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While watching my regular round of news shows, on one a politician was describing his fear of lost freedoms should the current bills in Congress and some recently passed. When asked hat freedoms have you lost or do you think you will lose, the reply was a dance around a direct answer. It seems the answer was so obvious that he hadn’t adequately thought of it.
We all live in the land of the free, right? Or do we?
The concept of freedom when the founders wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution they were very clear. They were so clear that when it was suggested that an amendment should be added to enumerate them, it was argued that the specific description would empower the courts to further define the meaning thereby diminishing the freedoms that were held so dear.
To better understand the freedoms and what they meant to the founders I suggest that you read not only the Federalist Papers but the Anti-Federalist Papers as well.
Why is it so muddy now and how is it that things that we held dear have been just taken for granted and then traded in for government payments. More »

Published Brownsville Herald March 1, 2010

As time goes on the ridiculousness of the antics of what are supposed to be our representatives in the administration of our nation. These folks are supposed to be working in our best interests. Instead our Congressman cowers to the Congressperson from that bastion of “sensibility?” San Francisco. He votes for more spending that we don’t have money for, policies that enslave us even more and to take away what few choices we have left.
It is sad that I have to say that as I once had a high opinion of him and even contributed to his campaign. His staff, especially here in Brownsville, has always been more than courteous and helpful to the folks here, several of whom I have personal knowledge.
Most recently, I e-mailed the office to ask about firearms control and health care issues and did not even receive the perfunctory “I’ll get back to you” response. Then he voted for the government take over of health care. Further, the recent splash of veteran’s health care complaints, ‘poor care and lack of timely care for local vets in San Antonio center as well as inaction with regard of the VA determination that Navy veterans weren’t combat veterans during the Vietnam War. More »

Published Brownsville Herald Feb 15, 2010

Our leaders must be told that the economy must be the number one priority at every level of public administration. Our neighbors need to get back to work and the government must pay its debt.
In our area most work is substantially related to farm products, twin plant manufacturing, and small businesses.
An enormous number of jobs are in the transportation and logistics industry and nearly all of the others depend on it to survive.
To get products to market, to get those things we need for survival and to supply the businesses, we need trucking but that is only part of the system.
In South Texas to take advantage of our resources and overcome the long distances we must deal with we also must have a viable mix of transportation systems to reach more suppliers and customers.
That means a well planed rail facility as well as inexpensive bus service and air services for time sensitive needs.
We also have a plus that many others do not have and that is our nearness to the sea and Mexico. We are fortunate to have port facilities to take advantage of the sea resource but we need to do a lot better in coordinating the planning of our facilities with our neighbors. More »

Published The Brownsville Herald Feb 1, 2010

The election of 2010 is shaping up. The Democrats had a good majority in the Congress, the country in their hands, the Republicans blamed for the problems, and the potential of building a new version of Camelot. The folks really felt good about President Obama.
Then on Jan. 14, President Obama was in full battle mode as he rallied House Democrats behind his health care reform. He said “If Republicans want to campaign against what we’ve done by standing up for the status quo and for insurance companies over American families and businesses, that is a fight I want to have.”
The administration’s view of what “We the people” wanted was forced on the country even though the “We the people” spoke up by starting the Tea Party Movement.
That lasted just three days! When the President campaigned in Boston on the 17’th for health care supporter Martha Coakley, not once did he mention the health care bill.
After Coakley’s defeat, Obama pretended that the real cause was a generalized anger and frustration “not just because of what’s happened in the last year or two years, but what’s happened over the last eight years.” More »

