Much has been made about the so-called camp-cation or stay-cation in today's economy. I had a nice experience recently at Vedauwoo which is located approximate 25 miles west of Cheyenne, Wyoming over Labor Day weekend and I wanted to share some photos and humor with you.
I will be the first to admit that I am not a huge back country camper. My significant other has exposed me to many activities that have nearly killed me, but have also been educational and have brought back to me a spirit of my childhood when we would camp out in the woods near our farm on the weekends.
Back then, it was to get away from our parents and chores. I suspect our parents has similar reasons for allowing us to go, albeit from their perspective. Whatever the case, it was fun to take an axe into the wood and cut down trees of a suitable size to construct shelter that might hold out sunlight, but not much else. Those were the good old days, but eventually, we grow up and find pressures more demanding than our parents.
Vedauwoo is located in a national forest. The gravel roads are generally well kept up and there are turn outs all over the place for mountain/dirt bikers along with people on horseback and hikers and campers.
Armed with a new puppy (A brindle Boxer named Sierra), we drove through the main areas, turning off to find various secluded spots to pitch our camp gear. Car camping is significantly easier that some of the backcountry camping we have done earlier in the year. Everything you need, goes in the back of the truck and you only have to carry it a few dozen yards. we found our ideal site about 2/3rds of the way through the main area. The area was covered with boulders of varying size that were easily weathered. Comprised of Sherman Granite, they are really remnants of the Rocky Mountain Ignious formations that weathered into the great inland sea. Held together much like sandstone, the rock crumbles rather easily and a close examination reveals the rose and milky quartz crystals intermixed with the smaller crystals of Pyrite or Fool's Gold. The fairly constant winds weather the rocks in ways that exacerbate the striation from how the formation was laid under water and the result is a kind of sculpture museum.
The first thing we did when we arrived was to survey the area. There were large rock formations that channeled the wind through the area, but also provided ample protection on the leeward sides. It was in one of these protected areas that we pitched our two-man Cabela's XPG ultralight tent. In less than 5 minutes, we had it up and staked in. Feeling no particular sense of hurry, we brought out of collapsible chairs and a few suitably appropriate beverages and faced ourselves to the westward sun.
Our sense of urgency as increased a little when we noticed that a thunderstorm was getting close to skirting our campsite. The weather had said that there would be a small chance and we knew that we would be ok, even in a heavy downpour as we had experienced one at McConaughey the previous spring. I fired up the Weber Smokey Joe charcoal grill with the matchlight instant light briquettes.
15 minutes later, I threw a couple hotdogs and hamburgers on the red coals and the sizzle of the grease began to waft up into the air. Mixed with the smell of fresh rain coming the odor was intoxicating reminiscent of my childhood and those late summer backyard cookouts used to do.
We were fortunate to get a hotdog off the grill before the rain came in earnest. Wiener-stuffed bun in hand, Boxer Pup in the other, we made our way to the truck and listened to satellite reggae while the brief shower drenched the ground and passed on by. After the shower past through a double rainbow greeted us, made more brilliant by the rain's dust reduction powers. It was a beautiful site to see.
Sierra is primarily an indoor puppy as I do not have the requisite fence to ensure her safety at home, nor the neighbor's ability to resist being licked to death. At Vedauwoo, she did not need the confines of security to hold her in. Running around and happy with her new found freedom, she rarely went far enough to be of concern and always came when she heard her mom and dad call to her... Come Sierra... She made her friends with a new hole and the roots that were exposed and found her cardboard box to play in. No leash was necessary at all.
Around 7 PM we decided to forage for wood for a fire and to take a walk. Primarily a rocky grassland, the taller boulder formations made natural windbreaks and resourceful campers past had left ample collections of dry wood for the taking. Better to use what was already down and we loaded up a couple armloads and proceeded to walk the 500 yards back to our site.
We utilized one of the Firestarter sticks we brought, I constructed a stack of small wood and a couple pieces of larger logs that formed an "A" shape within minutes, the dry kindling created an inviting space for the fire to breath. It reached upward, begging to consume the logs who succumbed to the fire's reach and added to its warmth and beauty.
One of the best things about the area, is found after the daylight passes and the din of motorbike noises settle down. Campfires indicated the sparse campers in the area and the clearing sky gives a breathtaking view of the stars. A nearly full moon provides amble light to navigate around in safety so we don't really need to use or headlamps. The altitude, rain and long day have given way to a comfortable sense of tired. Not the kind of exhaustion one finds from performing some mentally challenging or back breaking task, but a pleasant feeling of relaxation and an inner piece that a full belly and clear mind gives.
We turn in around 9 O'clock with our fire burned down sufficiently for safety and a slight drizzle moving in. Over the course of the next several hours, the sky would become completely devoid of clouds and the nightlife would begin to stir. I had been told that cayotes and moose could sometimes be seen in the area. With a small puppy that was nervous when you clapped your hands, I was apprehensive at what would happen if we were to encounter a bull moose or a mother with a calf. Tired takes me over...
