Marlin Stutzman, Republican Senate candidate from Indiana


From what I can tell, there are three major candidates seeking the Republican Senate nomination from Indiana in the May 4th primary election—less than one week away. I have briefly researched the websites of the three candidates. The candidates are Marlin Stutzman, Dan Coats (both of whom were mentioned in the previous post), and John Hostettler. The respective websites are:

Marlin Stutzman: http://www.gomarlin.com/

Dan Coats: http://www.coatsforindiana.com/

John Hosteller: http://www.johnhostettler.com/

Both Marlin Stutzman and Dan Coats are endorsed by Indiana Right to Life according to their respective websites. Marlin Stutzman is also endorsed by the National Rifle Association according to his website.

As anyone who has read my blog knows, I am an issues oriented voter. The following are the issues posted on the respective websites of the three candidates in the order that they are posted. I won’t go into the content but, of course, the content is available at each of the websites.

Listed issues of Marlin Stutzman:

01) Life—He is pro-life (A necessary criterion for my support for any candidate in any election and he lists it first. That shows me that this is a priority issue with him and is very positive! This is one of my three major issues.)

02) Jobs

03) National Defense

04) Card Check

05) Second Amendment

06) Energy

07) Cap and Trade

08) Judicial Nominations (This is also one of my three major issues and he is a strict constructionist as all Senators should be.)

09) Bail Outs (“I would never support a federal bailout of private business. In a free enterprise economy, businesses have the opportunity to succeed, and sometimes, even the opportunity to fail.” I agree completely. He is a farmer and was an owner of a trucking company and obviously understands the free enterprise system much more than do most members of Congress. There is no such thing as a business too big to fail except in the minds of some people in Congress and the executive branch who do not understand/accept free enterprise principles. They usually also want control over free markets. Some people NEVER learn the lessons of history.)

10) Spending and Taxes

11) Homeschooling (He supports homeschooling as do I and he is the only candidate, as far as I can tell, who even mentions it.)

12) Education

13) Health Care

14) Immigration

As a member of the Indiana General Assembly, which he currently still is, he “twice … co-authored the Traditional Marriage Amendment which was defeated in committee in the House.” (This is, of course, also one of my three major issues. Consequently, he is publically in support of my three major issues and discusses his support of these issues although traditional marriage is not listed as one of his fourteen listed issues.)

Listed issues of Dan Coats:

01) Why I'm Running

02) No Learning Curve

03) Economy

04) Debt

05) Health Care

06) National Security

07) Iran

08) Immigration

Even though Dan Coats has been endorsed by Indiana Right to Life as was Marlin Stutzman, it is a concern of mine that being pro-life is not listed as a major issue. It is also a concern that he gives no mention of judicial appoints which is the most important duty given to members of the Senate because of the usurpation of power by the federal courts. I also saw no mention of his support for traditional marriage or his opposition to the homosexual agenda being presently promoted in Washington D.C. I am an issues voter but values issues are the most important issues because economic issues can be fixed but our nation will still be in mortal danger if our values are not aligned with GOD’S will and truth.

Listed issues of John Hostettler:

01) Taxes and Spending

02) Free-Market Health Care

03) Fighting for the Right to Life

04) Marriage

05) Defending the Second Amendment

06) Protecting Hoosier Workers by opposing Illegal Immigration

John Hostettler lists only 6 issues, which is the least of the three candidates. Also, although he says he is Pro-life, he is the only candidate who is NOT endorsed by Indiana Right to Life. At least, his website did not list any such endorsement. The same is true for his Second Amendment position—he does not list that he is endorsed by the National Rifle Association. He is in favor of traditional marriage but makes no mention of judicial appointments and his position on this very important issue.

He was a member of the House of Representatives but is not now a member of the House. He does not say why he is no longer a member of Congress. Did he lose an election? Did he retire?

In his page about his background he states the following: “In 2002, John Hostettler was one of only six (6) Republican Members of the United States House of Representatives and one of only three (3) ‘conservative’ GOP Members to vote against the House resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to preemptively engage in military conflict with the nation of Iraq.” I supported our efforts in Iraq from the beginning stating that it was about time that the United States actually took action to demonstrate that we, as a nation, understood that we were (and are) at war with terrorists. I still support that action today and never waivered as many Republicans did in the darkest hours when people like Senator Harry Reid from Nevada (up for re-election this year) were publically declaring that “The war is lost!” and Senator Dick Durbin from Illinois was declaring that our military was acting like the thugs of Nazi Germany.

I am supporting Marlin Stutzman and have already donated money to his campaign. Again, the election is May 4th. As in all contested primary elections, turnout is of primary importance. If you are a registered voter in Indiana, VOTE!

Conservative Republican Senate candidates in some primaries


In many instances, the most important election is not the general election but the primary election. Illinois this year held its primary in February. The Republican voters, in part because of early support from the “leaders” of the Republican Party, nominated a RINO (Republican In Name Only) for the Republican Senate candidate—Mark Kirk—in November. I will not support him in November. I did not support him in February. I think that is true for other conservative values voters.

If we are going to change the direction of this nation—change that we can really believe in—it’s imperative, in other contested primary elections throughout the nation, that conservatives get elected in the primary. We need a conservative victory in November—not a RINO victory in November.

If not, Barack Hussein Obama can continue on his merry way to ruin this nation. Consequently, tonight I’m posting information about some conservative Senate candidates. I plan to check these individuals further and will update as this election year progresses.

From http://www.senateconservatives.com/

"Dear Fellow Conservative

If you have not seen George Will’s most recent column in Newsweek, please take a moment to read it.

George highlights the Republican primary contests in several key Senate races, and notes the role the Senate Conservatives Fund is playing in some of them.

As you know, it’s not enough to just elect Republicans to the Senate this year. We need to elect the right kind of Republicans—principled leaders who will stand up and fight for our freedoms.

Thank you for being a member of the Senate Conservatives Fund community. Your support will help us take back our country one race at a time.

Sincerely,

Jim DeMintUnited States SenatorChairman, Senate Conservatives Fund

P.S. The Republican primary in Indiana is just one week away. If you want to help elect the strongest conservative in that race, please support Marlin Stutzman. Click here to make a contribution and to see our current fundraising total. (I plan to check him out tonight and write a post tomorrow—my addition.)

Newsweek

‘Requiem for ‘Responsible’ Republicans

By: George F. Will
April 23rd, 2010

Utah, the reddest state, may soon become redder because it has the nation’s most vulnerable Republican senator. Senate candidate selection events there (May 8), in Indiana (May 4), and Kentucky (May 18) might make May a month of Republican insurrections against candidates favored by party leaders but considered insufficiently conservative by the rank and file. And May may be prologue to further upheavals in California (June 8), Colorado (Aug. 10), and Arizona and Florida (Aug. 24).

Some commentators not known for wishing conservatism well say this turmoil bodes ill for the conservative party. And they mournfully worry that ‘responsible’ Republicans— i.e., those who play well with Democrats—are an endangered species. But a more sanguine interpretation of the insurrections is that they indicate conservative seriousness commensurate with the liberals’ agenda for enlarging government.

No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Utah since Lyndon Johnson in the anti-Goldwater landslide of 1964. In 1968 normality was restored as the Democratic nominee, Hubert Humphrey, won 37 percent of the vote. Since then, the average GOP margin of victory has been 34.5 points. In 1992 Bill Clinton finished third in Utah with 25 percent, behind Ross Perot’s 27 percent. In 2008 Barack Obama did better than any Democrat since Humphrey-with 35 percent. Utah has not elected a Democratic senator since 1958.

It will not elect one this year. And it might not give Bob Bennett a third term. The grandson of a president of the Mormon church and son of a four-term senator, Bennett is conservative enough to have earned an A grade from the National Rifle Association, a 98 percent rating from the Chamber of Commerce, and 84 percent from the American Conservative Union (ACU). He is, however, 76, an incumbent, and running third. The leading candidate is attorney Mike Lee, 38, who clerked for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito when Alito was on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Lee’s theme is Washington’s indifference to constitutional limits.

At the Republicans’ May 8 convention, delegates will select two candidates to compete in a June 22 primary-unless one wins 60 percent of the delegates, thereby becoming the nominee. Seventy-five percent of the delegates will be attending their first convention, and Bennett might not hold Lee below 60.

