Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans

Meeting summary: we need to better monitor the Texas Legislature and keep those we elect there accountable.

An important conclusion: engaged citizens (us) can give elected officials an excuse to not fall into the anti-conservative games played in Austin. But we have to stay on them at every turn or they will turn on us.

One example given was House freshman Van Taylor from Plano who, when confronted by Speaker Straus to vote against his district’s wishes, could point to a large stack of correspondence from his constituents and assure his Speaker that they’d vote him right out if he did. This is how we need to be with our representatives.

Good turnout. Thanks to all!

First, we had a very good turnout and greatly thank all the officials, candidates, and voters who attended! And of course, hearty thanks and appreciation to Michael Quinn Sullivan (his blog)and Andrew Kerr of Empower Texans for presenting.

Primaries are the most important elections

• Only 15% participate in primaries. As an organized group of conservative voters, we must make the most of this opportunity.
• Now is the best time to get our legislators to make commitments since they need something from us.
• Use your phone to record their responses.
• EVERY action a legislator does should be open to public review – and stay in contact with them to hold them to it. 
• We need to convince our friends and neighbors to vote—even if it means giving them a ride to the polls ourselves

This disease won't cure itself. It is OUR job as citizens to monitor and hold our elected officials to account.

The 2011 Texas Legislature :-/

A few other random notes from the meeting (please add your own comments below and/or on the Facebook group):

• in the 2010 election, Texas said—and voted for—conservative state legislators. But the supermajority we achieved was not so super: reforms were stifled by Speaker Joe Straus
• Our biggest problem is not state legislators, it’s local officials who go and lobby them with your money
• Sen. Ogden’s lame-duck proposal—lame
• the 2011 legislature can claim it didn’t raise taxes, but they did use gimmicks (fees etc.)
• the education lobby will always cry for more. They’ll never talk about a targeted spending plan or how best to use the money, just about “more”
• last session, 60% of the increases were for education
• $12,000 is spent per student
• the Texas Senate is referred to as where good ideas die and bad ideas get new life

A good example of beginning to get it right

One of the things Michael mentioned during his talk was our own Senator Steve Ogden’s frustration at “outside groups” (Empower Texans and other pesky Tea Party types) getting inside the Senate’s chummy club and making it harder to pass bills without accountability. Remember this? That’s the issue the Senator was referring to. Looks like we may be having some good effect, but there’s a long way to go!

Why I know Mr. Culpepper is wrong.

Sam Sharp died on Wednesday. He was 80 years old.

This came as a shock to me this morning when I heard it on the news.

I still don’t know quite what to say. I do know that The Eagle and WTAW have not done my friend and mentor any justice in their reporting. Sam was more than what they could ever understand.

Sam was a man of honor, courage, justice, and faith. Sam was a man’s man. A Patriot, a philanthropist. A humble man who knew that because he had two ears and one mouth, listening was more important than speaking. Sam knew that when a fellow human being was hurting, the first thing you needed to do was embrace that hurt…because only then could you take it away from them so they could start to heal.

Chance are, you have absolutely no clue who Sam Sharp was. But the chances are high that you have been affected by Sam without knowing it.

You see, most of the time you hear of the beautiful people in town. The movers and the shakers. The folks who are on the cover of Chamber events and local magazines.

Sam wasn’t pretty, and he didn’t play the petty games of the pretty people. Sam, though worthy, eligible, and most likely to run the good ol’ boy network, never participated in the shenanigans of that sort of “It’s not what you know but who you know” game.

Sam was a human being in the purest sense: Created in the image of God.

And he knew that. He never told me that he knew that, but he certainly lived consubstantially with that belief.

My first encounter with Sam was from an email response to a group of folks. He simply signed his message, “Shalom, Sam.”

Shalom. “Peace.”

Every time I saw that from Sam, I thought he was saying, “My Peace I give you.”

Now, I think Sam is saying “My Peace I leave with you.”

I met Sam as I was working as the founding Vice-President of the Bryan-College Station Tea Party. Sam was, at times, its only financial supporter. Many a check from Sam Sharp made sure the Tea Party could continue until it was on its feet.

He was a true believer in Freedom, Liberty, and the principles of the Founding Fathers. You will find in the Bylaws of the BCS Tea Party, which I wrote, the essence and words of Sam Sharps. The vision of the BCS Tea Party, which forms an acronym, are from Sam’s own thoughts:

TEA: Teach. Empower. Act.

Sam was a Teacher. There’s not a single person who will attend his funeral tomorrow who will be able to say they did not learn something from Sam Sharp. In fact, I would opine that several owe their maturity to a single word or phrase that Sam uttered to them at some point in their life.

Sam believed that you must Empower others. He believed that with his resources, whether his mind, money, time or talent, he could give somebody the hand up that they needed to change the world. He wasn’t about hand outs…he was about making your dreams come true with a little bit of his help and a lot of his encouragement.

And Sam believed that you must Act. Talking gets you nowhere unless it is followed with action. Sam was in the thick of things, leading by example to the very end. He forced you into action by the mere shame that he was doing more than you. Yet he did not ridicule you…instead, he held out a hand, looked you in the eye, and said, “Come on. Let’s do this. We’ll have a good time and get to know each other. And we’ll help people along the way.”

In our lives as married people, we as spouses run into people on a regular basis who our better halves only know peripherally. I am sad to say that my wife only knows Sam as the man who gave me neckties. Neckties that, two Christmases ago, he offered to me to give to her so that she could give to my boys so they could give them to me as Christmas gifts.

It was a tough time for us. Our business had a downturn, and Sam offered to make sure the kiddos didn’t experience that. He and I sat at lunch one day in mid-December, and he handed a small bag across the table, Inside was a pearl necklace for my wife, and neckties for me. He knew I was starting a new business, and that neckties would be important. Selfishly, I told my wife on Christmas morning the pearls were from me…she finds out now that they were not from me by reading this. But Sam wanted me to tell her that. She’s understanding the neckties now, too.

I think Sam also knew that someone needed to believe in me, because I didn’t. Sam believed in me.

Sam was that kind of man.

Christmas that year was actually big and successful…Sam had been a stopgap that allowed me to focus on the reason for the season and not all the hype. By doing that. Business picked up, we had a bang-up Christmas and even helped a national group raise money and deliver toys to 19 families who would have had no Christmas at all. I was able to give a computer and PlayStation to my Brother-In-Law and his family, just as they were about to make a big breakthrough in his own business.

I was able to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of others because Sam made a difference in mine.

If I had to swear it, though I know it is true of every person I meet, I would proclaim that Jesus sat at lunch with me the day Sam handed me a bag full of neckties. And, as selfish as I am and subject to original sin, I’m a son-of-a-bitch for not knowing God sat before me at that sandwich shop. What would I have done different, had I opened my heart and allowed the Truth to enter me?

It was three months later, less than a year ago, that I saw Sam for the last time.

It is unconscionable that a community not know Sam such that a front page article on the local rag is their first experience of him. In my brief moments of knowing Sam, I knew God was sharing something special with me. I just did not know what.

But I know that God embraces our beloved Sam, and holds him close and dear. The man who held wisdom in his eyes that I might aspire to but always fall short of is not only a prize possession of our Father, but he is the image we may make of God when we imagine what he looks like.

Sam Sharp is the person you want to be. Sam is the person we want to look up to. Sam is the person whom we think of when we think of what a perfect world would be if we had the perfect leader…or the perfect follower. Sam is what we wish we were when we lay awake at night and don’t think of what we could have done better the day before, but instead think about 0what we want to do tomorrow that we shouldn’t do. He is what our conscience tells us we should be while we refuse to listen to it.

Sam is our image when we look into the mirror and think “Who could I have been?”

