Augusta Conservative

David Karaffa, Eve of Election

2011-11-07T13:30:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow's election has caught attention in the last week. Many things have been said by me, my opponent, the newspapers, blogs, and emails. Boiled down, the people of Beverley Manor, and three other districts, have a choice here in Augusta. Do we continue with what we have had for the last four years on the Board of Supervisors or do we change direction with new representation.

I am honored to have the endorsement of The News Virginian and of Jim Bailey, Republican Supervisor of the Beverley Manor District from 2001-2007. I have also had the privilege of multiple Volunteer Fire Fighters on my campaign along with Letters to The Editor in both newspapers supporting my bid for supervisor.

I am married to my beautiful wife Katie; we have two children, Grace and Hope. I have a degree in applied sciences from Blue Ridge Community College with a focus in nursing. I am a conservative, and I am running as an Independent for the Board of Supervisors. As an Independent, I am answerable to the people not constrained by party affiliation. I believe in small government, property rights, and government transparency, low taxes, and proper funding for education. I am pro-life and believe in our right to bear arms. If voters are confused about whom the Republican is in this race, it probably stems from the fact that my ideas and principles are directly in line with common sense conservatives. But I am more than that, I think outside the box. I don’t believe in voting as a block or gang, however I do believe in working together for common goals. I believe government has its place in our society and that the role of an elected Representative should be making sure core services are provided responsibly and efficiently, holding down growth of government, and shrinking its intrusion into our lives.

I have many ideas on how we can improve Augusta County. For example, I support immediately beginning a new property assessment and implementing a tax holiday for new small businesses in their first year. I have a proposal on how to lessen the burden of accounting for small business assets, incentives for volunteer fire fighters to increase their ranks, and changing the county budget to a zero based process. I am also in favor of staggering the elections of our Board of Supervisors here in Augusta.

This election is about new ideas and a new direction and an opportunity to put conservative values back on the Board of Supervisors. I ask you, the voter, to take the time between now and tomorrow to research the issues and make an informed decision before coming to the polls.

Thank you and Remember To Vote.

David A. Karaffa

Candidate Beverley Manor District

www.davidkaraffa.com

My First Political Cartoon!!

2011-06-20T16:51:00.003-04:00

Well it has finally happened, this appeared in the June, 20th Newsleader. My first political cartoon. I don't much agree with the statement, however I have never been in a political cartoon before.

Tracy Pyles has 16 years experience on the Augusta County government Board of Supervisors. Kurt Michael is a Governor’s School teacher who holds a PhD in education. Marshall Pattie is a JMU professor and holds a PhD in economics, and I am a Critical Care Registered Nurse.

We are independent thinkers with different political backgrounds and points of view, however, we do agree on four basic key issues that will help move Augusta County forward.

Unlike the other candidates running for the Board of Supervisors, we are going around the county holding Town Halls describing in detail our plans and vision for the county.

The four of us believe in staggering the terms of the Board of Supervisors and if elected will implement them. At our town hall meeting, we presented solutions to the county’s fire and rescue problem that included implementing the recommendations from both the 2005 fire plan and VA Fire Services Board. We understand that our schools are largely funded by the state and in order to get our fair share of state money, we need to conduct an immediate reassessment to correct the composite index. We believe that economic development and job creation should be a priority and have a plan to make that happen.

Beyond that, we will not always agree on every issue but will work together in a respectful and civil manner. For those who want to learn more about us, please come to one of our Town Halls where your questions are welcome.

Town Hall

2011-06-10T22:03:00.003-04:00

Independent Candidates, Supervisor Tracy Pyles (Pastures District), David A. Karaffa R.N. (Beverley Manor District), Dr. Kurt Michael (Wayne District), Dr. Marshal Pattie (North River District), host Town Hall Meeting.

We will present and discuss the issues facing Augusta County and our solutions.

All members of the media have been invited to attend.

Any interested citizens are invited to attend and ask questions.

Wednesday, June 15th 2011; 7:00pm Government Center Smith Conference Room West

"The Journey" on Local Government

2011-02-28T07:54:00.002-05:00

Check out "The Journey", he has a great post about Fiscal Health and Local Government.

Petitions...

2011-02-19T22:10:00.002-05:00

I spent hours today in my neighborhood, door to door, collecting signatures in order to get my name on the ballot in November. It was a new experience for me going to door to door. There is an apprehension as you approach a new door, knock, and wait. A million things race through your mind, “Is there anyone home? Will they listen to me? Will they agree with what I have to say or not?” Once they do open the door the dialog begins and within seconds you begin your relationship. Sometimes it goes well, other times it is rocky at first. All in all, it was a good day; many people were not home today due to it being a beautiful Saturday. Of those who were home, all of them signed my petition! I arrived home with a good feeling that I had not only collected a good amount of signatures but confident that I succeeded with those whom I spoke with and that I had their support in my venture to be their representative. Tomorrow I will be out and about again hard at work collecting signatures and speaking with neighbors about Augusta County and the Board of Supervisors.

Lt. Governor Bill Bolling...

2011-02-19T21:58:00.003-05:00

On Wednesday, I spent the day with fellow bloggers in Richmond, the Capital of Virginia. I had been looking forward to the day for weeks and thought it would be fun. SWACgirl (Lynn), The Journey (Bob), Augusta Water Cooler (Jason), and I (Augusta Conservative) were guests of the Lt. Governor for the day. While I had a good time with my friends, it was also an experience that I will never forget, it put to rest some of my anxiety that I had been feeling about the direction of the economy in the Commonwealth and I had a wonderful opportunity to really get to know our Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and his wife.

When we arrived in Richmond we were invited into a beautiful executive room, which we later found out was the Governor’s Cabinet Room, where about twenty other bloggers from the Commonwealth were getting acquainted. I quickly realized with my introductions that this group was unique. The bloggers assembled were experts on the budget, transportation, economics, politics, and the cases that had been and were going to the Virginia Supreme Court. Once the Lt. Governor arrived it became apparent that the question and answer session was going to be intense. I can only convey my amazement at how well the Lt. Governor and his aids were able to answer all of our questions on a broad range of subjects with a level of detail that proved their mastery of the subject. I came away from that meeting with a very secure feeling that Lt. Governor Bill Bolling and his team are some of the best and brightest that Virginia has to offer and that, if given the tools, will be successful in bringing jobs to the Commonwealth.

My second point is about Bill Bolling himself. Before going to Richmond, I knew little of Bill Bolling except to say that he was the Lt. Governor. I truly hadn't paid him much mind because Bill Bolling seemed like a behind the scene kind of guy. However, during the day, I had the opportunity to meet with him in the Cabinet Room, to watch him run the Senate during session, and had the opportunity to speak with him one-on-one three times over the course of the day. Bill Bolling is an extraordinary man; years ago he started in politics as a Board of Supervisor member in Hanover County. He worked his way up the chain in the Capital and has a great respect from all the members of the Senate. While I was watching him run the session for the day, I was able to see him quiet a senator who had spoken out of turn. The senator apologized to the President (Lt. Governor is President of the Senate), and waited patiently for his opportunity to speak. This along with many other small examples from the day truly highlighted how much he is respected by his colleagues.

I found Bill Bolling extremely easy to talk to and he showed an honest desire to listen and answer questions. His answers always had the degree of knowledge and understanding that I was looking for and he didn't ramble on as some representatives do in order to not answer another question. He is wise and humble, yet comfortable in his role and in himself, and extremely gracious.

I have been looking for a statesman among the politicians in our government and upon leaving the capital that day feel confident that we have that representative in Lt. Governor Bill Bolling. Meeting him and having the opportunity to get to know him has restored, to some degree, my belief that there are some in the political arena that are involved not for their personal gain, but for the betterment of the Commonwealth. I would encourage any person who reads this post and doubts my opinion to get to know the man, go online and look up his public schedule, see when he is going to be in your town and plan to meet him. Do not rely on my opinion or on the opinions of others, as they are just our impressions. You should meet this representative who has worked tirelessly in Richmond and throughout the Commonwealth for your interests and liberty.

H/T SWACgirl for the Photo of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and his wife.

Presidential Issues...

2011-02-01T19:49:00.002-05:00

In the last two blog posts I covered the Character, Principles, and Experience I am looking for in a candidate for the Presidency in 2012. In this last post on the matter I will cover issues.

First, as most everyone should know already from reading the name of this Blog, Augusta Conservative, it is well known that I am a Conservative. I believe that the power of government should be as close to the people governed as possible. Therefore, I believe that individual localities and their local governments should have more power than any other level of government. Next, I believe in state’s rights and the 10^th Amendment of the Constitution. I believe that the United States Constitution sets clear parameters in which the Federal Government is given authority to control and therefore is limited. There are many other issues such as Abortion, the Death Penalty, National Debt, Taxes, Term Limits, Individual Rights, Immigration, etc on which I agree with the Conservative Perspective.

Secondly, it isn't solely the individual issues and the candidates perspective on them that would make a good candidate, but rather the knowledge of his, or her, issues they believe are most in need of change in this country and their ideas on how to change them. For example, I believe our tax system needs to be overhauled. It is important to me that a candidate for President, who decides to bring up tax reform, has a clear well researched stance on the issue and detailed suggestions on how to fix it.

I do not expect for a candidate to bring up every issue that is important to me, but on the issues he, or she, does bring up, I will be watching for those perspectives and detailed suggestions on how to fix them.

In conclusion, on my thoughts about the 2012 Presidential Election, I am looking for a true leader, one who inspires the best in us as Americans. A person who brings forward the best attributes of our people for the world to see and interact with, a leader who is willing to take on tough issues and will listen to other opinions and perspectives.

This country is desperate for sound leadership and I pray that we will obtain this in the 2012 Presidential Election. I hope that all of us you do vote in this important election consider all the candidates carefully and weigh their qualifications, because in the end a republic is only successful as long as we have a faith filled, educated, and self reliant electorate.

Experience...

2011-01-30T23:13:00.002-05:00

In my last post I wrote about the type of Character and Principles I want in our next President. In this post I would like to cover Experience.

I am looking for a candidate that has a good bit of experience in order to be a good President, a real leader. First, I would like for the candidate to have experience in either local or state government. This would mean experience on a City Council, Board of Supervisors, or School Board. State held office would also surfice, either in a state Senate or Representative house. I also want the candidate to have experience in the United States Congress, either in the House or in the Senate for more than one term, having to run a record.

Lastly, and chiefly I am looking for someone with Executive experience. I am looking for a Governor. I would want someone that was a successful Governor in one of the larger states in the Union.

The above experience I have described is not a recipe for a good President, but rather a description of a wide range of perspectives gathered unto one person that would benefit him or herself in the execution of the Presidency. I would understand as a voter if the experienced varied, but I would require, for my vote and support, an extended resume of experience. We have all seen lately what a lack of experience gets us in a President.

Presidential Character and Principle…

2011-01-29T10:06:00.003-05:00

Lately, a topic of conversation that continues to pop up in political circles is, “Who is your pick for President in 2012?” My answer remains consistent, “I don’t have one yet.” I had sat down and thought about who would be my choice for President by looking at the likely candidates; however I was coming up short with each one. I decided instead to list the principles, characteristics, qualities, and experience I would like to see in our next President and use that as a measuring stick of whom I would like to see come forward.

When I starting thinking about what I wanted in a leader, I needed to prioritize. Would I want character over issues, experience over character or qualities over issues as the meter in which to judge each candidate? Does a good candidate that I could get excited about need to agree with me on every issue? I don’t think there is one candidate that would. Does the candidate need to have experience and what would that experience look like. Does the candidate need a solid character and principle? Yes therefore, the character of the man, or woman, and their principles need to be grounded and in line with mine and this was to be paramount above all else.

Character and Principle…

I am looking for a man, or woman, that has a strong character one that is grounded in the desire for good government. I want to see someone who isn’t running for their own glorification but rather to serve and protect the people of the United States and the Constitution. I want this person to be wise and strong, yet humble and faith filled. I remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.” This quote is one of many examples of being humble and faith filled, but also having the wisdom and the strength to acknowledge when help and council are need from the Most High God.

