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!

Scott Brown won by running against the arrogant dealings of the Administration and Congress passing law with no consideration for “We the people”, or the transparency he touted.
Mr Brown won by brilliantly nationalizing the race, running hard against the Obama agenda, most notably Obamacare. Killing it was his No. 1 campaign promise.
An astonishing 56 percent of Massachusetts voters, according to the Rasmussen poll, called health care their top issue. In other polls, 78 percent of Brown voters said their vote was intended to stop Obamacare. Only a quarter of all voters in the Rasmussen poll cited the economy as their top issue. Massachusetts was not just the usual anti-incumbent resentment you expect in bad economic times.
Brown ran on a very clear agenda.
Stop health care; don’t Mirandize terrorists; don’t raise taxes – cut them; and no more secret deals with special interests.
The “Louisiana purchase” and the “Cornhusker kickback” had started a national disgust with the corruption and arrogance of one party rule. The final straw was the union payoff where the labor bosses got a five-year exemption from a the “Cadillac” health insurance tax that Democrats were imposing on those private-sector workers who are not unionized.
Does that sound familiar? Could we see some of that in our local politicians?
The leadership ignored the tea-party movement, the first clear early sign of trouble. They contemptuously dismissed the protests as the mere noise. Then Virginia and New Jersey turned Republican in the two gubernatorial elections.
The evidence was unmistakable: Independents, who in 2008 had elected Obama, swung massively against the Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey. On the fateful Tuesday, it was even worse: Independents went 3-to-1 Independent-Republican in the Democrat bastion of Massachusetts. Not only that – the turnout on Tuesday was the highest for any nonpresidential Massachusetts election in 20 years.
Massachusetts, the most liberal state in the country with there own version of universal health care, had an election.
Independent – Republican Scott Brown won a remarkable victory in the most liberal state in the country. It appears that the party emphasis is on the Independent!
A Washington Post described the big upset, “Voters have been drawn to Brown’s energetic demeanor and populist message of cutting taxes and reining in the federal government. They interact with him as if he were an old friend trying to get them out of a financial jam.”
Then the a number of the loyal followers started abandoning ship. A number of Democrat Congressmen in moderate areas that had avoided town meetings and voted for Health Care against the wishes of the constituency have announced that they will not run for reelection.
It appears that there will be big changes in the Congress, in the coming election.
In order to not have a complete loss, the administration must adjust the priorities to be a bit more centrist and perhaps follow the pattern that President Clinton took by encouraging more cooperation with the Republicans and accomplish reforms and economic actions that have bi-partisan support.
The Republicans don’t seem to be in such great shape either as there doesn’t seem to be a consistent concept as to what they are for, nor a view as to who they are and who speaks for the party. The chair speaks in ideals and conservative values and Presidential Candidate McCain advocates some of the social reforms that were found wanting in the most liberal sate in the Country.
We must remember the “Independent” in Scott Browns win.
Let us consider where we are now!
The U.S. House & Senate voted to withhold our S.S. cost of living raise in 2010 and 2011.Our Medicaid premiums will go up $285.60 for the 2-years and we will not get the 3% COLA: $660/yr.
Our total 2-yr loss and cost is around $1,600 or $3,200 for a husband and wife. The Rulers still voted themselves $4,700 and $5,300 raises! Over 2-yrs they each get $10,000.
Do you think these rulers of ours will have our benefits for the cost of drugs, doctor fees, local taxes, food, etc. increased? Not likely!
They have their raise and better benefits. Why care about us? We never did anything about it in the past.
We must obviously be too stupid or just don’t care.
Do you really think that Salomon, Nancy, Harry, Charlie, Barnie, etc. care about us? We need to SEND THE MESSAGE—YOU’RE FIRED!
This year we will have a chance to get rid of all the House of Representatives and up to 1/3 of the Senators.

