tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91329320200431285362024-03-19T05:57:04.092-07:00Adventures of a Bellinghammer“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism.” Ronald ReaganBellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-87817148186342626382010-11-04T09:22:00.000-07:002010-11-04T10:32:50.857-07:00Whatcom Democrats Sore Tie-ers?While Whatcom county and Washington State wait for complete voting results, the outcomes of most of the races are pretty clear.<br /><br />Out of the candidate races, the biggest surprises to me included the Buys victory over Linville and the Larson victory over Melious. I was surprised not based on the candidates abilities but rather their seniority in the first case and what I perceived as a superior campaign performance in the later.<br /><br />Initiative surprises included the passage of I1107 as well as the rejection of I1098. These were initiatives that I expected to go the opposite way.<br /><br />On election night I wanted to follow the election results with fellow political activists. Since I live in Bellingham and also had another earlier evening engagement the only election night party I could attend was the Whatcom Democrats event at the NY Pizza bar in downtown Bellingham. I could write a whole separate post on that experience, and maybe I will if I have time, but in general I had a good time and was welcomed. I didn't hide the fact that I was a Republican (elected PCO) as well as that I was "Bellinghammer" but still enjoyed my evening and had good discussions with several Democrats even as results came in and it was clear that the Democrats weren't going to have as good a night as they have had recently.<br /><br />That's why I'm a little surprised by several Democrats reactions post election day. Hopefully we can disagree on policy and even roles of government but come together post election, respect the will of the voters and try to work together to get things done.<br /><br />When you examine the results in this county and for the entire state against the voting recommendations provided by the county parties you see that voters evenly split their votes and sided with Republicans 9 times and Democrats 9 times.<br /><br />Again, I implore candidates, electeds, and yes even the local political parties to work together and tackle the challenges facing this county, state, and country. If you can't work resolve your differences at least demonstrate respect for the other side. What helps me is to remember that "they" are your fellow neighbors, friends, grandparents and that ultimately we all want the same thing. A better community in which we can live, work, and raise our families.<br /><br /><table><thead><tr><td colspan="3">Will of voters versus Whatcom Party Recommendations</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>I1053</td><td>Yes</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>I1082</td><td>No</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>I1098</td><td>No</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>I1100</td><td>No</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>I1105</td><td>No</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>I1107</td><td>Yes</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>R52</td><td>Rejected</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>40th Seat 1</td><td>Lytton</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>40th Seat 2</td><td>Morris</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>42nd Seat 1</td><td>Overstreet</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>42nd Seat 2</td><td>Buys</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>42nd Senate</td><td>Ericksen</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>Supreme Court</td><td>Sanders</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>COB Prop 1 Sales Tax</td><td>Yes</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>BSD Levy</td><td>Yes</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>County Council</td><td>Larson</td><td>R</td></tr><tr><td>US Senate</td><td>Murray</td><td>D</td></tr><tr><td>US House</td><td>Larsen</td><td>D</td></tr></tbody></table>Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-81072157325572436722010-09-21T09:14:00.000-07:002010-09-21T09:47:26.538-07:00WA State freezing up access to capitalI received a new "State Financial Suitability Requirements" notice this morning as I logged into my prosper account. Basically Washington State is deciding whether or not it's wise for people to invest in peer to peer lending. If you don't meet their requirements then you will be breaking the law if you continue to lend.<br /><br />How long until we see these sort of requirement before one is allowed to invest their own hard assets in the stock market, real estate, heck why not even charitable giving?<br /><br />For the record my small Prosper investment has payed out 12.44%. That's way more than any of my other more traditional investments. I also appreciate the fact that it gives me the ability to lend capital directly to people and businesses who are in need at a time when we continue to hear news stories of frozen capital markets. Is prosper a risky investment? Oh heck yes, but if investors know that going in and aren't expecting any sort of bailout in the case of lose, then stay the heck out of my financial dealings! I wouldn't be surprised if banks or other financial institutions had a hand in drafting these requirements as they would rather individuals be forced to lend their capital through them rather than via a more direct channel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">State Financial Suitability Requirements</span><br />The state of Washington has financial suitability requirements.<br /><br />1. Financial Suitability Requirement:<br /><br />The Notes are being offered only to a lender (a husband and wife are treated together as one lender) who satisfies the suitability requirements set forth below. You must meet one or more of the suitability requirements (a-b) in order to purchase Notes from Prosper.<br /><br />A - I have an annual gross income of at least $70,000 and a net worth as set forth below, of at least $70,000, and I will not purchase Notes that in the aggregate, exceed 10% or more of my net worth as set forth below, or<br />B - I have a minimum net worth of $250,000 and I will not purchase Notes, that in the aggregate, exceed 10% or more of my net worth as set forth below.<br />Note: Net worth is calculated exclusive of home, home furnishings and automobiles, and Lender members may not value assets included in the computation of net worth at more than their fair market value.<br /><br />2. Certification under Penalty of Perjury:<br /><br />The undersigned has carefully read this Suitability Questionnaire for Individuals and confirms, under penalty of perjury, that the information contained herein is accurate, true and complete and if there should be any change in such information at any time, the undersigned will immediately furnish the revised or corrected information to Prosper.