I want someone who is honest and benevolent, yet sees himself as the leader of those who serve on a wall dedicated to the protection of our people. He would understand that honesty is part of the protection of the American people. As well as benevolence and generosity being part of protecting the American people, and that bravery and a strong will are necessary in protecting the American people.

I want a President that understands our Constitution and believes in the American people and our ability to overcome any obstacle. I want someone who respects and appreciates our bicameral legislature and understands that the snail’s pace at which Congress normally conducts business is, most times, in the best interests of our liberty.

I want a President that is not hostile to those of another party or view point, but rather is open and accepting of different perspectives and principle. He is willing to negotiate on legislation to achieve a goal, but has the strength and will to stop legislation that compromises his principles.

Lastly, with respect to Character and Principle, I want a President who surrounds himself with people whom he believes to be smarter and more experienced and looks to them for council.

Next post...Experience

Be Prepared...

2011-01-26T14:41:00.006-05:00

"Be Prepared" Its the Boyscout motto. It should also be the campaign and public office motto. I always have something for people related to my campaign on me when I am out in public. If I go to the local grocery store or to the movies I have my business cards or palm cards on me ready to go should I meet someone. Not only that but always make sure you look presentable. In this day and age of the smartphone and digital cameras you never know when you are being filmed or photographed, its always a good idea to look presentable when in public. Be ready to speak with a complete stranger over the issues that surround your campaign, if you are not comfortable about this upfront then practice, practice, practice. It will save you in the long run.

In my last post I advised to know your issues and be ready to give detail. Last night, I watched the State of the Union from President Obama. I was impressed with some of which he said, though I was disappointed because it lacked detail. He pointed out that we need to tackle the issue of immigration and illegal aliens, which we do. However, he gave no direction or detail on his vision for our policy moving forward with legislation.

President Obama warned of the deficit and the burden it would place on generations of Americans. However, he lacked real detail in how to complete this task. Also, the little detail that he did give only amounted to $100 Billion in changes which is a drop in the ocean to the $14 Trillion we are in debt. He said he would like suggestions on other ways to cut the budget, well I want to know what his ideas are. He did point to defense which is the means in which President Clinton was able to balance his budget, it also left our military in a horrible state by the end of his presidency.

Lastly, the President brought up tax law and how complicated and burdensome it is, he asked for Congress to work on it without giving any detail to what he would like to see in the legislation. I came away from the speech disappointed that it didn't entail a clear plan on how to achieve some of the most necessary and urgent changes that are needed in our country. This disappointment is what you will run into if, when you are meeting with voters, you don't have details on how to solve a problem and what the solution would look like. Being able to do this instills confidence in your electorate that you, as a candidate, are knowledgeable about the issue, getting input from others, and have a clear solution that you believe would work. That is what the people want...Solutions.

Meetings...

2011-01-25T10:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, I attended the monthly work session meeting of the Augusta County Board of Supervisors. It started at 1:30 in the afternoon and lasted till just after 4:00. Many topics were discussed that included the annual Social Services report, annual Youth Council report, a report from the Economic Development team, a report from the Parks and Recreation department, and a report from the Service Authority of Augusta County.

Being at these meetings is so essential because it gives you a chance as a candidate to begin and nurture relationships with the people working in these respective departments. It gives you a chance to see them in action and to ask them questions afterwards. Also, many times they have reports that are handed out to the Board members. I have found a simple request for a copy is all that is needed to get one and the information within can be incredibly valuable in developing your understanding of the many facets of your government and locality.

I have been attending these meetings for the last 18 months before putting my name forward for candidacy and I have had the opportunity to begin and grow relationships with many of the different department heads and some of the support staff in the Government Center in Verona. All of this work makes things much easier when an issue comes up and good information is needed.

H/T "The Journey" for the photo.

Research and Reason...

2011-01-24T09:54:00.003-05:00

In running for public office the first thing that you need to know is why you are running. It is the first thing that a potential voter wants to know about you. If, like many people who think about public office, you vision yourself as a celebrity, than think again. The worst moment to have is for a voter to ask why you are running and you can't answer. Have your reasons for running ahead of time and make sure you do the necessary research involved.

The research that I have encompassed myself with has been our local code and ordinances. Luckily, in Augusta County this is readily available via the local government website. Start to keep a calender of all the public meetings that go on in your locality. For example, two Wednesdays of the month is our local board meeting, one Monday a month is a work session meeting for our board (this is where the staff that work in the government center report to the board). Other than that there are numerous meetings of other boards and committees with many diverse responsibilities. I have also gotten to know many of the different officials in our county and have taken the time to meet with them and learn their individual function and their departments function. Serving in an elected office means that you have a good understanding of all those different facets. It includes a lot of reading about our state laws as well so as to understand the relationships that exist between the state and the local governments.

Well I am off to another meeting...

Consequences...

2011-01-20T11:03:00.003-05:00

Over the last few days I have been working during the day and going to meetings and events in the evening. It is necessary to be publicly visible and available to those who may vote for you.

However, this busy campaign schedule has consequences, mostly for your family. I prepared my family ahead of time by explaining that life would change during this year of campaigning. So far, I have found a good practice is to hold a certain time in the week precious for my family. We have decided that precious time would be Sundays, we have a regular schedule to Sundays, we get up and go to church as a family, we go to breakfast with my parents and grandparents, then we come home and do something fun. Lastly, we go to my mother's house for a family dinner. This practice is serving us well so far, we will have to see if it can last.

I have found, so far, that this campaign is going to be about face to face conversations and one on one time with each voter instead of any event that requires a microphone. So advice for today...have a good pair of comfortable shoes...you will need them.

Paperwork...

2011-01-10T22:14:00.006-05:00

If you are considering a run at public office, inspiring others like Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, or John Adams, then think hard. Because, before you knock on the first door as a candidate or get the first check for your campaign, you have to file your paperwork.

The amount of paperwork is amazing, even a the local level. First, there is the Declaration of Candidacy which verifies that you are a candidate for a particular office. Then you have the Qualifications for Candidacy which verifies that you are able to legally run for the office. Then you have to file a Statement of Organization which establishes the key positions in your campaign. Then you have a Statement of Economic Interest this is where you disclose everything about your financial background for the world to see. And lastly is your first campaign financial reporting forms. Many of these forms must be notarized and take a lot of meticulous record keeping to get right, so start taking good notes in the beginning and be diligent about it.

So I announced my candidacy on January 8th and I spent a good portion of my time today pulling together the paperwork, took about 5 hours. So like I said, be sure you want to really run and win, because if your not, the paperwork will make your decision for you.

Changing Course...

2011-01-10T21:37:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, January 8th I announced my candidacy for the Beverley Manor District seat on the Augusta County Board of Supervisors in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Election is November 8th 2011.

As a result, I have decided to change course with this blog. I am going to turn this blog into a live journal of what it is like to run for public office, at least on the local level.

I have included the picture to the left because it is very important to me and speaks to the reason that I have decided to run for public office. When I was in school, my class took a field trip to Washington D.C. My father pointed out this statue to me outside the National Archives. At 12 years old, I didn't understand the inscription below the figure. My father explained what the meaning was. He explained that Eternal Vigilance means that it is our responsibility as citizens to remain on constant watch and to remain informed about our community and government, because only an informed and educated public are able to protect their freedom and liberty. However, that was not the end of the explanation, he went on to tell me that we as a people must be always ready to act and defend our freedom and liberty. At the time of my father's explanation this didn't make a large impact on me. It wasn't until I started paying attention to my community and local government did it come back to me.

I have been attending the local board meetings of my local government for the last 18 months. Over this period of time I have had the opportunity to witness some actual history making, most of it not the best history, but history none the less. As I sat in the audience, many times alone, I watched as decisions were made that directly impacted my wallet and my liberty. The urgings inside of me were to stand up and speak out when I felt that the Board had overstepped its bounds or had made a poor decision. Therefore, I have decided to put my name forward to the community in which I live as an alternative choice of representation, I believe we can do a better job in Augusta.

Something Every Taxpayer Can't Afford to Miss.

2010-08-22T16:32:00.006-04:00

In just six months, on January 1, 2011, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves. On January 1, 2011, here's what happens... (read it to the end, so you see all three waves)...

First Wave:
1 - Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
- In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors,
small business owners, and families.
These will all expire on January 1, 2011.

2 - Personal income tax rates will rise.

- The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also
the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed).
- The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between
will also rise.
- Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which
has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates.
- The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:

· The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%

· The 25% bracket rises to 28%

· The 28% bracket rises to 31%

· The 33% bracket rises to 36%

· The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%

3- Higher taxes on marriage and family.
- The "marriage penalty" (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will
return from the first dollar of income.
- The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child.
- The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples
relative to the single level.
- The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.
- The return of the Death Tax.
(This year only, there is no death tax. It's a quirk! For those dying on
or after January 1, 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on
estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes, a business, a
retirement account, could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved
ones. Think of the farmers who don't make much money, but their land, which
they purchased years ago with after-tax dollars, is now worth a lot of
money. Their children will have to sell the farm, which may be their
livelihood, just to pay the estate tax if they don't have the cash sitting
around to pay the tax. Think about your own family's assets. Maybe your
family owns real estate, or a business that doesn't make much money, but the
building and equipment are worth $1 million. Upon their death, you can
inherit the $1 million business tax free, but if they own a home, stock,
cash worth $500K on top of the $1 million business, then you will owe the
government $275,000 cash! That's 55% of the value of the assets over $1
million! Do you have that kind of cash sitting around waiting to pay the
estate tax?

4 -Higher tax rates on savers and investors.
- The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in
2011.
- The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in
2011.
- These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.

Second Wave:

1- Obamacare
- There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first
go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:

2- The "Medicine Cabinet Tax"
Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings
account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement
(HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter
medicines (except insulin).

3- The "Special Needs Kids Tax"
This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts
(FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is
one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and
onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families
with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs
to pay for special needs education.

Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in
Washington , D.C. ( National Child Research Center ) can easily exceed
$14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can not be used to pay for
this type of special needs education.

4 - The HSA (Health Savings Account) Withdrawal Tax Hike.
This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical
early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them
relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10
percent.

Third Wave:

1 - The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes

When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they'll
be in for a nasty surprise-the AMT won't be held harmless, and many tax
relief provisions will have expired.

The major items include:
- The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last
year.
- According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress' failure to
index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families-rising
from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to
calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The
AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers.
- Small business expensing will be slashed and 50% expensing will disappear.
- Small businesses can normally expense (rather than slowly-deduct, or
"depreciate") equipment purchases up to $250,000. This will be cut all the
way down to $25,000. Larger businesses can currently expense half of their
purchases of equipment.

In January of 2011, all of it will have to be "depreciated."

- Taxes will be raised on all types of businesses.
There are literally scores of tax hikes on business that will take place.
The biggest is the loss of the "research and experimentation tax credit,"
but there are many, many others. Combining high marginal tax rates with the
loss of this tax relief will cost jobs.

- Tax Benefits for Education and Teaching Reduced.
- The deduction for tuition and fees will not be available.
- Tax credits for education will be limited.
- Teachers will no longer be able to deduct classroom expenses.
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts will be cut.
- Employer-provided educational assistance is curtailed.
- The student loan interest deduction will be disallowed for hundreds of
thousands of families.
-
Charitable Contributions from IRAs no longer allowed. Under current law, a
retired person with an IRA can contribute up to $100,000 per year directly
to a charity from their IRA. This contribution also counts toward an
annual "required minimum distribution." This ability will no longer be
there.

And worse yet?
- Now, your insurance will be INCOME on your W2's!
- One of the surprises we'll find come next year, is what follows - - a
little "surprise" that 99% of us had no idea was included in the "new and
improved" healthcare legislation . . . the dupes, er, dopes, who backed this
administration will be astonished!
- Starting in 2011, (next year folks), your W-2 tax form sent by your
employer will be increased to show the value of whatever health insurance
you are given by the company. - - It does not matter if that's a private
concern or governmental body of some sort.
- If you're retired? So what... your gross will go up by the amount of
insurance you get.

You will be required to pay taxes on a large sum of money that you have
never seen. Take your tax form you just finished and see what $15,000 or
$20,000 additional gross does to your tax debt. That's what you'll pay next
year.

