Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Sarah's lackluster legislative session

Governor Sarah Palin's third legislative session has ended. Her disputes with the legislature kept things interesting, but non-productive. Juneau still does not have a replacement for Sen. Kim Elton, who resigned to take a position with the Obama Administration. The governor still does not have a solution for ameiorating the coming crisis regarding south central's declining natural gas supply.
Gov. Palin has once again nominated former Sen. Tim Grussendorf to replace Elton. This choice was rejected by the democrats and will be rejected once again. This situation is not of the Governor's making. The democrats had the responsibility to provide the governor with three names, instead, they have continually promoted Rep. Bev Kertulla.
Kertulla's family has long been involved in Alaska's Legislature. Her father, former Sen. Jalmar Kertulla is a former senator and representative from the Palmer side of the Matanuska Valley where I live. Appointing Rep. Beverly Kertulla would then create another vacancy that would reset the controversy back to square one with the need to appoint a replacement for her seat.
I can understand why Sarah Palin would want to avoid creating another vacancy by filling the current senate vacancy with a sitting represnative.
Given the conduct of the democrats, Juneau cannot blame the vacancy on the governor.
The real disappointment is the failure for the Legislature and the Governor to devote the time and effort necessary to evaluate and to reach a consensus to head off the specter of the State of Alaska, with 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves proven and estimated, having to suffer the situaiton of having to import natural gas at the LNG port facility at Nikkiski.
At present, the Nikkiski facility exports natural gas to Japan. However, the facility will be converted into a receiving trane in 2012 unless sufficient production can be achieved through additional exploration in Cook Inlet's gas fields.
The difference in philosophy betwee the Governor and the Legislature continues unresolved regarding the so called stimulus funds. Palin does not want to further encumber the State with expanded federal programs under this package that would reqauire the State to continue that expansion at its own expense once the federal funds are expended. The dems and some republicans in the Legislature want all of the money, irrespective of the final cost to the State.
One area of disagreement is the impact upon education funding. Gov. Palin wants the federal stimulus funds to replace State funds proposed the same purpose. The Legislature want their cake and eat it too by adding the federal funds to the State monies in the budget.
Apparently, Alaska's Legislature, and yes, the Governor too, forget that monies in the stimulus will need to be repaid and the bill in the form of inflation has yet to be totaled. Our kids and their kids will repay the Obama Administration's excess.
The Governor has a problem on the North Slope that must be addressed in the form of additional oversight over BP's transport pipe infrastructure. This system has failed not less than 3 times in the last three years resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars in lost production due to a failure to maintain the pipe. Todd Palin works for BP, which makes me wonder if Sarah is not coming down on BP has hard as she should, because of his job situation?
AGIA still has not produced a start date for construction of a natural gas pipeline. This is a situation that is of concern, as Alaska will lag on the impact of the recession for another 6 months or so. Alaska's economic cycle is usually contra-cyclical to that of the lower 48 States.
The only real impact of Sarah Palin's Administration to date has been to provide a spectacle over the pregancy of the oldest daughter and her boyfriend being kicked out of the Palin fold, the spectacle of the Governor's office officials incompetence creating Troopergate. Otherwise, Sarah has managed to outspend her predecessors of both parties.
I am still hoping that the fiscal conservative will show her head and begin the process of cutting back Alaska's bloated and outrageously expensive State government. However, that person may not be Sarah Palin. The Sarah Palin in the office of the Governor of the State of Alaska is not the person we elected.
Alaska is facing the impact of the economic meltdown that is still coming in spite of the spin put on the situation by the Obama Administration and the fools in the Congress. Spending one's way to prosperity does not work and will not work to cure the ils of overspending, bad management, and stupidity on the part of elected officials opening the doors to housing locans loans to people who could not possibily pay them back.
For the first time since the program's inception, the decision to end the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Program may have to be made for economic reasons.
We cannot keep spending like drunken sailors and expect to continue to receive the largess of the oil production in the face of a production that is steadily declining, is interrupted by BP's leaking transportation pipe infrastructure, and uncertain oil prices and a Legislature and a Governor who are all too willing to try to outspend each other.
Note: I am still on a project in Canada and will try to update as time allows. My apologies the lack of regular posts.--LDW

Friday, April 17, 2009

Islam and homosexuality

"Homosexuality is forbidden in Islam, frowned upon in Arab society and illegal in many Middle Eastern countries. Iraq has no law against homosexuality but prominent religious authorities have harshly condemned it. "

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.8aba50e95c349aa577eae5f144be1a15.111&show_article=1

The article cited above is titled "Shadowy Group Threatens to Kill Homosexuals".