In Indiana, Dan Coats, 66, a former senator, was supposed to waltz to the GOP nomination to fill the seat Democrat Evan Bayh is vacating. But for five years he has been living as a lobbyist in a Virginia suburb of Washington. The NRA has an ABC—anybody but Coats—stance, and the ACU (American Conservative Union—my addition) is supporting state Sen. Marlin Stutzman, as is South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint’s Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF). Stutzman is not running as far ahead of the presumptive Democratic nominee as his two Republican rivals, but his higher-octane conservatism may get him nominated.

Kentucky’s secretary of state, Trey Grayson, is the choice of party leaders, but Rand Paul, son of Representative Ron Paul, leads by 15 points. In California, Chuck DeVore, a state legislator and Army Reserve officer, is the SCF’s (Senate Conservatives Fund—my addition) choice and is running third, but is receiving conservative contributions from around the country and perhaps can take heart from events in Colorado. There, former lieutenant governor Jane Norton, who at first touted her support from John McCain, was the choice of ‘grass tops’ Republicans, as Colorado’s grassroots Republicans call them. McCain got just 18 percent in the state’s 2008 presidential caucuses, and conservatives are rallying to Ken Buck, a district attorney and another beneficiary of DeMint’s SCF (Senate Conservatives Fund—my addition). Norton is choosing to get on the Aug. 10 ballot by petition, which suggests anxiety that at the May 22 nominating assembly she might fail to reach even the 30 percent threshold for ballot access. In Arizona, McCain has only a 5-point lead over former congressman J. D. Hayworth.
When Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced his Senate candidacy last May, senior Washington Republicans instantly endorsed him. Since then, there has been a 50-point swing against him. Marco Rubio now holds a 20-point lead. Rubio says Crist is not a conservative. Validating Rubio’s argument, Crist recently courted the teachers’ union by vetoing education reforms favored by former governor Jeb Bush, and by former senator Connie Mack, who disgustedly resigned as Crist’s campaign manager. Crist has until Friday to decide to use the teachers’ union—and other Democratic constituencies—as his base for running as an independent, a.k.a. a ‘responsible’ Republican.’”

“Contributions to Senate Conservatives Fund are not deductible as charitable contributions. Not paid for at taxpayer expense. Contributions from corporations or foreign nationals lacking permanent resident status are not permitted. Federal law requires Senate Conservatives Fund to report the name, mailing address, occupation and employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.

PAID FOR BY SENATE CONSERVATIVES FUND PAC
NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE
SENATECONSERVATIVES.COM”

Senate primaries in May and later months and the conservative candidates:

1) Indiana (May 4) Marlin Stutzman (verse Dan Coats and another candidate not listed by name in the above article) I plan to check these two candidates tonight.

2) Utah (May 8) Mike Lee (verse Bob Bennett, the current Republican Senator) I will check their websites also, either tonight or soon.

3) Kentucky (May 18) Rand Paul (verse Trey Grayson, supported by Republican leadership)

4) California (June 8) Chuck DeVore (I have checked the websites of the three identified major Republican candidates and am supporting Chuck DeVore based upon his positions opposing the MURDER of unborn babies and the homosexual agenda. He is the only one of the three candidates who even discusses these two issues on their websites.)

5) Colorado (Aug. 10) Ken Buck (verse Jane Norton)

6) Arizona (Aug. 24) J. D. Hayworth (verse John McCain, the incumbent Senator) I have never voted for John McCain while living in Arizona and will check out J. D. Hayworth to determine his position on my important issues.

7) Florida (Aug. 24) Marco Rubio (verse Charlie Crist)

Gambling in Illinois alert


For various reasons, I had fallen behind in reading my e-mail. As of Tuesday morning, I had almost 300 unread e-mails. I started reading Tuesday. The post for tonight is one that I received Monday. I also received a few others that I plan to post in the next couple of days and then I hope to get back to Illinois’ financial blunders. Tonight’s post, in a manner, also deals with Illinois’ financial blunders.

“IFI E-Alert: State Lawmakers Pushing for More Gambling
by David E. Smith, IFI Executive Director—Illinois Family Institute

Springfield lawmakers are again pushing a number of bills that would expand predatory gambling in Illinois. With the construction of the state’s 10th casino underway in Des Plaines and the passage of legislation that would allow up to 5 video slot machines in neighborhood establishments where alcoholic liquor is served, Illinois will potentially have more gambling opportunities than any other state in the nation—including Nevada!

But that is not enough for our state lawmakers. It would seem that the state is not doing enough to exploit and steal from the very citizens they are to serve.

SB 3146 allows OTBs (Off Track Betting Parlors) near pre-schools, day care centers, community colleges, trade schools and universities.

SB 744 expands gambling by allowing round the clock video gambling at truck stops-24 hours a day, 7 days a week! The bill also allows PENNY bets on video gambling machines.

State lawmakers are also trying to work out an agreement for slots and video gambling machines racetracks. (See story HERE.)

Take ACTION: This is your chance to speak up before it’s too late and before it gets through the legislature! Click HERE to send your lawmakers an email or a fax to tell them ‘NO MORE GAMBLING.’

The problems with gambling are not just with those who lose financially—that’s obvious—but the wider community also loses as gamblers engage in destructive behavior: they commit crimes, run up large debt, damage relationships with family and friends, and commit suicide at rates alarmingly higher than the rest of society.

Gambling is no economic panacea—even in Illinois’ big cities. It would actually add to the homeless problem, bring increases in crime, suicide, domestic abuse, and alcohol abuse while creating broken families and addiction.

It cannot be overstated—the social costs of gambling far outweigh the perceived financial benefits.”

“Illinois Family InstituteP.O. Box 88848Carol Stream, Illinois 60188”

“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.” Proverbs 28: 5 (NIV)

When the Village of Morton was debating whether or not to ban video gambling within the village as allowed by State law, one business owner argued that video gambling was no different than other types of gambling that are allowed in the State such as the State lottery. Therefore, video gambling should be allowed in the village because the State lottery is allowed in the village. First of all, she was and is wrong. Study after study concluded that video gambling is more addictive and therefore more destructive than other forms of gambling that have been legalized.

More importantly, if I could, I would outlaw all forms of gambling because they are also destructive and a form of legalized stealing even though some are not as addictive as video gambling. There is another very good reason for every community in the State to ban video gambling—the veracious appetite of the General Assembly for more money. As is obvious from the above article, legislators have still not learned the obvious truth that gambling is harmful to society. Until we the people demand that the legislature STOP using gambling as a source of revenue, the members of the legislature will continue to try to expand gambling within the State.

Just as it is time at the federal level to replace, repeal, and restore. So too, it is time at the State level to replace those legislators who try to increase State money through gambling. So too, it is time at the State level to repeal all laws that allow legalized gambling in any form within the State. So too, it is time at the State level to restore morality and GOD given values within the halls of the State capital. Leaders lead. It is past time for the State leaders to lead virtuously according to GOD’S principles and HIS truth! Until that happens, we will not get out of the mess the leaders of this State have created!

Arizona is right on illegal immigration!


I was planning on continuing my comments on Illinois finances tonight. However, because of events over this weekend and because I was once a citizen of the State of Arizona, I am changing my post for tonight. The new post:

On April 10, 2010, page A2; the Peoria Journal Star published an article entitled “Killing of rancher roils immigration debate.” Portions of that article include the following: “Cattle rancher Rob Krentz … and his dog were gunned down shortly after he reported spotting someone who appeared to be in trouble. Foot tracks were followed from the shooting scene about 20 miles south, to the Mexican border, and authorities suspect an illegal immigrant.

The killing of the third-generation rancher has become a flashpoint in the immigration debate as politicians cite the episode as further proof that the U.S. must do more to secure the violent U.S.-Mexican border.

The governors of New Mexico and Arizona took a public tour of the border this week in support of more security.”

Then, according to another Peoria Journal Star article published on April 24, 2010, page A2; the Republican Governor of Arizona signed into law a bill that accomplishes the following:

1) “Makes it a crime under state law (Arizona law—my addition) to be in the country illegally.” (Obviously, Arizona can only enforce the law within the boundaries of the State of Arizona. There is presently a federal law against illegal immigration. If not, by definition, there would be no such thing as illegal immigration—my addition.)