On Wednesday President Obama gave his State of the Union speech. I had a difficult time following it; for some reason it seemed more like a campaign stump. He did however say that the national economy needs to have priority.
Apparently, the President missed the massive dissatisfaction of the electorate when he renewed his call for government takeover of the health program.
At another he pointed out that there were two million people working who otherwise wouldn’t be; then described them as government workers. To me the economy is primarily our local businesses which do not seem to be improving very fast.
The President again mentioned the Bank fees which I don’t quite get. I understand that all banks had to pay fees even though many have already paid the loans with interest and others are paying with interest but all must pay the fee. Now the President proposes a $30 billion inflow to community banks – will they now have to pay a fee too?
In the whole speech his references to business, where most of the real jobs are, were that exports must be advanced and the proposal of a tax benefit. Then he went on to propose a Freeze Gov’t Spending in 2011 and to retain a larger tax on those making over $250,000 py.
On the positive side he claimed that he cut taxes – I will reserve judgment until I finish my tax return.
I must say that the speech gave me increased confidence in our national security nor was it increased that the economy would improve soon without further political change.
We must remain angry in November and remind the replacements not to screw up.
Let’s take back our Country. Get involved in the coming elections!

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!
Most of the folks around the country get their news from comedians, people in their social environment that they agree with however more increasingly many are visiting blogs on the internet. Locally, there three very popular and socially active websites, that I follow with regularity.
The following comments, related to the ‘Tea Party’ movement, and the economy were noted:
“ the opinions of the Teabaggers on the economy, and regulations is about as valuable as the opinion of 5 year old playing doctor is to a brain surgeon.”
“Are the Teabaggers against the new credit card regulations or are they in favor of 50% interests rates and endless hidden fees. Let’s see how long their movement lasts they day they come out against the regulation of credit card fees and interest rates.”
“The people love to complain about regulations while also complaining about how corporations screw them.”
It would appear that most folks are unsure where regulations come from.
During my career with U.S. Customs, I participated in the process.
Though Congress originates the law and the President issues final approval the appropriate agency of the government is responsible for issuing the rules that describe exactly how the law will be enforced.
Usually this will be the issuance of regulations that describe specifically what the law means, who must comply, what reporting to the agency will be needed, what fees are required and how the enforcing office will accomplish the job.
This information is first published as a proposed rule and the public has the opportunity to comment during a period of time. Subsequently, the agency will respond to the comment possibly adopting some and the issue the regulation as a final rule.
Most people affected, don’t even know about the proposals much less express interest in the regulation, even though it is really up to everyone affected to help shape the regulation by commenting and writing to your representative to secure action. How many do? Has our Congressman involved himself in regulation? I don’t see any evidence other than the 12 bills he put forward in all these years and votes that place his constituents more under the control of the political masters like the hideous health plan that we are required to pay for years before we see any benefits. That is except for special folks who don’t pay at all; guess who must pay – yep us.
As you can see some regulation is necessary but must be watched carefully and Libertarians are against excess regulation and some do take the time yo comment and secure necessary change.
The Cato Institute, a prominent Libertarian think tank examines these policies.
As many have commented about the position on drug regulation I suggest http://www.cato.org/fda-drug-regulation as a place to find a rational point of view.
The mission of the Cato Institute is to increase the understanding of public policies based on the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and peace. The Institute uses the most effective means to originate, advocate, promote, and disseminate applicable policy proposals that create free, open, and civil societies.
Currently our rulers are trying to pervert the Constitution without amending it by creating rights not recognized in the constitution. According to the Declaration ‘inalienable rights” are given by creator others are specified in the Constitution not created by congress. The only way to add rights is by amending constitution. We have a one Bill of Rights now the rulers want to enslave us with a Second that they control access to and can change or take away.
The Tea Party folks just want to relieve the oppression of too much taxation and oppression just as they did a bit over 200 years ago. They were right then and they are right now. The Libertarians have always supported individual choice, the Republicans are just more of the same as we have seen from the previous administration; they only realized earlier how much they could get away with. Stop the game and vote for the candidate not the perty or it really is just a game and we all lose.

