Government disaster is approaching...

Tim Zank is a smart Republican and a great participant of this blog. He strikes me as being both smart and well informed…

He has created a couple of posts asking me why I am so appalled by the fiscal ignorance of our politicians and the bleak economic future I predict.

This post will explain the problem… All of the statistics in this post come DIRECTLY from The Federal Government unless otherwise noted.

GDP is Gross Domestic Product. It is the easiest way to measure the size of the US economy. I think it is important for people to understand how much of the total US economy is spent by our Government. The more money the Government spends, the less money the rest of us spend…

Year % of GDP spent by Federal Government % of GDP spent by State and local
1947 14.8% 4.7%
1960 17.8% 7.1%
1983 (PEAK) 23.5% 10%
2003 19.9% 10.7%
2006 20.5% 10.8%

Since 1975 our government has spent an average of about 31% of the total GDP. During that same time the government has taxed at about 29% of GDP. This has caused the government to run at a deficit for a long time. This has caused the current National debt to approach 9 TRILLION dollars and most of the States, Cities, etc have their own debts to deal with that are not discussed here.

The Federal government spent the following percentage of GDP in 2006:
Total spent 20.5% of GDP
Total Entitlement Spending 10.9% of GDP
Spent on Defense 4% of GDP
All Other Discretionary Spending 3.5% of GDP
Interest on National Debt 1.7% of GDP
Homeland Security .2% of GDP
Katrina Relief .2% of GDP

The above does NOT count deficit spending for 2006. The Federal revenues are higher then expected, so we also borrowed another 1.9% of the total GDP and directly added that amount to The Federal Debt this year.

The above figures are taken straight from Federal Government sources and show a bleak picture for my kids and grand kids…

I am not sure which Party will be in power in a couple of years…

The Republicans are running national ads everyday talking about how The Democrats want to raise our taxes. If The Republicans retain power I think that taxes will stay the same and we will continue to spend more money and deficit spend. Spending has increased at an average annual rate of 7.8% per year under The Republicans…

If The Democrats regain power I think we will see a small increase in taxes and spending will remain about the same…

Assuming there is not a recession the economy grows every year. For the purpose of this next projection I am going to make some assumptions:

1. Federal taxes will stay about the same percentage as they have been in the past.
2. Federal spending will continue to grow at levels similar to that seen in the last 30
years.
3. The Federal Government will NOT cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid until
the Country is nearly broke…
4. I assume the Federal Government will continue to deficit spend and will rack up a
massive national Debt rather then increase taxes or cut spending in any significant
way.

The below estimate uses the current actual projections used by The Congressional Budget Office for the next ten years. These assumptions assume that we will STOP spending a bunch of money overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan, that we will not start any new conflicts, that there will not be a major recession, and the Government will not start any new large Federal programs. Most importantly these assumptions assume that the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) will be allowed to eat into the middle class and not be fixed (NOTE this is a terrible assumption). These estimates also assume that the Government will start trimming spending on many items which has not historically been the case…

The projected national Debt will have risen to 18 trillion dollars. It will more then double in the next ten years.

The Federal government would spend the following percentage of GDP in 2016:
Total spent 21.5% of GDP +1% over 2006
Total Entitlement Spending 12.1% of GDP +1.3% over 2006
Spent on Defense 3.7% of GDP .3% under 2006
All Other Discretionary Spending 3.2% of GDP .3% under 2006
Interest on National Debt 2.3% of GDP +.6% over 2006
Homeland Security .2% of GDP No change

Today the United States has a GDP of 13 trillion dollars. Our debt is about 67% of our GDP.
The Congressional Budget Office is predicting a GDP of 20.8 trillion dollars. Our projected debt will have grown to 87% of GDP. In other words we will be even more in debt in ten years then we are now. We will be passing even more debt on to our children…

This ten year projection should scare the crap out of you! The assumptions of the CBO are way too optimistic and I think we will be in a worse position then they are projecting. I do not even want to think about what interest rates will be… They are assuming they will remain near historic lows forever…

Per the Congressional Budget Office:
The total cost of Entitlement spending will hit 18.9% of GDP by 2050 and Federal Program spending is projected to hit 27.6% of GDP by 2050.
The CBO projects that interest on the debt and deficit spending will consume another 9% of GDP by 2050.
So the CBO is projecting we will spend 36.6% of GDP per year. Note this assumes the economy grows by over 4% a year, no foreign conflicts, no new tax cuts, not fixing AMT, and that The Government will start cutting spending… Also they are projecting that interest rates will stay near historic lows for the next 45 years! None of which are a good bet unless we elect Libertarians…

I look forward to reading your comments…

Indianapolis has some serious problems

Indy tax dollars is an interesting blog that is run by a concerned citizen of Indianapolis.

You really need to read his most recent post:
<http://www.indytaxdollars.typepad.com/>

It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to believe how stupid Indianapolis has been on their Stadium. They built the RCA Dome 22 years ago for 77 Million dollars. They kept re-financing the bonds over and over and they still owe 75 million dollars of principal on this building.

The taxpayers of Indianapolis are going to be paying on 75 million dollars of bonds for a stadium that has been demolished...

Then they are going to have a second much larger set of bonds to pay off as well...

Fiscal insanity...

Another reason to vote Libertarian... Democrats and Republicans have forgotten how to be fiscally responsible...

Mike Sylvester
Fort Wayne Libertarian

Souder vs Hayhurst Debate

I am just getting around to posting my comments on the Wane TV debate between Hayhurst and Souder.

I think this debate was a tie.

I would guess that those who blindly follow Souder think he won and those who blindly follow Hayhurst think he won...

Stupid things Souder said:
Souder claimed he supported securing the border; yet, he has voted against it as recently as December of 2005.
Souder bragged about funding International aid programs which I am against.
Souder said we will "Back out of Iraq." That is new. What happened to "stay the course?"
Souder over and over is trying to run against Nancy Pelosi instead of Hayhurst.
He claimed that he held down spending and cut deficit in half. HE IS STUPID. He needs to look at the numbers again.
He brought in money for Citilink, once again, not a small government conservative...
He wasted money on earmarks and is proud of it.
He said that we will not raise payroll taxes nor will we cut benefits to Social Security. IMPOSSIBLE.
Bragged about prescription drug benefit program, the largest expansion of entitlement programs since LBJ.
Claimed to have driven down drug costs 40-70%. COMPLETELY WRONG.
He claimed that Hayhurst voted for NAFTA? Souder should learn what a City Councilman does!
Some mindless drivel about Israel...
Souder said he is in favor of Biometric tracking of illegals. Wow. What would that cost?
I hate Meth.

Smart things Souder said:
We subsidize Ethanol 50 - 60 cents per gallon.
We need to drill for oil in America and Democrats will not let us drill or build a refinery.
Hayhurst should know how a filibuster works if running for office

Smart things Hayhurst said:
Believes in market based solution for healthcare.
Bi-partisan 9/11 Commission gave administration a D.
Souder supports Bush 96% of the time, my wife does not support me 96% of the time.
He is against cut and run.
We need to change the DC culture.
We need Fair Trade not Free Trade.
Souder has done a poor job for 3rd Congressional District.
Mark Souder is not a conservative.
Mark Souder is making this Dems vs Reps...
Healthcare costs are rising at an alarming rate
Why aren't Christians mad about health care
I loved it when Hayhurst attacked Souder on abortion. Conservatives should get out of the abortion issue...
When I make a promise I will stick to it.
Secure Borders and Ports
Against Amnesty, Reagan did Amnesty.
Widen legal immigration
Change who you send to Washington

Stupid things Hayhurst said:
We should put more money into rail in Indiana. You have got to be kidding me.
He wants to use Fair Trade to protect the environment of Foreign countries.
He said that we will not raise payroll taxes nor will we cut benefits for Social Security. IMPOSSIBLE.
Do not Privatize social security.