For many, it also puts you into a new higher bracket so it's even worse.

This is how the government is going to buy insurance for the15% that don't
have insurance and it's only part of the tax increases.

Not believing this??? Here is a research of the summaries.....

On page 25 of 29: TITLE IX REVENUE PROVISIONS- SUBTITLE A: REVENUE OFFSET
PROVISIONS-(sec. 9001,
as modified by sec. 10901) Sec.9002 "requires employers to include in the
W-2 form of each employee the aggregate cost of applicable employer
sponsored group health coverage that is excludable from the employees gross
income."

2010

2010-07-18T12:14:00.005-04:00

(2001 space odyssey)

And the notorious spot that is bringing about its downfall.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T12:42:00.003-04:00

Today my family and I are in Richmond celebrating the 4th of July with my wife's family. This morning at mass we sang "America the Beautiful." The church had a special treat for the occasion, a brass band that calls itself, James River Brass. They were an absolute delight to listen to and made the familiar patriotic song all the more exciting to sing.

America The Beautiful.

O beautiful for spacious skies,

For amber waves of grain,

For purple mountain majesties

Above the fruited plain!

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet

Whose stern impassion'd stress

A thoroughfare for freedom beat

Across the wilderness.

America! America!

God mend thine ev'ry flaw,

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life.

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness,

And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream

That sees beyond the years

Thine alabaster cities gleam

Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!

God shed His grace on thee,

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

Happy Independence Day Everyone!!!

AT&T HAS CRASHED!

2010-06-25T09:38:00.003-04:00

This morning my wife and I woke to a 'no service' signal on our respective iPhones that use the AT&T cellular network. I used our internet phone and called AT&T customer service to find out what is going on, here is what he said. The AT&T network went down at 5:48am in Richmond, Charlottesville, Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Roanoke, and trucks off of Richmond up and down i95.

AT&T has called this a "Priority 1" problem and is being actively DIAGNOSED by AT&T repair teams. That means they don't even know what is causing the problem. The agent stated that the towers were not physically damaged by any storms because they all still have power, however for some reason the towers are just not working. It is curious that the iPhone 4 was released yesterday, and today AT&T, at least in the major parts of Virginia, has crashed. As of 9:40am they have no estimated time when the network will be back up. AT&T strikes again.

Apple Admits Flaw with iPhone 4 Design.

2010-06-25T02:43:00.004-04:00

CNet News reports that Apple has released a statement acknowledging antenna problem with iPhone 4. Apparently, customers have complained that when you hold the phone in your hand the cellular signal is lost, like it wasn't already bad enough with the AT&T network. There is a YouTube video up demonstrating the flaw with the new phone. Apple insists that all cell phones lose signal when held, however as the video demonstrates the new iPhone 4 completely loses signal!

The problem appears to be in the newly designed antenna array. The metal band that actually wraps the phone houses the antennas, the idea is that the human hand is grounding out or disrupting the signals. Apple insists that this is easily fixed by purchasing a case for the phone.

Personally, I don't use a permanent case for my iPhone. One of the attractions for me and the iPhone was its style without a case. The case completely ruins the iPhone 4's sleek look, making it more bulky.

My iPhone 4 experience, a failure for AT&T.

2010-06-24T10:04:00.002-04:00

This morning I got up early and set out for the AT&T store to purchase the new iPhone 4. Here is the horror story of my experience.

Rewind in time to June 15^th, I arrived at the store that morning to try and Pre-Order an iPhone 4. I was told by the salesman that the Pre-Order system had crashed and it wasn’t possible to order at that time. He took my name and number and said he would Pre-Order it for me as soon as the system came back up.

Fast forward to about June 21^st when the salesman called my cell and told me the system was back up, however halfway through the conversation the Pre-Order system crashed again! The salesman told me to come to the store bright and early on June 24^th, launch day, and buy one.

So flash forward to this morning, I am waiting outside the AT&T store, the man opens the door, all of those waiting come in to find…The same sales guy who I had been dealing with tell us that the store DIDN’T HAVE ANY iPHONE 4 IN STOCK!!!

“Are you kidding!” We all said. I was upset, because this whole thing has been an AT&T blunder from the beginning. The sales guy could have been good enough to call me the day before and tell me not to waste my time, however it seems that courtesy would have been a waste of his.

Those of us who didn’t leave in frustration went inside to check out the two demo phones on display. They worked great on their own, the speed, function, and display are amazing. Being that there were two phones, we tried to make a Facetime call, but it didn’t work. We asked the sales guy who had given us enough bad news already that day and he said that their WiFi network that AT&T setup doesn’t allow for the Facetime calling…WHAT! This doesn’t bode well for AT&T, one of the best new features about the iPhone 4 can’t even be demonstrated at the STORE THAT SELLS IT?

So, in the end I walked back to my car without an iPhone 4, disappointed that the store didn’t even have the decency to put out an email, notice on its website, or even have someone at the store early to inform those of us who waited so long, then didn’t even have things set up properly to demo the phone. What a waste.

Apple needs to get away from AT&T as its sole provider of the phone, bring on Verizon, I would switch in a heart beat.

Staggered Terms shot down in Augusta.

2010-06-24T08:41:00.005-04:00

WHSV TV 3 had a spot about it last night. See it Here. The News Leader and the News Virginian, also have coverage about it in today's paper. Also see SWACgirl for more on how the News Virginian is in favor of the Staggered Terms change.

WHSV TV did a great fact check which found Augusta to be the only local governing body that DOES NOT have Staggered Terms.

Obama hands Gen. McChrystal his hat.

2010-06-23T15:20:00.004-04:00

President Obama made his decision today, and that was to show Gen. McChrystal the door. Gen. McChrystal was sent packing in response to an article that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. The article depicts a very frustrated commander on the ground in Afghanistan. McChrystal and his staff held nothing back as they criticized the Obama Administration, members of Congress, and other civilian officials in hindering their ability to get the job done in Afghanistan.

The Newspapers weigh in on Staggered Terms issue in Augusta County.

2010-06-22T11:23:00.002-04:00

The Staunton News Leader and the Waynesboro News Virginian both ran stories today about the Augusta County Board of Supervisor's issue of staggering their elections. Both papers believe the issue is dead going into tomorrow's meeting at the Government Center in Verona. However, the board will be holding a public hearing on the issue during the Wednesday meeting.

You can hear from the supervisors themselves by watching their work session discussion,

Part One, Part Two.

The supervisors would be held more accountable for their actions if their elections were more frequent. The simple fact that the majority of the board is against the change shows their desire to be less accountable to the citizens of Augusta. Bring your voice to the Government Center tomorrow, Wednesday at 7:00pm for the public input session.

Staggered Terms in Augusta County Moves to Public Input.

2010-06-21T17:29:00.020-04:00

The issue of staggered terms was first proposed by Supervisor Tracy Pyles from the Pastures District of Augusta County. Currently, the supervisors serve a 4 year term, this wouldn't change. The only thing that would change is instead of the whole board being elected every four years, only half would be elected every two years. This is a great idea because it would make the supervisors more accountable to the public every 2 years instead of every 4.

Today, during the Augusta County Board of Supervisors Work Session Meeting, the board placed the issue of staggered terms on the Agenda for its public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 23 at 7:00pm at the Government Center in Verona. Please plan to come and take part in the public input on this issue.

The general consensus is if the public doesn't come out to support this measure than the issue will die and the whole board will be elected at once every four years, locking out the citizens of Augusta from influencing its board in 4 year intervals. Below is rundown of their remarks or watch the Video Part One, Part Two.

Supervisor Tracy Pyles, Pastures District. Mr. Pyles was the supervisor to bring up this issue and ask that the change be made to the election process for the Board of Supervisors in Augusta County. His reasoning from the start has been to allow the citizens of Augusta a more frequent influence on the board, meaning an election of half the board every 2 years rather than the whole board every 4 years. Mr. Pyles is in favor of the change.

Supervisor Larry Howdyshell, North River District. Mr. Howdyshell stated that at first he was in favor of allowing the citizens a more frequent influence on the board, then changed his mind. His quote was, "If it isn't broke, don't fix it." To that I would ask, just because it isn't broke, doesn't mean that you can't make it better. There are some that would say that the Representation on the Board of Supervisors here in Augusta is broken. Mr. Howdyshell is against the change.

Supervisor Jeremy Shifflett, Beverley Manor District. Mr. Shifflett took a pass on this issue stating that there are good things and bad things about it. He said there should be public input. I was hoping for something more from my representative on the board. This issue has been discussed and considered by the board for more than two months, now he wants public input. I certainly haven't heard of any public meetings in the past couple months to discuss this, I would have gone. Mr. Shifflett took a pass.

Supervisor Nancy Sorrells, Riverheads District. Mrs. Sorrells stated the change would be good because institutional memory of the board would be better maintained. However, she backtracked saying that half the board would be up for election during the Real Estate Assessment Process. I think this is a good thing. She also stated that the board would become more political if the elections were more frequent. Mrs. Sorrells went on to say that she would be in favor if the Real Estate Assessment process was done on a different year and that it not happen in 2011 because redistricting of the county takes place in 2011. I hope she remembered that the whole board is up for election in 2011 anyway, making her statement about the redistricting a mute point. Mrs. Sorrells is against the change, at least right now.

Supervisor David Beyeler, South River District. Mr. Beyeler echoed the sentiments of Mr. Howdyshell. He stated if it isn't broke don't fix it. He stated, in his 22.5 years on the board, nothing is broke. To which I say, its broke. He also went on to say that if a supervisor isn't getting input from their district except for during an election year, than something is wrong. I agree with Mr. Beyeler, but I believe he misses the point. The citizens are giving input, the board members are just not listening, an election solves that problem. Mr. Beyeler is against the change.

Supervisor Wendell Coleman, Wayne District. Mr. Coleman echoed the sentiments of Mr. Howdyshell and Mr. Beyeler. He stated this current process isn't broke so don't fix it. He then went on to slam the Staunton and Waynesboro City Councils for their staggered term processes, basically saying that nothing gets done. He ended his remarks by saying, "just leave it alone." Mr. Coleman is against the change.

Chairman Gerald Garber, Middle River District. Mr. Garber stated he didn't want the issue brought up during the public meeting. However, Mr. Pyles asked it be put on the Wednesday Public Meeting agenda. Though Mr. Garber stated he didn't want it brought up at the Public Meeting he didn't give any clear opinion one way or the other.

It looks like if a vote was taken now there would be 1 in favor, 4 against, 1 who would rather not say, and 1 who has no idea.

Oil Companies push back against Moratorium.

2010-06-21T12:07:00.002-04:00

Oil Companies are asking U.S. District Judge Martin Feldman to block the Federal Government from enforcing a six-month moratorium on new deep water drilling projects and the suspension of drilling at 33 existing sites. The companies say the moratorium could cost Louisiana thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in lost wages, without any proof that the operations pose a threat.

Obama Holds Border Hostage in Private Meeting!

2010-06-21T11:40:00.002-04:00

President Obama apparently is holding the border between the United States and Mexico hostage from Congressional Republicans. Watch the Video from RedState for all the details... I am just disgusted by this, we have Americans being killed and drugs being smuggled into our country on this border and Obama wants to use protecting it as a political hostage.

Staggered Terms in Augusta Co, Meeting Today.

2010-06-21T11:24:00.003-04:00

The Augusta County Board of Supervisors are set to discuss staggered terms today at their monthly work session meeting in the Verona Government Center. It is open to the public and begins at 1:30pm.

The issue of staggered terms was first proposed by Supervisor Tracy Pyles from the Pastures District of Augusta. Currently, the supervisors serve a 4 year term, this wouldn't change. The only thing that would change is instead of the whole board being elected every four years, half would be elected every two years. This is a great idea because it would make the supervisors accountable to the public every 2 years instead of every 4.

I have heard a number of arguments against the staggered terms from the board members at their last work session meeting. The first argument is cost, the supervisor in question said that it would add cost to the county having more frequent elections. Obviously, the supervisor is unaware that all of the Commonwealth of Virginia, including Augusta County, go to the polls every November for elections. Adding a board of supervisor ballot would not add any significant cost.

