The state is lying to you. As far as the $10, that is a strongly twisted statement. The minimum tax increased from $10-$150. If I made nothing last year with my business.... just managed to break even... I have to pay $150. The part they decided not to discuss is that all businesses will be required to pay taxes based on gross receipts, rather than on profit. Using simple, rough numbers, I will give you an illustration. Let's say I have a company making widgets. I started this company up this year which required an initial outlay for the building of $50,000 for rent. My machinery cost me another $100,000. There are always office supplies needed to a tune of $25,000. I have to hire 2 employees at $40k each + benefits which cost me another $20,000. I sell $150,000 worth of widgets to Company B and another $100,000 to Company C. My gross receipts are $250,000. With measure 67, I will pay taxes on that $250,000. BUT, in order to run this business, it cost me $230,000. I actually only made $20,000. And I didn't even figure in my own wages. I didn't talk about the regulations and the licensing! How many small businesses are going to stay in business? If they don't shut down their business, they will have to lay off. Businesses that manage to survive will have to raise prices and that affects everyone significantly.
Now, let's discuss Measure 66. The state and unions are eager to tell you that the evil rich people need to pay more taxes. They define the evil rich as those making $125k individual or $250k/ couple. The fact is that these people pay 90% of the taxes now, but here is the kicker: If you own your own very small business, i.e. a home-based business and are a sole proprietor, you will file your business income and expenses on your personal income tax return. This includes our ranchers and farmers. if you do your own taxes, you know that we first do federal, then use our 'adjusted gross income' to figure our state taxes. Not anymore for those in this group! Now, they must pay on their gross income, much like the corporations listed in measure 67. We are in the same scenario. what are they going to do? Shut down. they can not afford to ranch or farm anymore. This affects your next door neighbor. This affects you.
Did they mention that all these taxes are retroactive to January 1, 2009? Oops! Must have been an oversight!
They are very slick at putting together their arguments and that is why we must educate people to the best of our ability. That is why I spent 5 hours phone banking on this last week and why I will be doing 4 hours next week and why I will be phone banking from home. People need to know how this affects them personally. Thank you for the opportunity to explain this. It is only by challenging the propaganda machine that we get answers. I will be truthful and honest with my answers.... will they?
Saturday night, I was at a fundraising event when I received the Tweet about the traitorous actions of 219 Democrats and 1 Republican, passing HR 3962 with their YES vote. By a mere 3 votes (220-215; 3 votes transferred from the left to the right would have resulted in a defeat), the House gained a socialistic victory over free markets, capitalism, personal responsibility, freedom, and more. See their votes at the clerk’s desk.
In that YES Vote, they trampled on 222 years of the Constitution being the guiding Law of the Land, and in it, the very straightforward and unequivocal boundaries set forth on Congress via Article 1, Section 8, and the 10th Amendment. They GROSSLY overstepped their authority, and voted YES on an unconstitutional act.
This is not good for Americans. The only people to benefit are special interest groups and those getting the kickbacks. They have already admitted that they don’t yet know how this will be paid for. We know! The same way you pay for any other government program…. On the backs of law-abiding, productive individuals like you and me. This is nothing more than another tax.
Companies right now that provide health insurance for employees are now paying out about 10-13% for coverage. With this passage – they can opt for the public option and be only charged 8% surcharge. Do you believe that this will allow you to continue the same coverage you already had?
Of course – what they don’t want people to know – is if you don’t have private insurance, and you don’t have the public option, when you go to pay your taxes, you will be fined a couple thousand dollars, to meet that mandate. This will specifically hurt the middle income families and workers struggling to just get by as it is. So let’s see…. Tax us to pay for it, and then tax us to buy it and if we don’t comply with that fine us (another tax)! No new taxes on the middle class, right?
My opponent, Non-Rep. Peter Defazio (D-OR4), voted YES on this Act. He said back in August 2009, that he would when it came to the floor. It was his assertion that HE knew what was best for his constituents, completely disregarding the tens of thousands of emails, phone calls, letters and such we have all sent his office to say no. He said “I will vote my conscience”. Is that what we are paying him for? To vote his conscience? He has a job description and nowhere in that job description does it give him the authority to force you and me, his employers, to buy anything! He also made an oral contract with us when he took his oath of office to “defend and protect the constitution”, yet in Town halls, he admitted that Congress does not have Constitutional authority to do anything with healthcare.
He has proven AGAIN that he is no longer fit to serve as our representative. He no longer cares what it is that we want done in Congress, only that which most benefits him. However, what I don’t think Mr. Defazio has taken into account is that a great number of those identifying themselves as Democrats, are Conservative and Moderate Democrats, fed up with out of control spending in Washington. Like the Republicans and a vast majority of Americans they wanted to see Change that means less Federal spending, more transparency in their administration, and protection of our God-given rights. All that has come about is a spending spree that has brought America closer and faster to fiscal failure and insecurity than ever before. There has been no transparency!
Independent conservatives and moderates that helped elect Obama, are fed up with the “Business as usual” as well. And Defazio votes along Pelosi’s instructions and supports every spending bill and program that Obama has called for except for the Stimulus plan that did not give him the money that he wanted and Cap & Trade which he considered “too capitalistic” and because there “weren’t enough regulations” included.
Come 2010, we have an opportunity to begin reversing this damage, as well as the damage put on us by the previous administration. America, and specifically, all the citizens of Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, need to wake up and realize that nothing will change unless we change the way we elect our representatives. Stop with party politics; this is not about what is best for the party, but what is best for America and our citizens.
We need to repeal this act – and do it in 2011 after we take back Congress by electing Constitution and Liberty minded representatives. We can bring about true health care reform, but we do not need to nationalize it to see it happen. I am not saying “no”. I am offering Constitutionally sound alternatives that will not further burden the people of our district, of our state and of our country. Reform tort laws, allow interstate competition between private insurers, and offer tax credits to providers providing pro bono care for the indigent are all ways in which to make health care affordable for all of our citizens. Defazio and his colleagues like to use the Interstate Commerce clause to justify their unconstitutional actions, but used appropriately, the commerce clause enables them to open up the borders to the importation of pharmaceuticals thereby decreasing prescription costs.