So much for the religion of tolerance and the religion of peace.

When will those who abhor Christianity realize that there is real threat to their existence should Islam become a force in the U.S. and Canada?

Fools and morons. So insane with their hatred of Christ's teachings that they cannot see the gathering storm that will kill them.

Typical libs.

Liberalism is truly a mental disease as Michael Savage so elequently espouses.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Napolitano's priorities and concerns

On 7 April, the new DHS Secretary sent out a document to local law enforcement across the United States titled “Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment."
Those included in the focus of an ever expanding concern on the part of our federal internal security establishment are returning troops. Our military!
This fear on the part of our government includes those who are concerned about government intrusion into our lives, those who believe in State’s rights (10th Amendment), citizens who lawfully purchase weapons, Christians, those who oppose abortion, those concerned about illegal immigration, and white supremacist militias.
Right wing, white supremacist militias.
The bug aboo of the Clinton years.
I kind of resent being included in a list that includes white supremacists. I note that only ‘white’ is of concern, not La Raza or other non-white, anti-government and racist supremacist groups.
Where is the concern about Rev. Wright and his flock? They certainly bear watching with his racist, militant, anti-government rhetoric. Gee, and one of his flock made it to the White House. . . .
I guess in Napolitano’s DHS, color is a limiting factor in the ability to pose a threat to the security of the U.S. Does the referenced document imply that those of color lack the ability to pose a threat?
The justification for the troops included as people of concern? Tim McVeigh.
In 2008, less than 1% of 23,000 returning troops joined radical groups after leaving the military.
Has Napolitano been to Walter Reed and seen what our vets have given?
Does she know of the sacrifice of the families of our soldiers?
How about those families who gave all they could? Their son, daughter, daddy, uncle, cousin, on and on. What does she think that Gold Star means?
She dares question their loyalty and patriotism?
Who is encompassed by this document?
Anyone who: is a patriot, a Christian, is outspoken, is concerned about government overreaching, believes in State’s rights, is a serving member of the military returning from Iraq or Afghanistan, a veteran, is concerned about the sanctity of life, is concerned over the scourge of illegal immigration, is concerned about the continued assault on the Constitution, feel that their first loyalty is to their State.
That is definitely me. I am an Alaskan. My order of loyalty is God, family, State, country. I swore an oath defend the Constitution of the Untied States that I still hold as my first duty to my country.
How is it that our government distrusts most of us, but allows a religion and organizations that openly advocate the destruction of the United States?
I guess that the 1st Amendment is selectively applied in this case, because Islam and organizations such as La Raza provide a counter point to our culture, Constitution, and Christianity, values that the libs and radicals on the left openly abhor.
Unfortunately, this is also a case of our liberal element playing with fire.
We have so many divisive elements in the U.S., because the U.S. government no longer encourages assimilation to mitigate the ties to homeland and culture. Assimilation is evil to the lib social agenda, but diversity, read divisiveness, is good for us.
Déjà vu with the latest Homeland Security notification to law enforcement. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, late as the Governor of the State of Arizona, has outdone the Clinton paranoia over militias and evangelicals. She now includes returning troops in an ever growing list of potential subversives.
This is a case of ignoring the obvious and the dems pursuing their agenda of anti-American culture, and socialism at any cost.
I have nothing but contempt for government officials who are afraid of our returning military heroes.
Given DHS’ priorities, I hope Janet Napolitano likes her burkha.
I guess to her, our Founding Fathers are all terrorists who should have been on a British watch list.
Sarah Palin and Levi
Once again, our Governor has risen to the bait. She has something stuck in her craw and that something is the father of her oldest daughter’s child.
Why? Levi Johnson has been on the talk circuit telling all. And, Sarah is angry.
