tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68044134130949581702024-03-08T01:27:01.882-08:00Berkshire RepublicanBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-29655149701978949942016-05-07T19:00:00.000-07:002016-05-07T19:00:19.539-07:00Some Republicans are afraid of Donald TrumpThis article was written for the Berkshire Eagle on March 1, 2016. They were afraid to print it, I assume, and the excuse was there was not enough room. I think we nailed it and they missed out, a mellow article that was the political pulse of the month.<br />
peteR<br />
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SOME REPUBLICANS ARE AFRAID OF TRUMP?<br />
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Mr. Trump is the new political phenomenon. He is brash, foul mouthed and non apologetic. He fights like a junkyard dog and it has brought him fame and success, maybe the presidency. You either like him or dislike him and even the people that like him have reservations about his vernacular. He is a product of NYC, for urban survival it is not healthy to lie down letting traffic roll over you.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Mr. Trump is not a politician, he is a political genius, he reads the public’s pulse. Taking the blood pressure of millions, he formed a plan enticing them to vote. In his winning, there are many lifeless“Conservatives” standing slack jawed and wondering, “What happened?” What happened our party was not giving our voters what they wanted. Apparently the same with many Democrats and Independents because they are on a Trump roll.<br />
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Somewhere between Eisenhower and Reagan an awakening of a non conventional voters to either party emerged that encouraged many to become independent. Americans of the era wanted to apologize for some perceived guilt of being prosperous. Charities flourished, church donations were bountiful and we sought to address every wrong ever suffered by our fellow citizens. Our academic community took on a liberal agenda. They postulated embracing evolution and therefore condemned Christianity. What was overlooked? Christianity was the compelling element for our national benevolence. The government’s benevolence assumed the position of caretaker, provider and spiritual director of the nation without any qualification and religion diminished<br />
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We can argue the pros and cons of conservatism and liberalism forever. We know there is a right, left and reasonable. The far reach of the right and left kept the prospect of “reasonableness” always out of reach for the average American. We are told by politicians what we want, then they are directed by fringe special interest groups controlling the vote with the loudest voice.<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
The last couple of decades are shameful. Corruptive and destructive factions suggested our likely republic’s demise. Some Americans do not want to accept this, but some not only accept it they want it to continue. Why? Because with all the whining to the contrary, they are comfortable. Remember the song “Rock the boat baby,” when it gets to “Don’t tip the boat over? That typifies the fear they are feeling. They do not approve of liberal control because it is threatening. It threatens to take what they have worked for, through wealth redistribution, giving it to others that have not. With controversy and disruption in our governmental process they can feel secure that for the time being their world is stable, “Rock the boat, but don’t tip it over.” The proof is the reluctance to vote Trump by people alleged to be conservative. Sometimes they rationalize with, “What difference does it make?”.<br />
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Some are self indulged. They know what they have, what they want and how to get it. The good old-fashioned patronage rewards from supporting elected leaders with votes. Bernie, exemplifies the taking from those that earned and giving it to those that do not. Governmental benevolence to make some guilt ridden individuals feel good and others to be on the receiving end.<br />
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Donald Trump is not only a boat rocker, he promises to tip the boat over. He promises a fair playing field for the millions of unheard voices for the last six decades. His promises are threatening to the established comfy lifestyles of many.<br />
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Voters are coming out in droves. Trump is a non-establishment phenomenon. He is self motivated and financed. He is not the cures for all ills but he promises he will procure the capable people that can. We only have sit back and watch, look at the motivation behind those that fear the consequences of an unstoppable Trump. I understand the feeling of their hopelessness as I experienced the same though the Clinton and Obama presidencies. Some Republicans are afraid.<br />
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<br />Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-58345036866575341182015-07-09T07:29:00.000-07:002015-07-09T07:29:38.324-07:00"Time is like a river. You cannot touch the water twice, because the flow that has passed will never pass again."<div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Franklin
Graham was speaking at the First Baptist Church in Jacksonville,
Florida a few weeks back when he said America will not come back. He
wrote: The American Dream ended (on November 6th, 2012 ) in Ohio . The
second term of Barack Obama will be the final nail in the coffin for the
legacy of the white Christian males who discovered, explored,
pioneered, settled and developed the greatest Republic in the history
of mankind.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">A
coalition of Blacks, Latinos, Feminists, Government Workers, Union
Members, Environmental Extremists, The Media, Hollywood, uninformed
young people, the "forever needy," the chronically unemployed, illegal
aliens and other "fellow travelers" have ended Norman Rockwell 's
America. The Cocker Spaniel is off the front porch... The Pit Bull is
in the back yard. </span><span style="color: blue;">T</span><span style="color: black;">he American
Constitution has been replaced with Saul Alinsky 's "Rules
for Radicals" and Chicago shyster, David Axelrod, along with
international Socialist George Soros will be pulling the strings on
their beige puppet to bring us Act 2 of the New World Order.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Our
side ran two candidates who couldn't even win their own home states,
and Chris Christie helped Obama over the top with a glowing "Post Sandy "
tribute that elevated the "Commander-in-Chief" to Mother Teresa
status. (Aside: with the way the polls were run, he didn't need any
help!) People like me are completely politically irrelevant, and I will
never again comment on or concern myself with the aforementioned
coalition which has surrendered our culture, our heritage and our
traditions without a shot being fired.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">You
will never again out-vote these people. It will take individual acts
of defiance and massive displays of civil disobedience to get back the
rights we have allowed them to take away. It will take Zealots, not
moderates & why not reach-across-the-aisle RINOs to right this ship and restore our<br />
beloved country to its former status.</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Those
who come after us will have to risk their lives, their fortunes and
their sacred honor to bring back the Republic that this generation has
timidly frittered away due to "white guilt" and political correctness... </span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">An American Veteran.........Semper-Fi.......an Unknown quote presumably by a Marine.</span></span></div>
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Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-52793049695954166152015-06-27T07:11:00.000-07:002015-06-27T07:11:00.109-07:00HOSTAGE NEGOTIATION FOR CITIZENS HELD BY TERRORIISTS<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if supportFields]><span lang=EN-CA style='mso-ansi-language:
EN-CA'><span style='mso-element:field-begin'></span><span style="mso-spacerun:
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lang=EN-CA style='mso-ansi-language:EN-CA'><span style='mso-element:field-end'></span></span><![endif]-->Hostage
Negotiation....News today regarding our country’s policy on ransoms for
kidnapped citizens and for victim’s families negotiating directly with the
kidnappers. We have gotten ourselves
into a quagmire of poor leadership and we are dealing from a position of
weakness.</div>
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There are several scenarios in a hostage situation. The kidnappers that are desperately cornered
and seeking escape. The next, are
kidnappers seeking a lucrative reward in exchange for the person or material
held captive. The last, political
ideologue kidnapper scenario is making a political statement hoping to diminish
the political standing of the adversary.
This can include a lucrative reward of riches. Some kidnappers have little or no intention of returning the
hostage. Kidnapping can be the ultimate
act of terror. Given the parameters
indicated, there is little space to work within. Depending how close we are to the hostage emotionally creates
another matter of how logically we can handle negotiations. There has to be logical negotiation to
mediate the dilemma. Every event is
usually different in some respect. In
any case the negotiations have to be centralized and only one source
negotiating. Victims families and a
disorganized government agency</div>
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( more inclined to be political) negotiating
independently is the ideal situation for a political kidnapper’s success. Resulting to the peril of the hostage.</div>
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History and experience have taught us several things. A terrorist act rewarded like kidnapping, with little
risk of consequence will be repeated.
As simple as this discipline is it takes great fortitude to adhere to
the preventive principles. Russia set
somewhat of an example years ago. In
Somalia they not only did not pay the ransom but also killed everyone involved,
pirates avoided their ships. Countries
or families not taking a firm stance and taking the path of least resistance
paying the ransoms had mixed results.
In some cases the hostage was returned with limited injuries and in
others the hostage(s) were murdered. An
example of the perpetrators not fearing consequence, and of course the
incidents increased substantially.</div>
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Our most recent kidnapping(s) has been disastrous. Special Force rescue attempts have been
bungled; drone bombings have accidentally hit hostage locations killing
them. In one instance we traded five
high ranking enemy generals for a deserting traitor. We have not divulged the money exchanged. This is not good crisis management.</div>
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Given our alleged level of superior intelligence we should
have more success? There is some level
of procrastination within our administration that does not allow for timely,
pragmatic decisions. They are usually
based on political success and not practical application of problem solving.</div>
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If we are prominent citizens traveling abroad and our
capture could result in a ransom or political statement we are prey to the
hawks of terrorism. The best pound of
cure results with the ounce of prevention don’t travel abroad. Citizens hiking around, or in, terrorist
countries such as Iran or North Korea should, in my belief, be left to their
own peril. Although situations differ, dealing from a position of strength is
important as it insures the health and return of hostages. There must be dire consequences if agreements
are not honored; it appears we are incapable at this time.</div>
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Given the past performances of this administration I think
we can expect limited success in the future.
I think the Benghazi incident could have been a hostage situation that
would have embarrassed the administration.
The defense resolve of the SEALS and the humiliation of the attackers
changed all that. We insured their
defeat without rescue attempts. We may
hear in the future that the possible kidnapping would have been more politically
devastating than their murders, (reason for the false narrative of an
instigating video, and their desertion.)
The tortuous murder of Ambassador Stevens served the purpose of
humiliation.</div>
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It is difficult to muster hope in future kidnapping
incidents from my prospective. Going
forward, only time will tell, I pray that my assessment is incorrect. </div>
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Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-23275572338024252632015-04-23T08:08:00.000-07:002015-04-23T08:08:10.294-07:00Veterans, used and abused....<div class="MsoNormal">
The Berkshire Veteran’s Coalition meeting on March 26, 2015.
It was about House Bill HD-1590, being submitted by Rep. Bouvier of
Pittsfield. It calls for the
regionalization of the Massachusetts Veterans Service Officers (VSOs).
Municipalities are required per
Massachusetts General Law, chapter 115, to have a VSO, or are required to
furnish funds for a regional VSO. If a community is part of a regional service
they may designate a liaison to represent the community in name only, they do
not have a necessary function. The salaries for the VSO offices are negotiated by the
municipalities requiring the service.
The professionalism of the VSO
is left to the appointing authority. Many of the benefits Massachusetts allows
for their disabled veterans are initially paid for by the municipality where
the veteran resides and reimbursed by the state, approximately seventy-five percent. The reimbursement from the state can take up to a year.</div>
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The bill, HD-1590 is alleged to promote professional
attention to veteran claims for aid or benefits. At first glance it is
acceptable because it appears to organize a service that is not always
efficient. It would divide the state
into 25 precincts, managed by state employees and they would manage additional
subordinates as they are needed in communities. It is intended to eliminate the
community share of all veteran’s benefits and services that would then be
assumed by the state, completely under their control without local involvement.</div>
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We are told veterans moving to Massachusetts from other
states are eligible for benefits the day after they arrive. Massachusetts has some of the most
progressive veteran benefits in the nation.
