The 2012 election cycle: What Can A Patriot Do?

Michelle Malkin’s column today explored voter fraud facts and fictions. And she points us to opportunities for an active citizenry to make a difference:

"… The solution is to get off the couch, support election integrity activists like [James] O’Keefe, and turn out in force on Election Day to eject Obama’s voter fraud coddlers. Like the old saying goes: If it ain’t close, they can’t cheat. * * *

"More election integrity activists you should support: Election Law Center, King Street Patriots and True the Vote. Words of wisdom [from True The Vote]:

"We at True the Vote believe that the best safeguard against any potential problems in our elections is an active, organized, educated citizenry who are willing to take personal responsibility, stand in whatever gaps in our electoral system exist, and work to improve them. Now is not the time for panic. Let’s get some answers, figure out what’s going on, then spread the word. ...

"Here’s how you can help:
"... Commit to get involved, to volunteer at the polls, to record the final vote tallies at the polls where you work, to track those tallies, make sure they are being accurately reported, and be prepared to take meaningful and swift action if breaches are found to exist. We won’t change the electoral process until we are willing to roll up our sleeves and take responsibility for it. Sustained responsibility."

If you would like information about local True The Vote initiatives, or plan to sign up as a poll-watcher when voting begins, e-mail Cleveland Tea Party Patriots at clevelandteaparty@gmail.com

Tea Party tells Senator Dick Luger - "The Party's Over!"

A big congratulations to the all the Tea Party and Liberty groups in Indiana for handing Senator Dick Luger his walking papers.  Great job Indiana Tea Party Patriots! 

From Tea Party Patriots --

Today, the Tea Party Patriots, the largest tea party organization in the country, hailed the victory in the Indiana Senate primary race as State Treasurer Richard Mourdouck ousted establishment candidate Sen. Richard Lugar who had been in Congressional office for 36 years.

“Lugar’s defeat should wake up entrenched Washington,” said Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder and national coordinator of Tea Party Patriots.  ”The tea party movement continues to be the most influential force this election year.  Sen. Lugar betrayed the principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free markets that must be addressed this year or the American people will choose new leaders as happened today and in 2010. This upset is no surprise to tax paying Americans in Indiana.”

We will do our best to make sure Senator Sherrod "Sluggo" Brown joins him in the unemployment line!

"Ohio's quest for regional unity"

The Plain Dealer ran an editorial on May Day (May 1) with the innocuous title “Organizing NE Ohio's quest for regional unity: editorial.”

It sounds so mother-and-apple-pie. Who could be opposed to “better coordination” or “reducing the duplication of government services and figuring out how to connect transportation systems with one another”. The editorial reports that The Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium expects to issue its first report in June and then convene community meetings to discuss next steps. A “Sustainable Communities Consortium” likewise sounds appealing.

Its goals? “To create a vibrant and resilient Northeast Ohio that increases our quality of life; connects our communities; welcomes diversity; restores and protects our natural resources; and creates a competitive economic framework for the vitality of our region.” Sounds great.

Now compare this language to the buzz words compiled by Marianne G, co-cordinator for Ohio Tea Party Patriots, at her Mansfield Tea Party website (buzz words such as “sustainability”, “sustainable development,” “smart growth”, “ regionalism”, etc.). Marianne posted an Introduction to Agenda 21, a phrase you may or may not have heard about.

But the Plain Dealer, the Consortium, and an outfit called Greater Ohio are already pushing Agenda 21 under alternative nomenclatures – i.e., those buzz words. In addition to every other pressure we face in this election year, Agenda 21 should be at the top of our list. If we don’t defeat Agenda 21 at the local and state levels, the rest may not matter much. And the first step is for us to understand what Agenda 21 is, and what it looks like when dressed up in (or disguised as!) feel-good “sustainability” language.

