The Message Behind the Message

How Web adds are being used to counter act negative sentiment over Obama's 2009 Stimulus Package.

Recently I was just cruising online when I noticed an add link that read, "Go back to School with Obama's Stimulus." Of course the headline was just a hook used by online institutions to get your name and address etc. But the message behind the add was obvious. Obama is that good guy who passed the stimulus that is really helping people get ahead.
What is omitted in the statement is:
1. The stimulus did not create jobs like promised, therefore we languish as a nation in a jobless recovery.
2. The stimulus bailed out Lenders and Insurance Companies but no regulations were ever enacted that guarantee those bailouts would benefit job creators.
3. The stimulus was chock full of pork barrel projects designed as kick backs for campaign political favors to special interests and big business, as well as long standing far left liberal objectives that do nothing to help the economy recover, except that a few jobs will be created as a result of their implementation.
Consider Nancy Pelosi's two million dollars pork project devoted to studying the environmental impact on field mice in the San Fransisco Bay Area as an example here.
No doubt a couple of environmentalists will be kept busy for a few years taking samples and doing objective studies for this project. Whether those scientists will be new hires or already working for the University that gets the bit is up in the air. However, it is clear that the University getting the bit gets 2 million dollars, and Nancy Pelosi gets the kick back from the University which now has a good reason to push support for Pelosi on students and faculty in upcoming political elections.
Now I have heard senators and others argue that the whole reason we have such representatives in Washington is to make sure some of the tax dollars get funneled back to our state. In their opinion people like Sen. Pelosi are just doing their job when they get pork barrel projects inserted into Bills on the floor; And to be quite honest there is an element of truth to that. However it is clear that the agenda of some legislators is not to represent their constituents or even the overall welfare of the their state, but to achieve some personal ideological objective through the power provided by holding the office.
In the case of Nancy Pelosi her views on conservation are clearly at the extreme left of the spectrum which is fine for her. My only concern is how can we truly serve this nation by catering to such extremes. In my opinion while a Senators personal worldview my be extreme to the left or right, that same Senator has an obligation to their constituency to divorce themselves from that personal agenda in some measure in order to truly serve the will of the people. That is if I truly want what is best for them.
So while some may argue that Nancy is simply doing her job in the above scenario concerning the field mouse study, I would say she is merely serving her own personal far left activist tendencies as a Senator. Further more I submit to you the reader; that it is this type of catering to the extremism that has all but destroyed California business sector and brought us to the brink of ruin financially as a state.
Now Senator Pelosi would have you believe that her study is a jobs creator. And while we have admitted that some jobs would be created by this study. Those jobs create by the study would be limited and temporary. However the impact of her study could have long range implications for business and jobs. Because as it goes the next time someone wants to build a parking garage or a business park of any kind, fees will need too be paid to see if their project in any way endangers the now recorded mouse habitat. Then if it is determined that their project encroaches on the habitat of the mouse it will take courts actions and lengthy litigation or negotiations to over come the objections imposed by the two or three scientists who made 2 million dollars for the University that is now beholden to Nancy Pelosi. Mean while the project which would have created sustained employment beginning with its construction and followed by the businesses that would have resided there is held up by the result of the pork barrel project that was supposedly supposed to produce jobs.
What an irony such things are, but it goes on all the time by progressive politicians like Nancy Pelosi. This is why a more balanced approach is needed in government and why so many people on the left and the right are up in arms these days.
People are tired of activist politicians who only agenda is to remain in office so they can serve their own personal self interests. People are tired of corruption and waste in the system. People are fed up with backdoor last minute pork barrel insertions into House Bills designed as kickbacks to special interest or as political sway over a predetermined electoral demographic. Such legislating doesn't serve the true needs of the people or the State, it merely serves the interests of the politician who benefits from it. And the American electorate seems to finally be getting the message of this.
After years of simply voting on the basis of party line or personal benefit we are beginning to question the motives and overall effects of certain extremist politicians who promise us hope and change only to constantly retract from their campaign promises. Then when pressed we find that the only thing that is changed is their position, and the only hope we have is that in just a couple years we can rid ourselves of them. Yet we must live with the fallout of their poor decisions long after their departure. Which is why people are motivated at this point.
Voters are more up on the issues than ever before. Even with all the misinformation and lack of objective reporting in the news media people are not just swallowing information hook line and sinker. They dig more now then before, they question more now because they know that a politician in most cases is just that, a politicians.
So the subliminal message that Obama is a good guy and the stimulus is a good thing encapsulated in the words, "Go back to school with Obama's stimulus," actually translates to my brain, "Go ahead go back to school, don't worry about the cost we'll just tax your kids for it later." No thanks!