It behooves a veteran living in another state under deplorable
conditions to move to Massachusetts where many benefits are furnished. With an establishment, such as Soldier-On, a
prison or veteran’s hospital would establish residency for needy veterans from
another community or state. This can be
a substantial burden to the responsible community. Massachusetts does not solicit or attempt to recover funds from
the veteran’s initial home state for whatever reason. I can imagine what the reader is thinking, I did also, unbelievable.
The subject of eligibility by residence needs legislative scrutiny.</div>
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VSOs are members of the communities they serve. Several months ago the Berkshire Veteran’s
Coalition submitted a letter to the Department of Veteran’s Services, Coleman
Nee. We requested requirements be
established for training VSO’s, including necessary training for crisis
intervention or suicide. This was the
result of a tragedy that occurred in Berkshire County. It was submitted under the last governor,
so, I can imagine it is gracing some waste basket?</div>
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Disabled Veteran’s, really want answers. We want to talk to other veterans about
military matters that we encountered or experienced. This is all but impossible to a non-military person. We believe that it is imperative that a VSO
be former military. The comradery is essential. When we ask a question we want a clear unequivocal answer.
Especially when we are inquiring as to deserved benefits. The majority of the benefits we receive are
compensation for something lost to, or inherited from the military. This requires expertise with personal communication,
an attribute for a VSO. The benefit is
not a gift, we are not seeking sympathy, usually just answers.</div>
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Across the Commonwealth Veteran’s organizations are
condemning bill HD-1590 saying it will add another dimension of
bureaucracy. Controlled by the state
and requiring a budget for many millions of dollars that could have been used
to help veterans. The bill does not
address this or how it will be funded.
It does not stress the requirements for the regional managers, how they
are hired or dismissed if the need arises.
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From what I have learned, HD-1590 is well intentioned but
very lacking in what it will accomplish for veterans. It does not solve any problems we now have and will create a host
of many more. It does increase the
state government veteran’s budget by millions of dollars. Tax dollars.</div>
Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-8460745520817928922014-12-12T05:24:00.000-08:002014-12-12T05:24:07.145-08:00A TAKE ON INTERROGATION<div class="MsoNormal">
A take on interrogation.
There is much news about enhanced interrogation and the Senate committee
investigation has taken five years. I
am not familiar with torture but I have conducted a few interrogations. Interrogation is the strong word for an
interview. Police officers do this all
the time and during an interview it can rapidly change to a custodial
interrogation. When it becomes
accusatory we are obligated to remind the person of their right to an attorney
before they divulge information.</div>
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This has little to do with terrorist interrogation except
for the fact of the psychology behind the questioning and what makes a
terrorist submit to the truth. In
criminal work it is very simple the culprit is an opportunist or has low
intelligence. They calculate the
benefit of cooperation with what the
police already know versus the consequences. They have either been caught “red handed” or are escaping
the inevitable. Often because of their
intelligence the police manipulate them into confession or collusion giving up
information.</div>
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This really has little to do with a zealot ideologue willing
to give their life for their cause.
This is why terrorist interrogators need to be specially trained and
given latitude if information is to be gained. I understand that in water-boarding the method is to ask a series
of three questions, two of which the interrogator already knows the answer. If the interrogatee does not answer the two correctly he is
deprived of oxygen with a towel over their face being soaked with water. Terrorists are declined on a board and have
the sensation of drowning. The
terrorist is prepared by several days of sleep
deprivation, changes in diet and their usual atmosphere of
stability. The effects are dramatic
and regardless of what anyone says it could be very effective. The human body wards off further threats and
adapts to what prevents the harm. In
this case the truth, and there is great fear of lies rooted in survival. It can be associated with the
“Stockholm Syndrome” collaboration
through hopelessness. Long after
water-boarding the interrogatee will tell the truth knowing it can be gained
anyway. This is deemed by some to be
tortuous and most Marines would call it boot camp. A system of disorientation.</div>
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This procedure is applied to many aspects of military
training to prepare people for the possibility of capture by the enemy. It does not have any lasting physical
effects if applied correctly. The
mental aspects probably are lifelong, I really don’t care about a terrorist and
a lifetime of therapy if it saves American lives.</div>
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To exacerbate the subject is to throw American lives under
the bus, apparently the politicians do not care? Nor are they interested in preventing further terrorism. They will tout that the information gained
is incorrect, my response would be the system was not applied correctly. They will say the information can be gained
in another manner, lots of luck.
Police can lie and deceive, playing good cop and bad cop and still
usually it is not enough. We have to offer an incentive or disparity to gain
confession. If we are dealing with
someone willing to give their life for the cause it is silly to believe we can
convert them to our ideology. It is
very unintelligent to think otherwise and I would not stake the fate of
thousands of Americans on a whim or theory.
</div>
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This has even gone further and it is not discussed. Under this administration terrorism has been
criminalized. We take terrorists into
custody and advise them of their right to an attorney. This is true of foreign nationals taken into
custody on foreign soil as I understand it.
Yet, we kill Americans on foreign soil using drone strikes without a
trial verdict. That is another opinion
in the future, our media gives us many convoluted theories that are expressed
without the benefit of knowledge or experience.</div>
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Peter Risatti</div>
Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-24669159631561971382014-12-12T05:12:00.000-08:002014-12-12T05:12:03.883-08:00THE GARNER INCIDENT<div class="MsoNormal">
The Garner incident.
I’m weighing in and really have a hard time fathoming the bad luck everyone concerned had. Garner a thirty time loser with police
seemed to work every angle he could to get arrested. It is unfortunate that our society has people like this.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cops, including the cop behind Garner, Pantelleo, were
acting upon store owner complaints of Garner harassing customers and selling
cigarettes illegally. Excuse me if I
simplify the incident. Police answer
the call and evaluate that Garner is not going to be arrested easily, for
whatever reason they are reluctant to Taser.
They decide on a back-up of officers and what I saw on the video looks
to be four competent police officers confronting a giant of a man. Garner was not submitting to the
arrest. This is a fairly common
scenario. The exception is a suspect
that weighs 350 pounds and is very capable of injuring anyone trying to
apprehend him.</div>
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The only thing in common with the Ferguson event is a very
large man, angry and capable of maiming any police officer within reach. Garner does not appear to be aggressive,
however he is not compliant. This
passiveness is not something taken as permanent and the situation can change in
a fraction of a second. The arrest is
inevitable. Police don’t just
arbitrarily call for back-up. Officers
that respond are not happy with officers calling for an assistance without just
cause. In this case Garner’s size is
enough to speculate the damage he could physically do. I believe they were trying to apprehend him
with as little physical harm as possible. That is why they chose the multiple
officer arrest procedure.</div>
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Police, really desire to go home to their loved ones after a
tour of duty. A very rough physical
confrontation with an adversary can change that. It is nothing anyone looks forward to. It is evident that Garner was surrounded and would be overcome
and handcuffed. I did not see any blows
struck and it was mostly all about restraint.
I think any cop watching knew Garner was going to be grabbed by the neck
by the officer behind him. One officer
approached from the front drawing Garner’s attention, the officer behind grabs him for control. Two other officers await until the struggle
ensues, it is all about restraint. At
this point everything is very professional, taking him down,
incapacitating, hand-cuffing, and
neutralizing the situation.</div>
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The physical contact begins and Garner is saying that he
cannot breath, as a doctor said to me, “If he could not breath he would not be
talking.” Someone choking in a
restaurant gurgles or gasps they do not recite two sentences. Garner falls victim to other physical heart
problems, asthma and overweight restrained breathing, compounded by physical
exertion, anxiety of the event and chest pressure of being held down. The autopsy revealed that Garner’s tracheal
airway did not suffer damage, apparently indicating he was not strangled. Pantalleo is the alleged cause of the death. But, I have not heard anyone say that he was
ordered by the police officer supervisor at the scene to not act in the manner
that he did in effecting the arrest.
That would indicate to me that the supervisor approved of the conduct or
would have testified at the Grand Jury that the police officers were acting
contrary to instructions.</div>
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It is an unfortunate event, we need to be careful what we
take away from it. It is only racial
in the eyes of a racist. Angered
physical contact between human beings, even in a sporting event like football
has some traumatic consequences. This is
not a sporting event, but foreseeable with the medical problems and not
submitting to arrest. Unless there is
information I am not privy to, I would agree with the grand jury. There was not any specific intent or
negligence just a very unfortunate event. </div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peter Risatti</span>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-44822336868786994392014-12-12T05:07:00.000-08:002014-12-12T06:37:18.623-08:00IMMIGRATION<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
Immigration, in the news and being used to intimidate the
unsuspecting. This subject has been beaten to a pulp but still requires
defining. Recently there have been several articles in the Eagle expressing how
we should welcome immigration. We do,
if it is through the selection process like so many of our ancestors
accomplished. Many, blow off the harm
that illegal immigration creates. It
destabilizes our economy, the employment opportunity, our medical, educational
and welfare programs. Illegal is not
just against the law it is erratic and cannot be controlled toward
stabilization. It is erratic because it
cannot be rationed on the needs of the country. Again, it is expressed that the country can absorb it. The “Boomers” are moving into retirement at
the rate of ten-thousand per day.
Living longer than ever before and will require resources that there is
not an adequate supply of. Social
Security, Medicare, Senior Housing, etc. are under-funded now and unsustainable
in the future. The Boomers are on a
direct collision course with amnesty and are destined to lose. Our poor compete every day for low income
housing with the illegal guests.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have mentioned several times, the number of undocumented
citizens that we have is greatly underestimated. Not by a simple amount, when the true figures come in we will
realize the dilemma before us. We are
missing the count by millions. The
closest evidence is the amount of Non English speaking residents versus the
alleged amount of illegal residents. If
they are not able to speak English they are not citizens. We hear of the harm caused by amnesty and
still it is sought by many. Amnesty is
a very forgiving word. It was granted
under the Reagan Administration in the 80’s and has formed the night-mare we
are living now.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This opinion will get the usual disagreement from people
that will boast how immigration built this country. They are not accounting for the shortcoming of every government
program that includes our illegal guests.
They will exclaim they are needed for menial jobs that nobody else wants
to do. Well, I see many menial jobs in
the Want Adds and still there are many illegal guests on our welfare rolls,
this presents a conundrum. Some of the
people condemning illegal occupancy are the first to hire them, saving
money. Much of the money the guests
make is sent Western Union back to their home country. Observe the Price Chopper service desk on a
Thursday or Friday night. There
thousands of dollars are being sent to foreign countries, a fact of life. The part that nauseates me is the fact that so much of the money
sent is taxpayer subsidized. They are
here for opportunity, earning a wage or having it given to them. Their
allegiance is to their family in their former country. The baloney we hear about escaping political
abuse is hogwash it is like most crime and tied to monetary opportunity. Of course, there are some that are escaping
persecution. If the situation was reversed, we were the ones living in the
foreign country we would want family members to go where it is the most
lucrative and share whatever bounty they achieve. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amnesty, is the slap in the face we give legal immigrants
that have played by the book. We are a nation of laws that protect the citizenry although
this is not recognized by politicians seeking the immigrant vote. The silent majority remains intact and I
wonder how much harm they will endure before they get off their duff and stand
accountable?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Before chirping how bigoted this opinion is, walk a mile in
a senior citizen’s shoes and the prospects for their future. Many have paid into a system they can only
hope to benefit from. The Obama
Burger, get the large, the guy behind you pays for it, in this case the guy
behind us is our grand children.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peter Risatti</span></div>
Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-71561667656203504832014-12-12T04:53:00.000-08:002014-12-12T04:53:25.469-08:00SAVING OUR MILITARY<div class="MsoNormal">
Our military participants and where they come from. We are one of the luckiest nations on earth;
our military is 100% voluntary.