2) “Requires local police officers to question people about their immigration status if there is a reason to suspect they are illegal immigrants.” (This law does NOT send out local police officers in search of illegal immigrants! Too bad! We’d catch more illegal immigrants if we were searching for them—my addition.)

3) “Allows lawsuits against government agencies that hinder enforcement of immigration laws.” (Obviously, this provision allows lawsuits against Arizona government agencies since States do not have the authority to allow lawsuits against federal government agencies. Certainly, the State of Arizona does have the authority to allow lawsuits against Arizona State agencies. What are State agencies doing hindering the enforcement of the law?—my addition)

4) “Makes it illegal to hire illegal immigrants for day labor or knowingly transport them.” (There is presently a federal law making it illegal to hire illegal immigrants and to aid and abet their delivery into the country or from one portion of the nation to another by crossing State lines. Thus, this is basically a restatement of federal law to be enforced by local law enforcement officials—my addition.)

One would think that the federal government would welcome the help of the State of Arizona to enforce through its own laws, laws that are similar to federal law. But, no! According to the same article, President Barack Hussein Obama has condemned the efforts of the Arizona legislature. “Earlier Friday, Obama called the Arizona bill ‘misguided’ and instructed the Justice Department to examine it to see if it’s legal. (Since when does the Justice Department determine the legality of State law? What utter arrogance on his part!—my addition) He also said the federal government must enact immigration reform at the national level—or leave the door open to ‘irresponsibility by others.’ (Did the President of the United States just call the elected legislature of the State of Arizona and the Governor of Arizona irresponsible? What utter arrogance on his part! By the way, from what I have heard, the law is supported by 70% of the citizens of the State of Arizona including 50% of Arizona Democrats. Does that make all of these citizens irresponsible? What utter arrogance on his part! He has made it an art form to misuse the word reform. Everything seems to be a reform for him. His idea of reform, in this instance, is to grant American citizenship to those individuals who have deliberately violated federal law. It is NOT mine! By definition, illegal immigrants are criminals! By definition!—my addition)

‘That includes, for example, the recent efforts in Arizona, which threaten to undermine basic notions of fairness that we cherish as Americans, as well as trust between police and their communities that is so crucial to keeping us safe,’ Obama said.” (What utter nonsense. I don’t know where he gets his concept of fairness? What is unfair about having laws to protect the people of Arizona by arresting and convicting those who are in the State of Arizona illegally! The law does not call for the arrest of any one nationality of people or of anyone of a particular race. It calls for the arrest of people WHO ARE VIOLATING THE LAW! Next, President Obama will try to convince us that it is unfair to arrest people who commit murder. This law should increase the trust between the citizens of the State of Arizona and law enforcement officials. The officials are making the State safer by arresting law violators. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO DO!!! What a novel concept!—my addition)

President Obama seems to continue to believe that we are ALL blithering idiots who are somehow charmed and mesmerized by his every word regardless of what he utters. I never have been! I never will be! And quite frankly, this law passed by the State of Arizona is NONE of HIS concern! He is not a citizen of the State of Arizona! He is not the Governor of Arizona! He is not a legislator in the State of Arizona! And it is not a civil rights violation to arrest people who are violating the laws of the State of Arizona! RIDE ON ARIZONA!!!

Cut, Cut, Cut


As in most States, the Governor of the State of Illinois presents a budget to the Illinois General Assembly and then the General Assembly passes an approved budget. In Illinois, that budget is supposed to be passed by the end of May and is supposed to be balanced based upon the following Constitutional provisions.

1) Article VIII—Finance, Section 2. State Finance, paragraph (a):

“The Governor shall prepare and submit to the General Assembly … a State budget for the ensuing fiscal year. … Proposed expenditures shall not exceed funds estimated to be available for the fiscal year as shown in the budget.” In short, if the estimated funds are 30 billion dollars, then the proposed expenditures SHALL NOT BE FOR MORE THAN 30 billion dollars! That is the wording of the Constitution!

2) Article VIII—Finance, Section 2. State Finance, paragraph (b):

“The General Assembly by law shall make appropriations for all expenditures of public funds by the State. Appropriations for a fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year.” In short, if the estimated funds are 30 billion dollars, then the proposed expenditures SHALL NOT BE FOR MORE THAN 30 billion dollars! That is the wording of the Constitution!

And yet, the talk at the beginning of the year was for a 13 billion dollar deficit. Deficit? Where is a deficit allowed in the planning and implementation of the fiscal year budget?

Doug Finke writes a Sunday article each week dealing with State government. On April 25, 2010, page B1, he wrote the following: “Gov. Pat Quinn’s chief of staff, Jerry Stermer, appeared at a Senate appropriations committee hearing last week to talk about Quinn’s executive office budget. He was asked about budget cuts in general. Stermer referred to the suggestion list and indicated Quinn would be addressing cuts sometime during the coming week. He declined to elaborate.

This could be interesting. A consistent complaint from Republican lawmakers is that Quinn hasn’t offered sufficient details of planned budget cuts. Cuts, they say must be part of any budget solution. A significant part.

Of course, if Quinn has been vague about where to cut, the Republicans have been equally vague about how big the cuts should be. Although Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, put out a figure of $2 billion to $3 billion the other day, Republicans mostly don’t talk specific numbers. As long as there is no target, you can always charge that Quinn failed to hit it.”

In tonight’s post, I’m going to give the specific target for the amount of money that needs to be cut from the proposed budget. This is based upon the Constitution, sound economic theory, and practical experience from following my own budget and being a member of a school board for 4 years in a State where the school boards could not spend any more money than was allocated to each school board.

The first criterion is: ABSOLUTELY NO money will be spent on any NEW program. It is the height of folly to spend money on new programs when there is not sufficient money to spend on already existing programs.

The second criterion is: Set the priorities for State spending from the HIGHEST priority to the lowest priority. One being the highest. 5000, or whatever the last priority is, being the lowest.

The third criterion is: Allocate money from the highest to the lowest priority to meet the needs of each priority until the estimated money runs out. If the allocations run out at the 3,450th priority, cut all of the less important priorities out of the budget.

The fourth criterion is: Adjust the allocations as needed, if needed. If more money needs to go from some higher priorities to lower priorities or money needs to be taken from lower priorities to be allocated to higher priorities, make those needed adjustments.

The fifth criterion and last criterion as well as the most important criterion is: Obey the Constitution of the State of Illinois. “Appropriations for a fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year.” This is the TARGET! If that means cutting 13 billion dollars from the budget, then cut 13 billion dollars from the budget.

TARGET set! PROBLEM solved!

As I’ve said repeatedly, it is insanity to give more money to a spendaholic. NO NEW TAXES until the General Assembly repeatedly proves it can actually obey the Constitution of the State of Illinois and balance the budget—spending only the estimated funds of the State.

Donations, Donations, Donations


I’m changing my planned post for tonight. The Peoria Journal Star published a commentary written by George Will on April 23, 2010 on page A4 entitled “New Jersey’s lessons on fiscal responsibility.” It seems that fiscal responsibility is an almost forgotten concept by governments at the State and federal level.

On my April 22nd post, I wrote about the “protest” rally at Springfield—Illinois’ State Capital—where members of the protest were demanding that the State raise our taxes through raising the State individual income tax. I also wrote that Governor Pat Quinn had proposed a 2% increase in the State income tax last year and is now proposing a raise of 1% which is about a 33% rate increase. I also wrote that many in the crowd received their income from the State government including government teachers and public employee union members. I also said that the State of Illinois is the largest single employer in the State. Government teachers—public school teachers—are not included in that total since they are employed by local school districts although much of the money for the local district comes from the State.

According to information published in the 2009 Illinois Tax booklet, the General Fund revenues for the State of Illinois were $32.12 billion in fiscal year 2009. The expenditures from the General Fund were $34.958 billion in fiscal year 2009. Therefore, the deficit for the fiscal year was $2.838 billion. As I’ve said before, the State has run deficits every year since I’ve moved back. As I’ve also said, the pension funds are also out of balance as the State has not put in the required amounts, has increased the obligation of the State for pensions, and has borrowed from the pension funds. The State is not paying their present obligations including the obligation to public schools and private companies. Finally, as I’ve said, you don’t give an alcoholic more alcohol and you don’t give a spendaholic more money to spend.