About 3:45 am, we are awakened by a sound that seems like a moose. It is off in the distance aways, but one gets the sensation from subsequent sounds that it is moving in our general direction. My heartbeat beings to thump pretty hard when we hear a snort about 20 feet outside the tent wall. Sierra is startled and visibly afraid and this unknown noise. Kathy and I discuss what it could be while the wind blows the tied back tent flaps in a cascade of, "look over here... we are here...." notifications to all who were stirring.
Not having been around any wild animals in a camping situation, I am also nervous. Kathy has been faced with Mountain lions before and had one encounter with a moose, and she is also nervous. The feeling is understandable. If the dog should suddenly get spooked and the animal charges us, we would have no chance to escape the confines of our nylon prison. We keep still and whisper in tones that the wind would continue to drown out. We are upwind of the invader and I am sure that it can smell the trepidation wafting out of our tent like the hamburgers we smelled only hours earlier. Kathy peers out the tent in the direction of the sounds that were causing elevated pulse rates and heavy, but quite breathing.
"It's a cow" she says to me.
"What does that mean?" I replied.
"There is nothing to worry about, It is just a cow," she restates with more confidence.
"That doesn't mean anything to me... what will a cow moose do?"
"It is a Moo-Cow, not a moose cow. Its not going to hurt us." she answered.
A ton of adrenaline suddenly dropped out of my system and I peered out of the tent flap. Staring me down was a 1600 or so pound black Angus cow. She was staring at the tent, because the flaps were getting her attention in the wind. We played this game of silent chicken for about 5 minutes. Bessy finally got bored and trundled off out of site. No longer fearing being trampled, we settled back in for the rest of the night.
The next day, we got up and had a hearty breakfast of Bacon, eggs and re-fried baked-potato in a tortilla wrap. Fully sated, we broke camp and decided to explore the rest of the area. Near the Interstate entrance, we found a large protrusion of boulders. We turned in and decided to walk around the area and take some pictures. It was stunning to see how the wind had worked over millions of years to breakdown the stone in sculpture-esque ways, rounding them off and creating pillars as monuments to the stars and sun.
The good thing about this trip is that we paid no lodging fees and frankly, other than the cost of food and gas, we spent the least amount of money on that get-away than any other trip we had made this year. The episodes of rain and the stars and the interaction with domesticated livestock aside, the trip provided a excellent opportunity to rest and not think about the normal problems of work, or the lack thereof. I would recommend that everyone who wants to stretch a travel dime to try this place. It will definitely make its way back into my travel plans.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Crys of Racism to sell the News
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times fired off a claim that Joe Wilson's outburst during the President's Address, was somehow motivated by latent or overt racism. Citing no comment that Wilson made that would give credence to her belief, she used the fact that Wilson was a member of a southern group "Sons of the Confederacy" as her justification that Wilson was offended at being chastised by a smart black man.
The truth is that Dowd, who leans further to the left than the tower at Pisa is simply trying to gin up minorities and liberals in an effort to make political inroads in South Carolina. I sent an email to Ms. Dowd through the New York Times website and its contents are contained herein. I also invited her to reply to this listing, though I doubt she will.
Good meaning people can disagree and still be civil, Joe Wilson's heartfelt apology to the President is an example of a person making good from an inappropriate action. The President's acceptance of it should be the end. Our left leaning friends in the House leadership are continuing to act in politically motivated ways, especially after Wilson's Democratic opponent in SC raised more than a million dollars. The House's ploy is pure political theatre and Wilson, who says he won't apologize again, will probably have to succumb to the political pressures. The Guardian does not believe that Wilson is either racist, or should have to apologize further, regardless of the House rules which also say that you can lie and misreport your earnings as a public servant. One would think that Charles Rangle should apologize to the House for being such a crook and being under an ethics cloud that would make PigPen think he was in the sun. It is a shame that the discourse which used to be the norm for congress has become so polarized in the last 20 years. Lo for the days when Tip O'Neil and President Reagan could disagree mightily in public, yet still have one of the warmest friendships ever between men of opposing views in Washington.
===========
Ms. Dowd,
In an age where we are supposed to be enlightened and get beyond the sins of the past, how can you honestly say that Joe Wilson's outburst to the President was racially motivated?
Millions of people in this country have a reasonable concern over this administration and Congress' ability to manage any program, much less a new one that takes over 15% of the total economy.
The concerns over government management are not exclusive to Democrats. Republicans have also shown that they cannot effectively manage large scale programs as well.
By inferring racism in Wilson's comments, you are acting in an irresponsible manner; Inflaming bigots on both sides to retrench and believe that whites are bad or blacks are bad and therefore we should belittle and bemoan what the other has done to each.
Surely this debate is worthy of a more elevated discourse and you as a professional journalist should see beyond your own bias to appreciate and understand what is really going on before launching a verbal nuclear weapon like racism.
