A Great Speech on the Debt Limit

Here’s the speech every Republican should make as they vote against a debt ceiling increase:

The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government’s reckless fiscal policies.

Over the past 5 years, our federal debt has increased by $3.5 trillion to $8.6 trillion.  That is “trillion” with a “T.” That is money that we have borrowed from the Social Security trust fund, borrowed from China and Japan, borrowed from American taxpayers. And over the next 5 years, between now and 2011, the President’s budget will increase the debt by almost another $3.5 trillion.

Numbers that large are sometimes hard to understand. Some people may wonder why they matter. Here is why: This year, the Federal Government will spend $220 billion on interest. That is more money to pay interest on our national debt than we’ll spend on Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. That is more money to pay interest on our debt this year than we will spend on education, homeland security, transportation, and veterans benefits combined. It is more money in one year than we are likely to spend to rebuild the devastated gulf coast in a way that honors the best of America.

And the cost of our debt is one of the fastest growing expenses in the Federal budget. This rising debt is a hidden domestic enemy, robbing our cities and States of critical investments in infrastructure like bridges, ports, and levees; robbing our families and our children of critical investments in education and health care reform; robbing our seniors of the retirement and health security they have counted on.

Every dollar we pay in interest is a dollar that is not going to investment in America’s priorities.

Who said this?  Sen. Barack Obama, on the Senate floor in 2006.  Let us now follow Sen. Obama’s fine example.

From Power Line blog.

 

POST TURTLE!

YOU'VE GOT TO LOVE THIS RANCHER'S OUTLOOK & COMMON SENSE APPROACH TO LIFE. While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man...Eventually the topic got around to Obama and his role as our president. The old rancher said, 'Well, ya know, Obama is a 'Post Turtle''. Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him, what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, 'When you're driving down a country road and you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a 'post turtle'. The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. ' "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he's up there, he's elevated beyond his ability to function, and you just wonder what kind of dumb ass put him up there to begin with."

Psalm 2011

Psalm 2011 Priceless I don't care who you are or what you believe, This is funnneeee!!! Obama Is the shepherd I did not want. He leadeth me Beside the still factories.   He restoreth my faith in the Republican party. He guideth me in the path of unemployment For his party's sake.   Yea, Though I walk through the valley of the bread line, I shall fear no hunger, for his bailouts are with me.   He has Anointed my income with taxes, My expenses runneth over.   Surely, poverty and hard living will follow me all the days of my life, And I will live in a mortgaged home forever.   I'm glad … I am American, I am glad … that I am free, But I wish … I was a dog, And Obama … was a tree!

A bunch of 'look alike' photos.

A Great Poem

 

 A 15 yr. OLD SCHOOL KID

got an A+ for this entry

(TOTALLY AWESOME)!

 

Since the Pledge of Allegiance

And 

The Lord's Prayer

Are not allowed in most

Public schools anymore

Because the word 'God' is mentioned.....

A kid in Arizona wrote the attached

NEW School prayer:  

 

"New Pledge of Allegiance"  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Now I sit me down in school

Where praying is against the rule

For this great nation under God

Finds mention of Him very odd.  
 

If scripture now the class recites,

It violates the Bill of Rights. 

And anytime my head I bow

Becomes a Federal matter now.

 

Our hair can be purple, orange or green,

That's no offense; it's a freedom scene..

The law is specific, the law is precise.

Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice.  
 

For praying in a public hall

Might offend someone with no faith at all..

In silence alone we must meditate,

God's name is prohibited by the state.  
 

We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks,

And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks...

They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible.

To quote the Good Book makes me liable.

We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen,

And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King..

It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong,

We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong..  
 

We can get our condoms and birth controls,  
Study witchcraft, vampires and totem poles.. 

But the Ten Commandments are not allowed,  
No word of God must reach this crowd.  
 

It's scary here I must confess,

When chaos reigns the school's a mess.

So, Lord, this silent plea I make:

Should I be shot; My soul please take!

Amen

 

If you aren't ashamed to do this,  Please pass this on..

Jesus said,  'If you are ashamed of me,  I will be ashamed of you before my Father.'

 

RIP Marsha

In Memory of Marsha Koelliker (nee Marsha Davis)

On April 29^th, 2011, the Illinois disability community lost an amazing lifelong advocate for social justice, Marsha Koelliker.  

For 22 years, Marsha was at the forefront of advocacy efforts to advance progressive laws in Springfield to ensure that individuals with disabilities are able to exercise their fundamental rights and receive the quality services and supports necessary to fully participate in all aspects of community life. Marsha developed her expertise in the legislative process from her close friend, colleague and mentor, Dolly Hallstrom.  Dolly was a former Illinois state legislator and developed a disability during the later part of middle age.  Marsha first met Dolly when she joined the public policy team at Equip for Equality.  For many years, Marsha and Dolly were a common sight in the corridors of the state capital, with Dolly in her electric scooter and Marsha by her side.  Together, Marsha and Dolly built strong bipartisan support for disability rights legislation in Illinois.

