Archive for » April, 2010 «

 
Friday, April 30th, 2010 | Author:

I was thinking back to last year’s townhall meetings, here in The United States: Although they were very inspiring to watch, it was also very frustrating to see the blatant arrogance of many of these so-called Representatives, who get elected by the people, to go to Washington D.C. and represent their districts and states; yet, over the years, it appears that Representatives have become such a part of The Washington D.C. machine, that they all but forgot to whom their loyalties truly belong.

After experiencing this disconnect, and public display of arrogance by many of these Representatives, I started asking people, how exactly should these Representatives represent us in Congress? After all, The U.S. Constitution is explicit as to how they are to be elected, but there appears to be no true definition as to how they should represent us. Therefore, after some further thought, I have come up with a few suggestions:

 1. It is incumbent on the people of each district to respectfully define what they expect from their Representatives, and not let them go to D.C. thinking they are no longer accountable to their constituents!

2. Every state should lobby their respective state legislatures, to have the power of recall of Senators and Representatives, added to their state Constitutions… this would put each elected official on notice, that they work for the people; and if they forget that, or go too far off the rails, by consensus of the voters, they will be relieved of their positions.

3. I truly believe, there needs to be a U.S. Constitutional Amendment that sets term limits for all Senators and Representatives… this would guarantee that Congress is not a career position, and new people with fresh ideas can continually be elected to Congress. Until then, perhaps the states could set their own term limits on the people they send to Congress.

 4. The respective states, or the people in each Congressional district should decide, how do We, The People, want our relationship to be with our Representatives in Congress? In other words, do we want him or her to do biweekly or monthly town halls at home? On Congressional bills, do we want them to vote what the majority (rules) of the district decides? And how can the entire district participate in the voting process of each bill? This would ensure that all voting citizens have a voice in Congress, as opposed to leaving it solely up to one person to make the decisions for an entire district of voters.

5. Possibly the most important: We, the people, need to continue educating ourselves in regards to The U.S. Constitution, so that we have a firm idea of the principles, laws, and limitations, our Representatives should use to represent our country, as well as our states. Familiarity with The U.S. Constitution also allows us to know what our rights are, as citizens, and voters, of The United States.

These are a few of my ideas as to how we can bring more power back to where it belongs, with the people of The United States, and not solely with a few hundred bureaucrats in Washington D.C. I encourage every citizen to ponder the same question: how do we, the people, of our respective states, want our representatives to represent us in Washington D.C.?

Category: Politics  | 3 Comments
Friday, April 30th, 2010 | Author:

The below text is from The friends of Washington Crossing Park Web Site:

On Christmas Night, 1776, George Washington and the Continental Army mounted a surprise attack against the British by crossing the Delaware River and marching to Trenton, New Jersey. Washington Crossing Park marks the site where Washington’s troops were encamped, as well as the location where they launched the boats across the Delaware River that ensured their victory. This successfully saved Washington’s army, and help lead the Continental Army to final victory. This action by George Washington was one of the most important events in U.S. history.

The Friends of Washington Crossing Park (FWCP) are working tirelessly to open Washington Crossing Historic Park for tours and educational programming. FWCP understands the importance of the park as a historical treasure and cultural gem. In light of recent budget cuts, we believe strongly that now is the time to move forward, take action on this long-standing Bucks County Park, and re-open the doors.

A nonprofit group, FWCP has been formed to pursue and create fundraising, membership and volunteer opportunities. Your donations and assistance will help support our efforts.

When financial budgets cuts by the state of Pennsylvania threatened to cancel the 2009 Christmas Crossing event, FWCP formed as an ad hoc group. We successfully mobilized time and financial resources to see that this significant event succeeded.

While establishing a board of directors, by-laws and nonprofit status, FWCP has continued to host events traditional to the park. FWCP will partner with The Pennsbury Society and will open Bowman’s Tower this May. Very soon, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission (PHMC), we will open the doors to the historic homes at the park and give guided interpretive tours to visitors. 

How can you help our efforts?

Volunteer: There are dozens of volunteer opportunities at Washington Crossing Historic Park from manning the visitor center gift shop to caring for sheep. We need help for special events and on a regular basis. It’s a great way to make friends and connect with the community. No experience is necessary but if you have a special interest or talent, we will find a volunteer opportunity that suits you!

Become a Member: We have several different membership levels. Members are invited to all FWCP events and receive an e-newsletter. Levels are: Patriot ($25 or 20 hours volunteer service), Infantry ($50), Oarsman ($100), Lord Stirling ($250) and General Washington ($500+). Membership dues are used to fund programming and events. Join today by using the Donate link on top right.

Donate: FWCP has ambitious plans to open and improve the park.
http://www.friendsofwashingtoncrossingpark.com

Your donation will help us fulfill our goals.