Marianne has inaugurated a newsletter to start to educate patriots about Agenda 21, especially as it comes to a neighborhood near you. There have already been hearings or meetings in northeast Ohio, and there are many more on the calendar. Here’s one list of meetings listed on the Consortium’s website

The list includes an upcoming Cleveland area event:

NEOSCC Launches Young Leader Events
Greater Cleveland: This Is What Vibrant Looks Like
Wednesday, May 16, 2012 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Brother's Lounge
11609 Detroit Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44102

Much more to follow.

Conservative Women Speak

Here's a short videe produced by Marianne Gasieki's (Mansfield Tea Party) son Anthony. It's a quick take on conservative women who know that the so-called "War on Women" is phony baloney. Pass it along.

Stop the Job Killing Big Tobacco Bailout

Big Tobacco companies have inserted an amendment to the massive federal highway bill that is currently being debated in Congress.  This amendment reclassifies all small Roll Your Own (RYO) cigarette retail shops as “cigarette manufacturers” for the sole purpose of driving them OUT of business, killing jobs across the country and limiting consumer choice.

Beginning Tuesday, May 8, the House and Senate will begin meeting to discuss this bill in a conference committee.

From Tax Tracker --

We’ve all played a good game of hide & seek, right? Cover your eyes, count to ten, run around and find your friends? It’s fun because you get to exercise just how clever you can be. If you can stay hidden, you’re clever. If you can find people, you’re clever. It’s a game that is SO much fun, some members of Congress are still playing!

Hidden in the Senate’s massive version of the 2012 transportation reauthorization act is a teeny weeny provision allowing Big Tobacco companies to SQUASH small businesses. You heard me. In between money for roads, bridges, airports, trains, and Amtrak is a monumental United States Government bailout for Big Tobacco.

TODAY’S MESSAGE: Enough hide and seek. Tell Congress REMOVE the #BigTobacco bailout from the highway bill. It’s a job killer. http://bit.ly/NewTax

If you’re a frequent reader of my blog, you already know this. But, we’re getting new readers every day so here it is again:

Big Tobacco has bought some lawmakers. These lawmakers have introduced legislation reclassifying small tobacco shops where you can roll your own smokes as “tobacco manufacturing” facilities. This throws small, roadside tobacco shops into the same tax and regulatory category as mammoth cigarette manufacturing facilities. Unfair, right? Well, the pain doesn’t last long for Mom & Pop tobacco shops. They pretty much go out of business immediately.

Why is Big Tobacco doing this? Because 99 percent market share isn’t enough. They make no money off people who roll their own smokes. If they can eliminate our ability to roll our own, Big Tobacco thinks they’ll pocket more money. Which, they probably will if they’re successful.

That’s where you come in.

You can help by reaching out to members of Congress. Scroll through some of my previous posts for lists of folks to hit.

Today: Engage a few members in the morning and a few members in the afternoon. Take a few minutes for Facebook. And if you have time, take a few minutes to post in the comments section of online news stories. Members of the news media appreciate heads’ up on how their member responds to your inquiries!

Tuesday, Congress reconvenes to hammer out a final 2012 transportation reauthorization act. Let our voices be heard!

President Obama & the Democrats Assault on College Students

In President Obama & the Democrats continued "War on Children" we see how his North Korean like ballistic missiles of fiscal and economic failure have crashed down on many youthful supporters of his 2008 ascent to Commander of Youthful Grief, (the office formerly known as Commander in Chief).

A report done by the Economic Policy Institute shows unemployment for young college graduates was 10.4% in 2010, and the underemployment rate was 19.8%. For young high school graduates, the statistics were even grimmer: unemployment was 32.7% in 2010, and the underemployment rate was 55.9%.

From the Economic Policy Institute --

Though the labor market is now headed in the right direction, the prospects for young high school and college graduates remain grim. This briefing paper examines the labor market that confronts young graduates who are not enrolled in additional schooling—specifically, high school graduates age 17–20 and college graduates age 21–24—and details the following findings:

• Unemployment and underemployment rates of young graduates have only modestly improved since their peak in 2010. 

• For young high school graduates, the unemployment rate was 32.7 percent in 2010 and 31.1 percent over the last year (April 2011–March 2012), while the underemployment rate was 55.9 percent in 2010 and 54.0 percent over the last year.