Published Brownsville Herald 1/18/2010

In the last week “Tea Parties” the Populist grassroots movement has been described by “progressives” and liberals as Republican minions, Nazis and other derogative descriptions. This is evidence positive that the ideals they espouse are finding agreement everywhere.
The Republican leadership recognized early on that the concepts were traditional and would catch on widely. That said, I find it difficult for the elephant to change colors so drastically and advocate a smaller government that lives within its means when it has been gorging on the “fruit” for so long.
This movement towards socialism and the imperial nanny government began with President Wilson, professor of political economy at Princeton, and the Federal Reserve Act, which created the Federal Reserve system, and the first federal income tax after the passage of the 16th Amendment. Every administration, Republican and Democrat, since has expanded government power over its citizens.
The Tea Party folks believe this imperial expansion must stop and the Federal Government be contracted to its intended function the servant of the people not their ruler.
The “Tea Party Patriots” issued a statement on January 6 the following is an excerpt:
“This country does not belong to any one party, nor does it belong to the career politicians. This country belongs to the citizens. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “We have given you a republic madam, if you can keep it.” The founders knew that it would be our sacred obligation as citizens to get involved, and to work hard to hold on to this great nation. We have much work to do, and future generations will look back in judgment. We hope you will join us in preserving the republic.”
As opposed to the demonstrated activities of both Republicans and Democrats in the last century, we Libertarians consistently believe in these same sentiments.
What of the public! More »

 Published Brownsville Herald  Jan 4, 2010

My inspiration, Thomas Paine, once said of government in his book Common Sense “We furnish the means by which we suffer”.
The vote and acceptance of the “party line” are where we furnish that means. In looking back at 200 plus years of bureaucracy; what our public leaders have told us, and the observation that what they told us and have done, are frequently in the best interest of the politician rather than the folks.
Now we have a crisis where the fine machinations of government control of banking and social engineering of housing and production have gone haywire. The response has been to identify a few crooks and keep them in the media to divert interest in the governmental screw-up. Then they borrow astronomical sums to spend and socially engineer even more. Then the rulars promise to raise taxes ever higher to confiscate even more from the folks that would provide the jobs that we need. Their majisties then seize control of banks and the means of production (cars) with the stimulus program. Worse yet China and the UN accuse our government of being a deadbeat.
After witnessing the disgusting political machinations of the past year, I am in real fear that our Nation of optimism and opportunity are nearly lost.
On Christmas Eve morning, the Senate held its vote for final passage of H.R. 3590, the $2.5 trillion government takeover of the health care industry.  Democrats passed the bill on a 60 vote straight party-line vote that many believe, that the Constitution did not give Congress the authority to establish. Perhaps we should consider the future Amendment 28,  that is rapidly becoming a battle cry;
 ”Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United
 States that does not apply equally to the Senators or Representatives,
 and Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators or
 Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the
 United States.”
More »

 Published  Brownsbille Herald  December 21 ,2009

The Holiday Season is on us now the turkey is a warm feeling in the tummy and strains of Christmas music are just arriving. That warmth and optimism that only this season can engender seems to be slow to arrive. The realities of the New Year portending little improvement for the unemployed, the economy or the daily grind, are becoming stronger. Still to come is the New Year’s celebration and the look back at what has gone into the past and the resolutions to improve ourselves for 2010.
The War in Iraq seems to be slowing but the War in Afghanistan is becoming more tentative and touchy. The pressures in the area are creating stability problems in Pakistan which has overflowed into India. The fact that both countries have nuclear weapons, and also have social and religious passions that make the concept of mutual destruction an effective deterrent, much less valid. The likelihood that Iran may also join the nuclear club as well makes “the end of days” even more possible.
Closer to our daily lives the loss of the optimism and confidence we normally have in the future, has led to a weakening of the economy of the world. This was seen first in the lack of confidence the banks have in future business which has shown itself in the retreating from extending credit. The result has been that business that depends on credit such as larger valued transactions like houses, cars and appliances have declined. More »

Published Brownsville Herald 12/6/2009

In the last several months there has been a growing interest in a political choice with goals other than expanding the power of the government. The “Tea Party” and “9-12” meetings have stirred new life in small government, responsible spending and an economy based on free trade and enterprise.
In the spate of new discussion the Libertarian Party has been discussed at length and frequently with many inaccuracies.
Most frequently, Libertarians are identified with Republicans by the Democrats and Republicans identify them as liberal because of our goals of more freedoms of choice that should be in the hands of “We the people”.
I want to point out that I am an avid Libertarian and Chairman of the local County Party. I am also very practical, not necessarily conservative as some of my colleagues suggest, in my approach to the different policies. More »

The 50’s and 60’s music info
From time to time I will post info I find interesting concerning the Greats of the real Rock and Rollers

Thursday, December 31 2009

Chuck Berry will be playing 2 shows at BB Kings Blues Club in New York  8 and  12pm

The 50’s and 60’s music info
From time to time I will post info I find interesting concerning the Greats of the real Rock and Rollers

Thursday, January 28th 2010

The Ventures will be playing at BB Kings Blues Club in New York

The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 23rd annual induction dinner on March 10, 2008.

