Puerto Rico has been 'blessed' by the US Congress to finally determine her own fate. By a mixed vote of 223 to 169, the House of Representatives gave Puerto Rico the authority of self determination. PR, a territory of the United States, has had an identity crisis for some time, and this vote could lead to the first allowance of a state to the (crippled) Union in over 50 years.
Puerto Rico will get to take a vote on her status in relation to the United States. Becoming a state would allow a voting presence in Congress and electoral votes for presidency. They currently have delegates to congress, but retain no voting rights as a territory. However, as a territory they receive taxpayer funds - to which they pay none into. Becoming a state would increase their taxes, while becoming independent would cut-off the free flow of cash to the island nation.
Words of caution to PR - joining the United States is apparently a one way street. Once you vote to give up your national identity, Puerto Rico will cease to have the liberty it enjoys as a free and relatively independent state. The House Republicans even attempted to amend the vote to say that PR must adopt English as her official language - which would require, what, teaching their students english? OK. Changing to a more 'American Sounding' English name, like "Richport", "Lincoln", "Columbia"... Puerto Rico, Proceed with caution.
And while we're at it - Let's ask the question for each state. There should be a general series of state conferences to re-determine the will of the states to be in, or opt out of the federal government. Gee - I wonder how that would go over?
:)
Showing posts with label state. Show all posts
Showing posts with label state. Show all posts
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Do Overs?
When was the last time that you truly believed the words spoken by a politician? How soon after the promise did you find yourself broken hearted, and chalk it up to 'merely politics', only to promise yourself that in the future you would demand more out of your elected or campaigning leaders? There is one common theme in government, being that the truth is often hard to come by, and honesty is not priority...
A great example from Olympia, WA today, where the state senate Democrats put forth and voted on a bill, only to realize after the fact that they voted on the wrong version of their own bill - now they are asking for a "do-over"...
Voting on a bill without knowing which bill is on the floor - sounds like a derelict of duty to me... I wonder if the voters of Washington get a 'do-over' with a chance to recall each and every one of the 26 democrats who voted without having a clue as to what was on the floor...
A great example from Olympia, WA today, where the state senate Democrats put forth and voted on a bill, only to realize after the fact that they voted on the wrong version of their own bill - now they are asking for a "do-over"...
Voting on a bill without knowing which bill is on the floor - sounds like a derelict of duty to me... I wonder if the voters of Washington get a 'do-over' with a chance to recall each and every one of the 26 democrats who voted without having a clue as to what was on the floor...
Washington State Constutution Article 1 Section 33:Sounds like we could have a do-over if we wanted! Thank God the session ends in a few short weeks!
SECTION 33 RECALL OF ELECTIVE OFFICERS. Every elective public officer of the state of Washington expect [except] judges of courts of record is subject to recall and discharge by the legal voters of the state, or of the political subdivision of the state, from which he was elected whenever a petition demanding his recall, reciting that such officer has committed some act or acts of malfeasance or misfeasance while in office, or who has violated his oath of office.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Haiti: With nothing left but the people, a US territory?
"You will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you...You must know that help is arriving."
Obama made this promise, a testament to the strength of the American people, backed by an army and navy of volunteer soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, despite our financial and personal hardships at home. Some gave time to a relief effort, packing supplies. Others gave cash through their church or Red Cross. Even in the poor areas, they gave... It is not an attribute of the American President, our political dealings, or the parties in power... it is something we are bred with in this collective of States - that when a neighbor is down and out, you lend a helping hand.
However, as with everything that comes with US governmental involvement, there are already strings attached...
Just as Obama offered the promise that "help is arriving", it is just days after telling now prosperous banks "we want our money back"... and moments after signing the Council of Governors Executive Order - a 'payback' of sorts for states who took the federal bail-out money... the big pay-off... So one has to wonder when Obama will tell Haitians "we want our money back"... Or perhaps something else.
I have heard from a few different sources the concept of making Haiti a US territory. Though tempting as the thought is, it only serves to feed the imperialistic nature of the beast that is DC. True, we will be giving billions in relief to the country, we have an army deployed, there is no viable government or infrastructure currently in place, and all that stands between the US and the western part of the Island Nation are the 10 Million people remaining - hungry and looking for basic necessity and leadership. Will Obama and the "one world government" he supports be so bold as to suggest that the US oversee the rebuilding efforts, enact martial law under US authority, and rebuild to US safety codes with US dollars?
