Obama Must Be Defeated

 Published January 13, 2012 in the Lynchburg Ledger

The lawlessness of President Barack Obama continues to amaze. Commenting on Obama’s latest outrage were former U.S. attorney general Edwin Meese and Todd Gaziano, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Legal & Judicial Studies.  Writing together in a Washington Post Op Ed article on January 5th, they said, “President Obama’s attempt to unilaterally appoint three people to seats on the National Labor Relations Board and Richard Cordray to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (after the Senate blocked action on his nomination) is more than an unconstitutional attempt to circumvent the Senate’s advise-and-consent role. It is a breathtaking violation of the separation of powers and the duty of comity that the executive owes to Congress.”

Presidents can only make recess appointments when Congress is in recess, and the Congress was not when he made the appointments.  Time will tell if the Senate Republicans have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to Obama.

If George W. Bush ever attempted such an unlawful act, the liberal media would be screaming for his impeachment.

It is the same liberal media, which continues to run interference for Obama.  In 1992, the liberal media convinced Americans we were in a recession when indeed we were not.  Now, they are trying to convince the same Americans we are not in a recession when indeed we are.

The latest jobless numbers released by the Labor Department of 8.5 percent are a total sham.  What they are neglecting to report is that many of the unemployed have simply given up, and they are no longer counted as unemployed.  They also don’t report that the total number of available jobs have shrunk by about 2 million since Obama took office.  Any fifth-grader can tell you that when you reduce the denominator in a fraction, the result is a lower percentage.

The number reported is what is known as the U-3 number, being defined as the “total unemployed as a percent of the civilian labor force.”

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) suggests that a better measure of the real jobless rate, the U-6, which is defined as the “total unemployed plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all persons marginally attached to the labor force.”  The U-6 number stands at 15.6 percent.  This includes those individuals who would like a job and have been looking for employment for the last twelve months and not just the last four weeks. AEI believes the number of Americans hurt by the bad economy is almost twice what the official number would suggest.

Although there are some areas of the economy showing some improvement, there are many others that are not.  For example, Banker Steel of Lynchburg recently announced a number of lucrative contracts, which will provide additional local jobs. 

At about the same time, Sears/K-Mart announced they would be closing approximately 120 stores nationally. 80 closures have already been announced.  In Virginia, a Sears in Norfolk and a K-Mart in Midlothian will close.  No word yet about Lynchburg’s Sears and K-Mart.

For the economy to stand any chance of improving, Barack Obama and the liberal media must be defeated this November.  Obama will have in excess of $1 billion in his campaign war chest, and the liberal media will contribute millions in kind by their biased reporting and attacks on the Republican candidate.

Therefore, we must have the strongest Republican candidate we can field.

Currently, Mitt Romney seems to be leading in popularity, but he has difficult time polling above 25 percent nationally.  He received 39 percent in the New Hampshire primary.  He was expected to do well as Romney is the candidate of the “Republican establishment,” as was John McCain and Bob Dole before him.  I simply don’t believe Romney is the conservative we need.

It was a shame to see Herman Cain have to withdraw after being viciously attacked by the media.  The liberals simply cannot afford to have a conservative black man succeed.

Ron Paul scares me. He came in a strong second in New Hampshire with 23 percent.  He is what I would term a constitutional legalist.  He looks at the Constitution with myopic tunnel vision.  Some of what he says has an element of truth in it, but his solutions are totally unworkable. 

His view on foreign policy and national security is scary and naive.  He does not understand that fundamentalist Muslims hate us because we are Americans, and as such, want to kill us, along with every Jew in the world. Even though many Americans deny it, the fundamentalist Muslims know America was founded by Christians on Biblical principles.

America has become guardian of freedom and liberty for the world.  It is not that we sought the position, it is one we obtained by default.  What Ron Paul doesn’t seem to understand is that one nation is going be the world’s dominant power.  If not us, who? 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich was gaining some traction until he was attacked by Mitt Romney in Iowa.  I like Gingrich, and I think he would be a great candidate but he tied Santorum for 4^th place in New Hampshire with 9 percent.

Some conservatives are concerned about his personal past.  He has admitted his mistakes and asked for forgiveness.  Christians sometimes seem overanxious to shoot their own wounded.  Gingrich has been endorsed by Don Wildmon, founder of the American Family Association.

