How Long Will It Last?
How long will it last?
We are all watching the videos and listening to the speeches as we remember that awful day on September 11, 2001. We can all remember the feelings we had and the despair as we sat glued to the TV and cried for days on end. I remember calling a friend and saying that I have to get away from this TV because I can’t take the desperate feelings that I am having watching the destruction and loss of life. It seemed that they would never again be able to clean up NY , DC or PA .
Oh how quickly we forget those feelings and go about our lives as if nothing ever happened. Just a few weeks ago, we witnessed the Media, our Congressmen and Women, the Black Caucus, our labor leaders and yes even our Vice President crying out viscious names against the Tea Party and other people who don’t agree with their ideology.
Next week after the speeches have been spoken and the TV has moved on the politicians will go back to being the same as they have been for the past century and do things the same as always. I guess what we should all “pray for”. Oops did I say pray, sorry. I know that isn’t politically correct but, oh well , I do pray that we see the real light and start to do what is right for our country and not the political futures of individuals.
If we learned nothing more from 9-11,we learned that America is still the best country to live in. Let’s keep it that way for our grandchildren and their grandchildren.
Terry Gallagher
Artist Rendering of August Meeting
Created by James Burge. For more of James’ work, Click Here.
Labor Day ‘BBQ’ and the Rooneys Pack the House
The Jupiter/PBG Chapter of PBCTP went indoors for our BBQ, since we were expecting hot outdoor temperatures. Good thing, as an early evening downpour would surely have made for uncomfortable conditions. Over 200 patriots turned out – roughly a quarter of whom were new to the Tea Party. A lot of volunteers helped with check-in and registration, raffle and t-shirt donations and keeping things running smoothly – thanks to all!
Mark Wohlschlegel and his band performed during the buffet dinner. Anita Carbone, Chapter Director, kicked off the meeting and then had Representative Pat Rooney do the invocation, after which Congressman Tom Rooney led the crowd in the Pledge, and the National Anthem. Anita described the agenda and upcoming meetings and introduced Pam Wohlschlegel, PBCTP Chair. Pam recounted some nasty quotes of the day – describing Tea Party members as something other than ‘workers’, SOB’s who should be taken out (by Jimmy Hoffa), and Barbarians (by Vice-President Biden). Pam introduced Fred Scheibl, who described the CC3 project, the upcoming PBC Budget Hearings, and future calls to action. Anita then kicked off the keynote speakers – Representative Pat Rooney (FL District 83) who then introduced his brother, Congressman Tom Rooney (16th Congressional District, FL).
Pat spoke about redistricting and the upcoming legislative session. Tom addressed what he felt were critical issues facing the country, including foreign policy and the middle east and the impact on Homeland Security. He spent quite awhile describing the Debt Limit vote and the failure of the US Senate and Majority Leader Reid (D – Nevada) to bring any bills to the floor. The impasse on progress in Congress will remain, unless the Senate acts, or until the 2012 elections when it is vital to elect someone other than President Obama and to take control of the Senate.
After both gentlemen spoke, Anita introduced elected and former elected officials in the room – Hal Valeche (former PBG City Councilman), Bill Diamond (Palm Beach Town Councilman) and David Levy (Mayor, Palm Beach Gardens). The mics were then turned to the audience, which had a lot of good questions spanning topics of Immigration, spending, military bases, Libya, unacceptable numeric nutrient water quality EPA actions, taxation, etc). Anita concluded the meeting by having candidates stand up and introduce themselves. We had: Mike Lamayer, running for FL Senate and Hal Valeche, Albert Key, Laura Hanley and David Levy – all running for Palm Beach County Commission District 1. There is at least one other candidate for this position – so it should be an interesting race!
Join us for upcoming meetings – the next Jupiter/PBG meeting will be on October 3rd featuring “The Devil at My Doorstep” author David Bego.
Photos from Ed and Fred
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Learning Essential Grassroots Tools for Victory in 2012
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Yours in Hope & Action,
Pam Wohlschlegel
C0-Founder and County Coordinator
Palm Beach County Tea Party
Obama Administration Energy Obstructionism- Part II
There are so many examples demonstrating that this administration policy of anti-energy policy for the United States. Here is yet another example of this administrations agenda to drive energy prices higher and make us dependent on foreign energy sources when we have within our own indigenous country vast sources of energy.
There is current a pipeline trying to be developed by TransCanada, a large Canadian pipeline and energy company. The name of this pipeline is called the Keystone XL pipeline which if built, could deliver 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day from the tar sands of Alberta to refineries in Oklahoma and Texas. Just to give you an idea of how much oil this represents, Oman a country in the Middle East produces about this much oil! TransCanada estimates that this would bring $20 billion in investment to the US along with 13,000 jobs with sub-suppliers engaging another 118,000 jobs.
