With all of America's wars, there will always be sore losers who think the wrong side won. Seventy years after World War 2, there are still people who wear swastikas. One and a half centuries after the Civil War, there are still people who support Southern independence. Cecil Rhodes wanted to undo the American Revolution by having the US rejoin the British Empire. We can't win every heart and mind. We can't kill everybody who doesn't like us. Victory involves setting an objective and accomplishing that objective. Usually that objective involves getting someone important on the other side to sign a piece of paper,
I propose that there just isn't anybody important in ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, or any other group. There will always be someone who says that they are loyal to one of those group. Just because some lunatic shoots some people and says he's part of a bunch of other lunatics isn't sufficient cause to send troops and bombs halfway around the world. Attacking ISIS because of the San Bernadino shooters would be like burning Atlanta to the ground again because some racist punk murdered some people in a black church.
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Keep pseudoephedrine over-the-counter
It might seem trivial to compare the inconvenience of a doctor's appointment to the tragedy of meth addiction. But a law that requires a prescription for pseudoephedrine is going to have health consequences for innocent Hoosiers while doing very little or nothing to stop people from using meth.
Even with health insurance, very few people are actually going to go to a doctor to get cold meds. First of all, all Hoosiers live within 70 miles of the state line. So going to another state will be less of a hassle than going to a doctor. Some Hoosiers might stock up on cold meds as well. And some people will choose the worst possible option: going to work or school without controlling the symptoms and placing coworkers and classmates at risk of catching a cold.
If your sole objective is to stop meth, it would make for sense to lobby the federal government to reclassify pseudoephedrine as a Schedule II drug like Adderal or oxycotin. A state law in this case is a pathetic half-measure. On the other, if not even Congress can be persuaded to outlaw a drug, then that should be an indicator of how silly the whole idea is.
Even with health insurance, very few people are actually going to go to a doctor to get cold meds. First of all, all Hoosiers live within 70 miles of the state line. So going to another state will be less of a hassle than going to a doctor. Some Hoosiers might stock up on cold meds as well. And some people will choose the worst possible option: going to work or school without controlling the symptoms and placing coworkers and classmates at risk of catching a cold.
If your sole objective is to stop meth, it would make for sense to lobby the federal government to reclassify pseudoephedrine as a Schedule II drug like Adderal or oxycotin. A state law in this case is a pathetic half-measure. On the other, if not even Congress can be persuaded to outlaw a drug, then that should be an indicator of how silly the whole idea is.
Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Trump proposes banning Muslims from entering the US
Trump is running a campaign that seems like it's more designed to embarrass the GOP than actually win an election. Most of the time he sounds more like Stephen Colbert than a serious statesman.
On the off chance that he is serious about spending 4 to 8 years in a job more difficult and dangerous than any job he has ever had, let's look at his proposal to bar Muslims from entering the US. Would this policy actually prevent a terrorist attack?
Let's start by asking how do you tell if someone if Muslim? In most cases, it is hard to tell just by looking. Islam is not a race or a skin color. There are black Muslims in Kenya and Somalia, there are Asian Muslims in Indonesia and the Phillipines, and there are Muslims with blonde hair and blue eyes in Bosnia.
The best way to know is to simply ask. Most Muslims are pretty open about their beliefs, just as most Christians and Jews are. And I would imagine most of them would begrudgingly comply with an order to stay out of the US. But Muslims who would obey US law aren't the ones you should be worried about. An actual terrorist who wanted to get into this country would likely lie about what his religion is.
So any law barring Muslims from entering this country will do nothing to keep us safer. The only reason anyone supports this idea is because they just don't like Muslims.
Monday, December 07, 2015
Celebrate Liberty Christmas Party Potluck
This Saturday the twelfth of December from 630 - 10 pm
we will be having our Celebrate Liberty Christmas Party Potluck at the
home of Tom and Jeannette Jaquish, 1423 Louisedale Dr., Fort Wayne, IN 46808. Bring an open mind and food or drink to share. Bring booze if you want it. Feel free to invite family and friends -- the more the merrier! We will have toys and entertainment for children. The house has two small dogs.
PLEASE RSVP ON OUR EVENT PAGE HERE POSTING DETAILS OF HEAD COUNT (DISH, #ADULTS & CHILDREN).
Questions? Call 260-484-5946 or email jeannettejaquish@yahoo.com
Friday, December 04, 2015
Gun control and the no-fly list
President Obama is asking Congress to pass a bill that keeps people on the No Fly list from owning guns. Politicians frequently find the need to say or do anything to make it appear to their supporters that they are taking action. But I don't think Obama actually wants this law, and he wouldn't ask for this law if he actually expected Congress to pass it.
This is how the No Fly List is supposed to work. There are roughly 47,000 names on a secret list, and the only way to find out if you are on the list is to buy a ticket and try to board a plane. The government does not want people to know if they are on the No Fly List.
I can understand the reason for this secrecy, even if I don't agree with it. If the government thinks that someone is a sleeper agent, they don't want that person to know about their suspicions. Maybe they can't locate this person to arrest them, or maybe they want to see who he's talking to before they actually collar him. My own thought is that if the government has probably cause to think that someone plans to kill a bunch of people, they should arrest him if possible or at least let the public know that person poses a threat.
But as long as the list is secret, terrorists have a strong interest in knowing if they are on the list. So if a terror group is planning a major operation and wants to know which of their assets in the US can actually board a plane, the group's leader could simply order his followers to try and buy guns. Whoever successfully buys a gun is not on the No Fly List, and whoever can't buy a gun would resort to Plan B. If the terror-watch list was available as a publicly searchable database, then terror suspects would have difficulty buying anything that required them to show ID. But if the government wants to keep people from knowing that they are being investigated, then even terror suspects should be allowed to buy guns, as absurd as that sounds.
A less absurd solution would be to issue arrest warrants for people with known terrorist ties. After all, if a person is too dangerous to be allowed to fly, they are too dangerous to be allowed to drive, board a train, visit a museum, or buy chewing gum.
This is how the No Fly List is supposed to work. There are roughly 47,000 names on a secret list, and the only way to find out if you are on the list is to buy a ticket and try to board a plane. The government does not want people to know if they are on the No Fly List.
I can understand the reason for this secrecy, even if I don't agree with it. If the government thinks that someone is a sleeper agent, they don't want that person to know about their suspicions. Maybe they can't locate this person to arrest them, or maybe they want to see who he's talking to before they actually collar him. My own thought is that if the government has probably cause to think that someone plans to kill a bunch of people, they should arrest him if possible or at least let the public know that person poses a threat.
But as long as the list is secret, terrorists have a strong interest in knowing if they are on the list. So if a terror group is planning a major operation and wants to know which of their assets in the US can actually board a plane, the group's leader could simply order his followers to try and buy guns. Whoever successfully buys a gun is not on the No Fly List, and whoever can't buy a gun would resort to Plan B. If the terror-watch list was available as a publicly searchable database, then terror suspects would have difficulty buying anything that required them to show ID. But if the government wants to keep people from knowing that they are being investigated, then even terror suspects should be allowed to buy guns, as absurd as that sounds.
A less absurd solution would be to issue arrest warrants for people with known terrorist ties. After all, if a person is too dangerous to be allowed to fly, they are too dangerous to be allowed to drive, board a train, visit a museum, or buy chewing gum.
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Some interesting things to note about France and Muslims,
1. Prior to 1940, France tried to seal off its border with Germany with the Maginot Line, a series of heavily armed forts and bunkers. It was much more formidable than any fence or wall proposed by 21st century US politicians, and it still didn't work.
2. From 1940 to 1944, there were a series of mass shootings that took place in France.
3. Neither the Roosevelt Administration nor the Truman Administration took any steps to seal our borders to keep out Catholic or Lutheran immigrants who fled in the aftermath of these shootings.
