September Update from Bartow County Republican Party

This month, before I delve into the controversy, arguments, and political posturing of the last month, there are two topics that need to be discussed in memoriam. This month we honor two events of historic significance, one occurring 222 years ago, and one occurring only 8 short years ago.

In 1787, representatives from the thirteen newly independent states met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. The states, invigorated by their newly won freedom and with the tyranny of King George still fresh in their minds, were loath to give significant power to a centralized government. For this reason they had developed the Articles to give an outline to how the states would interact with one another. While the dangers of a centralized governing power were readily apparent, the states were learning with great difficulty that a lack of a strong central government created problems of its own. It was during their deliberations that the representatives came to realize that there must be a balance, and with that they began anew, discarding the attempt to revise the Articles of Confederation and instead embarking on an effort to create a new Constitution. Over the course of several months in secretive meetings (that all might speak freely without fear), a new Constitution was formed for the united States of America, one in which a central government was given strong but enumerated powers, and which left all other rights and powers not clearly enumerated to the federal government in reserve to the states, or to the people. The Constitution was signed by these great men on September 17, 1787. John Adams, our second president and one of America's greatest statesmen, would later describe it as "the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen."

Just as God had supported and protected the smaller, weaker, under-equipped and rag-tag band of soldiers as they defeated the far superior British foe, so God also inspired these great men to author the single greatest document the world has ever known for cementing into law the God-given rights of all men. The proclamation of these rights in the Declaration of Independence were then codified into law under the Constitution. The brilliance of the Constitution is that it insists that all laws be enforced at the most local level of government possible, so that the people could observe those entrusted with power and react to abuses most quickly. The Founding Fathers, wisely realizing that it is the nature of most men, when they obtain some level of power, to embark upon an effort to protect and expand that power, organized the government to not acknowledge these mortal weaknesses, but to depend on them for balance.

The federal system of government given birth by the Constitution allowed and compensated for the nature of man. It set up a system of government with three branches (executive, legislative and judicial) and two levels (state and federal), and an increase in power for one branch or level would necessarily come at the expense of another. Through this system of checks and balances our Founding Fathers created a form of government that has survived for over two centuries and which has become the model and envy of all freedom loving nations throughout the world. It is a testament to their brilliance that it has survived this long in the face of an onslaught by lesser men seeking to gain power for themselves at the expense of the people.

The other event we remember this month is the attacks by Muslim terrorists on September 11, 2001. On that day, well-trained and well-funded terrorists took advantage of the freedoms we enjoy and the rights we hold dear, combined with a misguided security and law enforcement policy, and highjacked four transcontinental jetliners loaded with thousands of pounds of jet fuel, and used them as bombs to attack our nation. Two of the jets were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, bringing them crashing down after burning for what seemed like days, killing thousands still trapped in the upper floors of the buildings...or at least the ones that had not already jumped to their death to escape the billowing clouds of black smoke choking their lungs or the raging inferno that sought to consume their very flesh from their bones.

Another plane was flown into the Pentagon, killing even more Americans. The last plane, United Flight 93, was destroyed, killing all aboard, when it crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township, near Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The passengers, having discovered the fate of the other planes, fought against the highjackers and kept the terrorist from reaching and destroying their intended target, thought to be either the White House or the Capitol Building.

It is important we remember the images of that day, the cries of pain and terror, the innocent people jumping to their deaths, the thousands left widowed and orphaned, the bravery of those who resisted their attackers, as well as of the first responders and the common citizens that lost their life trying to save their fellow man. May we never forget the savage laughter and cheering in the streets by Muslims who hate all for which we stand. Regardless of any other complaints any may have had about President George W. Bush, we must give credit and thanks for his efforts that kept us safe and kept us free from another attack of American soil for the last eight years. It is easy to forget and become complacent and think we are safe, but that is far from the truth. We must remain ever vigilant if we are to protect ourselves, our families and our way of life. May we never forget is my humble prayer to God, He who is over all things.

