TALKIN’ ABOUT TAXATION

Do city employees not feel the people's pain?

2009-10-23T15:29:00.003-06:00

Gov't employees dominate C-Springs annual budget meeting, push for no reduced city funding

From the main chambers, to the overflow rooms below, Colorado Spring's City Hall was packed to the heal with concerned citizens and emergency response personnel during a lively and passionate annual budget meeting at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 downtown.

Two issues that came to the forefront: ballot issues 2C and 300, a property tax increase initiative supported by police and fire department unions and Doug Bruc's latest anti-tax push to break down the city's controversial Stormwater Enterprise, respectively.

Starting out the night, the city's manager, Dr. Penny Culbreath-Graft, provided a quick brief synopsis the city's budget situation. She talked about the $388 million budget for the city, the $51 million budget gap between the 2008 and 2009 fiscal years and the $28.5 million decrease for the general services fund alone. The doctor pointed out in the beginning of her statements the city is providing more services than taxes can support.

Of course, the recession hitting the nation has hit Colorado Spring's pocket book as well, with lower sales tax revenue coming in. Dr. Culbreath-Graft then pointed out the main item of the night: through 2013 at least, the city could expect a $15-20 million budget shortfall.

With her comments over, city employee after city employee came forth, pleading their case not to cut budgets overall, or to cut more city positions altogether. Others came forward as well, pushing the council not to cut funding to city parks in the city, including Cheyenne Canyon. After them, advocates for public busing stepped forward, presenting their challenges to the council. You name it, the pleas for the government hand of money continued to go forth.

But do none of these citizens understand the situations put forth? In the worst recessions since the 1930's Great Depression, Colorado Springs has found itself into a hole that requires immediate action to get out of. So it's important to cut fat and remember: "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Why are we not cutting bus routes to far reaches of Colorado Springs to provide transportation to only a handful of people, while the bus route results in a major negative red mark on the budget. Perhaps this low ridership is the reason heavy tinting has been applied to the city's buses, shadowing the reality of government-subsidized public transportation.

But why stop there? The city's parks and recreational facilities are important to the morale of citizens, and provide at-risk children with positive venues outside the realm of gang and criminal activity. But, going back to the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, without cutting into important emergency services of fire and police support. We can do without some of our parks for a year or two as the city nurses its wounds from an economic downturn affecting the entire nation, not just Colorado Springs.

Issue 2C is being pushed as the magical fix to our fiscal downturn. But why aren't these same people seeing it from a middle class standpoint. Raising taxes in the middle of one of the nation's worst recessions is a recipe for one thing: lower population numbers. When people start paying higher taxes for the same services, they simply look to their neighboring communities for other taxation rates. And then they make the move, leaving the city for other livelihoods, while still working in the city. The lower class of the Colorado Springs cannot support the city when these highly-technical skilled workers, many in aerospace and aviation industries, leave for Pueblo, Falcon and Front Range outer lying areas. In some cases, they will look to our big brother to the north, Denver, as well as Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch and Littleton.

Emotions have ran high in the debate for the Spring's budgetary future. Emotions must be purged from the public discourse, and clear-minded, fiscally-responsible leaders must take the lead and make the necessary cuts needed to keep Colorado Springs vibrant and thriving as we navigate the waters of this recession. And the we is the many, rather than the few.

Obamacare feels full-frontal Chuck Norris spin kick!

2009-08-11T08:52:00.009-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Just when you thought you knew what was going to be posted next here (if you guessed health care, you half way on the mark), that's the exact time I hit you with a sidewinder kick and blast you through the sky! That is, of course, if I were Chuck Norris.

Chuck, a guest columnist on the conservative-leaning site Townhall.com, wrote an interesting piece that I don't think ANYONE should miss. Obamacare has many, MANY areas of concern in it (referring to House Bill 3200). From perceived end-of-life "treatment" to rationing of health care (after all, if $1.3 Trillion dollars worth of care is needed, but only $1 Trillion is available, they aren't going to waste perfectly-good deficit spending on you and me), H.R. 3200 scares everyone of us. But if you aren't shaking in your boots yet, Chuck throws this at us.

In his blog, which you can visit here, Chuck identifies Page 838 of the bill, under Sections 440 and 1908, which has the heading of "home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children." Chuck explains that "well-trained and competent staff" (See: 'government workers') provide "parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains ... modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices," and "skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development."

Did you get all that? It's a mouth full... a mouth full of horse hockey. The government is planning for when they will come into your home and "provide" you with all the information on how to "properly" raise your child. Assuming you're raising your child in a post-Obama America.

Now, a reasonable thinker would say "that's not mandatory... they can't just come in. Stop stoking fears you right-wing wharggggbldglglejgflg...." (You get the idea).

But, language in the bill might just allow the government to do that. Let's see page 840 now: "The state shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families." The government already has a target for it's Nationalized Child Care program.

Well, read the rest of Chuck's blog for all the juicy details. After all, he did the work. But I thought you should know as well.

Til next time...

Reporting "misinformation:" My e-mail to the White House

2009-08-10T14:00:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Well, it was time to do my civic duty and report some misinformation on the health care reform debate. Earlier today, I received an e-mail blast from David Axelrod, the President's political advisor for the 2012 election already going on through "Organizing for America." In this e-mail Mr. Axelrod places several links to doctors and politicians campaigning for nationalized health care. Of course, I am sure Mr. Axelrod knows very well that at this point, there are two dissenting doctors and politicians on the current health care reform being proposed to his one.

So, I copied and pasted my e-mail to the White House in this blog for all to see. Reporting disinformation from the White House's information office seems like some sick, twisted episode of the Twilight Zone. But it seems that's the world we live in today when slick-written talking points are supposed to mean more than actual facts on the subjects facing Americans today. Don't fall for the spin my friends... for that's EXACTLY what the White House wants.

And now, the letter:

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SUBJECT: ATTN: Misinformation on health care

GREETING: Greetings White House officials,

BODY: I want to report some misinformation on health care. Recently, I received David Axelrod's e-mail blast from the White House which spells out some additional information on health care. He is wrong on several accounts, and I would like to report Mr. Axelrod to your "disinformation brigade:"

1.
In his letter, Mr. Axelrod says that "health insurance reform is a hot topic"
REPORT: Mr. Axelrod has used spin language in his letter, changing health care reform to health insurance reform. Did polling say that Americans might be more suspectible to supporting nationalized health care if the name was changed to something else? This misinformation can not stand!

2.
Later in his e-mail, Mr. Axelrod states that "Bob Kocher, M.D., a doctor serving on the National Economic Council, debunks the myth that health insurance reform will be financed by cutting Medicare benefits
REPORT: Many economists say that cuts to Medicare/Medicaid WILL BE required to "balance the books" on health care costs delivered by the government. If H.R. 3200 passes in its current form, and lands on the President's desk, cuts are expected to made to Medicare Advantage which is rapidly growing. Even Democratic Gov. Ted Kulongoski wrote to the White House that 39 percent of those residents from Oregon are on the Advantage plan, and any cuts to the program would be detrimental to the citizens of that state. This while the President has said he was looking for $156 billion worth of cuts over the next decade to Advantage, forcing MANY seniors off the plan and back into traditional Medicare coverage.

3.
Toward to end of the e-mail, Mr. Axelrod writes that "You deserve a health care system that works as well for you as it does for the status quo; one you can depend on."
REPORT: America's health care system has NEVER turned away anyone that enters into an emergency room. America does have a health care system that does work for them, although the costs of that system are rising at an unsustainable rate. I want to report that Mr. Axelrod's disinformation on assuming there is a system that people can't depend on it needs to be made that way. This is disingenious.

4.
Lastly, Mr. Axelrod mentions the "Fact Check" Web site where you can report disinformation, like I am doing now.
REPORT: Sending information of this type so the White House can collect and categorize it is ILLEGAL and again the provisions of the 1974 Privacy Act enacted by Congress. The White House should CEASE AND DISSEST this collection IMMEDIATELY.

v/r

Steve Collier, Colorado Springs, CO

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Fight the good fight Patriots... we all want health care reform, for sure. Regulation by the government to keep the industry "honest" is critical, as Teddy Roosevelt proved by busting monopolies in the early 20th Century. Government has a role to play... but that roll is NOT BEING A HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANY!

Are you 'un-American?' Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer think so ... but that's not all

2009-08-10T06:21:00.008-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I'm referring to a USA Today op-ed article both the Democratic representatives wrote together, which can be seen here.

And just to give some fair perspective, I have placed in quotes the section of the op-ed where Pelosi and Hoyer say un-American:

"These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

And you know what? I TOTALLY agree with both of them. It IS un-American to drown out some one else's opposing views. That is, of course, until they start to spin political rhetoric into their argument. When this happens, you might as well be debating a broken record on its player.

But, if this is the case, where was Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer on Oct. 4, 2006, when students at Columbia University "drowned out" Jim Gilchrist, leader of the Minuteman Project when he was scheduled to give a presentation there? Wasn't THAT denying someone the right to free speech?

And, where were these representatives when Code Pink protested at numerous funerals of fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, drowning out the sermons of the priests, the rabbis and the pastors who were reading the final rights for those who gave so much to defend our nation.

Of course, the list can go on and on with organizations such as the Environmental Liberation Front, ACORN, Greenpeace, etc... The hypocrisy of Pelosi and Hoyer goes well beyond them wanting to bring attention to townhall protesters who are voicing their opposition to nationalized health care. Pelosi, especially, knows how much is riding on the passage of health care reform legislation drafted in the eyes of her, Kathleen Sebelius, the Secretary for Health and Human Services and, of course, President Obama. The President has made it one of his top priorities after taking the White House, but the emphasis placed on health care reform has seemingly become "too big to fail," much like AIG or Government, er, General Motors and Chrysler.

If health care reform is so important, like TEA Party members feel it is, why are we trying to rush a bill through the House and Senate to fast to fix it? The legislation itself won't kick in until 2013 anyways, so why the impetus of passing H.R. 3200? It's simple: the President knows mainstream Americans are not on board with his ideas of how to "reshape" the country in his image. Rarely does the President address the American exceptionalism that makes our nation great. Think about it ... our nation has elected an African American to the highest office in the world. And yet, we are still flawed? We are the only country in the history of the world to rebuild her enemies after war, such as the Marshall Plan of post-World War II Europe. After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, a large portion of the war funding approved each year has been used to rebuild Iraqi infrastructure. The same goes for our time in Afghanistan as well as Africa.

Health care reform is needed in this country; no one doubts this. But for the government to have a complete take over of 1/6 of our economy is unacceptable to America. Many believe the government can and SHOULD play the part of the regulator in the arena of health care reform. But a public option to keep private insurance honest? Why couldn't regulating the industry more strictly solve the "honesty" question? And a single-payer system, which the President himself played up to SEIU in 2003 as the way to eventually go? This legislation is designed to alter the health care landscape for a more European model. And the talking points from the Democratic Party seem to change on a daily basis to stay in front of American's frustration with changing out medical system to something that, by many economists and practicing point of view, will be "second class."

America can not afford the new system being proposed. And during a recession, do we trust politicians who are pushing their agenda when job creation should be the number-one priority to begin with?

Colorado representative schedules public meeting under cloak of darkness

2009-08-08T13:21:00.013-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Was reading the PoliticsWest section of the Denver Post online today and something shocking was posted. Reporter Ross Putin posted an e-mail he received about Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter of the Brighton, CO area. Apparently, after numerous calls from media asking the Congressman and his office staff when he would be scheduling a town hall or public meeting to discuss issues during the August recess, no phone call was returned.

HOWEVER, an e-mail cropped up out of nowhere from President Obama's ongoing campaign, entitled "Organizing for America," where an out-of-nowhere "public meeting" had been scheduled at the King Soopers on 500 E. Bromley Lane in Brighton. The scheduled meeting was from 1-2 p.m., and the e-mail had been distributed not more than HOURS before the event! And more than that, the e-mail only went out to the "Organizing for America" distro list, versus the Congressman's office sending the information on the public meeting out to local media for them to report on it!!!!!!

This Congressman is scared to bring his plan for voting on healthcare to his constituents! His voters know the truth about nationalized health care, and he is too afraid to face them one-on-one. Is this the kind of "change we can believe in …scared politicians running from the very people THEY WORK FOR? What the hell kind of country is this when guys like Ed Perlmutter get away from "running away" from their constituents? Are there no representatives with backbone?

Here's the blog on the information. GOOD GRIEF... throw Perlmutter out!! This is the kind of representative we DON'T need in Washington? Perlmutter should schedule a public town hall meeting NOW, instead of using the cloak of darkness and Obama's ongoing campaign to get the word out? WHERE IS THE REPRESENTATION PERLMUTTER? You say you represent... PROVE IT TO ADAMS COUNTY!

The blog.

Something new: Backbone Radio

2009-08-08T09:04:00.010-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Came across this Web site recently, and I receive e-mail blasts from them. It's called Backbone America, which is ran by former Colorado State Senator John Andrews. John has this Web site (click here to see it) which also has a radio show entitled "Backbone America."

His recent e-mail blast perked my interest as it related to the White House's recent "dime out your neighbors" plea, asking those who receive e-mails or communication from others that goes against Obama Healthcare, which they say are "those putting out misinformation on the health care debate". This White House perplexs and surprises me time and time again.

So I have re-posted it for all to see:

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Guilty plea. Can't deny it. Caught redhanded. We at Backbone Radio, BackboneAmerica.net, Centennial Institute, and the '76 Blog don't like Obama's plan for government health care one bit.

We think it's dishonest, dysfunctional, disgusting, dangerous, and deadly. We don't see how a policy that is anti-life for the youngest and oldest among us can possibly be "healthy" for everyone else.

We think it's socialized medicine, a bankruptcy prescription, a poison pill. We don't see how a plan that is anti-freedom, and wildly expensive besides, can seriously be foisted on the public as "free."

So on the basis of that, we've been studying that horrible House bill and passing along the ugly realities of what's in it, line by line. We've been running down details on Democrats' townhall meetings in Colorado (not always easy) and urging folks to show up with a civil tone and hard questions.

According to the President's enforcers, this makes us purveyors of "fishy stuff," surveillance targets, undesirables who must be reported to flag@whitehouse.gov. Busted!

The absurdity and creepiness of it all was beautifully captured today by columnist David Harsanyi. But since confession is good for the soul, we are fessing up here and now. Go ahead, report us. I understand Guantanamo is nice this time of year.

Actually it's California, not Cuba, that is our family's destination this weekend. Backbone Radio in my absence will be ably hosted by former congressman Bob Beauprez -- an expert on Nancy Pelosi and her Democrats -- with Matt Dunn and Joshua Sharf helping out.

