FFQF: Term Limits

Haven't done this in a long while. Then again, neither has Mulligan. You there, Mr. Mulligan?

Well, here's a good quote for you. I know you love the idea of term limits as well as I do.

"Nothing so strongly impels a man to regard the interest of his constituents, as the certainty of returning to the general mass of the people, from whence he was taken, where he must participate in their burdens."

--George Mason, speech in the Virginia Ratifying Convention, June 17, 1788

Founding Father's Quote Friday is hosted at Meet the Founders blog

TERM LIMITS: It's just a good idea.

Cap & Trade= Controlling the Resources

The Cap & Trade Bill recently narrowly passed in Congress is a farce. It's a not-too-thinly-disguised effort by the fascists to legally grab more control of our economy and of the natural resources.

While I am somewhat disenchanted with the Big Oil culture our nation has built since the 1950s (that Planned Obsolescence and Materialistic Consumerism and all), you can't change an entire national culture and new economy with a swipe of the pen and a Gaiain emphasis on "green." Especially when the new economy rising isn't better than the old one. Bureaucrats, intoxicated with power, do such silly, idiotic things.

Australian town bans bottled water sales

SYDNEY (AP) -- Residents of a rural Australian town hoping to protect the earth and their wallets have voted to ban the sale of bottled water, the first community in the country - and possibly the world - to take such a drastic step in the growing backlash against the industry.

Residents of Bundanoon cheered after their near-unanimous approval of the measure at a town meeting Wednesday. It was the second blow to Australia's beverage industry in one day: Hours earlier, the New South Wales state premier banned all state departments and agencies from buying bottled water, calling it a waste of money and natural resources.

"I have never seen 350 Australians in the same room all agreeing to something," said Jon Dee, who helped spearhead the "Bundy on Tap" campaign in Bundanoon, a town of 2,500 about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of Sydney. "It's time for people to realize they're being conned by the bottled water industry."

Australians, you're being conned even more by the bureaucrats. Banning bottled water for your little county does NOTHING for "saving" the earth. It does EVERYTHING in giving bureaucrats more power; in deluding more people; in giving government more and more control over natural resources.

Mundus vult decipi.

Paterson Shows Some Backbone

For a liberal, sometimes this guy is pretty cool. A regular Captain John Smith, he is. I refer to New York's governor, David Paterson. He's made it clear that foremost on his mind is New York's condition, and seems to be attacking the problems on par with a Morristown personal injury lawyer. So, I give him credit.

ALBANY (AP) — An angry New York Gov. David Paterson says he will try to withhold the pay and perks of senators until they do their job and if they fight him, he’ll take them to court.

Paterson is making the threat after the Senate held another worthless session in a three-week battle over who controls the chamber. A coalition of Republicans and two dissident Democrats mounted a June 8 power overthrow of the Democratic conference.

Now senators are talking about going home, saying Paterson’s order to stay in Albany during their summer vacation violates the constitution because Paterson didn’t also compel the Assembly to stay.

The Assembly completed its business at 2 a.m. Tuesday, an extension of Monday’s last day of the 2009 legislative session.

Even though some of his proposals may have been disagreeable (such as the Fat Tax), it's much easier to follow and respect a leader when he walks the walks and just doesn't talk the talk. Paterson seems REALLY interested in fixing New York State, even if he's going about it the wrong way.

In other very interesting news: Rudy Guilani, former presidential candidate and partner in the law firm representing NYRI, is calling for a state constitutional convention to fix what he calls "New York’s dysfunctional government."

Well, it's about time. But THIS convention had better FIX New York, not continue to divert all power and influence to New York City (which is what happened the last time we had a constitutional convention in the 1960s). I can't say I have much faith in Guilani, actually. And my faith in New York State is hanging by a very tenous thread.

Then again, we've reached near bottom. I suppose we have nowhere to go but up, eh?

Utica: The Little Dictator

The small city of Utica, NY, is quabbling over a private property dispute. This story sums up the major, major problems with the city and those who run it. It's just over the top.