I am calling on all Conservative and Moderate voters, whether you are a Democrat, Independent, or a Republican, to stand with me as your Congressional candidate of choice. Even my primary opponent believes that the federal government has the responsibility and the authority to be a “facilitator” for healthcare. Let’s send a message to DC that we won’t stand for “politics as usual”. If you hire me as your representative in Congress for US House district 4 my first act will be to form a coalition of Independent, Democrat, and Republican representatives that will submit legislation to immediately repeal the AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT. This Act will not help to recover this economy. It will destroy it. I ask you to support me and vote for me. Together, we can save our country.
We are all motivated to return our beloved country to its Constitutional roots given to us by the founding fathers, but how motivated are we? Do we care enough to do what it takes to get it back?
We all have different gifts and talents. Some of us are gifted writers and can write articles to be blogged or submitted to newspapers and magazines. Some are internet savvy and can offer web development for candidates and issue based groups such as this. Some have media connections, can offer venues for . meetings, are leaders and can organize. The list goes on and on.
Then some of us take up the banner and march forward boldly and (at least publicly) fearlessly to go head to head with those elected persons that are destroying our country. Some of us feel so moved to become candidates. I am one of those people. Being in politics was not one the items on my "must do before I die" list. As I watched my rights being destroyed systematically I kept thinking,m with rising panic, "Someone needs to do something!" It finally dawned on me...... I am someone. I am running for US Congress, OR-4 against Peter Defazio in the general election and am running against Sid Leiken, a liberal-moderate Republican in the primary election. You can read my website to learn more about me.
There are 3 things of value to a candidate: Time, Money and People. Everyone has something a candidate can use. If you believe in what a candidate stands for you have an opportunity to give something to that candidate in order to get them elected.
I see it as a piece of pie:
The purpose for money is to get the word out about a candidate. We do that by purchasing signs, literature, ads, etc. Time is that time that people donate to walk around doing door-knocking, putting out signs, helping to work the campaign, designing websites, taking pictures, attending rallies, etc. People means those supporters who will wear the T-shirts, talk about the candidate, write the letters to the editor, passing out business cards while standing in the grocery line.
We candidates, need it all. Some people work a lot of hours and have little time, but they do have funds they can give to support a candidate. Others have lots of time, but no financial resources to donate. Most people can be the "voice in the street", carrying campaign cards and passing them out, putting car magnets on their cars advertising to everyone that they meet in the course of a day.
With more people and time, we need less money, but we can not delude ourselves into thinking that none is needed. It costs $2200 just to get on the ballots and in the Voters Guides. Donations do not have to be in large chunks (though that is always welcome!). Donations of $5 and $10 and $20 is what made up the bulk of Ron Paul's $6M moneybomb on November 5th, 2007. That is support from the people. That is grassroots support! That is what will turn the tide in this country. That is what I, and other liberty candidates like me, am counting on.
If you have not yet donated to your liberty candidate, make a pledge today for the 5th of November Mass candidate donation day at thisNovember5th. Alternately, you can donate at my website today or any day. If desired, you can set up a monthly donation of as little as $5 for as many or as few months as you wish. We make it painless!
Don't forget, in Oregon you have a $50/individual, $100/couple tax credit on your state income tax refund. Either you can spend it to resist the liberal agenda or you can let our state legislators decide how to spend it. It is up to you!
I am confused. What is so difficult about the concept of illegal immigration. Illegal means criminal. Why are we allowing people who are here illegally to demonstrate on OUR capitol steps? Why aren't these known criminals deported immediately? Why is our over-taxed (no pun intended) social system overburdened by people who are not even citizens of our country?
Those who would argue that we need to take care of those less fortunate than us fail to understand, or explain, how we can help all. Our responsibility is to our own citizens first and primarily. None of our tax dollars should be going to improve the plight of citizens of other countries; that is the option of individuals.
I accept citizens who come here through legal channels, but illegals should be immediately deported. By very definition, they are criminals. Why would we want them here? They have already proved their blatant disregard for our laws. The kids? Sorry. Their parents are responsible for them...they go home, too.
I am tired of those of us who are legal citizens of this country having their rights revoked and limited on a daily basis, but criminals have an increasing number of *rights*.
Our American young people are having a hard time getting housing because these criminal families are taking up our HUD subsidized housing. Why?
People, we need to take our country back! Get politically active. Write to your congressmen. Spread the word. It's up to us.
President Barack Obama is a charming liar. That assertion was made by a liberal talk show host on Air America, a far left-wing radio station.
Where is the caterwauling about racism or a lack of “civility” from Democrats and liberals in the mainstream media or else where. When ardent Obama supporters start calling him a liar, it’s a sure sign that the wool has been pulled off of the Obama wolf.
In a laughable attempt to keep the Obama fig leaf of truthfulness in place, Democrats and their media allies are now castigating Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina for spontaneously and truthfully calling Obama a liar during Obama’s address to a joint session of Congress. There was no such hand wringing when Democrats booed President George W. Bush when he addressed Congress. Ignored is the fact that Obama during his speech trashed as liars average Americans, Republican leaders and all who do not agree with Obama’s radical government-run, rationed health care agenda. Lost in the media coverage is the fact that laughter erupted in Congress during Obama’s speech when he readily admitted that details of his healthcare plan still need to be worked out. Sadly, Obama’s duplicitous speech was an insulting campaign ploy to further deceive Americans and divide our nation.
From the moment he stepped onto the national stage to campaign for the presidency, Obama has consistently lied to the American people in order to convince us to trust him with our economic and national security. Since becoming our president, he has betrayed that trust.