They'll have a great show for you. Please tune in. This can't really be happening in America, can it? Yup, it's happening. But people are starting to wake up. The turn is coming. Thanks for doing your part.

Yours for self-government,
JOHN ANDREWS

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For those interested in listening to the radio program, see below for times and Web site:

Every Sunday, 5:00-8:00 pm // 710 AM in Denver, 1460 AM in Colorado Springs, 98.5 FM in Grand Junction To listen online from anywhere, click 710knus.com

Denouncing violent protesters

2009-08-07T05:54:00.008-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

What I fear may happen during August's month-long recess is taking place. Some of the protests against nationalized health care are starting to get violent, which gives groups like the TEA Parties and the 9.12 Project a bad image, as, and I quote Sen. Harry Reid, can make us look like "the lunatic fringe."

I can understand people's frustration, I really do. I'm seething mad that our country would even concoct anything remotely resembling a socialistic program to implement on all of us (it's bad enough we have Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid). Cooler heads must prevail, and the hot, August summer doesn't help much either.

Case in point, we have some situations brewing (pardon the pun) in St. Louis and Tampa and where protesters have been arrested and some have been injured in altercations. While this is concerning, people should be reminded of this point: the far-left has been protesting anything from environmental policies to wars since the late 1960s, many times, those protests turned violent. Fast forwarding to today, organizations like the Earth Liberation Front and Code Pink are notorious for violent-laded approaches to getting their word out. So why is it that conservative-leaning protests, like those of 9.12 and TEA Parties, are scrutinized even more than the far-left protests?

From Tampa Bay

From St. Louis

The answer I think is simple: conservatives are held to higher standards and, might I add, it is those conservative values which launched us into a Revolutionary War in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. The far left and their radical protests are to be expected, and many average, every day people just write them off as "crazies." However, if conservatives protest, that tends to be more "mainstream," and people take a closer look at WHY they are protesting because the majority of Americans, party affiliation aside, are conservative in nature. We enjoy lower taxation, we enjoy clean and safe neighborhoods for our children and we believe in God and go to church. These are the "silent majority;" the ones never portrayed on television because we are the mainstream... the cogs of our economic might. Because I have never seen our country rely on far-left hippies to ensure industry hums along.

So, we should protest and have our voices heard. But is it worth anyone getting hurt in the process? If violence happens, it should have but just one outcome: an American Revolution. But violence is being used for intimidation, our organizations are no better than that of Chicago politicians.

THE GOOD POST: Connecting ObamaCare and the Beverly Hillbillies

2009-08-06T13:00:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Not only is the headline possible, it's TRUE! The following melody comes to us from Jody Davis, a local TEA Party member who is creative in her own right. When "humming" the below lines, remember to sing to the tune of the popular show "The Beverly Hillbillies."

Come'n listen to my story 'bout a man named Fred
A poor, jobless man tryin' to keep his family fed
Then one day, he went fishin' in the sea
and up from the deep came some slimy algae
Pond scum, that is, kinda like green tea?

Well, the first thing ya know, old Fred's a millionaire
Kin folk said, Fred, move away from there
Said, California's NOT the place you wanna be
So they packed up the hybrid and moved to D.C.
Washington, that is, Capitol Hill,
Where Health Care is FREE!

Well, now it's time to say goodbye to Fred and all his kin
They've gone to save the planet, you might say they
were suckered in -
You're all invited to the White House & all its pleasantries
To have a heapin' helpin' of Barrack's amenities

Flim Flam man, that is, set a spell, have a beer

Ya'll come back now - if there is a next year!

Democracy in action: protesting government-run health care

2009-08-06T09:02:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

It's almost appropriate to say the "same old song and dance" act. Government run health care, which was laid upon the ash heap of 1994, has returned full-on in 2009. With no ash heap in sight, clear-thinking Americans who see right through the far-left liberal agenda of nationalized health care are taking a stand all over the country. Here are a few videos to show that YOUR VOICE IS AND WILL BE HEARD!

If you haven't taken part in a local town hall meeting, YOU SHOULD! Arm yourself with the knowledge of what your locally-elected leaders are voting on... are they voting in your best interest, or are they cowtaling to their political leadership? Your respresentative should answer to YOU... not to an political leadership nor should they answer to who is donating money to their next re-election.

The hits keep on coming

2009-08-05T20:11:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I swear, I really try to keep the blog partisan free, and have it focus on the issues. But it just seems the far-left talking points have circulated through the Democratic ranks and the far-left liberals who receive them are reguratating them.

I have some new examples of the "tolerant left" that is often championed. Take for instance the following politicians on video .. it's like a golden hits CD for purchase:

Here's Pelosi:

And here's Barbara Boxer:

And a little sweet tart from Michigan:

If Nancy Pelosi can bring up proof of swastikas, I'll back HER up 100 percent. Barbara Boxer is an ignoramus... people in business attire don't count as protesters... what does a protester look like anyways? I hippie, pot smoking bum protesting panhandling areas being taken away? And these Michigan folks.. not sure if they are 9.12 Project or TEA Party... but FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT!!

Quote of the day: Why would you ... try to shove a health care bill down our throat .. when the President took six months to pick a dog for his kids?

2009-08-05T15:44:00.014-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

DATELINE: Utica, New York

The tapes tell the tale... I have a registered Democrat here arguing with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on his plan for passing healthcare... and this guy digs into him. He points out some interesting things, with some really good one-liners, including:

>"Just because I don't have sophisticated language, I can recognize a liar when I see one."

>"Why would you guys try to shove a healthcare bill down our throat in three to four weeks when the President took six months to pick one dog for his kids?"

>"Are you willing to have your family members sign on to every bill you have?"

Watch for yourself how average Americans (regardless of party affiliation) are taking a stand for what they believe in!

If the video doesn't work correctly, here is the link to it: click here

Government-ran health care forces you and me to pay for abortions

2009-08-05T08:45:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

It's true: Obama's health care public options and/or co-ops will subsidize abortions for those who want them... with your taxmoney and mine.

In a story from the Associated Press posted on Yahoo! News, a Democratic Congresswoman from, guess where? ... California ... has inserted an amendment into the House Bill (one of three swarming throughout the House) where "it would allow the public plan to cover abortion but without using federal funds, only dollars from beneficiary premiums. Likewise, private plans in the new insurance exchange could opt to cover abortion, but no federal subsidies would be used to pay for the procedure."

Here's the story.

So one might think with that language, no government funds (i.e.: taxpayer money) would be used in the procedure? Wrong. Read this part: "new federal funds would take the form of subsidies for low- and middle-income people buying coverage through the health insurance exchange. Subsidies would be available for people to buy the public plan or private coverage. Making things more complicated, the federal subsidies would be mixed in with contributions from individuals and employers. Eventually, most Americans could end up getting their coverage through the exchange."

And the reason the abortions would be covered? Because abortions are labeled "medical procedures," versus the term "abortion" at the doctor's office. And staff aides for some senators confirmed it here: "Staff aides confirmed that the public plan _ and private insurance offered in the exchange _ would be allowed to cover abortion, without funding restrictions."

So, with a health care reform bill that is OVER THE TOP socialistic... to add to it, we have taxmoney collected from you and I that would, and probably will, be used to fund abortions for reasons other than rape, incest or the pregnancy is determental to the mother's well being. In this case, your taxmoney and mine will go to abortions that are simply just a casual method of birth control. Sick... absolutely sickening.

Congressman Tim Bishop Encounters Angry Citizens at Townhall Meeting

2009-07-31T09:34:00.002-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

This video came to me via my Facebook account -- this is DEMOCRACY IN ACTION! This is people voicing their opinions, going to their elected representatives and taking an ACTIVE part in their organic democracy. Here's the info on the video:

"Congressman Tim Bishop has been a Rubber Stamp for Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank and the rest of the Washington elitists who want to tax and spend this nation to death. Some angry taxpayers had a little surprise for him at one of his "Town Hall" meetings on June 22, 2009."

My letter to the President

2009-07-24T05:56:00.004-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

This entire health care reform debate boils my blood, several times over. I am for reform, don't get me wrong, but not Obamacare and it's societal changes from free-market principles to socialistic overtures. If we want British/Canadian style health care in America, then perhaps we should deport those interested in it to those nations.

So, I was so furious that I went to Whitehouse.gov and let the President have a few choice words. I signed up for the president's e-mail blasts, which are intended to "pump up" his base when they need to inject some additional adrenaline into the public discourse. This particular letter came from David Axelrod, the president's political advisor. Here is the letter below:

Mr. President, I recently received David Axelrod's e-mail blast entitled "This is not a game." The American people agree with that, but it seems you and your allies in the Senate are turning this into a political stunt. And based upon Senator Reid and Rep. Pelosi's statements of pushing a vote on health care reform until the August recess, you are losing your grip on a hot-button issue you have expended much political capital in getting past. In the e-mail blast, Mr. Axelrod says the following: "The President made crystal clear what's at stake in this debate." Sir, I watched your speech. You were anything BUT crystal clear. Earlier in your presidency, you said Americans will need to make sacrifices so we can all achieve success and get our nation turned around. If that is true, why did you not mention once what sacrifices will be needed out of the American people? Are you that confident that if you mention what cuts will be made; what sacrifices will be insisted upon that a majority of Americans will turn on your legislation? If this is correct, why don't we go back to the health care drawing board? Why don't we look at other means to fix our stressed health care system? These include creating a new way to regulate the health care industry, versus "competing with it" with a public option. If you want to keep health insurance companies "honest and competitive," why not regulate the industry, ensuring they are honest and work within a competitive setting. Why have the GOVERNMENT responsible for executing a health care "corporation." This is not government's role... and for a Harvard-educated man, you know this. So why do you insist upon it? Why change the way our government addresses thing... why not encourage the free-market economy to tackle this issue, but within the confines of a regulatory process. Teddy Roosevelt would give you two thumbs-up for such an endeavor. Please abandon your quasi-socialist take on reforming AMERICAS health care. You can not guarantee the "cost savings" you and your health care team have identified will, indeed, be cost savings. Because you can not project 10 years down the road what our nation will face. So why write legislation that addresses such a timeframe? The American people are fed up... they are fed up with our current healthcare dibacle. But they are even MORE fed up with the government running their lives... and healthcare, ran by the government, will intrude more than the Founding Fathers EVER envisioned. King George would be proud to see it... thus, the reason The British Crown DOESNT control our destiny.

If it's good for the goose, isn't it good for the gander?

2009-07-22T05:45:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Found this video on YouTube after an email on Facebook from the Silent No More group. If this healthcare legislation is going to be so awesome, why then won't Congress use it as well?

You make the call....

Obama admits to blogger he isn't familiar with healthcare legislation being drafted

2009-07-21T21:55:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Earlier today, the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, reported on a blogger's roundtable (interview bloggers via teleconference) and the transcript that came form the roundtable. The transcript, as they found, was quite disturbing.

If you were working to pass a $1 Trillion-plus bill through the U.S. Congress, effectively altering the U.S.'s medical system forever, wouldn't you find it prudent to review every nook and crany in the bill to become familiar with it? Perhaps, to even try and sell it to the American people?

As the Heritage Foundation reported (click here for the story), the President was asked by a blogger from main the following question: "Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?"

The President's response? "“You know, I have to say that I am not familiar with the provision you are talking about.”

The man is looking to completely alter our medical system and way of life forever with a socialist healthcare system, AND HE HASN'T EVEN READ THE DAMN BILL!!! How many times are we going to let politicians get away with passing legislation more expensive than the one before it, and not hold out leaders accountable for not reading the damn legislation!

If this doesn't upset, you are obviously devoid of the national discussion taking place in D.C. and at Town hall meetings nationwide. See some of the following videos for Americans angry at their politicans:

Call you Senators... tell them to read the bill. And once they have read the flawed healthcare legislation, tell them to vote an overwhelming NO on the legislation. Here's the phone numbers:

Senator Mark Udall
Washington, D.C. Office
Senate Hart Office
Building SH-317
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5941

Denver Office
999 18th Street
North Tower, Suite 1525
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-650-7820

Senator Michael Bennet
Washington, D.C. Office
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: (202) 224-5852
Fax: (202) 228-5036

Pikes Peak Office
409 North Tejon St., Suite 107
Colorado Springs, 80903
Phone: (719) 328-1100
Fax: (719) 328-1129

$700 million for HORSES?!?!

2009-07-19T22:25:00.009-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I couldn't believe it when I read it. But sure enough, insanity continues to infiltrate the halls of Congress. Three days ago, I came across an article (linked below) from the blog HotAir about West Virginia's 3rd District Representative, Mr. Nick Rahall, offering up House Resolution 1018, otherwise known as the "Restore our American Mustangs Act." If only this was talking about Ford Mustangs, then at least we would know it was something to do with the American auto industry.

Link to blog.

The "good" Congressman (I use the good term lightly) is abdicating spending up to $700 million dollars to preserve wild horses in the country. This includes the purchase of 19 million acres of land (so it's obvious it's a land grab) to come into provision with the following statement from section one of the bill:

(1) ensure that acreage available for wild and free-roaming horses and burros is at least equal to the acreage where they were found in 1971

According to the news article, the acreage would equal to the amount listed above.

While I don't enjoy linking to any political party's site, the Republican National Committee does a good job of summarizing this. CLICK HERE.

The House recently passed this bill, and now the bill goes to the Senate. The voting on bill was pretty much down party lines. So what can you do to help?

CALL YOUR SENATORS! Tell Udall and Bennet with unemployment at 9.5 percent and projected to grow, wild horses shouldn't be a priority of getting Americans back to work. There contact information is below:

Senator Mark Udall

Washington, D.C. Office

Senate Hart Office

Building SH-317

Washington, D.C. 20510

Phone: 202-224-5941

Denver Office

999 18th Street

North Tower, Suite 1525

Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303-650-7820

Senator Michael Bennet

Washington, D.C. Office

702 Hart Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510Phone: (202) 224-5852Fax: (202) 228-5036

Pikes Peak Office409 North Tejon St., Suite 107Colorado Springs, 80903Phone: (719) 328-1100Fax: (719) 328-1129

'Something of historic proportions is happening'

2009-07-19T22:18:00.004-06:00

The following analysis of America's current political make up came to me via e-mail that surely has made its way across the World Wide Web. It is very thoughtful analysis, and very engaging, comparing our current situation of an unaccountable government (see: Federal Reserve) as well as various other issues. Without further ado...

