The inevitable....

The Census will be arriving at your door soon.

What will you do?
I've heard it's about 14 pages long. One of the questions? Whether you have a garden and sell any of the produce. Why does the government care? There has been a bill introduced that would restrict you from growing your OWN FOOD in your OWN YARD under the guise of "food safety." Admit to growing food, and you'll fall under their scrutiny.

Does anyone remember that the government power is only limited to what WE GIVE THE GOVERNMENT? Read the Constitution. The ONLY reason for the census is a head count for Congressional districts.

"[An] Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct." Congress first met in 1789, and the first national census was held in 1790."

http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/13/141.html

I will be completing our family count, not anything more. I'm willing to pay the $100 to not provide 14 pages of personal information.

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No new taxes under 250K and the new healthcare bills

Remember during the presidential campaign the slogan, "no taxes for people making under 250K?"

With the new health plans being discussed in Congress, there is talk of taxing YOU on your private insurance plan provided by your employer. Previously, health benefits are non-taxable, however with the new plan it would be subject to your tax bracket.

For instance, we contribute $164.58 every two weeks to our health plan, and my husband's employer contributes $352.56. Combine those for a total of 517.14 EVERY TWO WEEKS. If it were taxed at a lower tax rate of 15%, that would be $77.57 LESS takehome pay every two weeks for a total of 2016.58 cents less takehome pay every year for our family.

No new taxes? This is a tax for us. But those only buying the new insurance, or Health Insurance Exchange, would not be subject to the same taxes, as it is written.


The good news?
Far more than half of all Americans would be eligible for subsidies, but we have not yet been told who would pay the bill.

Why is this a problem? Those who previously paid for their own private insurance will see how buying the federal option with the subsidies is less expensive and switch, even though it's not necessary. This will put an even larger burden on the federal government. Who will pay for it?

I find it ironic that the federal government does not want to support a voucher system because it would weaken the public school system, but cannot possibly see how the new healthcare bill will destroy the current insurance and health arena. People, competition is GOOD.

No new tax? Let's wake up and realize that ALL insurance premiums WILL go up. There's no way around it. So the subsidies provided will not be enough to balance out the increase. What will happen to the private sector? It will be so over-regulated that the premiums will become too high and people will have to opt for the federal program to survive.




I've also read the argument that "why shouldn't the federal government refuse to treat people who are engaging in risky behaviours causing their medical condition?" and yet in the bill outline, an insurance company cannot charge a higher premium for those engaging in risky behaviours. So those who need to use the system more often will be supported by everyone else's premiums.

"Guaranteed issue and renewal combined with modified community rating would dramatically increase premiums for the overwhelming majority of those Americans who now have private health insurance. New Jersey is the best example of health insurance mandates gone wild. In the name of protecting their citizens, premiums are extremely high to cover the cross-subsidization of those who are uninsurable."
http://keithhennessey.com/2009/06/09/house-health-bill/

Group health plans with 250 or fewer members would be prohibited from self-insuring. ERISA would only be for big businesses.

Depending upon which bill is ratified, we would either only allow legal individuals to receive the healthcare benefits, or anyone. The house bill has no specific requirements.

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Wake up and smell the cycle

After studying great civilizations, Alexander Tytler determined that the average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, these nations always progressed through the following sequence:


Where are we now?
Complacency? Apathy? Or are we cruising down Dependence street?

WAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE UUUUUPPPPPPPPP!
I have wanted to scream and yell for several months now, to shake people and ask them if they know what the H-E-double hockey sticks is going on in the world.

YOU CANNOT BURY YOUR HEAD IN THE SAND. It is our children's future we are playing with. Our abundance has led us to laziness, selfishness and a lack of Public Virtue.
Do YOU know what's going on in our government, or are you someone who says, "I just don't follow politics."

Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it. ~Thomas Paine

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security ~Benjamin Franklin

Under the guise of less government, our president was elected. Apparently no one actually READ his books that said he would do and say whatever he needed to get what he wants. You know what? No one thought Hitler was serious, either. And now we are faced with the largest government we've ever had, a national debt larger than all of our previous presidents combined, and push towards nationalized healthcare that has NEVER WORKED....ANYWHERE.

Please, do your homework. Read. Find out the truth. The voyage out of tyranny and bondage is usually bloody, but we can PREVENT that by standing up NOW.