Perhaps it will be guised as an "international effort" under the UN - but something seems off when even conservatives are suggesting the taking of Haiti as part of a "National Defense" measure to ensure Chavez or Castro regimes do not swoop in to enact authoritarian communist control over the territory.
Haiti has nothing to lose by accepting such an offer from the Untied States. The States of the Union have everything to lose by accepting a welfare state of 10 Million people with no viable industry, absolute impoverishment, majority of the population uneducated, and an infrastructure that has just been obliterated. Any efforts to turn the Haiti People into subjects of the Union should be met with absolute resistance.
Let's not confuse the fact that I believe we have a moral obligation as intellectuals with relative wealth to help in times of need - but we must empower the people of Haiti to rebuild - not turn them into another welfare society living on hand-outs of their neighbors... We should volunteer to clear the debris, bury the dead, reconnect to clean water, ensure basic means for sustainability, educate (on a free market basis) on the skills needed to sustain infrastructure in earthquake AND hurricane environments, and let the people of Haiti continue their path of self determination. This is the ONLY way for Haiti to succeed as an independent nation, free or otherwise. Education on permanent infrastructure, even at the Presidential Palace, can work miracles in this type of disaster - that, and a little rebar!
In closing, and as a reminder, if you hear grumblings of a US territory or other such insanity, remind folks that the US is a nation of sovereign states, not the protector of nanny states. Our humanitarian efforts may be mighty, but our imperialistic tendencies must be curbed. Plus, we have enough to worry about right here in the continental US as a constitutional crisis looms over our heads as early as Tuesday...
Obama made this promise, a testament to the strength of the American people, backed by an army and navy of volunteer soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, despite our financial and personal hardships at home. Some gave time to a relief effort, packing supplies. Others gave cash through their church or Red Cross. Even in the poor areas, they gave... It is not an attribute of the American President, our political dealings, or the parties in power... it is something we are bred with in this collective of States - that when a neighbor is down and out, you lend a helping hand.
However, as with everything that comes with US governmental involvement, there are already strings attached...
Just as Obama offered the promise that "help is arriving", it is just days after telling now prosperous banks "we want our money back"... and moments after signing the Council of Governors Executive Order - a 'payback' of sorts for states who took the federal bail-out money... the big pay-off... So one has to wonder when Obama will tell Haitians "we want our money back"... Or perhaps something else.
I have heard from a few different sources the concept of making Haiti a US territory. Though tempting as the thought is, it only serves to feed the imperialistic nature of the beast that is DC. True, we will be giving billions in relief to the country, we have an army deployed, there is no viable government or infrastructure currently in place, and all that stands between the US and the western part of the Island Nation are the 10 Million people remaining - hungry and looking for basic necessity and leadership. Will Obama and the "one world government" he supports be so bold as to suggest that the US oversee the rebuilding efforts, enact martial law under US authority, and rebuild to US safety codes with US dollars?
Perhaps it will be guised as an "international effort" under the UN - but something seems off when even conservatives are suggesting the taking of Haiti as part of a "National Defense" measure to ensure Chavez or Castro regimes do not swoop in to enact authoritarian communist control over the territory.
Haiti has nothing to lose by accepting such an offer from the Untied States. The States of the Union have everything to lose by accepting a welfare state of 10 Million people with no viable industry, absolute impoverishment, majority of the population uneducated, and an infrastructure that has just been obliterated. Any efforts to turn the Haiti People into subjects of the Union should be met with absolute resistance.
Let's not confuse the fact that I believe we have a moral obligation as intellectuals with relative wealth to help in times of need - but we must empower the people of Haiti to rebuild - not turn them into another welfare society living on hand-outs of their neighbors... We should volunteer to clear the debris, bury the dead, reconnect to clean water, ensure basic means for sustainability, educate (on a free market basis) on the skills needed to sustain infrastructure in earthquake AND hurricane environments, and let the people of Haiti continue their path of self determination. This is the ONLY way for Haiti to succeed as an independent nation, free or otherwise. Education on permanent infrastructure, even at the Presidential Palace, can work miracles in this type of disaster - that, and a little rebar!
In closing, and as a reminder, if you hear grumblings of a US territory or other such insanity, remind folks that the US is a nation of sovereign states, not the protector of nanny states. Our humanitarian efforts may be mighty, but our imperialistic tendencies must be curbed. Plus, we have enough to worry about right here in the continental US as a constitutional crisis looms over our heads as early as Tuesday...
