Memo to John Hinderaker

Castle lost. O'Donnell has won. Get over it. Despite your elitist leanings, an ordinary citizen with the right ideas and principles CAN not only win, but no doubt govern a hell of a lot better than the current crop of monkeys we have in Congress, Mike Castle, included.

So what if she 'dabbled' in witchcraft over a decade ago. We have a full-time witch holding the gavel in the House of Representatives right now.

So instead of crying in the sandbox and threatening to take away all the toys, instead of trying to satisfy your insatiable desire to say, "told you so," at any cost, get behind and support the candidate who will advance the conservative cause.

Read this, and grow up.

That is all.

This is BIG---

The American Spectator Reports:

Lech Walesa, the Polish Cold War hero who is coming to Illinois to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Andrzejewski, will join Andrzejewski tomorrow afternoon at a Tea Party rally at the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago.

It was in Chicago, of course, that the Tea Party movement began last February when CNBC's Rick Santelli delivered "The Rant Heard 'Round the World." No word yet on whether Santelli will be at Friday's event.

It's no accident that Andrzejewski got Lech Walesa to stump for him. Having grown up in the Chicago area, I know that Chicago has the highest Polish ethnic population in the world, outside of Warsaw itself--right in the middle of Obama territory.

And if it's anyone who understands the sweet taste of freedom, what it's like not to have it, and what it's like to fight for it, it's Lech Walesa.

Quite a coup, if you ask me.

Erick at Red State's Call to Action...

Senate Republicans, take heed:

FIGHT

Your Friday Night Yuk-Yuk-Yuks..

Courtesy of Newsbusters:

Send A Message to the Left

Many, if not most of you may have heard about the woman of whom I am proud to have as my Minnesota 6th District Congresswoman, Michele Bachmann, who is continually under assault for doing what she does best, speaking the truth. As of now, there is a ton of money pouring into her opponent's coffers from big unions, Moveon.org, George Soros and others. As a result, Congresswoman Bachmann is asking for our help:

"Everyday, it must seem that Washington just isn’t listening to you. In fact, it must seem they’re doing their best to work against your interests. Those of us who call ourselves Republicans, or worse yet conservatives, are denigrated as crazy, nuts, wacko, extreme, racist, fill in your derogatory adjective. They say we’re more interesting in stopping progress than in making reforms. The White House refuses to work with Fox News, saying it is a “wing of the Republican party.” This isn’t conjecture; these are the words of the Communications Director of the White House.

You and I know the truth: We’re not being obstructionists. The problem is that the proposals coming out of Washington – from cap-and-trade to bailout mania to socialized medicine – are simply bad public policy. We don’t believe that government is inherently evil, set out to destroy the hopes and aspirations of its citizens, no matter how some media outlets portray us. We realize that an unchecked government can get too big for its own good. And,we know that right now in Washington, this Administration and this Congress have forgotten the tried and true principle of our founding – that the government works for the people, not the other way around.

They seem intent on plowing forward with their agenda no matter how many town halls you speak at or tea parties you attend.

Look around and you’ll see the warning signs about the plummeting value of our dollar. Overseas, the sharks are circling and calling for a reevaluation of the prominent spot the dollar has long enjoyed. Yet, Washington continues to spend and spend and borrow and spend with no regard to our skyrocketing debt and annual deficits. Something has got to give."

Republicans have put forth alternatives to every proposal — and our alternatives won’t break the bank. When we’re lucky, they get lip service from the Democrat majority. More often, they don’t even get a debate. And this from a majority that promised to end partisan bickering and bring true transparency to the legislative process!

They have an agenda of their own and they’re on a path to increase spending as well as the size and scope of government on every issue. They’re out to protect their friends — like ACORN — regardless of what it costs you and what it will cost our nation’s future.

Don’t give up! I hear you. And, there are others in Congress who hear you, too. Today, let’s send a message to Washington that they can’t ignore. I promise to keep speaking the truth for all of you, but I need your help to do it. Is it worth just a few minutes of your time and a few dollars to make sure Washington gets the message that ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?

Ms. Bachmann is one person in Washington who isn't afraid to loudly proclaim that our current socialist 'emperor' has no clothes. If you agree with this, please let Ms. Bachmann know by supporting her with a generous contribution.