Both men IGNORED and LIED about the most important issue facing America. They BOTH promised to NOT raise payroll taxes and to pay all promised benefits. This is impossible... In other words both men are saying let our kids handle our problems...

Mike Sylvester

Robert Enders, Libertarian for House District 80

Robert Enders deserves your vote on November 7th. He is the only candidate who is in favor of smaller government...

You can read local press coverage at:

<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/15878944.htm>
<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/15864209.htm>
<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/news/local/15863108.htm>

You can learn more about Robert Enders at his blog at:
<http://blogoftheenders.blogspot.com/>

Or at his website at:
<http://www.robertenders.com/>

Mike Sylvester

Rex Bell, Indiana House District 54

Rex Bell is in a very heated race for Indiana House District 54. The Libertarian Party of Indiana has contracted with a national polling company and the race is a dead heat between the three candidates.

This race is an excellent opportunity to see a candidate who really wants a smaller and less intrusive government elected in Indiana.

I encourage everyone to learn more about this race and to make a contribution to his campaign! I just donated $100 online with my credit card; it was very easy.

Indiana needs to elect candidates who will vote to decrease the size of Indiana government.

Learn more at
<http://hammeroftruth.com/2006/10/26/Rex-bell-polling-at-33-in-three-way-race/>

Learn more about Rex Bell at
<http://www.rexbell.blogspot.com/>
<http://dist54lib.blogspot.com/>

Donate at
<http://www.lpin.org/index.php?q=node/58>

Go Rex go!

Rex Bell would be a GREAT spokesman for all Hoosiers who want to see the reach of government diminished!

Mike Sylvester

Help Rex Bell

Rex Bell is a strong Libertarian candidate running for Indiana House District 54. I have met Rex Bell and I he is a Hoosier that I have a great deal of respect for.

The Libertarian Party of Indiana hired a National polling firm to analyze the race:
<http://lpinscr.blogspot.com/2006/10/35-33-31-and-fight.html>

Rex Bell is beating the Democratic candidate in this poll and is only 2 points behind the Republican incumbent.

Rex Bell is a very down to earth candidate who truly believes in a smaller government.

I encourage EVERY reader of this blog to learn more about this race and to support Rex Bell. You can learn more about this race at:

Rex's blog (Tells you what he stands for):
<http://www.rexbell.blogspot.com/>

Rex's campaign blog (Platform, etc):
<http://dist54lib.blogspot.com/>

Hammer of Truth Thread with more information about Rex Bell:
<http://hammeroftruth.com/2006/10/26/Rex-bell-polling-at-33-in-three-way-race/>

And most importantly, here is a secure online donation site that will allow you to support a great candidate who will do everything he can to decrease the size and intrusiveness of Indiana government:
<http://www.lpin.org/index.php?q=node/58>

I went online today and donated $100 to help elect Rex Bell. I hope you do the same.

We need to elect people who actually want to DECREASE the size of Indiana Government.

Mike Sylvester

Debate at South Side High School

Libertarian Robert Enders will be debating his opponents at South Side High School tonight. If you want to listen to a candidate who really wants to decrease the size of government please take the time to attend.

You can read more about tonights debate at:
<http://blogoftheenders.blogspot.com/>

The debate will take place at South Side High School at 7pm in Lecture Room B-109.

See you there!

Mike Sylvester

Indiana House District 54

The Libertarian Party of Indiana commissioned a poll (National Polling Company, Opinion Factor) on Indiana House District 54:

Among Decided Voters
Saunders (R) (I) :
35.4%Bell (L) :
33.1%Sadler (D) 31.3%

This is a race that Libertarian Rex Bell can win!

Check out this information about Rex Bell:
< http://dist54lib.blogspot.com/>
< http://www.rexbell.blogspot.com/>

If you want to contact Rex and ask him personally what you can do to help him please shoot him an email at:
<rex_bell@msn.com> or at <lpwc@msn.com>

There are several things that I am going to do to help Rex Bell. I truly believe that Rex Bell would make a GREAT State Representative. He is a down to earth gentleman with a great deal of common sense. If you do not know Rex please take the time to read his blog! His online weblog < http://www.rexbell.blogspot.com/> tells you a lot about his political views and how he would deal with the press. The Libertarian Party of Indiana would get a lot of great press coverage with Rex Bell in office!

There are a lot of things that we can do to help Rex Bell:
1. PLEASE send Rex Bell an email and ask him directly what you can do to help him!
2. If you are looking to contribute some money to a campaign that we can win, I would
suggest you contact Rex Bell!
3. If you have any friends or relatives in House District 54 please give them a call
and ask them to support Rex Bell.
This is a link to a map of House District 54: http://www.in.gov/legislative/house_republicans/DistrictPDFs/hd54_streets.pdf

Rex Bell can win this race. I hope that each and everyone of you who wants to see a smaller and less intrusive government takes the time to contact Rex Bell and find out how you can help him win November 7th!

Mike Sylvester
Chairman of The Libertarian Party of Allen County

Is the economy good or is it bad

When you listen to Democrats they claim it is terrible, when you listen to Republicans they say it is great. Neither is being 100% honest with us. I am going to analyze the US Economy short term and long term and tell you what I think.

I DO WANT YOUR COMMENTS

The first fact I will consider is myself. That is right, I am going to look at my economic situation. I am neither better nor worse off then I have been for the 11 years I have been married. I have always been middle classed, I have always been able to afford the things I want, and I have always been able to save for retirement.
Neutral

The second fact I will consider is unemployment. The national unemployment rate is 4.6%. I turned 18 years old in 1985. Since 1985 the average national unemployment rate has been 5.7%. The government is currently over-spending and is creating a lot more jobs then they should be; however, I think we have to consider the unemployment rate good or even great. I would like to see it closer to 4%; however, that has proved to be almost impossible...
Good/Great

The third statistic I will consider is the national Debt. The national debt is the money that our Government has borrowed (Some from itself in the case of Social Security) and that we are currently paying interest on. The current National Debt is 8.56 trillion dollars. This is the highest debt we have ever had as a nation and is a serious menace to our children, grand children, and all future generations. The 3rd highest item in the Federal Budget is interest on the National debt. The national debt is abysmal and a disgrace.
Awful

The fourth statistic I will consider is the unfunded liabilities of the government. The Federal Government has an approximate unfunded liability of 75 TRILLION dollars. This means that we would need to have 75 trillion dollars invested to pay for the benefits our government has promised over the next 75 years. Instead we have a debt of 8.56 trillion dollars.
Awful (I would rank worse if I could think of a better term...)

The fifth statistic I will look at is the stock market. The Dow is currently at an all time high. It is at 12,135. This is a good think. I find it interesting that the market has gone up so much in the last few months. I think investors are looking forward to Congressional gridlock.
Good

The sixth statistic is Federal tax receipts. Federal tax receipts have risen by 11.8% this fiscal year. This shows us that the tax cuts have worked well and have spurred the US economy.
Great.

The seventh statistic is Federal spending. Unfortunately for us our government officials like to spend money we do not have. Federal spending jumped by 7.4% this fiscal year. That is far too high with our massive national debt and our huge unfunded liabilities. There is nothing Conservative about Congress today.
Bad

The eighth stat is household debt. Household debt measures the necessary payments that American households have to make on their debt. Their are two statistics that are commonly used:
DSR, Debt Service Ratio, this includes mortgage payments and consumer debt. This ratio is now at an all time high of 14.4%.
FOR, Financial Obligation Ratio, this includes auto lease payment, rental payments for housing, home insurance, and property tax. This ratio is now at an all time high of 18.06%.
There statistics bode poorly for our future. They show that we are falling further and future into debt. This means that Americans will have less money to spend on consumer goods in the future. This means future consumption will go down and this will hurt the economy.
Awful

The ninth is interest rates. When interest rates are low it is easier for those in debt (all levels of government and consumers) to make their payments. Interest rates have been very low for a long time. This is helping us deal with the debt problems we have in this nation. Interest rates are still currently low. This is going to change in the near future, it has to.
Good

I could go on and on and on.