Thursday, May 7, 2009
State's Sovereignty Bills Explode Across America
Special thanks to RP at Way Up North, and the Tenth Amendment Center, for bringing this information to my attention. States across the nation have, en masse, passed legislation or bills of some manner declaring their continued sovereignty from the Federal Government. As of today, 35 states have proposed or passed such bills - sending an overwhelming message (even from blue states) that the Federal Government is subject to checks and balances within the bounds of the Constitution.
Colorado State killed the bill in Committee - as did six other states... The remaining states have the bill in committee, passed in one or both houses, and in the case of Alaska, on the way to the Governors Desk... Do you think Gov. Palin will sign a sovereignty bill?
The text of the bill, similar across the multitude of states, speaks a resounding "Heck No" to subjugation of the states to federal authority outside of their Constitutional bounds. This example is pulled from the Alaskan version -
These remaining 28 bills - and even the 7 which have been killed - represent a strong stand against the federal authoritarian expansion of powers in violation of the Constitution of the United States. These state legislatures are making the stand necessary to ensure that These United States remain a collection of free and independent states, not a single nation state under Federal Rule.
I strongly urge every reader to write/call their local state legislator and explain to them the importance of declaring sovereignty at the state level - and ensure that the Federal Government gets the message that the People of the United States will not be ruled.
My previous post raised the question about the future of the Republican Party. If we use strong-arm Grassroots tactics such as this, and not rely on them merely as parlor tricks, then we become leaders within the Libertarian movement needed to return the GOP to the right - and ultimately to electoral victory. Though this is not a partisan issue, rather a state's rights issue, it MUST BE the GOP who drives the movement to regain standing.
As new potential candidates come forward - ask them how they would vote on a state sovereignty bill... and then continue to press the issue of state's rights and limited government... Let's vet the 2010 candidates fully and ensure that the next generation of GOP candidates breathes the necessary life into the party.
Colorado State killed the bill in Committee - as did six other states... The remaining states have the bill in committee, passed in one or both houses, and in the case of Alaska, on the way to the Governors Desk... Do you think Gov. Palin will sign a sovereignty bill?
The text of the bill, similar across the multitude of states, speaks a resounding "Heck No" to subjugation of the states to federal authority outside of their Constitutional bounds. This example is pulled from the Alaskan version -
SENATE CS FOR CS FOR HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 27 (2d RES)
Relating to the Sovereign Powers of the State
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
ALASKA:
WHEREAS the Tenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States reads, “The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to
the States respectively, or to the people”; and
WHEREAS
the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that
specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and
WHEREAS some federal actions weaken states’ rights
protected by the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS the Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people
of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States,
now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and
WHEREAS art. IV, sec. 4, Constitution of the United
States, reads, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a
Republican Form of Government,” and the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution of
the United States reads, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain
rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the
people”; and
WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court
has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S.Ct. 2408 (1992), that the
United States Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory
processes of the states; and
WHEREAS all states,
including Alaska, find themselves regularly facing proposals from the United
States Congress that weaken states’ rights protected by the Tenth Amendment;
BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature hereby
claims sovereignty for the state under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution
of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the
federal government by the Constitution of the United States; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution serves as Notice
and Demand to the federal government to cease and desist, effective immediately,
mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.
COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the
Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United States; the Honorable Joseph R.
Biden, Jr., Vice-President of the United States and President of the U.S.
Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of
Representatives; the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Mark Begich,
U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the
Alaska delegation in Congress; all other members of the 111th United States
Congress; the presiding officers of the legislatures of each of the other 49
states; and the governors of each of the other 49 states.
These remaining 28 bills - and even the 7 which have been killed - represent a strong stand against the federal authoritarian expansion of powers in violation of the Constitution of the United States. These state legislatures are making the stand necessary to ensure that These United States remain a collection of free and independent states, not a single nation state under Federal Rule.
I strongly urge every reader to write/call their local state legislator and explain to them the importance of declaring sovereignty at the state level - and ensure that the Federal Government gets the message that the People of the United States will not be ruled.
My previous post raised the question about the future of the Republican Party. If we use strong-arm Grassroots tactics such as this, and not rely on them merely as parlor tricks, then we become leaders within the Libertarian movement needed to return the GOP to the right - and ultimately to electoral victory. Though this is not a partisan issue, rather a state's rights issue, it MUST BE the GOP who drives the movement to regain standing.