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.”
Senator Coburn, a physician for over 25 years, described Medicare rationing that takes place here and the rationing by other governments who have adopted measures like the Senate proposes:
“This vote is indeed historic,” Coburn said.  “This Congress will be remembered for its arrogance, corruption and stupidity.  In the year of 2009, a Congress ignored the coming economic storm and impending bankruptcy of our entitlement programs and embarked on an ideological crusade to bring our nation as close to single-payer, government-run health care as possible. This bill will ration care, cut Medicare, increase premiums, fund abortion and bury our children in debt.”
“This process was not compromise,” Coburn continued.  “This process was corruption.  This bill passed because votes were bought and sold using the issue of abortion as a bargaining chip.  The abortion provision alone makes this bill the most arrogant piece of legislation I have seen in Congress.  Only the most condescending politician can believe it is appropriate to force Americans to pay for other people’s abortions and to coerce medical professional to take the lives of unborn children.”
The recently passed law authorized an increase in the debt limit which as of this writing stands at 12.4 trillion dollars.
This Congress has usurped more freedom from ‘we the people’ than at any time in history, in spite of the great public dissatisfaction.
It seems that whenever we are told there is a crisis we give the government more authority to increase control to confiscate money and resources from some to pay support of others. It now seems that folks are willing to give up their liberties to entrust that government with unlimited power to dictate how we should think and act in return for money that is confiscated from others. Just a few short years ago folks would go to great lengths to become self sufficient and in times of need the neighbors and religious communities would discretely help them through the rough times. I am saddened when I see people use the resources given to them to become successful,, have the benefits of their successes confiscated by the government to give to others with little or no input. I know many families that take pleasure in discretely helping those in need through donations, through the church which is more aware of the needs and is much more efficient than the government.
These actions may have cracked the foundations of the premise that our Nation was founded.
Earlier this year Texas Gov. Perry may have been prophetic when he commented about withdrawing from the Union. It may even be as legitimate as when Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania withdrew from the USSR.
Those of us that are followers of classic movies were treated to a double feature of timely thought on Monday 21 December when Turner Classic Movies posted:
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) with: James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains where An idealistic Senate replacement takes on political corruption – someone we need today.
Meet John Doe (1941) with: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. 
This appeal for grass roots interest in the government and your fellow neighbors, was released in 1940, when Nazi sympathizers were gaining a potent voice in America, just prior to our involvement in WWII. Could it be we now have a home induced leaning for National Socialism.
In a scene John Doe says “They’ve started a lot of talk about free people goin’ soft, that we can’t take it. That’s a lot of hooey! A free people can beat the world at anything, from war to tiddlywinks, if we all pull in the same direction.
I know a lot of you are saying, ‘What can I do? I’m just a little punk. I don’t count. Well, you’re dead wrong. The little punks have always counted because in the long run, the character of a country is the sum total of the character of its little punks.
But we’ve all got to get in there and pitch. We can’t win the old ball game unless we have teamwork. And that’s where every John Doe comes in. It’s up to him to get together with his teammate, and your teammate, my friends, is the guy next door to ya. Your neighbor – he’s a terribly important guy, that guy next door. You’re gonna need him and he’s gonna need you, so look him up. If he’s sick, call on him. If he’s hungry, feed him. If he’s out of a job, find him one. To most of you, your neighbor is a stranger, a guy with a barkin’ dog and a high fence around him. Now you can’t be a stranger to any guy that’s on your own team. So tear down the fence that separates you. Tear down the fence and you’ll tear down a lot of hates and prejudices. Tear down all the fences in the country and you’ll really have teamwork.. Wake up, John Doe, you’re the hope of the world.”What we really need in the here and now as we are faced with serious infringement on our liberty and way of life, is work as a team like our John Doe. Is that not what the Tea Parties are espousing? The situations are similar.
We need a completely new Congress. This is the year! Anyone but the same old party robots.
Locally, a genuine war hero and ‘Tea Party’ sympathizer, has been moved to return to the service of his country. Ed Mishou has filed with the Libertarian Party to run for the office of U.S. Representative from the 27th Congressional District.
Filings close on January 4, so there is still time to file for office. Filings for County offices are to be made with the Libertarian County Chair who can also help you meet the close deadline for State and Federal offices.