By Dr. David Kaiser, a professor in the Strategy and Policy Department of the United States Naval War College

"I am a student of history. Professionally, I have written 15 books on history that have been published in six languages, and I have studied history all my life. I have come to think there is something monumentally large afoot, and I do not believe it is simply a banking crisis, or a mortgage crisis, or a credit crisis. Yes these exist, but they are merely single facets on a very large gemstone that is only now coming into a sharper focus. Something of historic proportions is happening.. I can sense it because I know how it feels, smells, what it looks like, and how people react to it.. Yes, a perfect storm may be brewing, but there is something happening within our country that has been evolving for about ten to fifteen years. The pace has dramatically quickened in the past two. We demand and then codify into law the requirement that our banks make massive loans to people we know they can never pay back? Why? We learned just days ago that the Federal Reserve, which has little or no real oversight by anyone, has "loaned" two trillion dollars (that is $2,000,000,000,000) over the past few months, but will not tell us to whom or why or disclose the terms. That is our money. Yours and mine.. And that is three times the $700 billion we all argued about so strenuously just this past September. Who has this money? Why do they have it? Why are the terms unavailable to us? Who asked for it? Who authorized it? I thought this was a government of "we the people," who loaned our

powers to our elected leaders. Apparently not. We have spent two or more decades intentionally de- industrializing our economy. Why? We have intentionally dumbed down our schools, ignored our history, and no longer teach our founding documents, why we are exceptional, and why we are worth preserving. Students by and large cannot write, think critically, read, or articulate. Parents are not revolting, teachers are not picketing, school boards continue to back mediocrity...Why? We have now established the precedent of protesting every close election (violently in California over a proposition that is so controversial that it simply wants marriage to remain defined as between one man and one woman. Did you ever think such a thing possible just a decade ago?) We have corrupted our sacred political process by allowing unelected judges to write laws that radically change our way of life, and then mainstream Marxist groups like ACORN and others to turn our voting system into a banana republic. To what purpose? Now our mortgage industry is collapsing, housing prices are in free fall, major industries are failing, our banking system is on the verge of collapse, social security is nearly bankrupt, as is medicare and our entire government. Our education system is worse than a joke (I teach college and I know precisely what I am talking about) - the list is staggering in its length, breadth, and depth.. It is potentially 1929 x ten... And we are at war with an enemy we cannot even name for fear of offending people of the same religion, who, in turn, cannot wait to slit the throats of your children if they have the opportunity to do so. And finally, we have elected a man that no one really knows anything about, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, let alone a town as big as Wasilla , Alaska . All of his associations and alliances are with real radicals in their chosen fields of employment, and everything we learn about him, drip by drip, is unsettling if not downright scary (Surely you have heard him speak about his idea to create and fund a mandatory civilian defense force stronger than our military for use inside our borders? No? Oh, of course. The media would never play that for you over and over and then demand he answer it. Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter and $150,000 wardrobe is more important.) Mr. Obama's winning platform can be boiled down to one word: Change. Why? I have never been so afraid for my country and for my children as I am now. This man campaigned on bringing people together, something he has never, ever done in his professional life.. In my assessment, Obama will divide us along philosophical lines, push us apart, and then try to realign the pieces into a new and different power structure. Change is indeed coming. And when it comes, you will never see the same nation again. And that is only the beginning.. As a serious student of history, I thought I would never come to experience what the ordinary, moral German must have felt in the mid-1930s. In those times, the "savior" was a former smooth-talking rabble-rouser from the streets, about whom the average German knew next to nothing. What they should have known was that he was associated with groups that shouted, shoved, and pushed around people with whom they disagreed; he edged his way onto the political stage through great oratory. Conservative "losers" read it right now. And there were the promises. Economic times were tough, people were losing jobs, and he was a great speaker. And he smiled and frowned and waved a lot. And people, even newspapers, were afraid to speak out for fear that his "brown shirts" would bully and beat them into submission. Which they did - regularly. And then, he was duly elected to office, while a full-throttled economic crisis bloomed at hand - the Great Depression. Slowly, but surely he seized the controls of government power, person by person, department by department, bureaucracy by bureaucracy. The children of German citizens were at first, encouraged to join a Youth Movement in his name where they were taught exactly what to think. Later, they were required to do so. No Jews of course. How did he get people on his side? He did it by promising jobs to the jobless, money to the money-less, and rewards for the military-industrial complex. He did it by indoctrinating the children, advocating gun control, health care for all, better wages, better jobs, and promising to re-instill pride once again in the country, across Europe , and across the world. He did it with a compliant media - did you know that? And he did this all in the name of justice and .... .. .. change. And the people surely got what they voted for. If you think I am exaggerating, look it up. It's all there in the history books.. So read your history books. Many people of conscience objected in 1933 and were shouted down, called names, laughed at, and ridiculed. When Winston Churchill pointed out the obvious in the late 1930s while seated in the House of Lords in England (he was not yet Prime Minister), he was booed into his seat and called a crazy troublemaker. He was right, though. And the world came to regret that he was not listened to. Do not forget that Germany was the most educated, the most cultured country in Europe . It was full of music, art, museums, hospitals, laboratories, and universities. And yet, in less than six years (a shorter time span than just two terms of the U. S. presidency) it was rounding up its own citizens, killing others, abrogating its laws, turning children against parents, and neighbors against neighbors.. All with the best of intentions, of course. The road to Hell is paved with them. As a practical thinker, one not overly prone to emotional decisions, I have a choice: I can either believe what the objective pieces of evidence tell me (even if they make me cringe with disgust); I can believe what history is shouting to me from across the chasm of seven decades; or I can hope I am wrong by closing my eyes, having another latte, and ignoring what is transpiring around me. I choose to believe the evidence. No doubt some people will scoff at me, others laugh, or think I am foolish, naive, or both. To some degree, perhaps I am. But I have never been afraid to look people in the eye and tell them exactly what I believe- and why I believe it. I pray I am wrong. I do not think I am. Perhaps the only hope is our vote in the next elections."

THE GOOD POST: Michelle Obama's "United We Serve" campaign

2009-06-28T15:44:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since we've had a good post, and as much as we hammer the administration for the crazy, insane things they do, here is a "diamond in the rough" piece of information. I signed up for President Obama's e-mail list so I can see what the White House sends out on a regular basis to push some of their what many call a "radical" agenda, including the recent climate change bill the House of Representatives narrowly passed, the TAKEOVER (not just bailout) of General Motors and Chrysler and the push for healthcare legislation that has the potential to pile ANOTHER large amount of debt onto our country, after Medicaid/Medicare and Social Security. But, the latest e-mail blast, dated June 22, highlights the administrations "United We Serve" volunteering campaign, in which the President asks us to renew our spirit of volunteerism and get out into our communities and held one another. I have re-posted the e-mail blast in its entirety:

Dear Friend, Last week, I announced United We Serve – a nationwide call to service challenging you and all Americans to volunteer this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America. And when I say “all,” I mean everyone – young and old, from every background, all across the country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort. Today, for the official kick off of United We Serve, members of my administration have fanned out across America to participate in service events and encourage all Americans to join them. The First Lady is rolling up her sleeves and getting to work too. But before she headed out today, she asked me to share this message with you.

Our nation faces some of the greatest challenges it has in generations and we know it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get us back on track. While Michelle and I are calling on every American to participate in United We Serve, the call to service doesn’t end this fall. We need to stay involved in our towns and communities for a long time to come. After all, America’s new foundation will be built one neighborhood at a time – and that starts with you.

Thank you, President Barack Obama

Hopefully, we all can get out this summer, help the elderly with painting their house, adopt a Colorado road to help keep the state beautiful or simply serve soup at a food kitchen in downtown Colorado Springs.

'Til next time...

Conyers abandons plan to probe ACORN

2009-06-25T20:04:00.002-06:00

From the Washington Times:

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. has backed off his plan to investigate wrongdoing by the liberal activist group ACORN, saying "powers that be" put the kibosh on the idea.

Mr. Conyers, Michigan Democrat, earlier bucked his party leaders by calling for hearings on accusations the Association of Community Organization for Reform Now (ACORN) has committed crimes ranging from voter fraud to a mob-style "protection" racket.

"The powers that be decided against it," Mr. Conyers told The Washington Times.

The chairman declined to elaborate, shrugging off questions about who told him how to run his committee and give the Democrat-allied group a pass.

Pittsburgh lawyer Heather Heidelbaugh, whose testimony about ACORN at a March 19 hearing on voting issues prompted Mr. Conyers to call for a probe, said she was perplexed by Mr. Conyers' explanation for his change of heart.

"If the chair of the Judiciary Committee cannot hold a hearing if he want to [then] who are the powers that he is beholden to?" she said. "Is it the leadership, is it the White House, is it contributors? Who is 'the power?'"

Capitol Hill Democrats had bristled at proposed hearings because it threatened to rekindle criticism of the financial ties and close cooperation between President Obama's campaign and ACORN and its sister organizations Citizens Services Inc. and Project Vote.

The groups came under fire during the campaign after probes into possible voter fraud in a series of presidential battleground states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Mexico and Nevada.

ACORN and its affiliates are currently the target of at least 14 lawsuits related to voter fraud in the 2008 election and a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act complaint filed by former ACORN members.

The group's leaders have consistently denied any wrongdoing and previously said they welcomed a congressional probe. The group did not immediately respond Thursday to questions about Mr. Conyers being convinced to drop those plans.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/25/conyers-abandons-plan-probe-acorn/

If you aren't convinced the powerful aren't looking out for you, after the NY Times story and the Fox News investigation, here's your proof.

Our Nation and GM and Citigroup ... worth fighting against

2009-06-01T06:44:00.007-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Two disturbing reports are circulating this morning about the fate of both two, large entities in American business and financing: the fate of General Motors and Citigroup. Both entities, as being reported by Yahoo! Finance and Bloomberg.com, have such a huge stake by the federal government in them, it's almost impossible to see these companies in the near future without the government involved in financing their every move.

In the case of GM, dubbed 'Government Motors' by many of the pundits, as of 8 a.m. EST this morning, the company, which once dominated the world-wide landscape of vehicle sales, filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a New York federal court. As reported by Yahoo!, "The plan is for the federal government to take a 60 percent ownership stake in the new GM. The Canadian government would take 12.5 percent, with the United Auto Workers getting a 17.5 percent share and unsecured bondholders receiving 10 percent. Existing GM shareholders are expected to be wiped out." (I placed the "bold" emphasis)

Existing GM shareholders are people who purchased common stock in the company over the many decades it did business. If those people did not sell their stock as of 8 a.m. this morning, their money literally went belly up. But frightening are two factors here: our government, which is supposed to be built on free-market economics, owns a staggering 60 percent take in the "new GM". But also, a foreign nation, Canada, has a 12.5 percent. What the heck is going on here? In simple words, the Congress, in just a few, short months, has totally reversed the course of this nation onto a quasi-socialist bearing not one of us wants to go.

But it gets worse. Citigroup's situation us just as dire. As Bloomberg reports, Citigroup, versus its largest financial competitors, is facing a situation where the government's TARP program may be converting the TARP money into common stock of the company. What does this mean? It means the U.S. will have voting rights within the company, with the ability to force Citigroup to bend to its ever will and force out board members and employees who disagree with it. While many in the Administration will not say this, the end of all benefit for Obama having control over Citigroup allows him to mold the company's future like a piece of clay. Once again, this is NOT government's role.

Already several Congressmen have written Treasury Secretary Geithner, asking him to intervene on their "constituents" behalf. Wells Fargo is expected to liquidate a men's clothing store in its holdings, a store based out of Chicago. As reported, "a May 21 letter sent by Illinois congressmen to Geithner urging him to pressure TARP recipient Wells Fargo not to push for a liquidation of Hartmarx Corp., the ailing Chicago-based menswear maker."

Which means Congress is already meddling in the affairs of businesses under the TARP program. As long as bureaucrats think companies with TARP money can bend to the will of every Congressman/woman or Senator, then the essence of the TARP bailout program is simply just many strings on a puppet, being played and manipulated by as many politicians as possible. It's just sickening to think our nation has plunged this far into interfering with the free-market system.

So what is to be done? CALL YOUR CONGRESSMAN/WOMAN and SENATORS! DEMAND they voice their opposition to continued bailouts of corporations, including GM and Citigroup. DEMAND they publicly denounce the use of YOUR tax money for these purposes! Small businesses, numbering in the thousands, close their doors every month. Why should a big business be treated any differently. The government can't handle bailing out small businesses everywhere, even though those businesses make up the majority of hiring in our country. Why should there be a separate standard for the perceived "fat cats" on Wall Street and in Detroit?

Remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice

2009-05-29T21:43:00.002-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

First off, I found this image only on May 29. It was very moving to me. So, no more words.

Healthcare: two reasons the Obama Admin needs to push legislation this year

2009-05-29T21:33:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Recently, I posted a response to a story on Politico (www.politico.com) about why Obama ad his administration knows why if universal healthcare is not passed this year. I thought you all might find it intriguing:

Why would we need to press so hard on health care in the context of "now or never?" Don't get me wrong, the need to solve this healthcare question is critical. But if the country has waited this long, why can't we wait until a robust debate has been completed on healthcare reform? It seems to me, gauging the political and economic climates, Obama wants healthcare passed before Labor Day because of two, distinct reasons:

1) From a political standpoint, 42 percent of Americans favor "every one in the United States having free health care". 44 percent oppose. (according to a Rasmussen poll dated May 18, 2009). But, by almost 2-to-1 margin, Americans "reject free health care for all if it means changing their own coverage and joining a program administered by the government." President Obama knows this, and the only way for the government to step in and administer health care at the rate he feels it could, would be a competitve federal healthcare system. The problem there is, as we see with the bailout of companies and the banks, the federal government's coffers are much deeper than any insurance companies. How long would it take for the FEDGOV to bankrupt national healthcare, much like Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid? In the end, only the FEDGOV healthcare could compete in that market, with private health insurance companies going the way of the Edsel. And then, to save money, who do you think will regulate healthcare? I'm sure a non-taxpaying healthcare czar would be appointed to oversee.

2) From an economic standpoint. We read the news each day. Tax revenue for the nation is at one of its lowest points in history. With no tax money coming in, programs either need to be slashed to compensate, or, we do what is being done now: deficit spending. Spend what you don't have to fund what shouldn't be funded. That's the Democratic Congress right now (Repubs can be blamed as well). But as the economic crisis continues, and we move deeper into the recession, Obama knows he needs to pass the legislation on healthcare this year because if it is held off until 2010, the American people will be galvanized by the tremendous debt the nation suffers from, as well as by projected inflation expected to kick in going into Fiscal year 2010.