Governor Pat Quinn is running for governor this year after inheriting his position with the impeachment and conviction of the previous governor—both of whom are Chicago-area Democrats. I’ve done some research on the donations received and reported at this point in the election by Governor Quinn. The following information and the posted chart are from http://www.followthemoney.org/.

As of the last reporting period, Governor Pat Quinn:

1) Total Raised to Date: $4,280,873

The Top 15 Industries donating to Pat Quinn’s campaign:

01) Public Sector Unions—$956,528

02) General Trade Unions—$635,462

03) Lawyers & Lobbyists—$461,449

04) Transportation Unions—$139,224

05) Real Estate—$103,217

06) Hospitals & Nursing Homes—$95,689

07) Party Committees—$64,435

08) Business Services—$54,750

09) Securities & Investment—$51,350

10) Gambling & Casinos—$42,250

11) Candidate Committees—$41,100

12) Health Professionals—$38,951

13) Mining—$37,357

14) Education—$31,000

15) Liberal Policy Organization—$30,000

That’s $ 2,782,762 out of $4,280,873 from these 15 top contributors or 65+% of the total contributions.

GOD and evil


“GOD and Evil

II Chronicles 7: 1-4

Greetings to you, friend! I’m Mack Lyon. The program’s In Search of the Lord’s Way. We produce our program in Oklahoma City, right in the heart of what‘s known as ‘Tornado Alley;’ and we’ve had some doozers here! The question is: ‘If God really is and He really is almighty and all-loving, as He is said to be, why does He permit such evils as tornadoes?’ And that’s our study today; stay tuned.

My warmest welcome to you, friend! Our program’s ‘In Search of the Lord’s Way.’ We’re so glad you have joined our Bible study. We’re sponsored by some churches of Christ in the broadcast area of this station. We would like you to visit one of those churches, very, very soon if possible! Why don’t you just do that today? If you need help locating one of them, let us help you. And I’ll give you our telephone number, our toll-free number in about a minute. Run and get your pen and paper right quickly so you can write it down.

The Holman Bible Dictionary says ‘Evil’ is of two kinds: moral evil and natural evil. In the series titled ‘Deliver Us From Evil,’ which I did earlier, and which is available in this little book, just free for the asking we dealt almost exclusively, but not entirely with ‘moral evil.’ Of course evil men do evil things such as the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. And that was moral evil. The terrible earthquake in Haiti, as well as the one in Chile, are defined by some as natural evils. I’ve heard remarks on radio and TV which seemed to question why God would do such an evil. If He didn’t do it, if He is a God of love, and He is all powerful, why did He even permit it? That’s what prompted this program about ‘God and Evil.’

If you think you would like a free printed copy, or a CD or an audio cassette tape of it for further study, just address your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK 73083, or by e-mail to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or, you may use our toll free telephone number 1 (800) 321-8633. You may want to just download it from our website, and that’s at http://www.searchtv.org/. Visit that website, will you, http://www.searchtv.org/? There’s much, much more there, too. Then Ken Helterbrand is going to lead us now in a hymn; and then I’ll be back and we’ll read 2 Chronicles chapter 7, verses 1 through 3.

When David became king of Israel the Old Testament tells us that he wanted to build a temple for the Lord our God. And God said no! He could not build it; he would not be permitted to build it because he was a man of war. But, then he permitted Solomon to build the temple and when it was finished it was a glorious thing. Oh my, it was a magnificent thing! It was a very costly thing; and then Solomon opened it with a prayer. At the end of Solomon’s prayer in 2 Chronicles chapter 7, verse 1 we read these words: ‘When Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the temple. And the priests could not enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD on the temple, they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever. Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.’ And that reads through verse 4. Now let us go to God in prayer. Holy and Heavenly Father, we are thankful for this message that we read about Your holiness and Your purity and Your goodness; and we are encouraged by all of those thoughts. And we are wondering today about the existence of evil in the world, particularly natural evils. And we pray that You will enlighten our hearts as we study this message. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!

Such disasters as tornadoes, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes are often called ‘evils,’ but they’re not moral agents; therefore, they can’t really be ‘moral evils.’ If they are evils, then, they must be ‘natural evils.’ And, if they are God-sent, the question is relevant then today: ‘Why does a good God (as we just read about in the Bible) send such evils upon men; and if He’s all-powerful and He is a good God why doesn’t He prevent them?’ Seldom, if ever, is an unbeliever heard to say of a beautiful spring day, ‘This is an act of God.’ Yet, he defines a tornado, a disastrous flood, or something of that nature as an ‘act of God.’ And because he thinks so, he refuses to believe in the loving and almighty God that we read about in the Bible.

I was blessed to hear Dr. Thomas B. Warren debate England’s renowned atheist, Dr. Anthony Flew, at the university in Denton, Texas several years ago. Dr. Flew’s strongest argument against God in that debate was the existence of suffering and natural evil. However, since the discovery of DNA and because of the complexity of the universe and its meticulous functions, Dr. Flew has renounced his atheism in favor of creationism. He now argues the case for a god; not the God of the Bible though, but a designer and a creator god. He now believes the carefully designed universe and the human body couldn’t have ‘just happened.’ Our own Phil Sanders spoke to that very clearly just recently. He showed both the universe and the human body demand an intelligent designer.

Some who have studied this matter longer and in more detail than I, say there’s more confusion and contradiction in the beliefs and teachings in the 21st Century American–style Christians, or among us, over the problem of God in a world of evil than any other subject. In the former sermon series I began by asking, ‘What comes to your mind first, when God is mentioned?’ In his book, The Knowledge of the Holy, A. W. Tozer asks the same question; and he says, ‘Before the Christian Church goes into eclipse anywhere there must first be a corrupting of her simple basic theology. She simply gets the wrong answer to the question, what is God like?’ And he goes on from there. Oh, he’s so right about that. But that was certainly not the case in the church in the New Testament period. The apostle Paul had introduced the Christian faith to the people of Thessalonica and they had gladly received it, in spite of the extreme persecution they suffered, as we read about it in Acts chapter 17, verses 1 to 9, and other places. Later the apostle wrote them two letters to encourage them in this new faith. Three times in the first nine verses in the second chapter of his first letter to them, he wrote that persecution and that in spite of it, that he preached to them ‘the gospel of God.’ Consequently, many of the Thessalonians had ‘turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.’ (1Thessalonians chapter 1, verse 9)

The ‘gospel of God!’ Preaching ‘the good news of God’ is the solution to the problem of idolatry with which the 21st Century American-style-Christianity is confused. God is not always ‘the image’ that first comes to a person’s mind at His mention. And that’s the reason for the ‘doubt’ that follows such incidents as the tornado or the flood you’re thinking about.

We’re all apt to define ‘God’ with such terms that will fit Him neatly into our own personal experiences or maybe our expectations of a god. And when we do that we inevitably come up with our own private ‘god’ or perhaps ‘gods.’ Idols they are of experience or of expectation. My god then becomes the kind of a ‘god’ I like. Oh no, as I’ve said so many times, I’ll not make an image of him of wood or brass, and keep it on the mantle and bow before it every time I pass before it. It’s a mental image. And it’s limited in what it is and what it can do, limited to my own expectations of it. Well, such gods ‘have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes have they, but they do not see; they have ears, but they do not hear; noses they have, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not handle; feet they have, but they do not walk….’ Well now, that’s God description of them in Psalm 115, verses 5 to 7. ‘But,’ verse three in that same passage says, ‘our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.’ And in Genesis 17, verse 1 God says, ‘He is the Almighty God.’

The first verse of the Bible says, ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ That’s the answer to the question of origin, then, isn’t it? ‘In the beginning.’ ‘In the beginning God.’ ‘In the beginning God created.’ ‘In the beginning God created the heavens’—the first heaven, where the birds fly and the clouds gather; and the second heaven where the stars are, and the sun, and the moon and other galaxies. ‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ It was God who brought light out of darkness. The Bible doesn’t tell us of life in other planets if there is such a thing. And from that verse forward, the Bible tells us of happenings on the earth and the hope of heaven. The Bible story of creation continues: it says God even created day and night, and seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. He powerfully separated the earth from the seas. God created the vegetation; yes, and the sea creatures and the animals of every kind that creep on the earth.