Military veterans are less than 11.5% of the legal population. Not everyone can qualify; just to be
accepted is an accomplishment. Once
accepted and having served honorably the individual is a member of a special
group.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unless we are in close association with the military it is
an unfamiliar culture. However,
awareness of American history can inspire military interest. The inspiration
can lead to participation. The interest
can be personal needs, including patriotism, employment, education, or
adventure. Planning a military career is an avenue to experience and education,
the means to a specific goal. If the
enlistment is not compatible, it only needs to be endured for a minimal amount
of time. The many mistakes we can make
in life there are few that offer a termination with honor after a few
years. Not boasting Army slogans, “We really can be, all that we can be.” We leave the military having gained
knowledge of interacting with other Americans under exacting conditions. The military experience is a lesson in
social survival for Americans.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our military has the greatest defense capability in the
world, regarded as fierce and respected until the last few years of faltering.
One set back in the last seventy years was the Vietnam War, initiated and
administered politically. We learned,
or should have learned, it was a disastrous endeavor. The drastic military
changes from the Nixon to Carter Administrations severely weakened our nation
but the basic principles were still intact.
Under President Reagan our military recovered greatness, shedding some
balance to the world powers.
Occasionally, someone none military, changes our military structure it
is usually a detriment. It is often under the guise of modernization; the
result is foolhardiness that sacrifices safety and American lives.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our military is succumbing again to political domination;
our military is under pressure constantly to maintain efficient standing with
world respect. I trust America will
survive, many senior citizens are doubtful. Our fortitude is being tested in
the most stressful atmosphere we have had to endure. The patriotism that wells up in our chest when we look at the
flag or hear our national anthem will be in our souls forever. The legacy
continuing long after we have closed our eyes for eternity. That patriotism cannot be taken from us. The
soldiers stricken while carrying our flag know another will follow in their
footsteps, taking up where they leave off.
We are Americans, with 238 years of freedom experience and a
pencil-necked politician will not permanently diminish our freedom. Our constitution protects our rights,
strengthening our legacy. Interestingly, I do not know of an American Veteran
who gave their life for socialism. We
use the soldier and their blood. If it is merely for political gain Americans
need to speak out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Insuring liberty means choosing our government
carefully. Political candidates should
be vetted and nothing left to “That’s good enough.” We need rational, well-planned leadership decisions of where our
country is, where we want it to go and who will get us there. We should demand responsibility from people
elected to office. We need to clean up
our own political parties for good government.
Honesty should be a policy not an occurrence. Our government formulates
our military; our military insures our freedom.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our national safety is the issue. Safe guards have to be maintained and functional. Threatening events occur, it is irrational
to think they will not occur in our lifetime, they have and they will. Military life is not for everyone, but for
those choosing the military we are grateful.
We have the option of not serving, we better damn sure hope someone else
does. We need to encourage and maintain
a feasible and attractive lifestyle for the Americans that do. Supporting our military will ensure our
nation’s future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peter Risatti</div>
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Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-33275199315226097862014-11-29T08:27:00.000-08:002014-12-12T06:37:55.183-08:00THE NEW IRAQ WAR<div class="MsoNormal">
The new Iraq War. We
are inclined to elect presidents that promise us peace and prosperity. It is impossible to foresee if they can
deliver on their campaign promises. Their plans and projections are often unattainable. I wonder if we are attracted to a
candidate that can lie better than their opponent?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am a
veteran of the Vietnam War or “Johnson’s War.” The Vietnam War was a political debacle, conducted by an
administration thinking only of their political future. I think we are repeating such a dilemma
again. Iraq was the Nemesis of
President GW Bush in 2003. He insisted
Saddam Hussein had Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) and the Iraqi people
would rise up and support a regime change.
One element of proposing the conflict in Iraq declared Iraq was central
and detrimental to peace in the Middle East.
After many years of war, four thousand deaths and thirty-two thousand
casualties later our military secured Iraq.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For
everyone anti Iraq War, it was all in vane.
They thought it was a war of stupidity and the consequences of our
losses were borne by GW Bush politically.
Many could not wait to end that war.
In 2008, the candidate that promised Iraqi withdrawal was Obama. As proposed, President Obama withdrew our
forces from Iraq in 2010. There was
controversy at the time if this was a wise decision. Not heeding the warnings of terrorism and failing to leave U.S.
security forces in place was a mistake.
By determining the Iraq war successful and final it helped the Obama
re-election in 2012. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Terrorists
known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) have decimated the Iraqi
peace. As predicted, the vacuum left by
U.S. withdrawal allowed militant terrorist to move into Iraq. ISIS is murdering the Christians and Kurds
of Northern Iraq. It has been in the
news several times in the last two years but apparently only civilians were
paying attention or cared. Of the over
one hundred intelligence briefings by our national intelligence our Commander
in Chief missed meetings sixty percent of the time. That probably accounts for
his lapse in judgment? Recently, many
major cities in Iraq fell to terrorist at an alarming rate that could not be
ignored. This is the same Iraq that
many felt was not deserving of U.S. intervention in 2003. ISIS murdering Kurds and Christians, the
same as Saddam did previously. The
former alleged WMDs are not an issue this time, it was speculated they were
moved to Syria in 2003. Similar, if not
the same WMDs were found in Syria after being used by President Assad of Syria
in his continuing war against ISIS in 2013.
After condemnation by the U.S. and United Nations Assad stopped WMD use
and agreed to their destruction. Their origin was never determined. Ironically, and without justification, Assad
was using WMDs on the same people we are bombing now, ISIS.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We bomb
ISIS daily and have implored much of the free world to assist us. We have over two thousand military personnel
in Iraq apparently wearing slippers? It
is reported there are “No Boots on the Ground.” The national media is responding to lies about a “Time line of
terror” in the region. We are not admitting the folly of removing all troops
from Iraq in 2010. But, we are leaving
ten thousand troops behind when we leave Afghanistan this year. It would mean that we have second thoughts
about occupational security after having sacrificed so much for a country’s
stability.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In all
probability the Iraq War will escalate.
A solution not gained without an occupying ground force. I have sympathy for the Iraqi natives that
undergo the chaos, the terror of ISIS and our bombing. I have even more sympathy for our Americans
that have to remedy a situation that should not have been. There is something about bleeding to death
for political ineptness that is plainly unjust. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Peter Risatti</div>
Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-8365474287768150442014-08-29T18:49:00.000-07:002014-12-12T06:39:29.360-08:00THE FERGUSON MESSAGE<div class="MsoNormal">
A man six foot four inches tall, weighing 303 pounds and allegedly shot
by police while unarmed. The officer, is of average height and build, and
attacked after initial confrontation with the deceased. There is a physical struggle and necessary
for the officer to retain possession of his police firearm. The officer gains control of his weapon and
the assailant/deceased is alleged to retreat. Something in the mind set of the
deceased encouraged him to re-engage the police officer and it was a fatal
decision. It is alleged the deceased
hands are raised in surrender.<br />
<br />
What transpired during and after the incident is really not a mystery. It
is logical in the mindset of a police officer that has been attacked in similar
circumstances. Confronting a person with physical characteristics of a
World Wrestling performer and having the ability to inflict great physical harm
is more than a challenge. The officer, if average size, is at a
tremendous disadvantage. Size is a crucial element in physical
confrontation. In real life and death
situations I look back over my career and if I had been any smaller I would not
be writing this now. There is not a
salary paid that equates to fighting for our lives. The officer was treated medically for a fractured eye socket
sustained from the encounter. <br />
<br />
The deceased was the suspected perpetrator of a store unarmed robbery.
The televised video indicates he robbed a store and physically assaulted the
clerk, stealing fifty dollars worth of cigars, fifteen minutes before he was
shot. This video should have been released on the day of the
shooting. In Massachusetts Chapter 265-19, Unarmed robbery can carry a
felony punishment of twenty years to life sentence. So, this is not some
pickpocket stealing lunch money. We can assume the mindset of the deceased was
not one of kindness in the time frame of the robbery to the shooting.<br />
<br />
Much is said about the officer not knowing about the robbery and confronting
the deceased in broad daylight in the middle of the street. Police do not
customarily use physical force for J-walking, especially on a perpetrator
nearly twice our size. Nor do we awaken and start the day planning a
shooting. The officer's service record will reveal how many confrontations he
has had over J-walking. To speculate as
the media does on ridiculous conclusions is just plain silly without research.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The gunshot wounds to the victim, six in all, from the
front. He was not retreating or running
away, he decided to re-engage the officer.
It is reasonable to deduct that the two head wounds of the deceased are
the final wounds. The other four wounds
are in the right hand and arm. I
suggest the four arm wounds are the beginning of a series of discharged bullets
indicating the officer was bringing his weapon up to a firing position with
necessary haste. If he had his weapon
trained on the deceased intending on execution, as alleged, I doubt if he had
been aiming at the victim’s hand. If
the victim’s hands were raised, as alleged, it would be a little improbable
that the officer was aiming over the victim’s head, firing as he brought the
weapon down. The bullet trajectory will
be assessed and should reveal the position of the arm when it was wounded. The bullet trajectory of the head wounds should
reveal more evidence and will under more scrutiny. If the deceased was not
advancing on the officer that would give time for more calculated marksmanship
and the wounds do not indicate that. A
toxicology result from the autopsy will reveal any controlled substance
abuse. This is an opinion, based solely
on my own practical experiences; we will witness a circus the news media will
make of this tragedy. We have lived
through similar events. It is
unfortunate that it ever happened.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peter Risatti</span>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-80382149256610594042014-08-29T18:40:00.000-07:002014-12-12T06:40:21.396-08:00THE PARADOX OF EFFECTING VOTING<div class="MsoNormal">
For
the thirty-four years, throughout my police career, I voted as an
Independent. My reasoning was a
nonpartisan position could not be associated with being politically
biased. It worked. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I
have learned the political affiliations we create in our lives influence our
decisions, our social relationships and our quality of life. Certain beliefs we adhere to through our
environment and experiences will form our ideology. As an independent it was easier to read the newspaper and
whenever a political scandal erupted it was nice not to have the
affiliation. I also learned that
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely,” one-party rule is just that. A two party system is the watchdog that
keeps the wolves at bay. The rules of
hierarchy in politics dictate that second best is not in control but they are
looking for the event that will put them in control. Control, is the goal for political gain.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There
are several political parties, with only two giants in the room. Hardly a giant in Massachusetts, the
Republicans are 11% of the voters.