I love Sam Sharp. Him and his damned thirty year old neckties. I don’t know which ones to wear tomorrow at his funeral.

But I do know he wouldn’t care. He would chide me for thinking about it too much. He might even chide me for attending his funeral. He would say, “You can’t do anything for the dead…go do something for the living. Time is wasting!” So I do this for the living: I tell them about Sam Sharp. And for that he’ll give me a stern talking to, should I meet him in Heaven. God is whom he wants us to know. Not Sam.

Sam, whom I met as a patriot, was scared for our future. I have no doubt that he would have given up his well-earned fortune to ensure Liberty for just one more minute. He was passionate about his cause – our cause. He was passionate about passionate people – God’s people. And he was passionate about people who wanted to do more than just let life happen to them.

I will miss Sam Sharp. God, I hurt so bad inside, and it is a selfish hurt. What could have been. What should have been. My sons never knew this man. A man more worthy to be in their presence than I. A man of conviction. A man of devotion, faith, inspiration, joy and peace. A man of love, and impact so great that you cannot imagine a life without him being on this world somewhere while you live and breathe. Our world is changed because Sam Sharp has gone Home to His Father.

People will tell you that Sam leaves a big hole in this community. But a hole implies that it can be filled.

No chance.

Sam was what this community aspires to be. Sam was what we all want to be. Sam was what we all could be.

Sam was what we will never be.

Shalom, Sam.

Consider this definition of slavery by Fredrick Douglass:

“What is freedom? It is the right to choose one’s own employment. Certainly it means that, if it means anything; and when any[one] undertakes to decide for any man when he shall work, where he shall work, at what shall he work, and for what he shall work, he or they practically reduce him to slavery.”

Government impress of service is listed as a grievance in the Declaration of Independence:

“He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands .”

According to Congressman Pete Stark, the Constitution does not restrain the Federal Government from doing anything.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Those that believe that the service of another is their due right must be rebuked with the same disdain we hold for those former advocates of the age-old practice of slave-trade and ownership.

“No man can put a chain about the ankle of his fellow man without at last finding the other end fastened about his own neck.”
― Frederick Douglass

The Bryan/College Station Tea Party is pleased to pronounce the month of February as Building Constitutional Momentum Month.

Purpose:  To solidify all citizens interested in preserving their community, state, and nation according to constitutional principles in a thriving movement.

Goal:  To create a growing movement based on constitutional principles that:

• will enable each member to understand these principles, express them in their own voice, and apply these principles as solutions to the problems we face locally, in Texas, and in the nation.
• will unite citizens of the The Brazos Valley according to stated principles which recognize the reality of Human Nature.
• will focus on the qualities of leadership that promotes the value of adherence to these principles.
• will provide a solid foundation for constitutional conservative candidates to base their campaign upon.
• will also provide protection for our candidates by inhibiting the worst aspect of Human Nature which is to destroy anything beautiful, better, or virtuous.

The Bryan/College Station Tea Party has some terrific events planned to make this happen.

Events and Dates to put on your calendar:

February 2, 2012 -  The Leadership Project – 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 at The College Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush, CS. Room 101.

February 23, 2012 – FreedomWorks – Democracy & Power – [Time to be announced.] at The College Station Conference Center, 1300 George Bush, CS. Room 101.

Please see Upcoming Events to learn of other events such as dvd meetups to watch the Wallbuilder’s dvd Library, 10 Lesson Study of the Constitution, as well as regular monthly meetings.

That we are even contemplating such a difference that is noted by observers from all over the world means that Culture itself is not an innate attribute. This one startling revelation brings to mind former President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel’s conclusion:

The Declaration of Independence states that the Creator gave man the right to liberty. It seems man can realize that liberty only if he does not forget the One who endowed him with it.

The United States of America is different from other nations because our institutions as created by our Founding Documents did not follow in the European model that placed their national well-being in the hands of a particular family or class of men. The American policy was to keep its national well-being in the hands of the people. This was because our Founding Fathers understood and had faith in the transcendent ability of all men to rise above their human nature in order to serve the public good. [Federalist 1 - Hamilton]

American Exception is based on a right understanding that appreciates the transcendent right of all men to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that treasures that only the individual can best determine his own self-interest.

Why is there no European Tea Party Movement?

Daniel Hannan – British Member of the European Parliment – explains in this interview with Uncommon Knowledge’s Peter Robinson – The Hoover Institution his understanding of American Exceptionalism to answer such profound questions such as why there is no European Tea Party Movement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

 January 12 -14 @ Minute Maid Park

From the Saddle Up Texas Website:

Texas holds a rich and diverse landscape of people from all walks of life that have genuine concerns about traditional values of moral decency, responsibility in government, and sound constitutional principles being preserved and uplifted in our Texas and American societies.

Despite Texas’ apparent political clout as holder of the second largest delegation to the Electoral College and the second largest population in the United States, its position in the primary election, which is governed by political parties, is significantly and detrimentally out of balance to its general election influence.

Texas is a critically vital part of the U.S. economy, currently providing a statistically and disproportionately high contribution to the nation’s job growth, GDP, and positive production across nearly every sector of the free market. In 2010, Texas created more jobs than all other states combined.[i] Texas is the 14th largest economy in the world as of 2009[ii].

Citizens from every corner of Texas have come together to bring Texas’ influence forward as an integral part of the national primary election process through a grassroots organized presidential straw poll, called the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll, which is designed to give Texans an appropriate voice in the Primary.

[i] http://www.texaswideopenforbusiness.com/assets/documents/Texas-Economic-Overview.pdf

[ii] http://econpost.com/texaseconomy/texas-economy-ranking-world

Likewise the rate of expenditures by health care facilities in the three represented states reveals the same differences between Governor Romney’s Massachusetts and the steady lines of Governors Perry’s Texas and Huntsman’s Utah.

State-by-State comparisons are difficult because each state has different regulations affecting health care spending and costs.

The point of Conover’s article is that two Presidential Candidates have a far better record in keeping health care spending and costs low and steady than the candidate campaigning on the success of his own Romney Care Heath Care Program.

This Election Year is Important Because There is Something Fundamental To Decide

A comparison of the two leaders graphically explains this fundamental choice.

The Fomer Supreme Leader of North Korea: Kim Jong Il

Former President of The Czech Republic: Vaclav Havel

Marc Theissen of The Enterprise Blog offers some stark comparisons between the results of the deeds that accompany the leadership style of these leaders.

Separating Light From Darkness

The startling satellite photos of the Korean peninsula at night reveals the truth about the darkness of totalitarianism.

Korean Pennusula at Night Reveals the Darkness of Totalitarianism

Besides the inability to produce enough energy to extend the enjoyment of life into the natural darkness that accompanies the end of the work day, totalitarianism must also snuff out the spiritual light that exists within all men in order to maintain control. Totalitarianism is not friendly to those with abilities, thoughts, or innovations that would challenge the ability, thought, and innovations of the Supreme Leader. That self-inflicted darkness of the mind and soul of individuals who find themselves born into such an earthly hell/regime leads every nation on the downhill path from social/democracy to totalitarianism into the downward spiral of poverty and the ever expanding sparseness of insufficiency known as dearth.

This photo accurately records the results of the deeds of former Supreme Leader Kim Jong Il and should stand as a warning sign to all men whose sense of survival has succumbed to fearing any other man as if he were God.

As Jay taught in Federalist 3,

It is not a new observation that the people of any country (if, like the Americans, intelligent and well-informed) seldom adopt and steadily persevere for many years in an erroneous opinion respecting their interests.

