Littlestuff Weekender-5-21-2011

It appears that the animal rights activists have captured the Ohio GOP….particularly the Ohio Senate. On Tuesday they will be voting on the RINO PROTECTION ACT otherwise known as SB 148. As it now stands, the bill will allow NO THIRD PARTY BALLOT ACCESS IN OHIO.  The GOP power elites have proven in the 2010 primary that they could crush Tea Party candidates. Now they want to eliminate any challenges from others who believe in small constitutional government and personal liberty. Lord Acton observed that “absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The state of Michigan grants ballot status to any party that receives 1% of the vote in certain designated races. Is Ohio too chicken or fearful to live with 3% or so? Apparently they are. If you wish to check out some suggested ballot language that protects your options, go to www.LPO.org and view the pdf  that follows the story about last week’s testimony. Please call your Senator (find at http://www.ohiosenate.gov ). It would be a travesty if Iraqi’s had more choices and freedom than we have.  

Just 10 more days remain in May. Local elections in many places are fewer than 6 months away. There is less than a year and a half until the critical election of 2012. Time is running through the hourglass at an accelerated pace. Now is the time to structure the organization, choose and design materials, and establish a solid timeline for execution.

The latest poll indicated that Ken Blackwell was leading the GOP field as a challenger to Sherrod Brown for the U.S. Senate. Sort of a bogus poll in my view since Blackwell hasn’t announced, but Dr. Michael Pryce has….and he wasn’t included in the questioning. Another case of self-fulfilling polling. The deck is stacked and the political elites deal from the bottom.

As we reminded you earlier, the deadline for filing petitions for candidacy for 2012 is December 7^th…just a tad more than 6 months from now. Research, recruit, organize, staff and plan. If you or your group has a candidate or is seeking one, do it now.

Got some serious field work done yesterday, and plan to do more this afternoon. Rain predicted for tomorrow here in Wood County, Ohio. That has become the norm. Hope that some level of precipitation continues throughout the summer. Our late start for planting will hurt our yields, but a truly dry summer could be devastating.

The GOP presidential sweepstakes are all mixed up, but how many Dem’s wish they had the guts to challenge “O?” Come on, Hillary. Come on, Chucky Schumer. Go for it.

I would like to see a new federal office created, and I gleefully volunteer to assume the office: Dismantling Czar. The job description would be to eliminate every unconstitutional, unnecessary and inefficient federal agency, department, bureau and office. The only government employees who would remain after my reign of “error” would be the gate keeping guards at the CIA in Langley. They have done an excellent job so far.

The President has all the tact and diplomacy of an alligator in heat. His stated preference to restore the 1967 borders for Israel has been a topic that has never before been stated openly by U.S. Presidents or diplomats. Now it seems that he has something sticking to his shoes as he attempts to backtrack and minimize. His huge ego seems to drive him to state things under the assumption that if he says it, it will happen. We can only pray (and work) that his reelection efforts follow a similar pattern.

Personally, I wish more candidates would discuss liberty. Big Government robs us of our money, our property and our options. If liberty were the driving force or motivation for our decisions, government wouldn’t be so large, so costly and so oppressive.

Some group has suggested that McDonald’s retire Ronald because he leads kids to make unhealthy choices. Damn lefties should get a life. Next thing you know they’ll be after the Tooth Fairy because she conditions kids to expect something for nothing…thus creating an entitlement mentality. Come to think about it, they may have a point. Just thinking…just sayin’.

The Huck is out. Newtie is in. Cain is in. Bachmann is in. Daniels is coy. Christie and Perry claim to not want to run. Is Harold Stassen around? What about Walter Judd? Given how fast he wants to jump the ladder, I’m shocked that Josh Mandel hasn’t announced for President yet…he’s probably waiting for 2016.

I left the Ohio General Assembly in 1984. I served with John Kasich, Sherrod Brown, Mike DeWine, and Bill Batchelder…all of whom hold positions of responsibility today with Ohio’s government. Are you better off today than you were 27 years ago?

Our radio program on WSPD 1370 AM continues every Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:00pm. This week we’ll have Scott Allegrini from the Children of Liberty on our “Liberty Link” segment and Dr. Michael Pryce to discuss ObamaCare and his race for the GOP Senate nomination. You can find us at www.wspd.com  or (419) 240-1370, (866) 321-1370 toll free.