There are both good things and bad things about the US economy. In my overall opinion:

Short Term our economy is doing very well and is something to be proud of.

Long Term we are in very large trouble and neither Democrats nor Republicans care as long as their Party is in power and they themselves are re-elected...

Mike Sylvester
Fort Wayne Libertarian

Another stupid law goes on the books in Omaha

Please read the story:
<http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52559>

My wife and I used to live in Omaha and, believe it or not, it is the best place we have ever lived...

I cannot believe they are telling people to call 911 to report smokers. This is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard in my entire life.

If they keep this up they are going to get someone killed because they are going to have a real emergency and the person will not get through because of all of the callers calling to report their neighbors for "smoking."

What is America coming to?

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 8

Secretary of State.

Secretary of State is a very important position that few people understand. The Secretary of State handles business filings and election filings.

Todd Rokita, incumbent Republican. Todd Rokita is a lawyer. He is best known for the Indiana voter ID law he helped push through.
<http://www.toddrokita.com/bio.htm>

Democrat Joe Pearson. Joe Pearson has a strong background in farming and education.
<http://www.monroedems.org/candidates.php?id=62>

Libertarian Mike Kole. Mike Kole is a strong candidate who advocates fair elections, 3rd Party access to the ballot, and opposes gerrymandering of Districts by Reps and Dems.
<http://www.mikekole.com/>
<http://kolehardfacts.blogspot.com/>

Bill Stant, write-in candidate, member of The Green Party. Bill Stant is a qualified candidate who is a write-in candidate due to Indiana's difficult ballot access laws. Bill Stant is a write-in candidate because of laws Democrats and Republicans have enacted.
<http://www.citizensforstant.org/bio.html>

Mike Kole is a frequent commenter on this blog and ran this blog while I was on vacation. Mike Kole is a friend of mine and has done a great job running for Secretary of State.

I hope that EVERYONE reading this blog votes for Mike Kole. We need a Secretary of State who is more interested in running fair elections then in ensuring Dems and Reps are elected each year.

Please vote for Mike Kole.

Mike Sylvester

Summary of who I am voting for so far

So far I have analyzed 7 races. I hope the rest of you are doing the same thing. Please do not vote a straight ticket. Please look at the candidates, their qualifications, and their time in elected office before you vote. Out of the seven races I have analyzed I will be voting for 1 Libertarian, 2 Republicans, and 4 Democrats so far.

In summary:

US Senate. I will be voting for Libertarian Steve Osborne. My main reason is that Lugar has been in office for 30 years and he is way too moderate for me.

3rd Congressional District. I will be voting for Democrat Tom Hayhurst. His Republican opponent Mark Souder is running the most negative campaign I have seen, he is violating his term limits pledge, and he is a big government Republican.

State Treasurer. I will be voting for Democrat Michael Griffin. I do not feel either candidate is qualified. I would like to see a CPA run for this post. I will vote for Michael Griffin because he seems slightly less under qualified then his opponent.

State Auditor. I will be voting for Republican Tim Berry. I do not feel either candidate is at all qualified for this position. I would like to see a CPA or a financial person who has experience in auditing... I will be voting for Tim Berry because his Democratic opponent is running a stealth campaign and no one knows anything about her.

Allen County Sheriff. This has by far been the toughest race for me. We have three very different and very qualified candidates. I will be voting for Democrat Tina Taviano since I like her management emphasis and education. I am impressed with PJ Smiths acknowledgement that the war on drugs has failed and I am impressed with Ken Fries and his SWAT experience. I think we will have a good sheriff no matter who wins.

Indiana Senate Seat 15. I will be voting for Democrat Michael Bynum. I think Michael Bynum has an impressive resume and his opponent Tom Wyss is the very definition of a big government Republican. He is rated as taxpayer unfriendly by Watchdog Indiana and loves passing silly laws like expanding the use of seat belts.

Allen County Assessor. I will be voting for Republican Stacy Lopshire. This was one of the easiest decision for me to make. The Democratic incumbent cannot pass an open book exam no matter how many times she has tried.

I will be finishing my research in the next few days.

Who are you voting for?

Mike Sylvester

Ken Fries sign over Clinton Street

Read the story over at
<http://fortwayneindiana.blogspot.com/2006/10/allen-co-gop-still-violating-state-law.html>

My wife and I saw the sign the other day when we drove down to the 80th District to distribute Robert Enders door hangers...

Here is a link to the relevant section of Indiana Code:
<http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title9/ar21/ch4.html>

The sign is illegal based on my reading of the law. I am not sure what permit Bob Alderman is talking about... There are so many laws on the books that there is no way for a citizen to know them all. Heck, it is not possible for law enforcement officers to know them all...

This stupid law demonstrates a major difference between Reps, Dems, and Libertarians...

Reps and Dems are the ones passing stupid laws like this that restrict the rights of property owners on how they use their own property. Libertarians dislike these laws.

This is a law that should be IMMEDIATELY removed from the books. It is a stupid law and it is the kind of law that larger government types (Reps and Dems) keep passing in this country.

As far as I am concerned the law should be changed so that the person who owns the property decides what signs are on his own property...

Property rights are one of the most important rights we have in this country and they are being taken from us all the time, consider:
Eminent Domain
A proposed smoking ban that will effect my own home as it is written in Allen County

I think Bob Alderman should enforce this stupid law and do his best to get the law removed from the books as soon as possible.

I tend to think we should have far fewer laws on the books and the government should get the heck out of my life. That being said, we should enforce the laws that are on the books.

Mike Sylvester
Chairman of The Libertarian Party of Allen County

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 7

State Treasurer

Democratic candidate Michael Griffin. His education background is a BS in Religion and Political Science and he has a Masters in Public Admin Affairs. He is a Clerk Treasurer currently. He teaches at Ivy Tech.
<http://www.michaelgriffinfortreasurer.org/treasurer/>

Republican candidate Richard Mourdock. He has an impressive resume as a business executive, environmental consultant, and geologist. His education is in the sciences. He has no education in business or accounting.
<http://www.richardmourdock.com/index.htm>

Both men have interesting biographies. Neither has the education I would expect for someone running for State Treasurer. I would expect someone with more of a background in Finance, Business, or Accounting.

Both men have strong work experience. I prefer the background of Michael Griffin. His work experience is more relevant and I will be voting for him in this race.

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 6

State Auditor

Republican Tim Berry. Tim Berry is a financial planner according to his website. It does not look to me like he has ANY auditing experience of any kind.
<http://www.berryforindiana.com/index.html>

Democrat Judy Anderson. I know very little about Judy Anderson. She does not have a website. I spent about 15 minutes and I could find very little about her except for her past political positions. She is currently a Vigo County Commissioner.

I am not sure that Tim Berry is qualified to be the State Auditor. That being said, at least he has a website and I could find out some infomraiton about him.

I will be voting for Republican Tim Berry for Auditor. I cannot vote for a Democratic candidate for a major office who has nothing on the internet that I could easily find.

Mike Sylvester

Guard the borders Blogburst, October 23rd, 2006

Beheadings Aren't Just For Islamists Anymore

By Toni at Bear Creek Ledger

Those pro-illegal aliens should be paying attention to what's happening with the drug cartels south of the border. This is what we in the US have to look forward to if there isn't something done to control our southern borders.