Quote of the Day...A harbinger from Ayn Rand

"Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society's virtue. When you see that trading is done, not by consent but by compulsion, when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing, when you see that money is flowing to those who deal not in goods but in favors, when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you, when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice, you may know that your society is doomed."

- Francisco d'Anconia
"Atlas Shrugged" 1957,
by Ayn Rand

Via Capitalism.

Be Civil?

I regularly receive e-mailings from the NBRA (National Black Republican Association), and I thought this one particularly worthy of posting:

By Frances Rice

It’s a sure sign that Republicans are winning a debate on issues when Democrats, aided by well-meaning civility police pundits and activists, demand that Republicans stop showing their passion and “be civil”.

I am still waiting for those with such a keen sense of civility to demand that Democrats cease their unrelenting and uncivil, even racist, attacks on black Republicans. I won’t hold my breath.

High on the Democrats’ list of those to be denigrated are accomplished black Republicans who do not toe the Democrats’ liberal agenda line. Shamefully, Democrats do not want poor black children to have as role models any black person who does not engage in victim mongering and works hard to become prosperous rather than become dependent on government handouts.

The message that Democrats gives to poor blacks is despicable. If you remain poor, uneducated and vote for Democrats, we will celebrate your victimhood. If you get a good education, get a good job and vote for Republicans, we will denigrate you as "acting white”, a "sellout”, an "Uncle Tom”, a "House Negro”, a "House N-word", a "Lawn Jockey”, and worse..

Brazenly, on the left-wing Internet website called "The News Blog," Democrats posted a doctored photograph of then Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele (now chairman of the RNC) when he was running for a Senate seat, depicting Steele as a "Simple Sambo" with a blackened minstrel-style face, nappy hair and big, think red lips. The cartoon caption read: “Simple Sambo wants to move to the big house”. This contemptible racist stereotype is the same one Democrats used to demean black men during the era of slavery and segregation.

In addition to other outrageous racist images of Dr. Condoleezza Rice produced by several Democrats, cartoonist Jeff Danziger depicted Dr. Rice as an ignorant, barefoot "mammy", reminiscent of the stereotyped black woman in the movie “Gone with the Wind” about the slave era black woman who remarked: "I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies". This is the type of racist stereotype Democrats used to demean black women during the era of slavery and segregation.

Democrats now love Gen. Colin Powell, but spewed out racist attacks on Powell before he endorsed Obama and embraced the liberal agenda of higher taxes and a bigger government to provide poverty producing handouts to blacks.

A video was shot by WKRN Video Journalist Beau Fleenor at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee that shows Al Sharpton demeaning Gen. Powell and Dr. Rice, when Sharpton was asked to give his opinions about whether Powell and Rice were “House Negroes". That video can be found on the Internet.

An article that appeared in a Portland, Oregon paper was one of many exposing how hardly a ripple of protest was made by black Democrats when Harry Belafonte publicly denounced Gen. Powell as a "House Negro".

With impunity, the late Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy called black judicial nominees, including Judge Janice Rogers Brown, “Neanderthals”. Democrat Senator Harry Reid slurred Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as an incompetent Negro who could not write good English. “Slap at Thomas stinks of racism,” was the headline of the New York Daily News’ December 7, 2004 editorial.

Even black Democrats will be maligned if they dare step off of the Democratic Party’s political plantation. When black Democrat Juan Williams wrote his book entitled "Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-end Movements and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America" that exposed the deplorable conditions in black communities caused by the Democrats running those communities, Williams was denounced on national TV by another black Democrat as a "Happy Negro".

For details about how Democrats during the 1960’s even smeared Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was a Republican, see the article posted on the NBRA website.

“Civility, Ours and Theirs” is an article that provides more details about how Democrats vilify black Republicans while wagging their finger at Republicans about being civil.

Our political discourse can be elevated to the high standards demanded by the civility police only when Democrats are also required to play by the rules of civility.

Frances Rice, a retired lawyer and US Army Lieutenant Colonel, is chairman of the National Black Republican Association and may be contacted at: www.NBRA.info

Taking America Back, One Mile at a Time!

Driving east on Highway 10, just outside of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, I came across this fellow:

Ross Ueckert (pronounced EH-kert) is the real deal.

I had heard about Mr. Ueckert a couple of weeks ago on the Scott Hennen show while vacationing in Detroit Lakes, and when I passed him up today on Highway 10, I just had to meet him in person.