It was God who worked five days making this magnificent world environment in which we, you and I, are blessed to live! He even created it, not in cold drab, black and white, but in the warmth and beauty of full color! On the sixth day He created man and woman. ‘Then the LORD took the man and put him in the garden’ that He had prepared for human habitation and He told him ‘tend to it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’ (Genesis 2: 15 through 17). How good is our God! That is what our text said, ‘God is good.’ When His creative work was finished, ‘God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.’ (Genesis 1: 31) So, all was right with the world!

But suddenly something happened that disturbed the peace and tranquility of that lovely paradise garden! Evil—sin—entered it. Adam sinned! He disobeyed God! God said to him, ‘…of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat.’ And he ate of it! Then God said to him, ‘Cursed is the ground for your sake…’ (Genesis 3: 17 through 19) Yes! Because of man’s disobedience, his sin, God put a curse on the earth. Could it be that part of that curse that was the flood, the tornado that we’re talking about? Some say ‘Yes!’? Then for all who will, our loving and just and almighty God, promised a redeemer, the ‘seed of the woman’ (Genesis 3: 12 through 15)—His Son Jesus Christ. And by whom the family can be reconciled to God. ‘Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and thus death (that would be suffering and the natural evil, death) spread to all men because all sinned.’ (Romans 5 and 12; and 2 Corinthians 7 and 15f) Yes, yes, that’s what I’m saying! Just as it was with Adam in the garden, natural disasters, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, what are sometimes called ‘natural evils’ are the result of the presence of sin in the well-ordered world of creation.

God had made the world free of evil, but subject to certain, well, we’ll call them ‘natural laws’ because they strictly regulate the world of nature. Life can flourish only in a stable environment. Once in my university studies of philosophy, our professor, an atheist, marveled at the absolute dependability of four seasons in every year: spring, summer, fall and winter. When I asked, to what or to whom he gave credit for that certainty, he brushed me aside saying, ‘I know what you’re going to say,’ and he continued with his lecture. But you see, he couldn’t tell me without admitting a creation demanded a Creator. But I had made my point with the class. There’s the law of day and night; the law of gravity; the laws of sowing and reaping; and others that give harmony to life. And it is by these dependable natural laws that sometimes come tornadoes, floods, and the like. Were it not for the faithful function of earth’s built-in laws, we couldn’t have the harmonious life that we have on the earth. But it’s also true, that were it not for the faithful functioning of these natural laws, we would not have an occasional flood or tornado or an earthquake. On March 8th Oklahoma had its first tornado of the year. We watched it on national TV. It was a demonstration of the natural function of the well-designed law of the Creator.

Now that brings up the question: Are not some natural disasters sometimes due to the sinfulness of men? Well, there’s no doubt about that; the great flood of Noah’s day in Genesis chapters 6, 7 and 8, it was so. The Scripture says, ‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…..So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth.’ That’s Genesis 6: 5 through 8.

However, Luke 13: 1 to 5 says, ‘There were present at that season some who had told Him (that would be Jesus) about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them. Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower of Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were worse sinners than all the other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.’ So then, there must be other causes for tornadoes and earthquakes, than God’s intolerance of moral evil. Let’s pray. Holy Father, we are thankful for the enlightenment of Your word on a problem that is so current with us; and we pray that we have cleared up some questions in the minds of some people. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!

Does God ever exercise judgment on, or punish an evil society or nation? Oh yes, He does, friend, and rightly so! God commanded Israel to totally destroy both man and beast, even the infant children, and the King of the Amalekites as punishment for their evil-doing. And God’s judgments are always just. ‘The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’ That’s Psalm 19, verse 9.

For that reason, I shudder when I think of the present immoral state of our country. It is humanly impossible to maintain a justice system capable of keeping a society, keeping order in a society like our present one. It must be in the hearts of the people like you and me, my friend. Jesus said, ‘The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah….’ (Matthew chapter 12, verse 41) God needs the preaching of ‘repentance’ in America today! Phil Sanders and I say it almost, if not every Sunday: ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’ That’s God’s word, that’s the LORD’S way to be saved, friend, in Acts 2: 38. If we can guide you to a place where you can do that, please, please do call us at once.

If you think you would like to study this message more, you may have a printed copy, a CD or an audio cassette tape of it free by mailing your request to In Search of the Lord’s Way, P.O. Box 371, Edmond, OK. The zip code is 73083 or by email to searchtv@searchtv.org. Or you may access it or download a copy of it from our website at http://www.searchtv.org/. Or if it were me, I would probably just pick up the telephone and dial 1 (800) 321-8633. Visit a church of Christ today, will you? God bless you now. We love every one of you.”

“Raise OUR Taxes!”


Last year, our new governor—Pat Quinn—after the previously elected governor was impeached and convicted by the Illinois General Assembly proposed that the Illinois State individual income tax be raised from a fixed rate (with some exceptions) of 3% to a fixed rate (with a few more exceptions) of 5%. The proposal passed the Illinois State Senate but died in the Illinois State House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the State for this fiscal year has been operating at a deficit of billions of dollars and has not been paying its bills, including bills to the public schools and private businesses.

The budget for the coming fiscal year has not yet been passed. However, the projections are that, without some positive actions, the deficit for the coming year will be about 13 billion dollars. The governor’s proposed budget makes some cuts but does not come close to closing that projected deficit. The governor has proposed raising the income tax once again but seems now to be talking about a 1% increase instead of the proposed 2% increase of last year.

Last year’s proposal, if passed, would have been a rate increase of about 67%. This year’s proposed increase is a more “modest” increase of approximately 33%. Of course, most individuals would be more than satisfied with a one year increase of 33% in their personal income.

I have posted before that the Illinois State government is the major employer in Illinois. The employer in second place is the federal government. In fact, one has to go down to the fifth largest employer in the State before finally having a private company qualify for that position.

I have also posted that it is the height of fiscal irresponsibility to allow a government that has had deficit spending year after year, as the State of Illinois has had in the six years I have lived in the State, to increase taxes to allow it to spend even more money. The ONLY reasonable method to end fiscal irresponsibility is to require the government to CUT spending to balance the budget no matter how “painful” that action may be.

Just as sane people don’t increase the availability of alcohol to an alcoholic, neither do sane people increase the availability of money to a spendthrift (a spendaholic—my dictionary does not have this as a word. If it is not a word, I’m coining a new word because that is exactly what this government is—addicted to spending).

I was listening to the radio yesterday (April 21, 2010) when the news came on for the top of the hour news. It seems that there was a rally in Springfield (our State’s capital) to encourage our State legislators to take action on our budget. During the played sound bite, the crowd, estimated at 16,000 people, could be heard chanting “Raise our taxes!” “Raise out taxes!” Raise our taxes!”

I must confess, that was the first time I have ever heard citizens of any government imploring the government to raise their own taxes. And right after the filing deadline too! It would be like the patriots of the colonies dumping the tea into Boston harbor while screaming, “NOT TAXED ENOUGH!” “NOT TAXED ENOUGH!” “NOT TAXED ENOUGH!” “For our own good, raise our taxes for we are ‘NOT TAXED ENOUGH!’”

Who were these people who were demanding that their own taxes be raised? According to the news report, they were union members from various Illinois government employee unions and government employed teachers—two bus loads of teachers from Peoria alone! They are people who are paid with Illinois government funds! They are people who would rather have everyone, who pays taxes, pay more taxes rather that lose some government jobs as threatened by the governor’s proposed budget. They were demanding that the spendaholics give themselves more money to spend!

To the Illinois General Assembly and to Governor Pat Quinn:

DO NOT RAISE OUR TAXES BY ONE DIME!!! Live within your means just as we have to live within our means. KEEP YOUR HANDS OUT OF OUR POCKETS!!!

Replace, Repeal, and Restore


From Family Research Council http://www.frcaction.org/

“Tired of all the “change?” Make a difference today! Pledge to REPLACE liberal politicians, REPEAL ObamaCare, and RESTORE the founding principles in America!