Democrats are 39% and independent noncommittal voters account for 50%. About half of everything that happens in
life from relationships, work, religion and politics is noncommittal. When we read this we reject the premise that
noncommittal voting is lacking responsibility and deference to good
government. Studying voters around us
we can analyze how committed they are and for what duration, it is usually
dependent on needs, their needs. </div>
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Continuing
the same process without getting our hands dirty. Assessing the government we get is the parody of effective
voting. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sitting
on a fence it is easier to switch pastures if the grass looks a little greener
in the other fellow’s yard. The problem
arises when the grass can look greener but the eventual flavor might not be of
our liking. The political parties have
figured this and just rely on the independents to be very fickle. Raise the “Problem de Jour” and see how many
take the bait without research. They
raise the premise of a “War on Women” they know the fickle vote is not one of
reason, mostly spontaneity. The
independent vote empowers Democratic control, as 61% of Massachusetts cannot
stand united.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It
is not a wonder that so many government programs are never terminated after
decades of substantiated failure. Fifty
percent of the voters are not committed to eliminating corruption. The benefits of voting non-committal are
minimal and for influencing governmental change. When the outcome depends on a fickle opinion how strong can it
be? Change should come about only when
there are two closely viable entities vying for the same control. The only thing that disrupts government more
is the apathetic nonvoter, the epitome of a depressed government, “You can‘t
blame me, I didn’t vote.” Now, is that
a convoluted conclusion? Inspiration
for change would be new candidates with 11% participation there is little
incentive. Primaries are the tickle
processes we use; enough agitation from a loud ideology and the platform of the
party will change. Why? The apathetic nonvoter relinquishes and the
fickle voter guarantees the process. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How
many people know what an independent voter actually has for benefits? Only one, I know of, they can determine what
primary they vote in. Some consider it two chances of eliminating the candidate
they do not want to run against the person they want to win. I’ve never heard
it was successful. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The
Independent’s voting ballot is the same as everyone’s in the general election,
with the same choices. Independents alone, voting without commitment, may
readily be part of the problem and not the solution. Apathetic voters are suppressed not to vote by choice. So, there we have it, apathy and fickleness
determine our governmental process and then we criticize the result. How many think it was a hard fought, honest
campaign that brought us our leadership?
Wouldn’t it be nice?</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Peter Risatti</span>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-48424894319233515162014-08-29T18:11:00.000-07:002014-12-12T06:40:56.311-08:00THE PARADOX OF GUN CONTROL<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 5.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 10.0pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.5pt;">The commonwealth’s gun control
regulations are themselves a paradox, creating an undue burden for the
disadvantaged on one hand and unintended, sometimes deadly results on the
other. Obeying the law, we rarely think about the consequences of owning a
firearm. It has been stated that there are more gun owners in Berkshire County
than either registered Democrats or Republicans. There is a proposal in the
legislature to further tighten access to firearms in our state. Local residents
have a vested interest in current and future restrictions and regulations
imposed on their right to posses firearms.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">We
have heard, “If gun control worked, Chicago would be like Mayberry. Guns are
like parachutes, we may only need one once and if we do not have it we will
never need it again.” Massachusetts licensing procurement is one of the most
stringent in the United States. License application is sought at our local
police station where we are scrutinized and profiled as to what we deserve a
license for. Without criminal or mental history we qualify to be trained and
carry a firearm. We pay for a training certificate and a one hundred-dollar
license fee. If refused, we can request a hearing before the local court for
judicial determination. Imagine, if we did this for 100mph vehicle operation or
receiving habit-forming prescription narcotics? The latter two, drugs and cars kill thousands every year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There
are costs, often quite expensive for firearms, ammunition and licensing. The
costs are discriminatory and unaffordable for many, only accessible to those
having several hundred dollars. The
expense punishes the poor, yet in this instance it is deemed acceptable. The
irony is poor people are more subject to crime because of the environment they
live in. When the costs of gun
ownership rise that segment of society is very limited in their decisions. We
are upset when they remain unlicensed and buy cheap illegal guns. Another
social consequence of being poor, the government will never subsidize firearm
ownership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Is
a firearm necessary? So many profess it
is not. The epitome of safety is
standing beside a police officer because he has a gun and is trained. There is
not a more noble profession. The limitation of police is that they cannot be
everywhere all the time and most of the time they are completely reactionary to
events. They arrive in time to summon an ambulance, photograph the crime scene,
or conduct the investigation. The
proactive side of police work is ever changing; whatever criminal opportunity
exists, the unsavory will seek to take advantage. It can be devastating to be a
victim and deprived of governmental protection, or any protection. A firearm is not necessary for everyone but
vital for many.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Society
discourages firearm exposure for our children, while at the same time we
increase the exposure to Marijuana, a gateway drug to further drug abuse. Marijuana possession was one reason for
restricting firearms’ licenses. By decriminalizing it, previously denied
firearm ownership applicants could now be eligible. Will the people so
restricted be applying for gun licenses? What a collateral effect, as we
decriminalize drugs we make more drug-using citizens eligible for gun rights they
were denied. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Mental
health disclosure is a portion of firearms’ safety. Liberalizing mental health disorder restrictions, not recognizing
the danger to society has been disastrous. Labeling a disorder was not
politically correct but it was a lot safer, a social consequence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 6.5pt;">The left’s amnesty push
for illegal aliens may ultimately backfire. The National Rifle Association is
expecting a huge membership increase. More people granted citizenship and the
"right to bear arms." Having been deprived of personal protection in
their previous country, they will welcome their new constitutional right to
bear arms. Adamant new gun owners may change the vote in ways we can only
imagine.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Peter Risatti</span>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-42769550638283716362014-08-29T18:06:00.002-07:002014-12-12T06:41:29.554-08:00THE PARADOX OF FREEDOM<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The
paradox of freedom, from the right. Have you read or heard the statement,
“Fathom the Hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they
are insured, but not everyone must prove they are citizens?” Our government has
forced many of its citizens to exchange their health care, for a version of
health care alleged to help the people that were uninsured. For compliance in
Massachusetts our penalties or fines are levied on people filing income tax. We
need to file income taxes in order to be fined for not having health care, as I
understand it. <br />
<br />
If we are working “Under-the-table” without tax consequences what difference
does this make? It doesn’t. Without visible income we are considered indigent
and entitled to all benefits afforded that classification. The taxpayer will
fund their health expense. If the levied fine for uninsured is equal to, or
less than the insurance premium is it functional? No. I’m healthy, but if I get
sick I cannot be refused insurance for preexisting conditions. If I am young
and healthy this certainly discourages me from getting insurance before I am
sick. If private insurance companies cannot insure us normally then the
coverage gained will have loaded deductibles. It will be handled under a pool
of significant illnesses that go beyond simple disorders. There will be
millions of healthy people that must insure to compensate for catastrophic
conditions to balance what probably cannot be balanced. <br />
<br />
It is improbable the government mandate of Affordable Health Care (AHC) can be
delivered. Small businesses may have to discriminate in hiring based on health
needs. Mandated insurance provided for everyone, including preexisting
conditions, created a dilemma. Without a balance of premiums charged and
patient needs compensated the insurance companies cannot prosper. There is
little reason to be in business without profit. The previous health system in
place was in need of restructuring. The results of the new AHC our freedom of
choice is compromised . We assign government to pick up where insurance
companies fail, subsidizing premiums. We place government in a precarious
position. Is this why we have a Congress that is upside down, trying to deliver
what it cannot? We provide an insurance to the majority that is marginal with
sky rocketing co-payments and diminishing benefits for the people that pay
premiums. <br />
<br />
Freedom is a state of security for citizens to pursue happiness. This is not a
difficult concept, we call it human rights, “Commonly understood as inalienable
fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she
or he is a human being.” Happiness should not be gained at the expense of
another citizen’s physical pain or submission of property that is taken from
them. In this case the pain is enduring loss of adequate healthcare removed by
a government. <br />
<br />
They started with thirty million residents not having health insurance. There
were no estimates as to the number of non citizens. The health care provided
was by way of hospital emergency room visits. The reasons for previously
uninsured were unaffordable premiums, preexisting conditions, or plainly,
insurance was not wanted. With recent subscriptions to affordable health care
the emergency room visits by uninsured have not declined. Is anyone asking why?
<br />
<br />
We are asked to sacrifice a great deal so that process corruption can prosper.
What part do our law makers play in this compliance? A great deal, if they
collude with partisan groups that border on absurdity. They compromise the
freedoms of the people that work and pay. <br />
<br />
Somehow, our compassion for the needy has become a means for anyone of a needy
mind set to exploit the system. If the government wants to expand coverage to
non citizens and non taxpayers they need to establish and fund a clinical
system to rival the hospital emergency room. Maybe a solution is in the
original idea of clinics, the same as the Peace Corps does in foreign
countries. They could actually help more foreigners right here in the United
States? We would at least know how the money is spent. Now, we do not. Now,
there is a thought for today! <br />
<br />
Peter Risatti</span>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-24998287073687211732013-10-03T20:05:00.000-07:002013-10-03T20:14:58.514-07:00I DON'T COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THIS BUT IT HAS MERITThe title is in response to the <a href="http://patriotpost.us/alexander/20574">Patriot Post Blog</a>. It is suggestions as to how the Republican party can regain their footing of leadership. Mark Alexander is a good man and I respect his opinion. I have a few of my own.<br />
<br />
I wish I could just say "play nice." It is not that simple and Moderate
Republicans that wanted all the pork that the Democrats had gotten, got
us into this spot. We will see, but if the conservatives loose badly
it will formulate a much different party than we all expect. There
won't be any Republicans, moderate or conservative holding office in any large number. <br />
<br />
If the conservative GOP win and win big it could mean even more behavior
in the future that nobody will live with for long I would imagine. The
nice part will be it will keep the Rhinos at bay and make them very
wary. We will still need moderate Republicans to temper the decisions
made by the victors. I don't like Peter King, Chris Chisty, John McCain, or Lindsey Graham. they are a waste of GOP money.<br />
<br />
I wonder if they really believe losing the house and senate in 2006 was
due to conservatism? It was due to spending and foolish behavior and forgetting what conservatism is. They were still lining the
pockets of Democrats to get their vote when it was not needed, like they
and their constituents were going to miraculously migrate to the
Republican Party. Everyone loved the bi-partisanship so much they voted Democrat. Scott Brown got a first hand lesson. Keep
Republicans voting for you, and entice moderate and conservative
independents to join the quest. Liberal Democrats will always vote
Democrat because that is their makeup at the low end of gene pool,
followed closely by liberal independents that are the reason for tubal
ligation. <br />
<br />
If a Republican does not understand that they really need to be reminded
that conservatives are nauseated to vote for the the default choice of
the GOP, so much in fact they do not come out of their houses to vote.