A nicer, more courageous man you will not meet. His lips parched on a hot, sunny, August day, Mr. Ueckert had a smile as large as the Red River valley itself, and he appeared overjoyed when I pulled my Dodge Durango along side the road, and, along with my son Darrin, approached him. He immediately held out his hand in friendship as Darrin and I thanked him for what he was doing.

Mr. Ueckert went on to explain that he was walking for two reasons: one, was to raise an awareness among U.S. citizens regarding the encroachment of government upon our freedoms, and the need to take our nation back from the special interests and lobbyists, to push for term limits, and lead us back to the days of "citizen legislators."

The second reason that Mr. Ueckert is walking is for veterans. He thinks it shameful how many of them are treated by the V.A. He related a story, tearfully at times, of walking through North Dakota, when a lady stopped by the roadside to talk with him. When she asked him why he was walking, he told her, "For freedom, and for our veterans." According to Mr. Ueckert, she immediately broke down crying, and gave him a bracelet, bearing the name of a brother of hers who died in Iraq. She then asked him to wear it all the way to Washington, and to give legislators the message that we must not forget our veterans, and to honor their sacrifices.

Mr. Ueckert's sister, Myrna Miller, is an equally patriotic, Godly woman who believes in her brother's mission and is accompanying him, mile after mile. Both Ueckert and Miller derive strength from the passers by who stop to say hello, or just honk their horns in support. "It gives me a bounce to my step," he said. "It makes me wanna walk even faster!"

Mr. Ueckert made it a point to say that his beliefs and his mission were beyond political. "I'm not Republican or Democrat. I'm an independent!" he said. "What I believe in is that we are losing our freedom in this country and heading toward all-out socialism, which is the opposite of which this country was founded. Members of both parties have been responsible for this trend," he stated. He also lamented the chilling effect political correctness has had on our public discourse. "It's getting to the point where people are afraid to speak out. My mission is to let people know that it's okay to speak what you believe. Don't be afraid to say what you think! I'm not perfect; I have a past that people will try to use against me. But I don't care. My message is bigger than I am." By doing what he's doing, Ueckert's dream is to build up an overwhelming groundswell of independent conservatives whose voice cannot be ignored. "If we can get everyone together, to know that they are not alone, that will embolden people to take action, and Washington will have no choice but to listen," he said.

Ueckert also spoke of the power of GOD in giving him the strength to carry on his mission. "I have people around the country praying for me," he said. "and I can feel the presence of God on this road and in my travels!"

What was expected to be a five minute conversation turned out to be 25 minutes; but an enjoyable 25-minutes, at that. We were talking like people who have known each other for decades, not minutes. We left with hugs and handshakes, but not before a pleasant surprise. I explained to Mr. Ueckert that we were going to be having a TEA party in St. Cloud this Saturday at 10am at Lake George, and asked him if he would like to speak. Mr. Ueckert seemed genuinely excited at the opportunity. He also has a commitment to speak at a Fergus Falls Tea Party rally, but will try to do both on the same day.

As I drove the Durango with Darrin and my wife in tow, I sensed that my life was now richer; that there was indeed real hope left in this crazy world, and that hope has a name.

And that name is Ross Ueckert.

Julia Ward Howe..

With all the hubbub over Michael Jackson's contribution to music, he can't hold a candle to Julia Ward Howe..

Orson Welles tells the story like no one else can:

Firing David Letterman: The WRONG Thing to Do.

Because of David Letterman's moronic, imbecilic jokes about Sarah Palin's 14-year old daughter, there are those who want to use the opportunity to get Letterman fired.

This is where I part ways with many of my conservative brethren.

Is what Letterman said about Palin's 14-year old daughter getting "knocked up" by Alex Rodrieguez an abominable statement in poor taste?

Absolutely.

Does David Letterman deserve to be criticized for his gross indiscretion?

You bet.

Part of the consequences of speaking your mind in a free society is opening yourself up for criticism for what you say.

But when we, as conservatives, travel down the road of the gallows for what a leftist says, we are no better than those who take that same path as a means to silence their critics without bothering to take the time nor the energy to engage those critics on the basis of their ideas.

Especially when those on the left have nothing to offer to bolster their own arguments.