There is one big hurdle—the US State Department. Getting approval has proven to be extremely difficult in getting the 1,170 mile underground (that’s right underground so it would not be an eyesore or serve as an obstruction to some rare animal in it’s path)pipeline approved. In fact, TransCanada filed for a permit in 2008—that right almost four years ago. After dozens upon dozens of meetings, hundreds of thousands of comments, and extensive interaction with the EPA, DOT, USDA, DOI, DOE and numerous other federal and state agencies, finally an environmental impact statement was finally issued stating that the pipeline posed little risk to the environment.
The issuance of this EIS was in April of 2010. But, the EPA cried foul. Sixteen months later, another impact statement was produced. The first volume of the EIS was more than 500 pages, and there were actually eight volumes. Once again, in the second report, the conclusion was that the pipeline posed no significant impact to the environment.
The State Department is the ruling authority for the final permitting. After the submission and approval of the second EIS, the State Department issued a press release stating that the impact statement now will be followed by a 90 day review to “determine if the proposed project is in the national interest.”
During this time period, the State Department will consult with at least eight agencies identified in President Obama’s executive order to obtain their views. The State Department will also solicit public comments and meetings in at least six states through which the proposed pipeline will pass.
Meanwhile, separately, the “greenies” are gearing up for a fight with the Administration that they feel they were not given an ample opportunity to resist the project and state their opposition. There actually have been days of protests outside the White House resulting in arrests of a number of these greenies. The Sierra Club is warning President Obama that is will not mobilize its environmental voter base if he approves the project.
We yet do not know where Obama will come down on this; however don’t hold your breath. On the one hand he has driven unemployment to unprecedented levels even after clearly his fiscal stimulus give away has failed. This was substantiated just today when the White House projects unemployment to remain above 9% throughout calendar year 2012! What a sad state of affairs—we need energy security, we need jobs, and this kind of opposition goes on right before our very eyes.
Ladies and gentlemen, change is not only desired it is a necessity—get out and vote in November 2012 and make some real change—the Presidency and the Senate must be placed in the hands of people that will return our nation to greatness!
Obama Administration Energy Obstructionism
I have in the past written a number of articles on the current administrations “anti-energy” policy. Regardless of what this administration says, it is imperative to watch what they do because their actions are generally diametrically opposite to what they say!
Consider the recent discovery by ExxonMobil of the Julia oil field in the Gulf of Mexico. The field is believed to hold more than 700 million barrels of oil and gas equivalent. Exploiting the newly discovered field would yield billions of dollars for both ExxonMobil and royalties paid to the US government, not to mention the creation of thousands of jobs. In fact, a 1 billion barrel field could generate around $10.95 billion in government royalties—Mr. Obama—that is revenues—like taxes! Mr. Obama—this is called becoming “energy independent” and less dependent on the 60% of our oil that we now import from hostile people that want to do ill will to the United States. Get it!
Obama’s Interior Department is fighting this development. The Interior Department regulates offshore drilling and they are claiming that Exxon’s leases have expired and the company hasn’t’ met the requirements for an extension. In this industry, the re-instatement of leases has been in the past almost a rubber stamp, but for whatever reason, this is not the case for the Julia field. This discovery is one of the largest ever.
There is currently a court battle in place and the government is denying the oil company’s lease on the field, despite it being the biggest oil find ever! Furthermore, the signal to the industry that the Interior Department’s current position is extremely damaging for oil producers—typical Obama administration behavior—that is create as much uncertainty for industry so they do nothing—don’t invest, don’t create jobs—it is the same signal that they continue to send industry either through this kind of governmental restrictions or EPA rulings or nationalized healthcare. Same old same old.
Please find one of the best articles that I have recently read that appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal opinion page. The fallacy of “green energy” producing jobs has been proven over and over—it doesn’t—in fact, it costs jobs as these projects do not require nearly the labor to build as conventional sources plus the high cost of subsidy pulls money from the economy that private industry otherwise would invest in real wealth producing ventures that would in fact produce jobs. The cost of energy resulting from these green technologies also drive companies to move overseas for production due to higher electricity costs all of which diminish the number of US jobs!
Please read this article–it is very good!
By STEPHEN MOORE WSJ Opinion Section September 2, 2011
CLICK HERE for the article.
Progressives Demonizing of the Tea Party: Can We Turn The Tables?