The New York Times had the reputation of, "All the news that's fit to print." You are in a position to make that true or false, but it would be better if you were to get your facts straight and not rely on inference or innuendo when you allege something so potentially damaging to a person's character.
This letter will be posted to my blog and I invite you to respond.
Michael Rowland
Sidney, Nebraska
Guardianofsidney.blogspot.com
The truth is that Dowd, who leans further to the left than the tower at Pisa is simply trying to gin up minorities and liberals in an effort to make political inroads in South Carolina. I sent an email to Ms. Dowd through the New York Times website and its contents are contained herein. I also invited her to reply to this listing, though I doubt she will.
Good meaning people can disagree and still be civil, Joe Wilson's heartfelt apology to the President is an example of a person making good from an inappropriate action. The President's acceptance of it should be the end. Our left leaning friends in the House leadership are continuing to act in politically motivated ways, especially after Wilson's Democratic opponent in SC raised more than a million dollars. The House's ploy is pure political theatre and Wilson, who says he won't apologize again, will probably have to succumb to the political pressures. The Guardian does not believe that Wilson is either racist, or should have to apologize further, regardless of the House rules which also say that you can lie and misreport your earnings as a public servant. One would think that Charles Rangle should apologize to the House for being such a crook and being under an ethics cloud that would make PigPen think he was in the sun. It is a shame that the discourse which used to be the norm for congress has become so polarized in the last 20 years. Lo for the days when Tip O'Neil and President Reagan could disagree mightily in public, yet still have one of the warmest friendships ever between men of opposing views in Washington.
===========
Ms. Dowd,
In an age where we are supposed to be enlightened and get beyond the sins of the past, how can you honestly say that Joe Wilson's outburst to the President was racially motivated?
Millions of people in this country have a reasonable concern over this administration and Congress' ability to manage any program, much less a new one that takes over 15% of the total economy.
The concerns over government management are not exclusive to Democrats. Republicans have also shown that they cannot effectively manage large scale programs as well.
By inferring racism in Wilson's comments, you are acting in an irresponsible manner; Inflaming bigots on both sides to retrench and believe that whites are bad or blacks are bad and therefore we should belittle and bemoan what the other has done to each.
Surely this debate is worthy of a more elevated discourse and you as a professional journalist should see beyond your own bias to appreciate and understand what is really going on before launching a verbal nuclear weapon like racism.
The New York Times had the reputation of, "All the news that's fit to print." You are in a position to make that true or false, but it would be better if you were to get your facts straight and not rely on inference or innuendo when you allege something so potentially damaging to a person's character.
This letter will be posted to my blog and I invite you to respond.
Michael Rowland
Sidney, Nebraska
Guardianofsidney.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Push for Government Control
President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress illustrates once again the incredible gift he has for public speaking. His choice of subject matter and rhetoric leave something to be desired, especially if one properly evaluates what wasn't said.
Democrats in general have always been good at tugging the heart strings of the American people. After all, who doesn't want to be humane to those in need. The charitable streak in our country is very large and the US is one of the most charitable countries in the world. Obama is effective in perpetuating this philosophy of helping the least of us. What he cannot do is explain away the costs associated with his plan and if it passes, this nation will begin its long slide into obscurity in the pages of history.
The President's plan seeks to provide coverage for the estimated 47 million people who are without it presently. Of those planned to be covered, 9.6 million are illegal aliens, and nearly 22 million are people who choose not to buy insurance because they are young and in relatively good health. the CBO estimates that the need for health care for those who cannot truly afford it is under 10 million people. A lot of people to be certain, but you don't rework 16 percent of your total economy for less than ten percent of the population.
Obama claims that most of the 900 billion the program will cost will be made from reducing waste in the current government programs and that it will not cost another dime from the tax payer. The balance of the costs will be borne exclusively by the participants. The math on this simply doesn't work out.
CBO numbers indicate that a surplus will be realized in the first two years of the program, but that deficits begin in year three through year 10. The plan also does not pay any significant costs for the first two years and therefore is able to save money. Once claims start paying out, the drain on the reserves will be similar to what we see today in the social security system. The CBO estimates that the rate of deficit in the President's plan accelerates in the second 10 years to levels that will dwarf the current problems.
Several points in the President's speech were problematic, aside from the math. Statements about not covering illegals can be made true by providing amnesty and instant citizenship status. Then 10 million more "new" Americans can accelerate the drain on resources and he still would be technically correct. Joe Wilson from South Carolina was even moved against decorum saying, "You lie" when the President commented on illegals. Wilson has since apologized and the Whitehouse has accepted.
Under the President's plan, every person would be required to buy insurance just as in car insurance rules. Waivers could be obtained for those who can prove financial hardship, but it represents an additional burden on those who are not presently covered and who are in low risk groups.