Vaclav Havel successfully lead the Czech Republic from the darkness of Soviet Union subjected totalitarianism of communism into the light of freedom of conscience, liberty, and private property rights. Havel lead a revolution whose center was the transcendent wisdom that re-established the tenants of normal humanity by ensuring the safety of the individual in a culture whose generations of totalitarian power was determined by criminalizing the individual. This is the subject of the film The Lives of Others.

The Lives of Others

Totalitarianism: every citizen is an un-yet charged criminal

While every totalitarian regime must criminalize the individual, enforcement of this over-criminalized mentality becomes the major employment agency. The naturally ensuing lack and scarcity of necessary products for life is blamed on individuals who are arrested, sentenced to prison work camp as part of an unpaid labor force, or executed as an example for others.

Representative Republic:  every citizen is endowed by his Creator with certain unalienable rights

Vaclav Havel wrote the speech “The Need for Transcendence in a Post Modern World” a 1994 July 4th message that was delivered at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pa. As we are learning in our study of the Federalist Papers, our Founding Fathers were able to form an exceptional nation because their ideas were founded upon undeniable principles guided by a clear understanding of human nature.

Tyranny was recognized as the nature within every man to lust for power and control over others, while liberty was the result of appreciating that all men were created in the image of God with certain unalienable rights.  Where tyranny is the direct result of fearing man more than God – the result of thinking wrongly about God – a Representative Republic is preserved with expanding liberty for all men when served by elected representative and citizens that think rightly about God.

Transcendent Wisdom brings about seemingly paradoxical results that keep human nature in check with the least loss of liberty for the entire group. For instance, the paradoxical adage attributed to Thomas Paine: That government is best which governs least.

Such a consideration is in direct conflict with the principle of Totalitarianism where every citizens is an un-yet charged criminal. Only by understanding that totalitarianism is possible only by citizenry that fears a man more than God can we appreciate that liberty is only possible when we think rightly about all men being created equal and endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So, in considering the results of the deeds of these two world leaders we see see the deeds that lead to liberty and those that lead to the tyranny of totalitarianism. When we remind ourselves that the purpose of our Constitution and Representative Republican form of government is: to ensure and defend the liberty and private property of all citizens, it is clear that the current idea of government regulating and legislating the American citizen into morality is the path to totalitarianism.

Funerals should always remind us of our mortality and to consider those things that make our human experience different from that of mere animals. We have so much to begin thinking rightly about.

The Texas Tea Party movement was sorely disappointed in the results of 2011 Texas Legislature.

Republican legislators were divided between Party Lackeys* and Conservative Leaders with the liberty and private property rights of all Texans losing ground.

For too long special interests have used legislative lackeys to protect their interests,
grow government, and further burden the taxpayer.
In both the Texas House and Senate, special interest lackeys pretending to be
conservatives have skillfully stonewalled needed conservative reforms.
Texas needs leaders who will champion the principles of limited government and
conservative values, not lackeys who serve the establishment.

• *Lackey –  toady, flunky, sycophant, flatterer, minion, hanger-on, lickspittle, brown-noser, spaniel, pawn, underling, stooge; informal yes-man, trained seal, bootlicker, doormat, drudge, peon.  [note: to refer to Party Lackeys as a spaniel is to do a disservice to the entire spaniel breed]

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility is identifying our Texan Conservative Leaders as well as who’s a Lackey.

Visit their website,  sign the petition as well as donate to this worthy project.

The Conservative Leaders Project will be coming the Bryan/College Station in February.

We’ve got a terrific new year planned for the Bryan/College Station Tea Party for this important 2012 election year.

The topics discussed in this essay about Federalist 3 are:

• National Interest – Just as with an individual having wrong opinion of your self interest will affect your Security and Safety, the survival of a nation depends upon exhibiting its interest toward other nations.

• Human Nature - Jay makes the case that all nations operate just like individuals according to the dictates of human nature.

• Ruling Class Mentality – While not intending to, Jay, in making a false argument for a strong, unified Federal Government filled with the nation’s best, brightest, and most able men, Jay forgets that all men are driven by the same lust for power, wealth, and status…. even the nation’s most able of men.

We are confident that Rep. Raney will consider the principles that establish our need for government which is to ensure and defend the liberty and private property rights of every citizens before casting his vote as our representative in our state government.

We ask God to provide Mr. Raney with wisdom in all things as he considers legislation that will affect all constituents and citizens of Texas. We are certain that our new representative appreciates that leadership is characterized by adherence to principles and we also ask God to strengthen Mr. Raney according to these proven principles.

Congratulations, Representative Raney.

Well done, sir.

Sincerely,

The Bryan/College Station Tea Party

That said, be sure to vote in the runoff election on the 13th!

John Raney (left) and Bob Yancy debate Dec. 8 cancelled

UPDATE: THE DEBATE HAS BEEN CANCELLED. But we still urge you to vote on the 13th!

This past Monday, Gov. Perry set the date of the State District 14:

State Representative runoff  is Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Runoff Candidate Forum December 8

This is an extended-answer debate between the Texas House runoff candidates John Raney and Bob  Yancy. We will post the list of topics to be covered.

The candidates beyond their ads

Many people may have already decided who they will vote for, but others want to know more about each candidate, beyond their soundbites, websites and ads. This forum will give you the real details on each one’s platform and plans.

So either come support your chosen candidate or come to get the information to make your decision!

Forget the sugar pills. The cure for our country's disease is the Constitution and the principles behind it.

When you only treat the symptoms, you allow the disease to progress

There is a problem with simply treating the symptoms of a deadly disease. You may think you feel better because of the treatment.  But the disease is still killing you.

Treat the disease—unconstitutional government

The Tea Party Movement exists because common citizens believe there is a fundamental decision to be made before setting course on the future of the nation. That decision is rooted in the philosophical principles written in our Founding Documents—the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers, and The Constitution. What must be decided in the November 2012 election is not whether to pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, but rather whether that document or any other founding document defining the American Compact between the people and their government is of any consequence literally or legally.

Bureaucracy becomes tyranny

Those in the Tea Party Movement adhere to the original intent of the American Compact. We know that treating the Constitution as a “living document” is the same as having no rules at all. Further, in our understanding of human nature we appreciate that a bureaucrat unrestrained by rules is a tyrant in his own sphere of influence. The Tea Party Movement understands these realities because our productivity and prosperity are being threatened by “living” applications of the American Compact.

But, just as new members of the National Rifle Association may often be former liberals who experienced an armed attack by a mugger, average citizens are finding the need to become Constitutional Scholars. This is because our livelihoods and our children’s future have been put in jeopardy, if not destroyed, by tyrants affecting the authority of the government in pursuit of their own lawless instincts for more power and authority.

The proposed Balanced Budget Amendment does not treat the cause of such abuse of power. It treats only the symptoms of a government bureaucracy operating in a netherworld of unconstitutional privileges, legislation, regulation, and authority.

Those politicians advocating a Balanced Budget Amendment would be of better service to the end good of the people and nation if they spoke accurately about the American Compact rather than continuing to promote feel-good solutions to problems created by unconstitutional legislation and spending.

Elected officials, do your sworn duty—defend and support the Constitution

Our elected officials have sworn an oath to defend and support the Constitution. A Town Hall to teach the documents of our American Compact would be of far more consequence than a Town Hall to defend decisions that continue the policy of unconstitutional out of control spending. It is our republican (little “r”) spirit that has motivated the Tea Party Movement to do what our leaders are failing to do. The Tea Party Movement is calling for more republicanism in our elected officials.

The book of Proverbs is full of wisdom regarding human nature. It was the responsibility of the author, King Solomon of Israel, as the father of the nation, to provide citizens with instruction that would enable them make good moral choices. A nation of citizens well grounded in moral principles would be prosperous and productive. A prosperous and productive nation grounded in moral principles would then be better able to take care of the widow, orphan, and afflicted.