During his first eight months in office, Obama has exhibited his admiration for dictators and disdain for our allies. He offended the Queen of England and bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia. He praised the Marxist Daniel Ortega, kissed Socialist Hugo Chavez on the cheek and endorsed the Socialist Evo Morales of Bolivia. He sided with Hugo Chavez and Communist Fidel Castro against Honduras, a country that followed its constitution and stopped its president from illegally turning himself into that country’s dictator. Obama announced that he would meet with Iranians with no pre-conditions, while they're building their nuclear weapons.
Obama displayed a blatant lack of concern for what is in the best interest of America when he circled the globe and publicly apologized for America's world leadership. He told the Mexican president that Americans are responsible for the violence in Mexico. He announced a cut in funding for our new missile defense system the day after an ICBM was launched by North Korea. He released information on U.S. intelligence gathering despite contrary urgings of his own CIA director and the four prior CIA directors. He ordered that the word "terrorism" be stricken from our discourse and replaced with the innocuous words "man made disasters." He appointed a Homeland Security Chief who identified military veterans and abortion opponents as "dangers to the nation." In a scary bid to increase the political power of the Democratic Party, Obama politicized the census by moving it out of the Department of Commerce and into the White House.
His dogged determination to turn our country into a failed socialist nation was in full evidence when Obama nationalized General Motors and Chrysler. He gave to the unions control over the two giant automobile manufacturers, while freezing out retired investors and allocating billions of taxpayer dollars to this socialist power grab.. As a further slap in our economic face, he expanded the corporate bailouts, including giving billions to AIG without pre-conditions. Then, to add insult to injury, Obama doubled our national debt with his out-of-control spending.
Obama is spending so brazenly because he is counting on Americans being lulled into complacency by the time of the 2010 elections. By design, the bulk of the "stimulus" funds will be spent, just in time, to spur a false recovery. The "recovery" will be hailed as proof of Obama's wisdom by the liberal media. It will not matter that the so-called recovery will not be real, or that it won't last – as long as Obama and liberal Democrats stay in control of our government.
Demonstrating his willingness to operate without regard for our laws, Obama fired two inspector generals (IG’s) who were investigating illegal activities by Obama cronies. Obama fired the IG’s even though, by law, inspector generals are authorized to conduct investigations without interference from government officials. Blatantly, Obama refused to prosecute Black Panthers caught on video intimidating voters at a polling place in Philadelphia during the 2008 election. Further, Obama filled his cabinet with five people who have cheated on their taxes, and two of his other nominees withdrew after they were exposed as tax cheats.
The lack of any check on Obama’s power, due to a veto-proof Democrat-controlled Congress and a lap dog liberal media, has caused Obama to boldly assert his radical agenda and surround himself with a stable of over 30 advisors called “Czars”. These unaccountable Obama-appointees are beholden only to Obama. They are not unanswerable to Congress or the American people, as was intended by our Constitution which requires congressional confirmation hearings and oversight of political appointees. Among those Czars are Communists, Marxists and other characters with troubling backgrounds and questionable credentials who should not be allowed anywhere near the White House. Gone is media outrage over abuse of power or an imperial presidency, as well as any angst about the shredding of our Constitution.
Truly disturbing is White House advisor Mark Lloyd, the “Diversity” Czar at the FCC, who was inspired by Marxist Saul Alinsky. He is pushing a “confrontational movement” designed to give a dominant role to public broadcasting and silence voices in alternative and conservative media outlets.
Most troubling of Obama’s unaccountable appointees is the recently resigned “Green Job” Czar Van Jones, a self-described Communist. Van Jones indicated his belief that America deserved to be attacked on September 11th and signed a petition that claimed the attacks were orchestrated by our own government. He stated in a video that white environmentalists deliberately steer poisons into minority communities. Just as chilling is Jones’ desire to destroy our free enterprise system and replace it with Marxist-inspired socialism. Van Jones made it into the White House because Obama shares Jones’ radical views, as is demonstrated by Obama’s past associations with Marxists and anti-American characters, such as unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and black theologian Rev. Jeremiah Wright who spewed out anti-America rhetoric.
The Marxism embraced by Lloyd, Jones and Obama is anchored on the strong-armed tactics of tyrants. A prime ploy is scapegoating the rich and all “enemies” of the ruling regime. The latest Obama administration’s “enemy” is the insurance industry.
Other Marxist methods include controlling the media, exploiting ethnic hatreds and demonizing the opposition, as has been done to average Americans protesting Obama’s disastrous public option, rationed-health care scheme. Obama and his supporters scoffed at parents and called them racist for not wanting their children indoctrinated by Obama with his K-12 speech. Obama’s talking about the value of education was not the problem. What rankled citizens was the lesson plan from the Department of Education – before it was changed under pressure from the public – that required children to write papers about how to help Obama achieve his radical agenda.
The article “Another Failed Presidency” by Geoffrey P. Hunt explains how and why Obama considers himself to be a Third World Socialist, like his Kenyan biological father, the inspiration for Obama’s book “Dreams From My Father”. Hunt opines that Obama’s determined adherence to failed socialism is why he is on track to have the most spectacularly failed presidency since Woodrow Wilson.
Charles Krauthammer in his article “Obama, the Mortal” recounts how Obama in his first address to Congress gave the boldest social democratic manifesto ever issued by a U.S. president.. Krauthammer demonstrates how Obama is laboring under the mistaken belief that his election imbued him with the kind of “banana-republic plebiscite” to enlarge state power and increase our national debt with massive spending. Obama’s actions to implement his socialist vision for America inspired a powerful outburst of public outrage at tea parties and town hall meetings, legitimate anger that Obama and his minions derided as mob-like and “racist”. Krauthammer points out that while Obama was castigating protesting Americans, Obama’s administration was “cutting backroom deals with every manner of special interest – from drug companies to auto unions to doctors – in which favors worth billions were quietly and opaquely exchanged”.
