novatownhall blog

The contrast between the two viewpoints could not be drawn in a manner any starker. Reagan is the adult in a room full of dimwitted children. “We want what we want, and we want it now”, is an apt summation of the cries of the Democrat Congressmen. Reagan’s counter point, one of personal responsibility could not be more poignant.

The Republicans will win the battle this fall. They will win not because of their brilliance, but because of a nationwide revulsion of the Democrats in power. The question is can the Republicans win the war. The 40% of the country that self identifies as conservative will be watching. If the Republicans revert to their 2006 big government big spender mode – they are finished as a party.

The answer to the Pelosi-Obama-Reid Democrats is not accommodation. Healthcare needs to be repealed. The mountain of deficit spending demands large cuts in spending, not an increase in taxes – we are long past the peak on the Laffer curve. Cap and trade is a job killer as is the recent economic ‘reform’ bill that only increased the level of uncertainty in the market.

Accommodation and compromise are called for when the two parties at the table have some common ground. When the issue on the table is the choice between liberty and servitude, where is there common ground? When the issue is a choice permanent state of national indebtedness and economic freedom, how does one accept servitude? When the choice lies between the US maintaining its hard won sovereignty and the likes of the UN making decisions for us, do we agree to let the likes of Libya, Sudan and China telling us how we are to live?

Reagan did not compromise his principles. He made deals in order to further his agenda and philosophy, and took what he could in the face of a foe who had the media in his pocket. The American people know the difference. We will be watching. The yardstick by which Republican performance will measured is not the sad marker set down by the Teleprompter in Chief. The yardstick will be the one stacked out by legacy of the Great Communicator.

You can see from the questions and their repetition that MSM cannot imagine what they are seeing.

You have had time.  Are you ready or do I have to beat you up all over again?  The days the government says to fly a flag are here but this does not include the Southern Independence holidays.  Best to just fly the flag all the time and you won’t forget.  You’ve been advised.

The national debt we see as a killer and rightfully so. People are all upset about it and we know it stinks. But it seems we lose sight of it the closer it comes to home.

The county has been financing capital projects with debt it for what seems like forever. Every single ballot item for bonds related to building schools has been passed every year I’ve been here. What does it cost us now? A whole lot more than the 30 million or so that is going to put 290+ people out of work because the county budget needs to be cut. (Plus much larger classroom sizes, and we already have students that won’t be able to take AP courses because we don’t offer them every year.) Why? If you ask me it is because we don’t know fiscal responsibility.

“It’s the economy, stupid” applies to nearly everyone. As a single income household, attempting to live on a teacher’s salary, I don’t have a choice of using credit to pay for things. Some of you might be thinking that means I have to use credit … NO! Just the opposite. I cannot afford to use credit to pay for things. If I used credit, then I wouldn’t be able to stay a teacher, I’d have to find another job. How many of the problems with the economy are from people defaulting on loans? Debt is a killer for people as well as the county.

What’s more, the debt that kills the people is the reason people think it is “okay” to contract debt for the county. (If people buy a $3000 TV with debt … really stupid idea, people … then why wouldn’t they think that a county with a couple of billion budget should contract a debt of a $100 million or so for a school?) Both lead to the same disastrous consequences; the entity that does this ends up spending more and more of the total income on debt than the things it needs to survive. Buy a TV on debt? Why not? Buy a school on debt? Of course!

That brings us to the country as a whole. Elect idiots that believe that the “entitlements” cannot be touched and that it is okay to have debt (financially irresponsible people like us) and what happens? We have a national debt that is so high that we are facing national bankruptcy if the interest rates go up by just a little. Remember when mortgages where 16% a year … what happens if the interest rates triple yet again?. The interest per year triples as well. Look at our current proposed county budget; it includes $151 million in debt service (notice they do NOT break out principle and interest, so we can easily see how much waste is included). Waste? What do we get for the interest? Nothing … spending money to have today rather than tomorrow is the most essential waste I can imagine. I want it, and I want it NOW! Wait a year and you can pay cash, or you pay three times as much. (In other words, how stupid is it to put appliances on a mortgage rather than pay cash? Why pay $4500 for a $1500 washer/drier?)