Another candidate I like is Rick Santorum, a solid conservative with great foreign policy experience.  He surged in Iowa but not as much in New Hampshire.  He and Gingrich share the same voter base.

Unfortunately, Rick Perry seemed to have fizzled out, and I suspect will be out of the race after the Florida primary.

Jon Huntsman has never been a factor as far as I am concerned.  He bet the farm on New Hampshire and came in a weak third with 17 percent.  Look for him to drop out soon.

Unfortunately, here in Virginia, we don’t get much of a say with only Romney and Paul on the March Republican primary ballot.  I am disappointed that Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli gave up so easily in correcting this injustice.  He cited fairness to the Romney and Paul campaigns, but his loyalty should be to the voters of Virginia. 

A law suit has been filed so there is a possibility more may be on the ballot.  The least they can do is abolish the stupid loyalty oath and give us a write-in vote capability.

A Foot Soldier in the Culture War

The 9-11 Commission Report stated that fundamental Islam had been at war with us for years but we paid little or no attention to it.

There is another force that has also been waging war on the moral fabric of our nation for 50 years and with the exception of a very few, we have paid little attention to it.

I am referring to the culture war which has been raging since the 1960’s.  The Judeo-Christian based moral underpinning of our society has been under relentless attack from amoral and immoral forces, mostly on the political left. 

Those who had the courage to confront those who were attacking our culture, such as the late Jerry Falwell, were maligned in the media.  This type of attack continues today against anyone who presents a threat to the immoral left.

Sarah Palin was maliciously attacked because she represents traditional moral values.  Now, it is Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who represents the same threat to the immoral left.

Newsweek, a once-great publication, has sunk so low that it is reduced to maliciously attacking Michele Bachmann.  Their latest front page depicted Bachmann in a most unflattering way.  They gave the same demeaning treatment to Sarah Palin.

The supporters of traditional values struck back at Newsweek in Iowa by giving Bachmann the winning margin in the Iowa GOP Straw Poll last weekend.  I think one of the messages they sent was “take that Newsweek.”

However, if we are ever going to begin to turn the culture war around, it is going to take all of us doing our part.  There are simple but effective things we can do to counter those who support the degrading of our culture.

Perhaps the greatest threat the culture come3s from the homosexual agenda.  Although homosexuals make up less than three percent of the population, their influence far exceeds that.  Their agenda seeks to destroy the family structure as we know it, which is the foundation of the culture.  Already under severe attack, with one in every two marriages ending in divorce, the family structure is fragile.

The American Family Association (AFA.net) has for years been fighting the culture wars and with some degree of success.  They have identified sponsors of offensive television programs and organized boycotts of their products.  They have also taken on the homosexual agenda.

When Ford Motor Company began supporting the homosexual agenda, AFA contacted them asking to be neutral and they initially agreed.  However, homosexual organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign applied pressure to Ford and in 2005 they reneged on their commitment. 

Finally, AFA called for a boycott of Ford and a total of 780,365 individuals signed “Boycott Ford” petition were presented to Ford.  Their sales dropped an average of 8 percent per month and their stock value tanked.  AFA said its boycott was not entirely responsible for the drop in sales, but played a very significant role.  Ford obviously agreed and met the previously agreed to requirements to remain neutral, which were:

• Ford would not renew current promotions or create future incentives that give cash donations to homosexual organizations based on the purchase of a vehicle.
• Ford would not make corporate donations to homosexual organizations that, as part of their activities, engage in political or social campaigns to promote civil unions or same-sex marriage.
• Ford would stop giving cash and vehicle donations or endorsements to homosexual social activities such as 'gay'-pride parades.
• Ford would cease all advertising on homosexual websites and through homosexual media outlets (magazines, television, radio) in the U.S. with the exception of $100,000 to be used by Volvo. The Volvo ads would be the same ads used in the general media and not aimed at the homosexual community specifically.

AFA ended its boycott after 24 months.
Now another company has taken Ford’s place and that is The Home Depot. 

The AFA web site says, “For several years, The Home Depot has given its financial and corporate support to open displays of homosexual activism on main streets in America's towns.