Criticize Letterman til the cow comes home. The fact that he made that joke about a teenager getting "knocked up" by an adult is enough ammunition to figuratively poke holes in Letterman til the hole between his teeth cannot be discerned from the rest of his sorry persona that resembles a putrid hunk of swiss cheese.

Awareness of Letterman's crass behavior will lose him viewers, causing his show to wither on the vine naturally, resulting in a slow, painful death, a death caused by the changing and awakening of people's hearts and minds. Our cause will be won in the marketplace of ideas, which will manifest itself in the free market system.

And that, my friends, is how to chalk one up for the conservative cause.

We do the conservative cause nor the advancement of our principles no favors when we adopt the thug tactics of the other side.

No hearts nor minds are changed.

All that is left is a pile of smoldering manure punctuated by a "Gotcha!"

The conservative cause is advanced in and is summarily successful in the arena of ideas.

For the sake of the cause and our priniciples, let's not lower the bar.

The Tide Is Turning...Part II

A republican who voted for the porkulus package receives the bum's rush:



This is illustrative of what will happen to RINOs in 2010.

No longer is it a matter of Republican vs. Democrat. It is now a matter of, to paraphrase George W. Bush, "Either you are with us, or you are with the socialists."

An event-horizon has been crossed. Conservative Americans have clearly had enough of democrat socialism, not to mention the empty promises and lip-service paid by RINO neo-socialist/opportunist Republicans, who have repeatedly and arrogantly poked their thumbs in the conservatives' collective eyes when it met their purposes of political expediency; and, in the process have taken our votes for granted.

No longer will allegiance be paid with blind loyalty to a party; rather, it will be righteous loyalty and allegiance toward our Founding Principles which, when applied, have served this country admirably throughout our nation's history.

Look for similar messages to be given to RINOs all around the nation, and let them be put on notice: If you're a RINO, your remaining days in office will most certainly be numbered.

A few quick afterthoughts on the tea party

I gotta get running to a meeting... but just a few random thoughts:

• Yes, yesterday's Tea Party was about confiscatory taxes and spending; but it was so much more than that.
  
• Yesterday's Tea Parties held around the nation were a collective "Mad as hell and we're not gonna take it anymore" reaction to the abuses of individual liberty that have taken this nation by storm within the past two decades.
• Confiscatory taxes and regressive tax codes that by default place restrictions on behavior are instrumental in stealing one's individual economic and by extension personal freedoms;
  
• The current tax code is a symptom, not the source of our discontent.
• We are (or at least at one point in history were) a nation of free men. The government has been set up to serve and to be beholden to the people; not vice versa. "By the People, Of the People, and For the People" is not just a catchy phrase; it's the whole foundation behind our system of governance.

The great Ronaldvs Magnvs warned us to be vigilant, saying that the loss of our liberty was at all times only one generation away. Let ours not be the generation that sells out the next. Let the events that occurred yesterday not be a passing whim that flashes in the pan and fades; but rather the pebble tossed in the pool that transforms into a tidal wave of resolve to preserve our nation as the last, great, beacon of freedom on God's green earth!

Tea Party in St. Cloud Produces Massive Turnout

I had some comp time coming, so I took a couple hours off of work today to attend the St. Cloud Tea Party. I arrived around the time it started, and much to my pleasant surprise, there were no parking spaces left in the area, and I ended up parked two blocks away from the event. The turnout was, in a word, HUGE (click on pics for full size):

A rough guesstimate (and a conservative one at that) would have been between 700 and 800 attendees. Mind you, this was held during noon on a weekday, so a pretty good turnout, considering, unlike a rent-an-ACORN mob rally, most of these folks have day jobs, as well.

Of course, there were quite a few clever signs in the crowd:
And the poignant:

And this guy, who by the looks of him you'd have sworn came from the RNC welcoming committee, rose up to speak to the masses:
Not only did he have a great message, he seemed to be a guy who had "an in" with Willie Nelson and Jesse:

And of course, Jim Knoblach, our former Minnesota State Representative and former Chair of the Minnesota House Ways & Means Committee, not to mention current candidate for Committee chair for U.S. House CD-6 GOP, had this to say:

Admittedly, conservatives don't have the protest thing down as much as liberals, because for the most part we've been traditionally too busy producing, working, and "living the dream" to even have time. But the socialist policies of the current administration have served to waken a sleeping giant.

The "silent majority" is silent no more!

We may not have the protest thing down quite as well as you neo-marxists....