Which brings us to the federal budget as well. How much do we spend on interest? What have we done electing people that think nothing of increasing our debt instead of paying it off? We are electing people that are as stupid as we are. WAKE UP! If Loudoun had never borrowed to finance building, we would not have the tax rate we do today, let alone the need to lay off 290+ LCPS employees (not that there isn’t waste in the school system as well … I’m not saying anything about that.) Wake up! If we want the future to be anything near reasonable, pay off the debt. I’d rather see a tax increase and a mandated unbalanced budget (i.e., a mandate for a surplus every year) than have the tax remain the same and not pay down the debt. $150 million is more than enough to lower taxes *and* provide full funding for the LCPS budget. If we had been paying as we go, it would have saved enough to build every school in the county we have now (even at the insanely small size we build schools). For the federal government, it may have taken longer, but the situation is exactly the same.

It is insane to borrow money except for an emergency, or something that is a one-time expense which is greater than the yearly income an entity generates. It is also insane not to pay off that debt as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we have a situation in which we are paying interest (total waste of funds) for what gets us nothing in return. If the freezer breaks down with $500 of food in it, it makes sense to buy a new freezer to save the $500 in food, but pay it off! It does not make sense to carry debt. In fact, it makes sense to save money so when an emergency happens (as it always does) you have the money to pay for the fix. If we have six months of income in the bank, there are few emergencies that would force us to borrow money. That is true for the county, the state, the federal government, or even individuals.

I loved this, and I hope Cafferty is right about remembering at mid-term elections …

“You Lie” Wilson seems to have been right. Again in the state of the union, Obama lying about the SCOTUS in overturning McCain-Feingold in Citizen United is yet another example. How can you tell that Obama is lying? His lips are moving doesn’t seem to cover all the times this guy can lie.

Pick any section of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, then go the Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, and explain exactly which of those enumerated powers, such as “To establish Post Offices and Post Roads,” or “To provide and maintain a Navy,” pertains to the chosen section of the new law.

by jacob
The people are coming out tomorrow to march against Obamacare 2.0. The socialists (Democrats) are desperate. They cannot pass this bill on an honest vote. They cannot pass this bill by bribing their fellow congressmen with our money. So. What do they do. They will pass it in committee and call it a day. The Slaughter proposal takes us into banana republic style government. This would be a law passed by fiat. Do we now call the DOTUS el hefe? What is wrong with this bill? A better question is, “What is NOT wrong with his bill?!” It is:

Riddled with Taxes: This legislation is riddled with tax hikes. They start by taxing those earning over $10,831 year who don’t buy health insurance $750—a tax that escalates to $3,800 as income rises. Health insurance, health care devices and drugs are also taxed, adding to the cost of health care, and decreasing the competitiveness of these businesses.
Medicare Cuts: The bill cuts $500 billion in Medicare spending, including over $130 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage and nearly $120 billion in Medicare cuts for hospitals that care for seniors. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says they “expected the Medicare Advantage plans to lose 2.7 million enrollees over the next decade” as a result.
Raises Insurance Prices: CBO also finds “premiums in the new insurance exchanges would tend to be higher than the average premiums in the current-law individual market…” (so we are doing this WHY?)
Force, Not Choice: This legislation includes an “individual mandate” forcing all Americans to purchase health insurance, like the Massachusetts law. Taxpayer subsidies will be given to those earning up to three times the federal poverty level. Those not qualifying for subsides will be taxed up to $3,800 if they do not buy insurance, and the Joint Tax Committee has confirmed failure to pay your fine could result in jail time. The experience in Massachusetts has left those caught in between unable to afford insurance and having to pay the tax.
Big Insurance Boondoggle: Forcing all the uninsured into insurance could bring as much as $200 billion a year in new premiums to insurance companies, including $465 billion in subsidies over 10 years.
Privacy Violation: This legislation would allow law enforcement agencies such as the FBI and the Department of Justice unprecedented unfettered access to medical records.
No Lawsuit Reform: This legislation fails to curb junk lawsuits. It doesn’t even implement the “demonstrations projects” on reform the President called for (despite the fact that states like Mississippi have already done so and seen medical malpractice insurance premiums drop 42 percent). Instead, it will “express the Sense of the Senate that health care reform presents an opportunity to address issues related to medical malpractice and medical liability insurance.”
Bipartisan Opposition: The only thing bipartisan about this bill is the opposition to it.
The Senate:a vote for “cloture” on this legislation is a vote in favor of government-run health care.