4. During this same time period, the Grand Mosque in Paris was allowed by the Nazis and the Vichy regime to remain open.
5. This mosque provided fake Muslim documents to Jews so that they could hide from the Nazis. This action put the mosque at great risk but saved the lives of over 100 Jews.
2. From 1940 to 1944, there were a series of mass shootings that took place in France.
3. Neither the Roosevelt Administration nor the Truman Administration took any steps to seal our borders to keep out Catholic or Lutheran immigrants who fled in the aftermath of these shootings.
4. During this same time period, the Grand Mosque in Paris was allowed by the Nazis and the Vichy regime to remain open.
5. This mosque provided fake Muslim documents to Jews so that they could hide from the Nazis. This action put the mosque at great risk but saved the lives of over 100 Jews.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Syria
I'm not going to pretend to be a foreign policy expert, but the people who do pretend to be experts are getting us into quite a mess in Syria. It is a bad idea to get involved in a civil war, even when one faction is led by a hated tyrant. Consider our own past experiences. US involvement in the Russian Civil War led to Soviet mistrust and resentment that lasted through the interwar period, World War II, and the Cold War. And now we are butting heads with Russia once again. So here is what I would do if I were President Obama: pull out and let Putin stick his hand in the meat grinder. Consider that the term "moderate rebel" is a oxrymoron, and any innocent people who might be worth helping are fleeing the country anyway.
And while we are on the subject, all those military-age men flooding into Europe? I was a military-age man once, and I never got any where near the recruiting center. My guess is that the majority of these guys are like me in that they really, really, don't want to be in the military and don't want to be in combat. These guys are more draft-dodgers than terrorists. If we want to reduce ISIS and Assad's ability to carry out future attacks, then this is the type of behavior that we should encourage.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
NEXT BUSINESS MEETINGS
This is technically the July meeting that had to be rescheduled twice, this delay will work to our advantage as Labor Day is the traditional start to campaign season, and this meeting right before will give us plenty of time to plan out and ramp up as needed consistently.
Wednesday 26th of August 2015
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Little Turtle Branch Library
Sherman Blvd. south of West State Blvd.
Please, RSVP via our EVENT PAGE, thank you.
Monday 28th of September 2015
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Pontiac Branch Library
Crieghton Ave. at Hanna St.
Please, RSVP via our EVENT PAGE, thank you.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Confederate flags and other useless symbols
Some symbols are useful, because they convey a clear message. Stop signs present a clear message, and I know what to do when I see one. I don't need to ask the fellow who put up the sign what he means by that.
Some symbols provide a more vague message. Che Guevara was a Communist guerrilla who hated black people and wanted to outlaw rock music. His face appears on t-shirts which are worn by people who don't seem to know this. I would imagine Che would be mortified that his face is used to make a quick buck, as if I would care what he things. The t-shirts are marketed as a symbol of rebellion. What the wearers of the shirts are rebelling against isn't always clear.
The same goes for Guy Fawkes masks. Guy Fawkes Day is a holiday in the UK that commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot. Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliment and establish a Catholic theocracy. Even his fellow Catholics opposed his plan, and he was caught and hanged. Today, Guy Fawkes masks licensed by Warner Brothers are popular among radicals with both feet firmly planted in the air. I'm going to guess that Guy Fawkes and Anonymous have opposing views on separation of church and state. But again, Guy Fawkes is a symbol of rebellion.
When someone displays a Confederate flag, they might be trying to say that they are from the South, that they support states' rights (even though the CSA Constitution required states to allow slavery), or that their ancestors fought for the CSA, (hopefully their ancestors have accomplished other things in the past 150 years). Or they might be displaying that flag just to upset other people.
It is a waste of resources for state and local governments to display a defunct symbol. And it is a waste of energy for me to get upset when that's the reaction that people seek when they display such a symbol.
Some symbols provide a more vague message. Che Guevara was a Communist guerrilla who hated black people and wanted to outlaw rock music. His face appears on t-shirts which are worn by people who don't seem to know this. I would imagine Che would be mortified that his face is used to make a quick buck, as if I would care what he things. The t-shirts are marketed as a symbol of rebellion. What the wearers of the shirts are rebelling against isn't always clear.
The same goes for Guy Fawkes masks. Guy Fawkes Day is a holiday in the UK that commemorates the failure of the Gunpowder Plot. Guy Fawkes tried to blow up Parliment and establish a Catholic theocracy. Even his fellow Catholics opposed his plan, and he was caught and hanged. Today, Guy Fawkes masks licensed by Warner Brothers are popular among radicals with both feet firmly planted in the air. I'm going to guess that Guy Fawkes and Anonymous have opposing views on separation of church and state. But again, Guy Fawkes is a symbol of rebellion.
When someone displays a Confederate flag, they might be trying to say that they are from the South, that they support states' rights (even though the CSA Constitution required states to allow slavery), or that their ancestors fought for the CSA, (hopefully their ancestors have accomplished other things in the past 150 years). Or they might be displaying that flag just to upset other people.
It is a waste of resources for state and local governments to display a defunct symbol. And it is a waste of energy for me to get upset when that's the reaction that people seek when they display such a symbol.
Wednesday, June 03, 2015
The Dennis Hastert Scandal: Why Individual Privacy Is Vital To National Security
There are folks who argue that it is worth it to give up privacy for the sake of national security. These people will then insist that they have nothing to hide. But privacy is actually vital for the security of a democracy.
First of all, let's just admit that we all have secrets. I'm not married, so one of my secrets is that either I have had premarital sex or I'm a virgin in my thirties. Dennis Hastert had a secret as well. He spent a lot of money and may have broken the law trying to keep that secret under wraps. It's normal and understandable for elected officials to want to hide their past, even though the methods used aren't always legal or ethical. The kind of people who get elected to office often lead very interesting lives, then turn around and pretend that their lives are as bland as possible in order to cause the least offense to voters. Still, politicians should have the same right of privacy regarding their personal lives as any other citizen.
If the 9/11 attacks were carried out in a different manner, Dennis Hastert might very well have become President. And his blackmailer could have had influence over public policy. The personal secrets of powerful men can be used to control them, and by extension the rest of the country. So consider that there are thousands of private citizens who may get elected to Congress or the White House in the next 20 to 50 years. I don't know who will be President in 2032, but the NSA is likely gathering data on him or her right now. And that data could fall into the wrong hands. Whatever your opinion of Edward Snowden is, he is still yet another example of how the US government is very bad at protecting vital information. So one way to ensure a safer future is to not try to gather people's personal data into one big honeypot.
First of all, let's just admit that we all have secrets. I'm not married, so one of my secrets is that either I have had premarital sex or I'm a virgin in my thirties. Dennis Hastert had a secret as well. He spent a lot of money and may have broken the law trying to keep that secret under wraps. It's normal and understandable for elected officials to want to hide their past, even though the methods used aren't always legal or ethical. The kind of people who get elected to office often lead very interesting lives, then turn around and pretend that their lives are as bland as possible in order to cause the least offense to voters. Still, politicians should have the same right of privacy regarding their personal lives as any other citizen.
If the 9/11 attacks were carried out in a different manner, Dennis Hastert might very well have become President. And his blackmailer could have had influence over public policy. The personal secrets of powerful men can be used to control them, and by extension the rest of the country. So consider that there are thousands of private citizens who may get elected to Congress or the White House in the next 20 to 50 years. I don't know who will be President in 2032, but the NSA is likely gathering data on him or her right now. And that data could fall into the wrong hands. Whatever your opinion of Edward Snowden is, he is still yet another example of how the US government is very bad at protecting vital information. So one way to ensure a safer future is to not try to gather people's personal data into one big honeypot.
Monday, June 01, 2015
Tabitha Dyck to represent the People of Fort Wayne #PlugTheHolesInExcessSpending
EDITORIAL NOTE: During our Annual Convention the
Libertarian Party of Allen County, Indiana nominated and certified Mrs. Tabitha Dyck to be slated as our representative on the Municipal Elections ballot in November unanimously.