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.
Businesses now must do more to just survive day to day. This has resulted in laying off employees to save on wages and payroll taxes. The remaining employees have produced more with less enabling some business to survive. Some of the surviving businesses are in danger and are delaying any new recruiting or expansion because the specter of new and more expensive regulations and government requirements, as well as new and higher taxes to pay for the increasing government debt, continues to rise and deepen.
We can look forward to even more difficult times and I expect that others will be watching their money just as our family will, to assure we get good value for the fewer resources we have.
If we look back to the depression, the War put everyone back to work and ended it. The several recessions were lessened by reducing taxes on business and relieving them of expensive requirements and providing a stable outlook with less government interference with business and especially “we the people”.
For the foreseeable future all we see is higher taxation, more government interference with our health care, as well as the places we work for now.
In a letter to the editor entitled “Blame Republicans for milking taxpayers”, Celso Garcia would have you believe that The Republicans led by Reagan, Bush, Karl Rove and Tom DeLay gave “the goahead to milk the taxpayers for what they could bear”. I am not a Republican fan but I seem to remember serious tax reductions during the Regan years and a substantial drop in unemployment, particularly in the Valley from the 20% area down to 6% and I also believe it is still holding. I also seem to remember a few Democrats following along since such as those controlling Congress and a President. He goes on to point out that so many companies enriched themselves. I wonder who benefitted – could it be us retirees who hold the 401k’s that own them or the Government Employees’ pension that also depends on many as well?
Now we here the Obama administration promise us change and we got it. We still see that those who are supposed to help us continue to be too important to do it. They are only interested in the masses! Soon we may well be indistinguishable among the world masses. Will we be helped then?
There is some help on the horizon. The “Tea parties”, started by some Libertarians to bring focus on the need to reduce the tax burden, have caused a renewed interest and a grass roots movement.
This reminds me of a movie I saw last year that described the same problem and the solution. “Meet John Doe” – a1941 movie starring a bashful Gary Cooper with that famous, unassuming attitude, and Barbara Stanwyck.
Infuriated at being laid off from her job as a newspaper columnist from The New Bulletin, Ann Mitchell prints a fake letter from the unemployed “John Doe,” threatening suicide in protest of society’s ills. When the note causes a sensation, the newspaper is forced to rehire Mitchell. After reviewing a number of derelicts who have shown up at the paper claiming to have penned the original suicide letter, Ann and Henry Connell decide to hire John Willoughby (Gary Cooper), a former baseball player and tramp who is in need of money to repair his injured arm, to play John Doe.
The Doe philosophy spreads across the country, developing into a grass roots political movement, with financial support from the newspaper’s publisher, D.B. Norton (Edward Arnold), who plans to channel the support for Doe into support for his own political ambitions.
This movie focuses on the idea that most people are decent idealists who actually want to help the neighbor, but don’t want to admit it. They want to appear cool with whatever the popular thoughts are being advanced by their friends not what they have thought for themselves.
The bottom line was that we “the folks” are the powerful and are the only ones who know what is good for us “John Does”.
When we get tired of being mis-used by those that are supposed to work for us, we will start electing competent representatives to government and avoid wars and other crises. We need to start in the local elections as we already have too many less than greats there now.
The “Tea Parties” are gaining in size and popularity and some are referring to them as a potential third party.
Apparently there is some validity to this as many of the TV “talking heads” and other commentators that “owe” the two party system their livelihood are attempting to dissuade voters from such consideration with the assessment that the third party can’t win but only take votes away from the more favorable of the “chosen two”. To accept this concept is to limit the choices of “we the people”.
We need only look at an election, back a century and a ‘half ago. If only he two major parties were considered the Republicans would not be in existence, Lincoln would not have been elected, and slavery may have existed years longer.
I believe it is necessary to vote your conscience not just who your associates think is attractive or nice but that person who will represent you honestly and in good faith.
There is a party in existence that represents the ideals of less – more responsible government and lower taxes. The Libertarians are that party.
I wonder if the Libertarians will be the Party to revolutionize the United States to a better nation more responsive to its citizens like that other party a century and a half ago