“The Death Book for Veterans - Ex-soldiers don't need to be told they're a burden to society” by Jim Towey provides a chilling look into how government bureaucrats at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are using cost containment analysis to systematically deny health care to our veterans. ObamaCare will put our entire nation on the slippery slope to the “death panel” end-of-life decisions being made now at the VA.
Author Larry Elder wrote the following on Carl Polizzi’s Patriot Post blog.
"What does it take for some to wake up? When Obama publicly asserts that some corporations, including 'Big Oil' and medical insurance companies, make 'obscene profits' (they don't compared with many other industries) and that his 'compensation czar' will look into executive compensation, what does that tell you?
“When he argues that medical insurance companies need a 'public option' (before public opinion forced him to back away from it) to keep them 'honest,' what does that say?
“When he arrogantly claims that fighting 'global warming' and tackling the 'health care crisis' are not just moral imperatives but also necessary to keep our economy robust (?!), what does that show?
“Voters last year elected a left-wing former 'community organizer' with one of the Senate's most liberal voting records. He seeks to take the country -- over the growing resistance of even those who voted for him -- to an idealized world of government-guaranteed equality of outcomes.
“He wants a government-guaranteed 'level playing field' of wealth redistribution via taxing those deemed to have too much.
“Obama's goals are open, blatant and confidently asserted, backed by a filibuster-proof, supermajority, Democratic-controlled Congress.
“There is no Big Secret, no subterfuge, no bait-and-switch. This is who and what he is."
Larry Elder is correct. During the 2008 election the liberal media helped Obama hide who he really is from the voting public. Then, when Obama took the oath of office as president, he vowed to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We now find that Obama and his appointed Czars have formed a sinister, shadowy government of domestic enemies against whom we have no defense.
Obama’s ultimate insult is that he has no remorse.
Frances Rice, a retired lawyer and Army Lieutenant Colonel, is chairman of the National Black Republican Association and may be contacted at: www.NBRA.info
Read more at http://www.nationalblackrepublicans.com/
According to FoxNews, Andrew G. Biggs, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank said, "Congress has to be able to tell people they are not getting everything they want." Although he was talking about Social Security at the time, it applies as readily to “free” healthcare. There is no such thing as “free”; it always costs somebody something.
Here in Oregon, we already have a form of Socialized medicine in the Oregon Health Plan. It is to my great embarrassment that Oregon’s plan is often held up as an example of what we don’t want in our country! One of the stories often quoted is The one about Barbara Wagner, who is covered through the state of Oregon's government health care plan, and was denied an important cancer drug she requested and instead was offered a drug for assisted suicide. Her doctor offered hope in the new chemotherapy drug Tarceva, but the Oregon Health Plan sent her a letter telling her the cancer treatment was not approved. Instead, the letter said, the plan would pay for comfort care, including "physician aid in dying," better known as assisted suicide.
Even Joe Lieberman calls for a stop to pushing through this nationalized health plan. He urges a more gradual movement because of economic concerns.
My healthcare platform includes the following planks: • Bring insurance companies under the Sherman Anti-trust laws like every other business. • Make insurance portable so that it can be purchased across state lines. When I moved from Michigan to Oregon 5 years ago, my car & health insurance premiums each decreased by exactly one half. If we could buy across state lines, the competition would force prices to drop ~ if used in conjunction with the Sherman Anti-trust law. • Tort reform. Those who have been injured permanently and catastrophically should never be left without medical coverage, but no one should get rich on a malpractice suit including the lawyers. Tort reform has worked remarkably in Texas and doctors flocked to the Lone Star state in the first 3 years since Tort reform was enacted in 2004. • It is also within the scope of Congress’ enumerated powers to allow providers who provide pro bono care to indigent patients a federal tax credit equal to the Medicare/Medicaid payment that would otherwise be paid. • We also need to make sure that all recipients of non-emergency care are citizens. We cannot afford to continue to provide “free” care, which as I stated before is not free.
Whatever we decide, we must not rush into a plan that has not been well thought out regarding outcomes. It can be compared to going to the doctor for chest pain and being rushed into open heart surgery without testing. Something needs to be done, but we need to make sure that we are doing the right thing at the right time.
Those on Social Security have received automatic COLA adjustments in the SS payments since 1975. Next year, for the first time, there will be no COLA adjustment. Although the gross payments will not decrease, Medicare costs, which are paid for by the recipient, are due to go up resulting in a net loss.
When I fight against the Socialization of America, I often am hit with “Medicare & Social Security are socialist programs”. Well, they are! We were not given the option of keeping that money to invest it privately. I would be very comfortable in giving up those programs as long as those who paid into it ~without any choice~ were given the money that they put into it, any deceased spouses put into it, their employers’ matching funds and the interest they would have made had they been able to invest the money from the beginning. Those in the work force now, need to be phased out, with the option to invest in their own private retirement plan. This could easily have been done with the money wasted in the failed massive bailouts of the past year.
Barack Obama campaigned last year on getting out of the wars and bringing our troops home. According to a WSJ article on Aug 10, The Obama administration is in the midst of an Afghan buildup that will push U.S. troop levels here to a record 68,000 by year end. Now, 8 months after taking office, the war in Afghanistan is going so poorly that America's top military commander Admiral Mike Mullen was grimly preparing a war-weary public Sunday for the possibility that many more U.S soldiers (upwards of 20,000) may soon be needed.
Casualties are up 50 per cent over last year and roughly five times the levels in 2004. Casualties this year stand at 289. Last year’s 12 month total was 294. 42 Americans died in July, the highest number in a single month since the 2001 invasion. 9 U.S. Army soldiers, five Marines and one U.S. Navy sailor were killed between July 25 and August 7, 2009.
Our allies are pulling their troops out due to citizen opposition to this war and the result will be more endangerment of our troops.