Look at voter turn out! My point exactly. The percentage that votes
and the percentage that does not and why. They don't like the candidate
that the GOP puts forth and it really cannot be because they are "too"
conservative as we have not seen one. On the same side, the last
presidential primary, Santorum, was too conservative for the moderate Republicans. I'll bet they would take him now. I have the reservations
I had for the candidates, and why, locked in my head, with the turning
point of each election when the candidate decided to woo the the liberal
left and lost their base.<br />
<br />
Romney, Brown, Baker, Gomez the list goes on, the conservatives would
still not take them. The GOP does not listen but it will, if it
survives.<br />
<br />
If they want to play in the game it has to be more than dressing in the
same uniform, it has to be core values. If they do not have any of
their own, they can only kiss up to Democrats and steal theirs. Imagine
a ball game where both sides wore the same colors? That is what
Washington looks like right now with a slight minority with a different
uniform. The moderate Republicans have a choice and what side do they
pick, the Democratic side, what a strategy for defeat. Lest we give
up the party and just become liberal and conservative Democrats, I think
we could beat them then. Too much is in a name anyway.<br />
<br />
peteRBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-90041601929897657392012-07-23T17:43:00.001-07:002012-07-23T19:39:43.594-07:00The Old and the NewOur posts are few and far between. My internet connection never increases in speed it is always one speed "Slow." We have been promised high speed internet and I will be amazed when we get it. In the meantime I will try to entertain from time to time. The following article is just that. I had just got through reading about how we need new blood in our organization and was thinking about it when I read this. I'm sharing and I hope you like it.<br />
<br />
"Did you ever wonder why people are far more likely to become conservative in their views and values as they get older? When this rather devastating question is posed to liberals, leftists, progressives, Democrats -- you choose the label or group -- they answer that people get more selfish as they get older. ... People get worse as they get older? If you were walking in a dark alley at midnight, which would you fear more -- a group of teenagers or twenty-somethings or a group of senior citizens? Do older people or younger people give more of their time to charitable institutions? Are our prisons filled with young people or old people? The fact is that not only do people get more wise and more conservative as they get older, they get more kind and more generous, too. ... If anything, we older people yearn for a peaceful world even more than young people do. We are the ones who lost friends or relatives in some war. We are the ones who have lived a lifetime of seeing and reading about human suffering. And, we, not you, have children and grandchildren whom we ache to see alive and healthy. ... What the term 'more idealistic' really means when applied to young people is that young people are more naive, not more idealistic, than older people. ... We are seduced by policies based on the awesome American value of individual initiative combined with liberty to create and retain wealth. It's now called conservatism." --radio talk-show host 1. Dennis Prager<br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><a href="http://patriotpost.us/opinion/14139" target="_blank"></a>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-46736209814676060582012-05-12T22:20:00.000-07:002012-05-12T22:30:42.833-07:00“My Cup Runneth Over”<br />
<div>
<br />Most of the time I am grateful for all the
positives in my life. I have an abundance of positives and gratefulness just
watching the sun come up. We do have to watch out for trip wires though they
work in good and bad weather. Here we are, and Spring is upon us again, maybe it
is for real this time. Not to bore you, but my home in Orange was broken into
and all the copper plumbing stripped from the basement. Unless you have flushed
a toilet with a bucket of water lately it is really hard to appreciate what it
is like. Well, we will chalk it up for things to do this year. I did not relish
a lot of free time anyway.<br />This is a short note, I have heard that Marines
are at war and America is at the Mall several times. I do not like to repeat it
as it fills me with disgust. Can you believe the news highlights of the last
month and the deceit that is expended on social issues concerning a very small
portion of our population but impact us all? Taking our eyes off the ball, I
hope this does not mean there will be a lot of swings and misses. Focusing on
what needs to be done in the coming election is most important.<br />This article
was sent to me some time ago by a conservative lady we admire, Kathy, who we
fondly call "Ma." So, for Mother’s Day, God Bless all the mothers. We love our
Mom’s both here and departed, in our hearts they can never die. Most GI’s do
what they do because of the experiences they have had as Americans and those of
us that have had a great mother know where our motivation derives
from.<br />peterR<br /><br />Concerning a problem we face with so few in the Service
and at a time we are increasingly surrounded by enemies.<br /><br />Written by a
USMA grad, but the same applies to all the others: enlisted and officer. </div>
<div>
<br />Thank you to the 0.45%<br /><br />I remember the day I found out I got into
West Point.<br /><br />My mom actually showed up in the hallway of my high school
and waited for me to get out of class. She was bawling her eyes out and
apologizing that she had opened up my admission letter. She wasn't crying
because it had been her dream for me to go there. She was crying because she
knew how hard I'd worked to get in, how much I wanted to attend, and how much I
wanted to be an infantry officer. I was going to get that
opportunity.<br /><br />That same day two of my teachers took me aside and
essentially told me the following: Nick, you're a smart guy. You don't have to
join the military. You should go to college, instead.<br /><br />I could easily
write a tome defending West Point and the military as I did that day, explaining
that USMA is an elite institution, that separate from that it is actually
statistically much harder to enlist in the military than it is to get admitted
to college, that serving the nation is a challenge that all able-bodied men
should at least consider for a host of reasons, but I won't.<br /><br />What I will
say is that when a 16 year-old kid is being told that attending West Point is
going to be bad for his future then there is a dangerous disconnect in America,
and entirely too many Americans have no idea what kind of burdens our military
is bearing.<br /><br />In World War II, 11.2% of the nation served in four
years.<br /><br />In Vietnam, 4.3% served in 12 years.<br /><br />Since 2001, only 0.45%
of our population has served in the Global War on Terror.<br /><br />These are
unbelievable statistics.<br /><br />Over time, fewer and fewer people have
shouldered more and more of the burden and it is only getting worse. Our troops
were sent to war in Iraq by a Congress consisting of 10% veterans with only one
person having a child in the military.<br /><br />Taxes did not increase to pay for
the war. War bonds were not sold. Gas was not regulated. In fact, the average
citizen was asked to sacrifice nothing, and has sacrificed nothing unless they
have chosen to out of the goodness of their hearts.<br /><br />The only people who
have sacrificed are the veterans and their families. The volunteers. The people
who swore an oath to defend this nation. You.<br /><br />You stand there, deployment
after deployment and fight on. You've lost relationships, spent years of your
lives in extreme conditions, years apart from kids you'll never get back, and
beaten your body in a way that even professional athletes don't
understand.<br /><br />Then you come home to a nation that doesn't
understand.<br />They don't understand suffering.<br />They don't understand
sacrifice.<br />They don't understand that bad people exist.<br /><br />They look at
you like you're a machine – like something is wrong with you. *<br />*You are the
misguided one – not them.<br /><br />When you get out, you sit in the college
classrooms with political science teachers that discount your opinions on Iraq
and Afghanistan because YOU WERE THERE and can't understand the macro issues
they gathered from books, with your bias.<br /><br />You watch TV shows where every
vet has PTSD and the violent strain at that. Your Congress is debating your
benefits, your retirement, and your pay, while they ask you to do more.<br />But
the amazing thing about you is that you all know this. You know your country
will never pay back what you've given up.<br /><br />You know that the populace at
large will never truly understand or appreciate what you have done for
them.<br /><br />Hell, you know that in some circles, you will be thought as less
than normal for having worn the uniform. But you do it anyway. You do what the
greatest men and women of this country have done since 1775 – YOU SERVED. Just
that decision alone makes you part of an elite group.<br /><br />Never in the field
of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so
few.*<br /><br />*AMEN!*<br /></div>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-5410429399181706842012-03-16T12:33:00.000-07:002012-03-16T12:33:42.952-07:00REPUBLICAN REVIEWS, IN MY MIND, MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS?REPUBLICAN REVIEWS, IN MY MIND, MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS?<br />
A short time ago at a meeting with a dozen Republicans an interesting topic emerged. The topic was how much interest is there in social issues. What is a Republican’s stance in Massachusetts on any social topic, whatever it is, here or nationwide? How should we address it? On one issue I even heard, "Let’s ignore it and maybe it will go away." "It is a third rail, Independents will distrust us." It started my thinking process of self worth, are we that unique?<br />
<br />
My feelings are not shared by all my Republican peers. First, Shakespeare’s, "To thyself, be true." To me, means if it goes against my grain, why am I doing it? Second, I keep hearing about ‘reaching across the aisle’ and I take that to mean bi-partisanship. Third, where is it written that if I say I do not agree with the Democratic proposal I am stone walling government, I am mean and selfish and depriving someone of something. When I am really advocating not spending money we do not have, or just not condoning socialism.<br />
<br />
Maybe it is time we took account of ourselves and what we stand for. Do we know? Do we understand that Republican principles are Limited Government, Lower Taxes and Local Control. Of course, what each segment means to us? Let’s explore that.<br />
<br />
Massachusetts, by nature has been controlled by a Democratic Legislature for at least sixty years of my life. Does anyone remember when Democrats reached across the aisle? I don’t. They’ve always proposed whatever they damn well pleased and thrown the crumbs to the Republicans. In doing so they have dumped on tax payers. Many of us have cowered in the corner and just said, "Thank you," or replied, "We will try to meet you in the middle, good friends." It is almost like saying "Beat me up some more. I like it." We know their idea of ‘middle’ is somewhere around nine o’clock their time. Some Republicans, when in a position to make a difference have failed miserably. They find out how to play ball? Republican mediocracy? That makes me ill.<br />
<br />
Past Republicans leaders, good people, if they were doing so well why didn’t the people support the party? Why did they leave? Was it for the freebies the Democrats throw out with the threat that if they are voted out the mean spirited Republicans will stop them? Or, is it they are both the same so I do not want to be part of either one? Is it because the unions and the government regard every job as a partisan job? Republicans need not apply, or just waste your time? Don’t bite the hand that enables you? Was there ever a time in Massachusetts that the Republicans were really conservative? I don’t ever remember it.<br />
<br />
In Massachusetts, if I am a candidate running for office, I must court the Independent vote. Republicans are a minority, somewhere around 13%. Winning without the Independent vote is unlikely. I wonder, is it more attractive for a candidate to appear close to the issues that the state’s Democratic agenda feeds us? Should we contrive to be our own party and not Democrat Lite? If I was an Independent making the choice of two candidates both close to the ‘middle.’ One candidate pledges jobs and legislature congeniality, my vote could be swayed I think. Especially, if there is not a significant difference between the candidates except maybe hair style. Is anyone else feeling despair when they see the number of Republicans that turn out to vote? Could it be the middle ground our candidates dance on? Isn’t there a need for some criteria that says who we are?<br />
<br />
What about complete contrast to the Democratic agenda? A platform that says previous representation no matter how good it was did not come without cost. Costs, that are only affordable off the backs of the taxpayer. A discernible message that is clear. That every social agenda has gone the way of the Democrats. It usually means higher taxes and higher user fees on every aspect of our lives and the result is failing government. So much for the Lower Taxes of our Republican agenda. They always flip us ‘It was a bipartisan bill with a ninety/ten bipartisan decision. What about, "I will veto every spending bill unless it does not have new tax funding and is funded?" What about, stressing the similarities to Greece and California and the recklessness of run away spending.<br />
<br />
In the last 40 years the size of our government in Massachusetts has gone from approximately forty thousand state employees up over approximately eighty thousand, 100%. Our legal citizenry has gone from six million to approximately seven millio<a href="http://www.census.gov/dmd/www/resapport/states/massachusetts.pdf"></a>n a 16% increase. This will not take into account the expansion of federal or municipal employed workers in Massachusetts, I will leave that to other researchers. I would think with new technology we are using every state administrative office would be smaller? I guess that diminishes both Limited Government and Lower tax?<br />