UTICA —The city has taken a downtown landlord to court in an attempt to get him to repair the historic Genesee Street building he owns.

Joseph Vitale, whose address is listed in court papers as on Clinton Street in the city, owns the former Jacoby Appliance Parts store at 96-98 Genesee St. The building was recently designated a recognized site of the Underground Railroad by the National Park Service.

A city court judge is now deciding on an order to show cause brought by the city against Vitale after several codes violations - including a large hole in the roof and general disrepair - were cited over the past several years.

The judge could decide to order Vitale to repair the property, let the city do the work and then bill Vitale or rule against the city, said city Assistant Corporation Counsel Joan Harris, who handles codes issues for the city. At a May 19 court date, neither Vitale nor a lawyer representing him was present, she said.
Vitale could not be reached for this story.

Action on the building can not come fast enough for neighbors.
Frank Elias, who owns the nearby Utica Roasting Co., said the building's condition affects the whole block.

“In order for a retail community to survive in this Gateway District, there has to be other investors and retail properties,” said Elias, also president of the Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce. “It's shameful that this is what people see of our downtown and it's unfortunate that it prohibits others from investing in this area.”

Tim Reed, executive director of the National Distance Running Hall of Fame, which also is on the block, said the building's condition is a particular shame because it's one of the first structures people see when they enter downtown.

“We want to be as welcoming as possible when it comes to entering our city and I don't think it sends a great message,” Reed said.

The building is the site of a famous escape by two black men in the 1830s. The men were targeted by Virginia slave catchers, according to a recent news release from the Oneida County Historical Society.

While it's wonderful and stupendous (so throw the fireworks) that the building has been deemed a historic site by New York's National Park Service, the parcel has been privately owned for years. I'd like to know upon what legal basis a state organization can swoop in, declare a piece of private property as an "historic" site, and take authority (but not the expense of) major repairs and renovations.

I will also mention that the historical event that occurred at the property seems pretty insignificant, too insignificant to be declared a historic site, and especially under the nose of the property owner. The entire things smells very fishy.

And I take great issue with the comments of neighbors Elias and Reed. They are concerned that this area of Geneseee Street is "shameful" and not "welcoming"?! Hello?! There are a few stripper joints right next door! How about those?! I find it unconscionable that there is this push for a private property owner to repair his roof at his own expense by mandate of the state; yet nothing is said about the disgraceful and disgusting businesses that create the seedy atmosphere there to begin with. Unless this is Utica's idea of being "welcoming."

Federal Reserve to Grab More Power

So what do you think of all those nutso "conspiracy theorists" now?

Federal Reserve to gain power under plan

The Federal Reserve, already arguably the most powerful agency in the U.S. government, will get sweeping new authority to regulate any company whose failure could endanger the U.S. economy and markets under the Obama administration's regulatory overhaul plan.

The final plan due to be released on Wednesday -- which originally aimed to streamline and consolidate banking and securities regulation in one or two agencies -- now is expected to sidestep most jurisdictional disputes and simply impose across the board standards to be applied by all financial regulators, according to administration and industry sources.

The most likely candidate for elimination is the Office of Thrift Supervision, whose failure to detect and forestall problems at Countrywide, IndyMac, Washington Mutual and other freewheeling mortgage lenders is thought to have contributed to the financial crisis.

I take issue with the first sentence of the article: "The Federal Reserve, already arguably the most powerful agency in the U.S. government, ..." Truly, the Federal Reserve IS the U.S. government. Our Constitution and Bill of Rights have little or no power, in all reality. It is the Federal Reserve Board that has called the shots in this country, and the IRS has been it's bulldog.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Board is an unelected, unappointed group of oligarchs, overseen by international bankers. These international bankers, incidentally, also control the other central banks of the world.

I remain completely baffled by the tepid and apathetic response of Americans to such knowledge. Our liberties and our country are on the edge of the precipice of destruction and nary an outcry, except from those who run around in circles crying out about "conspiracy theorists." Dear reader, when a theorist's theories reveal truth concerning a REAL conspiracy, it is no longer a theory; it is fact.