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.
The party is made up segments as extreme as the anarchists and others that are quite liberal in their policy views but all are welcome as long as they debate rationally and respectfully, in advocating their views.
This is nearly always the case. In evidence I will describe a debate at the National Convention in Oregon several years ago where the rights of those with alternate lifestyles was an issue for consideration as a plank in the platform.
Everyone, regardless of position had the same opportunity to advance their positions and at no time was there name calling or other disturbances.
This, I believe, is the result of a strict adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order at all meetings and respect for each other, not just conventions. Another facility to assure that each view gets an equal opportunity is that when a vote is taken, not only can you vote for the different candidates or policy choices but you can vote for “none of the above” to start over with a totally different slate.
The following excerpt from the Libertarian National Platform demonstrates what Libertarians are working for:
“we defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.”
…….. Our goal is nothing more nor less than a world set free in our lifetime, and it is to this end that we take these 9stands.”
Some of the principles that describe the detail of stated policies are:
Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, -than individuals have the right to exercise sole dominion over their own lives- that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than Libertarians, grant to government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent ( tax).
Just look at the recent seizure of several banks, auto manufacturing companies and the proposal to take over the health care industries where rewards are made to those with political influence rather than those that work harder. Not only that but the federal government also tells our local schools what to teach our children and how; not even allowing the parents to even know what is going on in the schools. Politicos hire and fire based on “what is in it for me” not the benefit of the children. In fact the more money that is confiscated in taxes, the worse things get for the regular folks.
Just look around today and everywhere problems seem to be getting worse. Over the last eight years the economy in South Texas has gotten so good that that a rate of unemployment that for decades was in the double digits dropped to in the 6 to 8% and remains lower than many other places. Other states with higher taxes and more government control like California, have seriously declining economies.
Libertarians advocate a real difference that would bring about a government more responsive to the regular folks and are not conservative even though they are frequently referred to on Fox news.
This fall, representatives from the State and National Libertarian Party were in Brownsville to help raise interest in running for office, in the third largest political party. We expect to be able to announce some exceptional candidates that will provide a real change from the unchecked spending of our hard earned tax money.As we approach the 2010 election season remember that there is the opportunity to make a substantial change in the Congress and thereby, taxes and spending. Such a person is Independent, Ed Mishou who has chosen to fight with us Libertarians against those who are trying to take our freedoms from us. He has accepted the call to serve his country by seeking election as the next Member of Congress from the 27th Congressional District. Ed is a genuine War hero, having served in Vietnam as a flight officer. He was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross, Legion of Merit, four Air Medals, and the Meritorious Service Medal for his service. After his retirement from the Airforce he worked in executive positions in private industry and provided consulting services until retiring a last time.The same attempts by the government to take our freedoms from us, that motivated the “Tea Parties” and the 9-12 meetings. called him to serve again. He pledges to represent us and not try to rule us.
I would also like to mention that the ownership of The Brownsville Herald follow the Libertarian philosophy and have launched a Libertarian area on the Web to provide more insight. To find it, you can go to my Web site www.TodaysCommonSense.com and click on the Link Freedom Politics located on the right side of the page. There are Libertarian oriented columnists and an “Ask a Libertarian” section to mention just a little.

Thursday, December 31 2009

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

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.