If Obama doesn't get the healthcare legislation this year, all bets may be off. But it's a perfect storm for anti-government healthcare: The executive and legislative branches are held by liberals dominately, and arguably by far-lefter liberals than most. If conservatives (BlueDog Dems and Repubs) can't stop the legislative, it's game over for free-markets and hello to a quasi-socialist healthcare system.

Is a VAT tax coming to the U.S.? Maybe according to the Washington Post

2009-05-28T22:22:00.009-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Wow, a disturbing news reporting on the Washington Post's Web site on May 27. It appears there are some lawmakers on Capital Hill who are looking to our European brethern on how best to supply fresh capital into the coffers of government. Under consideration is a value-added tax, or VAT tax. This is, essentially, a national sales tax on everything you buy. It is, essentially, another way for the government to take money from you.

As we hear more about "universal health care", or socialized medicine as it's really known as, the government will require not only fresh capital, but lots of it to support the enormous costs associated with nationalized health care (that's where the government has a competing health care pool that no health care company can compete with, ultimately ushering in a one-party healthcare system... a la the government). So what's yet another way for the federal government to reach into your pocket and take MORE money? VAT would be that!

Here's the story.

And now I name names. Sen. Kent Conrad, a Democrat from North Dakota, was quoted by the WaPo as saying "There is a growing awareness of the need for fundamental tax reform ... I think a VAT and a high-end income tax have got to be on the table."

Folks, if you don't believe me on liberals wanting to add additional taxes, look no further than Kent Conrad. I know... I know. You're saying we need to blame North Dakota for electing him. While not entirely a bad idea, Conrad is in the senate seat. So do me a favor? Why don't you call his office? Here's the info:

Senator Kent Conrad

530 Hart Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-3403
Phone: (202) 224-2043
Fax: (202) 224-7776
Online: http://conrad.senate.gov/contact
E-mail: https://conrad.senate.gov/contact/webform.cfm

State Offices

Minot:

U.S. Federal Building, Room 105
100 1st Street SW
Minot, ND 58701

Phone: (701) 852-0703
Fax: (701) 838-8196

Grand Forks:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 104
102 North 4th Street
Grand Forks, ND 58203

Phone: (701) 775-9601
Fax: (701) 746-1990

Bismarck:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 228
220 East Rosser Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501

Phone: (701) 258-4648
Fax: (701) 258-1254

Fargo:
U.S. Federal Building, Room 306
657 2nd Avenue North
Fargo, ND 58102

Phone: (701) 232-8030
Fax: (701) 232-6449

Are Chrysler dealership closures being cherry picked based upon their owner's campaign contributions?

2009-05-28T21:54:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

You know folks, we talk a lot about taxation with the TEA Parties. It's obviously important to bring to light the travesties of government of overtaxation ... not only through things like property and sales tax, but the small taxes hiding under the rock, like increased state gasoline taxes, miscellaneous penny taxes they try to pass to "shore up funding" they need... while they refuse to cut spending.

But the TEA Parties also stand for government accountability and returning to a strict interpretation of the Constitution. On that subject, I want you to know about the latest Chrysler information coming from Detroit.

World Net Daily, a conservative-leaning news reporting Web site, is reporting on the more than 700 dealerships getting the axe from the Chrysler bailout/bankruptcy debacle. Of those more than 700 dealerships, WND has learned through their own research that when matching the list of owners of these dealerships versus their political donations, more than 90 percent of the owners gave to Republican candidates. Less than 10 percent gave to either then Senator Clinton, former Senator Edwards and then Senator Obama.

Yet, many of the most profitable dealerships on the list, which are scheduled for closure over the next two months, are getting the axe. And these profitable dealerships are owned by Republicans.

Here's the story.

Now, I don't know if this is enough evidence. Far from it... it's difficult to tell if there is something fishy going on here. But I would hope that some investigating will get to the bottom of this. I, for one, would like to know the truth on Chrysler's systematic plan for dealership closures.

There are a lot of people who purchased MOPAR vehicles for their dealerships in the hope of keeping the company alive. After purchasing massive amounts of inventory, which Chrysler, in effect, off loaded, they turned right around and closed a good portion of the dealers. What happens to the cars? After they are closed, they can continue to sell off their inventory, but the popular warranties that usually come with vehicles will no longer be honored by Chrysler. So, who buys a car without a warranty? No one, that's who.

If you want to see the dealer list, it's here.

Folks, I guess my best advice from this column is to be ever mindful of government. Government is still ran by men and women, some of which can and are corrupted. It's sad to think it, but look no further than Sen. Roland Burris from Illinois. He lied to the Illinois Senate committee on the Blago investigation. So, remember, always keep a magnifying glass on them. Because the Chrysler deal, as it continues to unravel, looks like politics, rather than economics, trumped the carmaker's fate.

Statewide petition effort from Doug Bruce's office

2009-05-27T22:28:00.005-06:00

It seems Rep. Doug Bruce from Colorado Springs is pushing for petition support to get 120,000 signatures throughout the summer in support of two initiatives. Those are:

Colorado Citizens for Colorado here.

Limit Property Tax here.

These are two initiatives that aim to give power back to the Colorado taxpayer via the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR. Supporting these initiatives forces the Denver state house to come to grips with what all of us already know: money is scarce, we need a balanced budget and additional taxation, especially in times of recession, are not the way an effective representative government operates.

For more information, call Jeff Wright at (719) 330-1358 (cell phone). Get involved!

THE GOOD POST: Results from our local polls

2009-05-20T20:06:00.012-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Well gang, thought this would be a good opportunity to compile the information from our small, yet modest polls on the future of the Colorado Springs TEA Party movement. Without further ado:

In poll number one, we asked "WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE COLORADO SPRINGS TEA PARTY MOVEMENT DO NOW?"

It was pretty evenly split, but there are some differences. 16 of you said we should do another TEA Party protest in town, which equalled 39 percent of those polls. On the other side, 36 percent, or 15 of you, asked if we can get involved with straightening out local politics. And lastly, 10 of you, or 24 percent, wanted to take the TEA Parties to Denver's capital steps. However, I think one stat that is very important is that no one voted declaring the TEA Parties have no where else to go. Faith, in every day actions and in the movement, is critical.

Now the second poll asked "WE'RE PLANNING ON A TOWN HALL MEETING SOON FOR THE TEA PARTY MOVEMENT ... WHICH DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE DISCUSSED?"

For me, this poll was a bit more interesting as we focused on a specific event, if held. The big items, focusing on talking less and mobilizing as well as talking about a way forward to plan our next move were the same, both garnering 35 percent of the vote, with 11 votes cast each. Those two answers are in stark contrast to each other. Seven other folks, making up 22 percent, wanted to talk about how the TEA Party can get involved with local politics, while 6 percent, or two people, wanted to talk more about the tea parties themselves.

So, what's the bottomline? Looks like the folks who participated in the polls (31 in one and 41 in the other) are showing us the TEA Parties are still getting organized, putting together a solid campaign. But two distinct themes continued through each. 1) People want the TEA Parties to continue and 2) people want to get involved with local politics.

Another poll will be coming out soon and we ask for you to get involved. Until then, keep showing your support for the TEA Parties. After all, our Declaration of Independence from the British Crown will be honored once again July 4th. That's the same day YOU get the chance to speak out against those in government, here in Colorado at in D.C., you're mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore!

Your socialized health care bill? Make the check to "cash" for the total of $1 Trillion

2009-05-19T21:36:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

The numbers are staggering and unbelievable. Are you ready for the Democrats plan for socialized health care? Tax your employer health care benefits, raising a $1 trillion for further redistribution to those who can't pay health care. Once again, Karl Marx is getting the last laugh after years of fighting the exact ideology overtaking the halls of Congress and the White House today.

The information, available from the CATO Institute, works to outline the stark differences from the John McCain plan (tax health benefits, but provide a health care credit to works, virtually zeroing out the tax) to the liberal plan, which taxes the healthcare... but doesn't answer the question of controlling spending or putting the money back into the hands of the average citizen.

When does this madness stop? AFTER YOU STAND UP! Call you Congressmen/women, demand your 5 minutes on the phone with them and tell them how you feel about this. HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE! The memory of a free man or woman in our Republic is very long and very sharp.

Fight the growing government bureaucracy threatening each and everyone of us. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD!

Now Rep. Murtha's NEPHEW is in on the pork barrel money trail

2009-05-18T22:37:00.010-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

First off, thanks for the patience in waiting for a new blog post. Over the recent days and nights, I have been studying for a big promotion examination in my Reserve unit in the military. I have never mentioned this, but I can tell you I am a part-time Reservist. And I passed... so now we can get on with the blogs.

You know, this is exactly why ordinary people are standing up and saying to their elected leaders NO MORE! I don't try to post new things on John Murtha from Pennsylvania, but it's so hard not too. Especially since the Washington Post has the exclusive on this story. What's the new update? John Murtha's ... nephew.

According to the Washington Post story, the nephew, Robert Murtha Jr., as an engineer and "small business owner," "benefited from some of the defense contracts when companies brought him in to manage a small portion of the work. Even when the main contract shifted to a new company, he continued to be paid as part of the team."

It gets better though (is this an oxymoron?). Those who worked for the Congressman's nephew, like Jeff Curtis, who worked for Robert Murtha in 2001, did just abut nothing on the job, while collecting government money for work supposed to be performed on biological agents.

Here's Jeff Curtis's words: "I was always thinking, 'Why is the government paying this company? If it's fair to have this kind of no-bid work, I'll start a company and do it for half as much. Because this company didn't do anything."

Insanity... but I say that alot, don't I? Action people, ACTION! Call Rep. Murtha's office. DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION ... DEMAND HIS OFFICE COME CLEAN! AND DEMAND CONGRESS TO LOOK INTO MURTHA'S DEALINGS!

Here are the contacts to his offices:

Armstrong County:
Armstrong County Courthouse
450 East Market Street
1st Floor, New Annex
Kitanning, PA 16201
(724) 543-3607

Fayette County:
20 North Gallatin Avenue
Suite 216
Uniontown, PA 15401
(724) 434-2620

Brownsville Borough Building
2nd and High Street
Brownsville, PA 15417

Connellsville Municipal Building
110 North Arch Street
Connellsville, PA 15425
(724) 626-2910

Greene County:
Carmichaels Borough Building
100 West George Street
Carmichaels, PA 15320

Greene County Office Building
93 East High Street
Room 303
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 852-2209

Indiana County:
Indiana County Courthouse Annex
827 Water Street, 2nd Floor Suite 1
Indiana, PA 15705
(724) 349-3195

Washington County:
Centerville Borough Building
100 East End Road
Centerville, PA 15222

Donora Public Library
510 Meldon Avenue
Donora, PA 15033
(724) 379-9002

56 Maiden Street
Washington, PA 15301
(724) 229-8300

Westmoreland County:
1010 Jefferson Street
Latrobe, PA 15650
(724) 532-0978

Lower Burrell City Hall
2800 Bethel Street
Lower Burrell, PA 15068
(724) 334-8700

Say good bye earlier to Social Security and Medicare

2009-05-12T22:10:00.008-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Geez, I sure do take a lot of time sometimes to update the blog. But the update I have this evening is definitely worth your viewing.

The trustee report, an annual assessment of the "health" of both the Social Security and Medicare programs, gave a grim assessment to the overall health of both programs for 2009. It was found that Social Security itself will be come insolvent (no money for Social Security) four years earlier than projected, from 2041 to 2037. Even more frightening is the the Medicare/Medicaid situation, in which rising health care costs, coupled with less tax revenue from the recession, is ballooning the cost of health care beyond the average American's control.

Here's the story.

What do you want me to say? I told you so? If our government continues to waste 1 out of every 3 dollars it spends, maybe the systems should fail to remind every American just how precise and needed it is to have oversight over the very government that collects their taxes. In reality, the systems do need overhauling, especially as our own grandparents (my parents are baby boomers... they'll be next) enter into these entitlement programs. Social security has been squandered over the years as politicians from both sides of the aisle have vied for funding and pork-barrel projects for their own districts, forgetting that the very money they were getting allocated was already reserved for Social Security recipients.

FDR really left us his legacy... Social Security spending.

It's coming... taxation against... your soft drink?

2009-05-12T20:14:00.011-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Well fellow citizens, the Congress has found yet another way to reach into your pocket book and take more from you. And the scary thing is we talked about this in a blog several weeks ago.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Senate leaders are considering new federal taxes on soda and other sugary drinks to help pay for an overhaul of the nation's health-care system."

Folks, if there was ever a time that something needed to be thrown into a harbor, it was now. Can you image the U.S. Congress taxing soda and surgery drinks? THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! Think about it... every once in a while, I love to crack open a cold Pepsi, especially from the fountain. People who drink soda know it has sugar. And if you drink it, then you know it's not good for you... but Americans (I think we still have a free country) should be allowed to drink soda into oblivion... where in the Constitution does it give the right to tax drinks to pay for a socialist, government-ran healthcare system. THIS IS NOT WHAT WE PAY THESE PEOPLE ON CAPITAL HILL TO DO!!!

Here's the gist of it all from the WSJ: "... plans to propose a federal excise tax on soda, certain fruit drinks, energy drinks, sports drinks and ready-to-drink teas." A federal excise tax is being proposed. IN-SAN-IT-Y.

And people want to know why the TEA Parties are growing momentum. Because of CRAP like this.

Fight the good fight America... it's coming.

THE GOOD POST: Feedback from an average citizen

2009-05-11T20:33:00.011-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Well, it hasn't been quite a week, but I think a recent e-mail I received from Theresa in the local area was worthy of "The Good Post." Here's the e-mail:

"I received an e-mail from you and went to your site. I really enjoyed it and think you have some very good points.

Is your group the one that coordinated the Tea Party in Colorado Springs on April 15th? I went to that gathering and it was so great. I was amazed at how well attended it was and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I still have the signs, and am anxious to use them again.

I logged onto the ReTeaParty site looking for information about a Tea Party on Independence Day. The Tea Parties were so successfully around the country, that I would be disappointed if the momentum was lost. It has gotten to be so difficult to be heard by most anyone in Washington, DC. Without the press, this seemed to be the only successful venue in which we were heard.

So, is your group planning another Tea Party? I didn't find anything under "Colorado Springs" on the ReTeaParty site, so volunteered to coordinate something if needed. I was actually very surprised that nothing was listed under Colorado Springs or Denver. And, I would be soooo grateful if someone with actual experience was planning something. I would love to help, or if your group is not doing anything, I will do my best to put something together. At any rate, could you please let me know, as I will need to get started as soon as possible if you are not doing anything.

Thank you so much, and God Bless.

