports that being used on such problems.
Reduced taxes in an all encompassing approach to making the code simpler is one of his primary goals. The need to expand business and give it, at least on the state level, the room it needs to grow with a combination of fewer and more streamlined regulations. The environment for business, Bruce says, needs to be made more attractive so we get the businesses we need to keep our kids here, provide jobs we need, and expand our economy.
However, politics is rarely without controversy. So I asked my first question on campaign controversy ever, which was a moment where Bruce became very passionate.
On the issue of a recent debacle in Portland, he said the accusations are baseless. He was invited like all other candidates, and his campaign accepted instantly. It was going to be a fundraiser event for the Portland City Republicans, not for the Poliquin Campaign. His campaign offered to pay for the campaign fee of $750 for their campaign to be represented, thus saving the Portland Republicans money so the event would not cost the group any funds. The other campaigns it seems made a completely false accusation in order to, by my own understanding of the situation, avoid paying the fee. He continues to be willing to fulfill that commitment at any time. Poliquin's campaign, however, supports giving voters as many opportunities to know the candidates and will take part in as many debates as possible.
To conclude: Bruce says the accusations were baseless and there will never be a conflict of interest with his campaign.
[The event in Portland was boycotted by the other campaigns on allegations of the Poliquin Campaign having a staff member benefiting from the fundraiser and, as the report I read stated, making this into a campaign fundraiser instead of the Portland City Committee fundraiser. Personally, I trust Bruce since no state filings for campaign ethics have occurred and his statements were either Emmy worthy performances or pure honesty.]
As I remember more of our half-hour conversation, I'll let you know. One thing you can be certain of: Bruce Poliquin is one of the most energetic people in politics I have ever seen. He has constant positivity and faith in this state and its people. Some candidates focus on other campaigns, but his is entirely focused on his message and policies.
There is another side of the story here. The outreach of the Poliquin campaign is one of the best I've ever seen. This opportunity to talk with Bruce was given to me by their invitation. I didn't even have to ask for it. My three emails each to the other candidates still go unanswered. However I've gotten two opportunities to speak with Bruce already and both times it was their outreach which gave me that opportunity.
I've written before about how a campaign needs a good outreach, and the Poliquin campaign has one which continues to have my support.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Afghanistan
The White House has rejected the call for more troops in Afghanistan. They wish to take a more reconstructive approach.
You can not build a school and have the benefits when the Taliban just have the workers building it bribe them not to attack, and when the school is finished burn the school down because we can't provide enough security. You need to secure the situation before you rebuild the nation. I really wish our president would do his job and use common sense at the same time.
You can not build a school and have the benefits when the Taliban just have the workers building it bribe them not to attack, and when the school is finished burn the school down because we can't provide enough security. You need to secure the situation before you rebuild the nation. I really wish our president would do his job and use common sense at the same time.
Pacific Gone Wild
I want to send my condolences to the people of Samoa and wish them a quick recovery to normalcy, if possible. The people of Indonesia in the earthquake have the world's support, as do the super-typhoon victims in the Philipines.
What you may not have read about during all of this is two American soldiers killed in a fight against Abu Sayaff in one of the lower Philipine islands. Just so you know, we have, by my last count, 5,000 active troops there fighting the war on terror.
What you may not have read about during all of this is two American soldiers killed in a fight against Abu Sayaff in one of the lower Philipine islands. Just so you know, we have, by my last count, 5,000 active troops there fighting the war on terror.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Constitutional Alert
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/technology/02distracted.html?hp
Quote:
Federal employees will no longer be allowed to send text messages while driving government vehicles or when driving their own cars and using cellphones paid for by the government, according to an executive order signed Wednesday night by President Obama.
Quote over. Does this mean that in states without a texting law, Federal Employees, in their own cars with their own cell phones, will still be breaking the law? Does a Federal Law in this actually have any method of enforcement?
The Federal government says it is only on federal employees, but the income tax was just on the wealthiest one percent in this country at one time. It is only a matter of time until this is expanded to everyone regardless of state laws.
Quote:
Federal employees will no longer be allowed to send text messages while driving government vehicles or when driving their own cars and using cellphones paid for by the government, according to an executive order signed Wednesday night by President Obama.
Quote over. Does this mean that in states without a texting law, Federal Employees, in their own cars with their own cell phones, will still be breaking the law? Does a Federal Law in this actually have any method of enforcement?
The Federal government says it is only on federal employees, but the income tax was just on the wealthiest one percent in this country at one time. It is only a matter of time until this is expanded to everyone regardless of state laws.