The second argument was impact on business, the supervisor who made this comment must not have been aware that Staunton and Waynesboro already have staggered terms in place, along with many of the other counties in Virginia, and businesses haven't made a fuss about it in those counties or cities. Actually, Waynesboro's business is flourishing quite well, look at the Target shopping area.

The third argument was that half the board would have to run during the county assessment process, just for that I fully support staggered terms. The board has to realize they are responsible to the people they represent and what better way to remind them of that than to make them campaign on it. I can't help but think that if we had staggered terms during our last real estate assessment process perhaps things would have gone differently and more scrutiny would have been applied to the process to assure greater accuracy.

The Board of Supervisors have already tabled this issue once making it harder for the people of Augusta to influence their government, and they most likely will try again today. Please, if you are able, make an effort to be at the Government Center at 1:30pm and show the supervisors that you want your representation back.

Robert Gibbs is no Dana Perino or C.J. Cregg.

2010-06-17T11:31:00.007-04:00

Robert Gibbs is an embarrassment to the Obama Administration. I was watching the Press Briefing and I just couldn't take it any longer. Where did they find this guy, why does he still have a job, who thought it was a good idea to bring this guy on board? I think my 6 year old could do a better job. Sometimes I wonder if he is even allowed to speak with the President about anything that is of consequence. He must have an interpretor for the Pres. so there isn't time wasted on "um" and "uh." I hope he isn't allowed to speak and operate heavy machinery at the same time.

Taking from his speaking style, uh, Mr. Gibbs, uh, let me just, um, ask a simple question. Do you, uh, have any, um, idea how, um, unintelligent (big word) you, uh, sound?

I mean really, this man is the Press Secretary for the most powerful man on the PLANET. His job is to articulate the message of the White House. Mr. Obama could do worlds for his administration and poll numbers by showing this man the door. Just take a look.

Robert Gibbs against Transparency and slams the American People

Robert Gibbs doesn't know countries with single payer health care systems

Robert Gibbs on George Bush

Robert Gibbs on Iran

Wild Eyes...

2010-06-11T22:54:00.002-04:00

I have been following the Abby Sunderland story for the last few days as contact was lost with her somewhere in the Indian Ocean. Abby Sunderland, 16, was on a quest to solo circumnavigate the world, quite an undertaking. She was spotted yesterday by search and rescue plans that launched from Australia. She was spoken too by rescue workers and reports say she is fine and in no serious danger. A rescue vessel is due at her location within the next 24hours.

There has been a flood of activity and media pointed at her parents and whether or not they should have allowed the teen to make the voyage. The parents held firm that she had the necessary training, supplies, and experience for the voyage and the fact that she is dealing with her situation as well as she is a testament to her abilities. One thing, you have to give her credit for bravery.

One other thought, I have read over and over again about astronauts who see the Earth from space for the first time, they see the Whole World and start to gain a clearer perspective about the planet in which they live. I am sure Abby Sunderland has gained some of that perspective as she has traveled so far around the globe. I expect great things will come from her in life. God Speed Abby.

Two Americans Shot Dead on Arizona Border!

2010-06-07T22:24:00.002-04:00

According to Fox News, two Americans have been found shot dead on the Arizona Border after calling 911 and reporting that they had been fired upon. The area of the Arizona border where the bodies were found is well known to the local authorities as an illegal immigrant and drug smuggling highway. The investigation is continuing in order to determine the attackers, no word on whether or not they were illegal immigrants.

With the Arizona immigration law in the backdrop this story will be interesting to follow as it unravels. These type of events continue to shine light on the serious issue of border security. We need to have secure borders and punish those who would break our laws.

Virginia Republicans Go to the Polls!

2010-06-07T22:14:00.005-04:00

The first strides of the 2010 elections are here, the Republican Primary is tomorrow, June 8th, in the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th congressional districts of Virginia.

Top to watch is the Republican Primary in the 5th District. State Senator Robert Hurt is the definite front runner in the race, however should he win the primary, Tea Party candidate Jeff Clark will enter the race as a Conservative Tea Party Independent. This could cause a split conservative vote in November and hand a second term to Congressman Perriello, a Democrat. Clark has said that if Hurt loses, he too will sit out the race.

This primary will test the steel of the Tea Party and should speak volumes to the Republican establishment about the need to get back to the Conservative Principles this country was founded on.

iPhone 4 will change everything. Again.

2010-06-07T21:58:00.004-04:00

Apple Inc. introduced its newest iPhone, iPhone 4. It looks amazing and includes HD Video recording with editing, bigger battery, and most of all a Video Phone Application which they call Facetime. Check it all out at Apple.com. I can hear people calling their brokers right now, they are all saying buy Apple. One thing to also watch out for is iPhone on the Verizon network, when that happens look for Apple stock to soar.

Stop Offshore Drilling, Kill the Economy.

2010-06-03T22:12:00.003-04:00

This article was on Reuters, it really does make you think about the consequences of halting offshore drilling in the Gulf and the devastating economic impact on the states effected by the Gulf spill. Perhaps President Obama shouldn't jump the gun on halting offshore drilling. I know Gov. McDonnell in Virginia is also pushing for offshore drilling in Virginia and is still hopeful the leases for exploration will be renewed.

Another Perspective on Arizona Illegal Immigration.

2010-05-30T21:07:00.004-04:00

With all the noise coming out of the state of Arizona about their new immigration law, it is important that we look at both sides of this issue. Clearly those against the new law have made their position clear, they feel the law promotes racial profiling and will cause illegal immigrants to not pass important information on to authorities for fear of deportation.

Those in favor of the law argue that the more than 460,000 illegal immigrants currently living in the state are dramatically exhausting the state's funds and are a key element to crime in the state.

However, I have been given another perspective, the environmental perspective. The above photo comes from a 1/4 mile stretch of the Arizona border; this was found by the Arizona Minute Men, who voluntarily patrol that border. While the Media News Stations are all a buzz about the Gulf Coast Oil disaster, this environmental disaster has gone mostly unheard.

Something to think about, is the illegal immigration into the state of Arizona damaging the natural environment of Arizona? If so, where are all those environmentalists who protest, demonstrate, and scream on its behalf?

The above photo was sent to me from a gentleman who runs his own political and informational website, it is www.cvconnect.solanqui.com, feel free to check it out. You can also reference the authenticity of these pictures by going to http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354398,00.html.

An Excellent Point by Attorney General Cuccinelli.

2010-04-19T14:41:00.005-04:00

In The Wall Street Journal, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli of Virginia defends the law suit against the Federal Government and Obamacare.

In your April 2 editorial “ObamaCare and the Constitution,” you seem to assume that Virginia's lawsuit against ObamaCare is an attempt to "nullify" federal law.

This is not the case. Virginia concedes that the Constitution's Supremacy Clause ensures that federal law trumps state law when there is a direct conflict between laws. However, a federal law will only trump when it is constitutionally grounded. In our lawsuit, Virginia is asking the federal courts to declare the federal health-care act unconstitutional based on Congress's use of the Constitution's Commerce Clause to impose an individual health insurance mandate on citizens.

Certainly the Commerce Clause gives Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states, but for more than 220 years it has been applied to affirmative acts of commerce voluntarily entered into by individuals. If someone is not buying insurance, then—by definition—he is not participating in commerce. How, then, can the government use the Commerce Clause to regulate noncommerce? Virginia contends that it cannot.

If Congress has the power to force Americans to buy health insurance and thereby subsidize those people without it, then there is no limit to its power to force people to engage in other forms of commerce for the benefit of others. For example, Congress could force Americans to buy General Motors cars to save jobs in the face of lagging auto sales.

This lawsuit is an argument over how much the federal government can twist the wording of the Constitution so as to transfer even more power from the people to itself. It is about drawing a line on the bounds of the federal authority. Ultimately, it is about liberty itself.

Providing health care for all citizens is a laudable and worthy goal, but conceding our very freedom and the freedom of future generations to achieve that goal is a dangerous and inequitable exchange.

Ken Cuccinelli

Attorney General of Virginia

Richmond, Va.

Constitutional Lawyer challenges Health Care Law.

2010-03-30T12:04:00.002-04:00

Michael Connelly, a retired attorney and Constitutional Law Instructor from Texas, has read the entire proposed healthcare bill. Read his conclusions and pass this on as you wish. This is stunning!

Well, I have done it! I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law. I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional. What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying. The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system. All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals. Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government.

However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface. In fact, I have concluded that this legislation really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed.

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of the U.S. Government. The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own.

The irony is that the Congress doesn't have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with! I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care.

This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, of all of your personal healthcare information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and hospital, all of which are direct violations of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution. All of this is a protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. You can also forget about the right to privacy. That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide...

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you. It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out of the original ten in the Bill of Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law It doesn't stop there though.

The 9th Amendment provides: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;

The 10th Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people. Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea.

This is not about health care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights... Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution." If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it, without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation. If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat, I suggest they consult the source, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us.

Doctors Sue to Overturn the Health Care Bill

2010-03-30T11:53:00.001-04:00

March 29th, 2010

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) became the first medical society to sue to overturn the newly enacted health care bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). AAPS sued Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (AAPS v. Sebelius et al.).

“If the PPACA goes unchallenged, then it spells the end of freedom in medicine as we know it,” observed Jane Orient, M.D., the Executive Director of AAPS. “Courts should not allow this massive intrusion into the practice of medicine and the rights of patients.”

“There will be a dire shortage of physicians if the PPACA becomes effective and is not overturned by the courts.”

The PPACA requires most Americans to buy government-approved insurance starting in 2014, or face stiff penalties. Insurance company executives will be enriched by this requirement, but it violates the Fifth Amendment protection against the government forcing one person to pay cash to another. AAPS is the first to assert this important constitutional claim.

The PPACA also violates the Tenth Amendment, the Commerce Clause, and the provisions authorizing taxation. The Taxing and Spending power cannot be invoked, as the premiums go to private insurance companies. The traditional sovereignty of the States over the practice of medicine is destroyed by the PPACA.

AAPS notes that in scoring the proposal the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) was bound by assumptions imposed by Congress, including the ability to “save” $500 billion in Medicare, and to redirect $50 billion from Social Security. HHS Secretary Sebelius stated that PPACA would reduce the federal deficit, knowing the opposite to be true if these assumptions are unrealistic.

AAPS asks the Court to enjoin the government from promulgating or enforcing insurance mandates and require HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue to provide the Court with an accounting of Medicare and Social Security solvency.

Congress recognized that PPACA cannot be funded without the insurance mandates, and will become unenforceable without them.

Court action is necessary “to preserve individual liberty” and “to prevent PPACA from bankrupting the United States generally and Medicare and Social Security specifically,” AAPS stated.

AAPS is a voice for patient and physician independence since 1943. The complaint and more information about the suit are posted on their site.

Dangerous Precedent.

2010-03-24T13:30:00.003-04:00

The Health Care Reform bill signed into law by President Obama sets a dangerous precedent for our country and the federal government’s ability to impact our personal lives. The laws of this country will soon require those who don’t have health insurance, or what Congress doesn’t approve as adequate health insurance, to obtain it or pay a ridiculous fine. This bill opens a Pandora’s Box on our freedom for personal decision. The very idea of paying a fine for not purchasing a product or service is ludicrous.

Next, Congressional Democrats plan to pass a Cap and Trade bill that will impact our ability to heat our homes, in the name of saving our planet. What’s next? Identity Theft is becoming an epidemic in this country, is it then the duty of our Congress to mandate us to purchase Identity Theft Protection? How about Life Insurance, the cost of a funeral is sky rocketing and more people are dying with unpaid debt than ever before. How about Short Term Disability Insurance, Long Term Disability Insurance, we could go on and on. The fact of the matter is these decisions should be our own to make.

The Constitution of the United States was written to safe guard the Natural Rights of the People and guarantee our free will, whether to our detriment or not. Congress has, over time, eroded our ability to make our own decisions. Are we, as a citizenry, ready for what liberties are eroded by the precedent set by this mandate? Are we going to really allow Congress and the federal government to continue to erode our liberties so quickly? Senator Paul Laxalt once said, “Every time Congress meets, we lose a little more of our liberty.”