The other point of contention is the suggestion of buying insurance across state lines. This raises an important issue in the rights of states to regulate internal commerce and historically state run agencies, against the right of the federal government to regulate commerce between the several states. If a law is created which usurps this right of states to control insurance through regulation internally, then it will certainly result in a Supreme Court challenge.
My take on it is a common sense approach. reform the legal processes to penalize those who bring frivolous lawsuits. End the practice of allowing lawyers to advertise for ambulance chasing services such as Frank Azar and the Johnson Law Group. Make them pay when they lose a lawsuit that is judged to have been frivolous. Go after doctors, hospitals and insurance companies who harm patients through negligence or profit motives. Publish lists of hospital and doctor rankings by locality and let the market dictate who should have a job in health care. Draft a bill which phases in the various elements of healthcare reform in a way that first seeks to reduce the fraud and waste in the existing system and use those savings to build on providing for those who need care the most, and add others as additional savings can be realized.
This is unlikely to result in the kind of change that will demonstrate real benefit and cost containment. If the President and his Congress get their way, private insurance will have a finite lifetime and the government plans will eventually take things over for everyone. The governments inability to manage the processes it already has monopolies on will lead to greater taxes for every citizen and the loss of that wealth will perpetuate the decline of the US as a superpower with the ability to maintain its own defense and prosperity.
No society lasts forever, but if you want yours to last a while longer, I urge you to stridently oppose this plan and any other expansion of the Government. Urge your lawmakers such as Adrian Smith and your Senators to return this country to the principles that our founders believed in: Freedom from tyranny and government oppression, excessive taxation and laws that say only the government knows what's best for you. My friends, that is called fascism when you have no role outside the service to the government and frankly, the founders would be appalled to see a new English government here on the ground they bled and died for.
Do the right thing.
Democrats in general have always been good at tugging the heart strings of the American people. After all, who doesn't want to be humane to those in need. The charitable streak in our country is very large and the US is one of the most charitable countries in the world. Obama is effective in perpetuating this philosophy of helping the least of us. What he cannot do is explain away the costs associated with his plan and if it passes, this nation will begin its long slide into obscurity in the pages of history.
The President's plan seeks to provide coverage for the estimated 47 million people who are without it presently. Of those planned to be covered, 9.6 million are illegal aliens, and nearly 22 million are people who choose not to buy insurance because they are young and in relatively good health. the CBO estimates that the need for health care for those who cannot truly afford it is under 10 million people. A lot of people to be certain, but you don't rework 16 percent of your total economy for less than ten percent of the population.
Obama claims that most of the 900 billion the program will cost will be made from reducing waste in the current government programs and that it will not cost another dime from the tax payer. The balance of the costs will be borne exclusively by the participants. The math on this simply doesn't work out.
CBO numbers indicate that a surplus will be realized in the first two years of the program, but that deficits begin in year three through year 10. The plan also does not pay any significant costs for the first two years and therefore is able to save money. Once claims start paying out, the drain on the reserves will be similar to what we see today in the social security system. The CBO estimates that the rate of deficit in the President's plan accelerates in the second 10 years to levels that will dwarf the current problems.
Several points in the President's speech were problematic, aside from the math. Statements about not covering illegals can be made true by providing amnesty and instant citizenship status. Then 10 million more "new" Americans can accelerate the drain on resources and he still would be technically correct. Joe Wilson from South Carolina was even moved against decorum saying, "You lie" when the President commented on illegals. Wilson has since apologized and the Whitehouse has accepted.
Under the President's plan, every person would be required to buy insurance just as in car insurance rules. Waivers could be obtained for those who can prove financial hardship, but it represents an additional burden on those who are not presently covered and who are in low risk groups.
The other point of contention is the suggestion of buying insurance across state lines. This raises an important issue in the rights of states to regulate internal commerce and historically state run agencies, against the right of the federal government to regulate commerce between the several states. If a law is created which usurps this right of states to control insurance through regulation internally, then it will certainly result in a Supreme Court challenge.
My take on it is a common sense approach. reform the legal processes to penalize those who bring frivolous lawsuits. End the practice of allowing lawyers to advertise for ambulance chasing services such as Frank Azar and the Johnson Law Group. Make them pay when they lose a lawsuit that is judged to have been frivolous. Go after doctors, hospitals and insurance companies who harm patients through negligence or profit motives. Publish lists of hospital and doctor rankings by locality and let the market dictate who should have a job in health care. Draft a bill which phases in the various elements of healthcare reform in a way that first seeks to reduce the fraud and waste in the existing system and use those savings to build on providing for those who need care the most, and add others as additional savings can be realized.
This is unlikely to result in the kind of change that will demonstrate real benefit and cost containment. If the President and his Congress get their way, private insurance will have a finite lifetime and the government plans will eventually take things over for everyone. The governments inability to manage the processes it already has monopolies on will lead to greater taxes for every citizen and the loss of that wealth will perpetuate the decline of the US as a superpower with the ability to maintain its own defense and prosperity.