This is What Happens...

... when you sell your wealth to a foreign country. Good God. Our nation is so very vulnerable, it makes my knees quiver.

Russia May Swap Some U.S. Treasuries for IMF Debt

Russia may switch some of its reserves from U.S. Treasuries to International Monetary Fund bonds, the central bank said today. The comment drove Treasuries and the dollar lower.

...The IMF, which has rescued economies from Pakistan to Iceland in the past year, has never issued bonds before and is seeking more cash to finance loans and aid to member countries during the worst economic slump in the fund’s 64-year history.

Where did I see it posted that The U.S. national debt is over $500,000 on the head of every U.S. citizen?! And the debt just keeps on rolling through! You cannot run a country in this way! This is all some kind of nightmare or a very bad nuphedra review!

President Barack Obama on Tuesday proposed budget rules that would allow Congress to borrow tens of billions of dollars and put the nation deeper in debt to jump-start the administration's emerging health care overhaul.

The "pay-as-you-go" budget formula plan is significantly weaker than a proposal Obama issued with little fanfare last month.

It would carve out about $2.5 trillion worth of exemptions for Obama's priorities over the next decade. His health care reform plan also would get a green light to run big deficits in its early years. But over a decade, Congress would have to come up with money to cover those early year deficits.

...The federal deficit is on pace to explode past $1.8 trillion this year, more than four times last year's all-time high. The record borrowing is credited with pushing up interest rates, which could imperil chances for a recovery later in the year.

Are these people insane? Who is advising these actions? Why are our politicians absolutely hell-bent on killing our country and destroying our currency?! (I realize these are all rhetorical questions; please allow me to vent).

Today's national bills are so grossly exaggerated and we are so indebted that OUR COUNTRY WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PAY IT OFF. The only way out is to completely eradicate the existing system. It is inevitable, truly. And there are only two choices with this: throw away the Keynesian policy and return to the original intent (gold standard and ditch the Federal Reserve); or, submit to a shared, global currency that is controlled by a select few (our Founders called this "slavery."). Which do you think will happen?

Take It From Us: Don't Do It This Way

The CBS headline alone was enough to make me smirk: Chaos Rules The Day In The Capital District. So how is today any different than any other day since the 1940s?

Aftershocks of the New York State Senate shake up were rippling through the state capital Tuesday. With all the chaos, confusion and hard feelings, many in Albany are wondering who's in charge and what happens next?

Less than a month ago, Democrats and Republicans posed like one big happy family for their class picture, but a dramatic coup to depose Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has left everybody in Albany wondering what's happening next, and has left an awful lot of hard feelings.

"I think it's absolutely distasteful, it was a side show," Smith spokesman Austin Shaffran said. "It was politics at the worst and its something Senate Republicans should be ashamed of."

I don't know about you, but I am very weary of "side shows" being the only national news coverage Upstate New York gets. (So it seems). Between Spitzer's "indiscretions," Paterson's "fat tax" ideas, and this latest Keystone Cop fiasco, New York is looking like an idiot! We are the Empire State! We are the virtual alarm systems for the rest of the nation! Hear the bells and whistles!

Take it from New York-- don't do it this way.

Alms For the Poor

I received this brief anecdote in my email clutter a few days ago, amongst the tech newsletters, hate mail, mindless Congressional "updates" (which are more akin to brag sheets), and numerous offers for diet pills and Rolodex timepieces.

It is indeed very humorous, although I do dissent with its final conclusion (that Republicans are more philanthropic than Democrats; I see very little differences between the two parties). Nonetheless, it'll make you smile. Unless you are a Democrat, of course. Heh.

I recently asked my friend's 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 sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where homeless guys hang out, and you can give them the $50, you earned, 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 doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50?"

I said, "Welcome to the Republican Party."

Her parents still aren't speaking to me.

Thanks to Patriot Post for another good chuckle.