Home of Today's Common Sense

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.”
Can it be that the ill feeling for George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Truly amazing!
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 »

You will note I have added a new link for a new blog.

I very much recommend adding reading it on a daily basis to your schedule.

It has professional quality content that you may not always agree with but it will cause you to think, something we need more of!

Fred Drew

I wrote this and it was originally published in 2006. It makes even more sense now!

In a number of my columns, I have focus on the consequences to the community when the keeper of peace and order doesn’t do its job. The first responsibility and primary job of government is to establish and maintain peace and order so that we “the people” will be free to pursue happiness. Perhaps these lines will be familiar: “…. all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these Rights governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the Consent of the Governed……..” perhaps if you don’t remember the Declaration of Independence the Preamble to the Constitution will ring a bell where it says as the third reason for establishing the nation “to insure domestic tranquility”.
Many of the leaders of government lose sight of this fact and concentrate more and more on making the constituents more and more dependent on them so that the people will keep reelecting them. That is the point at which our representative leaders become rulers, who now know what is best for all of us and try to limit our choices. More »

Published Brownsville Herald  October 11, 2009

The movie “The Alamo” with James Arnes has been playing on TV lately. As the Alamo is readying for the attack Jim Bowie was asked why he was there; he responded “I like the United States where the people own the government, Santa Anna believes he owns us.”
I think were Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Juan Segun or Col Travis to see what is being done with the government that they died for, they would be sick at the freedoms that we are giving away daily.
Our nation started that the following truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that  they are endowed  by their Creator  with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and  the pursuit of Happiness.
The Constitution began with the premise “ That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”
The Congress of today passes laws that the members are not allowed by the leadership to read, and which appear to be against the will of the people if one can believe the many polls. More »