“Rather than remain neutral in the culture war, The Home Depot has chosen to sponsor and participate in numerous gay pride parades and festivals. Most grievous is The Home Depot's deliberately exposing small children to lascivious displays of sexual conduct by homosexuals and cross-dressers, which are a common occurrence at these events.

“The goal of every homosexual organization supported by The Home Depot is to get homosexual marriage legalized. “

On May of this year, 500,000 petition signatures were presented to Home Depot Chairman Frank Blake who summarily dismissed them.  Consequently, AFA has called for a boycott of The Home Depot.  I signed one of those petitions and I no longer patronize Home Depot.

To learn more about the AFA boycott of Home Depot, go to www.boycottthehomedepot.com.

And now, Food Lion has begun supporting the homosexual agenda and the AFA is in the beginnings of negotiating with them. 

I didn’t wait.  I cut up my MVP card and mailed it to them along with a letter telling them why I have stopped patronizing them.  I told them when they stopped I would become a customer again.

It is a bit inconvenient but I consider a necessary step in letting companies who want my business that to get it, they must remain neutral in the culture war.

We must all take a stand, or see our culture decline like the ancient Roman Empire did.

Published  August 19, 2011 in the Lynchburg Ledger

Year End Political Wrap-up and Outlook

 Published in the December 16, 2011 Lynchburg Ledger.

With the Obama economy performing so poorly, small local newspapers such as us are feeling the financial squeeze.  We no longer can publish weekly but hope to be able to publish more frequently in the spring.   However, we won’t likely be able to return to our normal schedule until Obama is out of the White House and Harry Reid is the Senate minority leader.

I was very pleased with the local and state elections this year.

Our newly formed conservative independent political organization was very successful in re-electing the two incumbent supervisors targeted by Rick Boyer and the rogue Campbell County Republican Party.  We were also successful in electing the chief deputies to Commonwealth’s Attorney and Sheriff.

Steve Hutcherson garnered 85 percent of the vote for sheriff and the Republican candidate probably set a record low with only 4.7 percent of the vote.

In the Sunburst District, Steve Shockley won a resounding victory against Republican Tip Killingsworth with a 70 to 30 percent landslide.

In the Concord District (where I live), incumbent Eddie Gunter won a good victory in a three way race.  I suspect Rick Boyer recruited Gary Stewart to be a spoiler to defeat Gunter.  Stewart came in last in the three way race with 18 percent, Ed Foster (who nearly beat Gunter last term) received 37 percent and Gunter won with a plurality of 45 percent.

This race was marked by false statements by Republican Stewart who claimed Gunter supported a meals tax, online sales tax and a hotel tax when in fact Eddie Gunter was the only supervisor to vote against the resolution supporting those items this year.

When I tried to explain all this to Stewart and Kurt Feigel (with the Lynchburg Tea Party and Stewart supporter), neither wanted to hear the facts.  In the past, I have found liberal Democrats to be as closed-minded, but it is disturbing when we find so-called conservatives as equally closed-minded.

On the state level, Republicans picked up two Senate seats resulting in a 20-20 split.  Virginia’s Constitution specifically states the Lieutenant Governor is to preside over the Senate and only vote in the case of a tie.  Predictably, the Democrats have run to the courts trying to find some judge who will mandate some shared power arrangement as was once done in the past.  Democrats want to share power only when they have the disadvantage.

I suspect Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will vigorously defend our constitution in court.

For those of us who noticed, we have seen the Democrat Party and Obama’s supporters on display throughout the nation in recent months with their “occupy Wall Street” movement.  Once again, the liberal media shirked their duty and responsibility to report honestly of this radical band of misfits, perverts and freeloaders. 

If you ever have wondered just what a “community organizer” does, this was a prime example.

The media tried unsuccessfully to equate the “occupiers” with the tea party. I have been to tea party events and before there was a tea party movement, I had attended numerous conservative and pro-family rallies.  At each and every one I attended, people were not only well behaved, but went out of their way to be courteous.  An hour after one of these events, you could not tell anyone was ever there.  There was no trash or other waste left behind.

The occupiers, on the other hand, trashed every place they gathered, defecating, urinating, raping, robbing and assaulting.  It was so bad in some areas that parks had to be closed because of health risks.