<br /><br />Under penalty of perjury, I confirm that the information contained herein is accurate, true and complete and:<br /><br />[ ] I confirm that I meet one or more of the financial suitability requirements in sections a or b set forth above. <br /><br />[ ] I confirm that I do not meet any of the financial suitability requirements above.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-1126367988206580362010-04-05T17:29:00.000-07:002010-04-05T20:42:44.034-07:00Cornwall's Easter Service Surprise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKgHI9KvzqHsRjFV4nBIYmoP3BlaLupNAJT4qOyZSerOE0G3xGHlVwHJ3AvZpkhWwhBxET2UhUBT6EMfNyXtLg0rqXYsq09yy4tUADU_VKIhp11_5kHKq1HsDlcgsVOOHMwY4uOQCij8/s1600/IMG_2954.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKgHI9KvzqHsRjFV4nBIYmoP3BlaLupNAJT4qOyZSerOE0G3xGHlVwHJ3AvZpkhWwhBxET2UhUBT6EMfNyXtLg0rqXYsq09yy4tUADU_VKIhp11_5kHKq1HsDlcgsVOOHMwY4uOQCij8/s320/IMG_2954.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456820062447287058" /></a><br />Another great <a href="http://vimeo.com/10677827">Easter service</a> at <a href="http://www.cornwallchurch.com/">Cornwall Church</a> this year. A couple of years ago Cornwall stepped out on a limb and announced that it was donating the entire Easter service collection to a number of local and global charities. In spite of the economic downturn, and in great faith, <a href="http://www.cornwallchurch.com/">Cornwall Church</A> again chose to give it all away for a good cause.<br /><P><br />All the money given on Easter weekend and through April 8 will be used to rebuild an orphanage in Haiti...a home for 39 children.<br /><P><br />The original orphanage, located in the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=19%C2%B009'10.45%22N,+72%C2%B038'21.58%22W&sll=48.799409,-122.493579&sspn=0.011731,0.01296&ie=UTF8&ll=19.15282,-72.639332&spn=0.002103,0.002642&t=h&z=19">Terre Noire Valley, 8 miles east of St. Marc</a>, was significantly damaged by the Jan. 12th earthquake and has since been torn down. The 39 orphans ranging in age from 4-18 years are currently living in tents and small classrooms. Although they have more physical land on their compound than those living in tent cities around Port-au-Prince, they are none-the-less living as earthquake refugees with no place to call home.<br /><P><br /><a href="http://www.cornwallchurch.com/">Cornwall Church</A> intentionally chose to give all of its Easter offering away because Easter is one of the highest attended services of the year. Simply put: more people means more money for the cause (not the church). You may say, "So what? This is not a first; other churches have done this kind of thing before." The big deal is that <a href="http://www.cornwallchurch.com/">Cornwall Church</A> represents many hearts in Whatcom County. Hearts of compassion and generosity. Hearts that believe that individually and corporately we can effect positive change. Three months after the 7.0 earthquake, the need is still great. The need for these 39 orphan children is a place to take refuge from the harsh climate, a place to call home. As a sponsor of one of those orphans this is very exciting news indeed.<br /><P><br />If you would like to share your heart of compassion and generosity by helping to rebuild a home for these Haitian orphans, donations must be received by Cornwall Church no later than April 8, 2010. Checks can be made payable to Cornwall Church, and in the notes field write “Easter Donation.”Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-17894792926194253492010-03-26T16:26:00.000-07:002010-03-26T17:06:54.632-07:00HB3191 - Custom Software taxAlmost every developer I know has at one time or another worked on side contracts relating to "custom software". Provisions in <a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=3191&year=2009">HB 3191</a> would require that state sales tax (currently at 6.5%) now be added on.<br /><br />This provision came to my attention through some discussion on our local Bellingham Linux Users Group mailing list with several people responding that this would hurt their small business as well as one suggesting that they might consider leaving the state.<br /><br />The Ubermind blog also has a <a href="http://www.ubermind.com/blog/app-development/house-bill-3191-is-bad-for-business/">good posting</a> on how this custom software tax will do much more harm than good. Specifically they mention the following great points:<br /><blockquote><br />To be abundantly clear, any company in Washington will suddenly have to pay at least 6.5% more for custom software services. Here are a few of the important points that surround this thoughtless bill:<BR><br /><B>“Professional Service,” not “Retail Sales”</B> – custom software is a professional service no different than the services rendered by attorneys, engineers, management consultants and other similar professions; reclassifying custom software to a “retail service” is simply not logical<BR><br /><B>Increases an Already Heavy Tax Burden</B> – requiring custom software companies to charge their customers state sales tax will increase the costs and taxes for all types of Washington businesses<BR><br /><B>Increases Offshoring</B> – large customers of custom software companies will seek to avoid cost increases from state sales tax by using offshore providers, which will lead to job loss among Washington’s custom software providers<BR><br /><B>Businesses Will Leave</B> – custom software providers may decide to relocate their offices to a neighboring state to avoid the burden of collecting sales tax revenue for the state<BR><br /><B>Headache for Consumers</B> – companies that use out-of-state custom software providers will be burdened by use tax, which must be paid in lieu of state sales tax that out-of-state providers do not charge<BR><br /><B>Endless Ambiguity</B> – the Dept. of Revenue and taxpayers will find themselves looped into endless discussions and arguments over tax liability; for example, should a web design firm be considered a “custom software” provider?<BR><br /><B>Poor Classification</B> – unlike sellers of “digital goods” (e.g. MP3’s from Amazon), the majority of custom software providers are not set up to receive payments from clients via credit card; implementing new e-commerce systems allowing sales tax collection will, again, be burdensome and costly.<BR><br /></blockquote><br /><br />Make sure you contact your local representatives and let them know what you think about the custom software tax provisions in HB 3191.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-62219097721905072162010-03-19T11:15:00.001-07:002010-03-19T11:37:24.495-07:00President Obama Special Interview by Fox News, ReallyThe Obama White House recently permitted the first exclusive interview to Fox news. The interviewer was Bret Baier. I'm not a Fox News loyalist, but this interview was by far one of the most informative ones I've seen since Obama has taken office. This was due in large part to the reporter being willing to ask hard questions, keep the President on track in his answers, and politely step in when the President attempts to filibuster with wordy but non-informative campaign speak.