Bizarre News Day

Talk about a bizarre news day in my area yesterday. First, we find out the
Executive
Director of our commuter rail service took his own life by, of all things,
walking in front of a commuter train. He was probably about to be fired due
to financial improprieties. It is reported that he got an unauthorized,
$56,000 bonus. Now that is bad, but is it worth taking your life over?
There had to be other things going on.

Then not more than a half hour later, we hear of a shooting at the Old Navy
store in Downtown Chicago. Seems that a woman who works there had broken up
with someone, but that someone didn't think the relationship should have
been over.

The Commuter Rail Executive Director one hit me a little hard. I had the
opportunity to work with this person. While I didn't know what was going on
in his financial dealings at the agency, he was always good to work with in
my role on the commuter rail system's Accessibility Committee. I especially
liked that he, the Executive Director was at every committee meeting, that
he said it like it is and when some of the people with disabilities got out
of hand, he put them in their place. It's too bad that he, apparently, did
things improperly from a financial sense, and it's too bad he took his life.

As far as the Old Navy deal, all I have to say is there are far better ways
to deal with a broken heart. At least, that guy is out of the gene pool;
too bad he took someone with him.

Congratulations, Arizona, Federal Government, Takle Notce and Do Something

Congratulations to the people of Arizona and their representatives for
passing tough immigration laws. As expected, the liberals in Washington who
think they know more than we do don't like it.

Arizona needed to do something because they are having a problem with
illegal immigrants. From crime, to high costs for education and health
care, the state has had enough and felt they needed to do something.

The message being sent by Arizona is simple. If you, the Federal Government
aren't going to do something about immigration reform, a serious issue, then
we are going to take action because we're sick and tired of being overrun
with illegal immigrants.

Certainly, the immigration issue is pretty complicated. In many ways, you
really can't blame illegal immigrants for coming to the United States.
There are jobs here and they come from terrible economic conditions in
places like Mexico.

So what should the Federal Government do? First, go hard after employers
for hiring illegal immigrants. Stif fines, documentation of legal status of
all workers, and forced closure of businesses would send a strong message
that you better hire only people who belong here or else.. Not only would
this help stem the tide of illegal immigration, it would help Americans who
are out of work find work. In particular, it would help underemployed
groups such as folks with disabilities. Yes,m this may mean we Americans
have to pay more for certain things, but so what. If that puts more
Americans to work, it's a good thing.

For those illegals who are here, the Federal Government should create a path
to citizenship which doesn't put them in line ahead of anyone else, and
which reduces the cost and time to become a citizen. I believe that all
illegals must learn English, and in fact, that many want too, realizing it's
to their advantage to do so.

Immigration reform should be done in such a way that if you are here
illegally, and you commit any crime, you are kicked out, period.

There are many more things strong immigration reform should do. Arizona
shouldn't have had to take the stand that they did, but since the Federal
Government has been unresponsive to the problem of illegal immigration, they
felt they had no choice. If the Federal Government does not want more
states to take action like Arizona did, then they need to work to enact
immigration form that punishes employers for hiring illegal workers, creates
an easier path to citizenship for those here illegally, and kicks out any
illegals that commit crimes.

I Want My Country Back

I want America back. I want the America back that many including my Dad's
cousin fought for. I want the America back where Government concentrated on
the areas it was supposed to, and, didn't take over corporations and medal
into almost every aspect of our lives. I want the America back where
political debate was more civil, and while you may have disagreed with your
friend or neighbor, you could disagree without being disagreeable.

The America I want back is slowly being taken away by the likes of President
Obama, Nancy Pelosey and Harry Reed and I'm not about to let them finish
the job. I don't know yet what I'm going to do, who I'm going to work with
or how I'm going to achieve it, but I'm going to fight to get my country
back! The members of my family and others who fought for our once great
nation can't fight anymore, so it's our turn to fight.

For starters, I'm going to search out candidates running for office in
November, look over their records and resumes carefully to make sure they
represent and believe in the America I want to see and vote for those who
do. I've never volunteered for or donated to a political campaign in my
life, but that's about to change because saving our nation and returning her
to greatness is too important.

I'm going to look into the tea party movement because the more of us who do,
the less the Democrats and Media can ignore it, much as they will try.
Check out www.theteapartynation.com to find out more. I don't know if that
is a movement that has legs, but the more of us who learn about it, the more
it can work to make a difference.