Have a wonderful remainder of the weekend. Back on Monday with Littlestuff-minoosha and a discussion of sovereign immunity.

Comment:   cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or    www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

  

Meeting Needs

Any successful enterprise that is focused on changing the status quo must be well organized. Organization is even more critical when the agents of change represent a small portion of the affected body. In today’s political environment the “Tea Party” and liberty movements represent an active and determined minority that is working to restore some sanity into the United States’ government institutions. So, it follows that organization….and meetings are vital for planning and executing the blueprint. The clinker is that people of action loathe meetings. The patriots whose coordination and education are most important for advancing the cause are usually the most impatient with long meetings. On the other hand we have meeting organizers who successfully negotiate every detail for conducting informative meetings. As a result of the types of personalities involved, some groups are blessed with highly informative programs but have minimal impact for recruitment or campaigning. Others place yard signs and hold rallies with gusto but their meetings may not have much “meat.”

Clearly the organizations that populate the Liberty and Tea Party universe do not share perfectly matched goals or principles. We do, at least, share the same professed desire for constitutional, smaller government, lower taxes and dismantling of the Nanny State. We may differ on foreign policy, military deployment and a few social issues, but we are united in our fear and distrust of a too-powerful federal government. Common purpose should result in common effort. It seems that citizens who are concerned about the state of the nation will gravitate toward a group who shares their values, or….who invites them personally to participate. The new person’s personality may not be in sync with the approach of that particular group, and she or he will drift away with the impression that most reformist groups are similar. What might be considered is for each group to develop or appoint leadership that can capitalize on the personality strengths of the members. A new potential recruit could, therefore, find that the local group is diverse enough to provide real opportunities for her or him to be fully engaged.

If a group is too small to encompass the various types of effective leadership, cooperating with another patriot group may be fruitful. Forming an action or educational committee whose members span both groups could develop into a proficient organization that exceeds the ability of either group alone to be successful. The cooperative enterprise may attract others from the community who may not have felt comfortable with a particular group but is positively impressed by the activity of the coalition. It’s not necessary that the two groups merge, but merely work together when the individual skills of their members complement one another. We witness this dynamic for larger functions when two or more patriot groups join forces for a major event, so why not consider this strategy on a micro level.

The overriding issue is that our numbers are small and the task is huge. For the sake of the nation and future generations, it is vital that we add more dedicated people or maximize the numbers that we have at the present time. Sam Adams observed that an active vocal minority could prevail. He was correct. Witness the current state of our country. Our situation was envisioned and created by a dedicated minority of leftist zealots who refused to quit. They have been so successful that our energized liberty-loving minority does not have the luxury of decades to re-establish the republic. Yesterday is history. Today is when we must move forward. Tomorrow may be too late. Recruit, educate, train, unite and organize to preserve the Founder’s vision.

Comment:   cearlwriting@hotmail.com        or      www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Flaming Courage

“The votes aren’t there” is the typical response of a “conservative” politician who fails to initiate the type of legislation that is necessary to stop our current madness. Another dodge that politicians use is “the opposition is too strong right now to get this through.” Those statements may be truthful. Indeed, they probably are, but they do not justify an unwillingness to try to correct the deficiencies of government. Principled advocates promote their causes even when the circumstances are most bleak. Many of the “progressive’ elements of our present day were considered astronomical long shots when first proposed. Their proponents refused to be intimidated by public opinion or legislative opposition. They continued to toil in the vineyards of public policy until their destructive measures were adopted. Why is it that so many self-described believers in constitutional government lack similar intensity and commitment to their positions?

Small steps toward worthy goals frequently lead to ultimate victory. A football analogy would be that a team that gains 5 yards on every play will eventually score, eat some clock time and prevent their opponent’s offense from possessing the ball. When a team is far behind and the clock is ticking away, a different strategy is required. Yardage and scores must be earned in large bunches. The hurry-up huddle and two-minute offense will be employed to save precious moments. Downfield and sideline passes will dominate, and the running game may be forgotten. In the world of big government tyranny we are in the final quarter, the clock continues to move, and we are terrifyingly behind on the scoreboard. Yet the so-called constitutionalists dither and dawdle and continue to run plays that yield minimal gains. They seem unwilling to throw the ball. They are reluctant to strike for the goal. They are content with small token gains while the time is running out. Why?

