Boxer Seeks to Ratify U.N. Treaty That May Erode U.S. Rights

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/25/boxer-seeks-ratify-treaty-erode-rights/

Sen. Barbara Boxer is urging the U.S. to ratify a United Nations measure meant to expand the rights of children, a move critics are calling a gross assault on parental rights that could rob the U.S. of sovereignty.
...
"Whether you ground your kids for smoking marijuana, whether you take them to church, whether you let them go to junior prom, all of those things . . . will be the government's decision," said Michael Farris, president of ParentalRights.org. "It will affect every parent who's told their children to do the dishes."

Byrd: Obama in power grab

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/19303.html

Didn't think I'd ever agree with Byrd. The fact that he resists the executive branch consolidating power, regardless of what party the president is, gives him some credibility, IMO. Now if he will also support limiting the power of the legislative and judicial branches too. ;)

In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama’s decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban affairs policy, and energy and climate change. Byrd said such positions “can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials.”
...
“As presidential assistants and advisers, these White House staffers are not accountable for their actions to the Congress, to cabinet officials, and to virtually anyone but the president,” Byrd wrote. “They rarely testify before congressional committees, and often shield the information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive privilege. In too many instances, White House staff have been allowed to inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability.”

What do we need jobs for?

But here is what Obama claimed last night:

It also contains an unprecedented level of transparency and accountability, so that every American will be able to go online and see where and how we're spending every dime. What it does not contain, however, is a single pet project, not a single earmark, and it has been stripped of the projects members of both parties found most objectionable. . . .

Of course, last Friday Obama “also defended earmarks as inevitable in such a package.”

Here is a question: If the people really don't care, why did Obama deny them last night?

Can Obama get the census directly overseen by the White House?

http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2009/02/how-can-obama-get-census-directly.html

Congress has “directed” in Title 13 that the Census be carried out by the Bureau of the Census “as an agency within, and under the jurisdiction of, the Department of Commerce.” 13 U.S.C. 2. The Secretary of Commerce is directed to carry out the duties of this title and while he can delegate “the performance of such functions and duties,” he can only do so to “officers and employees of the Department of Commerce.” 13 U.S.C. 4. So what Obama is doing by having the Census Bureaus report directly to the White House is not authorized by federal law. Also, only “sworn officers and employees of the Department or bureau” are allowed to examine individual census reports. This is part of the confidentiality requirements of Section 9 of the law. Depending on what kinds of reports and information would be given to the White House, there could also be a violation of this confidentiality requirement.

What they are proposing to do is illegal.

More Info on 'Stimulus'

http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2009/02/might-this-be-reason-that-obama-is.html

Julio Needs a Better Job

I want to party with this cowboy

Is Taxation Voluntary?

Interesting timing with our new secretary of the treasury. Apparently taxes for him are voluntary...

More broken promises

http://johnrlott.blogspot.com/2009/02/on-january-6th-obama-promised-we-are.html

On January 6th, Obama promised:

"We are going to ban all earmarks -- the process by which individual members insert pet projects without review," he explained. "We will create an economic recovery oversight board made up of key administration officials and independent advisors to identify problems early and make sure we are doing all we can to solve it."

One month later in February, Obama states:

Stopping just short of a take-it-or-leave-it stand, Obama has mocked the notion that a stimulus bill shouldn't include huge spending. He's also defended earmarks as inevitable in such a package. And he's pointedly reminded Republicans about who won the November election. . . .

On January 6th, Obama also promised (at 3:10):

We are going to have to eliminate out moded programs and make the ones that we do need work better.

Now, with all this new spending, can someone point to one of the outmoded domestic government programs that Obama promised to eliminate.

Bloomberg points out what Obama proposed at the end of the election:

During the presidential campaign, Obama, 47, proposed a $175 billion plan with tax-rebate checks for consumers as well as spending on school repairs, roads and bridges, aid to states, and tax credits for job creation. . . .

Now look at the bill without the tax-rebate checks and tax credits for job creation and 4.73 times the spending.

Another senator lines up behind 'Fairness Doctrine'

http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2007/07/dont-pay-for-identity-theft-insurance-heres-how-to-protect-yourself-for-free.html

WASHINGTON – Another Democratic U.S. senator has gone on record as supporting the reinstatement of the so-called "Fairness Doctrine," adding, "I feel like that's gonna happen."
...

Conflict of Interest?

...
Stabenow's husband, Tom Athans, was executive vice president of the left-leaning talk radio network Air America. He left the network in 2006, when it filed for bankruptcy, and co-founded the TalkUSA Radio Network.
...