In Proverbs, it is the voice of a loving father offering words of wisdom to his son. The father tells his son everything a young boy needs to know about human nature and how to avoid the traps and snares of individuals with evil intent.

The whole immoral package—and its consequences

When the father warns of the adulterous woman, his warning is for far more than mere sexual relations with a married woman. It goes the very lifestyle the adulterous woman is advocating. The adulterous woman makes it her purpose to nullify and destroy the moral principles instilled by a loving father, and by God. In doing so, the adulterous woman affects the ability of the young person to be productive and prosperous for the rest of his life.

This video offers a modern day twist on the adulterous woman archetype: a beautiful woman with an engaging smile offers conspiratorial stolen-bread kind of “friendly” advice. However, the end result of young people listening to these “lips that drip honey with smoother than oil speech” will be the end of their own prosperity, productivity, and well-being.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams

Click here to view the embedded video.

Does not Wisdom call?  ‘Listen, for I shall speak noble things; And the opening of my lips will produce right things.’

• the weakness of the case for man made global warming, and
• the quantity and quality of the evidence which flatly contradicts it.

Come join us for burgers and viewing of The Great Global Warming Swindle to learn how to refute this costly miseducation and scientific fraud.

If you’re coming, you may RSVP on Matt’s Facebook Event page.

Dear Friends,

Do you approve of the job Congress is doing? Recent surveys say that 90% of us disapprove, yet 95% of incumbents will get re-elected.

Politicians have taken control of our government; our nation is at risk.
We have a plan to evict all 435 of the career politicians who have taken over the U.S. House of Representatives and get our country back on track.

The GOOOH plan will

1. sever all ties with special interest money,
2. break the stranglehold the two parties have on our government,
3. fire the career politicians, and
4. put accountability back into the system.

Now is the time to act

District 17 is holding mock elections on:

We are selecting the Citizen Representative for this district and need your help. If you know someone that you believe will make a good representative for “The People” of our district, not the special interest groups in Washington, bring them to Sam Rayburn Middle School on November 5th. Even if you don’t know anyone that could represent us, come and bring your family and friends and take part in this historic event of electing a true Citizen Representative!

Another way you can help is to make copies of the attached flier and pass them out. Give them to your friends, co-workers, family, put them on bulletin boards, place them on car windows, go door to door, just make a commitment to get the word out – because if you don’t act now, you can’t blame anyone but yourself on which politician is sent back to Washington and you end up with business as usual.

For more information about GOOOH visit our web site at www.GOOOH.com.

Wayne Arrington
College Station

Some Important Points:

• It is clear that our culture has lost touch with the reality of human nature – that all people are capable of every sort evil, vice, and corruption, including that person we see in the mirror every morning.
• Madison was right when he cautioned that our own human nature would be the greatest threat to our own liberty through the work of faction. [Federalist 10]
• Schiff boldly states – as does the B/CS Tea Party – the purpose of government is to ensure and defend the liberty and private property of all citizens.

Click here to view the embedded video.

BrazosVotes

http://www.brazosvotes.org
Visit BrazosVotes to preview a Sample Ballot, find early voting polling places and learn about election day. They have an FAQ about voting.

Votexas.org

http://votexas.org/exp-statements-2011.html
Texas voters will decide on ten amendments to the Texas Constitution. Read these explanatory statements about the amendment election.

We Texans

http://wetexans.com/propositions-voters-guide-just-say-no
We Texans points out that that these amendments are often the means of saddling Texans with debt.

Proposition 10 is the only exception that they suggest people support.

We Texans is a non-partisan, non-profit organization that fights to protect liberty, integrity and justice through legislation and education.

Hat Tip: Thanks to Pam Praesel for getting this list together.

Below is their overview of the proposed amendments and links for more information.

 

You can find our complete listing of the amendments, our take and recommendation, by visiting our website. There, you can also find a handy sample ballot noting our recommended positions.

The Bad
The worst of the amendments are Propositions 2, 3, 4 and 6.

Propositions 2 and 3 would set in place permanent debt – allowing government agencies to issue bonds over and over without ever having to approach the citizens again for a vote. That’s an incredibly irresponsible way for government to treat debt.

Proposition 4, meanwhile, would open the door to Texas’ counties taking private property for the same kind of “economic development” reasons that has sparked so much outrage in cities across the country. We should be curtailing the ability of government to take private property, not increasing it.

Meanwhile, Proposition 7 would allow an El Paso County entity to start levying property taxes. We should be moving away from property taxes, not getting more governments hooked on them.

Finally, Proposition 6 would endanger the long-term viability of the state’s Permanent School Fund. It would allow a larger portion of the fund to be tapped for expenditure in the short-term, meaning fewer dollars would be available to grow the corpus and keep the fund viable into the future.

Neutral
We are neutral on Propositions 8, 9 and 10, but do offer a summary on our website of what supporters and opponents are saying about them.

The Good
Finally, we are supporting Propositions 1 and 5.

Proposition 1 would recognize the sacrifice made by our 100% disabled veterans by granting a property tax exemption to them and their surviving spouses. The fine men and women who serve our nation by defending our liberties, and then find themselves fully disabled as a result, all too often find federal services difficult to access. Providing some property tax relief through Proposition 1 can at least allow Texas to step in where Uncle Sam too often has failed.

Proposition 5 will allow cities and counties to enter into cost-savings interlocal agreements of a year or longer without having to classify them as expenses if they are not. In the past, such agreements had been counted as debt and have a portion of their tax revenues set aside to cover it. But for those agreements that result in cost-savings, the old state of the law got in the way.

Hopefully, Proposition 5 will result in more local government seeking sensible agreements that save money and improve services.

All of us at Texans for Fiscal Responsibility encourage you to utilize the resources of various organizations to study these propositions and their impact on the Lone Star State. And, most importantly, we encourage you to participate in the Nov. 8 constitutional amendment election.

For Texas,
Michael Quinn Sullivan
& the EmpowerTexans.com Team

According to historian Joyce Appleby, one of the factors that qualified Thomas Jefferson as a genius was Jefferson’s ability to take the lessons of the past and apply them to current situations in a way that was new and novel.

While democracy is constantly praised, it is classical republicanism that is the agent of change that established the American Compact of self-government. Classical republicanism is based on the understanding that

…there were two orders of men – the talented few and the ordinary many – and because there were inevitable social divisions, a properly balanced constitution would balance the powers of these two groups. But constitutional stability rested ultimately in this classical paradigm upon the exercise of civic virtue – upon the capacity of some men to rise above private interests and devote themselves to the public good. Men deeply involved in their own business, in getting ahead, and seizing opportunities for gain were not proper candidates for public office. [p. 9.]

Capitalism and A New Social Order: The Republican Vision of the 1790′s  records the era that completed the new vision of the American concept of self-governance, as Jefferson led a republican assault on the then ruling Federalist Party.

In understanding that history repeats itself, it is interesting to know that the Federalist Party of the 1790′s lost power forever because they defended a party platform of the well-born over the common citizen, Federal solutions to local problems, and the unity of church and state – re: the current entitlement argument.

The Jeffersonian republicans ran on a platform of Liberty that heralded that ability of the common man to participate in affairs of state and labeled the Federalists as autocratic…

“…and pointed out the conundrum that they condemn people to ignorance and superstition and hence produce the evils that are used to justify their repressiveness” [p. 81] as well as arguing that “authoritarian institutions [were] the cause rather than the consequence of human waywardness” [p. 82] and declaring a revolutionary republican principle that it was the Liberty of self-interest that drove human beings to take care of themselves, and thus eliminating the need for “vigorous government“. [p. 82]

The elections of the 1790′s were pivotal in setting the vision of the new nation because in each election there was something of consequence to be determined in this new experiment in self-government. At the end of the 1790′s the Federalist Party was extinct, never to rise again from obscurity as the republican vision became the leading view of what the new nation was meant to be.