<br /><br />Peggy Noonan with the Wall Street Journal provides an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704207504575130081383279888.html">excellent recap of the interview</a> and what new information we can glean from it.<br /><br />Also, you can see the two part interview for yourself here: <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/4113350/fox-news-exclusive-president-obama/?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a16:g2:r5:c0.037577:b31982604:z6">part 1</a> and <a href="http://video.foxnews.com/v/4113349/fnc-exclusive-president-obama?category_id=86918">part 2</a>. Check it out now before Rupert Murdoch puts it behind some pay wall.<br /><br />Does anyone know what the heck the President was talking about when made the case that the "Louisiana deal" in the health care bill will help events like the "earthquake in Hawaii"?Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-91990821911435982742010-02-23T13:39:00.000-08:002010-02-23T14:53:38.723-08:00Canadian Premier travels to US for heart surgeryI came across a <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h0QC7bditrEb3wYz_6_b-gsGGDxA">very entertaining/interesting article</a> detailing how Canadian Premier Danny Williams came to the US for a heart procedure that could/would not be performed in Canada.<br /><br />Some interesting quotes from the Premier and points to ponder before we people talk about wanting to imitate the Canadian health care system.<br /><br /><blockquote><br />"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.<br />"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />The above quote is in regards to the fact that the procedures available under the Canadian system would have require breaking his bones and a much longer recovery time than the minimally invasive procedure performed in the US for his condition.<br /><br /><blockquote><br />"I would've been criticized if I had stayed in Canada and had been perceived as jumping a line or a wait list. ... I accept that. That's public life,"<br /><br />"(But) this is not a unique phenomenon to me. This is something that happens with lots of families throughout this country, so I make no apologies for that."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Yes, many Canadians (not just their politicians) who can afford it get out of the Canadian health care "line" and choose to come to the US for procedures that can be performed more quickly or efficiently.<br /><br /><blockquote><br />"We do whatever we can to provide the best possible health care that we can in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Canadian health care system has a great reputation, but this is a very specialized piece of surgery that had to be done and I went to somebody who's doing this three or four times a day, five, six days a week."<br /></blockquote><br /><br />Specialized surgeries and procedures are exactly the kind of procedures that get ignored in socialized health care systems because resources are focused on general procedures that affect the masses rather than more specialized / less common ones. The Canadian procedures offered to the Premier was more blunt and less specific and therefore is a surgical option that could be applied to a larger set of procedures.<br /><br />Update: I found this <a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/02/23/canadian-health-care-survives-danny-williams-surgery/">other Canadian article</a> talking about the same issue but in defense of the Canadian health care system. It doesn't explain why the premier would choose to get this performed in the US if he could just have easily had it done in Canada, but it does offer some interesting prospective.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-66556993645448012032010-02-16T12:07:00.000-08:002010-02-16T13:57:11.206-08:00SB 6688 - Concerning filling vacancies in nonpartisan elective officeThe Washington state legislature has it's hands full tackling budget issue this session, but it appears they also found time to erode counties rights and responsibilities concerning filling vacancies as well as increasing partisanship.<br /><br /><a href="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6688">Senate Bill 6688</a> aims to change the way that county vacancies are filled. It's interesting that this bill comes up after Whatcom County had it's own difficulties recently in filling a non-partisan county council seat.<br /><br />As I read the bill it sets out the following vacancy plan:<br />1. County executive chooses three possible candidates to fill vacancy.<br />2. Count council votes on the possible candidates.<br />3. If a majority of the council agrees on a candidate they fill the vacancy, otherwise the <B>state governor</B> chooses the successor from the list.<br /><br />My initial response upon seeing this bill was to ask why is the State legislature taking it upon themselves to setup county specific rules? This is not something that should be the purview of state government. Once I got past that initial revulsion of state infringement on local issues the following questions arose:<br />The state governor is a state-wide partisan office.<br /><ol><br /><li>How is the state governor more qualified to make a county specific decision than the more local, non-partisan county executive?<br /><li>Since the governor is elected on a statewide basis. Doesn't this in effect give voters outside the county a voice in filling vacancies?<br /><li>Doesn't the state governor have other more pressing state wide issues to concern themselves with? How much time could they possibly devote to making a county specific decision taking in nuances and traits specific to that county?<br /><li>If the state attorney general has made it a pratice to not issue opinions on county specific legal issues for counties operating under home rule charters then how/why should the state governor be given authority to name a successor in those counties? <br /></ol><br /><br />So far SB 6688 has passed the Senate and will be discussed on Feb 19th at 11am before the House Committee on <a href="http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Committees/SGTA/Pages/MembersStaff.aspx">State Government & Tribal Affairs</a>. Please take some time to contact the members of this committee and voice your opinion on this bill. Also please contact your state representatives and ask them not to infringe on the rights and responsibilities of county government.<br /><br />It is clear after Whatcom county recently went through the process of filling a vacancy that changes and clarifications are needed to our county process. My understanding is that the Whatcom county council is taking steps to clarify this process, let's handle this on a local level and not rely on outside influences to determine who fills non-partisan county positions.<br /><br />Please contact your state representatives today!