MEET OUR CANDIDATE
A graduate of Bishop Dwenger High School, Tabitha Dyck,
is a current Nursing student, with the eventual goal of achieving her
Master's Degree. She is a United States Naval Veteran who completed her service as a Naval Corpsman in an Expeditionary Medical Unit, and earned several Leadership positions during her career. In the the years following High School before joining the Navy, she worked various jobs while touring the Country. Some of these jobs were Server, Entertainment Promotions, Camp Ground Facilitator, and Cook.
In 2005, Tabitha made the decision to return to Fort Wayne and plant her roots in order to "flourish along our three rivers". She made this decision due to her family being here. There is also a low cost of living, and it is a comfortable, practical, City to settle down in. After her term with the Navy, she was reunited with the love of her life, Sam. They are both passionate about Urban Gardening and have proven its aide to sustainability in the past. Tabitha would like to share her experiences and learn more about others ideas regarding these topics.
Tabitha decided to run for Fort Wayne City Council At Large because she hopes to prevent excess spending in City finances. She wants to assist the local Community with Self Sustainability in a healthy and practical manner. She also wishes, most of all, to speak for those who feel they have no voice. You may contact Tabitha Dyck for more information or to schedule an interview by calling 260-415-5040 or leaving a message on her Campaign's Facebook Page.
NOTE FROM THE OFFICERS: We are openly seeking qualified candidates for the November ballot. If you are interested in running for Elected Office in any of the 40 Positions available in Fort Wayne, New Haven, Grabill, Woodburn, Leo-Cedarville, or Monroeville, please contact LPAC's Chair, Robert Enders, privately to schedule a sit down interview. Please also follow LPAC on FACEBOOK to keep up with current notices and information as well.
MEET OUR CANDIDATE
 |
| Mrs. Tabitha Dyck Fort Wayne City Council At Large #PlugTheHolesInExcessSpending |
In 2005, Tabitha made the decision to return to Fort Wayne and plant her roots in order to "flourish along our three rivers". She made this decision due to her family being here. There is also a low cost of living, and it is a comfortable, practical, City to settle down in. After her term with the Navy, she was reunited with the love of her life, Sam. They are both passionate about Urban Gardening and have proven its aide to sustainability in the past. Tabitha would like to share her experiences and learn more about others ideas regarding these topics.
Tabitha decided to run for Fort Wayne City Council At Large because she hopes to prevent excess spending in City finances. She wants to assist the local Community with Self Sustainability in a healthy and practical manner. She also wishes, most of all, to speak for those who feel they have no voice. You may contact Tabitha Dyck for more information or to schedule an interview by calling 260-415-5040 or leaving a message on her Campaign's Facebook Page.
NOTE FROM THE OFFICERS: We are openly seeking qualified candidates for the November ballot. If you are interested in running for Elected Office in any of the 40 Positions available in Fort Wayne, New Haven, Grabill, Woodburn, Leo-Cedarville, or Monroeville, please contact LPAC's Chair, Robert Enders, privately to schedule a sit down interview. Please also follow LPAC on FACEBOOK to keep up with current notices and information as well.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Downtown Arena?
The city paid consultants $39,000 to study the feasibility of a downtown arena. I could have told them that it wasn't feasible for free. Maybe if I charged more, city officials might listen.
A downtown arena was proposed in 2000. The proposal died a deserved, horrible death when officials admitted that the Coliseum would be demolished if the Komets moved downtown. Regular readers of this blog already know my stance on local government subsidizing the entertainment industry. But broader public support is going to depend on several key questions.
1. Will the Komets move to the new arena?
2. If they do move, will Memorial Coliseum share the same fate as Memorial Field? My guess is that they will conduct a study to find alternate uses for the historic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. And it will stay open for a few years and operate at a huge loss to the county, and then it will get bulldozed anyway. So if you are emotionally attached to the Coliseum, you should be very concerned about the city building a competing sports venue.
3. If the Komets won't be moving, what is the point? Is some other minor league team with an idiotic name moving in? Or are there going to be concerts in this arena, just like at the Grand Wayne Center, the Embassy Theater, and the Coliseum? Is this city so jam-packed with concerts that they need another place to hold them all?
A downtown arena was proposed in 2000. The proposal died a deserved, horrible death when officials admitted that the Coliseum would be demolished if the Komets moved downtown. Regular readers of this blog already know my stance on local government subsidizing the entertainment industry. But broader public support is going to depend on several key questions.
1. Will the Komets move to the new arena?
2. If they do move, will Memorial Coliseum share the same fate as Memorial Field? My guess is that they will conduct a study to find alternate uses for the historic building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. And it will stay open for a few years and operate at a huge loss to the county, and then it will get bulldozed anyway. So if you are emotionally attached to the Coliseum, you should be very concerned about the city building a competing sports venue.
3. If the Komets won't be moving, what is the point? Is some other minor league team with an idiotic name moving in? Or are there going to be concerts in this arena, just like at the Grand Wayne Center, the Embassy Theater, and the Coliseum? Is this city so jam-packed with concerts that they need another place to hold them all?
Tuesday, May 05, 2015
WOAH: Collective Bargaining Controversy breaks out right before Primary Selection Process last night
In less than an hour the pandering will commence, the last minute
debates will engage, somebody will piss in someone Else's Wheaties, and
tomorrow we might find out whom picked who to run in November's
Municipal Elections.
Meanwhile, you all got stuck footing the bill for what should be decided in a private Party Convention, rather than being discussed on the edge of our roadways and the bottom of our airwaves. The vetting of candidates for Elected Office really does belong in a Convention setting, where the members have control not the Puppets tied to someone else's strings, especially since only 13% of the electorate historically show up to vote today. Our Convention was last month and only cost $20 dollars for food and tip, membership fees were optional.
Best of luck to my friends whom are currently in contests as Republicans and Democrats both. Just to let you know Libertarian Party of Allen County, Indiana's Candidates will see whomever wins today in November.
Fort Wayne's Collective Bargaining Controversy
While this interview last night on WOWO's Pat Miller with Jeremy Bush, the head of the Fire Fighters Union, may be considered last minute politicking or electioneering; it also needs to be reviewed because it validates the arguments made by Vote Gina Burgess regarding active collusion by both current members of City Council and the Mayors office. Here is a separate link to Gina's previous commentary and exposure of the issues.
Union president's secret recording questions mayor's commitment to collective bargaining
By Corinne Rose - 21Alive | April 28, 2015
I am sharing all of this specifically for the information and validation of the historical record.
Meanwhile, you all got stuck footing the bill for what should be decided in a private Party Convention, rather than being discussed on the edge of our roadways and the bottom of our airwaves. The vetting of candidates for Elected Office really does belong in a Convention setting, where the members have control not the Puppets tied to someone else's strings, especially since only 13% of the electorate historically show up to vote today. Our Convention was last month and only cost $20 dollars for food and tip, membership fees were optional.
Best of luck to my friends whom are currently in contests as Republicans and Democrats both. Just to let you know Libertarian Party of Allen County, Indiana's Candidates will see whomever wins today in November.
Fort Wayne's Collective Bargaining Controversy
While this interview last night on WOWO's Pat Miller with Jeremy Bush, the head of the Fire Fighters Union, may be considered last minute politicking or electioneering; it also needs to be reviewed because it validates the arguments made by Vote Gina Burgess regarding active collusion by both current members of City Council and the Mayors office. Here is a separate link to Gina's previous commentary and exposure of the issues.
Union president's secret recording questions mayor's commitment to collective bargaining
By Corinne Rose - 21Alive | April 28, 2015
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (21Alive) -- A local union leader claims Mayor Tom Henry supported ending collective bargaining behind closed doors, while supporting the unions in public.
The president of the fort wayne firefighters union was supposed to share with us a recording he made last summer of a conversation about the mayor
Jeremy Bush taped that conversation with Republican 3rd District City Councilman Tom Didier without Didier's knowledge.