No society lasts forever, but if you want yours to last a while longer, I urge you to stridently oppose this plan and any other expansion of the Government. Urge your lawmakers such as Adrian Smith and your Senators to return this country to the principles that our founders believed in: Freedom from tyranny and government oppression, excessive taxation and laws that say only the government knows what's best for you. My friends, that is called fascism when you have no role outside the service to the government and frankly, the founders would be appalled to see a new English government here on the ground they bled and died for.
Do the right thing.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Council adopts two out of three
City Council members last night approved two new occupation taxes to offset the loss of more than 600,000 dollars revenue in sales taxes and state aid confiscated by the state of Nebraska.
The two taxes, a two percent tax on lodging and a one percent tax on restaurants (and other prepared foods like the deli at Safeway and Walmart) and liquor sales is designed to attract up to an additional 250-500k in revenue. This revenue would be designated for street improvements unless City Council adds language that allows them to redirect funds to other purposes. Council did not take up a third tax which would have placed a half percent increase on all grocery items.
Tom Dorwart Sr. addressed the council in direct terms about how they always look for tax increases, but never spending cuts. I generally agreed with his sentiment, but in this case, the outrage from the public probably led to additional pressures to reduce spending and each department was able to bring savings to the table.
Gary Person presented information that indicated the levy increase for the upcoming year was projected at 0.00 percent. The City budget actually is slightly smaller next year by several thousand dollars.
Arguments presented by the tourism board director were made that a 2 percent increase in the occupancy tax may result in the loss of business for the purpose of conventions. He also added that if a reduction in business were seen, it could adversely affect the employment of those businesses.
I told City Council that the amount of money they were going to get wasn't going to offset the decline of the city streets and that the tax would be a permanent fixture. When asked to estimate when the city streets would be repaired from the proceeds Gary Person indicated that the tax would be necessary forever..
While recognizing the issue with the state taking money from us is creating a problem, I also reminded City council to consider placing a moratorium on Capital spending for the next several years so we can absorb all of the increases that have come too us from the Federal Government (EPA on the waste water plant) and state losses though unfair tax collection policies. Those suggestions fell on deaf ears, but the conversation turned heated when I referenced the Fire Truck and its lack of use.
Mike Palmer took exception noting that it was a safety issue and if it saves one life, it is worth it. My issue is not now, nor has it ever been with the Volunteer Fire Department or its members. My point is what was done to validate the need and were alternatives fully considered before outlaying more than a million dollars for a truck that arguably has seen very little use other than a training mission and several parades. Palmer and I spoke at length after the meeting and I believe that we were able to reach the understanding that the mention of the truck purchase led the conversation astray from the idea that the locality needs to watch what it wants to spend because we are often at the mercy of the State and Federal edicts. Palmer understands that I am not begrudging the equipment necessary to provide safety for those who put themselves at risk for all of us, but that the decision to purchase anything should be done so after careful consideration of all the options and cost considerations are properly vetted.
I do not envy the job the Council Members have to do. The balancing act they must maintain in providing the services necessary to maintain and grow a community are now coming into conflict with the stark reality that the State of Nebraska and the Federal government do not care that much about low population centers.
Ken Schilz will have a tough couple of years of dues paying to become a truly effective member of the legislature in Lincoln. The sad truth is that the rural parts of the state are probably going to always get the short end of the stick when it comes to the redistribution of the states tax wealth. It rolls downhill in that Nebraska suffers from a low population and that is most keenly evident in the stimulus amounts to the state. It is a shame that we couldn't have gotten a few shovels ready and marched on Washington to protest the lack of support this country gives middle America...
The two taxes, a two percent tax on lodging and a one percent tax on restaurants (and other prepared foods like the deli at Safeway and Walmart) and liquor sales is designed to attract up to an additional 250-500k in revenue. This revenue would be designated for street improvements unless City Council adds language that allows them to redirect funds to other purposes. Council did not take up a third tax which would have placed a half percent increase on all grocery items.
Tom Dorwart Sr. addressed the council in direct terms about how they always look for tax increases, but never spending cuts. I generally agreed with his sentiment, but in this case, the outrage from the public probably led to additional pressures to reduce spending and each department was able to bring savings to the table.
Gary Person presented information that indicated the levy increase for the upcoming year was projected at 0.00 percent. The City budget actually is slightly smaller next year by several thousand dollars.
Arguments presented by the tourism board director were made that a 2 percent increase in the occupancy tax may result in the loss of business for the purpose of conventions. He also added that if a reduction in business were seen, it could adversely affect the employment of those businesses.
I told City Council that the amount of money they were going to get wasn't going to offset the decline of the city streets and that the tax would be a permanent fixture. When asked to estimate when the city streets would be repaired from the proceeds Gary Person indicated that the tax would be necessary forever..