As new potential candidates come forward - ask them how they would vote on a state sovereignty bill... and then continue to press the issue of state's rights and limited government... Let's vet the 2010 candidates fully and ensure that the next generation of GOP candidates breathes the necessary life into the party.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Swing States: Swinging for McCain/Palin!
Rasmussen/Fox polls in key swing states shows the change in momentum between the two presidential campaigns. The poll indicated that McCain closed the gap on 3 point Obama Lead, to come out ahead by 2% - a 5 point swing toward the McCain campaign in the state of Colorado.
Real Clear Politics also shows that the PPP (D) poll, favoring Obama by 4 points now favors Obama by only 1 point in Colorado - well within the margin of error of that poll.
Obama's campaign is losing steam in many key swing states - most notably Pennsylvania, with 21 electoral votes. If McCain can swing Pennsylvania, Obama will be unable to catch him in the electoral count. Taking a look at the breakdown in Pennsylvania, Obama is holding the core Democrat vote, but losing with unaffiliated voters by 23 points (55% - 32%). What is most notable in this state is that McCain is making his gains while Obama is holding steady, indicating (as noted above) that unaffiliated voters are swinging for John McCain and Sarah Palin in the Keystone State.
Another key state in this race, Florida, has moved from the "toss up" category, to the "Leaning McCain" category, indicating a favor for McCain of more than 5% on the average - a great number for McCain!
A look at other swing states shows a trend that should have the Obama campaign moving into crisis mode.
Minnesota (10) - Obama's 12 point lead dwindles to a tie in the latest polls - Obama lead by 1% on average.
New Mexico (5) - CNN poll indicated Obama's lead post Palin was 13%, now Rasmussen indicates a McCain 2% lead in the state. Unable to determine the average in that state.
Michigan (17) - An Obama 5 point spread has been cut to a 2 point spread for Obama - indicating a McCain surge in that state.
Missouri (11) - The "Show Me" State is showing a liking for McCain/Palin, moving from the toss-up category into McCain's category, indicating 11 electoral votes for the Big Mac and the Cuda.
Washington (11) - Though Obama is still leading this state, McCain is showing a surge in the Evergreen state, while Obama is showing slipping poll numbers. Is Washington going to end up in play in 2008?
The fact of the matter is that, even with the media squarely supporting Obama - and making no secret of it - the Obama campaign is in disarray. The LA Times' Jonah Goldberg suggests that Obama's inexperience is beginning to show, indicating that Obama has never run a successful campaign against a Republican opponent. He also reports that the Obama camp has vowed 4 other times to face off and fight dirty against McCain, but come up short and with the same message that is not working: McCain is too close to Bush - making him McSame. This message is a good talking point for Democrat Core voters, but it is not catching on with Independent and unaffiliated voters. Why?
Lieberman's endorsement indicates that McCain is appealing to independent voters, and continually stumps that McCain stood up against Bush on issues, like the surge.
The Palin pick indicates that McCain is ready to embark on a reform conquest in Washington, picking the most popular Governor in the US, who is a known outsider and reformer. The attacks on Palin by the media and the left (I repeat myself) have backfired, showing significant support for the Alaskan Governor - indicating that the media is not only in Obama's camp, but out of touch with the voters.
If the 2008 Republican Primary taught us anything, it is that McCain is a strong finisher, bringing out the big guns when it matters. He has done that with the Palin pick, and he is doing that with the direct push towards Obama's inexperience.
If the McCain Palin bump is over, like the MSM reported yesterday, it is definitely not a burst bubble, but a new plateau. The Obama campaign, however, continues to plummet in national and state polls. With 49 days left to go, anything can happen - but the outlook is not so good for Obama.
Real Clear Politics also shows that the PPP (D) poll, favoring Obama by 4 points now favors Obama by only 1 point in Colorado - well within the margin of error of that poll.
Obama's campaign is losing steam in many key swing states - most notably Pennsylvania, with 21 electoral votes. If McCain can swing Pennsylvania, Obama will be unable to catch him in the electoral count. Taking a look at the breakdown in Pennsylvania, Obama is holding the core Democrat vote, but losing with unaffiliated voters by 23 points (55% - 32%). What is most notable in this state is that McCain is making his gains while Obama is holding steady, indicating (as noted above) that unaffiliated voters are swinging for John McCain and Sarah Palin in the Keystone State.Another key state in this race, Florida, has moved from the "toss up" category, to the "Leaning McCain" category, indicating a favor for McCain of more than 5% on the average - a great number for McCain!