We need this now

This book is back in print and is a short and historically packed blueprint for our current need in the American experiment in self-government. I highly recommend this book to all those interested in reacquainting themselves in the American Spirit of Liberty.

Audio files

Intro; Questions 1, 2
Questions 3-7
Questions 8-11
Questions 12-16
Questions 17-20 (lost some here)
Candidate wrapup
(To download, right-click the links and choose “Save Target/Link As”)

Thank you candidates!

The Bryan/College Station Tea Party wants to thank the four candidates for their terrific participation in the District 14 Texas House Candidate Forum tonight at the College Station Conference Center. Those four candidates were:

• Libertarian Joshua Baker
• Democrat Judy LeUnes
• Republican John Raney, and
• Republican Bob Yancy

Republican Rebecca Boenigk, after agreeing to appear, had campaign manager Bill Gravell call right before the event to say that she had a prior engagement.

Thank you attendees!

Many I spoke to said that the forum was welcomingly different. We focused discussion on the principle of government as understood from Federalist 10 (James Madison): the purpose of government is to ensure and defend the liberty and private property rights of all citizens. All the candidates agreed that studying for the B/CS Tea Party forum had been difficult, but fun none the less. Considering that we had candidates from all three political parties, that is both a credit to the B/CS Tea Party board in selecting and preparing the topics and questions as well as an appreciation of the power of the unifying principles that established our nation and our state.

The questions related to the topic of private property rights indicated that most candidates and elected officials are not aware of the perspective of the private property owner. All of the District 14 Texas House candidates vowed to research that topic more due to their admitted ignorance about a subject that had the audience quite vocal in informing the candidates of their concerns.

Changing the discussion

The B/CS Tea Party is very pleased to report that the audience participation on the subject of property rights only served to highlight to the candidates their need to learn more on this subject in order to better serve future constituents better. That no other forum had previously discussed this topic, which is of such interest to a large group of citizens, indicates that the B/CS Tea Party, as well as the Tea Party Movement, are indeed necessary to changing the conversation of political discussion.

Those questions…

We hope that everyone used their scorecard to keep track of rating answers and as promised we are making the questions and background information public. You can view the PDF of the questions and backgrounds by clicking here.

The recording of the event is now posted. You may download and/or listen to the audio files in the list at the upper right of this story.

Also, as stated in the conclusion, we have invited the participating candidates to each write a guest article/editorial* if they would like to add or explain further any question. We are an educational group and we want to provide the voters with the best information in order to select the best candidate to serve in the purpose of government—which is, again, to ensure and defend the liberty and private property of every citizen.

Again, thanks go out to those candidates participating in our Candidate Forum and to all the people who attended and made this forum a dynamic success!

*Candidates, please let use know at contact@bcsteaparty.com. You may either email us your response or request a guest editor account to log in and enter it directly on our site.

Click the image to download the flyer!

THE TIME HAS ARRIVED!!!

As supporters of the B/CS Tea Party we now have the opportunity to show our unity and strength of numbers.

We—all of us—are hosting this

The B/CS Tea Party is hosting a forum for the candidates of the District 14 special election (Fred Brown’s seat).

Tuesday, October 18th, 7pm at the College Station Conference Center on George Bush Dr.

The room can hold two hundred people. We are asking you to set aside two hours to support the cause of freedom. I say this in all seriousness. Fred Brown represented us well and it is up to you to replace him with a person who will do as well or better.

(Location details are on the Upcoming Events page. Also, if you are on Facebook please acknowledge your attendance on the Facebook Event page.)

We must be there

We need to show up en masse to demonstrate our resolve to hold our representatives to our standards, not Austin’s or Washington’s. We will be asking pointed questions and expect straight answers.

(Also, you can download the full-page flyer, and/or the two-per-sheet flyer.)

Send questions

If you have a question you want asked, send it to contact@bcsteaparty.com. If you want to hear the answer come to the College Station Conference Center on Tuesday, October 18th at 7:00.

The candidates attending:
Joshua Baker
Rebecca Boenigk
Judy Webb LeUnes
John Raney
Bob Yancy

We noticed, at the Herman Cain book signing today, the great John Wayne impersonator Dr. Gene Howard (far left) seems to be leaning toward a particular candidate. :-)

John Wayne, aka Dr. Gene Howard, showing his sentiments at the 2009 Bryan/College Station Tea Party event

The Duke speaking at the 2009 B/CS Tea Party event. A man's got to do what a man's got to do.

Peggy Venable of Americans For Prosperity – Texas released the following statements in support of the release of this Left-Right Coalition paper.  http://www.foe.org/sites/default/files/Green_Scissors_2011.pdf   

“America currently faces the toughest economic challenges seen in generations. We agree with Green Scissors that as our federal government faces a $1.65 trillion deficit and $14 trillion debt, it is imperative that we cut unnecessary and wasteful federal spending.  Americans for Prosperity commends the Left-Right Coalition in their call on Congress to make environmentally sensible budget cuts.”

“Americans for Prosperity released its list of proposed budget cuts on Monday, and several of these proposals – such as ending the ethanol tax credits, renewable fuel standards, and eliminating agricultural subsidies – go hand-in-hand with the cuts proposed by the Coalition today. AFP has identified $5 trillion in federal spending cuts, and the cuts proposed today will go a long way to reach this achievable goal.”

“We applaud the Coalition for their work, and we urge Congress to take action. These wasteful programs must be eliminated to balance our budget, reduce our national deficit and put America back on a course to prosperity.”

For more information about Americans For Prosperity recommendations for the Debt Reduction Super Committee now at work in Congress click here.

Herman Cain at the College Station Hastings, Thurs. October 6 at noon

At our July meeting, Joanna Dickens of Aggies for Herman Cain spoke about her group’s plan to bring Herman Cain here to Bryan/College Station. Well, congratulations to her for succeeding!

This Thursday, Oct. 6, as a great warm-up for our meeting at 6:30, Herman Cain will be at the College Station Hastings for a book signing at noon.

Hope to see you at both meetings! If you Facebook, here’s the Event Page, so if you’re coming please acknowledge there!

Here’s a map if you’re not familiar with Hastings. It’s in the same shopping center as the College Station Target:

Considering Texas’ history in man’s pursuit for Liberty, it is disappointing that our elected officials are not a part of the vanguard of the current congressmen working to push back the encroachment of government into our liberty.

The first scorecard is not a good one for Texas or for District 17.

Isn't that our rep bringing up the rear?

• Rep. Louie Gohmert is the highest rated Texas legislator with a score of 90%.

• Rep. Bill Flores scored 75%.

• Rep. and Presidential Candidate Ron Paul scored 76%, while his son, Senator Rand Paul scored 94% – the highest score for Kentucky legislators.
  

• Senator Cornyn scored 70%.

• Senator Hutchison voted an abysmal 65%.

• 12 Texas Republicans scored less than 70%.

•  All 9 Texas Democrats scored less than 25%.

• 25 Texas Republicans are serving in Washington, D.C. and only one scored 90% with 20 scoring less than 80%!

Since when does a Texan believe a “C” grade acceptable in the pursuit of Liberty?

Click on the links to view the votes used by Heritage Action for America and the method used for scoring.

South Carolina comprises the Vanguard of Liberty in Washington, D.C.

South Carolina is the leader for Liberty in the 112th Congress. In fact, in 2010 when I was able to attend the national Americans For Prosperity – Defending The American Dream summit in Washington, D.C. it was South Carolina that led the nation in attendance. So, it is clear that an active, engaged citizenry is at work in defense of individual liberty in the great state of South Carolina. A good reason to consider attending the upcoming 2011 Defending the American Dream Summit!