While recognizing the issue with the state taking money from us is creating a problem, I also reminded City council to consider placing a moratorium on Capital spending for the next several years so we can absorb all of the increases that have come too us from the Federal Government (EPA on the waste water plant) and state losses though unfair tax collection policies. Those suggestions fell on deaf ears, but the conversation turned heated when I referenced the Fire Truck and its lack of use.
Mike Palmer took exception noting that it was a safety issue and if it saves one life, it is worth it. My issue is not now, nor has it ever been with the Volunteer Fire Department or its members. My point is what was done to validate the need and were alternatives fully considered before outlaying more than a million dollars for a truck that arguably has seen very little use other than a training mission and several parades. Palmer and I spoke at length after the meeting and I believe that we were able to reach the understanding that the mention of the truck purchase led the conversation astray from the idea that the locality needs to watch what it wants to spend because we are often at the mercy of the State and Federal edicts. Palmer understands that I am not begrudging the equipment necessary to provide safety for those who put themselves at risk for all of us, but that the decision to purchase anything should be done so after careful consideration of all the options and cost considerations are properly vetted.
I do not envy the job the Council Members have to do. The balancing act they must maintain in providing the services necessary to maintain and grow a community are now coming into conflict with the stark reality that the State of Nebraska and the Federal government do not care that much about low population centers.
Ken Schilz will have a tough couple of years of dues paying to become a truly effective member of the legislature in Lincoln. The sad truth is that the rural parts of the state are probably going to always get the short end of the stick when it comes to the redistribution of the states tax wealth. It rolls downhill in that Nebraska suffers from a low population and that is most keenly evident in the stimulus amounts to the state. It is a shame that we couldn't have gotten a few shovels ready and marched on Washington to protest the lack of support this country gives middle America...
Outrage makes President change tone of Back to School Message
The following was sent to the SunTelegraph this morning in response to their editorial on the President's speech to school children on Tuesday.
It is appropriate to take issue with your comment on the President's speech.
The outrage felt by millions had nothing to do with the contents of his speech, which had not been released, but rather the inclusion of a lesson plan that sought to tell (or more properly ask) the children how they could help the President get his message out better.
The issue wasn't speaking to kids, it was the unprecedented lesson plan that was accompanying from the Department of Education. That was what the controversy was all about.
The speech the President gave was pretty innocuous. It is my opinion that the public outcry over the lesson plan made the Whitehouse tone the message down. The American public spoke and the President listened. That's what it's all about.
It is appropriate to take issue with your comment on the President's speech.
The outrage felt by millions had nothing to do with the contents of his speech, which had not been released, but rather the inclusion of a lesson plan that sought to tell (or more properly ask) the children how they could help the President get his message out better.
The issue wasn't speaking to kids, it was the unprecedented lesson plan that was accompanying from the Department of Education. That was what the controversy was all about.
The speech the President gave was pretty innocuous. It is my opinion that the public outcry over the lesson plan made the Whitehouse tone the message down. The American public spoke and the President listened. That's what it's all about.
12 month term just a slap on the wrist
I don't think I can speak for everyone, but given the fervor of this town and how much anger was rightly generated over Richie Thompson's conviction on charges of sexual misconduct with a 12 year old, I find it personally appalling that the admited fully sexual acts performed on a 15 year old boy by Todd Nienhueser led to a MISDEMEANOR conviction on two counts and not the felonies they should have been.
The laws we have are meant to protect the innocent. Nienhueser's assertion that the boy claimed to be 19 seem easy enough to disprove on the face of it. A teacher by training with years of experience, he should have understood both the appearance and demeanor of his victim would at least make him want to see a driver's license before... dinner.
If Nienhueser met the boy over the internet, When was the issue of sex first discussed, how did age come into the coversation. Was the victim coached or otherwise led by his pursuer to say he was 19 because that would somehow make it.. ok.
The police and prosecutors have all kinds of tools at their disposal. Every message exchanged between the two should have been analyzed to see if their was a pattern to direct or otherwise control the victim. According to reports, Nienhueser said the boy told him he was 19 and that was good enough for him.
The lack of sufficient jail time for sexually related crimes is disturbing in this locality. One has to wonder also at the outrage over Richie Thompson who was poor and could not really provide for his own defense and contrast that to Nienhueser, whose family name and connections might have swayed justice to a better outcome.
One also now wonder how a person who had sex with a minor will not have to register as a sex offender. Regardless of where Nienhueser goes, the people in that town will not ever know that he took advantage of someone's son, brother or grandson. He could explain it away as... I made a foolish mistake and bought a kid some beer.
It is also now a question of what happens to Nienhueser once his sentence ends. Will he be able to move to Colorado or another state and get another teaching job? Do you really want a person of Nienhueser's character anywhere near your children? The sad truth is he will be able to work around children again. Maybe you can rest easy here in town because it won't happen you your own, but it will probably happen again.
I hope that whatever higher power each of us believes in will find the correct justice for Mr. Nienhueser in his next life. I also hope that somehow the nature of his crime follows him in a way I know will never happen.