Theresa"

Theresa, thanks for the kind words. So here are some answers for you:

1) Yup, a group of highly-dedicated organizers from Colorado Springs helped to put on the Acacia Park TEA Party gathering. The organizers are just regular folks that heard the call to stand up against the increased expansion of federal powers, the drunk spending fest in Washington D.C. of OUR taxpayer money and the continuing deteriation of what seems to be a large shift away from our Constitution and the beliefs of our Founding Fathers.

2) Yup again, we are planning a second Tea Party protest for July 4. Locations that have been mentioned include Monument and Black Forest, as well as Colorado Springs. Stay tuned to the Web site (www.cspringsteaparty.com) for the latest. We'll update it the minute we have the plan!

3) We would LOVE your help! Obviously, any grassroots campaign (not that "astroturf" stuff you hear about on the news) needs "boots on the ground" to go door-to-door in support of the TEA Party movement. Also, stay informed! Keep your Congressmen/women and Senators (state and federal) apprised of your opinion on how your tax money is being spent. If no one raised their voice, the politicians wouldn't be held accountable.. and that must begin now!

I'd be lying if I said I wanted this to be the last letter we got. So, come on citizens of Colorado Springs, visit the site, tell a friend, get involved and stay tuned... the next TEA Party is coming!

GM's fate toward bankruptcy almost certain

2009-05-10T21:42:00.007-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Hate being proven right? In this instance, like Chrysler, the TEA Parties should. While economists across the country have said bankruptcy for the auto giants GM and Chrysler is almost inevitable (Chrysler has claimed it), our nation continued to pump BILLIONS of dollars into the auto companies, presumably not for the company's profitability, but to prop up the unions (our current president was propped up BIG TIME by the United Auto Workers). Here's the latest story for proof.

But, even though those dollars could have gone to teachers in Michigan where the Unions hold a death grip over the companies they infiltrate, the BILLIONS of dollars were still pumped into dying companies. Bankruptcies, via the Chapter 11 avenue, allow businesses to have a judge declare null and void debt owed to creditors. Obviously the company's credit rating will plummet as it restructures and retools itself to come out of a bankruptcy better than before. But if that's the case, why didn't GM and Chrysler go through bankruptcy hearings months ago? Weren't we told around Christmas time in 2008 that without an infusion of case into the companies, they would collapse in weeks, if not days?

And here we are just four months later... bankruptcy. So where did all that BILLIONS of TAXPAYER money go, anyways? If the government HAD to spend this money, let's take a look at what the state of Michigan could have gotten:

In 2005, the average teacher's salary was $56,973. That means for the$39 billions spent on the bailout, you could fund more than 6,800 teachers in the state. Or, you could have easily have raised their salaries. Just to put it in perspective.

And we aren't holding any of our political leaders accountable. Are we calling our Congressmen/women, and voicing our opinion as to their original support for the bailout dollars? If not, we are the ones to blame. We need to ratchet up the attacks on those politicians who feel it's okay to spend OUR money on a company that was going to go into bankruptcy anyways.

Here are some the main culprits of the original bailout:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio
Kit Bond, R-Missouri

Just to name a few. Call them... and give them a piece of your mind.

China says 'no' to buying more U.S. debt

2009-05-10T11:10:00.012-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

First off, MY APOLOGIES! I missed Saturday's post! Changing your own brakes might save you some money in the long run, but prepare yourself to give up a big portion of your day! Ford has its own tools you need to change brakes... and it took me three trips to NAPA for the right stuff. ARGH!!

Anywho, on to the serious stuff. I caught this Associated Press story, dated April 30, on Representative Mark Kirk, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and co-chair of a group of lawmakers promoting relations with Beijing, where he said that China had "very legitimate" concerns about its investments. Those investments? U.S. DEBT!

And if I were China, I wouldn't feel compelled to buy our country's debt either, especially since we're creating more! The TEA Parties aren't about political party or affiliation. More so, we target those who have lost their way as far as leading our country in the right direction. President George W. Bush started the slippery slope downward with his approval of "TARP 1," and he got a LOT of flack from everyday, outside-the-Beltway Americans. But then, we learn of TARP 2, the Stimulus Bill, the expanded $3.6 trillion budget and additional spending under President Barack Obama. And they want to know why we criticize him three ways from Sunday.

Folks, China is just the beginning. Why would anyone want to buy our debt when we have no clear plan to re-balance our budget and begin paying down that debt, especially as we look at upwards of 9-10 TRILLION dollars worth of deficit spending up to 2019. Insanity doesn't begin to describe it.

Read this excerpt from the AP story: "Treasury Department data shows that investors in China have sharply curtailed their purchases of bonds in January and February." That is a trend folks, not a one-time deal. We have no clear solution in Washington to save America jobs, other than to throw money at the problem. Money isn't the solution to our problems ... reorganizing is.

We all talk about saving GM and Chrysler jobs.. then why do the Unions continue to reject (until just before the deadline for restructing) any cuts to benefits or wages in the face of their companies going under? American car companies pay their workers almos twice as much as foreign automakers on U.S. soil. BTW.. those car companies built vehicles Americans WANT to purchase. And a good chunk of the cost of your vehicle goes to legacy costs within those car companies that they can't keep up with.

Be forewarned... our incredible spending habits in the U.S. Congress will be our undoing, much like our Roman counterparts from centuries before. Corruption, I dare to say, is the norm.

THE GOOD POST: Tea Party gets Quincy, Ill, mobilized!

2009-05-08T07:06:00.007-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

The power of the Web continually amazes me, folks. And we've proven it once again in the small town of Quincy, Illinois. When the local leader of the Tea Party movement was denied his right to address the city council by a vote to deny his speech, there was a firestorm against the city council there after a blog we posted and provided to the National Tea Party Web site. For those unfamiliar with what I'm talking about, see the link beow to the interview with Mr. Steve McQueen, the Tea Party leader.

Click here for the video.

I just want to let each and everyone of you know that embracing and using the Web for the powers of good is the ultimate goal here. Not once did any Tea party member smear another human being when being outraged over the McQueen incident, unlike many far-left bloggers that use the internet to smear and destroy those they disagree with (>see Huffington post and/or the Daily Kos). This is why we'll prevail over the juggernaut of far-left liberals out there in the world. I am an independent, as many of you know, but there are far more hateful far-left folks out there than any other group of people. I'm not sure if they got picked on as a kid one too many times and never recovered, but one thing is for sure: they are sick and have an illness.

Once again, I am proud of each and everyone of you that stood up, called Quincy's media and local mayor and let your outrage be known. We will get bigger and bigger as the months go on... continue to follow the movement, and continue to stay tuned for bigger and better things ahead.

Taxation without Representation?

2009-05-07T19:16:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

There are those that tend to view our country in one of two prisms: a country of perfection with on-going challenges or a challenged country that will always be far from perfection. I argue for the former.

But one of our country’s founding principles that led to such famous insurrections such as the Boston Tea Party is ensuring that each of our countrymen are represented based upon their taxation. But today, could one argue there is taxation without representation? I ask you to dwell on the following: The payment of taxation is, in its very essence, justified as part of a citizen’s general obligations to obey the law and support established institutions, to include policing, fire department services and roadway infrastructure as examples. Each of the aforementioned services are afforded to all who pay taxes.

But wait! Therein lies the problem with the previous statement. We have heard time and time again, especially throughout our recent presidential election, that the rich pay too little or too much in federal income taxation. According to Stephen Moore, a senior economist for the Wall Street Journal, the wealthiest 1 percent of our country’s population earned 19 percent of the income in 2007, but pay 37 percent of the income tax. More alarming, the top 10 percent pay an astonishing 68 percent of the tab. Meanwhile, the bottom 50 percent of income tax payers—those below the median income level—earn 13 percent of the income but pay just 3 percent of the taxes. In a word ladies and gentlemen, unconstitutional.

So why is it then that the wealthiest of us who pay an exorbitant amount of taxes don’t have additional representation in their respective government institutions and those who pay no taxes have no representation in government? Simply put, equality for all. Many will hear these words and instantly label me as un-supportive of the poor, a proponent for the rich and just plain uncaring for those in dire financial straits. And to those who claim this I say sit down and remain silent. Let us remind ourselves that in the United States, “all men are created equal.” No better evidence of this can be found but in our president. So if each of us are equal in our own right and have had the fortunate outcome of being born citizens of the U.S., then why don’t we all shoulder the burden equally as we all use and/or rely on the same resources. Ladies and gentlemen, I challenge you to embrace the flat tax program.

Our complicated federal and, sometimes, state income taxes represent overburdening and complex tax systems. And this same system leaves more than half of our citizens out of their obligation to pay these taxes for use of services the government provides. Yet, I ask you that is it allowable for a the few wealthy in our system to shoulder the burden of our entire country? This is simply preposterous. If a flat tax system were introduced, according to Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka, senior fellows with the Hoover Institution, all business and individual income would be taxed at rate of 19 percent. Most deductions would be eliminated altogether, resulting in a drastic simplification of the tax code and a tax return form that would fit on the back of a postcard.

But how does one’s country continue to prosper in these economic times, even with a flat tax introduction? The need for Congress and government institutions to exercise extreme fiscal restraint has come to a head. If the 111th Congress continues on the same route as the two Congressional sessions before it, the continuation of earmark and pork barrel spending will most certainly lead our country to an economic reckoning the likes of which our generations have never seen.

Fiscal responsibility, one of the Tea Party's biggest rallying cries, will overcome this situation, I have no doubt. But it must be fiscal responsibility with any and all parties, Democrat or Republican. Because there is much more than any political party at stake; an entire nation rests not only on righting our financial ship, but ensuring each and every one of our citizens pay their fair share. You may ask why this is so important? Because I believe it comes down to one word again: equality. We all inhabit our country and use its resources. We should then all pay into her -- equally.

So how do we get there, to a flat tax system? Using our Republic’s number-one ability for change: vote. We must educate and inform the masses of the need for equality in the tax system. Then we must reach out to them again, showing them that fiscally-minded politicians are the ones capable of such fiscal change and spending restraint. It is true that fiscal responsibility lost its way between the 108th and 109th Congresses. But today offers us great hindsight. Americans decided by a small margin to give Democrats the ability to run our country. And many believe the direction they will go will not benefit any American, just those institutions that continue to fund their campaigns. Americans need to look no further than Congressman John Murtha, who has funneled millions of dollars of taxpayer money (that's money you and I earned, by the way) to a small airport in his district that employees more TSA workers than it has travelers. Congressman Murtha has also succeeded channeling $4 million of NO-BID CONTRACTS (see: Washington Post) to his nephew's company in the same area.

Tea Partiers look around and are proud of our Republic, where every man and woman has the right to their vote and no one else's. The only thing Tea Partiers are afraid of more than anything is selling out on their principles. We must show the country that her best years lie ahead, and the direction to those years is not found through larger government, increased taxation or the continued weight of burdening and archaic tax system that shoulders the future on the very few versus the overwhelming majority. Our Founding Father's philosophies on smaller government and personal responsibility that has been etched into our psyche oh so many years ago continue to ring in our ears. We must continue to embrace and remember the legacies of Lincoln, Teddy and Reagan before us. Our country will prosper, but only if we entrust it to its citizens and not to out-of-touch career legislators. And even if those legislators are Democrats or Republicans, any politician who believes the country is best suited by principles other than those I have described are not Americans at all! A true description of a sheep in wolves clothing.

One beautiful way to showcase our fiscal mentality is through the flat tax system. I believe if Americans embraced this system, our country’s future could be brighter than any time before, while all her citizens shared and shouldered the burden of ensuring her brightness remained.

Cap and Trade legislation... are you following it?

2009-05-06T22:15:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

CNSNews.com is reporting on Republicans opposition to any cap-and-trade legislation in its current form, where companies are are given a "cap" for as much carbon footprint as they are allowed to make, but they can "trade" carbon vouchers from the government for a fee. Now, do you think for a second businesses will say "well, we should really take care of paying for the trade, so we won't push the cost to the consumer." If you believe this, there truly is no coming back for you from la-la land.

It's difficult to get exact numbers on this, because cap-and-trade is nothing but a text book arithmetic math problem that has never been implemented, so people on both sides of the aisle truly have no idea what the costs will eventually be. But there is one piece of fact that will always remain: if the government is involved and thought it could squeeze more money out of something, it probably will try.

Republicans say cap-and-trade will increase the tax burden on people by almost $3,100 a year. Democrats say it's much less, with the possibility of it being no cost at all. This is all based off a report from M-I-T.

My take on cap-and-trade? While it's important to think of natural resources and our country's beauty and preserving it all, especially living in Colorado, we must also remember this: do we put American companies, workers and jobs on the line for cap-and-trade? Compared to other advanced industrial nations out there (China, India), they do not have type of cap-and-trade system in place, nor are they considering such action. Until nations across the globe agree to the same legislation, I am not in favor in giving India or China a leg up and America be the only one out there doing this. Let me put it another way... no industry, no jobs, no stable America. But at least the polar bears will live.

Makes sense, right? Here's the CNS story.

Only 3 out of 10 Congressmen/women show up for stimulus oversight meeting

2009-05-06T05:41:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Thank God for the Washington Times. Seems to be the only watchdog in Washington worth a damn. Apparent;y Congress is leaving it up to you and I to be the "watchdogs" over the stimulus program, ensuring the money is spent wisely. What the hell is that all about? We have the FBI in this country to ensure fraud, waste and abuse doesn't take place and they want the everyday citizen to be the official watchdog? Do these people in D.C. not know we all have full time jobs to support the damn stimulus in the first place? (Hits head with V-8 bottle)

Here's my favorite quote from these idiots:

"We are, in essence, deputizing the entire American citizenry to help with the oversight of this program," said Rep. Brad Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology's subcommittee on investigations and oversight.

And remember that whole recovery.org Web site? Well, here's what they have to say to that:

"As I mentioned in my testimony," Mr. Devaney said, "that Web site is evolving. ... I would probably be the first to admit today the Web site doesn't give you that kind of information."

Insanity... SIMPLE, UTTER INSANITY that we let these people run our country. Here's the story.

So what's next... questions from Colorado Springs citizens

2009-05-05T22:12:00.007-06:00

By Steve Collier, Stephen Collier

I've been asked many times "so you had a Tea Party.. what's next?" An excellent question.

Some ideas being thrown around (bear with the organization... we just came off the April 15 part a little over two weeks ago ;-)

1) Colorado Springs Town Hall meeting. Let's take it to the people. Let's give you, the citizen, an open forum. Not a Democrat, not a Republican, not a political forum. Just an opportunity to go somewhere, take a microphone and tell your fellow citizens what you like and what you don't like. When's the last time you had the opportunity to address thousands of your fellow citizens at one time to let them know what's on your mind in regards to your community and its direction.