Ask Him to Cosponsor the Deficit Committee Transparency Act – H.R. 2860 -

Here is the latest news from Laurenellen McCann of the Sunlight Foundation and the campaign calling for transparency in the 12 member Deficit Committee Super Congress.

Good news: There’s movement in Congress for the bipartisan bill that would make the “Super Committee” more transparent, but we need your help to make the bill a reality now. H.R.2860, the Deficit Committee Transparency Act, would ensure common sense disclosure requirements — but it’s going to need some help.

Call your Representative and ask them to cosponsor the Deficit Committee Transparency Act now.

The 12 members of the “Super Committee,” officially known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, have the responsibility of cutting $1.5 trillion from the national deficit. Their recommendations will bypass nearly every normal congressional procedure — effectively making them a “Super Congress.” That’s a lot of power.

And, as Peter Parker taught us, with great power comes great responsibility. Without normal congressional input, the voices of citizens across the country will easily get drowned out. Without transparency around this process, we don’t know who the committee members are listening to. But we can take a guess: Money speaks louder than words in Washington.

The committee members could easily take measures to increase transparency on their own: Disclosing their campaign contributions and meetings with lobbyists or powerful interests in real-time would be one way. But while the Committee has at least taken steps to have a few open meetings, it’s business as usual when it comes to campaign fundraising and secret meetings with powerful special interests.

This legislation can change that, but it needs your help. The bill has been introduced, but it needs cosponsors to gain momentum while it still counts — the Super Committee has already started its work, and it has to make its recommendations by December, right around the corner.

Open the Super Congress. Ask your representatives to cosponsor the Super Congress transparency bill!

Without this legislation, nothing’s stopping special interests from taking control of the deficit negotiations. A  $1.5 trillion cut is too important to be left to backroom dealings.

Thanks for all that you do,
Laurenellen, Nicole and the rest of the Sunlight team

P.S. — Last Friday, we held a conference call with policy experts to get an update on the campaign, including staff from Rep. Loebsack’s office, the sponsor of H.R.2860. If you missed it, you can get a summary or listen to a recording of the call here: http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2011/09/20/super-committee-update/

Here is the contact information:

Rep. Bill Flores  -  Washington, D.C.: (202) 225-6105   or Local: (979) 703-4037

The greatest threat to liberty is man’s own base nature operating in faction.  According to James Madison, the source of faction is man’s own nature, “The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man…” [Federalist #10] therefore all men are capable of faction.

The Ends of Faction Is Domination Over Others

Madison defines faction as:

“a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.” [Federalist 10]

Madison also explains that while faction can reside in our right of endowed liberty through freedom of conscience and opinion, the most common source is the base nature of man that attempts to normalize greed, covetousness, theft under the guise of righting some social wrong regarding the various and unequal distribution of property.

“A zeal for different opinions concerning religion, concerning government, and many other points, as well of speculation as of practice; an attachment to different leaders ambitiously contending for pre-eminence and power; or to persons of other descriptions whose fortunes have been interesting to the human passions, have, in turn, divided mankind into parties, inflamed them with mutual animosity, and rendered them much more disposed to vex and oppress each other than to co-operate for their common good. So strong is this propensity of mankind to fall into mutual animosities, that where no substantial occasion presents itself, the most frivolous and fanciful distinctions have been sufficient to kindle their unfriendly passions and excite their most violent conflicts. But the most common and

The Source of Faction is Man's Depraved Nature

durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property. Those who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society. Those who are creditors, and those who are debtors, fall under a like discrimination. A landed interest, a manufacturing interest, a mercantile interest, a moneyed interest, with many lesser interests, grow up of necessity in civilized nations, and divide them into different classes, actuated by different sentiments and views.” [Federalist 10]

Since the source of faction is the depraved nature of man, we should not be surprised to learn that a candidate has a history of faction. However, to disregard faction would be both a foolish threat to continued civil society as well as the future continuance of liberty for all members of the community.

Faction is a serious and disqualifying characteristic at all times and in all situations of public life. To give solace and encouragement to the base nature of man is equivalent of inviting the encroaching source of all manner of oppression and tyranny into civil society.

Because our nation has strayed from its founding principles the activities of faction are not only present in all aspects of civil society, but have been legalized via all sorts of legislation, regulation, and our tax code. However, if we are to affect change to set the nation on course by applying these unifying constitutional principles we must refuse to overlook faction in all aspects of civil society and particularly in elected representatives. To knowingly elect a threat to the civil liberty of other members of the same community is akin to despising your own liberty, your own birthright as an American.

Apprising a Candidate’s Affiliation With Faction

• Does the candidate’s business/private life indicate a history of seeking preferential treatment due to some perceived social injustice that accompanies race, gender, ethnicity, etc.?
  

  Government Set-Asides

• Does the candidate campaign use the rhetoric of faction such as Madison described in Federalist 10 – “A rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project…”?

• In conducting private business, does the candidate pursue and honor the principle of the free market of competition or does the candidate pursue an effort of petitioning elected representatives, unelected regulators/bureaucrats, legislative members and committees for preferential treatment for their own business or for special hindrances for their competitors?

• Does the candidate belong to, contribute to, or receive honors from clubs and associations of faction whose stated goals are to right certain perceived injustices by pursuit of preferential treatment? Is that pursuit of preferential treatment accompanied by a goal to punish, fine, or deprive their adversaries of their civil liberties?
  

  Factions At Work

• Does the candidate campaign through faction divisiveness—pitting the well-being of one group of the community against the well-being of another group?

• If the candidate has private business with the institution of the state, is the taxpayer respected with the best service at a competitive price, or viewed as a non-represented customer obliged to pay whatever the bill demands?

We must accept responsibility for the current state of our nation because we get the representation we elect to office. If we hope to return to constitutional, republican government, we must elect representatives who respect those principles.

We must appreciate that candidates of faction are particularly unqualified to serve as as elected representatives because they are first slaves to their own nature and that makes them unable/unwilling to guarantee to protect the liberty of all their constituents, as well as the rest of the citizens of the nation.

Want To Learn How To Get America Back on Course, Eat, & Have Fun?

It’s a DVD meetup @ Good Time Charley’s

 if you Facebook, please register for the event!

Featuring

We Still Hold These Truths

The Genius of America - America rests her right arm on her shield as she points to Justice who holds the Constitution in her right hand and a pair of scales in her left. To America's left is an eagle and Hope who points to heaven while resting her arm on an anchor

This iconic sculptural pediment which is over the east central entrance to the U.S. Capitol is called Genius of America.

In Federalist #55, Madison refers to ““genius of the people of America, the spirit which actuates the State legislatures, and the principles which are Incorporated with the political character of every class of citizens...”

America’s shield is supported by an altar bearing the date of the Declaration of Independence – July 4th, 1776. Justice holds the scroll of  inscribed The Constitution – 17 September 1787 .

President John Quincy Adams wanted the pediment design to “represent the American Union founded on the Declaration of Independence and consummated by the organization of the organization of the general government under the Federal Constitution, supported by Justice in the past, and relying upon Hope in Providence for the future.”

This symbolic icon represents the philosophical spirit of our nation that looks to Providence (God) while resting upon the anchor of the unifying principles of endowed rights and good government (truth) stated in the Declaration of Independence and the secured endowed rights and the practical means to establish the institutions as well as the rules to perpetuate good government in the Constitution.

The source of this authority is We The People.

By studying the Federalist Papers we revive the “genius of the people of American, the spirit which actuates [informs] the State legislatures…” and by State, that refers to any and all legislative bodies, even the Federal State.

By studying the Federalist Papers we learn the truth about our nation and the truth will set you free.