But we'll get there.

"We The People" Stimulus Package

Actually, he had me until the "mandatory service," and his proposal to ban the Electoral College. The Electoral College pre-dated the popular vote for POTUS.

The Electoral College is what keeps New York City and Los Angeles California from ruling the nation.

The Constitution Is Effectively Dead.

So sayeth the sages in the U.S. House of Representatives in passing HR 1586, which imposes a whopping

…90% tax to only the portion of a bonus that, in combination with other income, increases an employee’s adjusted gross income to a level above $250,000 ($125,000 for married couples filing individually) in the taxable year when the bonus was received. Therefore, employees with adjusted gross incomes of less than $250,000 (including bonuses) would not be impacted.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought ex-post facto laws were done away by the Constitution in 1798:

An ex post facto law is a law passed after the occurrence of an event or action which retrospectively changes the legal consequences of the event or action.

The fact alone that the authors of TARP and the stimulus bill are the ones who allowed the bonuses in the first place and wrote them in the legislation is in itself outrageous.

If this were done on a straight party-line vote, it would have been heinous enough, yet understandable, because democrats don’t give a whit about and/or are clueless regarding Constitutional principles, anyway.

But the thing about it is, the measure passed by a 328-90 margin, meaning that many REPUBLICANS likewise threw the Constitution under the bus today. The following is a list of 84 Republicans who at the very least, need to get schooled regarding Constitutional Law:

1. Representative Donald Young (AK)
2. Representative Michael Rogers (AL)
3. Representative Robert Aderholt (AL)
4. Representative John Boozman (AR)
5. Representative Walter Herger, Jr (CA)
6. Representative Tom McClintock (CA)
7. Representative Howard McKeon (CA)
8. Representative Edward Royce (CA)
9. Representative Jerry Lewis (CA)
10. Representative Ken Calvert (CA)
11. Representative Mary Bono Mack (CA)
12. Representative Dana Rohrabacher (CA)
13. Representative Brian Bilbray (CA)
14. Representative Michael Castle (DE)
15. Representative Ander Crenshaw (FL)
16. Representative Virginia Brown-White (FL)
17. Representative Clifford Stearns (FL)
18. Representative John Mica (FL)
19. Representative Gus Michael Bilirakus (FL)
20. Representative C.W. Bill Young (FL)
21. Representative Adam Putnam (FL)
22. Representative Vern Buchanan (FL)
23. Representative Tom Rooney (FL)
24. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)
25. Representative Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)
26. Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (FL)
27. Representative Thomas Latham (IA)
28. Representative Peter Roskam (IL)
29. Representative Mark Kirk (IL)
30. Representative Judy Biggert (IL)
31. Representative Timothy Johnson (IL)
32. Representative Donald Manzullo (IL)
33. Representative Aaron Schock (IL)
34. Representative John Shimkus (IL)
35. Representative Joe Donnelly, Sr. (IL)
36. Representative Jerry Moran (KS)
37. Representative Edward Whitfield (KY)
38. Representative Steven Guthrie (KY)
39. Representative Goeff Davis (KY)
40. Representative Harold Rogers (KY)
41. Representative Anh Cao (LA)
42. Representative John Fleming (LA)
43. Representative Rodney Alexander (LA)
44. Representative William Cassidy (LA)
45. Representative Peter Hoekstra (MI)
46. Representative Vernon Ehlers (MI)
47. Representative David Camp (MI)
48. Representative Frederick Stephen Upton (MI)
49. Representative Mike Rogers (MI)
50. Representative Candice Miller
51. Representative Roy Blunt (MO)
52. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO)
53. Representative Dennis Rehberg (MT)
54. Representative Walter Beaman Jones, Jr (NC)
55. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (NE)
56. Representative Frank LoBiondo (NJ)
57. Representative Christopher Smith (NJ)
58. Representative Leonard Lance (NJ)
59. Representative Rodney Frelingheysen (NJ)
60. Representative Christopher Lee (NY)
61. Representative Jean Schmidt (OH)
62. Representative Michael Turner (OH)
63. Representative Patrick Tiberi (OH)
64. Representative Greg Walden (OR)
65. Representative Charles Dent (PA)
66. Representative Todd Platts (PA)
67. Representative Henry Brown, Jr. (SC)
68. Representative David Roe (TN)
69. Representative John Duncan, Jr. (TN)
70. Representative Zach Wamp (TN)
71. Representative Joe Barton (TX)
72. Representative Michael McCaul (TX)
73. Representative Lamar Smith (TX)
74. Representative Kenny Merchant (TX)
75. Representative Robert Wittman (VA)
76. Representative James Randy Forbes (VA)
77. Representative Robert Goodlatte (VA)
78. Representative Eric Cantor (VA)
79. Representative Frank Wolf (VA)
80. Representative Cathy McMorris-Rogers (WA)
81. Representative David George Reichert (WA)
82. Representative Paul Ryan (WA)
83. Representative Thomas Petrie (WI)
84. Representative Shelly Capito (WV)