<br />
How many are following the Housatonic River cleanup debacle? I just threw that in the discussion for local control. Or, has anyone attempted to start a business lately or build anything that requires state permits? I called the DEA once to complain about toxins being thrown in Goose Pond and was threatened that I was a trouble maker by some pencil necked paper-pusher. How can it be, a communications company can dictate how co-axial cable is installed in communities? What citizen did we help with that brain storm? Is it the company, or the union control? Or, is it Corning that makes the fiber-optic cable? Take your pick. They all have their hand in our pocket.<br />
<br />
Maybe this negotiation across the aisle should be a little more firm footed so the voters know what the Republican agenda should be. Just maybe, what attracts people that have left the party or insist on being Independent is a ‘broader decision?’ I don’t think they want to be neutral, I think they do not like either party. Maybe people are sick of living in a corrupt society where the legislature wraps everything in bacon just before they are indicted. Do we even think of this dilemma when we know the deplorable status of state and community budgeting? Oh, I know, we are doing really well, then I think of the eighteen billion in unfunded state pensions that are not quite up to snuff. Just raise the taxes and services we’ll still vote for you, until you are indicted.<br />
<br />
Just my thoughts and I welcome comment.<br />
Semper fi ...... peterRBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-76247860100805691122012-03-14T08:59:00.001-07:002012-03-14T09:00:32.873-07:00I'M IN FROM THE COLD!Excuses, are like friends, everyone should have one. Mine? I've had more internet problems then the law should allow. First, the computer internet and then stabilizing new accounts. Computers are a blessing and they can be a nightmare. I would like to blame it all on a conspiracy and of course that would explain some of the bizarre events. Too long to get into.<br />
<br />
The good side is, we are up and running. We have used the last few weeks to help restore the Berkshire County Republican Association to greatness. Our paid membership had depleted, there were problems very much like the national problems of more money going out than coming in. I believe we have a handle on that now. We are after all Republicans. If you are reading this and have visited our new website of: http://www.berkshiregop.org/ you will be surprised.<br />
<br />
I am sure if you are a member or have been a previous member you have received several emails inviting you to participate? Please do. We have been beating the brush for a Few Good Republicans. We'll keep a light on for you.<br />
<br />
We are back on board just in time. So, let's start, I was reminded today that “We have to stand for something or we’ll fall for anything.”<br />
<br />
The last few days have been very intriguing. Rush Limbaugh the alleged indigenous leader of the Republican Party was terminated from our local station WBEC. WBEC was one of two (the other was located in Hawaii) nationwide that changed their programming to get rid of Rush. Rush's plight was a controversial statement that he has since apologized for. <br />
<br />
At first glance Rush is on shaky grounds for being a foul mouth when attempting to defend the religious assault on the U.S. Constitution. His stance, the same as many, was that to provide paid health care with funds provided by individuals that had a conscious religious objection was not right. It violated the first amendment of the Constitution. If we did not provide for well being of the Co-ed’s sex life it would be the demise of Roe vs. Wade. Well, I guess it is silly? Thinking it is not is almost as dumb as trying to pass off the story the Insurance Company will pay for hundreds of employees to have their sex life financed for free. We would like this to be a female issue but I have not heard that they would pay for vasectomies so maybe it is a gender bias issue? Not one word on that?<br />
<br />
Anyhow, WBEC saw fit to terminate Rush. I have been a Republican for the last four years. Rush’s name has come up four times, total. Somebody besides some dumb Democrat should have told me he is my leader. Rush has some brilliant theories and delivers them to a vast audience of people that are intrigued with his talent and research. WBEC is a privately owned company so they are not obligated to anyone as to programming. There are many people that listened to Rush and I doubt the verbiage Rush mis-spoke was the worst that the administrators of WBEC had ever heard. I wonder if the people that demanded Rush’s removal will now listen to the replacement program? I doubt it. I do believe the sponsors of that time slot will now get 50 percent of the listeners or potential customers from their advertising. Good business move by WBEC, I wonder if they are passing the savings onto the sponsors? <br />
<br />
I do not remember them denouncing the vulgar slurs offered against Sara Palin or Michelle Bachman. I am glad that WBEC got their Puritan Morals in line with the times. I am just pleased that their concern for the community took this drastic step to protect me and defend the offended. Who in their right mind really took it to heart that was a fan of Rush? Silently? Exactly, nobody, it is a non-issue, people that are not fans are saying they will not listen anymore. Well, we did not expect them to. If the truths are known probably there are thousands agreeing, of course as our political correctness commands the way we act in society today few will admit to it. Am I protecting women? I certainly am, in remembrance of my mom, boy, what she would have said. Rush would blush.<br />
<br />
I am so disgusted, maybe I’ll go to NYC and camp out in the park and crap on a few police cars. How silly, the Tea Party does not do that, it is the other side.<br />
<br />
Semper fi,<br />
peterRBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-34922047212479432732012-01-02T05:03:00.000-08:002012-01-02T05:08:00.887-08:00Our Congretional Dollars and how they add upThe following is some interesting discourse relayed thanks to H. Bishop, former Marine. It offers some insight as to the characteristics of debate over our Congress and financial decisions made by the lawmakers. I don't often look to the Times for material but this is even handed.<br />
<br />
During the 2010 elections I was speaking to a candidate for Congress and he informed me that once elected a member of Congress had in excess of a 4 million dollar budget to run their office. I was astounded as the mental math equated the total for the House to be in excess of several hundred millions of dollars. This does not take into account the special committees and travel perks. It does give us an idea of what we are getting for our five percent approval rating of their work.<br />
Semper fi,<br />
peterR<br />
<br />
By ERIC LICHTBLAU <br />
<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45793299/ns/politics-the_new_york_times/#.TwEdETWJeSo">New York Times<br />
updated 12/27/2011 </a><br />
<br />
WASHINGTON — When Representative Ed Pastor was first elected to Congress two decades ago, he was comfortably ensconced in the middle class. Mr. Pastor, a Democrat from Arizona, held $100,000 or so in savings accounts in the mid-1990s and had a retirement pension, but like many Americans, he also owed the banks nearly as much in loans.<br />
Today, Mr. Pastor, a miner’s son and a former high school teacher, is a member of a not-so-exclusive club: Capitol Hill millionaires. That group has grown in recent years to include nearly half of all members of Congress — 250 in all — and the wealth gap between lawmakers and their constituents appears to be growing quickly, even as Congress debates unemployment benefits, possible cuts in food stamps and a “millionaire’s tax.”<br />
Mr. Pastor buys a Powerball lottery ticket every weekend and says he does not consider himself rich. Indeed, within the halls of Congress, where the median net worth is $913,000 and climbing, he is not. He is a rank-and-file millionaire. But compared with the country at large, where the median net worth is $100,000 and has dropped significantly since 2004, he and most of his fellow lawmakers are true aristocrats.<br />
<br />
Largely insulated from the country’s economic downturn since 2008, members of Congress — many of them among the “1 percenters” denounced by Occupy Wall Street protesters — have gotten much richer even as most of the country has become much poorer in the last six years, according to an analysis by The New York Times based on data from the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit research group.<br />
Congress has never been a place for paupers. From plantation owners in the pre-Civil War era to industrialists in the early 1900s to ex-Wall Street financiers and Internet executives today, it has long been populated with the rich, including scions of families like the Guggenheims, Hearsts, Kennedys and Rockefellers.<br />
But rarely has the divide appeared so wide, or the public contrast so stark, between lawmakers and those they represent. The wealth gap may go largely unnoticed in good times. “But with the American public feeling all this economic pain, people just resent it more,” said Alan J. Ziobrowski, a professor at Georgia State who studied lawmakers’ stock investments.<br />
There is broad debate about just why the wealth gap appears to be growing. For starters, the prohibitive costs of political campaigning may discourage the less affluent from even considering a candidacy. Beyond that, loose ethics controls, shrewd stock picks, profitable land deals, favorable tax laws, inheritances and even marriages to wealthy spouses are all cited as possible explanations for the rising fortunes on Capitol Hill.<br />
<br />
What is clear is that members of Congress are getting richer compared not only with the average American worker, but also with other very rich Americans.<br />
While the median net worth of members of Congress jumped 15 percent from 2004 to 2010, the net worth of the richest 10 percent of Americans remained essentially flat. For all Americans, median net worth dropped 8 percent during that period, based on inflation-adjusted data from Moody’s.<br />
<br />
Analytics.<br />
Going back further, the median wealth of House members grew some two and a half times between 1984 and 2009 in inflation-adjusted dollars, while the wealth of the average American family has actually declined slightly in that same time period, according to data cited by The Washington Post in an article published Monday on its Web site.<br />
<br />
Rarefied air <br />
With millionaire status now the norm, the rarefied air in the Capitol these days is $100 million. That lofty level appears to have been surpassed by at least 10 members, led by Representative Darrell Issa, a California Republican and former auto alarm magnate who is worth somewhere between $195 million and $700 million. (Because federal law requires lawmakers to disclose their assets only in broad dollar ranges, more precise estimates are impossible.)<br />
Their wealth has created occasional political problems for Congress’s richest.<br />
Mr. Issa, for instance, has faced outside scrutiny because of the overlap of his Congressional work and outside interests, including extensive investments with Wall Street firms like Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, as well as land holdings in his San Diego district. In one case, he obtained some $800,000 in federal earmarks for a road-widening project running along his commercial property.<br />
<br />
Senator John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat who is married to Teresa Heinz Kerry, set off an uproar last year when it was disclosed that he had docked his $7 million, 76-foot yacht not in his home state but in neighboring Rhode Island, which has no sales or use tax on pleasure boats. (Mr. Kerry, worth at least $181 million, voluntarily paid $400,000 in Massachusetts taxes after public criticism.)<br />
<br />
Representative Nancy Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, was challenged about her wealth, as much as $196 million, by a member of her own party a few weeks ago. Representative Laura Richardson, a California Democrat who is among the poorest members of Congress with as much as $464,000 in debt, attacked Ms. Pelosi at a closed-door Democratic caucus meeting for endorsing a Congressional pay freeze, according to a report in Politico that was confirmed by other members.<br />
Ms. Richardson angrily told Ms. Pelosi that, unlike her, some members needed the raise. Members now make a base pay of $174,000 and would automatically get a cost-of-living adjustment unless they were to decide, for a third straight year, to pass it up. Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics, said the rising Congressional wealth fuels public doubts about whether members are more focused on their constituents’ interests or their own investment portfolios. “There’s always a concern that they can’t truly understand or relate to the hardships that their constituents feel — that rich people just don’t get it,” she said.<br />
<br />
In an effort to gauge how directly the country’s economic problems affected lawmakers, The New York Times contacted the offices of the 534 current members (one seat is vacant) for an informal survey. It asked if they had close friends or family members who had lost jobs or homes since the 2008 downturn.<br />
<br />
Only 18 members responded.<br />
Half the respondents said they had close friends or relatives who lost homes, while the other half said their personal contact was limited to constituents who came for help. Two-thirds said they had close friends or relatives who had been laid off or had shut down a business during the downturn. The rest knew no one in that category personally.<br />
Representative Anna G. Eshoo, a California Democrat who took part in the survey, said several cousins in their 40s and 50s whom she considers brothers and sisters lost their jobs recently. Without college degrees, none have found work, and they have emphasized to her the importance of unemployment benefits.<br />