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If you are interested in being part of a local rally for a free, independent press and a market-based health care system (preserving what's good about our system here in America), please join us at

KMGH TV Channel 7

123 Speer Boulevard

Denver, CO 80203-3417

Time: June 24, 2009 all day, or during the broadcast of Obama’s infomercial for healthcare

Location: Local ABC Affiliate Near You! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ABC_television_affiliates

Organized By: American Patriot

Event Description:On June 24th, join us as we protest ABC joining NBC as official state media by broadcasting an extreme leftist , to help Obama take over our health care system. We must take a stand to help stop the slide toward communism/fascism.This is a line that must be drawn in the sand, and this line must be drawn here and now! We must take a stand! We've already lost so much, and the powers that be seem to have forgotten the message of the TEA Parties, let's remind them that We The People aren't going to just sit and watch while the government takes total control of our lives and robs us of our freedom and our incomes!If our health care system falls to the communist/fascist threat as well, then many believe it's game over.

Let us not go quietly in the night; we won't give up our free market without a fight!

Why do so many Canadians come across the border every year to get everything from cancer treatment to major surgery? Because socialized medicine is a failed system; the quality of care suffers greatly, and the sanctity of life is assaulted, when the Government runs things!

So we have two very compelling issues: a Free Press (yeah, they're ridiculously biased already, but this is simply fascist), and a free-market health care system that is the envy of the world!

We've already lost control of our banks, our automobile industry, and our government. Let's not also lose, in the selfsame year, our free market healthcare system!The time for calling representatives only is past. It's time to surround some TV stations starting at least an hour before the broadcast!

ABC TURNS PROGRAMMING OVER TO OBAMA; NEWS TO BE ANCHORED FROM INSIDE WHITE HOUSETue Jun 16 2009 08:45:10 ET

On the night of June 24, the media and government become one, when ABC turns its programming over to President Obama and White House officials to push government run health care -- a move that has ignited an ethical firestorm!

Highlights on the agenda:ABCNEWS anchor Charlie Gibson will deliver WORLD NEWS from the Blue Room of the White House.

The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate."...As the national debate on health care reform intensifies, I am deeply concerned and disappointed with ABC's astonishing decision to exclude opposing voices on this critical issue on June 24, 2009. Next Wednesday, ABC News will air a primetime health care reform “town hall” at the White House with President Barack Obama.

In addition, according to an ABC News report, GOOD MORNING AMERICA, WORLD NEWS, NIGHTLINE and ABC’s web news “will all feature special programming on the president’s health care agenda.” This does not include the promotion, over the next 9 days, the president’s health care agenda will receive on ABC News programming.

"In the absence of opposition, I am concerned this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda. If that is the case, this primetime infomercial should be paid for out of the DNC coffers. President Obama does not hold a monopoly on health care reform ideas or on free airtime. The President has stated time and time again that he wants a bipartisan debate. Therefore, the Republican Party should be included in this primetime event, or the DNC should pay for your airtime."

FIND YOUR LOCAL ABC AFFILIATE [at link above]

See more details and RSVP on The 9.12 Project Network:http://www.the912project.us/events/event/show?id=2881797%3AEvent%3A...
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Did you know the new healthcare bill is 615 pages long? How many of our representatives will actually READ IT? Very few. In fact, they hired a SPEED READER to summarize the TARP bill, spending $247 billion and not actually reading it? Is this who we hired to represent us?

Not to mention another $100 billion to the IMF, which provides aide money to other countries. We have no money, but we're passing anothe 100 billion?

Do you know the true cost of the healthcare bill? Don't let me tell you, read the articles yourself. If the number $1 trillion doesn't scare you, it should. Do your homework.

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What about the United We Serve project? Are you okay with someone forcing you to volunteer? Oh sure, Obama says it's voluntary, but if you do your homework and find out how many things he said and did just the opposite, you'd be concerned!

In a DOI Internal Memorandum:

(Note to Supervisors: Please ensure that employees without access to
electronic mail receive a paper copy of this message.)

June 19, 2009


Memorandum

To: All DOI Employees

From: Secretary

Subject: United We Serve

Earlier this week, President Obama announced the launch of “United We
Serve,” a call to service for all Americans designed to address the
Nation’s growing needs as a result of the economic downturn. It will
empower ordinary people to take an active role in their communities and
in their futures. In announcing United We Serve, the President outlined
its purpose to promote health care, support education and improve
literacy, provide community renewal, and advance clean energy and public
lands restoration. United We Serve will expand upon existing volunteer
programs and give everyday Americans the tools they need to develop new
service projects.

At the Department of the Interior, we will promote service in the areas
of outdoor youth mentoring and public lands stewardship. Across
America, our treasured landscapes are in need of restoration, hiking
trails are in need of maintenance, invasive species are threatening the
health of natural ecosystems, and young people are losing touch with the
outdoors. United We Serve presents us with a tremendous opportunity to
address these problems in an innovative and broadly accessible manner.