<br />40th LD<br />REP <a href="mailto://quall.dave@leg.wa.gov">Dave Quall</a><br />REP <a href="mailto://morris.jeff@leg.wa.gov">Jeff Morris</a><br />SEN <a href="mailto://ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov">Kevin Ranker</a> - Voted FOR SB 6688.<br />42nd LD<br />REP <a href="mailto://ericksen.doug@leg.wa.gov">Doug Erickson</a><br />REP <a href="mailto://linville.kelli@leg.wa.gov">Kelli Linville</a><br />SEN <a href="mailto://brandland.dale@leg.wa.gov">Dale Brandland</a> - Voted AGAINST SB 6688.<br /><br />I'll be asking my 40th LD representatives where they stand on this bill. Hopefully we won't see it get enacted. Stay tuned.<br /><br />Update 1: County councilman Ken Mann also <a href="http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/kenmann/?p=110">commented on this bill</a>. Included with his post is a comment from Bellingham city councilman Stan Snapp. Thanks Ken and Stan for your support of non-partisan local government!Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-1898379814440199572010-02-07T21:08:00.000-08:002010-02-07T21:50:10.837-08:00Republicans, its time to caucus!Saturday, February 13th at 10am Republicans around the state will be gathering to discuss:<br /><UL><br /><LI>How we can build and strengthen the Republican Party.</LI><br /><LI>Help write a Platform and elect delegates that best represent our issues.</LI><br /><LI>Get active and help bring genuine change to Whatcom County.</LI><br /><LI>Learn more about candidates who are running for office.</LI><br /></UL><br /><br />The precinct level caucus is the first step in a series of elections and conventions that result in our county and state platforms being adopted. It also provides for a great opportunity to network with others in our community.<br /><br />Whatcom County Chair Luanne Van Werven described the process this way:<BR><br /><BLOCKQUOTE><br />At the precinct caucuses, delegates are elected to county conventions. From there, each county elects delegates to our state convention, where the state party’s platform is drafted for 2010. This year, the State Convention will be held in Vancouver, WA June 10-12, with two special guest speakers: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be the keynote speaker and conservative blogger Michelle Malkin will be the banquet speaker. The state convention agenda will be forthcoming and posted online at: <A HREF="http://www.wsrp.org">www.wsrp.org</A>.<br /></BLOCKQUOTE><br /><P><br />Check the <a href="http://whatcomgop.com/default.aspx">Whatcom Republican</a> website for details about your particular <A HREF="http://whatcomgop.com/Caucus-Locations.aspx">Caucus Location</A>.<br /><P><br />Note: The Democrats aren't holding caucuses. Instead they meet in off years for "caucus like" strategy sessions. From what I can tell, the only difference between the <a href="http://www.whatcomdemocrats.com/story/2010-02-04/all-democrats-invited-grassroots-strategy-sessions">strategy sessions</a> and actual caucuses are that delegates are not selected to represent the individual precincts at the county level.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-21873530249595589092010-01-26T13:20:00.000-08:002010-01-26T13:21:31.420-08:00Costco favors sales tax over members savingsI want to start off by saying I love Costco and that I do a lot of shopping there. My family buys the majority of our food as well as gas and other necessities there. That being said, I have a huge beef with how they treat their members.<br /><br />While examining one of my Costco receipts recently I had difficulty getting the taxes to match up. After quite some time I discovered that the only way I could get the tax balance to match up was if I added the original prices of items that I had purchased with coupons. I assumed this was a mistake since other places I frequently shop at, like Fred Meyer and Target charge tax on the discounted price rather than the original price. After talking to a Costco representative it was explained to me that Washington State allows businesses the choice of charging tax on the discounted or regular price and that Costco chooses to apply tax at the regular price. Say what!?! I always thought Costco worked hard to provide its members the best possible value.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-14546933899961818472010-01-25T14:29:00.000-08:002010-01-25T14:49:48.546-08:00New government spending figures and cash for gold<a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Figures-on-government-apf-2178072020.html?x=0&.v=2">Over at Yahoo Finance you can see the latest government financial figures as of January 25th, 2009</a>. Never mind the fact that Obama more than tripled the year over year deficit amount from 454,798,000,000 to 1,417,121,000,000. Just remember, it's ALL Bush's fault! Also included in the figures was a total of the US gold assests as of last September which totaled a measly 11,041,000,000. This reminded me of the following classic Onion News Network report.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="430"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/onn_embed/embedded_player.swf?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Fcontent%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2FCASH4GOLD_article.jpg&videoid=95829&title=U.S.%20To%20Trade%20Gold%20Reserves%20For%20Cash%20Through%20Cash4Gold.com" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/onn_embed/embedded_player.swf"type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="480" height="430"flashvars="image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theonion.com%2Fcontent%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2FCASH4GOLD_article.jpg&videoid=95829&title=U.S.%20To%20Trade%20Gold%20Reserves%20For%20Cash%20Through%20Cash4Gold.com"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/video/u_s_to_trade_gold_reserves_for?utm_source=videoembed">U.S. To Trade Gold Reserves For Cash Through Cash4Gold.com</a><br /><br />Good for a little laugh before you begin crying for the fiscal state of our country. Even if Cash 4 Gold were able to cash in the entire gold reserves of this country (with probably most being sent to China, India, and the middle east) it would do little to dent the level of deficit spending under Obama or his predecessor.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-35100618429559071232010-01-13T11:14:00.000-08:002010-01-13T11:35:26.392-08:00Haiti Earthquate and devastationA major earthquake occurred near the Haitian capital of Port of Prince at 4:53pm local time on Tuesday. Given the conditions in Haiti an earthquake of this magnitude so close to the capital city of a million plus people will prove to be completely devastating.<br /><br />There are a great deal of local connections between Bellingham, WA and Haiti. Cornwall Church, where I am a regular attender, has sponsored an orphanage of roughly 30 kids for the past several years. Besides just caring for the orphans they also ensure that many more children and families in the community receive at least one steady meal a day and have an opportunity for schooling. A medical mission team connected with Cornwall was planning on travelling to Haiti this Friday.