We also have Venezuela's Chavez giving legal ID's to members of Hezbollah and Hamas but he is also assisting their efforts to become proficient in Spanish to help these terrorists to infiltrate the US.

Here's a story that is definitely not been publicized on the front page but should be since these drug cartels are controlling many areas of our southern border. I am getting to the point of believing the US should be placing active duty troops on our southern border to protect us. There is an assault and invasion occurring today that has been ignored and local law enforcement doesn't have a prayer against these drug cartels. And don't tell me about "posse comitatus"! These troops would be attacking foreign invaders.

From the Modern Tribalist is a story from ContraCostaTimes:

For all the beefed-up enforcement along the border, the militialike group of drug cartel enforcers known as the Zetas appears stronger than ever, a result of better training, successful recruiting in Central America and continued desertions from the Mexican military, U.S. intelligence officials say.

The Zetas have again become entrenched in Nuevo Laredo, and they practically control the movement of people through an intricate web of spies, checkpoints and skillful use of technology, provoking an extraordinary cross-border human exodus, U.S. and Mexican authorities say.

Last year, U.S. and Mexican authorities reported that the number of Zetas was falling rapidly, the result of both government pressure and ongoing warfare with rival cartels. But the shadowy group of elite former military officers, soldiers and others has now grown to more than 500 nationwide, with hundreds more in a support network throughout the country, U.S. officials said. Some of those networks are deepening their ties to Texas cities, including Houston and Dallas, with the help of Texas gang members.

A shootout late Friday between Zetas and members of the Mexican military - reportedly acting on tips from the Sinaloa cartel - involved grenades and bazookas in a residential neighborhood of Nuevo Laredo, U.S. authorities said. The firefight killed four people suspected of drug trafficking - believed to be Zetas - and injured at least four others, authorities said.

The report could not be independently confirmed.

The Zetas, enforcers of the gulf cartel, are battling rival members of the Sinaloa cartel for drug distribution routes, including the Interstate 35 corridor into Texas.

U.S. authorities said the gulf cartel has established training camps in the states of Tamaulipas - its base of operations - and Nuevo Leon, both of which border Texas, and in the central state of Michoacan. The organization is recruiting former Guatemalan special forces military personnel known as Kaibiles and members of the notorious cross border gangs known as Maras, including the violent Mara Salvatruchas with ties to El Salvador.

"The resiliency and determination of these criminals are beyond anything I have seen in my years in U.S. law enforcement," said one U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "They're tough, and they won't break easily. They pose a serious threat to Mexico and to security along the border."

Be sure to read the rest of the article to fully realize the threat we are facing.

Beheadings are becoming the new tactical choice of these terrorists/drug cartels and the US is allowing this to be imported with impunity to the US. For those who are planning travel to Mexico you better be sure of where you're going because Mexico is not a safe country for travel.

Mexico City -- To send a chilling message to their underworld rivals, Mexican drug cartels are adopting a method of intimidation made notorious by Middle Eastern terrorist groups.

Already this year, at least 26 people have been decapitated in Mexico, with heads stuck on fences, dumped in trash piles and -- most recently -- tossed onto a nightclub dance floor.

Although beheading goes back centuries as a form of execution, it has become the latest tactical escalation of a turf war that gets nastier all the time, with hit men looking for new ways to instill fear.

"Before, they tortured the hell out of people, but they didn't throw their heads out in public," said James Kuykendall, a retired U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Why this form of murder and mutilation is being used now is anyone's guess.

Beheadings have had a high international profile in recent years, as the tool of radical Islamist groups that release videos of hostages being executed.

In Mexico, as crime bosses fall and turf shifts, the pattern of killing is changing.

This has been a production of the Guard the Borders Blogburst. It was started by Euphoric Reality, and serves to keep immigration issues in the forefront of our minds as we're going about our daily lives and continuing to fight the war on terror. If you are concerned with the trend of illegal immigration facing our country, join our Blogburst! Just send an email with your blog name and url to admin at guardtheborders dot com.

Walking the 80th District

My wife and I spent about 3 hours walking a couple of neighborhoods in the 80th District for Robert Enders. We distributed about 300 door hangers and did a lot of walking.

The door hangers discuss Robert Enders on the front. Robert is the Libertarian candidate for 80th District State Rep.

The door hangers discuss Mike Kole on the back. Mike is the Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State.

If you want any information about either of these fine candidates please let me know!

Mike Sylvester

Hayhurst vs Souder, National polling

I got a call last night from a national firm that was conducting a poll on the Hayhurst vs Souder campaign.

I was surprised. I never seem to get these calls.

The company was "Call Research."

This poll actually helps illustrate why NO ONE should trust polling data.

One of the first questions was the "Is America on the right track or wrong track question." I of course answered that is was strongly on the wrong track. Democrats will take this answer to mean I am a Democrat. I am not. I think we are on the wrong track as long as our elected officials want to expand the size and reach of Government.

I was asked who I voted for in 2004 for President. I was told my choices were Kerry or Bush. I told her I did not vote either of those two, I voted Libertarian.

Then we talked about my opinion of Hayhurst and Souder:
I told her I strongly disagreed with BOTH Souder and Hayhurst.

Then I was asked who I would vote for and I told her Hayhurst...

I have NO DOUBT that this poll was constructed by Democrats, I believe this based on the way the questions were asked.

I think this means it is likely that a large Democratic organization is trying to collect data to see if it is worth backing Hayhurst.

I irritates me that these firms NEVER include third parties. They act like people only have two choices, luckily we have more then two choices.

Mike Sylvester

The funniest post I have read in a lcouple of weeks

Angry White Boy (AWB) over at "FortWayneNews.com" has a hilarious post that wonders if I am an operative of The Allen County Democratic Party.

It is WELL WORTH your time.

Note: AWB recently had a kidney stone and may be on some rather strong medine.
Second note: AWB is a really, really partisan Republican. He can see no evil in his Party. He is far closer to The Libertarian party then he is The Republican Party! He will figure it out one day... I will help him!

Andrew Kaduk is going to truly enjoy this!

Please go and read this post, it is truly funny...

I especially like the part involving his comments about the fact that I am voting for a Democrat for sheriff. If you read my posts you will realize that I have posted how I am going to vote in five upcoming races so far:

In one I will be voting Libertarian
In three I am voting Democrat (No Libertarians in these races)
In one I am voting Republican (No Libertarian in this race)

Hmmm... What could I be thinking? I wonder if he has considered that I tend to vote for the best candidate regardless of Party?

No, he would never consider that...

Does anyone else remember back to when John Good and Robert Rouse accused me of being a Republican operative?

Please go and read this post from AWB. It is AWESOME.

<http://www.fortwaynenews.com/my_weblog/2006/10/mike_sylvester_.html>

Mike Sylvester

P.S. I cannot wait to hear what Jeff Pruitt and John Good and Craig think of this! Andrew Kaduk's thoughts should be priceless...

P.S.S. AWB if I ever get hurt and need some pain medication can you please let me know what you are taking? It must be some good stuff.

Fort Wayne drug war, one resident fights back

There are parts of Fort Wayne where the residents feel like they are not in control of their own property; they feel the drug dealers are in control.

A friend of mine has elected to live in one of the poorest parts of Fort Wayne. He has lived there for nine years. He is an active Libertarian.

He has told me stories that would make your skin crawl. The drug dealers in his neighborhood honestly control the neighborhood. They use his property as if it is theirs. They show the residents no respect at all.

He does not really care if the drug dealers deal their drugs and leave the local property owners alone. Some of the drug dealers do just that. He does not like it when they:
Treat his property as if it is their property
Threaten and intimidate the people living in the neighborhood
Refuse to respect his property
Deal drugs on his property

The police cannot do ANYTHING to stop it.