Friends of Washington Crossing Park
P.O. Box 1776
Washington Crossing, PA 18977
 
Thank you,
Mark
 
Saturday, April 24th, 2010 | Author:

adjective [gar-uh-luhs]
1. Talking much, especially about commonplace or trivial things; talkative.
2. Wordy
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Saturday, April 24th, 2010 | Author:

adjective [fruhk-choo-uhs]
1. Fruitful; productive.
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Saturday, April 24th, 2010 | Author:

adjective [frak-shuhs]
1. Tending to cause trouble; unruly.
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Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 | Author:

With a federal government that can create infinite laws, the laws of unintended consequences are infinite as well.
Written by Mark Ross

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Sunday, April 18th, 2010 | Author:

noun
1. The act of federating or uniting in a league.
2. The formation of a political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs.
3. A league or confederacy.
4. A federated body formed by a number of nations, states, societies, unions, etc., each retaining control of its own internal affairs.
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Sunday, April 18th, 2010 | Author:

noun
1. The act of confederating.
2. The state of being confederated.
3. A league or alliance.
4. A group of confederates, esp. of states more or less permanently united for common purposes.
5. The Confederation, the union of the 13 original U.S. states under the Articles of Confederation 1781–89.
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 | Author:

As most of us know by now, The United States could potentially be in dire shape, fiscally, if the Federal and State governments do not start getting the will to make the necessary and difficult decisions to cut back, and/or reform our out of control entitlement programs, public pension plans etc.

And sadly, many of us were blind to the disaster waiting to happen, as a result of  entitlement programs, created by our Federal and state governments over the years. Now, with the state of our economy, and with a recession that has no foreseeable end, the people, by in large, are wide awake, and very concerned about our fiscal sovereignty, and future as a nation.

Please watch Bill O’Reilly (below) on entitlement programs and taxation:


Category: Economics, Politics  | Tags:  | One Comment
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 | Author:

adjective [sur-uhp-tish-uhs]
1. Obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or unauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance.
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Thursday, April 01st, 2010 | Author:

For many years, a lot of us were led to believe that The Republican Party were the ones keeping alive the institution of slavery in The United States, or they were somehow the party that was not compassionate to African American citizens over the years. While I do not like to over-generalize, and say that any political party platform, in it’ s totality, speaks for all people who are members of that party… through further research, I have found the inverse to be true: The Republican Party not only freed the slaves, but have also been fundamentally pro-African American since then.

Please read the below paragraph from The Republican Party Platform of 1936:
“We favor equal opportunity for our colored citizens. We pledge our protection of their economic status and personal safety. We will do our best to further their employment in the gainfully occupied life of America, particularly in private industry, agriculture, emergency agencies, and the Civil Service. We condemn the present New Deal policies which would regiment and ultimately eliminate the colored citizen from the country’s productive life and make him solely a ward of the federal government.”
– 
While many, especially on the left, will say, but The New Deal policies, and general welfare programs, helped people (of all colors) immensely, I tend to fall more in line with the thinking of The Republican Party of 1936…
 
Basic Economics:
First off, all of these programs are subsidized by the tax-dollars of the general public… nothing truly comes from the (public sector) government, but rather, is reallocated from the pockets of one tax-payer and given to the next. Subsequently, these policies (tax-expenditures) limit the amount of economic growth that can take place by the (private sector) people, and true (profitable) job creators. If there was to be any federal aid, I would rather it been used to educate people, which allows people to go out into the world and have dignified careers, and potentially start their own businesses, rather then essentially making people forever dependent on the government.
 
And such laws are certainly not without unintended consequences:
 
Anytime the government, presumptuously, creates any large entitlement program, they are actually hurting the potential for more private citizens to start a business or expand  their business, and thus hire more people. Therefore, I believe, these government policies, over the years, have really stagnated the growth of the “individual,” and have done great harm to our overall economy and freedoms for all citizens, regardless of race and color.
 
The Skeptics:  
There is also a more skeptical view held by many conservative people, who believe that The Democrat Party, over the years, knew precisely what they were doing:
 
There was a time in our country when income tax and big entitlement programs did not exist, and the people really were left to vote for candidates who they felt best represented our Constitution, and overall welfare of our country… Since The New Deal policies of FDR, many people believe, that a great deal of our citizens (of all color) have been drawn to The Democrat Party simply because they are now promising more gifts from The National Treasury. While this view may appear skeptical, I would believe, there is electoral data that can back up this claim. On top of that, since The New Deal policies, whenever The Republican Party tried (tries) to reform these programs, which are burdening our economy, many in The Democrat Party will then make absurd claims that Republicans are not compassionate, or don’t care about people… thus giving the impression (illusion) that The Democrat Party is the party of the people…
 
And even if they (The Democrat Party) are the so-called party of the people, can they say, these entitlement policies have actually “empowered” the people? Or, do these entitlement policies, inadvertently, keep people from reaching their God-given, natural potential, while increasingly burdening our overall economic stability, as a nation?
 
– 
Please see this document (downloaded from Wallbuilders.com) if you are interested in reading the civil rights platforms of both The Republican and Democrat Parties, over the years.