2) July 4th Tea Party. It only seems fitting to have a Tea Party on the founding of our nation. Perhaps on July 3rd, so our families can enjoy Independence Day in a non-political environment. But regardless of how and what we do, our Founding Fathers would want us to take the occasion of our nation's founding to protest a large, central government, out of control spending and eventual taxation (there was no income tax at the founding of our nation), and a perceived inability of America's citizens to hold accountable those elected to office.

3) You name it! You know, we can only think of so many things to do for the Tea Party. We want suggestions. Do we focus on specific legislation? Do we focus on Colorado Springs politics and its leaders? Do we take our movement to the state capital? Should we be focused on federal issues? It's a wide range of issues, but issues YOU should be engaged on. Of course, e-mail us for ideas! We've got some, but we'd rather take into account yours first.

So vote in our poll at the top of the page, e-mail us at coloradospringstaxdayteaparty@gmail.com and stay plugged in to the Tea Party. We promise to make sure you know as quickly as possible what's next on the agenda to take our Nation back!

A CALL TO ACTION! Tea party protester denied freedom of speech!

2009-05-04T22:53:00.008-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

DATELINE: Quincy, Illinois. Folks, this is just outrageous! Steve McQueen, the organizer of the city's Tea Party in April, was denied, on a party-line vote (7 Dems, 6 Reps), the ability to address the city council on its recent budget that passed, which included water and sewage tax increases.

According to the story by www.quincynews.org, the motion was passed not to allow him to speak on the issue, and even the mayor chimed in on after he was sworn in to office in Quincy.

So here's what we need to do as a Tea Party folks. We need to support our own, so do the following:

1) Call the town of Quincy. Demand to speak to the Mayor's office. Here's the info:
Mayor John A. Spring
730 Maine Street
Quincy, IL 62301
(217) 228-4545

2) E-mail the mayor's office. Here's the email: mayor@quincyil.gov

3) Quincy media outlets. Voice your opinion. Here's a list of media:

A) QuincyNew.org
P: 217-617-6665
E: http://www.quincynews.org/contact.html

B) Quincy Herald Whig
Managing editor: Don Crim
P: 217-221-3361
E: dcrim@whig.com

C) WGEM (NBC) (Also their number for the radio affiliate)
P: (217) 228-6655
E: news@wgem.com

Start the calls, start the e-mails... let them know you're pissed and the Tea Party's won't stand for it!

Chrysler getting MORE money during bankruptcy than they did during bailout

2009-05-03T22:16:00.010-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

These automaker bailouts just make me want to go crazy! After we, the taxpayer (ya know, those hard-working people that work at least 8-5 and pay into the coffers of government) paid $4 billion into Chrysler to keep it afloat, now the government will be extending up to $8 billion in promised funding for Chrysler's bankruptcy deal to ensure the company can remain stable.

Here's the story

Folks, this is UTTER MADNESS! I want to know what the plan is to bailout every American company that is struggling in this economy. It's not our fault leadership of both GM and Chrysler dropped the ball, letting their companies fail. It's not our fault both car manufacturer's unions held a death grip over the company, ensuring prices are jacked up for over-inflated benefits for unionized workers. And it's DEFINITELY not our fault that both car companies can't built vehicles to compete with their foreign counterparts. When does this end? I want to know when senators like Richard Shelby of Alabama are going to hold the Fed's feet to the fire and demand an extension of credit to foreign automakers that built vehicles on U.S. soil... and that, you know, actually are PROFITABLE!

Here's an e-mail message I recently sent to the White House:

"It appears the White House is very interested in dipping its fingers, at the least, into the world of private enterprise (i.e.-Chrysler LLC's bankruptcy filings for 30 April 2009). Based upon this very delicate, tailor-made bankruptcy, what are President Obama's plans to offer this type of government-intervening type of bankruptcy protection for ALL businesses who feel their products won't be purchased by consumers under the guise of "a bankrupt company". And please don't ask Mr. Robert Gibbs to answer... I want a subject matter expert in your admin. I am entitled to answer from someone whose paycheck I finance. From Colorado Springs, CO, Steve Collier"

The real answer is our country shouldn't be bailing out anyone! You want to bailout someone and don't know where to spend that tax money that doesn't even exist? CUT TAXES! Take a paycut Congress, you obviously aren't working hard enough for the paycheck you're getting now (see John Murtha and corruptness // see Diane Feinstein and her sending billions of dollars to her husband's firm). I really wish I made some of this up people, but I'm not. All I can do is educate the masses.

It is YOU that must stand up and let your voice be heard!

Time for another GOOD POST!

2009-05-02T23:26:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

It's that time once more for the GOOD POST! To be on the positive side today, I have two really awesome things to let you know about. First, take a look at the video imbedded below. Glenn Beck had on his program today (it might have aired Friday... not sure) a re-attack with Tea Party members and their thoughts on the media. It was, by all accounts, a good exchange. Please enjoy below. Not sure where the video is in its entirety, but I'm sure you can find it ;-)

Second thing is the Coalition for a Conservative Majority meeting is going to be held Tuesday, May 5 at 6 p.m. at the Retired Enlisted Association at 834 Emory Circle. Donna and I are going to attend to gel our resources together with CCM. After that, there will be a scheduled town hall meeting at a location and date yet to be determined. We're sure it will be in May, perhaps later in the month.

So this town hall meeting... why should you attend? Simple... you decide the fate of the Tea Party movement. Once we announce the town hall meeting, we'd love for each and everyone of you to come out and be heard. We're trying to line up some city leaders to get their attention.

You know what to do.. keep fighting the good fight!

Murtha update: $30 million going to "Fort Murtha"

2009-05-01T22:38:00.003-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

The Pentagon has now given $30 million to the Jack Murtha Airport in Pennsylvania. How the hell does this guy get elected anyways? According to the Washington Post, millions of dollars in defense funding has been secured for materials that will never be intended to use. Even the Pennsylvania National Guard has backed off from commented on the funding, with Murtha saying his airport can be used as a backup it Pittsburgh was for some reason destroyed in a terror attack.

Ok, if Pittsburgh is getting targeted, then I weep for the terrorists as they are complete failures. Remember, this is the same place that more TSA agents work than travelers that fly through the airport.

Sad... sad... sad.

Here's the story.

Holding people accountable in government

2009-04-30T22:06:00.007-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Bet you won't hear this from the mainstream media. Cong. Barney Frank's (D-MA) former staffer now works as a lobbyist for what company... time's up. Try GOLDMAN SACHS, one of the large Wall Street banks that led to the crumble of Sept 2008. Oh, and doesn't Frank work very closely with anks such as that when making recommendations as the senior House Financial Services Committee. And you're telling me politicians aren't in bed with the exact entities they are sworn to have ethical standards with? Jesus... if our country crumbles like that of the Romans under the weight of over-stretching itself and corruption, we have no one to blame but us, America.

Don't believe me? Here's the story.

Sometimes don't you wish God himself would discend from the Heavens and flood the halls of Congress, giving America the chance to begin anew with fresh, UNCORRUPT blood. It would be a nice change of pace to actually have people that care about those that elected them than those who are more concerned with lining their own pockets. Hence the reason Arlen Spector crossed over to the Democrat Party, knowing full well he would have lost a GOP primary, to save his own skill, he crossed party lines, probably making a deal with the Devil to keep his senate seat. Pennsylvania, you sure do know how to pick them. How did we ever make it through a Constitutional Convention?

Stand up Pennsylvania... take your damn state back!

Those in gov't want to tax you based on how much you drive

2009-04-29T21:36:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

The headline is true, folks ... Rep. James Oberstar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is demanding action to implement a mileage-based taxation on all Americans to shore up the lack of taxation through traditional gas tax because of more hybrid vehicles coming on line and the increase in the price of petrol.

The catch? The government gets to put a GPS monitored microchip in your car and bill you for your road usage. I don't know about you, but Uncle Sam isn't coming anywhere near my Mustang. Maybe if government stopped wasting money on bailing out banks and controlling private enterprise, like General Motors and Chrysler, they could help fund some of our road weariness.

And the best part? The representative from Minn doesn't even want a pilot program to establish a mileage-based tax's feasibility ... he says, and I quote, "Why do we need a pilot program? Why don't we just phase it in?"

He wants this here in two years.

Read for your self here ... if they even go near my car, I'll run 'em down.

The United States of America is now the majority shareholder of "Gov't Motors"

2009-04-28T13:42:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

From the Financial Times ...

A new debt swap plan proposed by General Motors would put the U.S. taxpayers (you and me) as the majority stakeholders in the future of the ailing car company (that's an understatement).

I DON'T EVEN LIKE GM!! WTF... one year from now, the unions will be sitting fat, dumb and happy like they always have (see building piss-poor cars), GM upper-level management will have left the company knowing they secured themselves a little bit more time for a golden parachute and you and I will be left with piece of shit cars coming out of Detriot.

Folks... wake up!! I've been saying wake up in almost every post lately... this is AMERICA! Companies rise and fall everyday! I could care less of how big it is... we dust ourselves off and go back to the drawing board... we don't SOCIALIZE an entire industry. This is treasonous!!! This government is being ran by turncoats! We used to run them out of the country if my history serves me correctly.

Here's the story... begin weeping now

TARP has expanded 3 TIMES OVER!

2009-04-27T20:55:00.004-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

A recent report from the Special Inspector General for the TARP program has some startling news out. On April 21, a little-known IG report was released revealing what many of us have known all along ... the TARP money has gotten out of the control!!! The Federal Reserve, money-grubbing lunatics on Capital Hill have gone too far!!

According to the blog covering this, entitled www.powerlineblog.com, "The Inspector General's report documents the stunning and at least partly illegal expansion of TARP from the $700 billion originally allocated by Congress to what is now a $3 trillion complex of programs. This chart shows the various programs that are now included within SIGTARP's oversight, and how they have expanded from the initial $700 billion. Note that some of the programs are still incipient; $3 trillion is by no means a final number."

Here's the link to the overall IG report: click here

THIS IS INSANITY!! They are pulling the wool over everyone's eyes! FIGHT... take back out country and our hard-earned tax money before it's too late!!

Standing up for the good guys... rejecting stimulus money

2009-04-23T19:42:00.004-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

This posting caught my eye. In Warren County, Ohio, politicians are strictly rejecting the stimulus funds, pushing them back to the Obama Administration. And might I add, a colorful push back at that.

In the words of County Commissioner Mike Kilburn, "I'll let Warren County go broke before taking any of Obama's filthy money."

WHOA! Now that's some harsh language more people would use in rejection of the money that was approved in a more than 1,000 page document that congressmen and senators had 10 HOURS to review before voting on. 10 freaking hours!! Are you serious!! Most people don't buy homes in 10 hours, let alone throw out $787 BILLION in our taxmoney! And it's our money!! These politicians think they can do whatever the hell they want with OUR money! And yet, scandal after scandal with both Republicans and Democrats... when are we going to learn.

Definitely read this article and this Ohio county's rejection of the Obama America makeover tour 2009.

Click here

So do we or do we NOT uphold our immigration laws?

2009-04-22T18:59:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

It seems like a no-brainer to me; we have a Constitution, we have rules and laws each of us obey and we all know there are consequences for breaking or not following those laws.

By Dept. of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano must live in an alternate dimension. During an interview with CNN's John King this past weekend, the secretary had this to say on illegal immigration:

"What we have to do is target the real evil-doers in this business, the employers who consistently hire illegal labor, the human traffickers who are exploiting human misery. And yes, when we find illegal workers, yes, appropriate action, some of which is criminal, most of that is civil, because crossing the border is not a crime per se. It is civil. But anyway, going after those as well."

Ok, you read that right, right? It's not a crime, per sa, it's a civil situation when illegal aliens cross the border. And she clearly said "most of that is civil." ARE YOU SERIOUS? Do these people live in a warped society ruled by the Wizard of Oz with unicorns as the main transportation source? Jesus... we are driving right off a cliff into Janet's old Grand Canyon territory (watch out for illegals in the canyon below). As reported by the National Review, here's a little reminder for those out there "confused" about our federal law:

Section 1325 of the federal immigration laws (Title 8, U.S. Code), makes it a misdemeanor on a first offense and a felony thereafter

I don't make it up... I really think these politicians just make stuff up as they go. Or whatever the latest poll says.

You be the judge... oh wait, you can't because it's FEDERAL LAW! ... read here.

Do you consider us an "unhinged mob?' New Hampshire does

2009-04-21T20:45:00.003-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I'm glad the Democratic Party chairman of New Hampshire can weigh in on the Tea Parties, especially the ones in his state! Of course, knowing the disarray of the Democratic Party these days, going away from traditional values of its "for the people" party to the far left, George Soros-funded crazies that dominate politics on the West Coast, I guess I'm not too surprised.

Here's the video!

Florida House 'dives' into tax warfare

2009-04-20T22:53:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

It's almost scary to open up the net anymore without seeing some sort of government levy MORE taxes on people. I don't care how you feel about those who can afford yachts and planes, but those folks (more than likely business owners... or drug dealers... hey, it's Florida) are having an unfair tax placed on them because they were successful in life. What about the companies that build and service those yachts and planes? If less people buy these items because of the increased taxation, is the Florida House prepared to "bailout" those workers. Its like the crazies are running the asylum.

Well, here's the story. Cry... right... now.

With the bad comes the good ... THE GOOD POST!

2009-04-20T22:25:00.008-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

You know, I truly am not a "doom and gloom" kind of guy. I believe strongly that good will always triumph over evil, no matter the cost. But how can you tell what is truly good without its evil counterpart to balance it and, more importantly, define what good is.

Without diving to far into that, I will occasionally post what I'd like to affectionately call "THE GOOD POST."This week's good post (man I sure hope I can keep this going once a month) centers around two areas:

1. We have been given our own digital "fist pump" (see Obama handshakes) by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Tea Party folks for exposing a story in the Tea Party circles on John Murtha, Mr. Pork Barrel extordinaire. Here's their kind-worded e-mail to us after we sent them the information:

"Nice work, Colorado Springs. Now, I'm wondering why we've never heard about it here in NEPA (That's Northeastern Pennsylvania.) FYI, our Tea Party in Stroudsburg, PA had a turnout of 454 documented attendees, in a county of 150,000. Now, we're hoping to connect up w/ the local Republican committee for a 4th of July event. Mike Avery
mikeaveryco@msn.com "

Nice words, huh? Here's the power of the 'Net folks... connecting people time zones across for the better of the country. In the words of the crazies at MSNBC, "it's like a tingle up my leg."