We will be watching your vote closely. Congress — VOTE NO! People — Now is the time to call your congressman. Now it is time to call the blue dogs in the house. Blue Dog Democrat means, ‘leftist pretending to be moderate’ in a right leaning district. Let these dogs know the jig is up.

Obama is a leftist ideologue. The press, our dear MSM sold us a bill of goods last November. They refused to look behind the curtain and see the great Oz for what he really is. A man who gives good teleprompter. A man who whether the MSM will report it or not is a pawn of the far left thug-o-cracy of Chicago. This is what we get for refusing to pay attention to the scam the NYT’s and the alphabets were pulling. Shame on US.

The old war horse has not lost a step. His argument skewers the current administration with a wit devoid of anger, angst and venom. Takes notes people, this is how a conservative message aught to be woven.

- Jacob

President 0bama did present a very interesting idea in his State of the Union speech, that all earmarks should be posted online by the requestion congresscritter before it is voted on. That is fine as far as it goes, but it should go farther. The requesting congresscritter should also be required to quote the section of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the earmark says.

Jack has been harping on this topic religiously and he gets it as others here do. I got out my crayons and paper so that everyone can get it. Take 10 minutes of your time without regret. We’re going back to school!

School = free
Pre-requisite = a brain with cognative thought processes
Video = 10 minutes
Topic = our government system
Understanding = priceless
Liberal comprehension about our Founding father’s model = ZERO!

Watch video here.

I learned one thing for sure. It appears that in actuality, I am a friggin’ moderate. Oh, Dan; the irony of it all. HA.

There is perhaps no more bastardized phrase in the Constitution than “the General Welfare.”  As anyone with a brain knows, the actual phrase is,

“The Congress shall have Power… to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.” 

It is “the Welfare of the United States,” not of “the Welfare of the People of the United States.” Furthermore, the full clause is:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

The “to pay…” part is evidently, both by it’s position and lack of capitalization, clearly the reason, not an enumerated power in itself.

Coming in a close second is the Commerce Clause:

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

In this case, rather than simply having the power to make such commerce regular, Congress has taken power over absolutely everything that might conceivably be related to interstate commerce.

There is another phrase that is being subtly twisted, but actually in a good way.  Well, not twisted, simply taken out of context, as the General Welfare clause is.  That is the Equal Protection clause in the 14th Amendment:

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United Statesnor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

President Obama has just exempted union-negotiate health insurance plans from the 40% tax that the rest of the people will have to pay.  Obviously, if this becomes law, it will not protect all people equally.  However, the federal government is not mentioned in the 14th Amendment.  The States cannot make or enforce such laws, but the federal government can.

Anyone for a new Amendment?

The Article “A Question For Conservatives” asks a valid question.  Is the party at war with itself?  The short answer is no.  There is sharp debate, such as is needed after the Republican 8-year-long spending spree.  The good news is no one is defending the 6000+ earmarks of the 109th congress.  The spending binge that the Republican party engaged in was counter to conservative ideals of the party.  The corruption that came with such spending was joyfully announced in the left wing media.  The 110th came in and outdid the 109th — in all the wrong ways: 9000+ earmarks and even more corruption.  The 111th Congress  has surpassed anything that has gone before — the Louisiana Purchase and the Nebraska Privilege will become two eternal stains on the Senate record.  Gov. Kaine is whistling past the graveyard — the Democrats have come out of the closet.

The Republican Party must now return to its fiscally conservative roots. It must confess of its excesses.  The Republican Party does not have the luxury of circular firing squads. The enemy is inside the gate. The nation has come to realize that our biggest troubles are coming from the modern Democrat Party — a party that has drifted so far left, it is socialist in all but name.  Look at Obama’s Czars.  Van Jones was but one example — an avowed communist.  The socialists must be rendered impotent.