I visited him yesterday after he called me and told me that someone had tried to burn his house down Tuesday night. When I pulled up he was explaining his problems to two Fort Wayne police officers and three more were in the area...

The first question my friend asked me is if I was armed. He was concerned for my safety. Based on what I saw yesterday I will be armed when I return to his neighborhood, I have to renew my concealed carry license anyway...

The Journal Gazette has a brief story about it in today's newspaper.

<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/15796295.htm>

I may publicize more of this story down the road depending on what happens and depending on what the owner decides to do and what the police do.

I sincerely hope the Fort Wayne police department helps this resident. He does not feel safe in his own house and his neighborhood is 100% controlled by drug dealers.

We have 100% failed this neighborhood and this property owner. It is not the fault of the police officers who risk their lives just by entering this neighborhood. They should NOT be blamed. They tend to do a good job and I think they do the best that they can. I fully support the police.

The problem is the failed war on drugs.

This country needs to take a step back and decide what to do about drugs and drug abuse.

The war on drugs has 100% failed. Drug use is as large of a problem today as it ever was. We spend hundreds of billions of dollars on this "war" and this money is wasted.

I am not sure what the answer is; however, "staying the course" is NOT an option...

The criminal justice system does not have enough room to incarcerate the drug dealers.
Our criminal justice system and our politicians have failed us.

The police ARE NOT TO BLAME.

This is a developing situation in my city that I will be watching closely.

The election is fast approaching; unfortunately, you will not hear politicians talking about how we can fix the failed war on drugs. They refuse to discuss it.

They stick their heads in the sand and just keep on wasting our money.

I think Mark Souder should spend some time in my friend's neighborhood so that he can see first hand what his crusade against drug dealers is doing to residents of his own Congressional District.

Note that I do not necessarily think that legalizing drugs is the answer either. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER IS. I just know that the war on drugs has failed...

I took a picture of the message my friend decided to send the drug dealers. The picture is not suitable for my blog. I strive not to provide content that will offend anyone...

The homeowner spray painted "Drug dealers suck pickles" on the side of his house and provided a picture...

I hope the drug dealers leave the property owner alone and I hope that the police help "re-take" my friends neighborhood.

I sincerely hope that my friend does not get hurt. Property owners should not feel threatened in their own homes.

Mike Sylvester

Please call in to our Fort Wayne live call in show TONIGHT

Libertarian Perspectives is the live call-in show hosted by The Libertarian party of Allen County. This show airs on the third Thursday of each month on Cable channel 57. The show runs from 7 PM – 8 PM.

This week’s guests are:
Robert Enders, Robert is the Libertarian running for State Representative in the 80th
District.
Steve Osborne, Steve is the Libertarian running for US Senate.

PLEASE call in to the show tonight and ask the candidates some questions! The call in number is 260-422-3902.

Mike Sylvester

Habeas Corpus, Rest in Peace

This is the first video I have ever linked to.

This video deserves 7 minutes of your life.

Please watch it and let me know what you think.

This makes me sick to my stomach...

What is happening to the Constitution?

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UntkKtyUKk&eurl>

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 5

The post of Allen County Sheriff is an important one. I think that Fort Wayne is extremely fortunate to have THREE very qualified candidates for the office.

I have given this race a lot of thought. The campaign has been vigorous and the candidates have some real differences in their outlook on the position of sheriff.

This is the only race that I feel that local Libertarians are split on. I know at least one Libertarian that is going to vote for each candidate, I know three Libertarians who have not decided yet, and I know 4 Libertarians that are voting for Taviano. There are also a large number of local Libertarians that I have not discussed this race with.

I do not think the position of sheriff should be a partisan race at all. It is absurd to think that a Democratic sheriff or a Republican sheriff or a Libertarian sheriff would be different in their methods.

There are three candidates:
Ken Fries is the Republican candidate. He strikes me as being a "policeman's policeman." His experience with the SWAT team is particularly impressive.
<http://www.kenfriesforsheriff.com/>

PJ Smith is the Independent candidate. He had to gather signatures and is not raising money. He strikes me as a City policeman.
<http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/election/public_view.php?candidate=20060717144239&submit=View>

Tina Taviano is the Democratic candidate. She holds a masters degree and has performed several different jobs in the sheriff's department.
<http://www.tavianoforsheriff.com/Experience.html>

I have decided to vote for Taviano for sheriff.

I was impressed with Tina when I had lunch with her and she strikes me as being fairly Libertarian. She wants to improve efficiency and she has some ideas that will increase service while not increasing costs.

Mike Sylvester

Fort Wayne Republicans

The Fort Wayne City Council is considering creating a "munincipal riverfront development project."

This would allow Fort Wayne to issue more liquor licenses then we currently have. Liquor licenses are currently issued based on population. The price of a liquor license in Fort Wayne can be as high as a couple of a hundred thousand dollars... Their price is determined by economic and supply and demand.

Our large government City Council is considering changing all of that. If they create a "munincipal riverfront development project" downtown that will allow them to issue more liquor licenses to business owners in the aforementioned district...

This will certainly drive the cost of existing liquor licenses down...

In this evenings News-Sentinel there is a revealing quote from one of our large government Republicans. Tom Smith is discussed in the article. He is given credit for the following paragraph.

Councilman Tom Smith, R-1st District, leans toward the proposal but only if the city establishes guidelines to select the best applicants, citing as examples businesses that would voluntarily be nonsmoking and not allow video gambling machines.

With Republicans like we have on our City Council who really needs Democrats?

Has Tom Smith heard of the free market?

Does he realize that it should be up to business owners what kind of establishment they run not 9 City Council members?

Discussions like this depress me.

They make me wonder if there is ANY HOPE of saving Fort Wayne from the Republicans and Democrats who run it...

It also makes me wonder if there is really ANY difference between Reps and Dems in Fort Wayne... I do not think they are ANY different from each other.

What do you think?

P.S. The News-Sentinel article can be found at:
<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/news/local/15779254.htm>

Sheriff

I think my next post will be on the race for Allen County Sheriff...

This is the race that has been most difficult for me.

This is also the ONLY race that the local Libertarian Party seems fairly split on. I know Allen County Libertarians who will vote for each of the three candidates...

Who do you support?

Mike Sylvester

The Libertarian Vote

This article from the Cato Institute is a must read.
<http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=6715>

This article discusses the likelihood that many Libertarians will vote Democratic this year when they are faced with races that have just two candidates, one and Rep and the other a Dem...

I agree with the article...

I think the Libertarians will help many Democrats win elections this year...

I will be voting for far more Dems this year then Reps...

So far, the only Rep on my list that I am voting for is Stacy Lopshire...

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 4

Indiana Senate Seat 15

The challenger is Democrat Michael Bynum. Michael Bynum's profile can be viewed here:
<http://fwnextweb1.fortwayne.com/ns/election/public_view.php?candidate=20060329142426&submit=View>
The incumbent is Republican Thomas Wyss. Mr. Wyss has served since 1985.

Mr. Wyss has been rated as taxpayer UNFRIENDLY by the non-partisan Indiana Watchdog group. Their reasons are listed below:
<http://www.finplaneducation.net/rating_wyss_thomas.htm>

Basically they characterize Mr. Wyss as a tax increaser... I dislike Mr. Wyss because he is another BIG government Republican. The issue he is most famous for is his constant push to force law abiding citizens to wear seat belts.

Mr. Wyss is also featured in a recent WANE TV article:
<http://www.wane.com/Global/story.asp?S=5532650&nav=menu32_2>
It seems Mr. Wyss wants to gain even more control over our lives. He feels that we should raise the driving age to 17 years old.