This list does not include a number of linguini-spined Republicans who did not vote at all on the measure.

This is what happens when a bunch of people who were elected to uphold and defend the Constitution either 1. Never read it; and/or 2. Don’t give a whit about what’s in it.

Perhaps a mandatory class in Constitutional law before being eligible to run for office would be a good first step.

In the meanwhile, the U.S. Congress has given a message to Americans loud and clear: We no longer have Constitutional protections against ex-post facto laws, nor do we have Constitutional protections against bills of attainder (A bill of attainder (also known as an act or writ of attainder) is an act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial).

In other words, kiss the Constitution goodbye. Other than a document of genius and historical significance, it has today been rendered worthless.

It is my fervent hope that the employees of AIG that will be the recipients of this tragedy will take their cases before the Supreme Court. They, unfortunately, are are our last line of defense.

Legislative Update From Steve Gottwalt

One of the continuing bright spots that shine on in CD-6 and in Minnesota Senate District 15A in particular, is our Minnesota State Representative, Steve Gottwalt. Gottwalt, along with many Minnesota House Republicans, has been a consistently conservative voice, and his commonsense ideas and ideals, are, unfortunately for us, out of place with the current mainstream of idiocy so prevalent in St. Paul nowadays, thanks in part if not in toto due to our leftist friends in the DFL camp. Below is an email that Steve sent to his constituents.

At your State Legislature, it has been an interesting couple of weeks. First, we learned Minnesota’s budget deficit grew by more than a billion dollars (from $4.8 billion to $6.3 billion). That’s not quite as bad as many had predicted, but it is a record deficit for Minnesota, and it underscores the need for us to get to work. Majority leadership has now spent nearly half of this session getting virtually nothing done that will help balance the state budget – our number one priority this session. Instead, committees have spent countless hours listening to various briefings and reports, and hearing bills that do little to help balance the budget. Each day, Minnesota is spending $3 million more than it takes in, and we need leadership willing to grapple with the tough decisions necessary to balance our budget without increasing the burden on already stressed families and businesses.

Which leads to the second point of interest. Senate DFL leaders this week announced what many of us have been expecting: They want to raise taxes $2 billion, mostly on businesses and those who invest to create jobs. They also want to cut K-12 education funding by more than $1 billion. While I give them credit for finally coming forward with something, this approach demonstrates poor judgment in the midst of a deep recession. We need to help businesses grow good paying jobs, not add insult to injury by raising taxes. State Economist, Tom Stinson, stated clearly that increasing taxes on businesses and job creators would "not be helpful" to Minnesota's economic recovery. While I remain a strong proponent of better outcomes in education, given the $14,000 we spend per K-12 pupil (all funds), and expanding the dialogue beyond only funding, I do not believe cutting K-12 spending by $1 billion is wise.

I have authored and co-authored several pieces of legislation that would help state government live within its means, just like the rest of us:

* Freezing state spending at the current level, or the amount of revenue we are taking in, whichever is less. By itself, this would get us most of the way toward balancing the budget. Keep in mind, when people talk about “cuts” in state spending, they’re usually describing less of an increase -- not actual cuts. The truth is, Minnesota’s budget has not experienced a literal decrease in more than three generations, and in recent decades it has grown an average of 11 percent per year – much more than inflation or people’s wages.

* Freezing state employee wages so we live within our means and preserve jobs (instead of cutting jobs).

* Officially, in legislation and across-the-board, cutting legislators' wages and reimbursements.

* Reducing the compensation of all state employees making $100,000 or more by 5%.