<br /><br />There will be many opportunities for local people to help Haitians in the coming days. Whether it be the Red Cross or other relief organizations, please consider helping the neediest Country in our hemisphere recover from this devastating event.<br /><br />Here is <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake">one such article</a> covering the devastion if you are not already aware of it. There are also several videos on youtube, but I must caution you that viewing them can be very unsettling. Maybe that's a good thing.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-27429414255978060162009-12-01T15:50:00.000-08:002009-12-01T16:19:49.993-08:00Jury dutyFor the first time ever I've been selected for jury duty. This is just fair warning that if you have a jury trial coming up in the next two weeks you'll have the Bellinghammer swimming around in the jury pool. So far I've made it to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_selection#Voir_dire">voir dire</a> phase of a criminal trial but was not chosen to sit on the jury.<br /><br />In the juror training video as well as statements made by the judges and lawyers they want jurors to feel like jury duty is your way of being part of the government. I disagree. I see the jury as representing "the People" not the government. The whole jury system was created and designed to ensure that the government does not overstep boundaries and unfairly or indiscriminately strip individuals of their life, liberty, or property.<br /><br />In fact it's awesome to me how difficult the founding fathers intentionally made it for people to be stripped of their liberty and freedoms.<br />For example, the accused:<br /><ul><br /><li>are innocent until proven guilty.<br /><li>must be proven guilty "beyond all reasonable doubt".<br /><li>has the right for a trial by a jury of their peers.<br /></ul>Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-10681424999039324942009-11-03T08:40:00.000-08:002009-11-03T09:31:54.875-08:00Bellinghammers Election PredictionsHere are my predictions regarding this election. They contain some hopeful thinking, but I've read there is power in positive thought. I hope my predictions are correct, but expect to be wrong on some or most of them. We'll find out soon.<br /><br />Local elections<br />Initial results released by the County auditor will show that the liberal/progressive candidates for county council are leading. It will also be noted that there are a large number of write-in ballots. When all the write-in ballots are counted our new county council members will be Kershner, Mann, Luke, and Knutzen. There will also be a big upset in the Bellingham City At large race with Orphalee Smith becoming the first ever successful write-in candidate to be elected to the Bellingham City council.<br /><br />Orphalee Smith winning the Bellingham City At large position is obviously a long shot, but it would be very exciting if it turned out that way.<br /><br />I believe Mann will best Teigrob based on how well he ran his campaign. He did an amazing job at utilizing social media including his Bellingham Herald Blog, facebook fan page, as well as some of the interactive aspects of his website. He kicked off his campaign with a hefty warchest. He prepared for this campaign by increasing his name recognition and defending the conservative/libertarian position on the PM Bellingham talk show he co-anchored. He had an excited group of volunteers supporing him. Ironically his main weakness may have been his involvement on the Planning Commission which in almost any other election cycle would have been viewed as a positive.<br /><br />Statewide measures<br />R-71 is accepted by a decent margin.<br />I-1033 passes by a small margin.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-1994236521220307162009-09-21T15:36:00.001-07:002009-09-21T15:36:36.777-07:00Glenn Beck, Ron Paul and the Groups They InspireLooks like Glenn Beck is now solidly behind Ron Paul and his ideas and even goes to the degree of wishing he could <a href="http://www.examiner.com/x-23963-Salt-Lake-City-Independent-Examiner~y2009m9d20-Glenn-Beck-wants-a-time-machine-to-rethink-Ron-Paul">go "back in time" and support his candidacy</a>.<br /><br />This article is a good example of his progression from Ron Paul hater to Ron Paul enthusiast. It will be interesting to see what happens now that Beck has come out and said that Ron Paul was right. I expect to see plenty of backlash from neocons and other establishment Republicans who have so far been supporting him but have a seething disrespect for anything related to Ron Paul. A good example is the following blog post by David Frum to David Horowitz in which Frum is arguing that <a href="http://www.newmajority.com/glenn-beck-and-ron-paul-2">Beck is Paul's "Chief TV enthusiast and publicist"</a>. There's plenty of good YouTube video links in the above blog posting to back up that assertion. I think it's funny how Frum points out the November 2007 video was before Beck left CNN for Fox as if his going to Fox had anything to do with Beck's transition. Once at Fox Glenn Beck covered Ron Paul favorably a number of times including: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pme20JHPkwk">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i6D_tWetv8">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmyAxngst2o">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtvFQkG7XUE">here</a>, and other times conveyed a message very similar to Ron Paul like he did <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20bFmeepGMc">here</a>, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3VbNglKVsE&feature=related">here</a>, or finally <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXE_kyqh_6A">here</a>. On the other hand many in the Ron Paul/Campaign for Liberty supporters refuse to forgive Beck for what he said <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8M2JBIoqo">back in November 2007</a>. Some (hopefully just a few) in the Paul camp even wonder if Beck is some kind of <a href="http://www.prisonplanet.com/glenn-beck%E2%80%99s-a-libertarian-now.html">CIA plant to hijack their message</a>.<br /><br />Glenn Beck isn't 100% responsible for the creation of the Tea Party/We The People group that is developing, but he played a large part in helping its creation and many in that group are big fans of Beck. I think it is vitally important that the Campaign For Liberty and the Tea Party group work together and not view each others as adversaries. The Campaign For Liberty group has been on point with this shared message for more than two years. We have a lot to offer the Tea Party people and I think it's important all grassroots conservative/libertarian groups work together on the common areas of their focus/mission and whenever possible celebrate our similarities rather than nit-picking at our differences. In other parts of Washington I've heard about some very promising examples where these two groups have meshed well in coordinating and organizing events and I hope we see the same cooperative spirit up here in Whatcom county.