What the Republican Party currently lacks is a voiced set of ideas and ideals.  A goal to compare to the Hopey Changey socialist hooey that has become the Democrat Party’s platform. Conservatives need a rallying cry. Something akin to Reagan’s “Morning in America” or Gingrich’s “Contract with America.”

Conservatism recognizes the right to self defense as being non-negotiable. Conservatism’s bedrock is adherence to federalism and the diffusion of power that comes with it. I propose four simple principals that will reflect these two ideals — four simple principals that every Republican can agree to:

1. Kill the terrorists before they kill us — We are in a war with Islamic Fundamentalism; this is not a crime problem. They are not interested in stealing; they are interested in killing us.

2. Give us back our money — Tax us way less. Give back the TARP and unspent funds from the porkulus, the deficit is not helping us. Government is not the answer. Economic freedom makes all the other freedoms possible.

3. Zero Earmarks — This is the root of the corruption problem, the politicians are bribing each other with OUR money.

4. Obey all of the Constitution — The separation of powers also means the state and local governments AND the people have power. Federal power should be the most abridged. It is now the most profligate. The Interstate Commerce Clause does not overturn the remainder of the constitution.

People voted for change. We as a nation were told by the fourth estate that Obama was a moderate, that Obama had conservative leanings, that Democrats are the party of fiscal conservatism, that Obama would transcend race, party, and ideology. We all would join hands and sing kum-bay-ya!  The people, much to this citizen’s dismay, believed this overwrought drivel. The country really wanted to see the 6000 earmarks per year go away, what it got was 3000+ new earmarks per year added on.

This country was founded by men who began a war over taxation that was far less odious than what the typical American is happily laboring under today. A tax on our national breakfast beverage caused riots in Boston and people took to the streets armed and ready to die for their rights.

The right to live in freedom and to pursue happiness — not by the leave of some self-appointed betters was the goal. Sound familiar? We have the power of the ballot box today. All who would trample our freedoms can be dealt with in that arena. Vigilance is the price of freedom, and we as a nation have been asleep at the wheel for far too long.

It is not enough to come out and vote every two years. Conservatives all need to engage and know what is going on down there on the shores of the Potomac. Primary season must become a time of terror for those who hold office and vote contrary to the will of those who voted for them. An informed electorate will purge the dross from the system. The time of the professional politician must come to an end.

This is the face of the true enemy of freedom in this country.

The Democrats have decided that any semblance of debate regarding the facts of any topic is too much trouble. Instead rank name calling is the order of the day. There was a time when this sort of thing was done by activists in order to rabble rouse. Now the party is cutting out the middleman, and Democrat Senators are engaging in empty, banal, name calling — on the floor of the senate.

If you are against the government take over of 1/6th of the economy, you are a racist. Really? If you are against a 2000 page bill getting voted on w/o anyone taking the time to understand what is involved, you are a member of the Aryans? The second worst thing that can happen to the Democrats is failure to pass this bill. The worst thing is them succeeding in this kleptocratic effort.  This mess is that bad.

The bill is unconstitutional. The federal government does not have the power to force people to buy a product. The 14th amendment demands that federal laws apply equally to all individuals. That means the amendment to the H.C .bill where Nebraska is exempt from paying in perpetuity its share of the Federal Health care is unconstitutional on its face. Noting the blatant illegality of this bill, and the fraud it is perpetrating on the American people will no doubt be called racist, homophobic, bigoted, fattening and will cause the polar ice caps to melt.  The correct answer to this level of debate is, “I know you are, but what am I?!”

The best part of this is that we now have it in the congressional record that the Democrats have crafted a bill to kill the insurance industry.  They denied it at first, and wrapped their rhetoric in business model talk — cost savings, consumer choice etc.  Lying through their teeth they claimed this is a market based  solution.  How can that be if you are killing the market?  Oh!  Is that question racist?

When Rome was a Republic, selfless public service was considered a a virtue, if not a requirement.  “For the good of the nation!”, men of talent stepped forward and built Rome into a powerful nation from a motley set of villages atop seven hills.   Everyone served in the military, many served in public works, some served in the Senate and its supporting bureaucracy.  Cinncinatus, while human, was an example by which many of the founders of our country lived:

His [Cinncinatus] immediate resignation of his absolute authority with the end of the crisis has often been cited as an example of outstanding leadership, service to the greater good, civic virtue, and modesty.