There are several reasons I have to vote against Mr. Wyss:
1. He has been in office since 1985.
2. He thinks he needs to pass seat belt laws rather then address the problems this State has.
3. He has been ranked as one of the most taxpayer unfriendly legislators in the State by
Watchdog Indiana.
4. He has voted for at least TWELVE different tax increases in the last FOUR years.

I will be voting AGAINST Republican Thomas Wyss. This will force me to vote for Michael Bynum. After reading Mr. Bynum's bio he looks like a typical large government Democrat. His stance on health care is especially disturbing; however, we need new blood...

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 3

The next race to discuss is Allen County Assessor.

Pat Love is the incumbent Democrat. Pat Love has been the Assessor for four years.
Stacey Lopshire is the Republican challenger. She resigned her job in the Assessor's office to run against Pat Love.

This is a very simple race for me. I have not looked at every race; however, Stacey Lopshire is going to get my vote; in fact, she may be the only Republican I vote for in a contested race this year...

Pat Love has not been able to pass the Certified Assessor's exam. She has tried several times and cannot pass it. It is an open book exam. I think that every County Assessor should be REQUIRED to pass the exam.

Republican Stacey Lopshire has my vote.

P.S. My wife often asks me for my opinion on who she should vote for if she does not know the candidates... My wife did not ask about this one; she knew she was going to vote against Pat Love due to the exam...

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 2

This is the second part of my series on who I am going to vote for and why...

3rd Congressional District.

Democratic Candidate, Tom Hayhurst. Tom Hayhurst is a Fort Wayne City Council member and a Doctor. Tom Hayhurst is a military veteran and has invested a lot of his time to improve the health care local veterans receive.

Republican Candidate, Mark Souder. Mark Souder is a Republican Congressman who was elected in 1994. Mark Souder is a social conservative who believes in large government.

There is no Libertarian candidate in this race due to a shameful law written in the Indiana Legislature that requires Libertarians to have more strict requirements for getting on the ballot then either Reps or Dems... The Libertarian candidate was disallowed by the Indiana Election Board. The Indiana Election Board seems to exist mainly to ensure that voters often only have two choices each election...

The ten main reasons I do not like Mark Souder (Not in any particular order):
1. He was a Conscientious Objector during the Vietnam War. He got C.O. status by being
opposed to violence. Mark Souder has changed his mind since the Vietnam Conflict ended...
He now thinks violence is good and he is a big proponent of sending our armed forces into
harms way. I am a military veteran and I have NO RESPECT for Mark Souder.
2. Mark Souder originally ran on a platform of changing the entrenched culture in Washington
DC. Now that Mark Souder is part of the entrenched Washington DC culture he now thinks
an entrenched Washington DC culture is good.
3. Mark Souder reneged on his promise to serve for only 12 years. This really sticks in my
craw. Mark Souder claims to be a Christian Conservative on one hand; but, he breaks his
own promises when it suits him. I feel that Mark Souder is a hypocrite.
4. Mark Souder started his time in Washington as a fiscal conservative. He was part of the
"Gang of 11." This is a group that formed to shrink the size of government. The longer Mark
has served in DC the more in favor of big government he has become.
5. Mark Souder has run a long series of negative attack ads against Tom Hayhurst on WOWO
since May of this year. Some of the ads have been very negative and I absolutely hate it
when someone in Mark Souder's position think he needs to go "negative" to win an election.
Mark Souder does not campaign like the "Christian" he claims to be.
6. Mark Souder refuses to cooperate with Project Vote Smart. He DID cooperate with Project
Vote Smart in 1994. Since he has been in office he has refused to fill out online surveys telling
his constituents where he stands. I hate that. Please check out the below link:
<http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=CNIP0687>
7. Mark Souder made a campaign promise to debate all comers when he was running for office
in 1994. He told everyone that he would be different. When William Larsen ran against
Mark Souder in the Republican primary Mark Souder cowered in Washington and refused to
debate Mr. Larsen. Promises seem to mean nothing to Mark Souder. I thought Christians
took promises seriously?
8. Mark Souder is a Big Government Republican today. I admit he is a social conservative;
however, he is not a fiscal conservative. Mark Souder continually votes to expand
government and he continually votes in favor of increasing regulations that businesses must
comply with.
9. Mark Souder ran on a platform of being a conservative. A conservative SHOULD believe in
the separation of powers between the Federal Government and the fifty states. Mark
Souder has a disturbing habit of voting to increase Federal powers and limit the powers of
the fifty states; including Indiana. Conservative Republicans used to favor abolishing The
entire Federal Department of Education. I favor abolishing the entire Federal Department
of Education myself. Mark Souder voted in favor of the big government "No Child Left
Behind Act." Mark Souder voted with the most liberal Democrats in Congress to pass this
terrible law.
10. Mark Souder voted in favor of the worst piece of legislation in recent history. This
legislation is the largest expansion of government since Lyndon Johnson was President.
Mark Souder joined the liberals in Congress to pass the Prescription Drug benefit program.
This program has created another massive unfunded Federal liability that our children and
grand children will have to pay for...

I will vote for Tom Hayhurst because:
1. He is NOT Mark Souder
2. I believe in term limits. I almost never vote for elected officials of any party who have been
in office for very long...
3. I have met both Mark Souder and Tom Hayhurst in person. Tom Hayhurst looked me in
the eye and Mark Souder give me a silly smirk.
4. Tom Hayhurst is a military veteran and Mark Souder was a C.O.
5. I think we need gridlock in our government. I would rather see the Dems and Reps fight
each other rather then pass laws that hurt my family and I.
6. Tom Hayhurst has a great reputation and we need new blood in Congress.
7. Tom Hayhurst told voters where he stands on issues at:
<http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=MIN61371#17>
8. Tom Hayhurst is running a clean campaign.
9. The Republican Party is now a big government Party just like the Democratic Party. Many
Republicans refuse to see it. I am hoping that if The Democrats can take Congress then
maybe the Republicans will realize that they lost this election because they have become a
large government Party and will be reformed by people like Mike Pence.
10. On a personal level I cannot respect Mark Souder anymore. Believe it or not, I have
supported Mark Souder in the distant past... I am embarrassed.

This was a long post because of my deep dislike for Mark Souder... This post is not objective since my dislike for Mark Souder runs so deep.

Mike Sylvester

Who I am voting for November 7th and why, part 1

I have had a number of readers ask me who I am voting for in the next election. I have decided to do a short series on the upcoming election and who I support.

The Libertarian Party of Allen County is NOT endorsing these candidates. The opinions expressed in this series are mine and mine alone...

I will start with the race for US Senate. There are two candidates in this race:

Richard Lugar, Republican. Mr. Luger was elected to the Senate in 1976. He has served as a
Senator for 30 years. I used to be a fairly big fan of Senator Lugar. I think Senator Lugar is
a good man. I think 30 years as a senator is too long. I think 30 years in Washington will
effect the judgement of anyone in a noticeable fashion. When I look at Senator Lugar's
voting record I see a moderate Republican. Unfortunately, Senator Lugar has joined the herd
of Republicans that embrace larger and larger government. I can no longer vote for Mr.
Lugar.

Steve Osborne, Libertarian. Mr. Osborne has run as a Democrat in the past and is a
Libertarian who leans toward the Democratic side. I have met Mr. Osborne and he struck
as being both knowledgeable and personable. Major points on which Mr. Osborne and Mr.
Lugar disagree:
The Iraq War. Mr. Osborne is in favor of an immediate withdrawal from Iraq.
Taxes. Mr. Osborne is in favor of lowering income taxes for both middle class and lower
class income taxes and he is in favor of not lowering taxes for the rich.
College costs. Mr. Osborne is in favor of increasing pell grants and he is in favor of tax
incentives to help families pay for college.
Government Regulations. Mr. Osborne thinks we have too many...
You can read for your self Mr. Osbornes views:
<http://www.vote-smart.org/npat.php?can_id=MIN97748>
<http://www.steve4ussenate.com/>

I support Mr. Osborne for this race and I will definately be voting for Mr. Osborne...