2. I don't normally like to inject myself into this conversation too much, but this is an awesome thing that only happens to you once in your life. My girlfriend Lindsey of 14 months has agreed to marry me. I proposed at her parent's house in Denver last night after she thought I was at work in C-Springs. While I'm not the easiest guy to live with, I am definitely the happiest man on Earth tonight (with the exception of those guys leaving Iraq/Afghanistan to come home stateside... I would imagine that's just as awesome).

I leave you with this quote from one of my favorite movies Captain Corelli's Mandalin:
"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

John Kerry to hold hearings on newspaper industry -- there goes "freedom of the press"

2009-04-20T13:18:00.012-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I don't care who you are, the government getting involved with the press is NO BUENO!!! There has been a lot of talk in Congress, including action by Maryland Democrat Benjamin Cardin, to offer a bailout, known as the "Newspaper Revitalization Act of 2009" for the newspaper industry. Can you image newspapers being given taxpayer money to survive on when they back things the majority of taxpayers don't agree with? And now it's going one step further with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) introducing hearings on the state of the newspaper industry. As if we need to waste our taxmoney on this type of hearing. Here's the story from The Boston Globe (yes, this is Kerry's hometown newspaper... these people are disgusting ... click here.

You wanna talk about Change we can believe in? Let's think about this for a minute. The advent of the internet, with its ability to produce on-the-spot news and information is the information revolution of the ages. Much like the telegraph of the late 1800s, which sent information across wires and across the country for the first time, was a revolution in information, the World Wide Web produces blogs, Web-based news with instantaneous interaction by the reader and lightning connection between two people half a world away. Even this blog, in a newspaper, would first be vetted by the paper to see if they would print it. And even if the gatekeeper of the paper decided it would run, it wouldn't run until their choosing.

The Web gives every person their say and an outlet for their ideas and opinions. If anything, the Web makes the idea of a true democracy that much more closer. The newspaper, like the carrier pigeon before it, will die out. As technology progresses, the old and defunct goes away (newspapers) so the new and timely can replace it (the internet). The problem is that some papers, especially with their political leanings, are entrenched with the powerful, including politicians. This is not the watchdog media we need to look after government. You know what I say? LET THEM DIE. It's a shame the Rocky Mountain News died, it really is, but it's just reality setting in. If you can't give the people what they want (timely, up to the minute news and information) then you are doomed for death. The Colorado Springs Gazette here remains pretty robust on the ole' circulation. But why? This region, mainly, is dominated by retires, especially military retires. They like hard copy newspaper... but today's plugged in Americans rarely crack one open. Why? Because they have probably already read the information hours before!

I have one paper subscription ... the Wall Street Journal. I like to invest and day trade and the Journal has a ton of useful information, some of which can't be found on the Web site.

Be on the lookout folks... the powers at be, including Pelosi, may push to have their hometown newspapers bailed out. Are you ready to stand up to them?

UPDATE: The Washington Times reports ... click here

Obama's campaign manager says our Tea party movement is 'unhealthy'

2009-04-19T20:22:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

On April 19's "Face the Nation" program on CBS, David Axelrod, President Obama's campaign manager and now-gopher within the administration said something that will ultimately piss you off. He said (or in CNN speak -- suggested) the Tea Party movement is an unhealthy reaction to the tough economic climate facing the nation.

Axelrod then backtracked, according to the rest of the reporting, when asked whether the movement itself was unhealthy. In his words, "Well, this is a country where we value our liberties and our ability to express ourselves, and so far these are expressions." He wouldn't come out and say whether he agrees or disagrees. See, this is the Washington doublespeak (see George Orwell's 1984) both parties are to blame for. You can never get an answer out of the powerful in Washington, thus the Tea Parties, for better or for worse, exist to keep people like David Axelrod in check.

Steaming mad? Like hell I am! Click here for the story.

'Jack' of all trades: John Murtha keeps local quiet airport FULLY funded

2009-04-19T12:58:00.005-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

John Murtha. What a character. How does a decorated Vietnam War Marine end up being one of the biggest pork barrel project spenders on the country? What a waste of space I tell you. And to prove it, take a look at this Washington Post article dated Sunday, April 19, talking about the $200 million in federal funds it received over the last decade (that's on average $20 million a year for those counting) for an airport that has THREE flights a day, all to Washington D.C. Must be those flights to help those lobbyists get to and from K-Street in D.C. to continue to buy John Murtha. Don't believe me? The FBI is investigating his ties to defense contractor lobbyists and the donations they have given to his campaign. He single-handily brings in more money to his district through earmark allocations than any other Congressman or woman in the Congress.

And they want to know why we have Tea Party protests... there are more TSA workers at this airport than travelers! Down with wasteful government spending... down with John Murtha!

Here's the story. Click here

Old Joe "McGaffe" Biden to be in our backyard

2009-04-18T17:47:00.006-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Looks like Vice President Joe Biden is heading to the US Air Force Academy this May to see our best and brightest accept their degree certificates and their commission as second lieutenants into the U.S. Air Force.

Click here for the story from the Gazette.

Hopefully when traveling to the Air Force Academy, ole' Joe will refrain from telling his famous Afghanistan war story about how his helicopter was forced down by enemy fire with three-star general and senators aboard. Because the true story was that his military helicopter was forced to land due to bad weather that rolled in at the last second. About 30-45 minutes later, a military convey picked them up and escorted them to Bagram Air Base in Afghan. Ahhh... ole' Joe looking to be a war hero. We don't need Joe, his $1 million earmark for a children's museum, $1 million for an opera house renovation project and the list in Delaware goes on (believe it or not, that information was reported on by CNN during the 2008 election). Here's one of the old, corrupt Washingtonites we DONT need.

CNN outs itself

2009-04-18T11:35:00.003-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Lot’s of postings tonight, I know, but they sure are worth it. This is DEFINITELY reposting... a big thanks to www.foundingbloggers.com for capturing this video. Basically folks, after that CNN interview from the Chicago Tea Party you all saw, this is what you DIDN’T see when the CNN camera was turned off.

The only thing I can say is... why wasn’t I there to be a part of such a wonderful occasion ;-) Too bad... CNN, the network I remember from the first Persian Gulf War with Bernard Shaw on the roof of a hotel watching F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighters bomb Baghdad, has truly floated down stream... or down the drain? You make the call :-)

Where next after 'Tea Parties?'

2009-04-18T11:34:00.000-06:00

By Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government

I thought this was worth posting to our site... this guy is right on the money as far as focusing the Tea Party movement like a laser beam after the April 15 protests. This was reposted from netrightnation.com:

It was a great day!  While the controlled-media did everything in its power to ignore or ridicule the hundreds of Tea Parties across America, their disdain was only matched by ours for them.  They had no effect.

But now that April 15 has come and gone, all of us are faced with essential question; where from here?

Individuals proved they have the ability to pull off important events.  Average citizens have shown they are more than capable of taking action.  Now the challenge is to have the seeds that were planted yesterday sprout and begin to grow into a true movement that will take back the country.

There will be no end to the plans and suggestions.  Politicians, no matter how good their intentions, will want to capture the energy unleashed for their own personal purposes.  This needs to be avoided.  The second the Tea Party Movement becomes an adjunct of any politician, it is dead.  There will be national organizations that want to harness the movement and claim it as their own.  This is a sure fire way to irrelevance.

And, there will be countless number of people looking to turn the entire affair into a “business opportunity”.  These folks should be avoided at all costs.

The true power of the effort, the true potential of the Tea Parties, lies with the local organizers, the local people who showed up, the local focus.  That cannot be given up for 30 pieces of silver or a handful of magic beans.

But the issue remains, how is yesterday turned into something that can grow and prepare to restore Constitutional government?  The answer I believe is to seek out those things that can be done on a local level, to benefit local citizens and begin the hard work of actually doing them.

American Majority has excellent training programs that can assist local leaders find and elect right-thinking people to local governments.  What can local officials do?  Plenty.  Local officials can demonstrate what happens when taxes are reduced and government spending is cut to the bone.  They can openly resist the imposition of the Federal government and force the courts to better define and reinstitute real separation of powers.  And, they become the farm team, the generation of candidates that will run America when the current regime is but a bad memory.

We, at Americans for Limited Government, stand ready to assist with information on local initiative rules and opportunities – proposals that shut done the illicit “pay to play” scams, reassert real property rights, term limits, tax limitation and a host of others.  It is not for us to decide what you do but we can supply ideas, background research and extensive experience on how to implement the ideas the local units want to pursue.

Eric Hofer wrote, “All great movements start as a cause, evolve into a business and end up a racket.”  It is up to each of us individually to keep the movement a cause, a calling to the higher goal of the restoration of Constitutional government.  And it is up to each of us to not allow the movement to sink into the same black hole of “racket” that has plagued the GOP and brought us to where we are today.

They want us gone, but we hang out with them

2009-04-18T11:33:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Sometimes I really wish I made this stuff up. But there’s your proof right above. Our president, President Barack Obama, giving a soul clasp or whatever to Hugo Chavez, the man who has homosexuals arrested on the spot and is turning his country into a socialist regime, modeled right after the failed state of Cuba. Ok, one more time, OUR PRESIDENT IS MEETING WITH A DESPOT AND A DICTATOR.

Yes, the chickens are totally coming home to roost. Check out the Reuters story on him “buddying up” to Chavez at the Organization of American States meeting in Trinadad/Tobago. The man on the right is power hungry within his country, and doesn’t care what Democratic institutions he takes down. The man on the left is naive... and I hope God shines down on him and helps him see the light of common sense. Interesting side note ... when Hugo Chavez visited Iran in 2006, in Arabic, said God willing, the U.S. will be finished in the near future. When does this madness end... how statesman is it to buddy up to a guy like this. No wonder Jimmy Carter was a one-term, lame ass president... I wasn’t even born then, but even I KNOW the late 1970s sucked!

CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY OUT OF TRINADAD

And here come's Hollywood!

2009-04-18T11:26:00.002-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

I guess it’s not really a surprise to most people that actors and actresses in Hollywood (yes, people who get paid for a living to pretend to be something they aren’t) come out against the Tea Party movement. And one of the far left-wing’s biggest darlings, Janeane Garofalo (see dictionary for idiotic twit) came out against the Tea Party movement, calling folks a part of the tea parties “ a bunch of tea-bagging rednecks” and “this is about hating a black man in the White House ... this is racism straight up.”

Don’t believe me? I wish it wasn’t true, but here’s the link to newsbusters.org. For shame, for shame Janeane. BTW, thanks for the video YouTube.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Now HERE'S something to throw into a harbor

2009-04-18T11:26:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Holy cow!!! For those that smoke, and you know who you are (cigar smoker myself), it must be just outrageous how much you are spending on cigarettes in the midst of an outrageous amount of taxation on a private company’s product. I don’t care what the health setbacks are caused by smoking (although i do care about second hand smoke), but I am a firm believer this is America and you have the right to go out and smoke cigarettes to your heart’s content. Well, now that they have taxed cigarettes as far as they can, what do they turn to? You guess it... sodas.

Jesus, wake up folks! The nanny state is not near, IT’S HERE! If you want a Pepsi at the movie theater to go along with your popcorn, why the hell should it be taxed? It’s your decision to make the purchase of a surgery drink. Government, TAX THE LEGISLATURES AND MAKE THEM PAY MORE! Here’s the story from ABCnews.com. Clearly another case of the New England/Harvard/Yale/Stanford socialites dictating to Americans what they should and should not be doing:

Taxing Sugared Beverages: Good for Health or Too Much Big Brother?
New Proposal Could Sweeten Tax Revenues, Waistlines
OPINION By KELLY BROWNELL, Ph.D. Director, Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity

April 8, 2009— As with every disaster, the state of our economy highlights opportunities for good health and risks of doing more damage.
Desperate for revenue, states are considering taxes on sugared beverages, those drinks with added sugar, high fructose corn syrup or other caloric sweeteners.
Forty states now have taxes on soft drinks or snack foods, all too small to affect consumer decisions. But bigger changes may be on the way with recent proposals, most notably an 18 percent tax on sugared beverages put forward by the governor of New York.
Nobody likes the idea of more taxes, so the bar must be set high to consider such action, particularly given the strenuous objections of the beverage industry.
The first question is, "Why pick on sugared beverages?" There are many contributors to ill health (genes, environment, physical inactivity and more). Even considering foods leaves many possibilities; fast food and snack foods would be examples.
Enter the science: Sugared beverages, more than any other category of food, have been shown time and again to be linked with poor diet overall and to risk for obesity and diabetes. Most of the studies that do not make this link are funded by the beverage or sugar industries. Recent studies show that lowering soft drink consumption leads to healthier weights.
Upward Trend in Sweet Beverage Consumption
In the 1970s, the average American consumed 70 calories per day from sweetened drinks, rising to 141 calories in the 1990s and 190 calories as this century began. Sugared beverages now account for 10 to 15 percent of all calories consumed by children and adolescents.
There is no sign that these additional calories are being offset by changes people make elsewhere in their diets. Studies show that people compensate less well in subsequent meals when extra calories are consumed in liquid than in solid foods, so there does seem something special about sugar in beverages. A study of children by researchers at the Harvard Medical School found that with each additional serving of sugared beverage consumer per day, the likelihood of obesity rose by 60 percent.
Sugared Beverages a Good Place to Start on Obesity
For these reasons, nutrition experts argue that the very high consumption of sugared beverages is a logical place to address the toll that chronic diseases take on the country. Obesity, which is only one of many diseases affected by poor diet, carries massive health care costs ($79 billion annually), about half of which are covered by Medicare and Medicaid. Furthermore, these estimates do not include the cost to society of lost work days, diminished school performance and even the fitness of military recruits.
The Case for New Taxes
Would taxes help? Certainly they have with tobacco; smoking in the U.S. has declined dramatically, and high taxes have been established as the top driver. Economic studies on soft drinks show that a 15 percent tax on sugared beverages should drop consumption by 12 to 15 percent, and higher taxes would have stronger effects. This is enough to make a real difference to the public's health.
If the government were to create educational programs with this goal in mind, billions could be spent and the goal might never be achieved. A tax would generate revenue, and a lot of it. A penny per ounce tax in New York state alone would raise $1.2 billion annually.
It is common to think of sales taxes, but these have several disadvantages. One is that consumers do not see the increased price on the shelf and the other is that it encourages consumers to buy large containers (because the cost per ounce is lower, the tax per ounce is lower). An excise tax of a penny per ounce would be better.
Polls show that consumer support for taxes varies, depending on how the issue is presented. Support can be as low as 37 percent if a "fat tax" or "obesity tax" is suggested in isolation. A recent poll in New York state found that 52 percent of consumers were in favor of a soda tax, but the number rose considerably -- to 72 percent -- if the revenue generated by the tax would be used for obesity prevention programs for children and adults.
Great Need for Sugared Beverage Tax
The idea of taxing sugared beverages is highly controversial but is probably here to stay. The need for revenue and to control health care costs are just too pressing.
Kelly Brownell is director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University. This article is based in part on an article written by Brownell with Dr. Thomas Frieden, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In a word.. if this becomes mainstream across state legislatures, we’re all the biggest jackasses for letting it happen.