Are You Concerned About Property Owner’s Rights?

Thursday – September 22, 2011 – 6:30 p.m.

Wellborn Community Center

4119 Greens Prairie West

Speaker

Marlene Lobberetch

Building Property Owner’s Advocacy Strength

Citizens For Wellborn  P.O. Box  422, Wellborn, Texas  77881

"You can't put a price tag on the American Dream. That dream is the heart and soul of America; it's the promise that keeps our nation forever good and generous, a model and hope to the world." President Ronald Reagan, October 22, 1986

Americans For Prosperity

5th Annual Defending the American Dream Summit

Confirmed Speaker: Mark Levin

Friday, November 4 at 8:00am – November 5 at 5:00pm

U.S. Representative Landry holds a sign in his lap during U.S. President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington

The truth is that normal free market forces create jobs requiring absolutely no government funding. Not only is this fact true, the very process of jobs created by free market forces is a revenue increase to the Federal, State, and local community governments.

The by-product of cheap energy is an unleashed economic dynamo.

Keneysian economic plans simply divide an ever decreasing economic pie.

According to energy research firm Wood Mackenzie:

Wood Mackenzie’s analysis found that U.S. policies which encourage the development of new and existing resources could, by 2030, increase domestic oil and natural gas production by over 10 million boed [barrels of oil equivalent per day], support an additional 1.4 million jobs, and raise over $800 billion of cumulative additional government revenue. Whereas increasing regulatory burdens on the oil and gas upstream sector will result in higher development, costs which can potentially hinder the growth of production tax revenues and job creation.

Continuing the current path of policies which slow down the issuance of leases and drilling permits, increase the cost of hydraulic fracturing through duplicative water or air quality regulations, or delay the construction of oil sands export pipelines such as Keystone XL, will have a detrimental effect on production, jobs and government revenues.

Read more here.

James Madison - Contributing Author of Federalist Papers

The articles comprising the Federalist Papers refer repeatedly to the principle of human nature as an understood fact. Human nature is source of factions and as Madison writes in Federalist 10:

“By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adversed to the rights of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community.”

Human nature as an understood reality was employed by our Founders as a protection of our liberty as Madison writes in Federalist 51:

“But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

Human Nature Exists Because Man Exists In a Creator Designed System.

However, this reality is unacceptable for those whose power and authority is derived by teaching a faulty system that denies God as Creator. In denying a Creator, socio-economic fallacies replace the reality of human nature.

Karl Marx - Atheistic Communism Blames Socio-Economics Rather Than Human Nature

Rather than the truth that all men possess a nature of selfishness, greed, coveting, lying, cheating, capable of all kinds of divisiveness, evil intentions and deeds, the atheistic system teaches the fallacy that normal human nature is the result of socio-economic factors.

In other words, according to the atheistic system, people do what they do because of their education level, skin color, ethnic heritage, family/accident of birth, neighborhood they belong to, and financial standing, etc..

Madison’s Defined Factions Thrive In This Creator Denied Contrived  Reality

Therefore, politicians who deny the reality of man existing in a Creator Designed System, stand to benefit from the chaotic culture created by that very denial of reality. By removing the equalizing responsibility of human nature, the floodgates of man’s desire to blame and hold others responsible for his life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness are opened wide for exploitation.

Vice-President Biden

This is why as Senator and chairman of the Judicial Committee, current Vice-President Joe Biden used Clarence Thomas’ respect for Blackstone and his writings on Natural Law as a reason to block Thomas’ appointment to the Supreme Court. According to Biden, Thomas’ idea of Natural Law was incorrect because of its source, God Creator. Biden made issue that the concept of Natural Law:

• needed to be filtered of God so that those principles would only be suitable for “individual morality”,
• becoming instead “an evolving set of principles” rather than absolute law,
• so that Natural Law could never be “a static set of unchanging principles”.

While personal agnosticism or atheism is an endowed Liberty to all men, the application of enforced atheism carries with it consequences that ripple out into the culture in horrifying ways. History clearly shows that all atheistic societies lead to mass murder, tyranny, and oppression. Those that simplistically believe man capable of compassion and altruistic acts without a god or religious principles are plagiarizing God and Christianity without acknowledging its transcendent source, therefore, they are commandment breakers within their basic foundational principles. Knowledge of the law is incapable of improving our human nature. This is the reality of human nature and the Creator designed system in which we live.

Our Founders were incredibly wise in their understanding of man as a created being endowed by that Creator with certain unalienable rights, while possessing a base human nature sorely in need of a restored relationship with a transcendent God.

To update Voltaire, I will pity the atheist, but I will defend to the death his liberty to deny his Creator.

It is clear that the very well-being of our nation is dependent upon accepting the reality of man living in a Creator designed system.

Our Nation is Divided because it is Operating Under Two Opposing Philosophies

The first worldview is the philosophy of our original intent:

• Man as a created being endowed by God with certain unalienable rights.
• Man possesses productive  attributes in the image of our Creator, while also bearing a nature in rebellion to the Creator.
• Natural Law, derived from acknowledging these principles was used to our benefit by our Constitution allowing human nature to safeguard Liberty.
• As Madison wrote in Federalist 51 – Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.

The second worldview is the philosophy of Post-Modernism:

• Man as an evolved human machine, without spirit, without will.
• While denying the existence of God, instead encourages and then enforces through groupthink the worship of man and his ideas.
• Other human machines must be informed by those in power and authority what, when, where, and how human machines will provide their assigned service to the community/state.

ObamaCare is the application of this second philosophy.

President Abraham Lincoln applied the spiritual truth that a nation divided against itself cannot stand. That same truth applies today.

Below is an award winning short animation that depicts the dehumanizing horror of the Post-Modernist philosophy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This aspect of the reality of the human spirit is being overwhelmed by government intervention and regulations. The Liberty of individuals to see a market niche and then fill it is hampered by factions lobbying Congress for protection, regulations passed by unelected bureaucrats, and committees with the ability to thwart freedom of thought and ideas.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Although this broadcast promotes a recent symposium, there is plenty of good information.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• While Earth First may sound like kooks, their ideas are rapidly being put into action:
• Wild Predators are being introduced into populated areas,
• Dams are being destroyed and inhabited land flooded.
• The importance of local sheriffs’ adherence to The Constitution in regards to regulations being deemed the equivalence of law. Only Congress can write/pass law.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• Rural landowners loss of property rights through buffer zones and well water meters.
• Buzz Words to learn: Smart meters, smart grid, smart growth, redevelopment.
• This is a Ruling Class/Cultural Elite problem not a political party. Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg is anti-Agenda 21 because of its depopulation plans.

Click here to view the embedded video.

• The Wildlands Network – since 1991 they have worked to enlarge corridors for wild animals to roam North America without boundaries, without human intervention, ….and without private property rights.
• Connecting the dots – Green Advocacy Group lawyers are reimbursed by the taxpayer.
• Texas Modification of Weather – a state.gov. project

Click here to view the embedded video.

"'This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand why Western capitalism has outperformed all other economic systems."

Dr. Pejovich, offers this response at The Institute for Policy Innovation:

An Economist Explains Lower Wage Rates

Challenging the supposed “Texas economic miracle” under Governor Rick Perry, CBS recently reported, “Critics also note that many of the jobs created on Perry’s watch are low-paying and lack benefits.” This statement is wrong at best and stupid at worst. Here is an economist’s explanation for non-economists.

The demand for labor, like the demand for all scarce goods, is a function of price. The lower the wage the more people are hired.

What’s known as the “market-clearing wage” (i.e., price) is the wage at which all people who want to work at that wage have jobs. At any wage above the market-clearing wage not all people who want to work at that wage have jobs.