The occupiers were promoting only one thing: socialism.  Barack Obama has divided this nation by pitting the workers against the freeloaders since he has no record he can run on.  If by chance Obama is re-elected, our nation will be so divided that it would be ungovernable and some believe that is exactly what he wants.

On December 6th, Obama went to Osawatomie, Kansas, retracing the footsteps of former President Teddy Roosevelt.  In his address, he made some of the most outrageous statements ever made by a U.S. President and left no doubt in my mind that he is a socialist through and through.  He ramped up his class warfare attacks giving us a preview of his 2012 campaign. 

For example, he said, “For most Americans, the basic bargain that made this country great has eroded. Long before the recession hit, hard work stopped paying off for too many people.”  That is a lie he would like many to believe.

He continued his class warfare attack when he said, “Those at the very top grew wealthier…but everyone else struggled.”

He distorted the credit collapse when he said, “In 2008, the house of cards collapsed. We all know the story by now: Mortgages sold to people who couldn’t afford them.”  What he omits is that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, some of the biggest Obama contributors and run by Democrats, was the driving force behind it.  Republican attempts to reign in Fannie and Freddie were blocked by Democrats like Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and Maxine Waters.

Finally, he commented on our free enterprise system by saying, “It doesn’t work. It’s never worked. It didn’t work when it was tried in the decade before the Great Depression. It’s not what led to the incredible post-war boom of the 50s and 60s. And it didn’t work when we tried it during the last decade.”

What a  complete revision of history.  The problem is many will believe his lies and vote to re-elect him in 2012.

Roosevelt lost his attempt at re-election as a third party candidate (Bull Moose Party).  Let us hope Obama follows in his footsteps.

We have a lot of work to do next year and the first step is to select a candidate to oppose him.  We have seen what they did to Herman Cain with a bunch of unproven accusations, and before that to Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann.

I believe the liberal media believes Mitt Romney will be the easiest candidate for Obama to beat so they have left him alone.

Now it is Newt Gingrich’s turn, but I believe he can take it and deflect it.  Gingrich, a historian, has come under fire for referring to the Palestinians as an “invented” people.  This is correct.  A century ago, there was no Palestine, it was indeed invented by the British when they controlled the Middle East after the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. 

2012 is not going to easy politically, but the fate of our nation will hinge on the next election.

Experience is Key in Campbell County Elections

In my last column, I discussed how the Rick Boyer faction has dominated the Campbell County Republican Party, driving qualified candidates away.  I believe that their strategy was to lure the qualified candidates into a primary election and defeat them at that level. This would have rendered them ineligible to run as independents.

Wisely, none of them took the bait and all filed to run as Independents.  This left the Republicans stuck with some of the most unqualified and in some cases, totally off-the-wall candidates.

With the Obama economic slowdown and unfunded mandates from the federal and state governments plus an anticipated reduction in state funding, experience is the key issue this election. 

Steve Hutcherson for Sheriff

The only contested county-wide race is for Sheriff.  With Terry Gaddy’s retirement, his second in command, Major Steve Hutcherson, is the only qualified candidate.  He has Gaddy’s full support and endorsement.

Steve, running as an Independent, has 28 years of law enforcement experience and eight years of administrative experience, making him the only logical choice.

Steve has two opponents.  Paul Adams is a retired deputy sheriff.  Although he has law enforcement experience, he lacks the all-important administrative experience a sheriff needs.  The vast majority of the current deputy sheriffs are supporting Steve Hutcherson.

The Republican candidate, Richard Irvin, lacks both law enforcement and administrative experience.  One of his campaign issues is eliminating what he calls “speed traps.”  My guess is that he has been ticketed for speeding in the past.

Traffic enforcement is only used when a problem exists, usually when there are speeders in residential areas.  It looks like Irvin is siding with the offenders rather than the citizens. 

Re-elect Eddie Gunter as Concord Supervisor

There is also a three-way race for Concord District Supervisor.  Eddie Gunter, with 20 years of experience, is challenged by two other candidates.

Eddie was elected as a Republican four years ago but is running as an Independent this year.  He has serves as Board Chairman three separate times, cast the deciding vote to roll the automatic property tax increase back to $.46 from $.47, and adopted policies that resulted in turning a projected deficit of $500,000 into a surplus of $300,000 in FY 2011.