In 1996, Marsha became the Director of the Public Policy Program at Equip for Equality and oversaw a strong team of policy analysts and interns.  At Equip for Equality's annual benefit in 2008, Marsha received the Dolly Hallstrom Award for Legislative Excellence.  She was joined by several dozen of her colleagues representing a wide range of nonprofit organizations and government.  U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky was among those who spoke of the long-term impact of Marsha's accomplishments.

Marsha's advocacy was always informed by her recognition that all people want to be treated with dignity and cherish their fundamental rights as human beings, including the right of self-determination.  She would always turn to individuals with disabilities themselves, first to discern, and then to communicate, their perspective on pending bills, and to provide a framework for use in drafting new legislation.

Marsha's in-depth understanding of the law and the public policy and legislative processes, along with her personal integrity and strong commitment to fairness and equality, combined to make her a unique advocate in Springfield.  Legislators and their staff trusted Marsha, and, therefore, trusted Equip for Equality.  They knew that they could rely on her facts, her analyses and her word.  This was something that, in the world of Springfield, was rare and refreshing.  Marsha also had the talent and the will to persuade legislators to pass legislation solely on its merit, something that was becoming increasingly uncommon.

Among her many accomplishments are passage of bills in the area of abuse and neglect, including protections for adults with disabilities who are victims of violence and neglect, enhanced oversight at community-based programs and institutional settings and provisions to safeguard students in special education from locked "time out" (seclusion), restraints and other aversive and dangerous practices.  She was a steadfast advocate for the rights of people with mental illness, including fighting to prevent a lowering of the standard for involuntary psychiatric examination as well as involuntary commitment.  She also spearheaded an effort to secure training for law enforcement about interactions individuals with mental illness. After Equip for Equality successfully represented a woman with developmental disabilities who wanted to fight her legal guardian's effort to have her involuntarily sterilized, Marsha established a coalition of groups that, together, were able to pass a bill that greatly strengthened the rights of individuals faced with involuntary sterilization.  

Marsha's passion and love for the democratic process and for the mission of Equip for Equality were well recognized among state policy and legislative leaders.  And her spirit of cooperation, as well as her unfailing kindness, made her beloved by her colleagues.  

Marsha had been battling cancer for many years and had experienced the many disabling side effects of treatment.  Despite this, she continued to work for Equip for Equality part-time until near the end of her life.  She had nevertheless persevered with humor and grace to continue work on behalf of people with all types of disabilities.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Marsha's name be made to:

Equip for Equality

20 N. Michigan, Suite 300

Chicago, Illinois 60602

Marsha's obituary notice.

Garage Door Stickers

Are you fed up with looking daily at your boring garage door?   Just stick a new decal on your door! You should see the looks on the face of your neighbors!            Make an impression on your neighbors !  The German company " Style your Garage " makes posters for your garage door. Prices vary from $199 to $399 for a double door!  Everything included!                                                               And finally...

Will Gov. Jan Brewer stand up to the unions?