Over the coming weeks and months, the Department will highlight key
volunteer opportunities designed to protect and restore public lands and
engage young people in the outdoors. We are working with our partners
to organize and post service opportunities on www.Serve.gov, a
searchable database that allows potential volunteers to locate
opportunities around the country. The site also features toolkits that
will guide volunteers who prefer to develop their own outdoor youth
mentoring or land stewardship projects. These resources will allow
Americans to reengage in the outdoors and to serve their country by
preserving our natural wonders for generations to come.

On June 22, 2009, I will join my fellow Cabinet Secretaries in a
coordinated day of service to formally launch United We Serve
nationwide. On that day, I will issue a call to action for Department
of the Interior employees to participate in United We Serve and commit
to a volunteer service goal this summer. Whether you pledge to take a
child fishing once a month, organize a team to restore one mile of
trail, or serve dinner weekly at a soup kitchen, I encourage you to set
a volunteering goal. I believe the Department of the Interior can be
the standard-bearer for volunteerism and service by Federal employees,
and this summer is our chance to shine. Watch your mailbox for more
details on how to get involved in this initiative as a Department
employee.

This summer is a remarkable opportunity for the Department to invest in
public lands and achieve long-term benefits for the American public. I
hope you will all join me and help make United We Serve a success.

Thank you.

What is the cost of this project? Who knows! Surely there is cost in administration, websites, staff....but that wasn't revealed...yet.

P.S. This was written by another white lady afraid of volunteering. I have to run, though, because we're making dinner for a church family whose dad is in the hospital in critical condition. Then I have to get ready for the funeral we're helping to cater...for free.

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Happy Inauguration!

The girls and I spent the morning watching the Presidential Inauguration of the 44th President.  To reinforce the Inauguration, we had another dinner election.  My 6.5 year old felt it was "unfair" that her choice didn't win.
Truth be told, we didn't vote for Barack Obama.  There are parts of his platform I vehemently disagree with, such as a redistribution of wealth.  I believe in true charity; you can't force the salvation of one's soul, nor can you teach someone about personal responsibility by giving him everything.  You must "teach a man to fish" not "give a man a fish."  I also disagree that it's a woman's choice to abort any time she feels like it;  even Obama admitted he's not against partial birth abortion.  To me, that's plain murder.  I've seen a 24 week old baby survive and THRIVE.  So there are parts of his presidency I will never agree with.
However, we cannot let that be where it ends.  We have a new president and we celebrated that today.   We're thrilled that America has a new president who represents where we want our country to be:  one where all men (and women!) are created equal.   And how amazing is it that people can disagree on candidates and yet the change in administration was peaceful. 
We had a great civics lesson today and learned that, even though "our guy" didn't win, we support and pray for our president.

I'm sure my 6.5 year old will enjoy dinner even if it's not the exact one she wanted :)

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Fun Quiz:
Who was the only president to be elected to 4 terms?
Who was the only president to be elected unanimously?
Who was the first president to also have a son serve as president?  Who was the second?



To find answers, look here

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Teacher bullies children who support McCain

This is from a Finnish documentary about our election.

VIDEO
Click on the video and watch the footage.

The "VOICE" is the teacher.

VOICE: Obama -- oh, Lord, John McCain.

GLENN: Stop, stop, stop, stop. Did you hear this? Anybody pulling for John McCain? It's okay. Who are you? Obama. Who are you? John McCain. "Oh, Lord." Do you hear this? This is subtly, a teacher subtly telling you, "Oh, you're stupid." Continue.

VOICE: Obama. John -- oh, Lord, John McCain.

VOICE: John McCain.

VOICE: Oh, Jesus, John McCain.

GLENN: Stop. Listen to that. "Oh, Jesus, John McCain." Are you going to answer if your teacher is reacting to John McCain? "Oh, Jesus, John McCain. Okay." Wow. Continue.

VOICE: Oh, Jesus, John McCain. Okay. Now I want to ask you something. Why are you pulling for John McCain? And it's okay but why are you pulling for John McCain?


.....

VOICE: So in other words, Barack is going to end that war in Iraq. What do you-all know about that war in Iraq? Huh? Your dad's in the military. Talk.

VOICE: It's a senseless war. And by the way, Kathy, the person that you're picking for President said that our troops could stay in Iraq for another 100 years if they need to. So that means your dad has to stay in the military for another 100 years.