Redefining Politics

As a conservative I wish everything in the political world went my way, but I realize I may not speak for the majority of the people, which brings up a few interesting questions.

Why is it so hard for politicians to just vote the will of the people?

Why is it when the majority of Americans polled voice their opposition to some legislative action being suggested by the government that our elected officials feel the freedom to vote their will over the will of their constituents?

I mean how hard could it be in this age of electronic information to determine the will of the people in your district or state on any given measure?

When most everyone has access to a computer, either at home or the local library. You could simply post a survey poll on your personal political website where constituents could login and vote on anything; you could run a community forums as an online townhall meeting and list pros and cons of the measure and then ask your constituents to voice their opinions and or vote YES or NO on the Bill before you.

How simple can that be?

The results of the poll would be directly related to your demographic region. Posted right on the web for all to see. And if for reasons beyond the conceptual understanding of the local electorate you must vote contrary to their wishes, you could post an explanation for your dicision that best describes the reasoning behind the vote made. As a result lawmakers would be more apt to speak and listen to their constituents. It would bring an end to backdoor special deals and partisan tactics in the House and Senate. And it would stream line the system and make governing easier.

Best of all lobbying and lobbyists could be eliminated from the process. Good riddance I say! Such entities are in large part the reason behind all the corruption in politics today. The pressure special interests impose on politicians through their campaign contributions would eliminated by the involvement of the people.

When the party or the special interests ask a legislator why they voted a certain way on a given Bill their response would be, "The people have spoken."

The political system would be completely revolutionized. The political arm-twisting that now forces elected politicians into voting a certain way would be a thing of the past. Campaigning could be made much simpler, and the need for huge campaign coffers would be eliminated, making running for office more accessible to a greater majority of the people, not just the politically elite or wealthy.

In my opinion politicians who enact such things as using the Internet in this manner are sure to be the hero of the people. I know they will have my vote.

Why Imposing Term Limits Makes Sense

Personally I don't feel we should wait for congress to impose terms limits on themselves. I feel we the people should impose term limits at the ballot box. It would be as simple as voting out the incumbent at each and every election cycle unless the incumbent has shown by action that he/she is representing the will of the people in his/her area. How hard is that?

Stop Health Care - Sign The Restraining Order

We live in unprecedented times, when elected official can "Deem and Pass" legislation without a majority. These unrestrained politicians represent only their special interests and personal agenda. How did they get there? That's another story. Where are they taking us? That is the big issue. How do we stop them. One way to stop them is to use the law against them.
By filing an Injunction as "The American People -vs- The U.S. Legislature"

Injunction are used to stop someone from doing something that could adversely affect the party filling the injunction. In this case the American people are filing an Injunction against the Federal Government because the actions of the government if left unchecked will adversely and irreparably affect the welfare of the people. This is exactly what an injunction is for.

If you oppose the current Health Care Bill simply sign your name, city and state as a comment under this post when we have enough signatures we will file the injunction. Nobody will call you or bug you about it. We don't need your money just your signature, city and state.

Haitian Aide Relief Done Right

Check out the new Haitian Aide "We are the World Video.