Obama's Perks: Private Jet, Chef Tax-Free

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/CEOProfiles/Story?id=6806414&page=1

America's CEOs are coming under fire these days not just for their hefty salaries but also for their use of private jets, limos with drivers and free trips to posh resorts.
presidential pay
The president gets a private jet, driver, security and chef, all tax-free.
(Getty/ABC News)

But they aren't alone in living this lavish lifestyle -- the president of United States gets all these perks and more.

Al Gore Undermining Parents in a speech to 3k Kids

During the inauguration, Al Gore gave this speech to 3000 pre-teens and teens, telling them not to believe their parents if they don't believe in global warming.

http://mfile.akamai.com/6713/wma/glennbeck.download.akamai.com/6713/preview/09/02/020409gorespeech.asx

Where else in history have people told their kids to not believe their parents, or that they know more than their parents....Germany...USSR...Mussolini's Italy...

Elders of Israel and Freedom (Benson)

Excerpt from a President Benson Talk in a 1965 at General Conference. The whole talk is good, but here specifically is things Satan will tell the elders of Israel to keep them from doing their duty to protect freedom.

*The devil knows that if the elders of Israel should ever wake up,
they could step forth and help preserve freedom and extend the gospel.
Therefore the devil has concentrated, and to a large extent
successfully, in neutralizing much of the priesthood. He has reduced
them to sleeping giants. His arguments are clever. Here are a few
samples:
*First: "We really haven't received much instruction about freedom,"
the devil says. This is a lie, for we have been warned time and time
again. NO prophet of the Lord has ever issued.more solemn warning
that President David O. McKay. Last conference I spoke of a book
embodying much of the prophets' warning on freedom, from Joseph Smith
to David O. McKay, which I commend to you. It is entitled Prophets,
Principles, and National Survival.
*Second: "You're too involved in other Church work," says the devil.
But freedom is a weighty matter of the law; the lesser principles of
the gospel you should keep but not leave this one undone. We maybe
have to balance and manage our time better. Your other Church work
will be limited once you lose your freedom, as our saints have found
out in many other nations.
*Third: "You want to be loved by everyone," says the devil, "and
this freedom battle is so controversial you might be accuse of
engaging in politics." Of course the government has penetrated so
much of our lives that one can hardly speak for freedom without being
accused of being political. Some might even call the war in heaven a
political struggle - certainly it was controversial. yet the valiant
entered it with Michael. Those who support only the popular
principles of the gospel have their reward. And those who want to
lead the quiet, retiring life but still expect to do their full duty
can't have it both ways.
*Said Elder John A. Wistsoe:
*"The trouble of the world may largely be laid at the doors of those
who are neither hot nor cold; who always follow the line of least
resistance; whose timid hearts flutter at the taking sides for truth.
As in the great Council in the heaven, so in the Church of Christ on
earth, there can be no neutrality."
*Fourth: "Wait until it becomes popular to do," says the devil, "or,
at least until everybody in the Church agrees on what should be done."
But this fight for freedom might never become popular in our day.
And if you wait until everybody agrees in this Church, you will be
waiting through the second coming of the Lord. Would you have
hesitated to follow the inspired counsel of the Prophet Joseph Smith
simply because some weak men disagreed with him? God's living
mouthpiece has spoken to us - are we for him or against him? In
spite of the Prophet's opposition to increased federal aid &
compulsory unionism, some Church members still champion these
freedom-destroying programs. Where do you stand?
*Fifth: It might hurt your business or your family," says the devil,
"and besides why not let the gentiles save the country? They aren't
as busy as you are." Well, there were many businessmen who went
along with Hitler because it supposedly helped their business. They
lost everything. Many of us are here today because our forefathers
loved the truth enough that they fought at Valley Forge or crossed the
plains in spite of the price it cost them or their families. We had
better take our small pain now than our greater loss later. There
were souls who wished after wards that they had stood and fought with
Washington and the founding fathers, but they waiting too long - they
passed up eternal glory. There has never been a greater time than
now to stand up against entrenched evil. And while the gentiles
established the Constitution, we have a diving mandate to preserve it.
But unfortunately, today in this freedom struggle, many gentiles are
showing greater wisdom in their generation than children of the light.
*Sixth: "Don't worry," says the devil, "the Lord will protect you,
and besides, the world is so corrupt and heading toward destruction at
such a pace that you can't stop it, so why try." Well, to begin
with, the Lord will not protect us unless we do our part. This
devilish tactic of persuading people not to get concerned because the
Lord will protect them no matter what they do is exposed by the Book
of Mormon. Referring to the devil, it says, "And others will be
pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, and they will say:
All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the
devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to
hell."
*I like that word "carefully." In other words, don't shake them, you
might awake them. But the Book of Mormom warns us that when we
should see these murderous conspiracies in our midst that we should
awake to our awful situation. Now why should we awake if the Lord is
going to take care of us anyway? Now let us suppose that it is too
late to save freedom. It is still accounted unto us for
righteousnesss' sake to stand up and fight. some Book of Mormon
prophets knew of the final desolate end of their nations, but they
still fought on, and they saved some should including their own by so
doing. For, after all, the purpose of life is to prove ourselves and
the final victory will be for freedom.
*But many of the prophecies referring to America's preservation are
conditional. That is, if we do our duty we can be preserved, and if
not, then we shall be destroyed. This means that a good deal of the
responsibility lies with the Priesthood of this Church as to what
happens to America and as to how much tragedy can be avoided if we do
act now.
*And now as the last neutralizer that the devil uses most effectively
- it is simply this: "Don't do anything in the fight for freedom
until the Church sets up its own specific program to save the
Constitution." This brings u right back to the scripture I opened
with today to those slothful servants who will not do anything until
they are "compelled in all things>' Maybe the Lord will never set up
a specific Church program for the purpose of saving the Constitution.
Perhaps if he sets up one at this time it might split the Church
asunder, and perhaps he does not want that to happen yet, for not all
the wheat and tares are fully ripe.
*The Prophet Joseph Smith declared it will be the elders of Israel who
will step forward to help save the Constitution, not the Church. And
have we elders been warned? Yes, we have. And besides, if the
Church should ever inaugurate a program, who do you think would be in
the forefront to get it moving? It would not be those who were
sitting on the sidelines prior to that time or those who were
appeasing the enemy. It would be those choice spirits who, not
waiting to be "commanded in all things," used their own free will, the
counsel of the prophets, and the Spirit of the Lord as guidelines and
who entered the battle "in a good cause" and brought to pass much
righteousness in freedom's cause.
*Year ago Elder Joseph F Merrill of the Council of the Twelve
encouraged the members of the Church to join right-to-work leagues and
President Heber J. Grand concurred. For our day President David O.
McKay has called communism the greatest threat to the Church, it is
certainly the greatest mortal threat this country have ever faced.
What are you doing to fight it?
*Brethren, if we had done our homework and were faithful, we could
step forward at this time and help save this country. The fact that
most of us are unprepared to do it is an indictment we will have to
bear. The longer we wait, the heavier the chains, the the deeper the
blood, the more the persecution, and the less we can carry out our
God-given mandate and world-wide mission. The war in heaven is
raging on earth today. Are you being neutralized in the battle?
*Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do
many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much
righteousness:
*For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves...
(D&C 58:27-28)