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.
I have been watching the reports in the media about government reforms that would give everyone what they need and would be paid for with savings or additional taxation on the “rich”. The first problem comes with deciding who is rich or middle class – plateaus as low as $200,000 per year and lower have been mentioned. The other source would be the mysterious corporations. Strangely enough when the media refers to the “mean old corporations” they are actually referring to all of us – federal, state, city and company employees who participate in retirement funds as well as individual investors and small business persons and “S Corporations” so small that the owners are taxed as though they are individuals.
One only need look at how many of us “baby boomers” have had to return to the workforce or delayed retirement because of the poor corporate stock response in our 401k or other plans. If the corporations were doing better, thousands of us would retire and make many new job openings, then using our retirement funds to buy more products and services. This would make thousands more jobs in all sectors of the economy.
Our government rulers know this, but they still focus on corporations to tax – denigrating them- to exert more control. Why would our “representatives” do this to us?
The government rulers have been spending resources to bailout companies! These banks, insurance companies, and giant factories are now controlled by the government that can now control credit even more than before and control the means of product production in the largest segment of the United States – and a large part of the world. “Control being the operative word.” Why would our “representatives” do this to us?
Our congressmen had been reforming the housing that is available to the less affluent of us, by forcing Freddy Mac, Fannie Mae and the banks they influenced or directed with government incentives and mandates, to make larger amounts credit available, using terms like balloon payments or variable loans, to those who otherwise would not be able to qualify. This was designed to make better housing available. It appears that little thought was given to the time when the costs returned to the norm and notes became due. The important thing was to make a certain group of voters feel indebted to a specific group of politicos and hostile towards another. Why would our “representatives” do this to us?
Now we are witnessing a concentrated effort to blame different groups of folks for our problems. The politicos are blaming those on Wall Street for our financial problems (that our politicos had a big responsibility for). More blame is placed on our intelligence community for doing a good job (do you remember the Carter era that brought us a period of no human intelligence to identify our enemies and future ones – we are still paying for that in the Middle East and Asia). New requirements and criteria are being created by the minute to enable hostility.  Why would our “representatives” do this to us?
More and more every day, critiques are being devised to separate certain groups from one another. Consider the thoughts now being advanced: If you are a member of one national group, you are racist if you are critical for any reason of a member of another. It seems that if you take pride in who you are, your national origin or sense of patriotic duty, educational background, social organizations, sexual nature vrs sexual preferences, or even the personal appearance you may be disparaged. This seems like bigotry.
People who weigh more than the average, whatever the reason are being determined as a lower-class than others; those otherwise not the same as the average are being focused on by the government and the media, as somehow less valuable and needing some help. People of different colors such as our original Americans and African Americans have been separated for special needs assuming that only the government can improve how they live. The government told the Native Americans once that they would be taken care of on the reservations! They have been separated out, focused on and helped nearly out of existence. Why would our “representatives” do this to us?
So long as we don’t stick together we will all sink separately.
Perhaps this process of the government alienating one group or segment to blame ills on and attempts to take action on – attempts to control access to resources and income – attempts to control those who have access to health benefits (who can live or die), – or even control who can possess firearms or the means of individual protection (remember our native Americans) sounds familiar – yes it is government promoted bigotry.
This is the same methodology that the National Socialist Party used when it came into power in Germany in the early twentieth century.
This all may seem very conspiratorial to many of you, as it did when I wrote an earlier article entitled Perspective on Life in the Philippines and discovered the relationships and goals of the prominent organization “United for Peace and Justice” and its affiliates such as the Socialist Party USA and others.
This rapid movement towards more and more government control of all the most important factors of our life such as education, work and health is leading us to a disastrous trend towards fragmenting society and all the power centralized in the government.
We need more freedom to make choices for ourselves not less.
The government must cease the attempt to control of the banks, factories and not gain control of our health care.
We can not continue to blindly believe our traditional political loyalties as both the Republicans and Democrats have eaten of the apple and know the pleasures of power. This pleasure is so intoxicating the rulers will do anything to keep it. They both now work to build a government to control all aspects of life.
We need to advocate a stop to the amassing of power now! We must work to elect a new government with new congresspersons in 2010 and ensure that they are replaced perhaps every two terms, so that the power remains in the hands of the people.
Lets bring back that part of the 60’s –“Power to the People”