Is our American public so gullible that we believe that this war is against terrorism? If we were really concerned about terrorism in our own country, wouldn’t we be shutting our borders, making it more difficult to get into America? But, no, our borders are porous.
If I am worried about someone breaking into my house, I would not leave the doors and windows open while I went down to the local doper hangout looking for someone that might someday try to break into my house. I would lock my doors and windows and perhaps put alarms up. Likewise, we should be closing our borders and putting our troops in place to protect them.
Furthermore, when our vets come home, we must take care of them. Our current troops as well as our vets from previous wars should be allowed to go to any healthcare provider of their choice at taxpayer expense. We owe them the best healthcare possible for service related injuries and illnesses.
Rather than that, though, there are those in our government that want to publish a booklet for our vets entitled “Your Life, Your Choices”. This book includes a checklist to help determine whether a veteran’s life is worth living. Two statements in the document are "I am a severe financial burden on my family," and "My situation causes severe emotional burden for my family."
Is this how we thank our vets and their families for the sacrifices they have made? I am disgusted!
It is disturbing to me that the people carrying their firearms to these rallies in New Hampshire and Arizona are disturbing to some people, such as Arthur Frommer, the travel guru. Gun statistics overwhelmingly support gun rights, yet there are many that refuse to allow their brains to wrap around the facts.
These men (and women?) are showing people that gun owners are not dangerous. They aren’t a threat. Guns are simply a tool that is legal to own and carry. In fact, someone who is legally carrying a gun is much less likely to become a victim of crime than someone who isn’t. And usually, a shot doesn’t even need to be fired. A basic knowledge of history and the Constitution would go a long way in current society. Unfortunately, both are in short demand. At the writing of the Constitution, the new republic (as opposed to a democracy) had recently come out of a bitter war with a tyrannical government. Our founding fathers wanted to ensure that the new nation would not come under control of tyranny ever again. Here are some words of our founding fathers regarding guns:
"The said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms." - Sam Adams, as reported in the Philadelphia Independent Gazetteer, August 20, 1879.
"The great object is that every man be armed. Everybody who is able may have a gun." - Patrick Henry
"Americans need never fear their government because of the advantage of being armed, which the Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation." - James Madison
"When firearms go, all goes....we need them every hour." - George Washington "I ask sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people, except for a few public officials." - George Mason
"Laws that forbid the carrying of guns...disarm only those who are neither inclined not determined to commit crimes....Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailant; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson
"Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence...From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to ensure peace, security, and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable. The very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference; they deserve a place of honor with all that's good." - George Washington
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson
Given these quotes, we see that hunting and personal self-defense are secondary to the reason the 2nd amendment was penned. Justice Thomas said it best, “Let me put it this way; there are really only two ways to interpret the Constitution -- try to discern as best we can what the framers intended or make it up.”
Hunting is an obvious use of firearms and is rarely argued by anyone except animal rights activists. Self-defense however is hotly contested.
In its original writing, the 2nd Amendment took only 27 words. (A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed) Over decades & decades, our city, state and federal legislators have spent untold time and energy in the attempt to interpret these 27 words in a way to remove this right from the law-abiding citizen. In some places, this endeavor has succeeded but with all their effort, those legislators have not succeeded in removing guns from the criminals, and they never will!
In every country where guns were banned or tightly controlled, gun violence has risen. Ask who owns guns in Canada, Mexico, England, Australia, 1933 Germany and yes, in New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C. and so many other places where guns are not permitted or are heavily restricted. In areas of gun rights, violent crimes decrease.
With law enforcement being hit with cuts, and the Supreme court affirming that Law Enforcement Officers have no obligation to protect individuals (Bowers v. DeVito, (1982), we have a right and a responsibility to protect ourselves and our families. I did not open carry at any of our townhalls, but I defend these patriots’ right to do so. I also admire their gumption to do so, knowing that they would be subjected to the ridicule and condemnation of those who believe that Americans are too stupid to be trusted with guns.
Today I am going to post an article by my future colleague and fellow Congressional candidate RJ Harris, OK4.
Wake up America; It's time to fight for Liberty! By RJ Harris
Unprecedented in our nation’s recent history, the silent liberty loving majority has begun to wake up to the "long train of abuses" being perpetrated against them by the current ruling classes. Unfortunately, many in the leadership of the many grass-roots organizations attempting to marshal the awaking body politic have asserted that they should not be politically active nor partisan- motivated. God love the Birchers, but for the last 50+ years they have attempted that exact same non-political, educational effort to no avail…for here we are watching as the Congress and the White House rip our Constitution to shreds, destroying our Republic in the process, while we stand by being non-political and non-partisan. Not to be out-done by the neutrality of the 501c3s, the Republican and Democrat Party Establishments refuse to support primary challengers to their own incumbent bailout voters. What have these current incumbent bailout voters, and the parties that support them, have to fear so long as we remain enthralled to party incumbents or committed to non-political educational movements? They can simply wait out this current gale of anger from us and then go back to their nefarious ways when we go back to sleep. The only thing they understand, like so many tyrants before them, is political force. When we start replacing them with Constitutional Conservatives, in large numbers, THEN we will certainly have their attention.
So how do we keep these new patriots awake and in the fight? I guarantee you it’s not through being non-political and merely an educational movement. People do not stay up all night making signs to hang from freeway overpasses nor post blogs all over the net for "educational" efforts. They do not give money in record amounts, like they did for Ron Paul, for efforts that will not result in real change. They do not get back involved in their parties to rid them of the socialists (Democrats) and corporatists (Republicans) that have taken them over by staying neutral. And they do not march in the streets with the same fire and righteous anger as they did on April 15th 2009 when they are repeatedly told that their fight is going to be non-political, neutral and therefore irrelevant. However, we will do and have done all of those things for Constitutional Conservative Candidates that we KNOW will stand up and fight for US!