Sign the Pledge to Replace, Repeal, Restore!

April 15, 2010
Share with Friends”

Are you fed up with the ‘change’ President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and their comrades are forcing on our nation? Do you believe YOU can make a difference? Yes, you can!

Pledge to Replace liberal politicians, Repeal the disastrous health care law, and Restore founding principles in America! Join others across the country by signing FRC Action's pledge today.

We at FRC Action are tired of the ‘change’ too, but we have hope—REAL hope for America. You see, we’ve witnessed the conservative grassroots community waking up, speaking out and taking action. And our nation’s history shows that energized voters can rapidly change politics and culture through the ballot box.

This November, let’s replace at least 20 House members who supported the health care takeover and betrayed the pro-life voters in their districts.

Then, let’s repeal the bill. It might take time—until the 2012 election or beyond—but we won’t give up. We’re in this for the long haul, and we trust the American people.

Ultimately, let’s restore our nation with commonsense reforms and a return to our founding principles.

You can do your part by signing the pledge and speaking out in your community. You can also order ‘Replace Repeal Restore’ bumper stickers and buttons to display and give to friends.

Yes, we can take back America. Are you in?

Tired of all the ‘change?’ Make a difference today! Pledge to REPLACE liberal politicians, REPEAL ObamaCare, and RESTORE the founding principles in America!

Sincerely,

Tony PerkinsPresident

P.S. After signing the REPLACE, REPEAL, RESTORE pledge, please share this message with friends.

Criminal Law Expanding Out of Control?


The following, with some of my comments, is from one of the links from the previous post.

“Are You a Criminal?
Posted April 13, 2010
Ed Feulner

Decades ago, I joined the Sherlock Holmes Society and retraced the great fictional detective’s footsteps through Victorian London. The stories were clever, but also understandable. Whether it was assault, robbery or fraud, it was easy to identify the culprit’s criminal acts.

In the 21st-century American legal system, things are no longer so clear.

Consider Lindsay Brown, a high-school senior jailed for having a butter knife in her car. Or Cortez Curtis, a 13-year-old arrested for bringing a calculator that contained tools (including a tiny knife blade) to school. Or 12-year-old Ansche Hedgepeth, handcuffed and detained for eating one French fry on the D.C. subway. Or 61-year-old Kay Leibrand, booked for allowing her hedges to grow too tall.

None of these people intended to break the law. In fact, they weren’t even aware they were breaking a law. All are victims of a growing trend in American life: overcriminalization. And any one of us could be the next person arrested. (One of the major reasons for this trend is that legislators have changed from passing laws that protect people and individuals to laws that “improve” society as envisioned by these same lawmakers—my addition.)

As the American Bar Association reported a few years ago, there are now so many laws (at least 4,000 by one expert estimation) ‘that there is no conveniently accessible, complete list of federal crimes.’ (Note: the 4,000 laws referenced are federal laws for federal crimes. And generally speaking, constitutionally, the federal government is not concerned with criminal behavior. That historically was under the authority of the various States—my addition.) Throw in federal regulations (there are 300,000 of them, according to a Columbia law professor), state laws and local ordinances, and you, too, could be a felon and not even know it.

This shouldn’t be the case. And, not surprisingly, it hasn’t been throughout our history.

Back in Sherlock’s day, no person could be convicted of a crime unless he or she had what was called a ‘guilty mind.’ That meant the accused could understand that the actions leading to arrest were wrong. This protected people from being arrested for simple mistakes.

For example, there’s a difference between deliberately shoplifting and accidentally walking out of a store without paying for an object. Maybe the store’s scanner malfunctioned and didn’t charge you for the item, or maybe it got mixed up with other things and you simply forgot to pay for it. You shouldn’t be charged with a crime unless a prosecutor can prove you knew you were doing something wrong.

In recent years, though, the law has grown in a different direction. ‘Criminal law has become a vehicle for social change instead of for the maintenance of social order,’ (This is a key concept!—my addition) explains Edwin Meese III. A former attorney general, Meese penned the introduction to a new book from The Heritage Foundation, ‘One Nation Under Arrest.’

Changes in criminal law mean ‘the average American, the average business person and the average corporation have little or no hope of knowing all of the thousands of criminal-law statutes—and tens of thousands of criminal-law regulations—by which they must abide in order to remain on the right side of the law,’ Meese writes. (In general, these laws are passed for one primary purpose—control, control, control!—my addition)

This expansion of criminal law threatens not only our personal freedom, but our economic freedom as well. For example, some states require thousands of hours of schooling before a person can become a ‘licensed hair braider.’ And braiding hair without such a license is a criminal offense.

Such laws don’t protect consumers, but they do protect hair salons from new competition. Thus, the power of government stifles competition and increases prices. (The IRS is now proposing to license all tax preparers who are involved in and being paid to prepare a filed return with the federal government and to require a certain number of hours of training each year. This proposal will certainly increase costs and drive some preparers out of business. What it will not do is increase the accuracy of returns. I keep and get new clients for one general reason. I’m good at what I do and I do it at a reasonable price—supply and demand. If not, by supply and demand principles, I would not keep my customers. As far as I know, no State requires tax preparers, as such, to be licensed.

I know I will not agree to be licensed by the federal government and I’ve never taken a tax preparation class in my life. I am self-taught.

In fact, family was over to the house because of a recent birth in the family. The new baby had to be presented and shown off. At one point in the family conversation, I said that I hated math and never took a math class in college because of a high score on my math portion of the ACT test. My niece asked why I was a tax preparer if I didn’t like math. My answer was that I could read and understand income tax legalese. And I can. And I don’t need any classes to teach me what I can read on my own—my addition.)

‘One Nation’ tells many horror stories about overcriminalization, but also highlights sensible, nonpartisan steps our country can take to get back on the right path. ‘A sound reform strategy will rest on three pillars,’ writes legal scholar Brian Walsh. ‘Restoring traditional criminal law concepts, reinvigorating constitutional rights and reforming Congress.’ Each of these steps could be enacted by lawmakers.

‘I’m not against the police,’ Alfred Hitchcock said, ‘I’m just afraid of them.’ These days, too many people have reason to echo those words. It’s time to fix the legal code, before it swallows up more unintentional ‘criminals.’ (Unfortunately, it seems that part of the mindset of many legislators is that if they are not passing new laws to “do good” (as they define good) then they are not doing their job. And, of course, this “good” almost invariably means more control—my addition.)

Feulner is president of The Heritage Foundation (http://www.heritage.org/).”

The Cost of Big Government


I have not checked out the links on tonight’s post. That’s one of the reasons why I’m posting it tonight—so that I can. Barrack Hussein Obama’s more and more expensive big government:

From http://www.myheritage.org/

“April 16, 2010
By Amanda J. Reinecker

Big Government in Pictures

Federal spending is unsustainable, yet government continues to spend money faster than it can tax it from you and me. As a result, America is facing record deficits.

Every American taxpayer should be concerned about this because it directly impacts them. Taxes are the primary government funding source. If government spending increases—which it is—taxes must, therefore, increase—and they are.

The budget, spending and taxes are all complex subjects. Explanations are typically confined to dense, scholarly publications by Ph.D.’s and economic theorists, which are very important, but difficult to understand. That’s why we’re proud to introduce The Heritage Foundation’s 2010 Budget Chart Book—a user-friendly way to learn about the federal budget, spending and taxes in pictures. Check it out!

For example, our charts on entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, illustrate just how unsustainable and exhaustive these programs are on our economy. Heritage’s Nicola Moore, assistant director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, explains:

As Entitlements Chart 2 shows, these programs will double in size in a few decades. But Chart 10 explains spending cuts alone can’t pay for entitlements, and the level of taxes, shown in Chart 8, required to pay for the programs would devastate the economy.

The Chart Book’s many charts cover a range of budget topics in key categories, including federal spending (11 charts), federal revenue (9 charts), debt and deficits (8 charts), and entitlements (11 charts). The charts are there to help all Americans cut through the spin and extract, and more importantly understand, the critical facts about big government.