<br /><br />Just look how close these two mission statements read:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/usa/WA/">Campaign For Liberty</a>: <br /><blockquote><br />Our mission is to promote and defend the great American principles of individual liberty, constitutional government, sound money, free markets, and a noninterventionist foreign policy, by means of educational and political activity. </blockquote><br /><br /><a href="http://bhamteaparty.blogspot.com/">BHAM Tea Party (WCCF)</a>: <br /><blockquote><br />Reverse deficit spending and the concentration of power in central government,<br />in order to preserve states' rights and individual liberty for future generations.<br /></blockquote>Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-32306381740903620002009-06-10T09:10:00.001-07:002009-06-10T14:32:37.513-07:00HR 1207 and Representative Rick Larsen<a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:h1207:">House Resolution 1207 - Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009</a> is a bill that calls for an open and transparent audit of the Federal Reserve. This is a bipartisan resolution with currently over 200 co-sponsors.<br /><br />I would be extremely surprised if Representative Rick Larsen has not been receiving significant constituent feedback requesting his support for this bill and he can expect to hear more feedback at the public hearing he is holding in Ferndale on June 13th, 3pm at the WECU Ferndale Education Center.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-61717078773724537792009-06-04T09:27:00.000-07:002009-06-04T09:59:39.554-07:00Political grandstanding and interventionismToday mark's the 20th anniversary of the Tienanmen Square massacre. So of course the US House of Representatives has time to pass a resolution admonishing China for an event that took place 20 years ago and to dictate to them actions that they should take today. I find it interesting that in the 20 years since "the incident" China has emerged as a manufactoring and economic powerhouse and we are heading down the path to becoming a poor indebted nation.<br /><br /><strike>My guess is that this resolution will pass with only Ron Paul opposing it as he refuses to play the same political games as other elected representatives.</strike><br />Update: <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:2:./temp/~bdVTT0::">This Resolution</a> DID pass 396 to 1 on June 2nd.<br /><br />Everyone in America should be concerned when our House of Representatives is willing to debate and most likely pass a resolution of which the official text of said resolution is not even available to review! Good grief.<br /><br />From: <a href="http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/tx14_paul/China.shtml">http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/tx14_paul/China.shtml</a><br /><br />Statement of Congressman Ron Paul<br /><br />United States House of Representatives<br /> <br />Statement on H Res 489 Regarding Tiananmen Square <br /> <br />June 3, 2009 <br /> <br />I rise to oppose this unnecessary and counter-productive resolution regarding the 20th anniversary of the incident in China’s Tiananmen Square. In addition to my concerns over the content of this legislation, I strongly object to the manner in which it was brought to the floor for a vote. While the resolution was being debated on the House floor, I instructed my staff to obtain a copy so that I could read it before the vote. My staff was told by no less than four relevant bodies within the House of Representatives that the text was not available for review and would not be available for another 24 hours. It is unacceptable for Members of the House of Representatives to be asked to vote on legislation that is not available for them to read!<br />As to the substance of the resolution, I find it disturbing that the House is going out of its way to meddle in China’s domestic politics, which is none of our business, while ignoring the many pressing issues in our own country that definitely are our business.<br />This resolution “calls on the People’s Republic of China to invite full and independent investigations into the Tiananmen Square crackdown, assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the International Committee of the Red Cross…” Where do we get the authority for such a demand? I wonder how the US government would respond if China demanded that the United Nations conduct a full and independent investigation into the treatment of detainees at the US-operated Guantanamo facility?<br />The resolution “calls on the legal authorities of People’s Republic of China to review immediately the cases of those still imprisoned for participating in the 1989 protests for compliance with internationally recognized standards of fairness and due process in judicial proceedings.” In light of US government’s extraordinary renditions of possibly hundreds of individuals into numerous secret prisons abroad where they are held indefinitely without charge or trial, one wonders what the rest of the world makes of such US demands. It is hard to exercise credible moral authority in the world when our motto toward foreign governments seems to be “do as we say, not as we do.”<br />While we certainly do not condone government suppression of individual rights and liberties wherever they may occur, why are we not investigating these abuses closer to home and within our jurisdiction? It seems the House is not interested in investigating allegations that US government officials and employees approved and practiced torture against detainees. Where is the Congressional investigation of the US-operated “secret prisons” overseas? What about the administration’s assertion of the right to detain individuals indefinitely without trial? It may be easier to point out the abuses and shortcomings of governments overseas than to address government abuses here at home, but we have the constitutional obligation to exercise our oversight authority in such matters. I strongly believe that addressing these current issues would be a better use of our time than once again condemning China for an event that took place some 20 years ago.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-79013856224830591422009-05-28T15:04:00.000-07:002009-05-29T08:37:37.357-07:00C4L Regional Conference from Seattle - Thanks TVWSadly I missed out on the free portions of the Campaign for Liberty Regional conference that went on last weekend in Seattle, WA. Luckily TVW was there to capture them on video!<br /><br />Here's the video from the "Freedom Celebration" that occured on Friday, May 22nd.