California's West Side Water Issue

So close yet so far away? It is said that into every life a little rain must fall. But in the case of Wast Side Water the rain would be a welcome relief to the drought being perpetrated by invironmentalists and policticians. Now it has come to my attention that Fox News is planning another visit to our valley on this Thursday September 17th.
As a farmer for 12 years and a pastor for the past 14 I have firsthand knowledge of the drastic effects water shortages can have on our valley. The current man made water shortage on the west side coupled with the housing crisis and recession present a triple threat to the people of that agriculturally rich region. Those communities though removed by a few miles are extensions of us as a whole. This truth was never as real as it was on September 12th 2001 in the aftermath of 9/11. Just as the ripple effects of the Sept. 11th 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center affected the totality of our nation. So to now we must realize that the humanitarian needs and the lack of agricultural output produced by the lack of water deliveries to our west side have produced a ripple effect across the entire valley economy.
We cannot afford to turn a deaf ear or blind eye to the suffering of those so near to us simply because we have water. We must understand that what affects our valley neighbors affects us as a whole. That joblessness and revenue loss have measured affects and can no longer be ignored. Now it appears that Fox News is returning once again to bring attention to the situation. I was made aware of their upcoming visit by Brandon Shoemaker a parishioner and friend. He is a Republican running for the 31st district assembly seat in the 2010 election.
As a community leader I feel it is my civic duty to inform myself on the issues facing our community, state, and nation. When I received Brandon's e-mail I was so glad to hear that Fox News was returning to additional recognition to the plight of the farming communities affected by the mismanagement of our state water resources. Last time they came they devoted only one segment of their show to this issue. I am hoping that they will be able to devote even more airtime on this next visit.
In connection with that I felt it was advisable to gather information regarding the issue as I see it. There are basically two things I feel might benefit our discussion on the water issue.
Firstly, UC Davis does a report for the US government on California’s contribution to the overall US export market in all areas. This is an eye opening report and brings clarity to the need for this valley as the bread basket of America. That report shows California produced 14.8% of the US agricultural exports in 2006. That is a staggering statistic. Additionally a bipartisan group called California Economic Strategy Panel appointed by the legislature in 1993 has the responsibility to and I quote; “develop an overall economic vision and strategy to guide public policy. The Panel engages in an objective and collaborative biennial planning process that examines economic regions, industry clusters, and cross-regional economic issues.” Where are they in all this? Why hasn’t this group recognized the plight of this region and sounded the alarm to law makers. Someone needs to hold them accountable.
The bottom line is environmentalists funded by our state and federal tax dollars and supported by our state legislature our running the show. The old adage, “food grows where water flows” is true! And transversely when the water doesn’t flow the food doesn’t grow. As a result of the mismanagement at the state level jobs are lost, whole communities sit in dusty ruin and our overall California exports diminish.
What this nation needs right now is less interference by environmentalist and legislature. They need to open up the doors for job creation instead of destroying jobs and by extension whole communities, for the sake of a few fish that to my knowledge are plentiful throughout the western hemisphere. The real story here is that a federal biological study done by the USBR and sited by a report at the CalCamber shows no significant increase in the smelt population as a result of shutting down the agricultural diversion pumps.
Additionally the real culprit to the reduced population in all fish populations from the Striped Bass to the Longfin Smelt appears to be the introduction and over population of the overbite clam. From my investigation, the overbite clam is not indigenous to the ecosystem of our fisheries, and feeds on the same natural food source as the smelt. (see page 43 last paragraph of the USBR report)
I realize this posting has become quit tedious and so I relent. Never the less I felt knowledge of the facts was in order. I hope this brief but tedious delineation of the issues helps in some way to bring some accountability to those with the power to send the water to our valley, and shine the spotlight on the insanity of those who would support the misguided notion to continue withholding water from this vital agricultural region of California.

Who is this Ron Bloom character?