‘Tough policy choices and strong entitlement reforms are necessary to get the budget back on track,’ writes Moore. ‘The Budget Chart Book will help you to appreciate the size and scope of the decisions policymakers must enact to protect America’s fiscal future.’

A Victory against VAT

The Value Added Tax, a harmful new tax plan that would be levied in addition to the income tax, has been defeated in an initial Senate test. In a vote of 84-13, a clear majority of Senators agreed with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) that:

It is the sense of the Senate that the Value Added Tax increase will cripple families on fixed income and only further push back America’s economic recovery.

The Heritage Foundation could not agree more. Heritage’s J.D. Foster, a Norman B. Ture Senior Fellow in the Economics of Fiscal Policy, has long opposed the VAT as a ‘liberal solution for unsustainable deficits that threaten the stability and very future of our economy.’ In fact, while discussing his resolution on the floor, Sen. McCain read directly from Foster’s papers on the VAT and stated, ‘Mr. President, I agree with Mr. Foster.’

Way to go J.D. Foster!”

“Heritage work of note:

Do you know how many crimes you have committed today? Criminal law has shifted in recent years from a means of maintaining social order to a vehicle for social change, explains Heritage president Ed Feulner. Heritage’s new book, ‘One Nation Under Arrest’, details the myriad obscure ‘crimes’ the average American commits in any given day. As well as squelching our personal freedoms, these laws ‘stifle competition and increase prices," explains Feulner. ‘‘One Nation’ highlights sensible, nonpartisan steps our country can take to get back on the right path.’

Americans around the country are beginning to experience the reality of our out-of-control spending. In 2010, Washington will spend over $30,000 per family—the highest amount ever in American history. Yet they will only collect roughly $18,000 from each family in taxes. How does this work? That’s right—it doesn’t. Heritage expert Brian Riedl explains, ‘the remaining $13,130 represents this year’s staggering budget deficit per household, which, along with all prior government debt, will be dumped in the laps of our children.’

According to recent Heritage research, one in five Americans rely on the government for their housing, food, and healthcare. But despite the fact that the majority of Americans are desperately trying to derail the train toward dependency, the Obama administration is only stoking the fire. This is most certainly not the government our Founders had planned, explains Heritage’s Lee Edwards. ‘When Congress passes and a president signs a 2,000-page bill that affects every American but is opposed by all the members of one political party as well as a majority of the people, expect consequences—both major and far-reaching.’

According to the Center for Disease Control, a record-breaking 1.72 million children were born out of wedlock in 2008. Despite what the mainstream media would have us believe, the demise of marriage has disastrous social and economic repercussions on our society. ‘The disappearance of marriage in low-income communities is the predominant cause of child poverty in the U.S. today,’ explain Heritage’s Robert Rector. Rather than reap the political rewards of a growing welfare state fueled by dwindling marriage rates, politicians on the left need to face the uncompassionate reality they seem to promote.

The mainstream media is slowly conceding to the reality that Heritage has acknowledged all along—the new healthcare bill is fraught with bad news for young adults, spiking insurance premiums for young people 29 and under by up to 17 percent. Additionally, the student loan add-ins will cause a hefty increase in student loan rates for young people. Will these fiscal burdens be the impetus for the Millennial generation’s shift from loyal Obama supporters to realistic voters? Heritage Vice President Mike Franc says, ‘[Young people] will need to connect the negative consequences […] to the policies that gave rise to them.’

In Other News

As the provisions of Obamacare begin to take root, the nation may face an incredible shortage of doctors, particularly primary care physicians, due to the massive increases in the number of insured persons. The Wall Street Journal reports, this shortage could mean ‘more-limited access to health care and longer wait times for patients.’”

“According to the Congressional Research Service, when Congress passed Obamacare, they accidentally revoked their own current health care coverage before the law created any viable alternatives.

Amanda Reinecker is a writer for MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. Nathaniel Ward, the Editor of MyHeritage.org, and Eva Brates, a Heritage Foundation intern, contributed to this report.”

NCAA squashes Christian ad


I’ve had this story for a month and ½ and just haven’t had time to post it. It is still relevant because the NCAA is always involved in something. Unfortunately, this organization, like many others, is prone toward political correctness rather than the only true morality—GOD’S truth and GOD’S morality!

From http://www.afa.net/ (American Family Association)

“NCAA squashes pro-family message—the censorship of Christians continues

Let the NCAA know that you oppose its lack of diversity and its exclusion of people of faith.
March 1, 2010

The ad features a father holding his young son and saying, ‘All I want for my son is for him to grow up knowing how to do the right thing.’ The tag line: ‘Celebrate Family. Celebrate Life.’

This Focus on the Family ad, believe it or not, has been yanked off the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) website for one simple reason: Focus on the Family supports natural marriage, believing that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.

The NCAA, who apparently believes only in selective diversity—‘Christians need not apply’—has censored this ad after homosexual activists complained.

Look at the message again. By scrubbing this ad, is the NCAA saying we want our sons to grow up knowing how to do the wrong thing? With the number of NCAA athletes who get in trouble with the law every week, you’d think the NCAA would enthusiastically support a message which urges fathers to be great role models for their sons and athletes-to-be.

Are NCAA officials saying that they celebrate divorce rather than intact families? That they celebrate death instead of life? That they don’t want fathers to be involved with their sons? What is remotely objectionable about the message in this ad?

NCAA officials even went so far as to say that even if the message was okay, they’d have to spike it because of the messenger. (Sometimes called discrimination!)

In other words, the NCAA is telling America that it has no room in its view of diversity for voices of faith and family.

Take Action

You can email the NCAA’s "Office of Diversity and Inclusion" to let them know that you oppose its lack of diversity and its exclusion of people of faith.

Additional resource:

—NCAA nixes family ad, Focus 'befuddled'—onenewsnow.com
—NCAA Pulls the Plug on Focus Ad After Protest—citizenlink.org

Tell the NCAA today that its censorship of the pro-family message is totally unacceptable.”

Barack Hussein Obama’s plan for America?

I was just going to post the political cartoon tonight but then, while reading some of my backlogged e-mails, I came across the following and had to post it tonight too. I think it fits in well with the mindset of our present President before having been given the offer.

From Guns and Patriots http://www.gunsandpatriots.com/

“In the Crosshairs
Mike Piccione, Editor

Hey Gunners,

Next Monday (April 19, 2010—my addition) the Second Amendment March is in Washington, DC. Skip Coryell is a mountain of a man to take the March from an idea to a reality. So in honor of Skip, in place of where I usually put the Federalist Papers, his final story will anchor this week's Guns & Patriots. One man can make a difference. He did. Now we march.”

“I recently asked my friends’ little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, ‘If you were President what would be the first thing you would do?’

She replied, ‘I’d give food and houses to all the homeless people.’ Her parents beamed.

‘Wow...what a worthy goal.’ I told her, ‘But you don’t have to wait until you’re President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and rake my yard, and I’ll pay you $50. Then I’ll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guys hang out, and you can give them the $50 to use toward food and a new house.’

She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, ‘Why don’t the homeless guys come over and do the work, and you can just pay them the $50?’

I shook her hand and said, ‘Welcome to the Republican Party.’

...Her parents still aren’t speaking to me.

Mike PiccioneEditor, Guns & Patriots”

Moral: It’s easy to spend OTHER PEOPLE’S money!

The posted picture is purported to be part of a political cartoon published in the Chicago Tribune on, I believe, April 21, 1934.

Heritage Foundation Money Thursday


From Heritage Foundation http://www.myheritage.org/ (April 10, 2010)

“Last April 15, tens of thousands of patriotic Americans protested at Tax Day tea parties across the nation. Their message: Congress, stop taxing away our future!

Learn more about Heritage’s message and watch our video about taxation in America.

Taxes are only going to increase, though, as the left pursues big-spending, big- government initiatives like Obamacare, stimulus programs, cap-and-tax energy schemes, and more. These programs—whether you like them or not—are paid for by you, the American taxpayer. And the costs are adding up!

That’s why The Heritage Foundation is planning a Tax Day Money Bomb targeting this reckless federal spending.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, April 15 for our Tax Day Money Bomb. You can help us reach our goal of $150,000 and send Congress a message that, when it comes to taxes and spending, enough is enough!