Del. Matt Lohr to Leave Office in May!

2010-03-16T22:45:00.004-04:00

The Daily News Record is reporting that Del. Matt Lohr (R-Harrisonburg) will be leaving office to take up the post of Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services on May 1st. Harrisonburg has a special election on their hands now. Congratulations, Mr. Lohr. Here is to Harrisonburg electing a Conservative.

Tea Party Movement, Keep Options Open

2010-02-18T17:39:00.006-05:00

Today in the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove has advice for the Tea Party Movement and its members. He advises them not to become a part of a political party. He states that the Tea Party Movement has more power as an individual entity pushing for Fiscal Responsibility, Conservation of Constitutional Principles, and Limited Government. He states that the Tea Party Movement fractioned group is good because it doesn't unite the movement under one leader and their agenda, but rather focuses on the People and their local and national issues.

Karl Rove goes on to warn the Tea Party Movement that the secular media is now taking them seriously and to guard against extremism. He warns against those who wish to take up arms against the government, he warns against those that pursue the agenda of the "Birthers", and against those who believe that 9/11 was organized by the American Government. These entities will only serve to harm the Tea Party Movement, Rove warns.

I believe this is all sound advice. The Tea Party Movement, comprising mostly of the groups Tea Party Patriots, Freedom Works, and American's for Prosperity, is a great thing, they put out the call when we see a good candidate for public office and help to shine the light on that person and gain them support. On the other hand when we see a representative or politician being dishonest, wasteful, wavering away from our founding principles, or corrupt, they can shine the light on them and push for a replacement. This pressure needs to be maintained on both parties and the Tea Party Movement is a perfect vehicle for it.

Lastly, Rove advices Tea Party members to keep their focus on policy and principle and not on political squabbles, explaining that their base would be more broad and welcoming to the American People. Great Article.

Virginia Sen. Emmett Hanger wants new Virginia Business Tax.

2010-02-10T23:18:00.003-05:00

Virginia Senator Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, wants a new internet sales tax in the Commonwealth. Currently, internet purchases are not subject to a state sales tax, part of the attraction for online buying. Now, Senator Hanger wants to change that, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch. His bill passed the Virginia Senate on Wednesday and now heads to the House of Delegates where it faces a tough battle.

It should be noted that there are many small business here in Virginia that operate inside of a residential place and sell goods online, this new tax would cause an increase in price for their product and cause sales to go drop. These "online" businesses don't drain public resources.

This doesn't seem like the best time to be imposing a new tax that hurts Virginia business. I will be looking to the Governor to veto this if it passes the General Assembly. I am surprised at Senator Hanger for this putting forward this bill. I hope it doesn't pass, we need the business.

Augusta's Inflated Real Estate Assessments are Hurting School Budget.

2010-02-10T12:41:00.006-05:00

In the NewsLeader today schools here in Augusta could see additional budget cuts. Augusta County Schools Superintendent, Gary McQuain, says the ailing Augusta County School budget could see an additional $699,000 cut. How does this happen? Well, the Commonwealth of Virginia doles out money to the 134 school districts based on need.

The need is calculated using a number of different values including; Daily average attendance, REAL ESTATE VALUES, student enrollment, and retail sales tax. Two of these values have seen a dramatic change recently. Retail sales have dropped, but they have dropped across most of the commonwealth causing only small differences when compared to other areas.

The real deal here is that Real Estate Values have soared, at least on paper. If you remember back, last year, there was a huge public outcry about the High Real Estate Assessments here in Augusta. Over 10,500 people signed petitions saying the assessments were wrong. More than 1,000 people showed up at the Augusta County Government Center at a Board of Supervisors meeting to tell the Board that the assessments were mistaken as to the true value of their home and land. The Board of Supervisors paid no attention to the public outcry and allowed the assessments to remain. The Board of Supervisors did lower the tax rate on the assessments, thinking that would solve the problem, but their shortsightedness about this issue and the ripple effect that the assessments would have may now mean costly cuts for Augusta County Schools in terms of layoffs and possible furloughs.

All the sudden, at least on paper, Augusta county looks like a rich school district in the eyes of Richmond, no longer in need of as much state money to help with the local school budget. Therefore, seeing that the commonwealth's budget has a $4 Billion gap, the money, that the Augusta County Schools had anticipated it would get from Richmond, may not materialize.

I-81 and the Rail Road.

2010-02-10T12:18:00.003-05:00

In todays News Virginian is an interesting story, something other than about snow. It covers a $75,000 Virginia government funded study and report about the feasibility of rail being the answer to truck congestion on interstate 81, a main artery between the lower and upper halves of the eastern seaboard. The report centers around and endorses the Crescent Corridor project, which is a rail line that was started in 2008 and scheduled to be completed in 2012 and creates a connection between New Orleans and Memphis, Tennessee with New Jersey. Currently, Virginia sees a lot of traffic on I-81 as freight is carried between these destinations. The report suggests that the Corridor project could cut about 13%-14% of the trucks off of I-81.

The trucks and congestion on I-81 have been an issue for many years, and this problem continues to grow. The amount of trucks and individual motorists on the popular highway is increasing beyond the rates previously predicted.

This rail project would individually impact us here in Augusta, Waynesboro, and Staunton because our area is a favorite stop for these trucks, and when they stop, they spend their money. Therefore, this issue has two sides. One, the safety of decreased traffic on I-81 and the loss of outside revenue from the trucks. Something to think about.

Gibbs pulls a funny!

2010-02-10T12:06:00.003-05:00

For the first time ever, White House Communications Director Robert Gibbs does something funny. This made me laugh see the video here. He is mocking former Gov. Sarah Palin for having some notes written on her hand. I don't really think this is a big deal for Palin, but of course the Democrats never let a good gaff alone. Anyway, this was funny. I would recommend the president replace his teleprompter with this idea. His poll numbers might go up. Of course, if the president tried to do this he would run out of hand space for all of his talk.

Former VA. Gov. Doug Wilder has Ax in Hand.

2010-02-10T11:49:00.003-05:00

In the Richmond Times Dispatch, Former Virginia Democrat Governor Doug Wilder has strong warnings and recommendations for President Barack Obama. Wilder tells Obama to get tough and start leading or else face a one term presidency. He says that starts with replacing a lot of his White House and Executive Staff. Wilder explains that it takes certain people with certain skills to help get you elected and quite another to govern.

Wilder goes on to slap the Democrat Party with the reality of recent elections and current poll numbers. He tells the president that former Virginia Governor, Tim Kaine, has to go as the Democrat National Committee Chairman. He goes on to tell Obama that he " has enough to worry about and defend without this detracting sideshow..." Wilder writes in Politico.

Wilder goes on and even seems to be ready to sign on to the Tea Party Movement by slamming Gov. Tim Kaine on his proposals in Virginia, notably to raise the state income tax rate and for the proposed extradition of a murdering criminal back to Germany where he could have been paroled in as little as two years. Wilder has grave concerns for the Presidents ability to lead, warnings for the Democrat Party, and questions whether the current administration really knows how to "listen to the people."

I don't think Governor Wilder is going to get a White House Christmas Card this year.

Snow, Snow, and More Snow!

2010-02-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

Okay, here are the pictures of the snow around my house. Sure is great to have a new friend with a plow!

Virginia has All Hands on Deck for Snow.

2010-02-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

In this mornings News Virginian is a run down and review of the preparation for the largest snow storm in decades. One very interesting detail, mail is planned to be delivered even if the snow is two feet deep! Reminds me of the United States Postal Service un-official Creed inscribed on the Post Office in New York City, "Neither Snow nor Rain nor Heat nor Gloom of Night stays these Couriers from the Swift completion of their Appointed Rounds" A great story for a Snow Day.

Obama puts Health Care in the Backseat.

2010-02-05T16:22:00.002-05:00

Today in the Richmond Times Dispatch, President Obama is reported to be putting Health Care on the back burner and focusing on the economy and jobs, he stated at a Democrat event. The president says he would like to see the Republicans, Democrats, and other experts sit down to work on the bills. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, has stated that is exactly what he has been after and awaits the White House invitation. No invitation has yet been offered to Republicans. Most likely, that invitation will never materialize.

We must be vigilant that Health Care doesn't sneak in under the radar.

Pro-Choice/Pro-Abortion license plate in Virginia!

2010-02-05T16:01:00.003-05:00

According to the Richmond Times Dispatch this morning, Planned Parenthood has been successful in having a Pro-Choice Specialty Licence Plate which reads, "Trust Women/Respect Choice," introduced to the General Assembly. Sen. Janet D. Howell, D. Fairfax has proposed the legislation for the specialty plate out of, what she calls it, fairness. Last year, Pro-Life advocates were successful in obtaining the "Choice Life" licence plate. Sen Howell explains that this specialty plate is just voicing the other perspective.

I just don't understand this. Why would we as a Commonwealth want Pro-Abortion advertised on our licence plates, might as well say, "Virginia is For Lovers, Just not Babies." Sen. Howell has crossed the line with this legislation, especially since part of the proceeds of the plate go to Planned Parenthood. The spokes person for Planned Parenthood states that the funds wouldn't go directly to pay for abortions. Like that is supposed to make it all feel better? It is well known that Planned Parenthood fully supports abortion.

I will be keeping especially sharp watch on my representatives in the General Assembly on this one. God willing Sen. Hanger doesn't vote for this horrible license plate. I also want to put out a call to all those Conservatives in Fairfax, Virginia. Now is your time, Dig Deep and replace Sen. Howell in the Virginia Senate. I will be more than happy to send you money and volunteer my time.

Fiscal Conservative Democrats Conflicted.

2010-02-03T21:58:00.003-05:00

Congressional Democrats, like Senator Conrad of North Dakota, are conflicted about the rising deficit, rising unemployment, rising food costs, and party loyalty. According to the the Wall Street Journal, Sen. Conrad is feeling the heat of the $3.8 Trillion dollar Obama Budget. The most informing part of the WSJ article was this;

"Most economists agree that the country's public-debt burden-now at $7.75 trillion and growing- poses a threat to economic security. Interest payments devour nearly one-tenth of federal revenues and are projected to more than triple over the next 10 years. Spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid consumes an additional 57%. The administration projects that those entitlement programs, as they are know, plus interest on the debt, will absorb 80% of all federal revenues by 2020."

So, does Sen. Conrad and other Congressional Democrats abandon Mr. Obama and his deficit spending and help save the country from economic disaster, or do they go down with the sinking ship called the Democrat Party?

Virginia Senate Smacks down ObamaCare Mandate!

2010-02-03T21:46:00.003-05:00

According to the Richmond Times Dispatch, the Virginia Senate has passed a bill that declares it illegal to mandate someone to purchase health insurance and rejects the federal government or any other institution from imposing a fine for not having health insurance.

This a tremendous victory for Constitutional Freedoms. Republican Senators have said this is less about health care and more about individual freedom of choice.

Another reason legislators don't need to impose a fine is, if the poor can't afford a health insurance plan, what makes you think they can afford a fine? And, how exactly does that help them when they get sick?

Good Job Delegate Dickie Bell.

2010-02-03T21:32:00.003-05:00

In today's News Leader, 20th District Delegate Dickie Bell's Education Bill, House Bill 76, has passed in the Education Committee and goes before the full General Assembly for vote. The bill, Delegate Bell explains, requires school districts to spend at least 65% of its annual budget in the classroom on instruction, not on administration costs. This idea is not new to the General Assembly, it was introduced 4-5 years ago by Delegate Albo of Springfield. However, Delegate Bell, being a teacher, drafted the bill better to the committee's liking and was successful at getting it passed. Delegate Dickie Bell is a special education teacher from Augusta County and a freshman delegate this year in the Virginia General Assembly.

Delegate Albo explained that the bill will have a tough time getting through the General Assembly and even harder time getting through the Virginia Senate because the Teachers Unions are opposed to the measure. The Teachers Unions also represent the Administrative staff and explain that the bill would result in layoffs of administration in order to comply with the mandate.

Obama Budget Cancels NASA Constellation Program!