I have written locally and nationally on Examiner about our gov’s penchant for lacking the self-discipline, deportment, sense of duty, sense of propriety, and understanding of protocol that causes her office to be dragged in the mud right along with her in her zeal to slam back at her detractors. If all of her public retorts were in response to policy criticism, maybe she would be justified for a zealous defense. Once again, it is the soap opera of family, particularly that circumstance revolving around an unwed daughter that brings focus to Governor Palin the public spectacle, and not as the “tested leader” she claims to be.
The worst of this is the soap opera like atmosphere that surrounds this distraction. A daughter, pregnant out of wedlock, a young man, her boyfriend and father of the kid, and the predictable disaffection of the boyfriend come mommy in law to be’s sudden fame. This is good for at least a year on any soap opera.
Even the entertainment anchors on CNN today were lamenting that Gov. Palin needs to stop bringing her family issues to the public forum. (And, I am no fan of CNN, the Communist News Network.)
One thing that has to be asked of those who see Sarah Palin as a leader worthy of national prominence, is “where is your husband in all of this”, and “why is he not speaking for the family” since Sarah is gov and really should not be dragging the State of Alaska into her family fights.
Yes, where is Todd in all of this?
If not Todd, why is there not a family spokesperson to keep the gov’s office out of all this family squabble?
Why must Sarah interject the State of Alaska and her office as Governor into such a soap opera?
Enough on that tripe. And, it is tripe.
Again, ask yourself why our governor continually drags the State into her soap opera at home?
Is such the role of the Governor of the State of Alaska?
Is this what you want for President?
Replacing Sen. Kim Elton
Sarah has a dispute going with the dems. When former Sen. Kim Elton resigned to take his position with the Obama Administration, the Governor had a seat that she had to fill. The protocol in the past has been for the dems to select 3 names and to submit them to the gov for a final selection. Instead, the dems submitted one name.
Governor Palin responded with her own choice and the battle has gone back and forth from there.
It is incumbent upon the dems to provide three names. Once they have done so, I am certain that Gov. Palin will select from that list. Until then . . . it makes for good press and shows just how little respect the dem party has for protocol and established precedent.
In this regard, more power to Sarah Palin. She is holding the line and making her point.
Sarah and Stimulus Money
Gov. Palin’s position on the stimulus package has been if there is no additional baggage or cost to the State from the expansion of the programs most of the package represents, then, fine, Alaska will take the money. However, that is not the case.
Intertwining with this, is the usual Gov. and Legislature contest to see who can spend the most. The gov hacked the Legislature’s budget and they hacked hers. Part of the dispute is over education funding. The federal stimulus includes money for school repairs and other education issues that Palin believes should be subtracted from the State side buck by buck, so that the feds are paying the full education bill that is allowed by the funding from the stimulus package.
The Legislature disagrees. They, of course, want both to squander, without consideration to future liabilities incurred by the State for any funding accepted and program expansion required by the so called stimulus. Basically, the Legislature wants their cake and eat it too.
Who will come out on top?
Who knows? Not this session of the Legislature, anyway, unless there is compromise in the offing that has yet to be revealed.
I hope Gov. Palin sticks to her guns on this and the Elton replacement issue.
I further hope that she will stop being Sarah Soap Opera and realize that the gov’s job is full time.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

VAT tax cut results in increase in consumer confidence

Once again, a reduction in taxes had accomplished what all the spending by gov't could not.

The ER cut its Value Added Tax by 2.5% late last year. Already, this cut has resulted in an increase in retail sales of an estimated $2.1B Euros.

Unfortunately, in the U.S., the only thing Washington can do is to take away from one sector and give it to another. Not to mention ensure that our taxes will be raised in every sector.

God help us, if the Europeans can figure it out, why can't our leadership in Washington, D.C.?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7995850.stm

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

President Obama and the Constitution

I have followed with interest the controversy over Pres. Obama’s alleged failure to meet the requirements of Article II § 1 of the Constitution of the United States. This alleged failure involves Pres. Obama’s unwillingness to demonstrate his birth in the United States. Art. II §1 requires that our President be a naturalized citizen.