The sad tragedy is that some people can buy the outcome of justice that serves themselves. In this case, Nienhueser was able to circumvent justice with a slap on the wrist.
The laws we have are meant to protect the innocent. Nienhueser's assertion that the boy claimed to be 19 seem easy enough to disprove on the face of it. A teacher by training with years of experience, he should have understood both the appearance and demeanor of his victim would at least make him want to see a driver's license before... dinner.
If Nienhueser met the boy over the internet, When was the issue of sex first discussed, how did age come into the coversation. Was the victim coached or otherwise led by his pursuer to say he was 19 because that would somehow make it.. ok.
The police and prosecutors have all kinds of tools at their disposal. Every message exchanged between the two should have been analyzed to see if their was a pattern to direct or otherwise control the victim. According to reports, Nienhueser said the boy told him he was 19 and that was good enough for him.
The lack of sufficient jail time for sexually related crimes is disturbing in this locality. One has to wonder also at the outrage over Richie Thompson who was poor and could not really provide for his own defense and contrast that to Nienhueser, whose family name and connections might have swayed justice to a better outcome.
One also now wonder how a person who had sex with a minor will not have to register as a sex offender. Regardless of where Nienhueser goes, the people in that town will not ever know that he took advantage of someone's son, brother or grandson. He could explain it away as... I made a foolish mistake and bought a kid some beer.
It is also now a question of what happens to Nienhueser once his sentence ends. Will he be able to move to Colorado or another state and get another teaching job? Do you really want a person of Nienhueser's character anywhere near your children? The sad truth is he will be able to work around children again. Maybe you can rest easy here in town because it won't happen you your own, but it will probably happen again.
I hope that whatever higher power each of us believes in will find the correct justice for Mr. Nienhueser in his next life. I also hope that somehow the nature of his crime follows him in a way I know will never happen.
The sad tragedy is that some people can buy the outcome of justice that serves themselves. In this case, Nienhueser was able to circumvent justice with a slap on the wrist.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The President's Message to kids
The following are prepared remarks from President Obama's Back to School Event scheduled for Tuesday in Arlington, Virginia:
The President: Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book.
Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.
And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too.
So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
The President: Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book.
Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.
And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too.
So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Some Contact Info
This information was originally published a while back. Feel free to use it to keep the pressure on your state and national officials.
Omaha World Herald --- pulse@owh.com
USA Today editorial edition --- http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
Wall Street Journal Editorial Page --- edit.features@wsj.com
New York Times Editorial Page --- letters@nytimes.com
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Page ---letters@sfchronicle.com
Los Angeles Times Editorial Page submission form --- http://www.latimes.com/services/site/la-comment-oped-cf,0,86410.customform
The Office of the President of the United States or America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Office of the Public Liaison
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/
Congress
Honorable Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the House
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
John Boehner, House Minority Leader
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6205
(202) 225-0704 fax
http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/
The Republican National Committee
Office of the Chairman
Phone: 202-863-8700
Fax: 202-863-8820
Email: Chairman@gop.com
The Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues
Omaha World Herald --- pulse@owh.com
USA Today editorial edition --- http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
Wall Street Journal Editorial Page --- edit.features@wsj.com
New York Times Editorial Page --- letters@nytimes.com
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Page ---letters@sfchronicle.com
Los Angeles Times Editorial Page submission form --- http://www.latimes.com/services/site/la-comment-oped-cf,0,86410.customform
The Office of the President of the United States or America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Office of the Public Liaison
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/
Congress
Honorable Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the House
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
John Boehner, House Minority Leader
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6205
(202) 225-0704 fax
http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/
The Republican National Committee
Office of the Chairman
Phone: 202-863-8700
Fax: 202-863-8820
Email: Chairman@gop.com
The Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues
Green Csar Clearly an A-Hole
It seems that Van Jones’ worst enemy may in fact be Van Jones.
The former self-avowed, but now clearly a raging capitalist, senior advisor to the President for Green Jobs cannot seem to extricate his radical views on toppling the government from within for what he calls social justice.
Fox News and other agencies have reported that video footage from earlier this year shows Jones responding to a question as to why a Democratic majority in the Senate is having more difficulty moving legislation than Republicans did with a smaller majority.
Jones answered rather flippantly, “they’re assholes. That’s a technical, political science term.” He later also added that “Some of us who are not Barak Hussein Obama are gonna have to start getting uppity.” This reference was clearly meant to say that he was content to let the President stay above the fray and he and others like him would be willing to do whatever dirty work needed to be done.
According to the White House, Jones had a transformational experience while in prison and he has put aside his radical ways in the effort to create a better society based on green jobs and a green economy.
His statement on the republicans belies the truth that while little to no republican support has been garnered for the currently proposed legislation, it is the moderate and conservative democrats who are blocking the progress. With significant majorities in both houses and an Oval Office more that willing to spend our way into obscurity, the Democratic Party is now clearly in disarray.