Who is Raising Our Property Taxes?

If you live in Bartow County and received the message to the left from our County Tax Commissioner, Valenda Bailey, one would believe that the state legislature was responsible for raising our property taxes. But that is only one side of the story. Who is responsible for raising our property taxes on the average of $300 per household? The local governments are blaming the state and the state officials are saying that it is the local officials. Who is right and who is just playing the political game?

Brief history of the Georgia homestead exemption and property tax:

Property Taxes are first authorized by the General Assembly in 1852.
The homestead exemption has been in place in Georgia since 1937.
The General Assembly started giving Homeowner Tax Relief Grants to counties to offset the homestead exemptions in 1999 and to municipalities in 2002.
Counties and municipalities used these grants to fund their yearly budgets.
In 2009 the state revenues are down and the General Assembly made cuts in the Georgia budget which included the grants given to the local counties.
Local counties including Bartow County passed the cost onto the tax payer rather than cutting their budget of the same amount.

What will this mean for local property owners? Sometime next year, most homeowners in Georgia will receive a statement from their mortgage company stating that their escrow account is below the allowable amount and their monthly payment will go up about $25-$30 a month. Those who don't have an escrow account will have to come up with the extra $300 by this November. So, fellow homeowners, be prepared to cut your personal budgets once again as our local governments obviously won't cut spending due to the loss of revenue.

Health Care Reform

The August recess was not kind for President Obama and the Democrats. Obama, our great post-racial president, the liberal savior, the great healer has hit a road block. The Democrats' own modern-day Icarus, once flying high on waves of adulation for the new era of hope and change, appears to be returning to the level of the rest of the mere mortals. It seems that the waves of adulation giving lift to his wings turned out to be nothing more than a lot of liberal hot air temporarily lifting him up. Well, now things have changed just a bit. What started out as angry commentary from both hosts and listeners of talk radio and internet blogs, grew into frustration and revolt at town hall meetings, and culminated in a march on Washington, D.C. by hundreds of thousands of people (estimated to be as many as 1.5 million, or as CNN and the NYT would say, "several dozen") fed up by ever-expanding federal government spending, debt and encroachment into the lives of the citizens that it supposedly serves. Obama and the Democrats seemed genuinely stunned at the uprising against them, but it remains to be seen whether they will still try to ram this down our throats while they still can.

In a great twist of irony, the only version of the health care reform bills that was thought to have a chance at bipartisan passage, that out of the Senate committee chaired by Democrat Max Baucus, has been roundly criticized and denounced by...his fellow Democrats. The only bill with any chance at Republican support is now losing Democrat support because it does not include a "public option", the liberal euphemism for government run health care.

So why is the great orator, the lanky liberal Lincoln wannabe, the silken-tongued Lothario whose bare-chested beach photos make women, girls and Chris Matthews swoon, why is he having such a difficult time selling his "reform" plan? Because people are actually starting to learn what is in the legislation, and they want nothing to do with it. Recent polls show that the more people learn about the details, the less they support the bill. Uh oh!

So what is bothering people so much? Here are a few possibilities. The legislation would:

Put the IRS in charge of health care administration by letting them determine whether your health care coverage is "acceptable", hunting down and punishing those not in compliance, enforcing rules, etc. That includes divulging taxpayer financial information to "necessary" parties [in Section 245(b)(2)(A)].
not address the issue of tort reform, the current failure of which is estimated to add $200 billion annually to the cost of health care. In a shocking moment of honesty, DNC Chairman Howard "The Scream" Dean admitted that tort reform would not be included because Democrats did not want to anger trial lawyers...their biggest financial contributors.
not address the skyrocketing costs, and would in fact increase costs dramatically. One way this occurs is through government mandates for insurance companies. Obama said the Democrat bill would improve choice, yet see for yourself the 84 times that the word "requires" is mentioned in the bill.
not address the cost of the millions of illegal immigrants taking advantage of America's health care system at U.S. taxpayer expense (the Democrat claim that their legislation does not specifically cover illegals is technically correct; however, there is no mechanism for determining whether applicants are here legally and Republican amendments to include that mechanism have been repeatedly defeated by Democrats).
not be formed openly and honestly. To date, Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has refused to release the text of the draft legislation...not even to other Senators!
would lead to shortages and rationing like it has in other countries with nationalized health care, including Britain, which recently released a study reporting that as many as 4000 mothers were forced to give birth in elevators, offices, corridors and even bathrooms! All because of a shortage of maternity ward beds caused by bureaucrats trying to reduce expenses.