It's one thing to discuss the election and even ask kids questions about what they know. She seriously crossed the line into indoctrinating her children into believing what she believes.

Another reason I homeschool......

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I Voted!

Thanks to all of the early voters, my vote not only counted, but it was completely painless. We loaded up our 4 children under 6 in the car, drove to the grade school nearby (about a mile away), and found a really close parking space in the half empty parking lot.

We walked in to the registration table (no line), filled out our paper, signed the register, walked over to the voting booth (lack-of-a) line, walked into the booth and voted! I had two girls in my booth and my husband had two girls in his. Of course, it was tough keeping fingers off the buttons, but I'm glad we can show them how easy it is to vote.

My only regret is that we didn't walk to the grade school. I was afraid I wouldn't make it back in time for my dentist appointment. :(

The girls are nominating dinner and we are having a secret ballot this afternoon. They won't find out what they are having for dinner until we either cook it or go pick it up. They are voting, too!

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Michelle Obama...again

I'd forgotten about this quote from Michelle Obama:

Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed.

I'm not sure how Barack is going to make us shed our cynicism when he can't help that with his own wife.

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On the Campaign Trail...when to start?

I've been contemplating the best time to start teaching my girls about politics. We just returned from Mt. Rushmore and the idea of a President is fresh in my girls' minds.

There was a cute article in Family Fun about a family that celebrates each election (local or federal) by having their own election...for dinner! They break down the dinner into different categories (such as main dish, salad, vegetable, drink, and dessert). Everyone gets to nominate one for each category (a week ahead) and they are on the list to debate throughout the week. The day before, everyone votes on what they want (the little ones can point) and on election day, the meal is served. Sometimes everyone knows the winner, sometimes it's a surprise at dinner.

I've taken notice this election even more than usual. I always do my homework, read all the issues and be sure that the person I'm voting for represents most of my beliefs. This election is more difficult to watch because I have seen and heard people supporting Obama who truly don't even know what he stands for. Of course, it's hard to figure out considering he has pretty much negated everything he's said from one speech to another.

What bothers me most, though, is that people will literally fall for a buzzword of "Change." I hate to say it, but not all change is good! His charismatic nature has drawn many in without any real education about the issues.

If you really want to learn more, with excerpts from his actual words he's written and said, look HERE
"..I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of twelve or thirteen when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites..." pg xiv
10. OBAMA SAYS BLACK NATIONALISM - A STEADY ATTACK ON THE WHITE RACE - WOULD BE JUSTIFIED IF IT COULD DELIVER

Michelle Obama says things that are so opposing as well:
"We don't pull them out of their world," Obama says. "Our kids thrive on stability and consistency, and they like their routine." How she relaxes. She takes her daughters to soccer, tennis, swimming and play dates. "That tends to relax me," she says. "I'm usually doing it with other moms who have been friends, and we gossip and catch up and watch the kids play."

IN CONTRAST TO

That means I get up in the morning, I get the girls ready, I get them off, I go and do trips, I'm home before bedtime. So the girls know that I was gone somewhere, but they don't care. They just know that I was at home to tuck them in at night, and it keeps them grounded, and, and children, the children in our country have to know that they come first.

Sorry, Michelle, but I heard the interview where both you and Barack commented that your kids don't care where you are as long as you tuck them in at night. Great example.


So my advice about teaching the election to little ones? Go over the basics and teach them how to discern what someone SAYS versus what they actually DO.

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Who was the first president of the United States?

Nope, it's not who you think!

Washington was the first president under the CONSTITUTION. George Washington didn't start his presidency until 1789 but independence was declared in 1776!

Why is it that our own White House doesn't list anyone before Washington? http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/chronological.html

There were 7 presidents before him.

Who were they?

Hanson was the first.

"The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land). Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the Revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress. "
http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one-year term during any three-year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time. He served in that office from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was the first President to serve a full term after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation – and like so many of the Southern and New England Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution when it was first discussed. He remained a confirmed anti-federalist until his untimely death.
Six other presidents were elected after him - [b]Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) - all prior to Washington taking office. Why don't we ever hear about the first seven Presidents of the United States? It's quite simple - The Articles of Confederation didn't work well[/b]. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new doctrine needed to be written - something we know as the Constitution.

Raise your hand if your school taught this in your American History class.

Nope, mine didn't either.

It seems rather important to understand that we had our own trials and failures as a country before adopting the Constitution.

Apparently, my children are going to fail the standardized question "Who was the first president?" Perhaps they will have to ask the examiner whether the question refers to the first president, or the first president under the Constitution.

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