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.
My dad worked as a maintenance manager at the local school and my mom also worked at a number of jobs to keep our heads above water.
Our school district didn’t like the controls that came with Federal money, so they refused it and the community controlled the system. We still had good classes, and a great football, basket ball and hockey sports programs.
We got a great education with a majority of us going on to college, frequently by way of military service and scholarships; I made use of both.
According to the press, the area has never supported a Democrat in the Congressional District since the Civil War. However, one must look at the flavor of Republican that has been voted for.
The most popular politician during my youth was the very liberal Senator Jacob Javitts. Further, we must look at the candidate that was backed by the County leaders another very liberal Republican Ms. Scozzafava, who when she saw that she was losing, withdrew in favor of the Democrat candidate. Mr. Doug Hoffman who was supported financially by Citizens United, a group that seeks to reassert the traditional American values of limited government, freedom of enterprise, strong families, and national sovereignty and security, ran as a 3rd party, independent Conservative.
A large part of the folks in the area have determined not to support the Republican choice, but supported the one that most represents the views of “We the people”.The independent nature of the area reasserted itself with a little help from the “9-12″ Tea Party meeting demonstrations.
The Republican found she was going to lose big, in spite of her National and labor backing, withdrew giving her support to the Democrat.
This really gives me hope that our nation might just recover by listening to the folks! A third party candidate seems to really have a chance and it makes a difference.
It is interesting to note that the “9/12 – tax day tea party meetings” were started by the Illinois Libertarians. Of course, for the Libertarian Party every day is a Tea Party.
The “We the people” are rapidly becoming frustrated with the perceived self-seeking corruption in politics at all levels and the “Tea Party” groups are attracting large crowds.
Here in Cameron County, the local Libertarians had an overflow meeting recently that was directed at locating quality candidates for office in the 2010 elections. Several were identified that may have real possibilities for federal and state offices and are now evaluating those opportunities.
As many of the attendees were “seasoned citizens”, who most regularly vote, there can be a real expectation of a revolution similar to the one taking place in the Northern Border Area and many other areas across the country.
We all just want to use our talents to earn a living wage, without paying suffocating taxes and have the opportunity to seek happiness.
We are also interested in educating our children, helping our neighbors in need, and preserving our surroundings, so as to remain healthful and continue to show us the majesty of nature.
 We want to be allowed to follow our beliefs without the interference from others, in particular from a strong armed imperial government. We want to do all this without interfering with others.
The imperial government is currently spending our future down the drain and taxing us more and more into poverty. This has to change!
In fact it is changing as we can see from the telling elections in Virginia, New Jersey and the opportunity for the “Third Party Candidate” in the 23rd Congressional District in Northern New York.
Lastly, if you know someone in your family or a neighbor that could make an honest difference as a leader in the community, encourage him or her.

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.

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.

Published – Brownsville Herald 7/16/2006

I want to say a thank you to my “Cousin Brucie” that I should have said four decades ago.
We have just passed Memorial Day and Independence Day is just coming up. My thoughts went back to my friends that I served with in the Vietnam War and to the many that are still there. They also went to a few great people who, without a lot of hype did great things to be of service.
A little over forty years ago I was assigned to a Recon group and sailed aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Kitty Hawk CVA 63 in the Tonkin Gulf. President Eisenhower and President Kennedy had felt the threat sufficient to send advisors and then troops. President Kennedy had been recently assassinated just prior to my first tour n Vietnam.
Our days were busy and hazardous and we were defending our homeland from the Communist threat. Most of the nation at the time believed that what we were doing was necessary.