2010-02-01T21:24:00.005-05:00

Today in the Richmond Times Dispatch, President Obama unveiled his budget proposal, all $3.83 Trillion, which brings on Billions of Debt, and increases the deficit. Gee, saw that coming, so much for fiscal responsibility. However, the biggest thing that jumped right out of the page... Cancelling the Constellation Program at NASA! Legislation was written into NASA's funding last year to prohibit this without congressional approval.

According to cnet.com and other known news sources, the Obama Administration is cancelling the Next Generation of NASA's manned spaceship. The current Space Shuttle Fleet, which did most of the heavy lifting in construction of the International Space Station (I.S.S.), and pride of the American Space Agency is scheduled for decommission at the end of this year. The problem was seen many years ago that a replacement would be needed and ready to maintain the crews and supplies aboard the I.S.S.

So the Constellation program was born, two different types of rockets, for many different applications. The Ares I rocket was designed to take the new Orion Space Capsule up into space. The Ares I rocket and Orion Space Capsule could be used to bring crew back and forth from the I.S.S. The Ares V rocket was the heavy lifter for supplies and possibly a Next Generation Lunar Lander. Another words, the two could have worked together or separately in order to satisfy the necessity of the mission and save money.

Click Here to see a YouTube video of the Constellation Program in Action!

Now, The Obama Administration, wants to scrap the Constellation program all together and rely on commercial or private companies to provide the rockets and the capsules to get our astronauts to the station. However, none of the current "commercial" companies have a rocket that can fulfill the needs of NASA by NEXT YEAR! So, if the commercial companies aren't able to come up with a transportation system quick, in order to keep the American Manned Space Program alive than we better really start working on our relationship with the Russians.

Currently, the Russians are the only other country on the PLANET capable of getting crew and supplies to the I.S.S. Lets review, how is our relationship with Russia anyway? Hmmm, lately, its been quite strained. So, I certainly hope we don't upset the Russians while we have an American on the International Space Station. Oh, and what exactly is Obama's plan if the Russians refuse to carry our astronauts up? The Russians must really like this, they could basically take squatters rights to the most sophisticated piece of technology ever created, this is CRAZY!

Click Here to read about everyday technologies that were born because of NASA research.

Not Climate Change Again.......

2010-01-30T09:23:00.003-05:00

Has anyone noticed how every time President Obama says, "Climate Change" we get blasted with snow? Its like God was listening at Copenhagen and said, "Climate Change, I'll give you climate change" and we got one of the biggest snows in more than 30 years. Now, at the State of the Union address, President Obama said "Climate Change" and I wake up to 6 inches of snow.

Mr. Obama, could you please stop talking about Climate Change by May at the latest, I would like to enjoy my summer. Thanks.

Hey Washington!

2010-01-21T11:22:00.012-05:00

U.S. Senate Desk.

"Its the People's Seat!"

Sen. Elect Scott Brown during debate.

A U.S. House of Representatives Chamber Chair.

Its the People's Chair!

The United States Senate Chamber.

Its the People's Chamber!

The United States House of Representatives Chamber.

Its the People's Voice!

Its the People's House!

Its the People's Country!

Hey Washington, Can you hear us now?

Sen. Scott Brown win will be studied.

2010-01-21T10:49:00.003-05:00

The New York Times has an in depth look at the Scott Brown senate victory. The story studies the actions of the liberals, Democrats, Independents, Republicans, conservatives, Martha Coakley, Scott Brown, Capital Hill, the White House, etc. Senior Advisor to the President, David Axelrod, said, "It was a classic case of everyone getting caught napping."

The story also heralds the coming of a new element in the political arena, The Tea Party Movement. They look at how the Tea Party has become a heavy weight in national politics and must be reconciled with by the Republican party. The reality is, along with Scott Brown and his dedicated volunteers, the Tea Party Movement was the first to come in and nationally support Brown and brought in reinforcements from around the nation.

This amazing race will surely be studied in schools for political science. One thing is definite, Democrats will be on a sharp lookout across the nation for other independent, conservative, Republicans to stand up to the Democrat machine currently running Washington D.C.

Waynesboro has Surplus!

2010-01-21T10:32:00.002-05:00

Today in the News Virginian, Waynesboro City Council has been told they have a revenue surplus! To the tune of $560,000 dollars. The debate is whether to spend it or save it. I know that answer. With the fiscal year 2010 looking more grim for local governments than the 2009, the wise move would be to save the money to maintain core services of government in the future. According to the story, the city council will hold a hearing to let the public give opinion about the funds. No date has been set.

Honorable move by Sen. Webb?

2010-01-21T10:20:00.004-05:00

Senator Jim Webb released a statement after Senator-elect Scott Brown won in Massachusetts on Tuesday. In the statement Senator Webb said that the Senate should suspend votes on Health Care Reform until after Senator Brown is seated to represent his state. This was an interesting move on behalf of the Virginia Senator. The Richmond Times Dispatch congratulates Sen. Webb with his decision in today's paper. However, was Sen. Webb being honorable or finding a way to get back into good graces with the conservative state he represents? Do you think that Sen. Webb sees the writing on the wall in terms of his own re-election? Lets face it if Massachusetts can elect a conservative representative because of what is happening in Congress, surely Virginia can.

But for now, however, I am proud that Sen. Webb has decided to take this stand. It is important that the duly elected representatives be seated to carry out their trust in the name of the people. Moving forward on Health Care Reform without Senator Brown would be a disgrace to the United States Senate and the United States Constitution and all it stands for.

Rest Stops Open, One Promise Kept.

2010-01-21T10:12:00.004-05:00

This morning in the Richmond Times Dispatch was the headline "McDonnell gets the OK to re-open rest stops." Gov. McDonnell keeps a promise within one WEEK of being in office. Good job Gov. keep it up. All rest stops will be open and operating by April 15 with the first being re-opened next month. McDonnell commented that the closed rest stops had sent a bigger signal to those driving through Virginia, that the Commonwealth was closed for business. McDonnell says that opening up these rest stops was important for showing how serious he was about keeping his promises.

The Commonwealth is exploring public-private partnership programs for the rest stop areas and the transportation agency is looking at ways to bring down the additional $7.5 million dollar price tag to keep the rest stops in operation.

Fascinating...

2010-01-20T15:30:00.003-05:00

This was on RedState today, Unplug Education, No Computers in Schools. Is computer integration into the classroom really benefiting our students between the ages of 8-18? According to the New York Times this age group already gets 7 1/2 hours of multimedia exposure. The post goes further to say that students need to get back to mastering the basics and then bring in the technology. Interesting...

Dems. Options on Health Care Reform.

2010-01-20T11:01:00.006-05:00

The news outlets are alive today as the Scott Brown victory ripples through Washington and the Health Care debate. As this campaign neared its end the Democrat leadership, in the Capital, had to start preparing for the possibility that their candidate would not triumph. Now with the election of Scott Brown to the United States Senate, President Obama's Health Care Reform agenda is in serious jeopardy. Now the preparation that the Democrat leadership started working on must be put into practice. I have listed these options in order of what, I believe, is the likeliness that Democrats will try.

Here are their options:

One, push forward with back room dealing for a bill that could buy off a moderate Republican senator. Two, Bring the Senate bill that was passed on Christmas Eve to the House of Representatives and try to get it passed. Third, drop the bills in their present forms and start from scratch. Fourth, open up the conference committee process of the two health care bills and invite the Republicans.

First, we look at the number one option, back room deal something that will buy a Republican Senator's vote, much like Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska was bought off. I don't really think this will happen, the political fallout of the Nebraska "Corn husk deal" has been tremendous and will definitely be difficult for Ben Nelson to deal with come election time. So finding a moderate Republican stupid enough to crater their career is unlikely.

Second, the option of bringing the Senate bill to the House floor for passage without any changes. This is a tough pill for the House to swallow and the odds of this are slim. There are many moderate Democrats (blue dogs) in the House that will not approve of the Senate bill due to the loose abortion language. Other representatives will not support pushing the cost of this health care reform onto the state budget sheets because the state's budgets are really in no shape to take on this type of load. However, if Health Care reform is destined to happen with this Congress and this Administration, this is how it will be done. The fallout will be a tremendous upset in the November 2010 congressional elections.

Third, drop the health care bills and start from scratch. I wish. They may drop the bill and health care all together. But the odds of starting this process again for 2010 is a pipe dream, every representative in the House is up for re-election this year, they will not want to continue this debate into election season. This reason alone is why President Obama wanted to get health care reform done last year, because he knew this wouldn't play in an election year.

Fourth, open up the conference committee process of the two bills to the Republicans and the general public. Yea-right, there is no way that Congressional Democrats are going to want the Republicans to charge in and save Health Care Reform. If they did, Republicans would shout that they saved Health Care Reform and the Democrats couldn't do it without them.

So, in the end, even though we really need real health care reform, I believe that the Health Care Reform Bill and debate start to wane and go away with an echo of blame from Democrats on the Republicans that they refused to pass Health Care Reform. Same old, same old.

Scott Brown WINS, Sen. Kerry consols Coakley.

2010-01-20T09:09:00.003-05:00

The Conservative Republican, Tea Party supported Scott Brown has triumphed over his opponent Martha Coakley. The reasons for the Democrat loss have ranged from local issues to national ones.

Senator John Kerry was present at Martha Coakley's concession speech and offered his condolences. Democrats are feeling the burn and pressure today on Capital Hill with their domestic agenda.

General Assembly Vote on Income Tax Hike!

2010-01-20T09:02:00.003-05:00

The Virginia General Assembly will be voting on whether or not to raise the state income tax 1%, according to the Richmond Times Dispatch today. Watch your legislators on this vote.

The Jan. 8th Mass. Debate on YouTube.

2010-01-18T14:25:00.003-05:00

I watched the YouTube Videos of the Jan. 8th Mass. Debate, they were great. I especially liked the Independent that was there, I don't agree with him on everything however, the added dynamic of the third person really made the debate. Check it out. I have listed the different parts in order so you don't have to hunt for them.

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven.

UPDATE, Currently, According to Public Policy Polling and up on Fox News.com, the current polls show Republican Scott Brown Leading Democrat Martha Coakley by 51-46% overall, and 64-32% among independents and winning 20% of the vote that supported Obama in 2008. Unfortunately, none of the recent polls register percentages for Independent Joe Kennedy, no relation to the Ted Kennedy family.

Martha Coakley has lost her mind!

2010-01-18T12:49:00.004-05:00

Martha Coakley was quoted, in the Wall Street Journal, as saying, "Catholics probably shouldn't work in the Emergency Room." It should be noted that Massachusetts is the second most heavily catholic state in the union. 53% of the voting population is Roman Catholic. Gee whiz Mrs. Coakley was that a stupid comment, what were you thinking?

I am a registered nurse at our area hospital and I occasionally work in the emergency room. I never let my faith interfere with the level of care I give a patient. I am grateful that Mrs. Coakley is not running to be my United States Senator, because last time I checked we didn't discriminate based on religion in the work place. What does our Virginia Delegation to the United States Congress say about this? I also wonder how the President feels about how Mrs. Coakley has slapped every Catholic Health Care worker in the face and put his Health Care Reform plans in serious jeopardy?

Rocket Club Grounded in Augusta?

2010-01-18T12:09:00.003-05:00

In the News Virginian today is a story about the Augusta county rocket club, Valley Aerospace Team "VAST". Apparently, the clubs launches have been grounded after complaints to the Augusta County Board of Zoning. The complaints were of noise, that the launches scared their livestock, and that the Croft farm wasn't the appropriate site for the clubs activities. The Croft farm spans 500 acres and Mr. Croft, who supports the clubs activities, states, "The cows don't pay no attention to it." Watch a VAST rocket launch here.

Mr. Neff, the clubs president, stated that he nor Mr. Croft had received any complaints in the past about the clubs activities. Mr. Neff states that the first he heard about it was when the clubs permit to engage in rocketry was denied by the county. Mr. Neff is arguing that the club is operating with in the regulations of the state, county, and the National Association of Rocketry safety codes.

I love rocketry, I was a member of the rocketry club when I was in middle and high school. It fueled my interest in science and mathematics. Rocketry is an amazing avenue for young people to engage in rewarding learning activities. It would surprise the average person to learn just how much science and math go on behind the scenes with rocketry. It really gets fun when you design and create your own rockets.