What else will I do? I don't know. I don't know if I can have a say in
firing some of the 219 disgraceful members of Congress that put our
Government in charge of 1/6 of our nations economy, but I'm going to check
out www.firethe219.com and see what it's about.

As I find more ways to fight for my country, I will share them. Until then,
may God bless America and may he help us find leaders who love our great
nation and want to return her to the land of the free, home of the brave.

These People Are A Disgrace to the Democratic Party

I've figured out something I wish the Democratic party would figure out and
fix. People like Nancy Pelosey, Barack Obama, Harry Reed, the rest of the
219 who voted for the Government taking over 1/6 of our nation's economy and
others are a disgrace to the Democratic party and should be booted out.
When you think of great Democrats in history, none of these people can turn
the door knob for them, much less open the door.

I'm thinking of great Democrats like the late Senator Paul Simon, the late
Senator Ted Kenedy, and even former President Bill Clinton to some degree in
his later years. These were Democrats who held very liberal values. They
truly fought for such things as fair wages, the rights of workers to form
unions, and to help the poor and disadvantaged.

For the democratic leaders of today, it's not about fighting for America,
it's about power. Everything they are doing, from the takeover of
corporations like General Motors to passing a bill that will destroy health
care as we know it is all about achieving power over the American people,
making us more dependent onb Government for everything. After all, these
people believe that Government is the answer to all of our problems. While
they say they are fighting for the poor and disadvantaged, in truth, they
are taking them for granted.

\Democrats like Simon and Kenedy were partisans to the core, but they knew
when to reach across the aisle and work together, and they were affective at
it. Today's Democrats show nothing but contempt for anyone who disagrees
with them. Darn it, we're Americans too and we deserve to have our voices
heard.

I hope the Democrats lose big time in November, because then, perhaps, they
will bring in party leaders who respect our nation's history, remember the
leaders of the past and who will, while fighting for those things they deem
important, reach out and work with others when needed.

A Sad Day in American History

To paraphrase the words of one of our nation's greatest Presidents, Franklin
Delano Roosevelt, yesterday, March 21, 2010, is the day that America took
one giant step toward becoming a dictatorship, or a socialist country. Some
219 members of Congress, all Democrats, forgot about their oath of office,
which reads in part to uphold the United States Constitution. They forgot
who their true bosses are, the constituents who elected them. Instead, they
thumbed their noses at a majority of the American people and voted to pass
legislation which will lead to Government control of our nation's health
care system. Any member of Congress who voted for this boondoggle ought to
be ashamed of themselves, and if they are not, those who elected them need
to vote them out of office come November and elect people who remember who
they work for.

I'm proud to say that my representative in Congress remembers that he works
for me, not party leaders. He remembered that it is his duty to uphold the
United States constitution.

First and foremost, this legislation requires that each American must have
health insurance or face a fine. This bill is about creating jobs, jobs for
about 17,000 new Internal Revenue Service agents who will be spying on each
of us every month to be sure that we have health insurance acceptable to the
dictators in Washington. I believe this is a huge stretch of the Federal
Government's power to tax which is codified in the constitution and I
believe court challenges will rule this legislation unconstitutional.

This bill says to insurance companies, you will cover everyone, regardless
of pre-existing conditions. First of all, if that is such a good thing,
which it is, then why does it have to wait until the year 2014 to kick in
for adults? But beyond that, insurance companies can't deny coverage for
anyone, even if people have made poor lifestyle choices such as smoking,
drinking too much, eating in unhealthy ways and becoming overweight, having
unprotected sex, or whatever. These 219 idiots in Congress don't know beans
about the insurance business. Insurance is a risk-based business. The
higher the risk, the more insurance should cost you or the more likely it
should be that you are denied coverage. This is like saying, hey insurance
company, you have to provide flood insurance for the homes on the riverbank,
even though you know there is a high risk that some of these homes will
flood every year.

There is a cruel joke in this bill which, conveniently, was not talked
about. That is that the bill depends on the Medicaid system to provide
coverage to everyone. Guess what? Medicaid is a state and Federal cost
sharing partnership, and, many states are wallowing in red ink and can't
afford this unfunded mandate. So what is going to happen is people will be
told they now have coverage, but when they go to access that coverage, they
will be told they really don't have it.

Something AARP doesn't get is that this bill makes huge cuts of about 500
billion dollars in Medicare benefits. When Seniors figure this out,
Congress, look out because Seniors vote.