<br /><object id="2009050124" width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.tvw.org/Media/FLASH/PLAYER/4Embed/tvw-TimeCodePlayer.swf"/><param name="flashvars" value="content=[AMF0],rtmp://flash.tvw.org/TVWVideo,mp4:200905/2009050124.mp4&jsListener=true&stopPosition=2&propxml=http://www.tvw.org/media/flash/player/embed_video.xml"/><embed src="http://www.tvw.org/Media/FLASH/PLAYER/4Embed/tvw-TimeCodePlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" height="240" bgcolor="#000000" name="2009050124" flashvars="content=[AMF0],rtmp://flash.tvw.org/TVWVideo,mp4:200905/2009050124.mp4&jsListener=true&stopPosition=2&propxml=http://www.tvw.org/media/flash/player/embed_video.xml"></embed></object><BR><br /><a href="http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009050124&TYPE=V&CFID=4372358&CFTOKEN=93213987&bhcp=1">TVW Link</a><BR><br /><a href="http://podcasts.tvw.org/200905/2009050124.mp3">MP3</a><br /><br />Here's another video from the conference in which State House of Representatives Matt Shea (R-4) and Carry Condatta (R-12) talk about our style of government and how bills become law.<br /><object id="2009050125" width="320" height="240"><param name="movie" value="http://www.tvw.org/Media/FLASH/PLAYER/4Embed/tvw-TimeCodePlayer.swf"/><param name="flashvars" value="content=[AMF0],rtmp://flash.tvw.org/TVWVideo,mp4:200905/2009050125.mp4&jsListener=true&stopPosition=2&propxml=http://www.tvw.org/media/flash/player/embed_video.xml"/><embed src="http://www.tvw.org/Media/FLASH/PLAYER/4Embed/tvw-TimeCodePlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" height="240" bgcolor="#000000" name="2009050125" flashvars="content=[AMF0],rtmp://flash.tvw.org/TVWVideo,mp4:200905/2009050125.mp4&jsListener=true&stopPosition=2&propxml=http://www.tvw.org/media/flash/player/embed_video.xml"></embed></object><BR><br /><a href="http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2009050125&TYPE=V&CFID=4372358&CFTOKEN=93213987&bhcp=1">TVW Link</a><br /><br />And finally, if you want to check out photos taken at this event they can be <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/33955236@N04/sets/72157618874670476/">found on Flickr</a>.<br /><br />Update: The first TVW video covering last Friday's "Freedom Celebration" is not currently available. If you follow the TVW link it says that this video will be rebroadcast today (May 29th) at 3pm so be sure to set your DVRs!Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-49837438719284814742009-05-27T13:51:00.000-07:002009-05-27T13:59:32.374-07:00TOTUS EmergencyApparently there was an accident with one of the TOTUSes today. For those of you not aware TOTUS stands for Teleprompter Of The United States - aka the REAL commander in chief. Anyways, I guess VP Biden even had the audacity to joke about this tragedy. Video is available on Real Clear Politics <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/05/27/biden_jokes_about_breaking_obamas_teleprompter_.html">here</a>. So far I haven't been able to listen to the joke live as it appears the RCP is getting slammed with requests. Biden was quoted as joking: <blockquote>"what am I going to tell the President when I tell him his teleprompter is broken? What will he do then?"</blockquote><br /><br />When I heard the news I immediately checked out the <a href="http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com">TOTUS blog</a> to make sure the telepromper was alright. <a href="http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/2009/05/alive-and-well.html">It posted the following update</a>.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-36009151916395977392009-05-16T06:32:00.000-07:002009-05-21T15:05:06.391-07:00See Ron Paul in Seattle for freeThis weekend everyone in the northwest has the chance to see the man who <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=18233">predicted the housing meltdown back in 2003</a> as well as learn a little more about state politics. Campaign For Liberty is having a regional conference in Seattle and Congressman Ron Paul as well as many elected State officials (and Tim Eyman) will all be speaking there. There will be some free events as well as some fund raiser events. If anyone local to Whatcom county wants to carpool down to the "freedom celebration" on Friday or regional training on Sunday, both free events, just add a comment to this entry and I'll send you an email and attempt to coordinate things.<br /><br />More information about the conference can be found on the Campaign For liberty <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/event/2009seattle.php">conference page</a> or in this Campaign For Liberty <a href="http://www.campaignforliberty.com/blog.php?view=17745">blog post</a>.<br /><br />Just to recap:<BR><br /><B>Freedom Celebration</B>: Friday, 8pm at the Double Tree Hotel in Seattle, Washington. I'll be leaving Bellingham at approx 4:30pm if anyone is interested in carpooling.<BR><br /><B>Regional Training</B>: Sunday, noon to 4pm at the DoubleTree in Seattle. Speakers and training to help Campaign for Liberty in our Region work with the tools that were given. Speakers will include Tim Eyman the initiative king, State Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders and several other speakers who will be training us on the ins and outs of Washington State politics.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-53574532681291948112009-05-15T09:19:00.000-07:002009-05-16T06:31:26.930-07:00I biked to work today!It was a beautiful morning to bike in to work and the ride was made all the better by having <A HREF="http://media.bellinghamherald.com/static/images/downloads/BiketoWorkandSchool2009CityMap_5.pdf">Celebration Stations</A> sponsored by the 12th annual <A HREF="http://www.bellinghamherald.com/102/story/907603.html">Whatcom County Bike to Work day</A>. I visited five celebration stations on my route in to work this morning including:<br /><br /><UL><br /><LI>Barkley Village Haggen</LI><br /><LI>Sunnyland (James St)</LI><br /><LI>Shuksan (Northwest Rd) - This one was a surprise! Not on the map.</LI><br /><LI>Bakerview & Northwest</LI><br /><LI>Cordata at Westerly Road</LI><br /></UL><br /><br />Thanks to all the volunteers who staffed the stations this morning!Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-82012335445793923262009-02-02T08:17:00.000-08:002009-02-02T08:26:52.337-08:00On Capitalism and GreedA friend sent me this short video which I think is another great example why a free market system is best. Republicans/Conservatives/Libertartians/all those who love freedom and personal liberty need to be able to debate using points like those contained in this video.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RWsx1X8PV_A&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RWsx1X8PV_A&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />At the very end of the video Milton Friedman asks the following question:<br><br />"Tell me where in the world you are going to find these angels who are going to organize society for us?" I guess those angels are Obama/Pelosi/Reid.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-49136189412694355772009-01-31T10:06:00.000-08:002009-01-31T10:16:24.300-08:00Coherent Conservative Response to Stimulus BillA fiscal conservative speaks about the stimulus bill, and explains how we got here.