I was surprised by this article especially in reference the Board of Zoning. I am as puzzled as Mr. Neff is on the grounds for the permits denial. I wonder if the Augusta Board of Zoning actually tested and investigated the complaints made by residents before denying the permit.

The club appears to have been founded in 2004 and is a member of the Tripoli Rocket Association and a registered member of the National Association of Rocketry, click here to view their required safety codes.

The "Sledd Compromise"

2010-01-18T11:42:00.004-05:00

Today in the Richmond Times Dispatch is an article of compromise in reference to the appointment of Robert Sledd as a senior economic advisor to Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.

Originally, Gov. McDonnell wanted Sledd to serve as Secretary of Commerce and Trade. Sledd is a successful businessman who sits on multiple corporate boards. The Democrat controled Virginia Senate opposed Sledd's nomination due to, what Senate Democrats called, a conflict of interest.

In light of the Senate's inability to confirm Sledd, the choice deputy secretary of commerce and trade has been promoted to the Secretary spot and is generally seen to be an easy confirmation. Gov. Bob McDonnell is quoted as saying that the solution was, "win-win," for the commonwealth, but was disappointed about how the matter played out.

Mr. Pelosi...

2010-01-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

Someone emailed this to me, it said, "When you are down in the dumps and think you have real PROBLEMS, just remember: SOMEWHERE IN THIS WORLD, THERE IS A MR. PELOSI....."

I feel better already.

The Richmond Capital preparing for inauguration.

2010-01-10T18:10:00.002-05:00

The Richmonder has some great pictures of the Capital in Richmond being readied for inauguration day. Thanks for the great pictures.

The New York Times misses the point.

2010-01-10T17:58:00.004-05:00

A good friend of mine forwarded me an editorial from the New York Times. In the article, the editorial board says that the country needs health care reform and supports to some extent the bills going through Congress. However, one key element of the article caught my eye. Here is how it reads,

"Both bills would broaden eligibility, and their requirement that everyone obtain insurance should also push more currently eligible people to sign up. That is a good thing."

The fundamental principle that is ignored here is the American citizen's individual right to spend their money as they see fit. It is important to point out that the idea of mandating away a free person's will runs rampant in the current Health Care Reform Legislation. I am disappointed in the New York Times, because apparently it is okay with them that health care reforms be forced on the American People.

Iron Man 2!

2010-01-10T15:17:00.004-05:00

Here is the new Iron Man 2 Trailer. Definitely going to see it. May 2010.

Augusta County Government Announcements.

2010-01-10T14:59:00.005-05:00

I have an email subscription with the county for public announcements. Here is what is new.

Augusta County Board of Supervisors Meeting:

Wed. Jan. 13th 7pm @ Government Center

Augusta County Board of Supervisors Ordinance Review Worksession

Wed. Jan. 13th 1pm @ Government Center

Augusta County Planning Commission Meeting

Tues. Jan. 12th 7pm @ Government Center

Augusta County GART/Tourism Meeting

Tues. Jan. 12th 3:30pm @ Government Center

You can sign up for the Announcements Directly by clicking here.

You will be taken to the Augusta County Government Website.

C-SPAN to U.S. Congress, Can you hear us?

2010-01-10T13:33:00.002-05:00

YankeePhil has this up on his Blog today.

Virginia Sen. Mark Obenshain talks budget.

2010-01-10T13:28:00.002-05:00

Virginia Senator Mark Obenshain spoke in Harrisonburg about the budget and a new license plate he is backing for Virginia. I would love to get one for my vehicle. SwacGirl has all the details.

Former Va. U.S. Senator Byrd Criticizes Senator Warner!

2010-01-10T13:12:00.003-05:00

This appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch today. Wow, this is something profound from Former United States Senator Harry F. Byrd of Virginia. He criticizes Freshman U.S. Senator Mark Warner and his recent vote on Health Care Reform. Byrd said he was compelled to speak out against Warner because the freshman senator had campaigned on a platform of grounded fiscal discipline. Sen. Byrd is quoted as, "being shocked by his [Warner's] votes." Senator Byrd went on to say, "When a Virginia Democrat is elected to the Congress --Senate or House --he or she must decide whether to vote the party line or vote the Virginia tradition of finiancal responsibility." Senator Warner's office did respond to Senator Byrd, read the article for more.

"No one will be spared."

2010-01-10T12:59:00.004-05:00

"No one will be spared." Delegate Dickie Bell is right. The economic environment in the Commonwealth of Virginia's budget is bleak. The General Assembly must find more than $4.2 Billion dollars in spending cuts in order to balance the budget.

However, we can look at the bright side. This climate of conversation will force our state government officials to become more efficient and get back to the basics of running the commonwealth. We can start to cut programs that are no good and should never have been started. It will give Virginia the chance to review state agencies and audit how they do business. It will cause our state government to become more lean and efficient. Something that has been needed for a long time. Lets get back to small limited government.

Great LTE for Sen. Webb and Warner.

2010-01-10T12:37:00.003-05:00

The Letter to the Editor in todays NewsLeader was great. Mr. Eagan echoes the sentiments of many in Augusta County and Virginia. The Letter to the Editor is open ended to our U.S. Senators, the question is, "Where is our sweetheart deal?" I agree, where is our ridiculous sweetheart deal? If the Health Care Reform Bill were so great and would open all these doors for people to obtain Health Care insurance than why all the outright ridiculous bribery to get Senators to vote for it?

I would also like to know where the Health Care Town Hall Meeting is from our U.S. Senators to get the opinion of Virginians on this bill before it goes to a final vote. I also want to hear from Virginia's U.S. Senators in response to the ridiculous amendment made for the state of Nebraska? The spokesman for U.S. Senator Warner last year during the fall break said that a Town Hall from the Senator was not going to happen because the Senate didn't have a bill. He also said that once the Senate had a bill he was sure the Senator would have some Town Halls to get the input from the citizens of the Commonwealth. Well here we are Mr. Senator, where are you? Or did you think we forgot?

Gotta Laugh!

2010-01-10T12:19:00.001-05:00

BOS Nancy Sorrells is already campaigning!

2010-01-10T12:10:00.004-05:00

Well, its clear that the Augusta County Supervisors see re-election on the horizon. The NewsLeader had an interview with Nancy Sorrells, BOS of Riverheads District. The interview gives a brief question and answer from her. The notable quote of the interview for Sorrells was, "I guess I drew the short straw when we were deciding who to run for local office." She faces a tough re-election next year as rumors swirl about locals gearing up to oppose her in 2011.

Augusta County Superintendent to Retire.

2010-01-10T11:59:00.002-05:00

Gary McQuain, 13 year Superintendent of Augusta County Schools, will retire at the end of this school year, the NewsLeader reports. McQuain said that it is time for someone new, with fresh perspectives and ideas. He stated that "its time." With the economy and state budget in such dire straights, McQuain acknowledged the challenges still ahead for this year. McQuain complimented the outstanding staff that he has worked with over the years and believes they will weather these tough times ahead. Now the task will begin to find a new superintendent for Augusta County Schools.

First Year in Office leaves Obama Tired.

2009-12-30T11:34:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, In the Richmond Times Dispatch, President Obama is finding the Presidency Tiring, and this was only year one.

Saxman and McDonnell are committed on education.

2009-12-30T11:26:00.003-05:00

In the News Virginian this morning there is a story about School Choice for our young Virginians. It covers Charter Schools, Public Schools, and how education could be improved. SwacGirl has a great post covering this. One thing is for sure, we have not seen the last of Del. Chris Saxman.

Business in Richmond wrongly accused of taking Stimulus Money.

2009-12-30T11:16:00.002-05:00

In today's Richmond Times Dispatch, the owners of Escape Massage Spa were wrongly accused of taking Federal Stimulus Money on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. The owners had recently taken out a Small Business Loan to open a new facility. The loan was guaranteed by the federal government through the bank in Richmond that issued the loan, so when the federal government backed the loan for the local bank the loan showed up on Recovery.gov, the government website that is in charge of keeping track of federal money. However, the site has recently had many discrepancies on it. There has been no comment from the Rush Limbaugh show about the mistake. The owners of the Spa were inundated by angry calls, emails, and walk ins. A lesson is to be learned here, make sure the information we are getting from government websites is absolutely correct before vilifying someones livelihood.

Great Post!

2009-12-29T12:59:00.003-05:00

SWAC Girl had a great post all should read.

Augusta County to hire new Director of Community Development.

2009-12-29T12:30:00.002-05:00

Today in the News Virginian, The Augusta County Board of Supervisors is looking to fill the position of Director of Community Development. Dale Cobb, the current director, will be retiring in March. The Board hopes to have all applications in by January 8th. The salary range is $69,347-$97,986. According to Supervisor Larry Howdyshell, the position must be filled despite the lean budget of the county. Supervisor Nancy Sorrells says that the new director will work closely with the Economic Development Director, Dennis Burnett. The Economic Development Director position was created earlier this year despite the lean budget of the county.

Lets Change how we do the Budget Process.

2009-12-29T12:23:00.002-05:00

Today in the Richmond Times Dispatch, Gov. Elect Bob McDonnell wants to change the way Virginia handles its two year budget process. Currently, the budget is constructed in such a way that a new governor has little time upon taking office to change the budget proposal already submitted by the leaving governor. This issue has plagued new governors as they took office and has caused a countless loss of efficiency in our state government. The article points out that Gov. Wilder, Warner, and Kaine all wanted to change the budget process as well.

McDonnell for Off Shore Drilling!

2009-12-29T12:14:00.002-05:00

Today in the Richmond Times Dispatch, Gov. Elect Bob McDonnell has sent a letter to the Obama Administration to allow Virginia to drill off its shores for natural resources. According to independent research the job of off shore drilling would create 2,578 new jobs, $7.84 billion in capital investment, $644 million in payroll, $271 million in tax revenue that could be used for transportation, infrastructure and education in the state. All around this is a good thing for everyone. Off Shore drilling already occurs in the Gulf of Mexico.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling of VA throws down on Sen. Webb and Warner.

2009-12-29T11:03:00.005-05:00

I received a copy of Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling's letter to U.S. Sen. Jim Webb and Mark Warner of Virginia. The Lt. Gov. words are exactly my take on the matter. Good for you Bill Bolling.

December 21, 2009

The Honorable Mark Warner United States Senate SDB Building 40C Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Jim Webb United States Senate 144 Russell Building Washington, DC 20510

RE: Federal Healthcare Reform Legislation

Dear Senators Warner and Webb: I have been following with great interest the important debate currently taking place in Washington with respect to the proposed reform of our nation's healthcare system. While I certainly agree that we face serious problems with respect to the affordability and availability of healthcare for many Americans, it is important that any reform legislation address these issues without creating other problems for American consumers and businesses or jeopardizing the quality of our healthcare delivery system, which is currently the best in the world. For many reasons, I strongly oppose the healthcare reform legislation that is currently pending before the United States Senate and I encourage you to vote against this legislation and any procedural votes that would allow this legislation to come to a final vote.

In my judgment, the legislation currently pending in the Senate will ultimately increase the cost of healthcare and result in higher health insurance premiums and higher taxes for the vast majority of the American people.

In addition, I believe that this legislation will jeopardize the quality of healthcare that is currently available in our country and take important healthcare decisions out of the hands of consumers and turn these decisions over to government bureaucrats.

Perhaps most importantly, I am concerned that the cost of this legislation will be much higher than currently estimated, and it will inevitably add significantly to the cost of our federal deficit, which is, quite frankly, out of control and threatens the long term financial viability of our nation. If these concerns were not reason enough to vote against this misguided legislation, I am writing to you today to let you know that I am outraged by reports that surfaced this weekend regarding concessions that were made to Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson to secure his vote in support of this legislation.