“Personal stories are very powerful because it’s not a theory,” Ms. Eshoo said. “It’s not talking points of a party. These are people experiencing the harshness of what is an economic depression for them.”<br />
<br />
'Different lens' <br />
Multimillionaires in Congress “view life through a different lens,” she said.<br />
Ms. Eshoo herself has escaped the worries weighing on her cousins. While she reported being in debt in 2004, she is now worth an estimated $1.8 million, her financial reports show. She said the rise came mostly from the sale of a family home where she lived for 40 years.<br />
“I was fortunate,” she said. “I’ve lived from paycheck to paycheck most of my life, and I’m a single mother.”<br />
One likely cause of the rising wealth, political analysts say, is the growing cost of a political campaign. A successful Senate run cost on average nearly $10 million last year, and a successful House race was $1.4 million, significantly above past elections.<br />
The prohibitive cost has inevitably drawn richer candidates who can help bankroll their own campaigns and attract donations from rich friends — while deterring less well-off candidates, political analysts say.<br />
The data analyzed by The Times corroborated the idea that incoming members are in fact richer than those in the past. The freshman class of 106 members elected last year, including many Tea Party-backed Republicans, had a median net worth of $864,000 — an inflation-adjusted increase of 26 percent from the 2004 freshmen.<br />
Once in Congress, members benefit from many financial perks unavailable to most Americans. Beyond a base salary of $174,000 — an increase of about 10 percent since 2004, somewhat less than inflation — members get extra pay for senior posts and generous medical and pension benefits, as well as accouterments of power often financed by taxpayers or their campaigns.<br />
<br />
While the housing collapse nationwide has hurt many Americans, lawmakers still find the real estate sector the most popular place to park their money, statistics from the Center of Responsive Politics show, and members of Congress continue to profit from their investments there. Perhaps the most tantalizing but hotly debated factor in the rising wealth of Congress is lawmakers’ performance in the stock markets — and the question of whether they are using their access to confidential information to enrich themselves.<br />
<br />
In a study completed this year, Mr. Ziobrowski at Georgia State and his colleagues found that House members saw the stocks they owned outperform the market by 6 percent a year. Their research from several years ago found that senators did even better, at 12 percent above average. The researchers attributed the performance to a “significant information advantage” that lawmakers hold by virtue of their positions and the fact they are not bound by insider-trading law.<br />
However, a separate study last year by researchers at Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the portfolios of lawmakers actually performed somewhat worse than average investors. It found that members did do better when investing in companies in their home districts or associated with campaign donors — suggesting that they benefited from their political connections — but still not as well as the average investor.<br />
<br />
While concerns go back decades about lawmakers trading on confidential information, the issue drew renewed attention with a new book on the topic, “Throw Them All Out” by Peter Schweizer, and a “60 Minutes” report in November. Both linked high-level briefings that Congressional leaders received on the 2008 financial crisis and on health care to their purchase and sale of certain stocks.<br />
Members insisted that they never traded on information that was not public, and some Congressional leaders pointed out that their investments were in blind trusts managed by professional advisers. Nonetheless, the publicity led some 90 members of Congress to call anew for a ban on insider trading.<br />
Mr. Pastor, the Arizona congressman, said he never relied on fancy stock investments to make money. He said the key to his good fortune was watching what he spends, paying off debts and, at age 68, collecting Social Security and a pension from his days as a county supervisor.<br />
“I don’t see myself as a man of great wealth,” he said. “To say that I’m enjoying a millionaire’s lifestyle — well, I can tell you, I guess a millionaire’s income doesn’t go very far these days.”<br />
The article, "Economic Downturn Took a Detour at Capitol Hill," first appeared in The New York Times.<br />
Copyright © 2012 The New York TimesBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-67657396342410467792011-12-26T22:46:00.000-08:002011-12-26T22:46:33.757-08:00Our Berkshire Politics and where they can take usThe Berkshires are unique, of course our politics are also. So many times something is going on in the state and we are so protected from it. Especially if it does not have a liberal slant so the Eagle will ignore it. Or, it will be written to their liking but not always to our benefit. Always the biased agenda. We have Fox News, WBRK radio and our Pittsfield Gazette but even they cannot follow all that goes on in our fair state or county. Probably the reason why the county votes the way it does? Why not, the majority of our neighbors think everything is great and keep re-electing the people that have brought them this prosperity.<br />
<br />
Our non-native voters come from every state mostly adjacent states. They vacationed here before moving, enjoyed the cultural arts and the scenic beauty<br />
and decided to retire or relocate to the Berkshires. I was here a month and knew I would never leave. Some of the reasons many move here they forget, politics being one. Muscle misery kicks in and they want our politics to mirror what they <br />
left or the left ideology. <br />
<br />
Forty three years ago it was a little different, I remember. Pittsfield was a modern up to date city bustling with industry and a population of close to fifty thousand. We had crime that came with the drug culture of the sixties but by today's standards it was minor. It was difficult to find parking during business hours as the commerce taking place was alive. Do you remember? <br />
<br />
The following article is one man’s plight with Medicare of Massachusetts. Or the Medical Miracle of the United States now. To think, they copied us? We have fifty thousand undocumented Democrats in the state sucking our welfare system dry and the health care with it. The rest of the country will probably do that also it is difficult to get too much of a good thing. Unless we were directly involved in a situation or subscribed to the Boston Herald we would never know. This is a human interest story that could effect each and every one of us in time. With the political debates and all that is going on we hear very little about Medical care in Massachusetts. It will inspire us to look forward to the 2012 elections.<br />
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The following Herald Story by Margery Eagan is just such a story.<br />
<br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; color: #336699; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 35px; letter-spacing: -2px; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -3px; text-align: left;">Co-pay hike a painful reality</h1><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: 25px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: -10px; text-align: left;">Miracle drug monthly cost jumps from $42 to $600</h2><div id="bylineArea" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><img alt="Margery Eagan" class="bylineImage" src="http://cache.heraldinteractive.com/images/siteImages/reporters/margery_eagan.gif?1=1" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; float: left; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 0px;" /><span class="bold" style="font-weight: bold;">By Margery Eagan</span><br />
Thursday, November 3, 2011 - </div><div id="toolBoxArticle" style="background-color: white; color: #336699; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 1px; padding-left: 1px; padding-right: 1px; padding-top: 1px; text-align: left; width: 520px;"><span class="articleBegin" style="color: #333333; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20px;">K</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">en Helgeson could be you.</span></div><div class="articleFull" id="articleFull" style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">The retired pressman from Millis worked for more than 50 years, sometimes two jobs, to take care of his daughter and his wife, Marion, a paraplegic as the result of polio.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“I never asked anybody for anything. I never took a free ride or money from the state. You took care of yourself. It’s the way we got brought up, and that’s what I’ve done,” Helgeson said yesterday, not bragging but putting the irony of his </div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">plight in perspective.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Helgeson is simply another man who played by the rules, and now faces a nightmare.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">In what he calls “a sellout,” Helgeson says Medicare has changed its deal for covering the prescription drug that kept him working for 10 years with increasingly severe rheumatoid arthritis. Enbrel used to cost him a $42 per month co-pay. Now it costs him $600 a month. He can’t afford it. So he stopped taking Enbrel four months ago.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“Six hundred a month is an awful lot of money on a fixed income,” he said. “I just can’t pay.”</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">But Helgeson is far from alone. At a recent State House hearing, doctors, patients advocates and patients themselves told lawmakers that not only is Medicare changing prescription drug rules, private insurers also have demanded high patient payment for some of the more expensive drugs treating cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, hemophilia and multiple sclerosis.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">According to a new group formed to combat this — the New England Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs — Blue Cross has already implemented higher payments for these so-called Tier 4 drugs in numerous states, including Rhode Island and Delaware. State Sen. Anthony Petrucelli (D-East Boston) has introduced legislation here to cap huge co-payments, but the bill’s fate in unclear.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Meanwhile, the coalition reports, more and more of the severely ill are delaying buying drugs they need or, like Helgeson, not buying them at all.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“Maybe Phil Mickelson can afford it,” Helgeson said, referring to the pro golfer’s ubiquitous Enbrel commercials. “I’d love to tell you that I can, too.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Helgeson could have made the same commercial because Enbrel worked wonders for him.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“After the first week or 10 days, it was a miracle. I was riding my bike. I painted my house,” he recalled.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">He went fishing again at local lakes and at the South Boston yacht club where he’s belonged for 20 years. “I’d get up in the morning and the pain would just absolutely be gone. I can’t even begin to tell you,” Helgeson said.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">These days, it’s a different story.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">“Now I can deal with the pain until it gets terribly severe,” he said. “At that point I don’t know what I’m going to do, but if I get a major flare-up, I’ll end up in the hospital because I can’t breathe.”</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">Of course, Helgeson’s insurance covers hospitalization, even though that would cost way more than the Enbrel does.</div><br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">So far, Ken Helgeson has been lucky — no “major flare-ups” yet.</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">His wife, Marion, however, paints a different picture. “Kenny’s not a guy to complain. But he’s struggling, and I hate to see him struggle,” she said. “Sometimes it takes him three times just to get out of bed. You know he married me with polio, but we never knew it would get this bad. My husband is a terrific fellow who’s taken care of me for 47 years. He just doesn’t deserve this.”</div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px;">No arsenal ... is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.........Ronald Reagan</span></span><br />
</div>Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-77174962247824483952011-12-26T09:56:00.000-08:002011-12-26T22:02:45.951-08:00What the MA GOP Needs to do from the Boston Herald.............GOP needs resolutions for 2012 <a href="http://http://bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/view.bg?articleid=1391203">Click for article</a><br />
<br />
By Holly Robichaud<br />
Monday, December 26, 2011 - Updated 14 hours ago<br />
<br />
Now that the Massachusetts Republican Party has elected a new chairman, it is time for a fresh start. Here are some 2012 resolutions the new GOP leadership team should adopt:<br />
<br />
• <b>Register more GOP voters: </b>Right now, only 11 percent of registered Massachusetts voters are Republicans. Despite all the Democrat scandals that have plagued Beacon Hill, our numbers have not multiplied. Don’t leave the growth of registration numbers to fate. There needs to be a systematic plan to add more Republicans to the voter lists. It shouldn’t be too hard to register new GOP voters in districts such as the one represented by U.S. Rep. John Tierney (D-Salem), who had no idea of his wife’s involvement in her fugitive brother’s finances. He is a walking advertisement for us.<br />
<br />
•<b> Get out the vote on Election Day:</b> The party’s previous leadership dropped the ball for 2010 elections. If there had been a well-organized get-out-the-vote program, which would have made a 4 percent difference in vote totals, then Mary Connaughton would now be the state auditor. Starting today, the victory program needs to be convincing and identifying voters to turn out for the November election. Don’t wait until the last minute.<br />