<br /><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=4432831403340423924&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed>Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-9420869658506259012008-12-17T08:59:00.000-08:002008-12-17T10:06:14.513-08:00Political thoughts and personal reflectionI can't count the number of times I told my wife that my active involvement in politics is almost over. First I told her that I would cut back after participating in our precinct's primary caucus. Then I told her it would be after our county convention since I had been elected a county delegate. In the mean time I had started to also attend the monthly Whatcom County Republican Party (WCRP) central committee meetings to get more involved, meet elected officials, and discuss ideas. When I learned that the PCO for my precinct was unable to run again due to health reasons I stepped forward and got elected to be PCO for my precinct. When an opening presented itself I was lucky enough to be elected to the Executive board of the WCRP.<br /><br />At this point I had stopped telling my wife that I would soon be able to stop my active participation in politics and was simply trying to convince her that after the November election my involvement level would decrease. Until then there was plenty of important work to be done.<br /><br />Little did I know that I had to again revise my schedule because after the general election a new and unexpected election began, this was for the next set of officials of the WCRP. Luckily I didn't have to help out in campaigning for this election, but being a voting member of the Central Committee I spent lots of time talking to all the candidates... and the nice thing was that every position, except for Treasurer, we had two good candidates competing for them.<br /><br />I think the officer board we ended up with is an excellent mix of old and new, diverse viewpoints but same goals, and am excited about the possibilities for the party going forward. The urge is strong to stay active if not participate MORE so we can see some real change in this city, county, state, and country.<br /><br />We've got a bigger Central Committee than we've had for a long, long time. I believe we went from 46 PCOs a few years ago to 84 presently, and if everyone who was elected but did not make the 10% mark is included that number would go up to 96. Not only has the number increased, but the group has grown more diverse in many ways.<br /><br />If Barack Obama's election was really about "Change" then why isn't that reflected within the Democratic Party or in his cabinet choices? Do you see any new people in leadership positions? Nope. You have the same party bosses making the same decisions and dictating it down to the people. The only thing that's changed is how it is packaged and sold to the public.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-78535282989331562262008-12-14T16:35:00.000-08:002008-12-14T16:56:13.545-08:00Republican Organization MeetingThe <a href="http://www.whatcomgop.com/">Whatcom County Republican Party</a> organization meeting took place on Saturday, December 13th. The new 2009-2010 leadership team will consist of:<br /><br />Chair - <a href="http://www.lvanwerven.com/">Luanne Van Werven</a><br />Vice Chair - Larry Helm<br />Treasurer - Bill Crawford<br />Secretary - Suzanne Chandler<br />State Committeeman - Charlie Crabtree<br />State Committeewoman - Barb Reilly<br /><br />Check out the official announcement <a href="http://www.whatcomgop.com/default.asp?target=home">here</a>.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9132932020043128536.post-17741480487382368032008-12-02T08:31:00.000-08:002008-12-02T10:34:16.540-08:00Civilian Defense FarceI ask my Democratic friends to try the following thought experiment. What would your reaction be if Dick Cheney came out and declared that the Bush administration was going to institute a minimum of a three month draft of all 18-25 year old's for required training in a government run camp. In this camp they will "Learn what it means to be an American", and the name of this program will be Universal Civilian Defense Training.<br /><br />If ANYTHING like this were to be proposed by the Bush administration it would be called fascist, the indoctrination of our youth, and a great blow to our civil liberties from the media, ACLU and elsewhere. I'm sure the Daily Show and The Colbert Report would run some satire about it comparing it to Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia and Fascist Italy.<br /><br />Well my friends, Obama hinted at this exact program when he was running for President when he referenced his plan for the "Civilian Defence Corps". Before elected though, he provided scant details as to what this would entail. Now that the election is over and especially after he announced his choice of Rahm "Never let a crisis go to Waste" Emanuel for Chief of Staff we are seeing a LOT more details about this program.<br /><br />I HOPE with all my heart that my democratic friends can see through their rosy view of their beloved leader and stand up and oppose this as they would if Bush or McCain had proposed it.<br /><br />Rahm Emanuel said in the video embedded in <a href="http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80829">this article</a> that this program will "give people a sense of what it means to be an American". Well I certainly hope that a mandatory, compulsory government service program isn't needed for that, because last time I checked one of the things I valued of being an American is our civil liberties, including the individual liberty valued by our founders and built in to the foundational laws of our land. Compulsory service in a government run training camp runs against every thing I believe America stands for.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=e4qG6UIr8z" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/eyeblast.swf?v=e4qG6UIr8z" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />References:<br /><a href="http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80539">WorldNet Daily Article 1</a><br /><a href="http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=80829">WorldNet Daily Article 2</a><br /><a href="http://change.gov/americaserves/">Obama's America (required to) Serves</a><br /><a href="http://bellinghamronpaul.blogspot.com/2008/07/darth-obamas-civilian-national-security.html">Bellingham Ron Paul Blog July 2008</a><br /><a href="http://bellinghamronpaul.blogspot.com/2008/11/obamas-chief-of-staff.html">Bellingham Ron Paul Blog November 2008</a><br /><a href="http://blog.heritage.org/2008/11/24/rahms-plan-for-mandatory-service/">Heritage Blog Post November 2008</a><br /><a href="http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kerry-picket/2008/11/07/media-attacked-bush-over-baseless-conscription-fears-ignores-conscript">News Busters blog post</a><br /><br />I wish I could reference some additional "mainstream" media sources but none seem to deem it a worthwhile topic to report on.Bellinghammerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03963227040926165140noreply@blogger.com1