A look at other swing states shows a trend that should have the Obama campaign moving into crisis mode.
Minnesota (10) - Obama's 12 point lead dwindles to a tie in the latest polls - Obama lead by 1% on average.
New Mexico (5) - CNN poll indicated Obama's lead post Palin was 13%, now Rasmussen indicates a McCain 2% lead in the state. Unable to determine the average in that state.
Michigan (17) - An Obama 5 point spread has been cut to a 2 point spread for Obama - indicating a McCain surge in that state.
Missouri (11) - The "Show Me" State is showing a liking for McCain/Palin, moving from the toss-up category into McCain's category, indicating 11 electoral votes for the Big Mac and the Cuda.
Washington (11) - Though Obama is still leading this state, McCain is showing a surge in the Evergreen state, while Obama is showing slipping poll numbers. Is Washington going to end up in play in 2008?
The fact of the matter is that, even with the media squarely supporting Obama - and making no secret of it - the Obama campaign is in disarray. The LA Times' Jonah Goldberg suggests that Obama's inexperience is beginning to show, indicating that Obama has never run a successful campaign against a Republican opponent. He also reports that the Obama camp has vowed 4 other times to face off and fight dirty against McCain, but come up short and with the same message that is not working: McCain is too close to Bush - making him McSame. This message is a good talking point for Democrat Core voters, but it is not catching on with Independent and unaffiliated voters. Why?
Lieberman's endorsement indicates that McCain is appealing to independent voters, and continually stumps that McCain stood up against Bush on issues, like the surge.
The Palin pick indicates that McCain is ready to embark on a reform conquest in Washington, picking the most popular Governor in the US, who is a known outsider and reformer. The attacks on Palin by the media and the left (I repeat myself) have backfired, showing significant support for the Alaskan Governor - indicating that the media is not only in Obama's camp, but out of touch with the voters.
If the 2008 Republican Primary taught us anything, it is that McCain is a strong finisher, bringing out the big guns when it matters. He has done that with the Palin pick, and he is doing that with the direct push towards Obama's inexperience.
If the McCain Palin bump is over, like the MSM reported yesterday, it is definitely not a burst bubble, but a new plateau. The Obama campaign, however, continues to plummet in national and state polls. With 49 days left to go, anything can happen - but the outlook is not so good for Obama.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Local Politics - Colorado 4th Senate District Shake-Up!
In a press release delivered to my inbox this morning, from the office of Colorado State Senator for the 4th District, Tom Wiens indicated that he would not seek re-election to his senate seat for the state.This announcement comes less than a month before the 4th Senate Assembly, and provides little to no time for candidates to announce and prepare for the assembly... and opens the southwestern portion of Douglas County to a potential (though not likely) loss of seat. Lucky for conservatives, Wiens' district is a relatively safe seat for Republicans... but any time you have an election there is a chance of an upset... especially in what will serve to be a very high turn out (as Presidential election years usually are... but this one has some special attention.)
A call to Tom Wiens went to voicemail, where I offered my regrets in his decision not to run, and asked that he call me back to discuss more in detail as to why he came to this decision.
Off the top of my head I can think of a few great choices from Douglas County to replace him. I will mention a few of them, though this does not necessarily mean an endorsement for any of them.
First would be Douglas County GOP Chair, Kelsey Alexander. Kelsey's a very active member in the conservative community, has an excellent background in forestry (in a time when we may be facing the worst forest crisis in Colorado's history due to eco-loons and pine beetles). Kelsey would make a great addition to the State Senate, and would find much support in her campaign.
Secondly, I would recommend Roger Partridge. Roger is an active member of the Douglas County Planning Commission Board, and has been a staple in County District 7 as a Republican Leader. Roger's professionalism and personality would make him an exceptional candidate, very likable.
Finally, John Beckwith would find a multitude of support for such a run! John has been a GOP District Captain in Douglas County, and has been a prominent voice for change. John is a stand-out figure in the county, and has a plethora of ideas that could invoke change at the capitol!
All three candidates would be top-notch senators, and would be very easy to support in a primary as well as a general election! Excellent Conservative Leaders, all!
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