So how will Obama’s appointment of Ron Bloom affect American business?
In a recent [i]Washington Post article, Obama is said to have named Ron Bloom as his senior counselor for manufacturing policy. That article which is quit timely in respect to the recent uptick in polls showing a less than favorable approval rating for how this administration has handled the recession reveals several important facts about Mr. Bloom.First is says that Bloom, "was previously the influential figure in the national labor movement before joining the administration's auto task force earlier this year." Translation: Bloom was previously a Big Union Executive. The fact is Mr. Bloom, [ii]“was previously the special assistant to the President of the United Steel Workers based out of Pittsburgh since 1996. Before that he worked as an Investment Banker.”The second thing has to do with wages. And while it is not tied directly to the first by the writer of the article, it is to this reader (me) directly connected to the first fact. The second point I refer to is this, [iii]“Obama said Bloom's "extensive experience with both business and labor" would help in "creating the good-paying manufacturing jobs of the future."
Now think about that for a moment, his (Mr. Blooms) previous experience as a big union executive will help us in creating, “good paying” “manufacturing jobs” in the future. Now I don’t want to belittle the creation of any job, but what’s the long term job future of a union worker. To spend all of his life supporting the salaries of fat cat union executives and voting for the Washington bureaucrats that pass the laws that benefit the unions.
So what are the similarities between a union worker and a cotton picker from the 1700s? Let’s see, union workers work tirelessly driven by task masters called union supervisors. Union workers do this day in and day out without question.
Why do they do this? They do it for life benefits provided for them by the union who basically owns them for the time they are union employees. You don’t believe that, just step out of line and see the lashing you will get. They will strip you down and leave you on unemployment. They use their position as employer negotiator as leverage to keep the masses in check. In the event of an uprising they quickly remind their workers of the alternative of not “belonging” to the union. Then they go on strike to demand from the employer who is to great measure handcuffed to the union at this point more benefits. At first glance working for the union may seem the way to go for a guy looking for work. Only one thing, it do not really lend itself to the American dream. There is not a lot of upward mobility in that model. It’s all who you know! The idea that you can reach the top is not part of the equation in this manufacturing model. You are not allowed to dream big in this model. The idea here is to just punch your time clock and be thankful that you are working. Still for many in our nation this kind of punch in punch out work would be welcome relief in a economy of joblessness.
However, personally I hold greater aspiration for a common laborer than to be sentenced to a 9 to 5 job the rest of their lives. That to me is not the American dream nor is it true freedom. True freedom and the thing that built this nation into one of the greatest nations on earth is outlined in the Declaration of Independence as the right to, “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of happiness.” It is the entrepreneurial spirit embodied in those words that made this nation one of the most productive, and affluent nations on earth for the past two centuries. Yet at the forefront of Obamanomics is not the pursuit of those ideals but the undermining of those ideals. The truth is all liberal progressives have managed to do with their policies is keep the poor beholden to them for the government entitlement programs they enjoy. And that is all they want to do!
Therein is the true lie. On the one hand the liberal promise progress and new opportunities for the poor and disenfranchised. But they have never truly delivered on those promises. All they have done is kept the poor “POOR,” and the disenfranchised dependent upon them.
Why? Because true reform, the kind that teaches a person how to fish instead of merely dolling out fish fragments would relieve the poor of their dependence upon the liberal progressive bureaucrats in Washington. Their goal is not to liberate but to castrate, to remove every notion that we can get ahead without government help. And the sad thing is people are buying this stuff. People are voting for it over and over again, they buy into the deceptions of smooth talking politicians who promise the moon and deliver nothing. And if by chance they do deliver it is merely for appearance sake. Rarely if ever have they done anything that truly changes the lives of the poor. It is merely to garner the next round of votes for an upcoming election.
I realize liberals love to site Medicaid and Medicare as liberal programs. But did those programs help the poor or merely provide fragments from the master’s table. Think about the last time you heard of a person on food stamps making anything of their selves. Never! The only way you make something of yourself is take the risk, abandon the program, and do something new. The program should only be a bridge not a lifestyle. And while manufacturing work is a legitimate, noble rewarding life style not to be shunned. It should not be looked at as the end to beat all, especially if that job includes my subservience to a bureaucratically controlled union. However that is exactly what the Obama administration wants.
Which is why appointing Ron Bloom as the Manufacturing Czar makes perfect sense to the liberal progressive elites in Washington. He is their stoolie, their ace in the whole. With his help we can destroy all competition and expand the reach of the union which we basically control with our votes. When we control the unions we control the workers.
Think this is far fetched do you? Then explain why would Obama appoint a ex union executive to sit on one of his Czars seat when a much simpler solution is right in front of them. Read the remainder of this article at my blog entitled, "American Financial Meltdown Looms Large."

[i] http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/09/06/obama_names_manufacturing_advi.html?wprss=44
[ii] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_Bloom
[iii] http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/09/06/obama_names_manufacturing_advi.html?wprss=44