Mike Sylvester

Theater in Fort Wayne

The Director of The Firehouse Theater is a friend of mine. My family went and enjoyed a show this weekend. It was very enjoyable and we will be going back. Please read the below notice for their upcoming shows. At the bottom is their web address...


Firehouse Theater & Hose Tower Cafe

~ Please contact us about auditions, tech work or to get on the email list.

```````````````SHOW SCHEDULE 2006 ```````````````

Tickets: $5-Child, $7–Teens & Adults, $6-Seniors
(Schedule and prices may change. There are more shows and events than are shown on this schedule. Check website for updates.)

October 7 - 22 - Fridays & Saturdays at 7pm, Sundays at 3 pm
Auditioning a Ghost, adapted from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

October 26th: 7pm, 27th: 7pm, 28th: 3 & 7pm, 29th: 3pm
Recipe for a Nightmare Aliens, Werewolves, Vampires, Twisted Nursery Rhymes, Scary Bedtime Stories, and Santa – All you need for a sleepless night.
Includes Little Orphan Annie, by James Whitcomb Riley, Monster Goose, and La Llorona to the tune of My Sharona.

October 30th, Monday, 6:30 to 11pm
Halloween Party –$1.00 Admission
All Ages: 6:30 to 8:30 pm; Teens and Older: 8:30 to 11pm.
-----------------------------------
Puppet Shows Soon!
-----------------------------------
Christmas Shows To be Announced!
-----------------------------------
Plenty of Parking!
Spaces behind the Firehouse, at Waves when closed, and at the Tecumseh Library.

<http://www.angelfire.com/planet/firehousetheaterfw/>

Firehouse Theatre

My family went and saw a theatrical performance at The Firehouse Theatre. The Firehouse Theatre is located in the remodeled Fire Station on State street. The Firehouse Theatre is located east of the Acme Bar.

I am not much into theatre.

That being said I had a great time and they put on a good show. I suggest that you try it if you are looking for some entertainment in Fort Wayne.

you can learn more about the local Fort Wayne theatre at:
<http://www.angelfire.com/planet/firehousetheaterfw/>

Mike Sylvester

Big government Republicans growing government as fast as they can...

Please read this story from The Washington Post:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501782.html>

This article talks about the fact that the Republicans have added 2.5 million workers to the Federal payrolls, mostly contractors...

The next time you talk to ANY Republican, ask them to explain this to you...

Mike Sylvester

CPA Exam, part two

I took the second section of the CPA exam yesterday...

I think it is going to be close. About a third of the people who take it pass...

I think I made it; this one will be closer then the last one!

Mike Sylvester

Nancy Pelosi and the first one hundred hours...

I found a great press release on The Drudge Report about the items Nancy Pelosi says she will do if The Democrats win a majority in congress in 2006.

<http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061006/ap_on_el_ge/pelosi_time_1>

I think The Democrats should have come up with something like this a long time ago and made it a national Campaign. I am utterly convinced that if they ran a National campaign and used a message "similar" to the one she outlined they would take the House...

Lets look at what she wants to do:

1. Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislators."
I absolutely love this one. How is she going to do it? I would like some details. John Good or Jeff Pruitt or any other Democrats who read this blog; please tell me how this would be done. I am in favor of it.
I like this one, I just want to know how they would do it. I do not think she can, I think it is an empty promise.

2. Enact all recommendations of the 9/11 commission.
I have not looked at this too closely; overall, I tend to think we should enact the recommendations of the Committee we appointed to study the event.
I think I like this one.

3. Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step.
I am obviously against this one; however, it is a good one for Democrats to run on. It is wrong; but, it may appeal to people who do not understand economics.
I am against this one; but, it is a winner for Democrats and consistent with their message.

4. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half.
The Federal government has no constitutional role in education at all. We need to abolish the Department of Education like Reagan wanted to do back in the 80's. I have to say this is a good stand for The democrats to take.
I am against this one; but, it is a winner for Democrats and consistent with their message.

5. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the phamaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.
I agree with this one in a big way. It makes economic sense.
This one is a winner and I agree with it.

6. Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with Federal funds.
This is definitely something the Federal government should stay out of. There are plenty of private companies that can do stem cell research and we need to keep The Federal government out of it. Medical research companies are making billions of dollars; they do not need more subsidies...
This one is a winner for Democrats. They do want to spend more money and this is a program that their base will like.

All the days after that... ""Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority." To do this "Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era."
I am 100% for the first part of this. We MUST balance the Federal Budget right away. Then we have to start funding the 75 trillion dollars of unfunded liabilities The Dems and Reps have created... As far as raising taxes on the rich; well, I am not in favor of that.
I agree with the first half of this, and this point is a winner for the Democrats.

The Democrats could win on a message like this...

Mike Sylvester

Do not fly list; more proof that expanding government is dangerous

CBS news has in interesting story about "the do not fly list." Please read it:

<http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/60minutes/main2066624.shtml>

The list has:
The President of Bolivia
The names of people in prison
The names of people honorably serving in the United States Army
Lawyers from the ACLU
A nun
People who are dead
Most of the terrorists who died in the terrorist attack on 9/11
Peace protestors

The TSA has tried to fix the list, they have spent at least 144 MILLION dollars so far trying to fix the program... They have NOT been able to fix it. Imagine that.

Bigger and bigger government does not work. There are a lot of recent examples, one of the more prominent being FEMA and hurricane Katrina...

Do you think either The Democrats or Republicans will ever decide to decrease the size of government?

It is campaign season so you will hear several of them talk about decreasing the size of government; unfortunately, they just say it to appeal to certain voters.

Mike Sylvester

Mark Souder discusses Mark Foley

Fort Wayne Observed has a great interview with Mark Souder. Please check it out at:
<http://indiana.typepad.com/fwob/2006/10/souder_foley_an.html>

I just posted a LONG comment. I hope Mitch Harper posts my comment...

I have copied it below.

Comment By Mike Sylvester on Fort Wayne Observed:

Mark Souder warned Republicans last Saturday "That story you heard about Mark Foley that broke last night is gonna get worse," he told them.

I find this to be very interesting. This story broke on a Friday afternoon in Washington DC. Mark Souder came home and the following day Mark Souder knew the scandal was going to get worse.

How did Mark Souder know that this scandal was going to get worse? Did he know something the rest of us did not? Was it such common knowledge among Republicans that Mark Souder knew something about Rep. Foley BEFORE the media storm hit?

I think Mark Souder summed up the situation perfectly when he said "we have [an] idiot who turns out to be a pedophile among us, with young pages."

Then Mark Souder went on to discuss past Democratic sex scandals like the rest of The Republican Talking Heads. The truth is that both Republicans and Democrats have had disgusting sex scandals in the past. I dislike every one of the politicians who have been involved in these scandals, I do not care what Party they belong to.

On one topic Mark Souder is 100% correct. Democrats have in the past defended their members who have been accused of these crimes and that is 100% wrong. I would like to see The Democrats stop this disgusting behavior.

Why has Democratic Rep. Jefferson not resigned? The FBI caught him on videotape accepting a bribe and later the FBI retrieved it from Rep. Jefferson's freezer... Where is the Democrats outrage?

Gerry Studds was mentioned by Souder. Gerry Studds was re-elected several times and his actions were far worse then what Rep. Foley is currently accused of. Gerry Studs did not resign and was in fact re-elected several times.

Mark Souder fails to bring up the fact that the Republicans in Congress let Gerry Studds off the hook as well. A weak minority of Republicans wanted to force Gerry Studds out...

Another thing Mark Souder conveniently "forgets" is that Republicans keep running as being the Party of morals... Where are those morals today?