My fellow Americans and Oklahomans, there are Constitutional Conservative Candidates stepping forward to fight for us all over this country and they have the establishments in both major parties running scared. As a result, you can bet that these candidates will not get any financial aid or volunteer support from their respective party establishments. Furthermore, real Constitutional Conservative Candidates will refuse to solicit money from lobbyists or party officials known to be supporting bailout voters. Thus, as much as the Constitutional Conservatives are riding to our aid, we must ride to theirs and support them with donations and volunteerism.
Socialism and Corporatism are taking over our government, our Republic is failing, the Constitution is being ignored and the American birthright of freedom is being sold out by the very people sworn to protect it. The time for neutrality and sunshine patriotism is over. It’s time to fight with your activism and your money and your votes; or watch your country die. It’s time to hold the representatives we elected accountable by replacing them with Constitutional Conservative Candidates from within our ranks. It is time to WAKE UP, and fight for liberty!
The consequences of continued non-political efforts and neutrality are too heinous to consider. Nevertheless, consider them we must. When the Roman Republic fell to imperialism from within itself, the western world did not know freedom again until 1776. For 1700+ years’ freedom and individual liberties were ignored by the great western powers of the world. If we let freedom and liberty fail on our watch, how long will it be, how many generations will pass, before the next George Washington or Thomas Jefferson are born?
We must fight now or freedom will fail and our children will wake up slaves in the land our fathers founded. FOR LIBERTY!
RJ Harris Constitutional Conservative Republican US Congressional Candidate Oklahoma 4th District www.rjharris2010.com
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
This summer's townhall meetings are all over the news. It seems that telling our employees what we expect them to do is threatening to them.
Do you enter your boss' office, tell him what you are doing whether or not s/he likes it, that s/he can do nothing about it and that s/he can not tell you otherwise or you will have her thrown out? That is what is happening! We are the employer; they work for us! Yet, across the country, our elected officials, our hired hands are calling in security and police to silence us!
We must not let them silence us, however! Plan to attend at least 1 townhall this summer. Take signs, take a list of questions and make yourself heard. Be prepared and be informed. If possible, offer an alternative. Do not threaten and do not call names. Keep your questions/remarks factual. Try to have someone with you to video with a camera or a cell phone.
Above all, be respectful, but firm. We pay them, we have a right to demand that they follow their job descriptions. Do not give the opposition reason to be in physical fear. Keep it clean, respectful and assertive. We do not want to emulate the extreme left behavior. No violence or littering.
If you need a copy of a pocket Constitution, you can request one free here. Better yet, buy 100 copies for a low price of $30 (s/h included) and distribute them to everybody including politicians!
Townhalls this week
Defazio has 7 townhalls on Wednesday and Thursday this week and 6 next week. You can find his schedule on page 4 of his August newsletter.
Merkley's office stated that he will hold one townhall per year and we already had ours. He has no currently scheduled townhall meetings per his website. Call all of his offices and demand an audience with your employee.
Wyden's website has links for each county with a list of townhalls for each~ all of them in the past. Call his offices and request townhalls, too!
If you are looking for phone numbers to call these rogue employees or having a problem finding Defazio's townhall list, drop me an email and I will send them to you.
I have always appreciated your support and your advice, There seems to be some real miscommunication in the party, however.
I did not realize that this OPR meeting this weekend was a speaking engagement, nor did I receive any invitation. While my opponent had an opportunity to address the people of this state, I was out gathering petitions for the tax initiative. Kerry Ferguson emphasized that the weekend training session series was only for non-declared candidates. Since I filed my FEC paperwork, I figured I was a 'declared' candidate.
As a PCP, a Pachy, a donor, an county volunteer coordinator, and a candidate, I would have expected to receive an invitation to this event. And in the event that I was not there, I would expect that my candidacy would have been announced to the attendees and that my campaign materials would be made available. As it was, those attending this event saw only the endorsement of the party of Sid Leiken.
This does not appear to be the impartiality that I was told would be presented by the party in a contested primary race. I would like to hope that the next time there is an event I will be told about it far enough in advance that I can make arrangements to attend. Since I am speaking around the state now, I need to know at least 2 weeks in advance so that I can coordinate the schedules with my manager.
Thank-you for your usual support and impartiality!
My name is Jaynee Germond and I am running for US Congress, OR-4 for 2010. I want to take this opportunity to re-introduce myself. Last year, I ran this race against Peter Defazio, but was on a 3rd party ticket. As a fiscal conservative, I spent 1% of the campaign funds that Mr. Defazio claimed to have spent to win the election. With less than $5,000, I took a district-wide 13% of the vote with a county variance of 10-23%. This year running on a Republican ticket with American’s dissatisfaction with our federal government, the time is right for me to win this election.
My primary opponent, like my general election opponent, opines that “Our timber industry is gone. It is time to look forward to other options, like tourism”. He prides himself on the new hospital in Springfield and is boastful of the 3500 jobs it has created. While that is an accomplishment, it does not put our loggers back to work. I will not accept the demise of Oregon’s timber industry.
When meeting a woman a few months ago, I asked her what she did for a living. “We farm” she replied. When I asked her what her crop was she grinned, “Trees”. As I talk to people and travel across the country, I meet people who call me a tree-hugger from Oregon. I re-educate them that real Oregonians don’t hug trees; they harvest them, replant them, mill them and sell them. In other words, they are farmers. To demand that Oregon not grow trees is akin to demanding that Iowa not grow corn, Idaho not grow potatoes and Michigan not build cars. Growing, harvesting and taking trees to market is what Oregon does; and it does it well.
As your elected representative in Congress, I will work to bring our timber industry back. Article 1, Section 8, Paragraph 17 of the US Constitution states that the Federal government has no jurisdiction over any land except that which is designated as the seat of government (District of Columbia). The 10th amendment states that the US government is constrained to the powers listed in Article 1, section 8. Of course the national parks act and others has usurped some of our authority, but I believe that together with other Constitution-believing representatives, we can regain our timberlands…. but you need a representative willing to fight for it.