Didier tells 21Alive he had a meeting with Mayor Henry and Republican Councilman At-Large Marty Bender where the topic of collective bargaining came up.
Didier then told union president Bush that Mayor Henry asked him and Councilman Bender if they supported eliminating collective bargaining for six of the city's unions, why not eliminate it for all nine, including the police and fire departments?
However, Didier, Bender and Mayor Henry all say that comment is being taken out of context -- that the mayor was trying to lobby the republican councilmen to keep collective bargaining for the unions.
“What I was actually doing was expressing some frustration with the city council and I did say that ‘If you're going to take away six unions, why don't you take away all nine unions?’ And that's the statement that was taken out of context,” Mayor Henry says.
“The mayor was always very, very pro-union and tried to do the best he could to try and get us to sway our opinions of it but was not successful in that,” Bender says.
Mayor Henry has consistently supported collective bargaining, saying it gives city employees a voice.
He even used his first veto in office after city council approved eliminating collective bargaining for the unions not covering public safety.
Union president Bush stands by what Didier says on the recording, which he would not share with us by the time of our newscast, but says he would on Wednesday.
Bush also says that either Didier lied to him, or that Didier, Bender and Mayor Henry are all lying now.
If Bush has had this recording since last summer, why is he wanting to share it now?
With the municipal primary election in exactly one week, the timing does seem to be a bit suspect.
I am sharing all of this specifically for the information and validation of the historical record.
Monday, April 13, 2015
What if there was no video of the Walter Scott shooting?
A lot of people would still know that Walter Scott was shot in the back even without the video. As any paramedic or coroner can tell you, entrance wounds tend to be smaller than exit wounds. Depending on state laws and circumstances, HIPAA rules may prevent this kind of information from being released to family members. I propose that in the event of a homicide, all immediate family members should have access to any medical records related to the killing. Granted, grieving family members don't want to read the gory details, but they should have the right to turn that info over to an attorney or anyone else who they want to investigate the matter. If someone gets fatally shot, the family should have a right to know what angle the shots came from.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Ballot Proxy Wars and the Primary Selection Process: The best way to get a mule to move isnt by dangling carrots but smacking them with a 2 x 4 across the head!
 |
| "Stop Beatin Them Mules" JOSIAH "SI" KLEGG By John McElroy Book Two: THRU THE STONE RIVER CAMPAIGN published 1910 source cite |
Gina Burgess, whom has been spotlighted here before in a more positive light and has been an encouragement to the Party previously, filed a questionably huge complaint against 27 fellow Municipal Elections candidates with the Allen County Election Board for fraudulent filing of particular CFA documents (PDF 8 Pages). After I made the initial accusation of her actions being that of a Ballot Proxy War she responded and posted the above linked WANE News Channel 15 story as well as two personal Facebook post explaining her actions and commenting on the fallout the day after.
 |
| drawn by John Cox written by Allen Forkum circa 2003 |
""... But, Burgess said the Allen County Election Board mishandled complaints filed within that deadline by Democratic mayoral candidate David Roach. The board held a hearing on February 18 in which it did take one candidate off the ballot and dismissed the rest of the complaints. Roach is now appealing in court. On Facebook, Burgess wrote to the board, “if you are willing to engage and settle the matter of Roach v ACEB before the primary” then she would drop her complaints against the 27 candidates.
“I’m willing to withdraw them even though they are valid because I believe the Election Board will be more vigilant in the future, but this other case needs to stop being in legal limbo and needs to move on,” Burgess said.
Downs was at the hearing for Roach’s complaints and said he thinks the board did take them seriously.
“[Roach] did himself some damage by saying he looked for evidence and couldn’t find any, but you should keep looking. I can make that same claim about anybody, and that’s not a credible reason to investigate,” Downs said. .....""
But filing as a threat to warrant an untimely outcome in a separate case and also questionable due process is my concern and should be every other Citizens as well. Gina, you should have either a. not dangled the carrot of recension or b. waited til after the Primary and filed direct charges of perjury. Sometimes you just got start smacking a mule across the head to get it to budge they dont like eating their vegetables either. In other words, the proper action would have been a Writ of Mandamus against the ACEB; instead you put the ACEB against everyone else on a respective hunch in some cases and in others still questionable concerns.
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Hoosier Pride!
There has always been some bias against
Hoosiers. Many Hoosiers claim to be born that way, but conservatives
and liberals insist that it is a lifestyle choice. In fact, there are
“recovering Hoosiers” in 49 states. The federal government
requires Hoosiers to carry ID cards that identify ourselves as such
when we try to board a plane. But you don’t see Muslims having to
carry Muslim ID cards or Christians having to carry Christian ID
cards. It’s like we are being singled out.
There are many stereotypes about
Hoosiers. Outsiders think we all wear plaid or Ed Hardy shirts. They
think we all work on farms, or at least use that as a cover story
when we try to buy anhydrous ammonia and a suitcase full of
pseudoephedrine. They think of Hoosiers as people who put Confederate
flags on their Ford pickup trucks even though Indiana is a northern
state and everyone knows that General Lee and Jeff Davis were diehard
Chevy owners.
There are many subcultures within
Hoosier subculture. There are folks up in Noble County who “warsh”
their dishes. There is Harrison County where people talk like Dukes
of Hazzard characters. And there is Lake County, a foul abomination
that should be given back to the British. I happen to be a
“metro-Hoosier”. I can usually pass for a non-Hoosier while on
the East Coast unless I slip up and try to order a pop at a
restaurant.
Hoosiers are very
spiritually diverse. We worship deities like Jesus, Yahweh, and He
Who Walks Behind the Rows. Yet many of us have concerns about RFRA.
Specifically, many of us are concerned that Bill Belichick might
claim that his Sith religious beliefs are protected when he chokes
people to death from 10 feet away in Lucas Oil Stadium. (The NFL
needs to start testing for midichloridians. And there is good in you
yet, Tom Brady. I can feel it.)
This may be Indiana, but it’s still
America. And I hope that everyone else will accept us for who we are.
At least we deserve more tolerance than what George Takei has for theTwilight Series. And when I think of rednecks and homophobes, I think
of Kid Rock and Eminem. And those guys are from Michigan. So there.
Monday, March 30, 2015
LPIN CHAIR STATEMENT ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RESTORATION ACT - INRFRA
Official Statement by Dan Drexler the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Indiana:
Pence’s “Pelosi” Moment Gives Cause for RFRA Repeal
by Dan Drexler, LPIN Chair, March 30, 2015
(Indianapolis, Indiana) When a state’s governor goes on national
television and explains that a bill he just signed into law needs
clarification, you know the bill is a troubled piece of legislation.
When state legislative leaders from that same governor’s party hold a press conference to explain that the legislation they just recently passed needs to be revisited and clarified, you know the bill is a troubled piece of legislation.
Reminiscent of former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “We have to pass the bill to see what’s in it.” moment, efforts by Governor Mike Pence, Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President David Long to deflect criticism to their passage of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act come off eerily similar to Pelosi’s ill-chosen words. Simply put, in their haste to pass legislation that appeases their far right wing through subtle changes in the bill’s language, they pushed through a bad piece of legislation that will undoubtedly carry unintended economic, political and social consequences — consequences proponents and opponents alike will come to regret.
This law needs to be repealed.
This legislation had the potential of building a coalition of support not seen since its resounding federal passage in 1993. At that time, the federal bill passed the U.S. House unanimously and the U.S. Senate in a 97-3 vote. It brought together religious fundamentalists and civil libertarians alike. Everyone seemed to like the concept of protecting our rights to religious freedoms and underscoring the importance of our nation’s 1st Amendment. Regardless of the polarizing rhetoric we are hearing today, the concept of respect for differing religious (and non-religious) beliefs is still embraced by a strong majority.
Unfortunately, Indiana’s GOP legislative majority authored a bill that slants the “two-way tolerance” Governor Pence sought solidly in one direction. In doing so, they jeopardized what otherwise could have been a bill celebrated by all.