One can serve in the Congress without being a naturalized citizen, but the Presidency is reserved for naturalized citizens, only.

The issue raised about Pres. Obama’s place of birth is of great importance. If we are a nation which prides itself in being a nation of law, with the Constitution held as the ultimate authority, then Art. II §1 cannot be ignored. If it so ignored in this case, then the specter of a selective interpretation of the Bill of Rights comes into focus. No article can be said to be unimportant or “outmoded” or “outdated”.

I believe that we all realize that the Constitution presents at times an inconvenient and troublesome bar to the goals of the party in power. Hence, the continued selection of judiciary that continually tries to reinterpret and reinvent the Constitution with legal artifice that is designed to serve a political ideology rather than recognize the preeminence of the Constitution as our supreme law of the land.

Recently, a young man who is a long time friend of my son stated to me that the issue of Obama’s birth was moot, as “we had voted (Pres.) Obama into office.

This young man, like those who voted for Obama, feels that his election is a fait accompli by virtue of the outcome of the Electoral College and the popular vote.

In spite of many court challenges to disclose such information, no State has yet disclosed that Pres. Obama made any demonstration of his qualification under the Constitution to the Electors for that State.

Pres. Obama has an obligation to those who voted for him to demonstrate that he is truly qualified. To date, he has adamantly refused to do so, going so far as to spend over $1,000,000 in legal fees to prevent any disclosure of his birth records, his college entrance documentation, and records of his entry into Indonesia at a time when U.S. citizens were barred entry by the State Dept.

By contrast, Gov. Sarah Palin was subjected to the most humiliating and demeaning sort of examination by the press in their demand that she demonstrate her motherhood of her latest progeny. The affront was outrageous, but our Governor complied with that insulting, demeaning, and egregious demand.

Yet, in the case of Obama’s constitutional qualifications, the press has been silent or outright scornful in their comments.

Paradoxically, our President, the guy who promised “change,” has refused to simply stand up at a press conference, hold up his true birth certificate, and say “here it is, now shut up about this!”. Instead, the legal interference continues.

Our forefathers recognized that the rule of law cannot be suborned to party ideology; otherwise, our republic will deteriorate into a rule of whim, no better than the meanest oligarchy or dictatorship. Our rights would then exist by whim of the party in power, and subject to that party’s interpretation.

To answer my son’s friend, the popular vote cannot supersede the Constitution’s requirement of naturalized citizenship. The mob cannot rule. We are a nation of law, and that law is the Constitution. Pres. Obama is subject to that law, not an exception to it.

Every judge, federal official, congressman, federal law enforcement official, and every soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine, both officer and enlisted, swear an oath to uphold and to defend . . . the CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.

It is this imperative that requires the current President to demonstrate that he meant to uphold his oath by publically providing proof of his qualification to hold the office of the Presidency. He owes this to every American, whether they voted for him or not.

Gov. Sarah Palin stepped up under the most egregious and demeaning of circumstances, especially since she literally had no legal obligation to comply with the outrageous demand on the part of the press.

Why cannot Pres. Obama stand up and present his birth certificate demonstrating his qualification under the Constitution to hold the office of President, and thereby end this controversy about his place of birth?

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Michael Yon

Michael Yon is a special forces soldier turned correspondent. He has covered Iraq and Afghanistan providing a viewpoint not shared by the mainstream media. His stories and pics are very compelling.

If you want an unbiased, experienced perspective on Iraq and Afghanistan, this is a good place to get it.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/

Sharia Law, and we let this abhorrant religion in the country . . .

This why we cannot tolerate an intolerant and abhorrant religion that calls for the demise of our republic.

Within 50 years, this could be a U.S. citizen being punished under Sharia law.

The girl's crime? She was seen in public with a male not of her family.

How much do you want to bet that an "honor" killing is in this girl's future?

This the Taliban, this is Islam, this is insane. Where are our human rights crowd from the Obama Administraton? Where is NOW?

http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2009/04/taliban-flog-17-year-old-girl-in-public.html