Published Brownsville Herald 11/22/2009

This comment in the Brownsville Herald’s November 8 edition relative to the results of the November 3 constitutional amendment referendum related to Veterans health care.

“Our vets deserve this and this is great news! Our vets need the support.
I am a veteran and I can tell you we desperately need a hospital in the Valley.
When I returned to the Valley after military service I had to go to San Antonio just to get registered and checked for the VA. No travel expenses were reimbursed. After that I could seek medical care in McAllen, where it literally takes six months to get an appointment.
Now with the Harlingen clinic I have to wait two to three months to see a doctor..………….”
What you are hearing about is the future – this is what National Health care will be like. This is how the government runs things… Because of the way government does things “the things that are good for the politician becomes law” not the things that are good for us folks. More »

Published Brownsville Herald November 8, 2009

The 23rd Congressional Dist – is in Northern New York along the Canadian Border. It includes mostly rural areas, known for dairy farms, potatoes, a Mohawk Indian Reservation, and is interspersed with small cities and communities.
It is a beautiful area of severe winters and moderate but short summers.
The only industries are summer and winter based recreational areas with ski resorts and cool fresh lakes for summer water sports and provide a home for snowmobiling.
In spite of the differences, the demographics of the area are similar to our area in South Texas. It adjoins a foreign country where the language is different (French)
The area is made up of less than well to do people who are independent folks of modest means and traditional political and social views.
It is also where I grew up. More »

The 50’s and 60’s music info
From time to time I will post info I find interesting concerning the Greats of the real Rock and Rollers

October 31, 2009 The Ventures -the great guitar band of the 60’s with Herman’s Hermits
The Ventures will be performing on October 31, 2009 (yes, Halloween night), at the Prairie Knights Casino in Ft. Yates, ND.  This is about an hour away from Bismarck.  The show will be The Ventures and Peter Noone’s Hermans Hermits – the fun begins at 7.30 p.m.
The Ventures were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 23rd annual induction dinner on March 10, 2008.

Sunday, Oct 25, 2009
Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge will be at Burlington Community College at Mt. Laurel, N.J.and the Dupont Theatre, Wilmington, Delaware Nov 7

Tue Feb 23 – Tue Feb 23, 2010
Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons will be at Ft. Worth Bass Hall and Thursday, Feb 25, 2010 in Houston at Jones Hall.

The 50’s and 60’s music info
From time to time I will post info I find interesting concerning the Greats of the real Rock and Rollers

Happy Birthday Cusin’ Brucie

Cusin’ Brucie’s birthday is this month. He was 74 on Oct 13.  I listened to his Saturday “Night Party” Request Show last night on Sirius-XM Channel 6. He is as good as ever and that smooth voice is as unique as ever as well. For those of you who have never heard of him I am re-posting the article I wrote when I interviewed him from Seattle back in 2006. More »

Published Brownsville Herald  October 25, 2009

Recently, during a political meeting, inevitably, the issue of war raised its ugly head.
As those who are familiar with Libertarian principles are aware, one of the steadfast issues is that we all agree not to advocate the initiation of force to achieve political or social goals. I, like many who have actually collected combat pay, have a passion against war.
In an instant of the thought at that moment, the memories flooded over me, like never before.
I remembered, the political interference in the prosecution of the war; the limitation of targets and actions. I remembered the flag covered dead, filling aircraft hangers in Da Nang and the numbers of our comrades that we left there unredeemed, when we “gave up” because Vietnam was no longer popular.
But, we were told this wasn’t a war, it was a police action. Unfortunately, however it was young soldiers and sailors doing battle and the prosecuting, not detectives and lawyers. According to Wikipedia 58,159 U.S. military lost there lives; but how many remained alive but perhaps with only part of a life. There were those who lost the use of different parts of their bodies and maybe worse, many lost their ability to feel emotion and came to depend on alcohol or other substances just to make it through the day. More »