When state legislative leaders from that same governor’s party hold a press conference to explain that the legislation they just recently passed needs to be revisited and clarified, you know the bill is a troubled piece of legislation.
Reminiscent of former U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s “We have to pass the bill to see what’s in it.” moment, efforts by Governor Mike Pence, Speaker Brian Bosma and Senate President David Long to deflect criticism to their passage of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act come off eerily similar to Pelosi’s ill-chosen words. Simply put, in their haste to pass legislation that appeases their far right wing through subtle changes in the bill’s language, they pushed through a bad piece of legislation that will undoubtedly carry unintended economic, political and social consequences — consequences proponents and opponents alike will come to regret.
This law needs to be repealed.
This legislation had the potential of building a coalition of support not seen since its resounding federal passage in 1993. At that time, the federal bill passed the U.S. House unanimously and the U.S. Senate in a 97-3 vote. It brought together religious fundamentalists and civil libertarians alike. Everyone seemed to like the concept of protecting our rights to religious freedoms and underscoring the importance of our nation’s 1st Amendment. Regardless of the polarizing rhetoric we are hearing today, the concept of respect for differing religious (and non-religious) beliefs is still embraced by a strong majority.
Unfortunately, Indiana’s GOP legislative majority authored a bill that slants the “two-way tolerance” Governor Pence sought solidly in one direction. In doing so, they jeopardized what otherwise could have been a bill celebrated by all.
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Religious Freedoms Restoration Act
Several thoughts:
1. There should never be religious exemptions for any law. Laws against murder are great laws, and there are no religious exemptions for those laws. Even if you believe that consuming the hearts of your enemies will cause you to absorb their strength and courage, you still aren't allowed to kill a person and cut open their chest for that purpose. Good laws shouldn't have religious exemptions, and bad laws should just be repealed entirely. If it's ok for Indian tribes to take peyote, anybody should be allowed to take peyote.
2. The First Amendment already guarantees your right to believe whatever you want. But certain beliefs will hold you back from pursuing certain careers. If you are Amish, you probably can't work in IT. If you believe that killing animals is wrong, you can't work in a slaughterhouse. If you are a pacifist, then you can't be a US Marine. And if your beliefs prevent you from providing service to an entire group of customers, then your beliefs will prevent you from succeeding in the retail industry. I do wish all of the above groups the best of luck in finding gainful employment, but they just won't have the same options as the rest of us.
3. Real business owners don't want to discriminate. They don't want to turn down paying customers. And they really don't want paying customers to be under any impression at all that they would be discriminated against in their stores. This is why most business leaders don't lobby against anti-discrimination laws. Anti-discrimination laws ultimately protect businesses because with such laws in place, people know that they are welcome in any store. Governor Pence is going out of his way to protect a very small number of businesses that are doomed to fail anyway.
4. People make up new religions all the time. And who is to say which new faiths are sincere? I'm sure the Heaven's Gate cult members were sincere about their new faith when they all poisoned themselves. So if someone starts the High Church Of Tall Grass And Smoking Crack, will the City of Fort Wayne intervene by forcing HCOTGASC members to stop smoking crack and start mowing their yards?
5. If you are going to open a business that doesn't serve gay people because of your religious beliefs, why not just call your business a church and claim tax exempt status? Heck, if the law sticks then I wonder what would happen if a burning bush told me to stop paying Indiana taxes?
1. There should never be religious exemptions for any law. Laws against murder are great laws, and there are no religious exemptions for those laws. Even if you believe that consuming the hearts of your enemies will cause you to absorb their strength and courage, you still aren't allowed to kill a person and cut open their chest for that purpose. Good laws shouldn't have religious exemptions, and bad laws should just be repealed entirely. If it's ok for Indian tribes to take peyote, anybody should be allowed to take peyote.
2. The First Amendment already guarantees your right to believe whatever you want. But certain beliefs will hold you back from pursuing certain careers. If you are Amish, you probably can't work in IT. If you believe that killing animals is wrong, you can't work in a slaughterhouse. If you are a pacifist, then you can't be a US Marine. And if your beliefs prevent you from providing service to an entire group of customers, then your beliefs will prevent you from succeeding in the retail industry. I do wish all of the above groups the best of luck in finding gainful employment, but they just won't have the same options as the rest of us.
3. Real business owners don't want to discriminate. They don't want to turn down paying customers. And they really don't want paying customers to be under any impression at all that they would be discriminated against in their stores. This is why most business leaders don't lobby against anti-discrimination laws. Anti-discrimination laws ultimately protect businesses because with such laws in place, people know that they are welcome in any store. Governor Pence is going out of his way to protect a very small number of businesses that are doomed to fail anyway.
4. People make up new religions all the time. And who is to say which new faiths are sincere? I'm sure the Heaven's Gate cult members were sincere about their new faith when they all poisoned themselves. So if someone starts the High Church Of Tall Grass And Smoking Crack, will the City of Fort Wayne intervene by forcing HCOTGASC members to stop smoking crack and start mowing their yards?
5. If you are going to open a business that doesn't serve gay people because of your religious beliefs, why not just call your business a church and claim tax exempt status? Heck, if the law sticks then I wonder what would happen if a burning bush told me to stop paying Indiana taxes?
Friday, March 20, 2015
Mandatory Voting?
This issue comes up from time to time. People will bring up the issue to sound interesting, but mandatory voting is ultimately a dead issue in this country. It should not happen, and it's highly unlikely that it will happen.
Voting shouldn't be mandatory, because voting is ultimately about choice. Requiring people to vote ultimately denies them of the choice of not voting. Right now, a majority of eligible voters sit out any given election. Can we really expect who are too apathetic to vote on their own initiative to make intelligent and informed decisions for the rest of us?
Maybe so. I suspect that people who are involuntarily voting for the first time might be strongly motivated to support candidates who promise to repeal mandatory voting. In a three way race between a Democrat and a Republican who support mandatory voting, and a Libertarian who opposes it, then the Libertarian could win with a clear majority of involuntary votes.
So Libertarians oppose mandatory voting on moral grounds, while Democrats and Republicans would likely do the math and oppose it on political grounds. The only scenario that I can imagine mandatory voting coming to pass is if the President and Congress see the country collapsing after the next election, and they want Libertarians to get elected to office and absorb the blame.
Sunday, March 01, 2015
Letting our chickens come home to roost in the Summit City?
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| Jacques DuBois of St Paul MN feeding his flock via Twin Cities circa 2012 |
ONE ACRE FARM [ FB | WEB ]
presents: The Pros & Cons
and Tools For Newbies
I should take this moment of calm, to let you know that this initiative is being spearheaded by Michele Berkes-Adams, who is also one of the Co Founders of Food Not Lawns Fort Wayne Chapter, but securing this modification to City Code will benefit more than just one organization, it will go towards an overall long game establishing food security and economic sustainable practices within urban farming environments, which will increase sustainable entrepreneurial and economic opportunities here in the Summit City. Currently they have just over two hundred signatures and they are looking for a thousand before presenting the ordinance to City Council.
PETITION: AMEND CITY CODE TO ALLOW URBAN CHICKENS
Urban chickens (backyard chickens) are chickens that are raised within city limits for their eggs, companionship, and other important roles in the urban landscape. Raising urban chickens is associated with sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and the local-food movement -- which emphasizes participating in home-grown foods and food security. Proponents of the urban chicken movement cite many benefits.
First, advocates claim home-raised livestock helps minimize the fuel use and carbon emissions that result from transporting food to markets. Second, urban chickens give owners control over how the chickens are treated and what they are fed. This is important to some owners because research has shown that chickens that have access to the outdoors produce more nutritious eggs than chickens raised indoors. Third, chicken droppings are good fertilizer and can be used in compost piles. Finally, chickens will eat garden pests and thus they provide a chemical free pest solution.