Ego and perception appear to be the guiding rules for the “small-government” politicians. First, they believe that their intellects, their contributions and their savvy are much too important to be sacrificed on the altar of principle. They view their most principled colleagues as “wackos” or extremists. In essence they accept the labeling advanced by those who wish to destroy our nation and those mental light weights who are supposed to report the news. These political officeholders cannot imagine that they could be replaced because they believe the “right” things but support incremental erosion of our liberty so as not to appear too far removed from the mainstream. Their egocentric self-importance is enabling the destruction of our republic. They do not possess the courage to go down in flames for the principles of individual liberty and constitutional government. They assume that pledging “lives, fortunes and sacred honor” is a quaint but wholly ludicrous proposition.

Each faux small-government constitutional politician sees the flood and understands that it may lead to tragic consequences. Like the single raindrop, however, the spineless career politician does not recognize his or her role in the deluge. Excuse my language, but I am damn tired of politicians who want to appear to be “reasonable.” Just what is reasonable about the destruction of our nation? Why is it considered reasonable to stand aside while politicians and policies tear away the very fabric of our republic? What is reasonable about national suicide? Why do the people who claim to be supporters of a small constitutional government and individual liberty insist on being “reasonable?”

My preference is for statesmen and stateswomen who love liberty. I prefer political types who understand that liberty can preserved only by a small government that does not usurp our rights. I desire a government that will defend the borders and allow the citizens to thrive and grow without annoying interference from bureaucrats and reasonable politicians. I want politicians who have the courage to go down in flames for liberty and constitutional government. I do not want “reasonable” politicians who are willing to fiddle while the remainder of us burn. Get with the program, “conservative politicians,” either risk your political careers to save the country or get out of the way. Step up or step down. There is too much at stake for your ego to get in the way.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com    or   www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Government-mandated Outsourcing

In February it was announced that Deutsche Boerse had agreed in principle to purchase the New York Stock Exchange (Euronext) for $10 billion. With the purchase, the German company would become the largest exchange operator in the world. Politicians and the financial community lauded the proposed deal as one of great opportunity for expanding markets. In response Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. joined with Intercontinental Exchange Inc. to offer a competing bid for the NYSE. While the New York entity was considering the offers…one from Germany and the other primarily U.S. based…the federal government sprang into action.

Even though the final offer from the domestic Nasdaq group was sweeter than the original offer of the German concern, the NYSE rejected the proposal from the American suitors. Although they stated a primary reason was that the prospect of being a part of the largest exchange in the world intrigued them, concern was also expressed about the monopoly aspects of a merger with the other U.S. company. In other words, there were reservations about whether or not the United States’ Federal Government would initiate anti-trust action against the merger. Government regulations and the potential for heavy-handed litigation were influential in the final decision to sell the NYSE to a foreign entity. This little scenario is emblematic of the legal and regulatory environment in our country today and may be a significant indicator for the reasons some companies may choose to relocate their headquarters offshore.

The NYSE-Nasdaq kabuki dance is a reminder of the effect that government power has on businesses. Just the threat of government action may alter the decision-making process for a company. That could be a good thing if the corporation were intending to engage in harmful or radically unsafe practices. The other side is that subjective or arbitrary regulating may lead companies to become timid or frustrated. We can see evidence of that in the distribution of waivers for “Obamacare.” Friends, contributors and supporters receive favorable treatment while the remainder of the nation is expected to comply with the thousands of arcane rules and mandates. Big government holds the power to subjectively enforce its many rules. For a serious business operation this milieu may be intolerable because it is nearly impossible to successfully forecast and plan when the rules are implemented in a whimsical fashion.

Even if government were to enforce a given law uniformly, the businesses involved will always suspect that, at some point, the rules will change or enforcement would be unevenly practiced. The weakness of big government regulatory mechanisms should be readily apparent. In many countries and cultures bribery and corruption are the best method for companies to avoid getting lost in the regulatory maze. It is possible for smaller government to be corrupt, but because of its limited influence on the marketplace, the corruption may not have much of an impact in the marketplace. Most people and businesses seek stability. They may prefer consistent corruption to an unevenly enforced regulatory environment.