Ed Foster, also running as an Independent, almost defeated Gunter last time because many Gunter voters stayed home on Election Day.  He is running again this year and is spreading half-truths and distortions among the voters.  He is insinuating that board members discuss county matters privately outside the public meetings.  Knowing many board members very well, I can attest that this is untrue.

Foster is also saying he would not accept the stipend pay the supervisors receive, just over $6 thousand per year.  Policies Eddie Gunter supported saved the county $800,000 as compared to Foster’s $6,000 savings.

The Republican candidate is Gary Stewart, a newcomer to the district.  It appears one of the motivating factors in his candidacy is that county zoning would not allow him to build a shed where he wanted to. 

The other factor is that Rick Boyer has been trying to defeat Eddie Gunter for years.  Up until now, he had been unsuccessful in recruiting a candidate to oppose him.  It would appear that has recruited Stewart to be a “spoiler” in this election, drawing votes from Gunter and giving Foster a win.  I believe Boyer is exploiting Stewart and really does not care who wins, as long as Gunter loses.

Re-elect Steve Shockley as Sunburst Supervisor

Steve Shockley was elected as a Republican four years ago with the help and support of Rick Boyer, who was entering Liberty Law School and chose not to run for re-election. 

Shockley was a strong supported of Sheila Bosiger last year in the Clerk of Court race, which alienated him and Boyer.  What Shockley and the rest of us have learned that if you politically oppose Boyer once, you are persona non grata forever.

Shockley, the current Chairman of the Board, has served with distinction.  Unlike his predecessor Boyer, Shockley’s first two years were a period of learning.  He spoke little and listened a lot.  Boyer, on the other hand, felt compelled to lecture fellow board members, which is probably why none supported him last year.

Boyer recruited Republican Tip Killingsworth to oppose Shockley.  A very reliable source told me, “ Tip told me once that as to politics, he just does what Rick Boyer says, because he doesn’t have time to study it on his own.”

It would appear that Boyer failed to tell Killingsworth that when running for office, you need to file periodic financial reports.  Consequently, Killingsworth was fined twice, $100 each, for failing to comply and a Special Prosecutor was assigned because he failed to pay the fine within the 60 day period required.

If Killingsworth can’t do a simple thing such as running a campaign, how does he expect to run a county?

Lorraine Blanks Potter for Spring Hill Supervisor

Lorraine Potter is a lifelong resident of Campbell County.  She describes herself as Conservative, Independent and a Conservationist.  She currently works in the Office of Alumnae and Alumni at Randolph College, has 18 years of business experience and was instrumental in bringing a low-cost spay/neuter clinic to Central Virginia.  She has been closely involved with many issues in the county over the years.

Outspoken conservative Josh Pratt had hopes of running for this seat but he made the mistake of opposing Rick Boyer on one issue so Boyer selected Jim Borland instead.  Of all the Republican candidates, Borland is perhaps the least objectionable; however he lacks the roots and in-depth experience in the district to serve it well as supervisor. 

Paul McAndrews for Commonwealth’s Attorney

With Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Vener retiring, his chief deputy Paul McAndrews is running unopposed to fill that vacancy.  I speculate Boyer would have loved to run for that position, but with the humiliating defeat he took last year, that would have been futile.

Boyer just publicly endorsed McAndrews but failed to endorse any of the other Republican candidates when he had the chance.  That begs the question, why would Boyer endorse someone who needs no endorsement?  I believe the answer is that Boyer, a freshly minted attorney, needs a job. 

If McAndrews should be foolish enough to hire him as a deputy, he will likely be looking at Boyer as an opponent in four years.

Candidates Reject Republican Party in Campbell

 Published October 7, 2011 in the Lynchburg Ledger

In Campbell County, last year’s election is having a profound impact on this year’s election. 

The Campbell County Republican Party (CCRP) has become a dysfunctional political organization after sustaining an overwhelming rejection at the polls in 2010.

The domination of the (CCRP) by the politically active Boyer family has inhibited operation for some years but it came to a head in the 2010 election where Rick Boyer obtained the Republican nomination for Clerk of the Campbell County Circuit Court.  Many Republicans felt Boyer was unqualified for the position and was seeking a paycheck and a base for political activity.