In basic training the most popular songs were Detroit City the key lyrics being “I want to go home”, Blue Navy, Blue and My Boyfriend’s Back.
On the ship the worst thing was not the long hours, the risks in doing what you had to do; but waiting for your comrades to come back after an action, not knowing what happened.
During this time, minds wandered back home to our sweethearts and families, Was the sweetheart being true; was my sister hurt badly in the fender bender, or just a scratch like we were told?
Back home the radio shows, the music and the disk jockey doing request shows were important ways of communicating for us in our teens and early twenties.
I missed that a lot when I went off to war.
There was at one time a “radio station” on the Kitty Hawk but had not been used in quite some time. I found a few volunteers and then secured permission from the ship’s Captain to operate it again. We adopted the format of the day playing the current songs the day (that were begged or borrowed) interspersed with “advertising” of services or products available on the ship, at the bases or ports that we frequented.
This worked alright but something was missing –the Friday night dedication shows that we all listened to while watching the Submarine Races.
With a lot of hope and many prayers I wrote a letter to our “Cousin” in New York.
Bruce Morrow was known to all his millions of fans as “Cousin Brucie” and his unique smooth voice, was a big part of our lives, from his court at WABC am.
One letter from a few boys out in the Pacific was heard and in just a few weeks “Cousin Brucie” was doing a request show for the 4000 plus sailors and connecting us with home. It was a relatively unheralded act but it meant so much to all of us.
I decided that 40 years was long enough and decided to try to extend my thanks to this “really good guy.”
I finally tracked him down, a few days ago, in his office in New York, very much still with us and still very active.
From our conversation, I found him to be the warm caring and charming person that he seemed to be on his radio programs.
As we talked, this impression developed further into a patriotic and thoughtful person with deep passions for the music he was identified with and his “Cousins” around the world.
He mentioned that he welcomed the opportunity to bring a little of home to the troops fighting overseas and to extend the communication in the way only he could, with his recorded dedication shows that became his trademark. Our “Cousin Brucie” explained that from letters and calls he received early on that the service folks overseas were very lonely and hungry and he sought out ways to share his special talents in sending a little bit of home to the battlefield. His trademark request radio shows were exactly the right thing at the right time.
Not only did he do these shows for the 4000 plus folks on the Kitty Hawk he also sent recordings to individuals and smaller groups throughout the area.
When we approached discussing his feelings at the time, I could still sense some of the emotion there just under the surface. He explained that though he personally finds it difficult to support war, he felt that he needed to trust in the nation’s leaders, that the actions were required to protect the security of the Nation in the circumstances, as they existed then.
In another moment “Cousin Brucie” described an especially proud moment that took place some twenty five years after Vietnam, when he was appearing on the Broadway stage in the Musical Grease.
One of the audience got up and apologized for waiting 25 years to thank him for the gifts from home while he was serving in Vietnam, went up on stage and embraced Bruce in thanks. This brought the house down and I suspect, brought a little mist to some of even the most hardened hearts.
When we talked about the way the boys were treated when they returned, speaking through what I perceived as a quick flush of emotion, Mr. Morrow expressed his disappointment, embarrassment and anger at the utter lack of regard and respect for our brave men and women returning from doing their duty as they saw it. Especially, as many who even though they did not believe in the validity of the war, still did their very best and many gave everything they had to give.
Our “Cousin Brucie” is still with us on the Sirius Satellite Channel 6 “Wednesday with the Cuz” every Wednesday 5pm – 9m Eastern and the “Saturday night Party” 8pm – 12m Eastern. He also mentioned that he expects a new Rock and Roll Concert on PBS in the next few weeks. “Cousin Brucie” was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988 and a slew of other halls of fame as well over the years.
I again want to thank my “Cousin Brucie” for being there with a little warmth from home when I really needed it.

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.
After so many years, those thoughts and others, brought tears to my eyes.
It seems that there are no more wars only criminals that are to be caught and prosecuted in a U.S. court of law.
Today, a nation or a cultural group that may control multiple nations attacks the United States and inflicts death, at a rate that brought a declaration of war in World War II ( if taken in relation to the size of the U.S. at the time it is much worse) and our administration wants to make the perpetrators criminals and afford them trials in the U.S. and incarceration at our expense. This – all the while treating them as uniformed soldiers at war, according to the Geneva Convention!
The World is changing to the point that what was clear only a few years ago is muddled today. We can no longer identify/classify enemies as we did in the past nor can we take action as we did then either.
However, it is clear that we cannot treat a cultural group of possibly many thousands or more, which may span the borders of many countries, as criminals and leave it to the lawyers to do that battle.
I can offer no rational way to deal with the situation that would be acceptable to our concept of right and wrong.
I have heard ideas such as to consider these actions, carried out by agents of foreign powers not identified and not in uniform, as spies and designate the intelligence services to deal with them.
That kind of action is contrary to our idea of open government and distrust of the politicians.
The fact remains that the perpetrators are not criminals but some kind of enemy and they are in fact heroes in their culture.
The fact also remains that our real enemies, adversaries in the realm of economic influence and political power are taking advantage of our uncertainty and weakness precipitated by these diversions and the political confusion at the top of our government. There doesn’t seem to be any defined goals or clear strategy.
The easiest thing for our confused government is to follow the mistakes and continue bungling in an illegal and undeclared war that we really don’t know where we are going with.
I fear we are just going to give up again – with an honorable surrender- and leave our warriors on the battlefield again.
If we are going to fight a war it must be requested by the President with a clear description of the enemy and goals, and then debate it in Congress and then to be voted on by each member.
The current War Powers Act allows the President to conduct war so long as Congress does not disapprove. Our children go off to be killed based on the idea that a majority of Congress doesn’t object.
One of the best ways to reduce war would be to return to the way our founders laid out. Then we would only wage war on the enemy.