* Cracking down on welfare fraud to preserve aid for those who really need it. It is estimated 15% of our welfare dollars are eaten up byfraud, costing Minnesotans more than $1 billion each year. Some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue there is no significant welfare fraud, but at a recent briefing with welfare fraud investigators, and in meetings with county social service workers, we have heard dozens of examples of welfare fraud and abuse. Welfare fraud prevention should be an issue with strong, bi-partisan support!

This coming week, I will introduce legislation that would continue coverage for adults on MinnesotaCare through a consumer-driven, market-based solution that would provide better coverage, better payments to providers, and save the state as much as $100 million.

I will also offer a reasonable prevailing wage reform bill that would bring Minnesota in line with other states, saving taxpayers $100 million per bonding cycle, allowing us to create more jobs with those dollars, and repair more roads, bridges and buildings. It is imperative we make the most of our available state funds, especially as Minnesota faces a $6.3 billion deficit.

One way we can help local governments put taxpayer dollars to better use is by providing them with the flexibility they need to tailor their budgets. I have co-authored a local mandates reform bill (HF1195) brought forward by a bi-partisan working group. If approved, it will help local units of government by repealing some state-imposed mandates that add costs to local taxpayers. The bill passed in our Bioscience and Workforce Development Policy and Oversight Committee last week.

Mandates handcuff local governments by dictating how much money must be spent in particular areas. This is especially troublesome when local governments are told they must maintain certain spending levels, even if they are operating with smaller budgets due to the recession. Because of the deficit, Minnesota has had to cut Local Government Aid (LGA) payments to cities, including our own here in District 15A. As we remove state aid, it makes common sense to allow cities the flexibility to do what they and their residents decide is best at the local level.

Two somewhat controversial elements of the bill include its allowance for lifting of local levy limits, and its allowance for discontinuing truth in taxation hearings (which the working group felt were both costly and ineffective). Instead, it encourages local governments to find more meaningful ways to involve residents in local budgeting and spending decisions.

HF1195 also establishes a Legislative Commission on Mandate Reform to continue the discipline of reviewing and reforming state mandates on local units of government. It's not another permanent piece of bureaucracy either, since the commission would expire in 2013.

An interesting and sobering statistic regarding the recently passed federal deficit spending package of more than $700 billion: It amounts to about $2,600 debt for every man, woman and child in this nation. That's on top of the previous spending packages designed to jump start our economy. We cannot continue living beyond our means with money we do not have -- privately, or in government! That is precisely what got us in trouble in the first place. When you're in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging. It's time to cut spending, and live within our means.

This week, I will also announce another series of Town Hall meetings to gather your ideas, concerns, input and feedback. It is an honor and privilege to serve as your State Representative, and I urge you to continue letting me know how I can help. As we enjoy the return of warm weather, I wish you and yours the very best in this first week of spring. You can contact toll-free at 1-800-683-0886.

Sincerely in service,

Rep. Steve Gottwalt
House District 15A
St. Cloud, Waite Park, St. Augusta and Rockville

The Seeds of a Revolt Are Being Planted.

Give this Man a Blue Ribbon:



How he got on CNBC I'll never know.

I just hope he still has a job tomorrow.

Imagine...

With a major Presidential hopeful openly pining for one-world socialism, and the prospect of encroaching socialism moving ever more mainstream, it would appear that John Lennon's dream in his protest song, Imagine, is much closer to fruition this day and age.

So, with conservatism becoming the new counter-culture, I offer a protest song for the 21st century.

Imagine, for the 21st Century (without apology to John Lennon)

Imagine there're no Liberals
It's easy if you try
No welfare state to enslave us
Or taxing us to the sky...
Imagine all the people
Keeping their own wealth...

Imagine we have a country...
It isn't hard to do
One that we'll defend and die for..
And secure our borders, too
Imagine all the people
Living life secure...

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And our nation will be as one.

Imagine no class envy...
I wonder if you can
Opportunity for everyone..
From fetus unto man
Imagine all the people
Living the American Dream.. ah-haaa-ah!

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll be conservative
And our nation will live as one.

Pawlenty implements hiring freeze...

Tim Pawlenty today issued a hiring moratorium on future job openings in the state until further notice, with the exception of essential employees, such as prison guards, and tax enforcement officers (are they really that essential?)

Pawlenty states that fiscal responsibility begins at the top.

Official Directive here (pdf).

The best explanation yet...

For the rise of John McCain.

More than worth the read.