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| Urban Coop Company Round Top Chicken Coop |
2. Recommendations for legislation
There should be a limit of 6 birds kept on each lot, although, since they are social birds, there should never be less than two or three together. No roosters will be permitted. Hens must be kept in a suitable enclosure such as a hen house or chicken coop with at least 2 square feet available for each chicken.
Enclosure must be located at least 10 feet from any property line, and at least 20 feet from any neighboring dwelling. Enclosure should be at least 35 feet from any stream or river. Enclosures must be kept clean and feed kept in a airtight container. There must be at least 10 square feet of permeable space on the lot for each bird. No slaughtering for meat, breeding animals for sale, or selling eggs will be permitted.
And we'll never be Royals ..... OUTRIGHT LIBERTARIANS get heckled for challenging Bush and Paul at CPAC
However the issues of Nobility and Dynastic Presidencies have always salt and peppered our political landscape. I think every Libertarian has reserved concerns between familial power versus individuals experience and merit, and I have concerns about aristocracy, especially another Bush or for that matter Clinton; but this Country has, from its Constitutional foundation, always flirted with Dynasties (Adams/Quincy Adams 2nd and 6th Presidents) while at the same time opposed Titles of Nobility directly in the Constitution:
"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States: and no person holding any office of profit or trust under them, shall, without the consent of the Congress, accept of any present, emolument, office, or title, of any kind whatever, from any king, prince, or foreign state." (A1S9C8; See also A1S10C1)But it is not just about the Presidency, any review also needs to be considerate of Congress as well. In 1848, for example, more than 16 percent of congressional seats were filled by someone whose relative had previously held the position [source: Kieley]. Moreover, a 2006 study found that Congress members who serve more than one term have a 40 percent chance of someone in their family later ending up in Congress [source: Alexander]. That doesn't imply that these family trees are full of rotten apples, but they may cultivate relationships and connections that can help siblings, cousins and in-laws win elections as with any successful business operation. (SOURCE: HOW STUFF WORKS)
In 1810, Democratic–Republican Senator Philip Reed of Maryland,[13] introduced a Constitutional amendment modifying the Title of Nobility Clause. Under the terms of this amendment any United States citizen who accepted, claimed, received or retained any title of nobility from a foreign government would be stripped of their U. S. citizenship. After being approved by the Senate on April 27, 1810, by a vote of 19–5[14] and the House of Representatives on May 1, 1810, by a vote of 87–3,[15] the amendment, titled "Article Thirteen", was sent to the state legislatures for ratification. On two occasions between 1812 and 1816 it was within two states of the number needed to become a valid part of the Constitution.[16] As Congress did not set a time limit for its ratification, the amendment is still technically pending before the states. Currently, ratification by an additional 26 states would be necessary for this amendment to be adopted. (SOURCE: WIKI)
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN?Which yes, means if 26 States ratified the Amendment between now and next week, we could end up with Joe Biden as President until 2017! President Obama has violated this portion of the Constitution twice, the first being the Nobel Peace Prize; the second being a medal for the bejeweled Collar of the King Abdul Aziz Order of Merit, Saudi Arabia's highest honor in January 2008. (SOURCE: WASHINGTON POST)
Here everyone was crying about a valid Birth Certificate, when all you had to do was finish amending the Constitution. Kenya would be mighty happy to have him. Say It Aint So Joe gets to laugh at everyone publicly! Meanwhile Donald Trump is getting his head ferret shaved in shame wondering why he didnt think of that first.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
ANNUAL CONVENTION DATE SET
Prices for Dinner is Adults $16 Kids 12 and under $ 7. Please RSVP via our EVENT PAGE so that we may have a more accurate number to provide the Restaurant's Management.
There will be a brief Business Meeting which will then transition into our Nominating Convention where we will begin to discern candidates to run for office on the November General Election Ballot. This year in Allen County there are 38 Positions available for Voters to change the way Government operates in Cities and Towns across this Metro area. All four Offices of the Party are up for Election as well. Nominations will be accepted at this time during the Convention. Do you want to run for City Council or Mayor? This is the year to do that. If you can serve on a jury, you can serve on City Council. Send a PM to LPAC Chair Robert Enders (via our Facebook Page) for more details.
You must become a member of the local Party (which is free) at a minimum to vote and may do so during the Convention. You are encouraged to join the State or National Party for $25 annually and forms will also be available for your convenience.
Monday, February 09, 2015
James McCoy: No more Bones to hide with Indiana GOP
So people ask me: why are you suddenly against the GOP?
As I said, I did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me and my Reagan Era Conservative values, which in the words of Reagan are based upon Libertarianism.
For 25+ years, I supported candidates, voted Republican and worked for the party. Then I moved off of the coasts (after having lived in CA and the east Coast) and made the mistake of thinking that in Indiana I was joining a Conservative "American" Party.
That is where I learned that Nixon was a Communist and Barry Goldwater (the Father of Modern Conservatism) was a Liberal. That is where I was told that my fiscal conservatism, ideas for small and unobtrusive (or as little intrusion as possible), fair and the lowest possible tax rates for all, equal rights, and especially "freedom of religion" were equated with "progressivism" and "communism". I'm stilled baffled by that, but it seems that anyone that does not attend a proper Republican endorsed church is a "commie".
That is where I encountered the single most corrupt political party I have ever seen, and I work here for the CPC (Editors Note: Communist Party of China).
That is where I really learned to understand the term xenophobia, the irrational fear of foreigners. The primary fear is of brown-skinned foreigners (mainly Mexicans). They love to use cheap Mexican labor on the farms where they burn their crosses, but they resist allowing them to become citizens. It's not just non-white foreigners that are met with the phobia; it's anyone from out of town.
If you move there from another state, even if you are a Republican, you're likely to be greeted by some Al Capone wannabees, assorted Klansman, the cast of deliverance, the offspring of some kissing cousins who left their condoms back at the trailer park when they went off behind the barn at the church picnic, and a few extras from Smoky and the Bandit saying "you ain't from these parts".
After witnessing first-hand the extreme corruption, which is more harmful to the economy than anything else that is going on, and saw the state of the education system (the least educated state in America), and Republican resources being applied to elect Democrats; I had no choice but to resign.
With an AA in accounting, a BA in International Business (with a minor in Economics) and now an MA in International Relations (with essentially three languages), this party which rules over the least educated state, and where 65% do not believe in science, considers my background to be "uneducated". Again, I'm baffled; but I give up trying to figure that out.
This is a party that thinks that Moses was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and that the First Amendment to the US Constitution declares the US to be not just a "Christian only" nation, but one of a new Republican only Christian denomination that was created in the 1970s and revised when they invented a new version of Jesus on 9/11.
Even with a world-class education, solid Conservative values, business experience and an international resume, there's just no room at the Kornfield Kounty Kristian Inn; so I parked myself with the Libertarians until I decide what to do.
Although not guilty by reason of insanity, there is just not much of anything for anyone in the IN GOP; my last home before returning to the real world.
In the meantime, the main argument in the GOP is "who will be a better President: Hillary or JEB?”
While that is going on, no one seems to see the significance in the fact that Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) was the last Republican elected to the White House without Nixon or a member of the Bush family on the ticket. This still stuns me. The GOP gene pool has become a *shot glass, and some of those genes (well, see the kissing cousins comment above). (NOTE: *original source text was modified after this posting)
Perhaps someday I will return to the national GOP; in the meantime, there needs to be major changes.
As I said, I did not leave the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me and my Reagan Era Conservative values, which in the words of Reagan are based upon Libertarianism.
For 25+ years, I supported candidates, voted Republican and worked for the party. Then I moved off of the coasts (after having lived in CA and the east Coast) and made the mistake of thinking that in Indiana I was joining a Conservative "American" Party.
That is where I learned that Nixon was a Communist and Barry Goldwater (the Father of Modern Conservatism) was a Liberal. That is where I was told that my fiscal conservatism, ideas for small and unobtrusive (or as little intrusion as possible), fair and the lowest possible tax rates for all, equal rights, and especially "freedom of religion" were equated with "progressivism" and "communism". I'm stilled baffled by that, but it seems that anyone that does not attend a proper Republican endorsed church is a "commie".