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•<b> Make friends with the Tea Party</b>: In order to fight the Democrat domination, the GOP needs to be a party of addition not subtraction. Cooperate with the Tea Party on voter education and grassroots organizing.<br />
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• <b>Don’t neglect the down-ticket candidates:</b> If the GOP is to be a strong opposition party in Massachusetts, it can’t put all of its eggs in one basket. There needs to be support for the top of the ticket as well as the legislative candidates who are our future farm team.<br />
<br />
•<b> Be proactive on voter integrity:</b> Whether it is monitoring the political tactics of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor organization or supporting legislation requiring identification to vote, the party should be out in front on these issues so that our elections are fair and honest.<br />
<br />
<b>Most importantly, Republicans and Tea Party patriots need to adopt the glass-is-half-full philosophy. We don’t live in Alabama, so we cannot expect that our elected officials, such as U.S. Sen. Scott Brown, are going to vote 100 percent of the time with the party. We have to be happy that we have a senator who votes a conservative stance 80 percent of the time rather than an ultra-left wing former Obama administration official who will vote the other way all the time. Anchors-aweigh U.S. Sen. John Kerry already has that covered.</b><br />
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Let’s make 2012 a Happy Republican New Year!Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-72133349297922374532011-12-26T09:37:00.000-08:002011-12-26T09:37:58.717-08:00Fast & Furious, AG Holder absurdity?From the Tea Party looking out for our interests as always.<br />
<br />
Semper Fi<br />
peterR<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Patriot,<br />
<br />
TheTeaParty.net hopes that everyone had a wonderful Christmas weekend and that everyone is feeling as refreshed and energized as we are, because we have some big fights ahead. <br />
<br />
Eric Holder is completely out of control, and the politicization of the justice department is reaching scary proportions. While most Americans were distracted with the joys of Christmas and family, the justice department quietly announced that they are striking down the voter identification law passed in South Carolina. Eric Holder is using the justice department as though it were just one more weapon of the liberal propaganda machine to be selectively used to attack conservatives and protect liberals. Eric Holder's selective enforcement of the law is a dangerous abuse of power and we must not let this stand! <br />
<br />
Already we have sent nearly 300,000 letters to Congress demanding that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate obvious perjury committed on the ‘fast and furious’ debacle. Thanks to your letters, about 60 members of the House of Representatives have called for Holder’s resignation. We must keep the pressure on Congress, but we also need to hang the albatross of Eric Holder’s numerous scandals around the neck of President Obama as he seeks reelection. <br />
<br />
Somebody has to take the fight to Eric Holder who just claimed that any criticism of him was clearly racism, and we are not going to be intimidated. There are so many scandals and abuses of power that many of them get lost in the shuffle. To start, we just need you to send another batch of letters to your Congressman and Senators demanding that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate Eric Holder, but we will be launching a comprehensive effort to publicize his many failings. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://smtphost1.volumeemail.com:81/CT00003203NTY2Nzg0.HTML?D=2011-12-26"><br />
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS BY CLICKING HERE</a><br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Dustin Stockton<br />
Chief Strategist<br />
<br />
P.S. Our strength is in numbers. Please help our efforts by forwarding to a friendBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-70488597751959848842011-12-26T09:29:00.001-08:002011-12-26T09:29:54.532-08:00For your reading pleasure.............Two articles..........................Thanks to M.Franco the following two articles can be followed by our readers. The forwarding letters were submitted to news agencies in Western Massachusetts. Take comfort knowing there are Republicans in our midst that take up the pen for what is right.<br />
<br />
Semper fi,<br />
<br />
peterR<br />
<br />
Dear Regional Republicans & Activist Friends:<br />
<br />
1. Possessing an ID shows responsibility:<br />
<br />
Letter: By Michael McMahon, Agawam, 12/23/11<br />
<br />
I was a bit disappointed to see your paper’s stance on the voter ID issue. (“Path to the ballot box must be clear for all,” Dec. 20). <br />
<br />
I’m just surprised how anyone cannot be in favor of upholding the integrity of elections. Discriminatory? How can you function in society today without a valid ID? <br />
<br />
What if you want to buy a beer, rent a car, or God forbid apply for a job? What happens the day you show up to vote and they tell you “Sorry, it appears you have already voted”? <br />
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Also I’m sorry to say if someone has chosen a path through life that doesn’t require an ID - I’m not sure they have earned the responsibility to be trusted with the privilege of casting a ballot. <br />
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http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2011/12/letters_to_the_editor_how_can.html<br />
<br />
2. GOP must distance itself from 'crony capitalism':<br />
By Kathy Mailhot, Saturday, December 17, 2011<br />
http://gazettenet.com/category/opinion?page=1<br />
<br />
Freedom does not work...and it has never worked?<br />
<br />
That is what the leader of the free world described on December 6, 2011. His statements deeply concern me.<br />
<br />
He started by pointing out the fact that we were a country where hard work and personal responsibilities were among our core values. This was a time of prosperity, motivation and ingenuity. It was a time when we allowed capitalism to work.<br />
<br />
But since then - we have been in a purposeful gentle slide into socialism with ever expanding government regulations, control and bureaucracies. The natural free market has been transformed into crony capitalism. The greed of the government and corporations has been entwined and continues to fester - scratching each others back at the expense to the citizens of this country.<br />
<br />
As both parties have been pushed more to the progressive policies, we have been left with little choice for our elected officials. It is time to take back the Republican Party. The GOP must set itself apart and make a stand. Enough.<br />
<br />
Over the years Republicans have considered themselves pro-business. But there is a huge difference between pro-business and pro-free market. A pro-business policy is a veil to more crony capitalism. Both parties bend over to appease large businesses and unions for politic favors. Our country is rotting from the inside and those in power are masters of illusion.<br />
<br />
President Obama claims that we are a richer nation and have a stronger democracy. Who is he kidding? How can we be richer with $15 trillion debt that is rising as we continue to give away our sovereignty to the interests of the UN.<br />
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As far as being a democracy - we were never a democracy. Our government was deigned as a republic, a republic which is fading. I believe we are a kakistocracy - government by the least qualified or most unprincipled citizens. We cannot continue down this path.<br />
<br />
(Mailhot is a candidate for Republican State Committee Woman, Hampshire & Franklin District.)Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-3219150483595335522011-12-09T20:33:00.001-08:002011-12-09T21:21:53.817-08:00Oh! what a tangled web we weave : When first we practice to deceive!If we are avid gun owners and we do not vote conservative does that mean we are in a pickle?<br />
Caught between bases and we cannot leave the base line. Being tagged out is a certainty. The following is the latest scam for the anti second amendment folks. Read and enjoy thanks to Charlie C.<br />
Semper fi,<br />
peterR <br />
<br />
Gun Owners of America (GOA) <br />
Friday, 09 December 2011 13:54 The government’s “gun walking” scandal heated up a Capitol Hill hearing this week. Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the House Judiciary Committee for an oversight hearing on the Department of Justice, but Operation Fast and Furious dominated the discussion. Holder, as he has already done numerous times in testimony before Congress, coninued his practice of stonewalling and deflecting blame for the failed scheme that led to thousands of firearms “walking” across the border into Mexico and into the hands of violent drug cartels. Committee members grilled Holder on misleading Congress, not dealing appropriately with the individuals who called the shots on Fast and Furious and, even worse, for using the guns that the government allowed to “walk” to Mexico as an excuse for greater gun control in the U.S. <br />
<br />
Fast and Furious Leading to More Gun Control? <br />
From his opening statement, Rep. Daryl Issa (R-CA), a chief congressional investigator looking into Fast and Furious, made clear that gun control, not crime control, is really the main objective of the Obama administration. Rep. Issa pointed to recent ATF regulations to register many long-gun purchasers in southwest border states: The idea that regulations, without any approval of Congress, to create databases in the southwestern states…clearly shows that, in fact, this administration is more interested in building databases, more interested in talking about gun control than actually controlling [the Fast and Furious guns]. <br />
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Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), a strong ally of gun owners, further pressed the point, assuring Holder that: If the American people learned that the motivations for [Fast and Furious] was somehow to make a case to deprive them of their Second Amendment rights or to make a case to further the Department’s ability to further regulate gun rights within the United States, that would make them very angry. <br />
<br />
Rep. Franks went on to read from an email between Mark Chait, ATF Field Operations Assistant Director, and Bill Newell, ATF’s Phoenix Special Agent in Charge of Fast and Furious. Chait wrote: Bill - can you see if these guns were all purchased from the same [licensed gun dealer] and at one time. We are looking at anecdotal cases to support a demand letter on long gun multiple sales. Thanks. The demand letter Chait was referring to is a regulation (which is in violation of federal laws protecting gun owners’ privacy) requiring more than 8,500 firearms dealers in four states to report multiple sales of long guns to the ATF. In other words, the Justice Department helped to create a huge mess, and is now seeking more authority to regulate firearms to clean it up. At the same time, the Department has taken no action to hold anyone accountable within the government. No Accountability at ATF <br />
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Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) questioned the Attorney General about holding specific people responsible for the government’s actions. “Who is the person in the United States government that made the decision…to facilitate the guns going to Mexico,” Rep. Poe asked Holder, who claimed not to know. <br />
<br />
After the hearing, Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren brought up that question to committee member Steve King (R-IA). “Whoever was so stupid to authorize this operation…is still sitting there with the Justice Department because no one will tell us who the one is with such flawed judgment,” Van Susteren said. King replied that, “If Eric Holder will not identify that person or answer that question, you have to wonder if Eric Holder isn’t the person.” Holder remains defiant, and has rebuffed calls to step down or to fire those involved. <br />
<br />
GOA Petitions Congress to Get ATF off the Backs of Gun Owners President Obama and his Attorney General are clearly going after American gun owners, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their goal of more gun control. <b>Eric Holder should be fired immediately for his mishandling of Fast and Furious, and then further investigated for possible criminal wrongdoing. But there needs to be more done, which is why GOA is urging Congress to take firearms out of the ATF’s jurisdiction. The Fast and Furious scandal is not an isolated incident, but just the latest in a long string of abuses by the agency. As far back as 1982, a Senate committee noted that ATF “has trampled upon the second amendment by chilling the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms by law-abiding citizens.” But even in light of its many documented abuses, the agency has continued to grow in its budget, personnel, and mission. This rogue, unconstitutional agency is dedicated to infringing on Americans’ fundamental right to keep and bear arms. And left unchecked, they will regulate it right out of existence. If you haven’t already signed the petition, please do it today. Citing a long string of agency abuses, it asks the Congress to exercise its constitutional authority to get the ATF out of the firearms business. <b> The petition goes directly to your Representative and two Senators. </b> The ATF has abused the rights of gun owners for far too long. If enough Americans make their voices heard, we can do away with this unconstitutional agency.<br />
<br />
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/issues/alert/?alertid=32404501Berkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6804413413094958170.post-49504248475584171302011-12-08T19:48:00.001-08:002011-12-09T19:58:25.654-08:00What America Does BestBerkshire Republicanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07239175116309618829noreply@blogger.com0