As you know, one of our major concerns with this legislation is the potential impact it could have on the cost of Medicaid for Virginia's state government. Many reports have suggested that this legislation could result in much higher Medicaid costs for state governments across the nation, costs that state governments simply cannot bear. Against this background, I was amazed to hear that the Senate's Democratic leadership had made concessions to Senator Nelson that would hold his home state of Nebraska harmless as to any additional Medicaid costs that might come about as a result of the enrollment of new Medicaid recipients after 2017. I find these reports particularly troubling since they come on the heels of similar concessions that were given to Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana to secure her vote in support of this legislation just a few weeks ago. In addition to the "pay offs" that were offered to Senators Nelson and Landrieu, unconfirmed media reports over the weekend have revealed that other Senators may have negotiated similar special treatment deals for their states. If these reports are accurate, this type of quid pro quo is unacceptable, and you and your colleagues should object strongly to the practice, which I have no doubt the American people will find offensive as well.

If the Senate's leadership is so desperate to obtain votes to secure the passage of this legislation that they would make these types of concessions to these Senators, I would ask that you demand that the same concessions be extended to Virginia, and for that matter, to every other state in the nation.

Allowing key provisions in this legislation to be used to essentially buy votes from Senators Landrieu and Nelson at the expense of other states such as Virginia should be as offensive to you as it is to me, and it should give you all the reason you need to oppose this misguided legislation. Thank you for your service to the people of Virginia and for considering my views on this important issue.

Very Truly Yours,

WILLIAM T. BOLLING

Lieutenant Governor Commonwealth of Virginia

A quote from Ancient Past.

2009-12-29T10:31:00.002-05:00

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt

should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and

controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest

Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

It was by Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC-December 7, 43 BC).

H/T Conservative Virginian.

An interesting letter from Sen. Webb on Afganistan.

2009-12-29T10:14:00.002-05:00

I received this letter as an email from Senator Webb's office. It is from a Washington Post Op-Ed that he wrote on Dec. 4th, after the President's address. He calls on Obama to be more clear with his strategy in Afghanistan and some other insights.

A plan in need of clarity

By Senator Jim Webb
December 4, 2009

I have great regard for the careful process the Obama administration employed in its efforts to define a new approach for the long-standing military commitment inAfghanistan and to put an operational framework in place for our responsible withdrawal. I intend, nevertheless, to continue to call on the administration to clarify to the American public and Congress how it defines success and how we reach an end point.

Since early 2009, I have said repeatedly that the U.S. strategy for Afghanistan must proceed based on four considerations: (1) the fragility of the Afghan government; (2) whether building a national army of considerable scale is achievable; (3) whether an increased U.S. military presence will ultimately have a positive effect in the country, or whether we will be seen as an occupying force; and (4) the linkage of events in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In the coming weeks I intend to examine the administration's plan to see how it addresses these criteria and how it will affect our troops.

Since the president's address Tuesday, there has been much discussion of the date that the United States will begin to draw down military forces and transfer security responsibility. Just as important is a focus on creating the conditions to enable this transfer of responsibility. The administration has not defined them with sufficient clarity. Our strategy is sound only if framed with clearly defined and attainable goals, an understandable end point and a regional perspective. We must also avoid the inherent risks of allowing our success in Afghanistan to be defined by events that are largely beyond our control.

When U.S. troops entered Afghanistan in 2001, no true central government had existed in that country since 1979. The agreements reached in Bonn, Germany, in December 2001 led to a new constitution, an interim government and the national election of 2004. The agreements also gave considerable power to a central government in a country that is very disparate and historically far removed from the concept of central governance. The result today is a weak, fragile government inKabul whose power on paper is far greater than in reality. It is plagued by a lack of capacity and rampant corruption. Many observers say that power needs to be devolved to a more decentralized form of governance consistent with tribal realities to achieve the Afghan government's long-term viability.

We are ramping up deployment to about 100,000 troops, along with tens of thousands of American contractors and civilians, to implement a counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan. This greatly enlarged presence runs the risk, well rooted in Afghanistan's history of resisting foreign influence, that the United States will be perceived as an occupying force instead of a presence seeking to assist Afghans in improving their stability and development.

Another key question that remains to be answered is: How do we define our enemy in Afghanistan? When we talk about the Taliban, we interchange terms that aren't particularly interchangeable. Three different types of actors are associated with the Taliban. First came those in a vicious government that the United States assisted in removing. Second, there is an ideologically charged group that operates principally in Pakistan, associated with the forces of international terrorism. Third, we have a separate group, presumably growing with the greatest speed, that is viewed by many Afghans as something of a regional militia defending local interests and that doesn't particularly want to threaten U.S. interests outside Afghanistan.

I have said consistently that countering international terrorism requires highly maneuverable forces able to strike an intrinsically mobile enemy. The departure of al-Qaeda from Iraq and, in large measure, from Afghanistan demonstrates why more maneuverable U.S. forces are to be favored against mobile international terrorist movements. In each instance, al-Qaeda relocated to other areas, including Pakistan and the Horn of Africa. Our military must retain the same maneuverability.

On the personnel front, our active-duty military has been deployed repeatedly for combat operations since 2001. Guard and reserve components also have deployed at levels not envisioned when the all-volunteer force was introduced. We are in uncharted territory in terms of the long-term effects these deployments are having on the well-being of our men and women in uniform, especially the Army and Marine Corps. I introduced dwell-time legislation nearly three years ago to ensure that we achieved a better balance in deployment cycles with a minimum interval before follow-on deployments. The new commitment of some 30,000 U.S. troops will put additional strains on our forces and their families. I plan to press the administration on this point to ensure that we are more vigilant in safeguarding the welfare of our men and women in uniform.

The writer, a Democrat from Virginia who was secretary of the Navy in the Reagan administration, serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is chairman of the subcommittee on personnel.

Completely Snowed In!

2009-12-19T11:46:00.015-05:00

This morning my family and I found more than 20 inches of snow on the ground. As of this post we have almost 26 inches in low spots and 30+ inches in some drifts and other high spots. My oldest daughter tried to go out and play in it, however, after only a few moments found that she was unable to move in all the snow. My wife and I tried to dig out our 4 wheel drive Ford Escape. You can see that my snow boots were not tall enough for the snow so I had some garbage bags on under the boots and over my legs to keep the snow from soaking my socks. We worked at getting the car out for hours to no avail. We gave up when the snow plow that was working in our neighborhood got stuck and blocked any vehicle that would have tried to get in or out of the subdivision. So far we have started filling jugs with clean drinking water and getting prepared in case we lose power and the pipes freeze. I hope all of you stay warm and safe during the storm, in the mean time enjoy the snow. More pictures below.

We are trying to find the stars that go up to the porch.

My Daughter is having trouble moving, however she is having fun.

Our Deck is absolutely covered.

Above, you can see my neighbors yard from my porch, the mound of snow to the right of the flag is my neighbor's buried sedan.

Across the street.

Looking out of our side door into the driveway, the pile of snow between myself and our SUV is my Black Mitsubishi Galant.

Another view of my Galant.

Looking at my Deck and Grill, it looks like the Great Pyramids of Egypt! See how the snow is coming up so High that it is reaching the lid of my Grill!

Its Christmas and we are deporting a Priest!

2009-12-15T13:26:00.002-05:00

One of the newspapers that I read is the "Catholic Virginian," In this months issue the story of Father Credo is covered. Father Alejandro Credo from the Philippines came to the United States on a work visa to serve in Virginia. Apparently, due to new regulations from the Department of Homeland Security, Father Credo was supposed to apply for a religious visa. I know, its brings the whole separation of church and state into the mix. Apparently, the Archdiocese of Richmond has been working with immigration and congressional representation to work out the issue so that Father Credo can continue to serve the needs of Catholic Virginians. However, their efforts were to no avail. Father Credo left the United States on December 1st, only to re-apply for entry to our country to continue in his work. Merry Christmas.

Wind turbine tears itself apart, Watch Video!

2009-12-15T13:21:00.005-05:00

This wind turbine was in Denmark when it exploded. Think of what would have happened to those nearby. Watch the YouTube Video. I would think twice before putting one of these in my backyard or next to my child's school.

Time for Hot Chocolate!

2009-12-05T11:10:00.004-05:00

Let it Snow!!!

2009-12-05T11:02:00.007-05:00

Today, the politicians can have Washington. We've got SNOW!!! Nothing is better than playing in the snow with your six year old. Merry Christmas everyone.

Pres. Obama and Breaking out the Big Stick.

2009-12-01T20:41:00.008-05:00

I just finished watching President Obama's address to the nation on the war in Afghanistan. During his speech he used little by ways of specifics except to say that he will order 30,000 additional soldiers to the front lines and that these troops will begin to pull out of Afghanistan in 18 months. President Obama invoked the words and times of President Franklin Roosevelt twice, a president that Obama tends to admire.

Some of what President Obama said I agree with. Obama stated that the United States has sacrificed its young blood on countless fronts across the world, never as an occupying force and rarely ever appreciated for its efforts. He supported the principle that America will continue to be a nation that shines its beacon of freedom and posterity for all in the face of oppression. He recognized the U.S. Soldiers and their sacrifice in defense and support of this principle, and President Obama came across genuine in his desire to end the violence.

I did not agree with President Obama's entire history line of what brought us to our present state of affairs in Afghanistan. One aspect of history that Obama failed to touch on was the success of the surge in Iraq and how that same strategy is now being used in Afghanistan. President Obama failed to express the limited support that the rest of the international community has in our efforts in Afghanistan. Obama only said that the ally nations support us, however the extent to that support is sometimes only a courtesy to the United States and not an expression of support for the cause. President Obama also said that our continued security as a nation doesn't rest with our military, well I disagree, our nations security is based very much on our ability to defend ourselves. Let me quote another President Roosevelt, "Speak softly and carry a Big Stick."

The last point to touch on is President Obama taking so long to come to this decision. General McChrystal, the military leader in charge of Afghanistan who was hand picked by President Obama, has been requesting this support for quite some time, and even Obama said in his speech that the conflict in Afghanistan has been crying out for more support sense 2003, so when President Obama said that he hadn't seen a troop request with a deployment date before 2010, I was skeptical. The reality is that the White House has been sending up test balloons and allowing leaks of the information that was going to be in this speech for a week. What the White House was doing was testing the American people's reaction to the numbers. I find this to be a mistake, the judgment of troop levels and resources should be based on the conditions on the battlefield and in successfully attaining the objectives and goals that we as a nation set for ourselves when we entered this conflict, the continued security of the American people. President Obama said it well in his speech, he said we may not always agree as a nation, but we stand resolved in our principle of freedom and prosperity for all.

Christmas Lights.

2009-11-28T20:36:00.003-05:00

The Karaffa family is a very big Italian Catholic family and we never let a good holiday go to waste, especially Christmas. Most every year, my father has decorated the house with Christmas lights, every year its a little different, but they never fail to impress. I spent most of the day today with my father helping to get the lights up for the season. Many people normally frequent past my parents house as they take in the holiday decorations, and it is always a great time for me and my family putting them up for all to enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Albemarle Schools face Major Cuts, will Augusta?

2009-11-28T19:29:00.002-05:00

In the Daily Progress is a story about Albemarle schools facing everything from reducing the number of hours that the students are in school, increasing classroom size, furlough days for school employees, to actually laying off teachers. The Albemarle school system is expecting to face a $6 million dollar cut from state funds the next fiscal year and is also expecting to have $2 million cut from their local funding. All told it there may be $8 million dollars less to educate with in Albemarle county schools.

With this fiscal reality setting in across the Commonwealth of Virginia, its time to ask what is projected for Augusta County and what is the Board of Supervisors doing to prepare for funding problems. We will watch and see if the BOS spending gets any more fiscally responsible.

The Young Invincible.

2009-11-28T19:17:00.002-05:00

The News Virginian has an article about Health Care and young people, age 19-29, who make up 13.7 million uninsured people in the nation. The article suggests that young people who are starting out after college are unable to obtain Health Insurance at an affordable price. The article really doesn't touch on the fact that some youth just want to save the money. The Health Care Plan will "fix" that by requiring all youth to either pay for health insurance or face a fine. Is that Constitutional?

Another proposal in the bill is that young people can stay under their parents health insurance plans until they are age 26, however, the article doesn't get any feedback from parents who would be forced to continuing to cover their children. This could cause some unforeseen problems. For example, lets say a woman at age 25 under her parents health insurance plan gets pregnant. Is the insurance company going to cover the pregnancy and the birth? Remember, insurance companies count these two aspects, pregnancy and birth, differently.