That is where I encountered the single most corrupt political party I have ever seen, and I work here for the CPC (Editors Note: Communist Party of China).
That is where I really learned to understand the term xenophobia, the irrational fear of foreigners. The primary fear is of brown-skinned foreigners (mainly Mexicans). They love to use cheap Mexican labor on the farms where they burn their crosses, but they resist allowing them to become citizens. It's not just non-white foreigners that are met with the phobia; it's anyone from out of town.
If you move there from another state, even if you are a Republican, you're likely to be greeted by some Al Capone wannabees, assorted Klansman, the cast of deliverance, the offspring of some kissing cousins who left their condoms back at the trailer park when they went off behind the barn at the church picnic, and a few extras from Smoky and the Bandit saying "you ain't from these parts".
After witnessing first-hand the extreme corruption, which is more harmful to the economy than anything else that is going on, and saw the state of the education system (the least educated state in America), and Republican resources being applied to elect Democrats; I had no choice but to resign.
With an AA in accounting, a BA in International Business (with a minor in Economics) and now an MA in International Relations (with essentially three languages), this party which rules over the least educated state, and where 65% do not believe in science, considers my background to be "uneducated". Again, I'm baffled; but I give up trying to figure that out.
This is a party that thinks that Moses was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and that the First Amendment to the US Constitution declares the US to be not just a "Christian only" nation, but one of a new Republican only Christian denomination that was created in the 1970s and revised when they invented a new version of Jesus on 9/11.
Even with a world-class education, solid Conservative values, business experience and an international resume, there's just no room at the Kornfield Kounty Kristian Inn; so I parked myself with the Libertarians until I decide what to do.
Although not guilty by reason of insanity, there is just not much of anything for anyone in the IN GOP; my last home before returning to the real world.
In the meantime, the main argument in the GOP is "who will be a better President: Hillary or JEB?”
While that is going on, no one seems to see the significance in the fact that Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) was the last Republican elected to the White House without Nixon or a member of the Bush family on the ticket. This still stuns me. The GOP gene pool has become a *shot glass, and some of those genes (well, see the kissing cousins comment above). (NOTE: *original source text was modified after this posting)
Perhaps someday I will return to the national GOP; in the meantime, there needs to be major changes.
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE: Homelessness versus Economic Redevelopment along our Three Rivers - Part One Current History
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| Homeless In The City Of Churches Event Photo 20150208 Photo and Food Credit Food Not Bombs Fort Wayne https://www.facebook.com/FoodNotBombsFortWayne |
ADDITIONAL EVENT COVERAGE: WANE | WPTA | WFFT | JG | NS |
Whom is responsible for the Homeless in our midst?
Until 1987 there was not a Federal Care Provision mandate until the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was passed by Congress and signed by then President Ronald Regan. The McKinney Act originally had fifteen programs providing a spectrum of services to homeless people, including the Continuum of Care Programs: the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and the Single Room Occupancy Program, as well as the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. The McKinney Act is a conditional funding act which means that the federal government gives grants to states and, in return, the grantee states are bound by the terms of the act. If a state chooses not to accept federal funds for these purposes, it does not have to implement the act. (WIKI)
So the Federal Government leaves it to the States to deal with as it was historically within the boundaries of the State's primary jurisdiction to secure their own People. Indiana has the given primary care of the Indigent and Homeless to the jurisdiction of the Township Trustee, of which six of the twenty Townships within Allen County are encompassed either all or in part by the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana: Wayne, Washington, Saint Joseph, Aboite, Perry, and Adams. While the City is not the primary Government Agency responsible for poor relief and sheltering the homeless, the ones whom are responsible for such benevolence are not doing their job efficiently either, and that goes for both Wayne and Washington Township Trustees. I havent had a recent encounter with any of the other four but they should also be challenged to improve their response to these surrounding Community issues as well, Indigent Care is under their wheelhouse.
Why are we just now starting to talk about this?
The facts of the matter remains that, as the Fort Wayne Police Department is questionably harassing Homeless people encamped along side our Riverbanks in tents and makeshift shelters, and Citizen Advocates are crying foul, while the City Council starts choking on its own spit to avoid the Citizen backlash, only to have the Mayor pop up and act aloof and ignorant of what our Police Department is doing, and as the Citizen Advocates dig deep and start counting names and taking numbers and issuing challengers to City Council incumbents, only to get a run around by the previously aloof Mayor about a new Indiana Regional Homeless Triage Project (IRHTP) that wont even begin until (Commentary Part 1 of 3 by Ed Rose on the TOOL/PILOT Program) (Part 2 and Part 3, for further reference) after April, is that while everyone has been playing offense and defense of their respective positions and niches of service within the Community, by the City doing anything for or against the Homeless population they are both usurping jurisdiction from another Government Agency and Tax Finances that could be used more beneficently then they way they are being distributed right now, from both Government funded Agencies and Private and Religious Foundations, to scratch preferred backs and favours rather than the organizations that have the capacity but lack the capital investment to implement newer more fiscally responsible programs.
Economic Redevelopment versus Homeless Shelters/Encampments
This isnt a new debate either, we have been back pedaling how to deal with Homeless in our midst even as far back as 2009 when the new location for Charis House was built on Wells Street northwest of the Superior Street Bridge. Back then current Third District Council Member Thomas Didier was livid to think that all of that previously undesired, now Prime River Front, was now isolated from further Economic Development.
Third district City Council member, Tom Didier's, district is across the street from the controversial land. He says he isn't against helping the homeless but doesn't like the proposed Well's Street location.
"This particular project is something that probably could go somewhere else. You know it's not like it has to go here! They own the property so for them they actually could make out in the long run if some developer would want to come along and purchase that property.”Didier called Mayor Henry today and suggested the city purchase the property and help Charis House officials find other land.
(Source: Homeless Shelter Ready To Expand, Neighbors Say "Not So Fast" by Laura Donaldson,
25 February Updated 04 March 2009, The Networks of Indiana News Center)
And then when challenged by Citizen Activists recently his response was even more disingenuous:
(disingenuous - adjective, not candid or sincere, typically by pretending that one knows less about something than one really does.)City Councilman Tom Didier said he takes the challenge from Landis seriously, but says he plans on challenging himself in a different way.
"I already know that it's freezing cold and the last thing I would want to do is I would want to be in the shoes they are in how do you develop a plan or program to have them realize that themselves that is a question that even Pastor Donovan says we're here to help," said Didier.Didier said there is room in the Rescue Mission. The problem is getting men to agree to their rules, and really want to change.
"I think it's there, the need to help is there it's whether the person that's wanting to help and he wants to take that opportunity for the help," said Didier.(Source: Councilmen Say 'No' to Homeless for a Week Challenge
by Isabella Moller, 27th of January, 2015, Fort Wayne Home Page / WFFT FOX 55 NEWS)
Which was then directly contradicted by the Person whom he cited from the Rescue Mission while discussing the new TOOL/PILOT program announced by the Mayor:
While Donovan Coley with the Rescue Mission sees this as a step in the right direction, he said the pilot program doesn’t currently address real solutions.
“The problem is still that we don’t have enough beds. So we can identify the persons, but where are we going to put them?” he asked.
Then to top all of this off the Riverfront Study Group released their long term planning strategy, which begins right smack dab in the middle of two Homeless Shelters and several independent encampments.
In 2013, the city hired SWA Group from Houston to complete a riverfront study. The consultants revealed their final recommendations at a meeting Wednesday night at the Grand Wayne Center, saying the first phase should involve a waterfront promenade. It could extend along both the south and north banks of the St. Marys River beginning at the Historic Wells Street Bridge and stretching east toward Harrison Street.