I am willing, no, eager to fight for our timberland, but I need your help to do so. To run a race of this magnitude against ‘experienced’ politicians who are beholden to special interest groups, I need your generous contribution to my campaign. I ask that you consider your most generous contribution today. Your industry, our state depends on it. Thank-you in advance for your donation.
I am Jaynee Germond, a law abiding conservative Constitutionalist. That is not a dirty word. I live and breathe that document. I carry both the Constitution with me at all times. You can get your own copy for free at the National Center for Constitutional Studies. I am writing about the 2nd Amendment today. It has been said, “The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the other of the bill of rights”. I believe more of the Constitution is being ignored, more often.
In its original writing, the 2nd Amendment took only 27 words. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Over decades & decades, our city, state and federal legislators have spent untold time and energy in the attempt to interpret these 27 words in a way to remove this right from the law-abiding citizen. In some places, this endeavor has succeeded but with all their effort, those legislators have not succeeded in removing guns from the criminals, and they never will. Here is an appropriate quote (from an unknown source), ”Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them”.
Currently, most states have concealed handgun permits (at least in theory), but that ‘goes against the grain’ with me. I feel that concealment permits are unconstitutional. According to the Bill of Rights, we have a right to bear arms. A permit is permission, a privilege to do what the Constitution already permits and a right the criminals apply every day in spite of laws. Personally, I believe that gun control is a tight 3 round grouping
Another argument for gun rights is this: our troops are all over the world, but not on our borders. In the event of an invasion, we, the law-abiding gun owners of America, are the first line of defense. Thomas Jefferson said, "I ask you, who are the militia? We are the militia. I say that they consist of the whole people, except a few public officers."
We need to remind any potential invader of what Yamamoto (the famous Japanese Admiral that planned Pearl Harbor) said, "You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass." With law enforcement being hit with cuts, and the Supreme court affirming that Law Enforcement Officers have no obligation to protect individuals (Bowers v. DeVito, U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 686F.2d 616 (1982), we have a right and a responsibility to protect ourselves and our families.
I will leave you with one thought. In WWI, the United States of America intervened and ended the war. In WWII, the United States intervened and ended the war. In 1991, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the United States of America intervened and ended the tyranny. When earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural and man-made disasters happen around the world, the United States of America comes to the rescue. If you drive across this great country, as I have done several times in the past few years you will see the most beautiful, most productive, most diverse country on earth; a country I am proud of.
Soon, I will be filing my candidacy for the Republican primary for US Congress for OR, CD4. If elected as your representative in Congress, I promise to fight for the gun rights and those other rights that are now under threat. We have a God-given right and I add, a responsibility, to protect our families and ourselves, not only from intrusion, but also from tyrannical governments. The law of the land, the Constitution says so. And I promise you that if I am elected as your representative, I…will….never… ever …. apologize …for …our… country!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Here are a few expenses of running a campaign:
Business cards 500 $25.00 Window Decals 10 (10 cars) $99.00 Car magnets 20 (10 cars) $99.95 Buttons 100 $0.50 T-shirts any number $7.50ea. Website $25/mo Filing fees Primary & General $100 each Voter’s Guide Primary & General $1000 each Radio ads Approx. 15 60sec ads $100 Yard Signs 2000 $4100 Field Signs 1 $50 Travel expenses $0.30/mile 17,000+ sq.mile
As you can imagine, this ads up quickly. If we got $10 from each of the voters that voted for me last year, we would have over $400,000. I know that won't happen, but with $10 from some, $5 from others and $100 and more from still other voters, we can make it happen! Remember that you can deduct $50/individual, $100/couple on your Oregon State Income tax returns.
You can click on the link below to donate today. FEC regulations require that we make our best effort to obtain full contact information, occupation and employer of each donor.
Hi, my name is Jaynee Germond and I am running for US Congress, OR District 4 because I cannot continue to sit by idly, watching our economy and our rights spiraling downward. Our representatives in Congress are not helping; rather they are the ones causing the deterioration of the economy and the destruction of our constitutionally protected rights.
We the People, are struggling to make ends meet with the money that our government allows us to keep, while our paid officials- our hired employees- are squandering our hard-earned money.
Our country has been consumed by party politics, and we need to get beyond the 2-party system, which has blurred so much that it is now unrecognizable, and look at being Americans. The 2-party system has gotten us where we are today, with the ‘good of the party’ taking a back seat only to “what will get me elected next time”.
I want to bring back a Congress that wants what is best for America first and foremost. Term limits would help that to become a reality, but term limits would require a Constitutional Convention. If a Constitutional convention is called, Congress is not limited in what they could change in our Constitution and the results could be devastating. "We the People" need to understand that we already have term limits and they are called elections. When our officials come up for re-election and they are long-term, career politicians we need to vote them out. If we limit our reps to 6-10 years maximum we would be much more productive in DC. There wouldn’t be the impetus to worry about your own election as much.
I belong to the Republican Party. Although, some may consider me Conservative, I am actually a Constitutionalist. This means that even though I have personal beliefs about some issues, the Constitution is specific about how and by whom those issues should be handled. One of those issues is abortion. I am personally pro-life and would love to see it all banned. However, it and all healthcare, is not an issue with which the Constitution empowers Congress. These are powers that are remanded to the states
When I take the oath of office , I will swear “that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
An oath is not to be taken lightly and I stand by that. Though a Christian, I am not running as a Christian, but as an American. A Christian’s guidebook is the Bible; an American’s guidebook is the Constitution.
I think this is going to be an exciting year, because change is in the air. People are tired of “business as usual”. People realize that all of our so-called representatives in DC are failing us. People of all socio-economic and political backgrounds want our liberties not only upheld, but regained!