It’s painfully obvious that the progressives and far left have been quite successful at turning the Tea Party movement into the son of Dracula, if credible polls are to be believed. In particular, the Congressional Black Caucus being the most blatant and egregious offender in anti-Tea Party fervor and rhetoric..
It is interesting to note that not even a single democrat House member has come forward to condemn the insidious and incindiary remarks made by our good friends Maxine and Andre that ranged from, “The Tea Party should go straight to HELL..” from Maxine Waters – and that people like you and I would, quote,”like to see those of color strung from a tree” from our pal Andre..
No matter how incredible their statements may be, they have successfully thrown gasoline on an imaginary fire that’s becoming very real in the eyes of many independents, who will decide the race next year. We are LOSING these voters righ now. We must act. There is no doubt we have the superior intellectual tools to win the war of words against the progressive propagandists, and win we must.
This is a crisis of image that we must, but have yet to overcome. The imaginary ‘spitting incident’ and contrived ‘racial name calling’ at the capitol rally almost 2 years ago have all become very real in the minds of many independents with the constant repetition of the false accounts, and now just flat out lies about how you and I feel about those of color.
These kinds of false attacks prove two things in particular:
1> We have won the battle of logic, words, and actions. This means these cries of the racism wolf are the pathetic death-throes of an opposition left with no argument, and no achievements to tout for their failed social polices. What’s left? An Alinsky maneuver deigned to distract the public awareness of their failure by picking a target (the Tea Party) and attacking it relentlessly with the most vile and vitriolic salvos possible.
2> That none of that matters if they win the war of hearts and minds, even if they have to lie to do it. They are using the same tactics as Goebbels who successfully hoodwinked an entire nation once touting, “The bigger the lie, the easier it is to convince the general public.” We cannot let these tactics win the day, but right now this may be the case going into the November election season next year.
It’s time for the Tea Party movement to assess just how the battle of public perception can be won on a national level. Our common sense message must be transmitted in a way that makes sense, as well as in a fashion which can debunk these bald-faced lies and outlandish contrivances of a far left in over-drive to kill our message, as they have none of their own.
The coming campaign season will bring out the very worst in American politics to date in the media. The candidates we endorse in the primary must have the skills to successfully counter the kinds of lies and smears that are most certainly on the way, and will make what we’ve seen so far look meek by comparison.
What we say, and how we vote will make a difference now more than ever, as only 39% of Americans approve of the tea Party movement, if Gallup is accurate here. This shows a free-fall from a high early last year of nearly 50% in some polls, and well OVER that in others.
The mean season leading up to November 2012 has begun. Our message must not be obfuscated by those who would win the war of hearts and minds by twisting the truth when it serves them because they have no argument left to win the war to the White House and the Congressional majority in 2012.
God Bless
Transportation prevarication
On August 31, 2011 President Obama urged Congress to extend the Surface Transportation Bill saying that if Congress failed to do so “over 4,000 workers will be immediately furloughed without pay”.
To understand why the claimed loss of jobs is questionable one has to examine how those jobs are funded.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, funding for transportation construction projects mostly comes from the Highway Trust Fund which is funded by the gasoline tax included in the expiring Surface Transportation law.
Annual spending from the Highway Trust Fund is largely controlled by limitations on the amount of contract authority that can be obligated in a particular year, and such obligation limitations are customarily set in annual appropriation acts, not the Surface Transportation law.
The only thing immediately reduced by failure to extend the law is the gasoline tax that funds the Highway Trust Fund.
Most contracts for transportation construction are not awarded by the federal government and the federal government is therefore not a party to the contracts and not in a position to cancel the contracts and furlough the workers.
The funds for transportation construction projects are given by the federal Transportation Department to the states. In Palm Beach County the funds for construction are given to the county Engineering and Public Works Department. That department solicits bids and awards contracts for the construction. Those contracts are not awarded until the funds are transferred to the county.
Therefore, while a lack of funds in the Highway Trust Fund can impact the implementation of future construction projects, it has no impact on ongoing projects for which funds have already been received. Workers presently employed on projects previously awarded are not impacted by Congress’ action on the gasoline tax.
A petulant President may be able to convince the county to terminate a contract using threats of some adverse action, but that termination would not be because the Congress failed to pass a bill. And a contractor faced with such a cancellation is entitled to receive termination costs for all of the expenses incurred up to the date of the cancellation including equipment and overhead costs that often add up to close to the original contract cost.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, there are still some funds, maybe $10 billion, in the Highway Trust fund so money can continue to go to the states for construction jobs for some time. And workers can continue to be added to new construction projects.
And if money for transportation construction is provided by the stimulus funds already appropriated, maybe we can let the gasoline tax expire and find a way to get along with a lower price at the gas pump.