(Source: Promenade recommended as first phase of riverfront development
by Staff Reports Published: 4th of February, 2015, WANE NEWS CHANNEL 15)
In closing this historical review of recent activities, I think it would be fitting to quote Pastor Donovan Coley from earlier last year during Hunger and Homeless Week which ironically happened only a few days after the first evictions of homeless people from the Riverfront by the Police Department:
Donovan Coley, CEO of the Rescue Mission, amplified his concerns with the city’s eviction notice tactic during a press conference about the awareness week.
“I pray Fort Wayne, that we will offer true compassion by not asking individuals just to move their stuff, but that we will help them to pick up their lives,” Coley said on the Allen County courthouse green. “I pray that we will not lose our individual and community conscience in the pursuit of economic and riverfront development.”In August, Coley first told 15 Finds Out about his concerns for the future of the homeless in a revitalizing downtown in the investigative series “Down and Out in Downtown.” Monday morning, he expanded on solutions to eradicate homelessness in Fort Wayne.
“I pray that we will come together as a community with real resources and real solutions to develop a comprehensive plan for a welcome center, for a day center, medical detox with therapeutic treatment, and other tools to address this issue in our beloved community,” Coley said.(Source: Concerns, solutions voiced for homelessness awareness week.
by Adam Widener, 17th of November, 2014, WANE NEWS CHANNEL 15)
EDITOR'S NOTE: [READ PART TWO FOR THIS POST HERE]
Wednesday, February 04, 2015
Vaccinations
Should parents have a choice on whether or not to vaccinate their kids? Should parents have a choice on whether or not to feed their kids? Should parents have a right to right to decide whether or not to let their kids out of the basement?
Once you decide to take an infant home from the hospital, you have an obligation to provide for that child's needs. You have to provide them with food, shelter, and see to it that they receive medical care. If you can't or won't do this, put the child up for adoption. Nothing I've said in this paragraph should be controversial. If there are kids in your house right now, make sure they are vaccinated or send them home.
To be sure, kids have an amazing ability to trigger irrational emotions in their parents. This can lead to parents making unfortunate decisions that make the news. If your emotions or beliefs are keeping you from providing adequate medical care for your kids, please put them up for adoption.
Should parents have a choice on whether or not to vaccinate their kids? Parents have an obligation to protect their children from communicable diseases. One way to do this is to vaccinate your kids. Another way is to take your kids to a GMO-free, gluten-free utopia in the middle of nowhere. I'm open to hearing other suggestions in the comments section.
Once you decide to take an infant home from the hospital, you have an obligation to provide for that child's needs. You have to provide them with food, shelter, and see to it that they receive medical care. If you can't or won't do this, put the child up for adoption. Nothing I've said in this paragraph should be controversial. If there are kids in your house right now, make sure they are vaccinated or send them home.
To be sure, kids have an amazing ability to trigger irrational emotions in their parents. This can lead to parents making unfortunate decisions that make the news. If your emotions or beliefs are keeping you from providing adequate medical care for your kids, please put them up for adoption.
Should parents have a choice on whether or not to vaccinate their kids? Parents have an obligation to protect their children from communicable diseases. One way to do this is to vaccinate your kids. Another way is to take your kids to a GMO-free, gluten-free utopia in the middle of nowhere. I'm open to hearing other suggestions in the comments section.
Tuesday, February 03, 2015
Libertarians To The Editor: WILLIAM LARSEN: Education has gotten too far from basics
K-12 education is critically important to our economy and freedom.
Over the past five decades I have been exposed to many educational
experiments. In my five decades I have researched these experiments and
found that they were implemented without ever being validated. In short,
did they improve education?
Many question why test scores are low, yet I believe these good people are missing the basics of learning and how the brain processes and retains information.
We all learn differently. I learn best by hearing, writing and seeing a presentation and least by reading. I find that reading from a hard copy is far superior to a monitor. I also learn best when I must explain myself instead of multiple choice. In fact, the item I grew up disliking the most, writing, turns out to be the most efficient means of learning for me. I also learned a great deal when I looked up a word in a dictionary, seeing many other words spelled correctly before I found the one I was looking for. I learned that an outline reduced mistakes, organized my thoughts, reduced time I spent actually writing and improved my retention of the material.
The purpose of K-12 is what? To me it is to teach me the basics so that by grade 12 I know how to teach myself. However, today’s K-12 presentation of material does not utilize repetition nor use multiple senses at the same time.
I have always questioned school systems’ use of calculators and computers in K-12. The material we learned before these great tools was no less than that taught today. I took the same high math without the high-tech tools. I grew up without using a calculator and computer, yet when I used one for the first time in 1984, it took very little time to learn the software, I had a true appreciation for its power.
Before one can run, one must learn to stand, crawl and walk. Skipping the basics is not really learning.
WILLIAM LARSEN
Fort Wayne
EDITORS NOTE: Published in Fort Wayne Journal Gazette 20150203.
Many question why test scores are low, yet I believe these good people are missing the basics of learning and how the brain processes and retains information.
We all learn differently. I learn best by hearing, writing and seeing a presentation and least by reading. I find that reading from a hard copy is far superior to a monitor. I also learn best when I must explain myself instead of multiple choice. In fact, the item I grew up disliking the most, writing, turns out to be the most efficient means of learning for me. I also learned a great deal when I looked up a word in a dictionary, seeing many other words spelled correctly before I found the one I was looking for. I learned that an outline reduced mistakes, organized my thoughts, reduced time I spent actually writing and improved my retention of the material.
The purpose of K-12 is what? To me it is to teach me the basics so that by grade 12 I know how to teach myself. However, today’s K-12 presentation of material does not utilize repetition nor use multiple senses at the same time.
I have always questioned school systems’ use of calculators and computers in K-12. The material we learned before these great tools was no less than that taught today. I took the same high math without the high-tech tools. I grew up without using a calculator and computer, yet when I used one for the first time in 1984, it took very little time to learn the software, I had a true appreciation for its power.
Before one can run, one must learn to stand, crawl and walk. Skipping the basics is not really learning.
WILLIAM LARSEN
Fort Wayne
EDITORS NOTE: Published in Fort Wayne Journal Gazette 20150203.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Beyond the Veil: First Spouses represent our Ideals and Ethics to the World.
So the First Lady accompanied President Obama to Saudi Arabia, in an Official Diplomatic Status, and didnt wear a "head scarf" while paying respects to the late King Abdullah. (Washington Post) This of course has been blown up on news and blogging sites and trending on Twitter and Facebook both for the last couple of days. There are some whom are stipulating that it is an affront to the people of Saudi Arabia and a schlep of others crying that it was a broad political statement made by Michelle Obama, if not ironic that both her prior two predecessors made the same decision in dress and took it three steps further:
"Freedom, especially freedom for women, is more than the absence of
oppression. It's the right to speak and vote and worship freely. Human
rights require the rights of women. And human rights are empty promises
without human liberty."
~ Laura Bush,
at World Economic Forum in Jordan in 2005
"Women's rights are human rights, and human rights are women's rights."
~ Hillary Rodham Clinton
at U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing, 1995
One key thing to remember is, that while the First Spouse is not elected, they traditionally are still an Appointed Diplomat with certain historical duties, privileges, and challenges; they should represent to the World Stage the strongest, bravest, and sincerious, version of whom an American Person was, is, and will become, not in disrespect of another culture but in the most inclusive representation of our culture and ethics to the World.
 |
| Brian Harris via Vocal Progressives http://vocalprogressives.blogspot.com/ |
~ Laura Bush,
at World Economic Forum in Jordan in 2005
"Women's rights are human rights, and human rights are women's rights."
~ Hillary Rodham Clinton
at U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing, 1995
One key thing to remember is, that while the First Spouse is not elected, they traditionally are still an Appointed Diplomat with certain historical duties, privileges, and challenges; they should represent to the World Stage the strongest, bravest, and sincerious, version of whom an American Person was, is, and will become, not in disrespect of another culture but in the most inclusive representation of our culture and ethics to the World.
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