URGENT ACTION ITEM BELOW To all Arizona Taxpayers and Tea Partiers: (Finally! This is the last bill alert for the 2011 Legislative Session!) Thanks largely to your grassroots efforts during the past two months, the Arizona Legislature passed Senate Bill 1322, the municipal managed competition reform bill!   The bill now goes to the desk of Governor Jan Brewer. The good news is that Gov. Brewer has some good policy people on her staff, and she has showed some interest in introducing private-sector competition into government services--as demonstrated by her creation of the Council on Privatization and Efficiency (COPE). The bad news is that Gov. Brewer is under intense pressure to kill the reform from government-worker unions, many city council members, and some business lobbyists.   (Below is an explanation of why those interest groups oppose SB 1322.) TAKE ACTION!    Please call and email Governor Brewer TODAY and ask her to sign SB 1322 and promote competitive reform of city government services.  To send Gov. Brewer an email, use her web contact page: http://www.azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp The phone numbers for Gov. Brewer's office are (602) 542-1361 and (602) 542-4331 When you email and call Brewer's office, please tell her you are a taxpayer and you want to see city governments become more efficient. Be sure to put the phrase "Gov. Brewer, please support SB 1322" in the subject line and in the body of your email.  For a one-page pdf flyer you can print out and take to your neighbors/precinct residents, use this link: http://static.taxcutsforall.com//files/sb1322brewer.pdf Who Opposes Making City Services More Efficient? 1) Government-worker unions. Government-worker unions oppose competitive bidding because they do not want to compete on a level playing field (in terms of their salary-and-benefit packages) with private enterprise to provide city services. In Fiscal Year 2010, the City of Phoenix paid its average worker a salary, benefit, and overtime package of $97,707. That was up from $83,231 in FY 2007—a 17-percent increase in just three short years, at a time when private-sector workers were suffering pay cuts and layoffs in the worst recession since the 1930s. Private-sector workers in Phoenix are lucky to have salary-and-benefit packages in the range of $50,000.   Here is a link to a table from the City of Phoenix showing recent compensation increases for city workers:   http://tinyurl.com/phxpayhikes 2) Gutless city politicians. SB 1322 would actually make the jobs of pro-taxpayer city council members much easier, by encouraging cities to achieve savings through efficiencies. In an important sense, SB 1322 actually would create more local control—more control for local taxpayers over their own wallets and bank accounts. By taking some power away from the union machines that tend to dominate City Hall, and by reducing city spending, the SB 1322 reform will actually empower city taxpayers against the local governments that are continually forcing tax hikes and fee increases on them. But most city politicians (other than heroes such as Phoenix City Councilman Sal DiCiccio) are too afraid to take on the union machines, which are very powerful in low-turnout city elections taking place in odd-numbered years. The result is that many of those politicians have taken public stances against SB 1322. 3) Crony Capitalists. Some businesses have sweetheart contracts with city governments and other governments that were not awarded under a truly open, competitive bidding process. If SB 1322 passes, those "crony capitalists" in Phoenix and Tucson will not be able to rely on cozy political relationships and campaign contributions to win contracts. To quote the actual language of SB 1322, the crony capitalists will be forced to compete to provide services at the "highest quality, lowest cost and most reliable performance." More Information about SB 1322 Please go to this URL for an explanation of the benefits of Senate Bill 1322, which would require Arizona cities with populations of 500,000 or more (Phoenix and Tucson) to open up city services to competition from the private sector:   http://tinyurl.com/nolegsleft For a fact sheet exposing various myths about SB 1322, go here: http://tinyurl.com/sb1322myths And thanks for all you have done this spring to help AFP-Arizona push pro-taxpayer, pro-consumer, and pro-producer bills in the Legislative Session! For Liberty, --Tom  Tom Jenney Arizona Director Americans for Prosperity* www.aztaxpayers.org tjenney@afphq.org (602) 478-0146 * Save the Date - Join Americans for Prosperity Foundation this summer for the 4th annual RightOnline® Conference in Minneapolis, MN at the Minneapolis Hilton Downtown on June 17-18. For more information and to REGISTER TODAY please visit www.rightonline.com! Americans for Prosperity® (AFP) is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual's right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans. AFP educates and engages citizens in support of restraining state and federal government growth, and returning government to its constitutional limits. AFP has more than 1.7 million members, including members in all 50 states, and 32 state chapters and affiliates. More than 85,000 Americans in all 50 states have made a financial investment in AFP or AFP Foundation. For more information, visit www.americansforprosperity.org

Other-wordly Pictures

A Nice Reflection

 

 

THINK There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.   He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' This is how the human brain often works when our status changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations. Life Is a Gift Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak. Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat... Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out to GOD for a companion. Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went too early to heaven.. Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet. And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job. And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.. ========================== I PRAY THIS MOVES AROUND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE.....

 

Three New Navy Ships

3 New Navy Ships USS REAGAN Seeing it next to the Arizona Memorial really puts its size into perspective... ENORMOUS! When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 4.5 acres.  Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.   Capability Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling                   1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years 2. Carries over 80 combat aircraft 3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet Size 1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline 2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall 3.  Flight deck covers 4.5 acres 4.  4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200  pounds 5.  2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons 6.  4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet   Capacity 1. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel 2. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days 3.  18,150 meals served daily 4.  Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes       5.  Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones 6.  14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets   USS BILL CLINTON The USS William Jefferson Clinton (CVS1) set sail today from its home port of Vancouver , BC The ship is the first of its kind in the Navy and is a standing legacy to President Bill Clinton 'for his foresight in military budget cuts' and his conduct while holding the (formerly dignified) office of President. The ship is constructed nearly entirely from recycled aluminum and is completely solar powered with a top speed of 5 knots. It boasts an arsenal comprised of one (unarmed) F14 Tomcat or one (unarmed) F18 Hornet aircraft which, although they cannot be launched on the 100 foot flight deck, form a very menacing presence. As a standing order, there are no firearms allowed on board. This crew, like the crew aboard the USS Jimmy Carter, is specially trained to avoid conflicts and appease any and all enemies of the United States at all costs. An onboard Type One DNC Universal Translator can send out messages of apology in any language to anyone who may find America offensive.  The number of apologies are limitless and though some may seem hollow and disingenuous, the Navy advises all apologies will sound very sincere.   In times of conflict, the USS Clinton has orders to seek refuge in Canada. USS  BARACK OBAMA Details are  vague.     But don't you worry..........he has a plan