On the radio!

2009-04-18T11:25:00.003-06:00

Short one this time. Just wanted everyone to know that Julie (our local Colorado Springs Tax Day TEA Party organizer) will be speaking on 740 AM KVOR the morning of Friday, April 10 with host Richard Randall. Should be an awesome discussion about Wednesday’s upcoming tax day tea party protest! Go Julie!

You can visit KVOR’s Web site by clicking the graphic above.

Red County wants to help

2009-04-18T11:25:00.001-06:00

I know it’s been a couple of days since our last post, but wanted to share this e-mail that the Colorado Springs Tax Day TEA Party organization received from the Web site redcounty.com, a conservative-leaning blogosphere. You can click on the link to take them to your site. Enjoy the letter from their webmaster below:

Dear Tea Party Organizer,  
April 15th will be a tax day like no other in our nation’s history. Because of your hard work and commitment to the cause of liberty, the masses will be heard.  Many Red County contributors are taking part in the Tea Parties around the country, and we will be making a big push to provide our readers with information on these events as they approach. 
If you are a blogger and would like some extra exposure for your event, please consider taking advantage of our platform to bring as many people to your Tea Party as possible.  Red County is a center-right media organization committed to the principles of limited government. We administer a nationwide network of political blogs focused on grassroots, local level politics. One of our primary goals is to bring attention to our governments out of control spending habits, expose those who are responsible for this misguided policy, and support those who work to curb the role of government in our lives. 
We have readers, you’re looking for attendees—hopefully there’s a fit between us. But time is short, so please contact me ASAP to discuss how we might be able to bring more exposure to your event.

TEA party tracker

2009-04-18T11:24:00.001-06:00

View Larger Map

WOW! Michelle Malkin’s Web site is just awesome! She has a Google map tracking the tea parties throughout the US.

Click here for her Web site

Take to the airwaves!

2009-04-18T11:23:00.004-06:00

FOUNDING FATHERS’ CRY RADIO: ROSANNA PULIDO

Founding Fathers’ Cry is reaching into the blog talk radio sphere to raise awareness on ways to bring our Country back to prosperity. Our goal is to help inform our listeners and fellow patriots so they will be armed with one of the most powerful tools… knowledge. The next show is Thursday, April the 2nd from 8pm to 10 pm CST on the Patriot's Heart Broadcasting Network. The website url for the show is
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/PatriotsHeartNetwork/.

Ray will provide the evening’s monologue, announcements, and breaking news. During the first hour, he will be joined by Rosanna Pulido. Pulido is running for the Congressional seat recently vacated by Rahm Emanuel; the election for the 5th District Illinois seat is on April the 7th. Rosanna is a candidate with outstanding moral character who supports strong border enforcement, defending police officers, conservative family values, and transparency in government. Information on Rosanna, her advocacy history, and political stances can be found on her website: http://www.rosannapulido2009.com/. In the second hour, Gen & Rowdy will join the show and be discussing the upcoming Tax Day Tea Party protest
rallies. We will be discussing current events and legislative proposals. Questions and comments from callers are welcome as well as questions from the chat room.

Founding Fathers Cry is a Government Watch Group. The board members are dedicated to researching and pooling information for public education. The website hosted, www.foundingfatherscry.com, includes lists of organizations, governments websites, and other watch groups for researching information, as well as discussion forums. Find and organize your local events on the forums. There are open and ongoing discussion on the each branch of the U.S. Government, the health of the U.S., state legislation, grass-roots activism and protest rallies, and much more.

SHOW TIMES

9 pm EST
8 pm CST
7 pm MST
6 pm PST

HINT: You can click on the banner graphic to go right to their Web site!

The Wall Street Journal's take on nixing bailouts, using Chapter 11

2009-04-18T11:23:00.003-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Wow, I couldn’t find anything better to sum up the hypocrisy of this entire bailout business. I’m content on just believing the bailout is targeted to strong union support for Democrats and with Dems in power, why not protect the hand that feeds my election?
I recently ran across this Wall Street Journal op-ed by William McGurn, who works at News Corp. While I think News Corp certainly has its political leanings to the right, I can DEFINITELY see the left protecting their own... a power UAW ally that, oh, might disappear if the government didn’t keep them going. So here’s the excerpt from Mr. McGurn’s op-ed I think you should pay attention to:
--------------------------
Lost in the current debate seems to be any reference to other men and women who work just as hard for their money, who have either lost their jobs or face the prospect of losing their jobs, and whose families are also suffering in this recession.
Here are just a few of them:
- Mom and pop shops, and their employees. All along the small-town shopping district in my New Jersey community, "for rent" signs are popping up where someone's dream businesses once stood. The workers in these enterprises paid their taxes like everyone else, and they now face the same struggles that laid-off autoworkers in the Midwest do. And they might ask: Are their counterparts at GM and Chrysler more deserving of a bailout simply because they work for larger companies?
- Americans working in U.S.-based auto plants owned and operated by foreign companies. These auto makers have also been hit by the recession, and some are laying off American workers or putting their American expansion plans on hold. Still, these car companies generally operate from a more competitive cost structure, and they have been gaining market share because they are building cars that more Americans want to buy at prices we are willing to pay. Why should these workers, who generally receive lower wages than their Big Three counterparts, see their tax dollars go to bail out their competitors?
- American shareholders who have invested in these successful auto companies. When investors buy stock in an enterprise, they do so based on their read of the economic environment. Those who have invested in foreign auto makers have done so on the rational basis that these companies have a competitive model that offers them a chance for profit. How fair is it for the government to come in now, tilt the playing field, and diminish the value of their investments by propping up their less successful competitors?
- The American taxpayer. It's one thing for the government to intervene to prevent a panic from spreading. There's even an argument for providing loans to tide companies over until they have worked out their restructuring, or prepared a plan to enter Chapter 11 in a way that will avoid complete liquidation. The president was right to talk about the contribution America's auto giants have made to a thriving middle class. But should we be bailing out GM and Chrysler because they are an important "emblem of the American spirit"?
- Finally, the GM and Chrysler workers themselves. Plainly, whatever company emerges from this turmoil will have fewer employees working for more sensible wages and fewer Cadillac-style benefits. Right now the argument has been that no one will buy cars from a company that files for bankruptcy. But if you had to bet, which offers the best chance for a brighter upside: a company that restructured under Chapter 11 or one restructured with the help of Congress and the White House?

When does bailout fatigue start again?

2009-04-18T11:23:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

So when does bailout fatigue start again?

Holy cow, it’s happening all over again and we’re just watching it go by like a maple leaf in the wind. Billions and billions more to GM and Chrysler. And, now the federal government has the ability to tell manufacturing companies who will lead the company and who its board of directors will be.

Now, in most cases when a company restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws, the new firm coming in to fund the company (traditionally a big Wall Street bank or financier) gets to decide who stays and who goes. Now in this case we are in VERY murky water. The U.S. taxpayer is now the financier, and it gets to make decisions for the industry. Wait a sec... the government is directing the actions of a private industry. Folks, if you haven’t opened your eyes yet, that is in it’s very basic form SOCIALISM!

In 1981, after Pres. Ronald Reagan took the highest office in the land with unemployment numbers past the double digit mark and an inflation rate that would stagger the mind today, did Reagan come in and bailout the companies struggling to get by? Did he bailout U.S. Steel as it struggled to survive in the gray cityscape of Pittsburgh? No...Reagan simply did this: he believed in the American people and that government was not the solution to our problems, rather, government is the problem.

I have news for you.. it’s okay to go into a Recession. It happens all the time in our cycle of capitalism. Do we all think it’s gumdrops, rainbows and unicorns all the time? Our successes are successes because of the failures they overcame. Every time we experience a setback in our Nation, we confront it head on (abolishing slavery, women’s suffrage and the Civil Rights movement) and come out stronger than before. There is never a need for a government handout... Americans aren’t controlled by any force; no, for each and everyone of us we are the products of a manifest destiny. I mean, we have private industry beginning a space tourism business. WE... AMERICANS! Only in our great Nation could we ever achieve such wonderment.

No, America does not need a bailout.... Government should step aside (lower taxation, proper regulation of the markets, keep the trains on time, make sure we have good roads and a good defense then GET OUT OF THE WAY!) The more and more control we succeed to government, we will truly be owned by the system. That’s like bringing a lion out of the jungle and into captivity. The spirit, the will dies a slow death. Until the lion is nothing more than a walking zombie, only a glimpse of its former self. I for one, as you, will never accept this.

Enough is enough!

2009-04-18T11:22:00.003-06:00

By Donna Miller, Colorado Springs

Fellow Patriots, we are losing our country and all the values and leadership our Forefathers worked so hard to implement, not only in the U.S. Constitution, but in the very hearts, minds, and culture of the American People! The Obama Stimulus, Omnibus, and Budget are borrowing or printing an unprecedented amount of money. It is the largest giveaway in American history. Whatever happened to the famous Smith Barney phrase, “WE MAKE MONEY THE OLD FASHIONED WAY, WE EARN IT?” Even the Congressional Budget Office says that the Stimulus Bill will create few jobs in 2009 and 2010, but will, instead, cause dangerously high levels of inflation as the Federal Government writes blank checks that our children and grandchildren will have to repay? Not only will the current administration’s policies, enormous spending, and excessive “PORK” drive us into a recession and fail to create jobs, but will also de-motivate people to even “seek” jobs which, historically, has been a large part of our American heritage. Our Forefather’s values have long been at the heart of the Republican’s Party’s mission, so let’s stand up and take back our country! Let’s re-establish strong LEADERSHIP and INTEGRITY in the nation’s highest office, and the time is “NOW”.

Donna L. Miller, M.A.
Colorado Springs Tea Party Organizer

My letter to Congressman Lamborn

2009-04-18T11:22:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Just sent this letter over to Congressman Lamborn’s office. If I don’t hear back within 48-72 hours, someone’s going to get a house call!

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Cong. Lamborn,

Greetings from the Colorado Springs Tax Day Tea Party organization. As I am sure you and your staffers are aware, this national movement is expected to draw approximately 780 protests at once at High Noon on 15 April (tax day, of course). We would like to invite you out to speak to our organization as well as local Colorado Springs citizens that we expect out for the event. Our goal is simple: bring sanity back to Congress by holding our representatives in government accountable for the massive increases in spending that we and traditional Americans feel will ultimately led to the bankruptcy of our country, and thus, we will be the last prosperous generation our Nation will ever see. We believe it is vitally important for our elected representatives, including yourself, to show their solidarity with organizations such as ours that bring to light the travesties of both Republican and Democratic Congresses of now and yesterday that expanded government and spending at a rate not seen in many generations. Will you stand with us Congressman? Will you stand for the rights of Colorado citizens, showing each and every one of us you stand for fiscal discipline and limited government? We look forward to having you out there and we hope the weather will cooperate. We have also sent this letter via Twitter and on our site, www.cspringsteaparty.com so each of our members know you have been contacted.

Sincerely,

Steve Collier
Colorado Springs Tax Day Tea Party member

Talk about a real tax protest!

2009-04-18T11:21:00.001-06:00

By Steve Collier, Colorado Springs

Not sure if you all have been following the news out of Chicago, but take a look at this report from the Web site theexpiredmeter.com:

As teams of LAZ Parking’s employees have slowly, but quite surely, canvas the city, changing the parking meters to their new, much higher rates, another movement seems to be blossoming as a reaction to these changes.
At first, it seemed just random or coincidence when a broken meter was spotted. There’s no big surprise in finding a broken meter in Chicago–they’re everywhere.
But the number of broken meters seemed to be increasing and e-mails and comments began pouring into this website with tips, along with bits and pieces of information. Websites with very strident points of view have popped up over the past few weeks advocating everything from as simple as a boycott, to using pennies or nickels to fill up the meters to capacity and render them inoperable–at least temporarily.
An entire block of parking meters, numbering nearly 20, were spotted along west Irving Park in the Albany Park neighborhood, that had both the front and back of their heads spray painted black. Once spray painted, these meters are unreadable by Parking Enforcement Aides and therefore, vehicles can’t be ticketed as it’s impossible to see if the meters were fed or not.
LAZ Parking’s new decals have been removed in a concerted effort along Lincoln Ave. and other streets in the Lakeview neighborhood, leaving long stretches of meters without any instructions on how and when to feed the meters. This leaves the meter without the proper information required by law to be an operational parking meter. A motorist could easily contest any expired meter ticket on these meters because it doesn’t exhibit the proper information.
One tipster named Brian says, “In some cases, these decals just peel right off the front of the meter with little or no effort. When these stickers were originally applied, the weather was very cold and it seems the adhesive didn’t adhere correctly. These stickers just come right off. They also appear to be too big to fit into the recessed area they are being placed in. Yet another case of someone in charge not knowing what they are doing.”

Why I am participating in the TEA Party Movement

2009-04-18T11:18:00.000-06:00

By Steve Reinschmidt, Colorado Springs

I've been a Libertarian for the last 20 years and before that I was a Republican. I only rarely agree with Democrats and have been disappointed in so-called conservative Republicans. I have seen government involvement creeping more and more into our lives my entire life. But when it became clear that Barack Obama was the Democratic nominee and was likely to become
our next president I started reading all I could about him. It became clear to me that he had a very Marxist point of view. Now he is our president and along with the Pelosi-Reid Congress, government growth has gone into high gear. The spending can only be sustained by massive crushing taxation. This taxation will be both direct and indirect through the printing of money
(which is worse since it taxes the nickel right out of your pocket). I also believe that we have yet to see a plethora of new laws and regulations to control our lives. I think the limited constitutional republic this country once was is on the brink of disappearing all together. In fact I believe it is already too late. But if I sit back and do nothing, it will certainly be too late and I will help make it a self fulfilling prophecy. So I'm going to take advantage of this expected back lash and start getting involved. One real easy step to take is to participate in this TEA party movement. I know there are tens of millions of Americans that are deeply concerned about the socialism being thrust upon us and if every one of them attended a TEA party rally on April 15, the main stream media would have to report on it and it would get international coverage. I don't think we can affect Obama, but we can certainly influence Congress. And more importantly we can show the millions of silent, freedom minded people that they are not alone and can
stand up and be heard! That could affect actual change for the better.