The proliferation of new rules, laws and regulations have generated a marketplace that finds its workers treading on eggshells. Government enforcers at every level appear to be constantly prowling for violations, real and imagined. Laws and regulations are unevenly enforced from sector to sector, business to business, and region to region. Bureaucrats have assumed the power (or it has been given to them) to transform vaguely-worded, over-arching legislation and molding the result into an unending series of nitpicking, nonsensical requirements. Despite the insanity of the rules, business must comply or be fined………………or relocate. Now add unrealistic union workplace rules to the bureaucratic morass and one wonders why any businesses remain here.

Fear is often as lethal as force. Fear is a prime motivator for behavior modification. In other words, fear of punishment or fear of retribution may cause you or a business to act in ways that are not in your best interests. In a democratic republic the people should not fear the government, but the government should fear the people (credit and kudos to Thomas Jefferson and “V for Vendetta”). When we fear the government more than it fears us, it is time for reordering our priorities….time to restructure the way things are.

Comment:   cearlwriting@hotmail.com     or      www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com

Counting Sheep

Don’t get too excited. I am not going to sing a lullaby to you. To the contrary I want to jar you awake. As we approach the 2012 elections, every party, every political wannabe and every career politician will be assessing the voters to determine how to finesse a winning number…they plan to be counting sheep. Politicians frequently lie. The uninformed, naïve ones mislead because they believe that they can defeat the system once they are elected. The cynical career politicians lie routinely and often. They do not even give the voters the courtesy of crossing their fingers behind their backs as they speak. They will do anything, evade everything and promise enduring fidelity to the Constitution to capture your vote. They will lie. I challenge you to find more than 5 members of Congress or the state legislature who never vote for unconstitutional legislation or resolutions.

If a citizen or a politician believes that some particular law or regulation is worthy but unconstitutional, she or he can implement the process to change the document through an amendment. Just because a politician, a citizen or a group believes something should be permissible or government-sponsored does not make it a legitimate function of government. Good ideas are not necessarily legal or constitutional. Politicians thrive when the sheeple clamor for something that is extra-constitutional. The public outcry provides some modicum of justification for extending government power, and supplies cover for future efforts to suppress our liberty. Politicians may not be the most profound thinkers in the land, but they do know how to count and read polling data.

It becomes impossible to expect the political class to display restraint when the citizens routinely look for government solutions for private sector problems. Just as the three year old child wants every toy in the store, many citizens demand that government correct every default and solve every ill. Our mission should include educating and chiding our fellow citizens to become more self-reliant. We do a reasonably good job of informing them about government inadequacy and over reaching, but we fall short when placing the blame where it lies…with the people who demand more or tolerate it. When things are running smoothly, the people’s vigilance and willingness to accept questionable governing is maximized. When the wheels of government and society begin to wobble, the people are motivated to pay attention, but our action is not initiated until the wheels begin to fall off the government and social structure.

If the people succeed in our attempts to preserve the republic by electing servants who are committed to liberty and the Constitution, then, as we were warned two centuries ago, our cry must be for eternal, effective vigilance. Cockroaches avoid the light, and politicians avoid controversy. The vocal activists must outwork and out shout the looters. If the looters win, we all will be losers. Right now the looters and their political puppets have a huge advantage. They control the levers of power. They control the Federal Reserve. They hold control over most of the media. The looters are firmly entrenched in all levels of the formal academic and educational system. The looters are in positions of power within many of the religious institutions in the nation. The looters are siphoning the energy and heart out of our nation, and leaving behind an empty skeleton. There are, at this late stage, some of our citizens who do not understand that the skeleton is empty…no organs, no muscle, no tissue, no blood. They mistake the collection of bones for the reality that once existed. They have not yet discerned that without blood and muscle, the body cannot survive.

Our mission as patriots and lovers of liberty who must sound the clarion call is to alert our fellows, our families, our co-workers, our churches, our neighbors and everyone we know or meet that the skeleton is empty, and we must labor to rebuild the body. We, all of us, can no longer live the life of compliant sheep. We must stand up to be counted…not as sheep…but as people committed to individual liberty. Perhaps we have the time to prevail…perhaps not. Liberty isn’t easy, and it ain’t cheap.

Comment:  cearlwriting@hotmail.com    or   www.littlestuff-minoosha.blogspot.com