****Address by Ezra Taft Benson 1965 at General Conference

Milton Friedman on Greed

Unintended Consequences

Good stories are very important ways to help people think in new ways. Back in the early 1980s Wendell Barry, a philosopher farmer, compiled some of his essays into a book, The Gift of Good Land: Further Essays Cultural & Agricultural (1982). One of his essays traced the consequences of the Food For Peace Program, created by Congress in the 1970s. Mr. Berry went to Peru to see how farmers cultivate crops. Peru was short on wheat and people were hungry. The Food for Peace program brought in free wheat. The local price of wheat collapsed. Farmers stopped growing wheat and turned to a similar crop, barley. Barley is used to make beer. So Peru became self-sufficient in beer, but still lacked enough wheat and too many people remained hungry.

Dave Ramsey on Stimulus Bill

Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act.

http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Federal/Read.aspx?id=4329

Friday, January 23, 2009


U.S. Representative Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) recently sponsored H.R. 45, also known as "Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act." The bill is, at its core and as its name implies, a licensing and registration scheme.

The measure calls for all handgun owners to submit to the federal government an application that shall include, among many other things: a photo; an address; a thumbprint; a completed, written firearm safety test; private mental health records; and a fee. And those are only some of the requirements to be licensed!

The bill would further require the attorney general to establish a database of every handgun sale, transfer, and owner's address in America. Moreover, the bill would make it illegal to own or possess a "qualifying firearm" -- defined as "any handgun; or any semiautomatic firearm that can accept any detachable ammunition feeding device…" [emphasis added] without one of the proposed licenses.

Additionally, the bill would make it illegal to transfer ownership of a "qualifying firearm" to anyone who is not a licensed gun dealer or collector (with very few exceptions), and would require "qualifying firearm" owners to report all transfers to the attorney general's database. It would also be illegal for a licensed gun owner to fail to record a gun loss or theft within 72 hours, or fail to report a change of address within 60 days. Further, if a minor obtains a firearm and injures someone with it, the owner of the firearm may face a multiple-year jail sentence.

H.R. 45 is essentially a reintroduction of H.R. 2666, which Rush introduced in 2007. H.R. 2666 contained much of the same language as H.R. 45, and was co-sponsored by several well-known anti-gun legislators--including Barack Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. H.R. 45 currently has no co-sponsors.

Link to the bill
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h45ih.txt.pdf