Washington followed this creed, as did the members of the continental army who followed Washington.  Our country was blessed by Washington’s stepping away from the presidency after two terms.  This was a tradition that was not broken until the progressive FDR — masquerading as a Democrat — selfishly felt the country needed him for four terms.   Unfortunately, selflessness in public service today is not a virtue followed by many, if any at all.  Congress follows Roosevelt’s not Washington’s model.  We are poorer for it.

I believe that the military (Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force) should remain all volunteer. What we could do, as a nation, is enforce a 2 year period of service. This could include firefighting, nursing, BORDER patrol, coast guard, prison guard, EMT, CUSTOMS inspection etc, etc. Unlike the draft earlier in mid-twentieth century, all would serve.  No exceptions.  No waivers for those in college, nor for a medical condition.  No exceptions.  For example, a paraplegic could answer phones in an emergency call center.

The Military would require 4 years of service, two is not enough for a modern force.  Military service would still be voluntary.  A battery of aptitude tests, both academic and athletic,  would put the incoming eighteen year old’s on scale.  Those with the highest scores would get first pick.  The Military could very well itself get an inductee class that is better than ever.

As the choice of assignment is based on merit, the better assignments would go to the more adept.  Military, EMT, nursing, and other choice positions would go to those who scored well.  Guarding the Alaska-Yukon border would go to those at the bottom of the barrel.

Think of the benefits outside the military arena.  Currently we cannot inspect every ship, and every container coming into the country.  With a manpower pool in the 7M range, this issue would to go away.  Considering the repercussions of a nuclear weapon coming into port and detonating, such a force is warranted.  Considering the fallout of finally being able to really stop the flow of drugs coming into the country, such service would also be highly beneficial.

Service to the country is a republican ideal, not a Republican ideal.  This country is a Republic,  we would be well served to remember that.

One more time with feeling: Thank you Dede!! You liberal piece of trash. You were embraced by the party for 20 years, and when you suffer your first real setback you came out for the Democrat in the 11th hour.

Owens was brought into the Democrat fold real quick.  He lied on the campaign trail, and the idiot moderates, like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football Lucy is holding, voted for the Democrat expecting him to keep his promise.   Rats!  Owens said he would not support a public option, well he voted for it.   He broke that and three other promises the first day in office.  Where is that football now Charlie?  From the Gouverneur Times:

Many feel that it was unlikely Mr. Owens would have won those crucial few thousand votes if the voting public was aware of his intent with regard to the Health Care bill.  The majority of residents in this district do not support the Health Reform bill as it is now written and many feel like they’ve become victims of a fraud perpetrated by their chosen candidate.

Ya think?  Message to the great pho-intellectuals of the middle — read some history!  Democrats migrate leftward in a flash once they reach Washington.  Wishing it were otherwise will not make it so, accept reality.  Read up on economics and find out that there are NO moderate economic theories.  Either you are a socialist central planner, or you allow the market to make choices.  Mixing the two always leads to the former squeezing out the later. Always.  Wishing it were otherwise, will not make it so.

Let this be a lesson to Newt, Owens was the 219th vote. Owen’s win gave Pelosi enough ammunition to finish off conservatism in the US. Public Healthcare is the holy grail for liberals. Why, because historically it causes the country to drift ever leftward.  Gingrich has mud on his face for supporting Dede, and 2012 will be harder for him.

Note to Republican leadership, try to at least run a moderate.  Running leftists makes it difficult for the conservatives (who are 3/4’s of the party) to vote for the candidates you field.  Scozzafava not only threw her support behind Owen, she was more liberal.    I guess it would be more embarrassing if she voted for the bill, but, there was another option.  The primary reason for a political party is to espouse a philosophy in the political arena, and bring this philosophy to life in legislation.  Picking candidates that are hostile to this philosophy makes no sense.

This is the US, not France, not England. We are made of sterner stuff. I hope conservatives do not go quietly into the night.  This vote today will seal the fate of the Democrat party in 2010.  But if the Republicans cannot hold on till then, or, overturn Obamacare, we as a nation are sunk.