The end of Souder's interview contains this disingenuous quote "Ultimately, at the end of the day, both sides are gonna make mistakes, but the question is, which philosophy of government do you want to run your country? Do you want one that's for bigger government or less government? More taxes/less taxes? Pro-social conservative values/less social conservative values? More regulation/less regulation? Stronger national defense/weaker national defense?"

This must be analyzed. What Party is strongest on the issues Mark Souder mentioned?

1. Bigger or smaller government. Even discounting ALL SPENDING on defense and Homeland Security the Republicans have increased the size of government in the last six years FAR MORE then Bill Clinton did in the previous eight years. The Republican Party and Democratic Parties both stand for larger government. If Mark Souder believes in smaller government he should vote Libertarian. The Libertarian Party is the only Party that stands for smaller government.

2. More or less taxes. The Republicans are for smaller taxes then The Democrats. The Republicans have made the tax code far more complicated and had added the wasteful Sarbanes-Oxley Act in the last six years. They have lowered taxes and made them more complicated. This is a difference between Dems and Reps. Both the Libertarian Party and Republican Party stand for smaller taxes.

3. Pro-social conservative values/less social conservative values? The Republican Party is more in favor of socially conservative values then either Libertarians or Democrats.

4. More regulation/less regulation. In the last six years we have added more regulations then we did in the previous eight. The Republicans have increased government rapidly. The Republican and Democratic Parties BOTH believe in too many needless government regulations. The Republicans have become the Party of seat belt laws, smoking bans, and the like...
The only Party that believes in less regulation is The Libertarian Party.

5. Stronger Defense/Weaker Defense. This is certainly up for debate. As a military veteran I think we need a strong national defense. The Republicans seem to think that as long as we spend big piles of money on defense we will have a strong one. I think there is more involved... Out of the three Parties I feel that The Republican Party is strongest on this issue; however, they have a lot to learn.

It sounds like to me that Mark Souder is advocating that everyone should vote Libertarian...

It is time to get involved in politics. If you think we need a smaller government and less government regulations there is only ONE political Party that advocates those stands, it is The Libertarian Party.

Mike Sylvester
Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Allen County

Another disgusting Republican habit

Sean Hannity and his ilk can really get on my nerves. Representative Foley is pond scum. It is simple and it is not complicated. He should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and treated like a sex offender if he is found guilty. Based on his resignation and based on his public apologies already; I think we all know what the outcome of this trial will be.

The Republican leadership of the House also needs to be investigated. If they knew of this behavior and did not investigate it then they should be forced to resign by their own Party.

How on earth can The Republican Party stand for this behavior?

Does anyone remember back to when The Republican Party tried to portray itself as the moral Party? The Party of Christians? The Party of character? It seems like so long ago...

Another thing about this that disturbs me is the constant comparisons to Bill Clinton and his scandal...

SHUT UP Republican talking heads!

Bill Clinton is no longer The President of The United States. I DO NOT CARE what he did many years ago. The despicable behavior that Bill Clinton engaged in in the 90's has NO BEARING on the Foley scandal. None. Zero. Nada.

I was very angry at Bill Clinton and I thought he was pond scum over his scandal as well. THAT IS OVER. I have moved on.

Today we need to focus on Representative Foley and on the rampant corruption in Washington DC. We need to send some new politicians to Washington DC and get rid of career politicians...

Rep. Foley is a despicable human being. The Republicans should be VERY angry at their House leadership. Very angry...

I know I am...

Mike Sylvester

What is the difference between a Republican and Democrat in Indiana?

It is getting harder and harder to see ANY DIFFERENCE between The Republican and Democratic Parties in the state of Indiana, at least as far as economic and fiscal issues.

This article from the JG is very interesting and tells a sad tale for the Republicans:

<http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/15666477.htm>

There has been a lot of talk about Indiana's circuit breaker law. Basically, it prevents Hoosiers from annually paying more then 2% of their homes assessed value in property taxes.

As far as I am concerned the circuit breaker is a good law; however, unlike The Republicans, I think the property tax limit is too high.

I think the circuit breaker law should limit annual property taxes to 1% of their total assessed value. In the past Indiana has raised the Sales tax just to lower property taxes. It has never worked, that tax revenue has always been spent on various spending schemes. Here is an idea; lets make the property tax circuit breaker 1% and lets transfer half of the revenues the State collects from Sales taxes to local government. The State could then stop subsidizing property taxes and the taxpayers would have a better idea of who is spending their money!

If you think this is a good idea there is only one Political Party in Indiana that agrees with you. The Libertarian Party of Indiana.

The Republicans have changed their tune; they now seem to think we NEED MORE TAXES so that local governments can take even more money from the taxpayers...

The Republican Party is a big government Party. I challenge ANYONE to dispute that. Please, tell me where The Republicans have decreased the size of Government! Please...

Mike Sylvester

Interesting observation about Letter to the Editor policy of various local publications

All newspapers have a policy in place to handle Letters to the Editor. The main focus of these policies is to ensure that the person whose name appears at the bottom of each letter is actually the person who wrote the letter...

My letters and editorials are published in a several local publications...

I am RARELY called and asked if I wrote the letter that was submitted... Very Rarely.

I would guess that 90% of the letters that I write that are published are NEVER confirmed by the newspaper.

I think there are two reasons for this:
1. I submit a fair number of letters. I imagine that the people receiving them know my writing style and know my likely stance on most issues.
2. My email address is Mike.Sylvester@Verizon.net. I always submit my letters by email. It would seem logical that Mike Sylvester wrote any letters that were sent from the above address...

There is one major exception to my Letters... The JG ALWAYS confirms my letters...

Hm...

Mike Sylvester

Thank goodness it is over

Congress is no longer is session. This is the shortest Congressional session in recent history. It is over...

One of the last things they did needs some discussion...

They passed a Port Security Bill. This in itself is something I expected them to do. I have not read it; however, I imagine it will not be too damaging to my country...

They tried to add several billion dollars of unrelated mass transit spending and subsidies to the bill at the last minute; this was luckily defeated. Many Democrats and some Republicans were responsible for this attempt to add a bunch of wasteful spending to an unrelated bill...

Unfortunately, they DID add a section that will even further restrict online gambling... This was done by The Republicans; however, The Democrats caved in very quickly.

What does Online Gambling have to do with Port Security you ask?

Nothing.

I absolutely hate it when our politicians do things like this. Each bill should stand on its own merits and should cover ONE TOPIC.

Both Party's have used the tactic of putting unrelated items into bills in the dead of night; however, The Republicans seem to be doing it even more often then The Democrats did...

One other thing worth noting; there was a portion of this Port Security Bill that would require background checks on the criminal backgrounds of dock workers. It was meant to keep convicted felons from handling goods in our ports. The reasoning was that if we want to make Port Security a priority we need to keep convicted criminals from being the ones handling the goods.

The unions threw a fit. So the Democrats threw a fit. So The Republicans joined the Democrats and immediately caved in... This provision was stripped from the bill... This is SHAMEFUL.

I remember back when John Kerry and The Democrats were trying to make Port Security a BIG DEAL in the 2004 Presidential Election. Now that we finally have a Bill to address this issue they decide to remove an important portion of it because they do not want to upset Unions. What a joke.

Neither Party should be proud of this Bill...

I strongly suggest that you vote against all incumbents in the upcoming elections. We need some new blood in Congress and we need it badly.

Mike Sylvester