Not one single current or former Campbell County elected official endorsed his candidacy.  Rather, they endorsed the Acting Clerk of the Court Sheila Bosiger.

The citizens of Campbell County overwhelmingly rejected Boyer in favor of Bosiger by a 55 percent to 33 percent margin. 

Under Republican rules, those who are party members and openly support a candidate opposing a Republican candidate are “deemed to have resigned” from the Republican Party.  This happens from time to time in various jurisdictions throughout the Commonwealth.  When it does, the normal procedure is that at the first party meeting following the election, a motion is made to reinstate those who were “deemed to have resigned.”  Those members are normally reinstated and the party goes back to business as usual.

However, in Campbell County, losing candidate Rick Boyer led the opposition to reinstate those members which included two members of the Board of Supervisors and the Commonwealth’s Attorney, all who were elected as Republicans.  It also included me.

It was obvious that Rick Boyer preferred revenge and retribution over reconciliation and restoration.  The motion to reinstate failed by three votes as he actively encouraged a “No” vote.

Additionally, Rick Boyer has presented some very radical views within the CCRP.  For example, he proposed a change to the Bylaws that would prohibit county elected officials from being voting membership in the party.  This was reported to the Republican Party of Virginia which shot down Boyer’s draconian plan.

Boyer’s hand-picked Chairman of CCRP, Will Kirk, has ignored the CCRP Bylaws and Robert’s Rules of Order ever since he took office in 2010. 

For one example, the Bylaws state that the Secretary shall send out the notice of all meeting.  Kirk prohibited the Secretary from doing her duty and notified only people he wanted at the meeting. 

In another example, the meetings are supposed to be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order, but the minutes of the previous meeting have never distributed to the membership and never ratified by the membership.  Consequently, there is no official record of any meeting since Kirk became chairman.

This Chicago-style political operation is completely unacceptable to many political conservatives in Campbell County.  As a result, candidates who would have normally sought the Republican nomination have instead rejected the Republican Party in favor of an independent candidacy.

With the retirement of Sheriff Terry Gaddy and Commonwealth’s Attorney Neil Vener, both elected as Republicans, their chief deputies decided to run to replace them.  Both chief deputies were members of the CCRP but opted to reject the local Republican Party and seek office as independent candidates. 

They are Major Steve Hutcherson running for Sheriff and Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul McAndrews running for Commonwealth’s Attorney.

Shortly thereafter, 5-term Concord District Supervisor Eddie Gunter, also elected as a Republican, rejected the CCRP and filed as an independent. 

Finally, one term Sunburst Supervisor Steve Shockley, elected as a Republican, also decided to reject the CCRP and run as an independent.

In order to support the best qualified candidates for Campbell County, a group of current and former members of the CCRP decided to form a new organization.  The first organizational meeting was held in July where the name of the organization chosen, officers were elected and a committee was formed to draft a set of Bylaws.  A second meeting was held in July at which the draft of the Bylaws were debated, finalized and adopted. 

The name if this new organization is the Independent Conservatives of Campbell County (ICCC) and the mission statement adopted is, “To support and elect qualified conservative candidates with integrity for public office and to advance the outcomes of political issues and legislation.”

ICCC has also filed with the State Board of Elections as a Political Action Committee (PAC).

The ICCC has endorsed:

• Major Steve Hutcherson for Sheriff
• Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul McAndrews for Commonwealth’s Attorney
• Steve Shockley, Supervisor from Sunburst District and current Chairman of the Board, for re-election.
• Eddie Gunter, Jr., Supervisor from Concord District, running for re-election.
• R. Leon Brandt, Jr, School Board Member from Sunburst District, for re-election
• Lorraine Blanks Potter for Supervisor in the new Spring Hill District

The ICCC endorsed the following Republican candidates:

• Robin Jefferson, Treasurer of Campbell County, for re-election.
• Calvin Massie, Commissioner of the Revenue, for re-election.
• C. Matt Fariss for 59^th District Delegate.

In upcoming columns, I will be discussing each contested Campbell County race in detail.

Obama’s Anti-Job Bill

Published September 23, 2011 in the Lynchburg Ledger. 