The threat of a budget reconciliation process as a tool to force a less than 60 vote majority on a non budget bill is unprecedented and will most certainly come at the peril of the current majorities. With friends like Van Jones in the President’s inner circle, one wonders how the President’s advisors will ever achieve political reconciliation.
Van Jones is a cancer and should be removed from the President’s staff. The impunity with which he speaks undermines the President’s campaign position on seeking to unite the country.
The last three elections have been harrowingly close. Jone’s rhetoric and the President’s complacency regarding it shows the disdain Democrats have for their counterparts and we are all caught in the cross-fire.
The former self-avowed, but now clearly a raging capitalist, senior advisor to the President for Green Jobs cannot seem to extricate his radical views on toppling the government from within for what he calls social justice.
Fox News and other agencies have reported that video footage from earlier this year shows Jones responding to a question as to why a Democratic majority in the Senate is having more difficulty moving legislation than Republicans did with a smaller majority.
Jones answered rather flippantly, “they’re assholes. That’s a technical, political science term.” He later also added that “Some of us who are not Barak Hussein Obama are gonna have to start getting uppity.” This reference was clearly meant to say that he was content to let the President stay above the fray and he and others like him would be willing to do whatever dirty work needed to be done.
According to the White House, Jones had a transformational experience while in prison and he has put aside his radical ways in the effort to create a better society based on green jobs and a green economy.
His statement on the republicans belies the truth that while little to no republican support has been garnered for the currently proposed legislation, it is the moderate and conservative democrats who are blocking the progress. With significant majorities in both houses and an Oval Office more that willing to spend our way into obscurity, the Democratic Party is now clearly in disarray.
The threat of a budget reconciliation process as a tool to force a less than 60 vote majority on a non budget bill is unprecedented and will most certainly come at the peril of the current majorities. With friends like Van Jones in the President’s inner circle, one wonders how the President’s advisors will ever achieve political reconciliation.
Van Jones is a cancer and should be removed from the President’s staff. The impunity with which he speaks undermines the President’s campaign position on seeking to unite the country.
The last three elections have been harrowingly close. Jone’s rhetoric and the President’s complacency regarding it shows the disdain Democrats have for their counterparts and we are all caught in the cross-fire.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Exuding Control in the I-Space
Reports have crept up that a bill in the US Senate has been drafted that would allow the President the ability to exert control over the Internet in the event of a Cyber Emergency.
Currently in draft form Bill SB 773 or the Cyber Security Act of 2009, the bill actually has three co-sponsors, including Olympia Snow from from Maine.
Section 2 of the bill includes language from a speech the Obama made last year in which he noted that China has long been aware of the threats posed by cyber attack. The only problem is that China considers free speech a cyber attack and has banned companies from using unrestricted access to internet sites.
The big issue with this bill is that it gives an appointed czar the ability to lead and establish standards for cyber security and it could control who can become certified for such endeavors. Currently these mechanisms are controlled by certification boards and background checks conducted in the private sector. There has been robust scientific and academic research on maintaining a cyber security presence in the private sector and it has been working.
Perhaps we need to encourage active participation in cyber security education as a means of extending what is currently working and to promote better security procedures and protocols in the finance and governmental sectors. Giving the President the ability to shut down a given website unilaterally represents a potential violation of the takings clause in that such a shutdown could cause irreparable economic harm, and therefore be required to provide due process prior to such a shutdown.
My concern is chiefly that the chance is there for the Government or its assignee to misuse the power contained in the bill in order to chill the very nature of the first amendment. Write your congressman and complain that the bill as presently written is unacceptable to you and your family and that you strongly urge the rejection of such controls without adequate oversight and redress capabilities.
Currently in draft form Bill SB 773 or the Cyber Security Act of 2009, the bill actually has three co-sponsors, including Olympia Snow from from Maine.
Section 2 of the bill includes language from a speech the Obama made last year in which he noted that China has long been aware of the threats posed by cyber attack. The only problem is that China considers free speech a cyber attack and has banned companies from using unrestricted access to internet sites.
The big issue with this bill is that it gives an appointed czar the ability to lead and establish standards for cyber security and it could control who can become certified for such endeavors. Currently these mechanisms are controlled by certification boards and background checks conducted in the private sector. There has been robust scientific and academic research on maintaining a cyber security presence in the private sector and it has been working.
Perhaps we need to encourage active participation in cyber security education as a means of extending what is currently working and to promote better security procedures and protocols in the finance and governmental sectors. Giving the President the ability to shut down a given website unilaterally represents a potential violation of the takings clause in that such a shutdown could cause irreparable economic harm, and therefore be required to provide due process prior to such a shutdown.
My concern is chiefly that the chance is there for the Government or its assignee to misuse the power contained in the bill in order to chill the very nature of the first amendment. Write your congressman and complain that the bill as presently written is unacceptable to you and your family and that you strongly urge the rejection of such controls without adequate oversight and redress capabilities.
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