Oh, and also that fact that it would worsen quality of care, cause a shortage of health care professionals, provide tax-payer funded abortions, run private insurance out of business, and cost an additional $1-1.5 trillion (in other words, 1.5 million millions) per year to the federal budget, funded by the courtesy of the U.S. taxpayer. Now that is change you can believe in.

TEA Party!

Join Us at the North Georgia TEA Party!

Joel Aaron of 920am, founder of We the People Revolution
Michael Opitz, President of the Madison Forum, who is bringing a Constitutional expert to work a booth
FairTax is sending a speaker, and setting up a booth
Former State Rep. Jeff Lewis will speak
Vivian Scott, Wife of Gubernatorial candidate Austin Scott
Americans for Prosperity is sending a speaker and will host a booth
TARS (Teenage Republican Party) will host a booth
Paulding women GOP will host a booth
Bartow GOP will host a booth

Come party like it's 1773 with your fellow concerned citizens and civic groups, including your friends from the Bartow GOP.

The North Georgia TEA Party will be held this Saturday @ Tom's Place in Cartersville (www.TomsPlaceCartersville.com) from 2PM until ???

The party will be broadcast LIVE!

DIRECTIONS:

Take I-75 North to Exit 293, turn left under the bridge and Tom's Place is the first place on your right, or

Take I-75 South to exit 293, turn right and Tom's Place is on your right.

The Economy, Taxes and Deficits

You have to admit it. Whoever came up with the 3 millions jobs created OR SAVED idea was brilliant. Now matter how bad the economy gets, you can always claim that it would have been even worse without your policies in place. That is how Obama is getting away with claiming that the economy is getting better despite the fact that unemployment is at 9.7% nationally) when he claimed it would never go above 8% with the stimulus package), and the fact that last month 216,000 jobs were lost (he argues that his plan is working because hey, it's less than the 276,000 the month before).

Using his logic, I estimate that I have created or saved 1,980,008 children in my life That is calculated by adding the eight children that my wife and I have created together, plus the ones I have saved. The saved estimate comes from the fact that I have been driving 22 years, with 180 school days per year, an estimated 500 schoolchildren per day that are alive from me being a responsible driver and never once running a school bus or a car off the road and killing someone...hey, that's a better record than Ted Kennedy...all adds up to 1,980,008. Now you try it! How many have you saved or created?

Unfortunately, that philosophy only works as fertilizer, and his own people know it. Despite Obama's claims of having brought the economy "back from the brink of collapse", Larry Summers, his National Economic Council Director says that the unemployment rate will stay "unacceptably high" for years to come. Don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain!

It has gotten so bad that Benjamin Franklin was quoted by China's top Communist Party official, Cheng Siwei, when he recently warned the United States of the danger inherent in its current fiscal policy. The quote... "He who goes borrowing, goes sorrowing". Too bad we have to get an American history lesson from the communist Chinese. If that weren't bad enough, Nobel laureate economist James Buchanan accuses Obama of making the same mistakes that led to the Great Depression. He said "We have learned some things from comparable experiences of the 1930s' Great Depression, perhaps enough to reduce the severity of the current contraction. But we have made no progress toward putting limits on political leaders, who act out their natural proclivities without any basic understanding of what makes capitalism work."