In my last column, we were anticipating Obama’s so-called jobs bill and now we have it.  It is further proof that Obama and the Democrats do not have a clue as to how to create new jobs in the private sector.

 

First, Obama’s bill is another stimulus although the Democrats deny it.  The first stimulus did not work and neither will this because government spending does not create long-term jobs.

 

Even though stimulus is a non-starter, Obama is in full campaign mode as is the Democrat National Committee (DNC).  Obama is visiting friendly venues promoting his bill while at the same time engaging in some of the most hateful and divisive class warfare to date.

The DNC is running ads on TV and even online at Google promoting a bill that has yet to be introduced in Congress.  Many Democrats who want to get re-elected are shying away from this one knowing that as a whole, it is a disaster.

House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor have found a few elements of the proposed bill that have some merit and are maneuvering to support those elements while opposing all the bad stuff in the bill.

Calling them “areas worthy of further discussion,” they include:

• The proposed two percent payroll-tax cut extended into next year. Republicans want it extended longer or made permanent.

• Implement the free trade agreements with Panama, Colombia and South Korea that were negotiated by President George W. Bush but have yet to be ratified by Congress.  I’ll bet it is the Democrats in the Senate blocking it.

• Extend through 2012 the ability of businesses to expense 100 percent of the cost of certain property they place in service. Such “bonus depreciation” assistance would make it easier for businesses to invest in new machinery and equipment.  However, businesses are not going to even think of investing in expansion while government regulations are strangling them.

Since Obama is really campaigning for re-election, he would love to run against the Republicans by saying they are blocking the creation of jobs.  By selecting only the few good portions to support, they will thwart his efforts.

On Monday, Obama continued the assault by revving up the class warfare once again calling for more taxes on the so-called rich.  He is proposing massive Medicare cuts and says if the bill does not also have higher taxes on the wealthy, he will veto it.  Does not sound open-minded and bi-partisan to me

When Obama says Warren Buffet pays a lower tax rate than his secretary who makes $60,000, he is lying.  First, Buffet is disputing $1 billion in taxes his company owes and second, Buffet pays capital gains tax on the net profit of invested funds which were already taxed at the normal rate.

Obama will not create jobs by taxing those who produce the jobs even more.

In a column published in the Chicago Tribune on September 13, 2011, columnist Dennis Byrne published an open letter to President Obama from a local contractor, who he did not identify.  Naming someone in Chicago criticizing Obama would be as good as signing a death warrant, Chicago politics being what it is.

The unnamed contractor said if you really want to help us, “leave us alone.”

He says, “The problem is not the recession; the problem has been going on for a long time and it is getting worse.  It is the endless procession of government scrutinizers and their rigid fixation on the rules and regulations that are holding us back.”

He went on to explain how in 27 years he had an impeccable safety record with his vehicles and drivers.  However, he was just fined $14,000 for a paperwork violation.  The drivers are required to fill out a government form every time they get into a truck cab.  Some of the forms were not filled out completely correct. 

Another example was they did not have the proper pre-hire application on file for a driver he had employed for 17 years.  He actually had to fire the employee and then rehire him just so the proper paper work could be filled out.

The contractor went to replace his backhoe which he bought four years ago for $60,000, but discovered the replacement would now cost $90,000.  The dealer explained that the new one complies with all the latest air quality standards. 

He could not afford to buy the new one because of excessive government regulations.  If enough contractors make the same decision, the backhoe company will be laying off workers.

He concluded by saying if he went to start his company today, he simply would not be able to do so because of all the burdensome government regulations.

Obama and his economic advisors either simply do not understand how the free market works, or they are deliberately trying to crash the economy to rebuild it in a socialistic image.  That is anti-job.

What they do understand is political corruption. ACORN and other radical left-wing groups would be eligible for up to $15 billion in federal funding if Obama’s so-called jobs bill becomes law.  Section 261 of the bill provides $15 billion for “Project Rebuild.” 

Since Congress cut off funding for ACORN, this is a blatant attempt to refund them.  Many of the newly formed groups, such as the “New York Communities for Change” and the “Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment” are eligible for federal funding as they have obtained Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) numbers which nonprofits are required to have in order to seek federal grants.
If the bill becomes law, it is a safe bet the rebranded ACORN groups will be first in line with grant applications.