Government can’t determine the market-clearing level, only markets can. But government can distort it by imposing regulations on business, minimum wage laws, and unions (think of the Boeing case), which force wage rates above the market–clearing level.

Perry’s critics are confusing the wage rate with income. The higher the wage rate (above the market-clearing level) the more who are unemployed. That is, high wage rates mean zero income for many. The market-clearing wage rate means positive income for all.

Governments can choose to make labor markets less or more competitive. Perry has chosen the latter for Texas. Yes, the average wage rate in Dallas might be lower than in Detroit, but more people are earning money from work in Dallas than in Detroit. This raises an important question upon which a free society depends: the freedom of choice.

Any person in a right–to-work environment can choose between zero income and the wage he or she could get in the labor market. No person in a union-controlled or government-regulated environment can choose between zero income and the wage at which he or she is willing to work.

No one has to work for a lower wage, but at least in Texas more people can choose that option over being unemployed.

Posted at The Institute for Policy Innovation

• Economy

• Environment

• Equality

Globalism is within both political parties. Know the buzz words.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Clint Didier is a Washington state wheat farmer and two-time super bowl champ. The EPA wants to deny Didier use of farming his property so they can create a buffer zone to prevent pesticides and herbicides from getting into the river system although there is no evidence of these chemicals in the river.

The purpose of our government is to punish wrong-doers – not to deny civil liberties to good citizens.

While only Congress has the power to make laws, leadership within government agencies are writing regulations to enforce adherence to Agenda 21 /ICLEI. The court system is then used to enforce regulations as if they were law.

This process of deeming what isn’t law as if it were law negates the Constitution.

Be vigilant for designs upon the Brazos River as well as our local lakes, ponds, and wetlands.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other Tea Parties and like minded groups have successfully outlawed Agenda 21/ ICLEI – the United Nations’ programs of sustainable growth that will eradicate American Liberty as well as our Constitution.

This Globalist Agenda Began With President George H.W. Bush’s “New World Order”

In this video, Diane Silverman – Garland County Tea Party in Hot Springs, Arkansas – gives a quick history of President George H. W. Bush’s “New World Order” through the United States has eaten away at our Constitution. This is an agenda that is not driven through political party, but through individuals both elected or are simply community leaders that have been co-opted by this anti-America as a nation, anti-American Founding Principles, globalist program.

Even some Republican candidates for President of the United States of America have ties to this globalist agenda.

If the Tea Party is not willing to learn and spread the word, then who will. Watch this video and let’s work together to change the conversation in our community.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our community at large must be aware of the ramifications of this agreement and then work to outlaw these groups from operating within:

• College Station
• the larger community of Bryan/College Station
• the larger community that includes rural communities nearby
• Brazos County
• Texas
• the United States of America

Other communities have been successful in outlawing Agenda 21 and ICLEI.

This community must join their ranks.

I know many Bryan/College Station citizens attending the Beck – Restoring Honor Rally in Washington, D.C. or watched the rally on tv, so you know the quality of the speakers and the value of the information learned. Through technology we can make our own community participants in this historic rally.

Restoring Courage

Wednesday  August 24, 2011

7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Best Western – Atria – Rudder Freeway

(1920 Austin’s Colony Pkwy Bryan, TX 77803)

The event is free, but a collection will be needed to cover costs of meeting room.

Put this date on your calendar and plan to attend this event in Dallas. Cost $25.00 includes materials and lunch.

As American Majority explains:

But in 2011, the principles of limited government and individual freedom are in question, and we are at a crossroads: do we go down a path of statism, and abandon the founding vision for this country? Or do we renew those ideals again, and rise to even greater heights of freedom and prosperity? Understanding there is a problem is not enough. Coming up with ideas to solve the problems is not enough. Protesting is not enough.

For us to turn this country around, and have leadership that believes and promotes the right ideas of limited government, free enterprise and fiscal responsibility, the citizens must be equipped with the tools to bring about real change, and then spurred into action. The time to sit and think, or vent, has passed. The time for real action has come.

 To that end, American Majority, one of the premier political training institutions in this country, is proud to announce that on September 17th, Constitution Day, it will be conducting the first ever Training Bomb. Tea party members and liberty-minded activists will come together in more than a dozen cities for the largest single-day grassroots training initiative in American history.  For the first time, simultaneous sessions across America will be held to educate and mobilize fiscally conservative activists and future leaders.

This is not a rally and it’s not a summit. The “Training Bomb” is a massive effort to equip concerned citizens with the tools necessary to bring about change, from how to run for office, to how to be effectively engaged as an activist online, to even how to work precincts and build muscular grassroots. We know we need to reduce the impact of government on our lives to make America stronger, and there’s no better day than Constitution Day to bring thousands of Americans together to learn how they can ensure we continue to live in a free society.

Both an activist and candidate curriculum will be offered at each location to help the conservative cause organize for victory next year.  Cities where “Training Bomb” sessions will be held include New York, Tulsa, Cincinatti, and Dallas. 

 

American Majority’s Training Bomb on September 17th will not only be the biggest one-day training of conservative activists ever, but American Majority is going to be introducing new lectures, new manuals, and new projects. Help us make the day a success by signing up and spreading the word. Together we can, and will, make the right change happen in this country.

 

Please join us on Constitution Day!

The two Marks  discuss  about Steyn’s new book After America: Get Ready For Armageddon.  

Steyn urges us to fight Progressive Stupidity such as outlawing Church Bake Sales or complimentary coffee for your business’s customers right here in our own communities as a way to defeat the trillion dollar stupidity in Washington, D.C.

A nation that needs permission to open a lemonade stand is a nation without Liberty.

Steyn also points out the natural law of national self-interest and the application that China has one; and that it is America who is behaving oddly.

Trump May Run As Independent

The second half of the show is an interview with Donald Trump’s political advisor Michael Cohen.

Find out about Trump’s plans to run as an Independent candidate for President as well as some interesting business/investment facts about America, Inc.—which, as Mark Steyn notes, operates as though it were some giant Philanthropic Trust.

Click here to listen to the show.

Through out the tumultuous period, The Sun Light Foundation was calling for transparency in government. They are advocates for open and transparent government that uses current technology to shine the light of total accountability and responsibility to our elected representatives’ committee meetings.

This is what the Sun Light Foundation says about the new Super Congress for creating a budget:

Congress just pushed through the “Debt Ceiling” bill with almost no transparency. Let’s make sure the new “Super Congress” committee created by this bill operates in the open.

The Super Congress is made up of 12 members of regular Congress who have been given the power to suggest cutting $1.5 trillion dollars from the national debt. Despite the importance of their recommendations, the law that created this committee says very little about how open it should be. Right now, only the first meeting, the ultimate report and the congressional vote on the final product are required to be public.

The stakes are too high for such a powerful committee to operate out of the reach of public oversight. We demand to know what goes on behind the scenes: the Super Congress needs to be transparent about its work and about the special interests who will undoubtably try to influence their decisions. There is precedent for every single one of our recommendations for openness. Stand with us and demand that this Super Congress display a super level of accountability and transparency.

Five things that the Super Congress should post on its website:

• Live webcasts of all official meetings and hearings
• The Committee’s report should be posted for 72 hours before a final committee vote
• Disclosure of every meeting held with lobbyists and other powerful interests
• Disclosure of campaign contributions as they are received (on their campaign websites)
• Financial disclosures of Committee members and staffers

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pres. Obama Has Heated Confrontation With Tea Party Activists

The Chicago Tribune ran this political cartoon in 1934 and unlike the one liner’s of today, this artist has an entire philosophy described succinctly in one picture. So, much for our current population being far, far, more intelligent than our less evolved or tech- primitive predecessors.   [Wilson: Socialism and Democracy ]

Chicago Tribune - 1934

Hat tip: Richard Vance