The economy is not bad for everybody though. These people are feeling pretty good:

Convicted Felons - 23 inmates received $250 checks from the stimulus program. Hey, who says crime doesn't pay?
Unions - Democrats have included in health care reform legislation a little addendum that lets taxpayers pick up the tab for $10 billion for the cost of medical care for union members.
Brazil and George Soros - the Obama administration borrowed $10 billion and loaned it to Brazil so that they can conduct offshore drilling (it's OK for Brazil but not for America?). The state-owned oil company Petrobas received the money and guess who is a major investor...that's right...Democrat bankroller and socialist George Soros.
Sex Studies - this may be the only true stimulating done by Obama's plan. Washington is handing out money for sex studies, including one that studies adolescent hook-ups at Syracuse University, one of drug use as a sex enhancer, and almost a quarter million dollars to study barriers to correct condom usage. Yep, your tax dollars at work.

Let's see...felons, unions, socialists, sex workers...did we miss any of the major Democrat constituencies? Oh yeah...abortionists. Never mind, we're covering that in the health care bill. Good job guys!

Liberal Lyin'...oops...make that "Lion"

One of the longest "serving" Senators in our nation's history recently passed away. While we extend our sympathies and condolences to the family and friends that loved him, let us not make of him in death what he never was in life. Democrats are invoking the name of Edward Kennedy posthumously in an attempt to use his death as a reason to pass health care reform, in his honor. Ted Kennedy possessed many things...a guily conscience, an abundance of lust, a decimated liver...but honor was not among them.

The media and Democrats are making him out to be the modern-day equivalent of Thomas Jefferson, a man of high bearing and means dedicated to improving the lot of the common man. He was no such thing. He was a man of little integrity born into a family of immense wealth and power who used that advantage to grow even richer and more powerful, using that influence to cover up a myriad of crimes and moral lapses.

Some of the highlights of his life:

While enrolled at Harvard, he was expelled twice, once for cheating and once for paying a classmate to cheat for him.
While attending law school at the University of Virginia , he was cited for reckless driving four times, including once when he was clocked driving 90 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood with his headlights off after dark...his Virginia driver's license was never revoked.
On July 19, 1969, Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts . Around 11PM, he borrowed his chauffeur's keys to his Oldsmobile limousine, and offered to give a ride home to Mary Jo Kopechne, a campaign worker. Leaving the island via an unlit bridge with no guard rail, Kennedy steered the car off the bridge, flipping into Poucha Pond. He swam to shore and walked back to the party, passing several houses and a fire station. Two friends then returned with him to the scene of the accident. According to their later testimony, they told him what he already knew - that he was required by law to immediately report the accident to the authorities. Instead Kennedy made his way to his hotel, called his lawyer, and went to sleep. Kennedy called the police the next morning and by then the wreck had already been discovered. Before dying, Kopechne had scratched at the upholstered floor above her head in the upside-down car. The Kennedy family began calling in favors, ensuring that any inquiry would be contained. Her corpse was whisked out-of-state to her family, before an autopsy could be conducted. He pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, and was given a SUSPENDED SENTENCE OF TWO MONTHS.
Kennedy's anemic legislative accomplishments include passage of a bill that eased the threshold of entry for third world immigrants, increased the minimum wage, and one attempt to require homeowners to flee their homes instead of confronting burglers and defending themselves.
Conspired with America's enemies - he offered to help sell Soviet propaganda to the American public in exchange for helping him defeat Reagan in the next election.
Kennedy was also a well-known drunk and womanizer. In fact, one of the more memorable Kennedy stories comes from former Alabama Senator Howell Heflin who, when shown a photo of Kennedy on his yacht intimately engaged with a young woman that was not his wife, remarked "Well, it looks like Teddy has changed his opinion of offshore drilling!"

I must admit that it does get under my skin to see this womanizing, drunken killer lionized in the media while the greatest president of the 20th century, Ronald Reagan, was dismissed as a mentally underachieving ideologue by the media. As I said before, let's not make the deceased in death what they never were in life.

So Tell Us How You Really Feel...