While I don'[t think it's a good choice, this bill takes away the freedom of
people not to have health insurance. How is the person who has lost a job
supposed to buy insurance? What about the younger worker who wants to make
a choice not to have insurance because he or she wants to save that money
for the purchase of a new car or toward a down payment on a house? That
freedom of choice has been taken away.

And what's with Mr. sell out himself, Bart Stupak? Isn't he smart enough to
realize that what the President does by Executive Order, he can undo by
Executive Order as well? This bill will lead to the repeal of the Hyde
amendment, a disgraceful slap at the legacy of one of our nation's great
statesman, former Congressperson Henry Hyde.

To the 219 who think they work for the leadership and the hell with the
American people, I hope many of you take a good look around and enjoy these
last few months in Congress, because I think that many of you will be
looking for work come January of next year. The arrogant house leadership
has grossly underestimated the American people on this, and I predict there
will be a Republican take-over of Congress this November which will make
1994 look like child's play. When that happens, maybe we can repeal this
monster, send it back where it came from and enact sensible reforms in
health care that don't balloon the Federal deficit out of control and
destroy the freedoms which many have fought and died to protect. May God
bless America, and may he bring our leaders to their senses and remind them
that they work for us, they better listen to us, and if they don't, we'll
fire them.

I Feel So Powerless, What Can I Do?

Well, as I sit here this Saturday evening, we are on the eve of the United
States House of Representatives taking a vote on one of the most radical
things I've seen in my life time, reform or should I say Government
take-over of our nation's health care system. As I listen to bits and
pieces of news about this, I feel powerless because I don't know what I as
an American who values freedom and who believes strongly in the principles
this nation was founded on can do to stop this.

While I believe there are reforms that must be made in our nation's health
care system, I don't like the approach being taken by Congress and President
Obama. Nor do I like the strong arm tactics and dirty tricks being used to
try and ram this piece of shit down our collective throats. But, what can I
do? I am represented by a Republican Congressperson who, thankfully, is
going to oppose this legislation. I don't want this legislation to pass. I
want smaller, more common sense steps to be taken to reform health care that
won't lead to higher taxes, job loss and a huge expansion of Government.
But as I sit here tonight, all I feel I can do is wait and pray that members
of Congress will act in a sensible manner, kill this massive bill that none
of them have read and move toward common sense reforms.

Please, god, give our Congress and its leaders the wisdom to truly act on
behalf of the American people, who favor reform but who do not favor the
current bill. Give them strength to stand up to high pressure tactics and
bribery and say no to this bill. Give them the time and help they need to
craft common sense health care reforms that are constitutional and that most
Americans will support. I fear for our great nation if this massive
expansion of Government passes.

I'm Sick Of Hearing About The God Damn Census

I've been spending the last couple days doing something I really enjoy each
year, watching the firswt two rounds of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. And
as a result of that, I'm sick and tired of hearing about the Census.

The commercials for it are so hypocritical, it makes me sick. Here they
have all sorts of people saying how important filling out the census form is
because we need to count everyone so each community gets its share of
Federal funds. Well if it were really important to count everyone, the
Census Bureau wouldn't continue to violate the law and would make the Census
truly accessible to people with disabilities. I have heard that Census
workers are telling people like me who are blind who call in on the
telephone number that is supposed to be for getting help filling out the
form that you need the Serial Number off the printed form that you receive
before they can help you. Hey idiots, I'm calling for help because I can't
read the printed form. What's that all about?

Why can't the Census be done on-line which would make it accessible to more
people. I thought our Government was supposed to be more progressive.
Wouldn't it be good not only for people with disabilities, but also for
younger people to reach them in a form they work with, the Internet?

What a waste of money the Census is. Why did the Federal Government have to
send me a letter on March 8, teling me they'd send the Census form out a
week later? Only the Federal Government would send you a letter teling you
they are going to send you a letter.

The Census form doesn't even ask about disability, which makes me wonder
just how serious they are about counting everyone. Boy, they sure want to
make sure the illegal immigrants, who don't even belong here are counted,
but they don't seem as concerned about counting people with disabilities who
are American citizens.

I'll fill out the damn form because I don't want some underpaid Census
worker puke coming to my house to take the information. But by 2020, the
process better be more accessible. And, yes, I'll do it, so there's no need
to continue to bombard me with hypocritical ads about how important the
Census is.