• For young college graduates, the unemployment rate was 10.4 percent in 2010 and 9.4 percent over the last year, while the underemployment rate was 19.8 percent in 2010 and 19.1 percent over the last year.

• There is no evidence that young high school graduates have been able to “shelter in school” from the labor market effects of the Great Recession; college and university enrollment rates for both men and women have not meaningfully departed from their long-term trend since the start of the Great Recession.

• The long-run wage trends for young graduates are bleak, with wages substantially lower today than they were in 2000. Between 2000 and 2011, the real (inflation-adjusted) wages of young high school graduates declined by 11.1 percent, and the real wages of young college graduates declined by 5.4 percent.

• Young graduates lack opportunities for advancement, a trend underscored by the fact that there are now nearly 30 percent fewer voluntary quits each month than there were each month in 2007.

• Graduating in a bad economy has long-lasting economic consequences. For the next 10 to 15 years, the Class of 2012 will likely earn less than they would have if they had graduated when job opportunities were plentiful.

• The safety net of federal and state assistance programs often does not cover young workers due to eligibility requirements such as significant prior work experience.

• The cost of higher education has grown far more rapidly than median family income, leaving students with little choice but to take out loans, which, upon graduating into a labor market with limited job opportunities, they may not have the funds to repay.

• The scarcity of job opportunities for the Class of 2012 is a symptom of weak demand for workers in the overall economy. What will bring down the unemployment rate of young workers most quickly and effectively are policies that will generate strong job growth overall, such as fiscal relief to states, substantial additional investment in infrastructure, expanded safety net measures, and direct job creation programs in communities particularly hard-hit by unemployment.



Unemployment and underemployment rates for young college graduates, 1994–2012

 To read the whole report click here.

But on the bright side... the Master Degree counter workers at McDonald's will now know how to give change!

Americans Spend More $$$ on Taxes than Housing, Food & Clothing

Under the four years of failed leadership and "share the wealth" policies of President Obama, you will be spending more of your hard earned money on paying taxes to support others -- than you will on your own housing, clothing ad food expenses combined!

From The Tax Foundation --

In 2012, Americans will pay approximately $4.041 trillion in taxes, which is $152 billion, or 3.9%, more than they will spend on housing, food, and clothing combined, according to a new study from the Tax Foundation. In addition, an increasing proportion of government benefits now go to pay for those same basic expenses of low-income Americans.

Examining the trends of tax collections and expenditures on housing, food, and clothing for the past several decades, the study shows that an ever-increasing amount of taxpayer money has gone into government programs that subsidize or pay for essential household goods. Cash and voucher benefits now pay for over a third of basic household expenses, up from less than 1% in 1929 and less than 20% in the early 1970s.

"Transfer payments, or government social benefits, have grown to represent a substantial portion of money spent on living expenses, encompassing housing, food, clothing, healthcare, and transportation," said Tax Foundation Adjunct Scholar Kevin Duncan. "This means that the government is picking up an increasing portion of the tab for these essential goods."

From the creation of Medicare in 1965 through 2010, transfer payments rose from 11.39% to 34.79% of living expenditures. While some money spent on transfer programs is spent on other items besides healthcare, food, clothing, transportation, and housing, the strong prevalence of in-kind benefits, or government transfer payments for a specific item or service, keeps this as a small fraction of overall expenditures.

Between 1929 and the early 1980s, aggregate tax collections were less than total expenditures on housing, food, and clothing. From 1929 to 1980, tax liabilities grew from $10 billion to $751 billion, while expenditures on housing, food, and clothing grew from $41.6 billion to $775.7 billion. The gap between tax collections and expenditures on essential goods reached a maximum in 2000, when Americans gave 19% more to the government than they spent on these items.

But, this makes it official that President Obama has finally held true on one of his campaign promises - Hope & Change.  Yes, you "hope" you will have some "change" left after President Obama gets his hand out of your pocket so he can pay for others.