If we simply kept our money to take care of our citizens and did not support the citizens of other countries (i.e. Illegal Immigrants and aid to foreign countries), our economy would improve tremendously. We do not ‘owe’ food, housing and healthcare to noncitizens. We cannot continue Robin Hood taxation to take care of the world. Charity belongs in the private sector. By definition, you cannot be charitable with someone else’s money, but that is exactly what our current government is doing.
As a ‘common citizen’ who has lived in the real world all of my life rather than in politics, I have had to budget. I had to determine what our wants and our needs were. Sometimes, I had to prioritize our needs because I couldn’t afford them all. This is what we need in DC now; some common sense application of monetary responsibility. We the people can’t live forever on debt; neither can the government.
Furthermore, all of us, elected officials and citizens alike, need to understand that the government has no money. The money belongs to the people. The government simply takes it from us in the form of taxes (visible and hidden) to pay for services and social programs.
Second, we need to re-evaluate legislation already in place and start repealing that which is unconstitutional. If we returned to the Constitutional foundations on which this great country was founded, we would have none of the problems we have today. An example of this is our economy. Article 4, section 8 of the Constitution puts the responsibility for money squarely in the lap of Congress, yet in 1913 they delegated it to a private company, the Federal Reserve. “Federal” Reserve is no more accurate of a name than “Federal” Express is.
In fact, Article 4, Section 8 of the Constitution lists the powers of Congress. Article 9, paraphrased, says, “Just because we may have forgotten to mention something, doesn’t mean we don’t have that right.” The Constitution goes on to say in the 10th Amendment (the last part of the Bill of Rights) that any powers not delegated to the United States, are reserved to the states or to the people.
The rights of the people need to be restored. In recent years, our rights have been systematically destroyed with acceleration of that since September 11th. Benjamin Franklin said, “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” By passing the FISA Amendment Act of 2008 on June 19th, Congress effectively removed our rights of Habeas Corpus. The ACLU defines it as this: Habeas Corpus is not a fancy legal term; it’s the freedom from being thrown in prison illegally with no help and no end in sight. With the passing of the Homegrown Violent Radicalization Act, we all become subject to the label of potential terrorist based on our psychological makeup. In fact, by voicing discontent with the current administration, we can be targeted for ‘surveillance’ by our government.
Now, the bill does say that these certain ‘risk factors’ when coupled with violence indicate terrorist tendencies, but what is violence? When I was a child, calling names was no big deal. You know, “sticks and stones…” Now, though, if I call someone is called a ‘mean’ name, I can be brought up on hate crime charges. We have really gone overboard.
The healthcare system is broken. We do not have a ‘right’ to healthcare, but the federal government can make healthcare available for all Citizens by giving a tax credit for individuals and families so that they have a direct write-off of all insurance costs. At this time, we cannot buy insurance across state lines. Health insurance costs vary widely from one state to the next for exact same coverage. With a free market for health insurance, prices would drop and services would improve. That is what happens with competition.
Likewise, patients and only patients should decide what provider to use. We should be able to choose between a medical doctor, an osteopath, an herbalist, an acupuncturist or chiropractor or any other healthcare practitioner. It should be the patient’s decision only.
Insurance companies have no business rationing our healthcare. People with cancer on Oregon Healthplan are denied coverage for chemotherapy, but are allowed palliative care including euthanasia (euphemistically referred to as ‘assisted suicide’). Is this what we want? In Germany, the ‘elderly’ are given a little pill to take so they ‘go to sleep’ and never wake up. Is this what we want? It is cheaper to let people die (or help them to die) than it is to treat them. This is what Socialized Medicine (a.k.a. Universal Healthcare) is. I grew up in a border city with Canada, which has socialized medicine. Canadians cross the border in droves to pay cash for medical care for life-threatening health issues. Even for elective surgeries, they come to America. Why? Because the waiting list is several years long. They are hoping you die first! It’s cheaper that way. Is this what we want? When Ted Kennedy was diagnosed with a brain tumor, one of the doctors was on FOX who agreed that if we had the healthcare program that Ted Kennedy is promoting, he would have died. He would not have had a choice in hospitals, doctors or in treatments. Socialized medicine does not allow cash deals. This is essentially where we are with HMOs now.
I cannot talk about healthcare, however, without talking about our vets. This is the one and only place where I believe healthcare should be provided by our taxpayers. All Americans owe our vets for the sacrifices they made for our freedoms (which Congress is systematically taking away). These men and women have put their lives on hold; they risked their lives for our country. We owe it to them to make sure that their needs, healthcare and otherwise, are met.
I also think that they should be able to use the health care providers and facilities of their choice at taxpayer expense. Often, vets need to travel many, many miles to see VA doctors and go to VA hospitals which is inconvenient for them and is a costly waste of fuel. These proposed veteran Government paid healthcare benefits do not extend to government employees unless, of course, they are also veterans.
Besides these things, our founding fathers did not intend this position being a full time, career. The idea was to go to congress for a session, deal with the issues that the enumerated powers gave you to deal with (again, Article 4, section 8) and go home to your ‘real’ job. I support term limits, but they must be enforced by “We the People”. Every 2 years is a chance to get another true representative in the House and every 6 years in the Senate. They don’t need several terms to learn the job. It is outlined in the Constitution!
I was in healthcare for 25 years in various capacities, was a teacher for 3 years (1 in a private school and 2 in government schools), homeschooled for 11 years. In addition, I was a single parent for 10 years. I am married to a Vietnam veteran. I have had and do have a ‘real life’ allowing me to be a true representative of the people.
There are too many issues to cover here, but I welcome the chance to speak, in person, to groups small and large, organized or not. Personal contact with people is the best way to have effective communication, as questions can be asked and answered.
If you would like to support my campaign financially, donations can be given through the ChipIn on this page or you can send a check to:
Germond for Congress
7298 Lookingglass Rd
Roseburg, OR 97470
FEC regulations require that we ask for occupation and employer in addition to Name, address, and phone number.