In the meantime, we invite you to watch and share our exclusive tax day video online, featuring commentary from Heritage experts including former Attorney General Ed Meese.

The left’s big-government, tax-and-spend plans are economically unsustainable. Worse, they violate the principles of self-government and limited government. These principles sparked the nation’s first tax protest in Boston in 1773 and were ultimately enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. These principles are the lifeblood of our democracy.

Today, the fight for limited government continues. Too many politicians believe they have the right to tax us to spend money on their pet initiatives. But Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution limits taxation to that which provides for the ‘common defense and general welfare of the United States.’ Not for the defense and welfare of one group at the expense of another, as the current tax system does.

Americans deserve a system that can boost prosperity for all Americans, and would better uphold the principles of the American Founding.

And what better day is there to send Congress this message than on Tax Day, a day on which taxpayers are paying far too much to fund the government?

Save the date: Thursday, April 15. You can help The Heritage Foundation educate lawmakers in Washington about the hazards of this unconstitutional, reckless federal spending.

Heritage has big plans to aggressively broadcast our message of fiscal responsibility in the months ahead. Through such outlets as television, talk radio, newspapers and meetings nationwide, we will reach millions of Americans. As the American people prepare to go to the polls in seven months, we want to make sure that they have the facts and principles at their fingertips. But we’ll need your help!

So join us on April 15 to remind members of Congress that our taxes and our government should be limited in their scope. We can’t afford not to.

We appreciate your dedication to freedom and The Heritage Foundation.

Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
President”

From Heritage Foundation http://www.myheritage.org/ (April 12, 2010)

“Every week brings news of a fresh liberal assault on fiscal responsibility and limited government.

For example, President Obama’s proposed budget would raise taxes by $3 trillion over the next decade, according to a Heritage Foundation analysis. Despite these massive tax hikes, the national debt would still double over that period.

Worse, many in Congress think this out-of-control budget doesn’t provide for enough taxes and spending.

Our country’s 535 Senators and Representatives need to know the facts about their reckless assault on the American taxpayer. That’s why The Heritage Foundation is preparing an all-out campaign to educate lawmakers and candidates about the consequences of runaway spending and ever-rising taxes.

To fund this effort, Heritage is conducting a Tax Day Money Bomb this Thursday, April 15. Our goal is to raise $150,000 by midnight Thursday.

Here are four things you can do today to make Thursday’s money bomb a success:

1) Forward this e-mail to ten friends and family members. We want to show Washington that there is a real groundswell of support for principled, conservative solutions to our fiscal problems—so the more supporters we can get, the better.

2) Post about the Tax Day Money Bomb on Twitter to help spread the word.

3) Blog. Do you have a personal blog? Keep your readers informed about this important effort by writing a blog post about the Tax Day Money Bomb. (This is my blog in support of the effort—my addition)

4) So join us on April 15 to remind members of Congress that our taxes and our government should be limited in their scope.

I appreciate all of your support for conservative ideals, and I thank you for everything you do to advance our cause.

Sincerely,
Edwin J. Feulner, Ph.D.
President”

DON’T TREAD ON ME! Four months remaining!


I heard on a Salem News Network radio report at 6:55 AM on 4/12/10 that a Canadian citizen was indicted in Canada for refusing to pay his income tax because the Canadian government financially pays for the MURDER of unborn babies. It seems that I am not the only one who refuses to finance the MURDER of unborn children.

“Early flags designed for use in the American colonies reflected the Old World origin of the colonists. In the British colonies many flags were adaptations of the British Union Jack (see Flags, National). The colors red, white, and blue, which symbolized colonial unity, were first used in a flag in New England in 1737. The flag was blue with a white canton quartered by a red cross. In one upper quarter of the canton was a globe symbolizing the New World.

As relations with Great Britain became more strained, the colonists designed a large number of flags expressive of their political sentiments and ideals. A favorite emblematic device in the flags of the southern colonies was a rattlesnake, usually depicted as coiled and ready to strike and having 13 rattles. In South Carolina it was emblazoned on a yellow flag and was accompanied by the inscription ‘dont tread on me.’” Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2007 [DVD]. Redmond, Wa: Microsoft, Corporation, 2006.

I don’t know about others, but I have issues where I have figuratively “drawn a line in the sand.” I will not obey laws that are in direct violation with GOD’S will. One of those lines is being required to support the MURDER of American citizens by law—in this case, the MURDER of unborn babies financed by the federal government. This is an instance of “DON’T TREAD ON ME.” GOD’S law supersedes any man-made law!

I have, for a long time, taken the position that I don’t give my money to governments any sooner than required. Consequently, I owe taxes to the federal government every year when I file my income tax. Also, because I prepare taxes for others, I usually don’t file until the August 15th extension deadline.

This year, as normal, I owe taxes to the federal government. This year, I WILL NOT FILE! AND I WILL TELL THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST THAT!

The question is when. If you’ve read my book, you know that 13 is the prime number for The Black Sword. It is also mine. As it happens, August 13th is on a Friday—Friday the 13th. Would there be any better day to say to the federal government—DON’T TREAD ON ME; DON’T TREAD ON GOD’S LAW!

Consequently, that’s the day I will notify the federal government that I refuse to help finance the MURDER of unborn babies. I plan to write the same on my federal 1040 and mail it to the government on that day without any financial information. I will also post a copy of the 1040 on my blog that morning.

I WILL NOT SUPPORT A GOVERNMENT THAT REQUIRES ME TO HELP FINANCE THE MURDER OF UNBORN BABIES!

DON’T TREAD ON ME!

DON’T TREAD ON GOD’S LAW!

Four months and counting!

“Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a MURDERER (my capitalization—my addition) from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a LIAR (my capitalization—my addition) and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.’” John 8: 42-47 (NIV)

“‘Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the WILL (my capitalization—my addition) of my FATHER (my capitalization—my addition) who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you EVILDOERS (my capitalization—my addition)!’” Matthew 7: 21-23 (NIV)

“… and you know that no MURDERER (my capitalization—my addition) has eternal life in him.” I John 3: 15b (NIV)

“Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who OBEY GOD’S COMMANDMENTS (my capitalization—my addition) and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 12: 17 (NIV)

“Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not SUBMIT (my capitalization—my addition) to GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS (my capitalization—my addition).” Romans 10: 3 (NIV)

“But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to OBEY (my capitalization—my addition) you rather than GOD (my capitalization—my addition). For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.’” Acts 4: 19-20 (NIV)

“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Galatians 6: 7-8 (NIV)

Chuck DeVore


Senator Barbara Boxer [D] California—3rd term
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
http://www.boxer.senate.gov/ (Website)
(202) 224-3553
FAX: (202) 224-0454
District Office: San Francisco (415) 403-0100
Journalist—Listed as Jewish
Up for election 2010—58%

As far as I can tell, there are three Republicans running in the California primary seeking the opportunity to run against Senator Barbara Boxer who is up for reelection in 2010. As I’ve said many times, I’m an issues oriented voter.

In the issues section of the three Republican candidates Chuck DeVore is the only candidate who has as an issue the support of family values including his opposition to the MURDER of unborn babies and his opposition to people who are engaged in perverted homosexual behavior being allowed to marry. In contrast, according to an Associated Press article published on April 1, 2010, Tom Campbell supports the fraudulent “right” of a woman to MURDER her own unborn child and is in support of homosexual marriage. He, it seems, is the California version of Mark Kirk—a RINO Republican. He will neither receive my support in the primary nor in the general election should he win the primary.

The fact is that this nation MUST change its direction on a moral basis or all the conservative economic policies in the world with not prevent its demise as a nation blessed by GOD. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14: 34 (NIV) “Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” II Peter 3: 17-18 (NIV)

Obviously, I can not vote in the California primary. However, I can and will encourage people I know who live in California to vote for Chuck DeVore in both the primary and general election. I also will donate money to his campaign since, like it or not, money is needed for any candidate to get his message before the public.

The California primary is Tuesday, June 8, 2010—time enough to help Chuck DeVore to win the primary in California. Who the Republican candidate is will be of primary importance to defeating Barbara Boxer in November.

Primaries are importance. Get involved! Make a difference! My support goes to Chuck DeVore.

Chuck DeVore for Senator from California.