The Arrogance of Obama

Published September 9, 2011 in the Lynchburg Ledger. 

By the time this edition hits the streets, President Barack Obama will have made his much publicized speech on jobs and the U.S economy.  I don’t have to hear the speech, indeed I will not be watching it, to know what he says.  There will be nothing new offered, just the repackaged old liberal Democrat line of blame Bush and tax the rich.

Exactly a year ago, Obama vacationed on Martha's Vineyard and promised to unveil his jobs plan when he returned.  His jobs plan then as it will be now, was no jobs plan at all.  It was nothing more than more stimulus, more government spending and more debt.

On Labor Day a year ago, Obama addressed a crowd of union members in Milwaukee and called for $50 billion more in infrastructure spending for roads, bridges, railways and runways.  I expect he will do the exact same thing again this year.

He proposed making the Bush tax cuts permanent for middle class taxpayers, but allowing them to expire for those making over $250,000 per year. 

Obama also proposed a one-year, $33 billion tax credit for small businesses and a tax credit of up to $5,000 for each new hire and to reimburse them for Social Security taxes if they expand their payrolls.

Obama and his economic advisors, who have never formed a company, made a payroll, or competed in the private sector, have no concept of how the economy works, yet they have the arrogance to tell business how to operate.  It is the households making over $250,000, the small business owners, who provide the jobs needed in this economy.

Small business is not interested in short-term tax credits; it is the long-term tax situation that concerns them.  Likewise, a $5,000 credit for a new hire is a non-starter.  If an employer needs an employee, they will hire one.  No business person is going to hire an unneeded employee for $30,000 or $50,000 to get a $5,000 tax credit.

In 2010, the voters had their say and soundly rejected Obama and his socialist agenda.  But, Obama is still in denial, and his poll numbers reflect that.

This year, Obama again vacationed at Martha’s Vineyard at a cost to the taxpayers of millions of dollars.  In fact, the Obamas have run up more in vacation spending and travel in three years than his predecessors did in eight years.  During a recession where the real unemployment rate is nearly one in five, it is arrogant of the Obamas to demand such an extravagant lifestyle at taxpayers’ expense.

And once again, Obama said he would propose his plan to cut unemployment when he returned from vacation.  However, this year he demanded to present his proposal before a joint session of Congress without first checking with House Speaker Boehner.  He arrogantly demanded Wednesday, September 7^th, the first day Congress was back in session and the night of the long-scheduled Republican presidential candidate debate from the Reagan Library. 

Speaker Boehner politely told Obama that date was not available and the White House backed down scheduling the address the next night, which happens to be the opening of the NFL season.

Obama’s jobs speech is actually a re-election speech where he can blame Bush, Republicans, the rich, banks, big business, small business, oil companies, the Japanese tsunami, Hurricane Irene, the Virginia earthquake, global warming and anything and everything except his own policies.

He is sure to arrogantly deceive the American people as the real cause of our economic woes - the collapsed housing market. He will never admit that it was liberal Democrat policies begun in the Carter administration and expanded in the Clinton administration that collapsed the housing market, bringing down the world-wide economy with it.

The Republican House had already passed some 30 pieces of legislation designed to repeal much of the burdensome regulations the Obama administration has place of American business.  Every one of them has been ignored by the Democrat-controlled Senate.

I suspect Obama’s jobs proposals will be so outrageous that Republicans will have to oppose them, setting up a public relations battle for the next election cycle.

Meantime, Obama continues to do everything he can do to kill jobs.  One such was the proposed merger between AT&T and T-Mobile, which is now opposed by the Obama Justice Department.  AT&T has promised to bring 5,000 jobs now overseas back to the U.S. 

In blocking the merger, two friends of the Obama administration stand to benefit financially.  R. Gerard Salemme and Craig McCaw are associated with a company named Clearwire and ICO Global Communications.  The merger would create more competition for Clearwire’s 4G network and that is the bottom line reason for the Department of Justice action.

Obama’s over burdensome regulations on businesses and the current tax code are perhaps two of the biggest impediments to a healthy, job-creating economy.  I don’t expect Obama to address either.

Our economy will not improve, and our unemployment situation will not improve until Obama is a former president.  From now to 2013, I don’t expect to see any long-term improvement.