25 Jan 2010 – Meeting Minutes

MINUTES

January 25, 2010

The Constitutional Patriots met for a regular scheduled meeting on Monday, January 25, 2010 at the Life Center Auditorium with approximately 125 people in attendance. Michael Yancey opened the meeting by welcoming everyone and leading the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. He also had the following announcements:

1. Information on a meeting at Hillsdale College at Hillsdale, Michigan this Saturday that might be of interest.

2. If anyone e-mails him something they want on our web site they need to call it to his attention so that it doesn't get put aside with his regular e-mails.

3. He gave information on future dates and the guests that are to be here.

Feb. 8 - Fair Tax Info

Feb. 22 - Dr. Tom Haney - U.S. Senate Candidate

Mar. 8 - State Candidates Night

Mar. 22 - Local Candidates Night, Part II

Apr. 12 - Local Candidates Debate

Ellen Decker then offered the prayer.

Johanna Campbell then introduced six local candidates that are running for election this year:

1. Beth Davis - Republican for Wells County Auditor

2. Monte Fisher - Republican for Wells County Sheriff

3. David Fillers - Republican for Wells County Sheriff

4. Phillip Stoller - Republican for Wells County Council, 4th District

5. Todd Mahnensmith- Republican for Wells County, 3rd District

6. Yvette Runkle - Republican for Wells County Clerk

Each candidate then introduced themselves to the audience and gave a short presentation as to why they were good candidates for these offices:

BETH DAVIS - has an accounting background and has been the Clerk of Wells County for the last eight years. This experience will be very helpful if she is elected to the Wells County Auditor's office. She also gave information on voter registration and how to register for running for various positions.

MONTE FISHER - listed past experiences that will be most helpful if elected to the Sheriffs position. He worked many years as a deputy sheriff. Currently he is Asst. Fire Chief at Uniondale, and a full time medic. He would like to increase the number of reserve officers (they receive no pay) and would like to utilize the State Police more. His past experience would make him ready immediately for the job if he is elected.

DAVID FILLERS - He believes our nation is under siege from within and says a sheriff can help locally to keep taxes low and our citizens secure. He said he has many experiences that would benefit him as sheriff including his time as a pilot with the state helicopter program. He retired as a Captain. He said as the sheriff he would work to keep expenditures down, see that officers are well trained; including reserve officers and good customer service will be provided. He says these difficult times require creative actions.

PHILLIP STOLLER- currently owns a business in Ossian. He believes younger people should get involved in our government, citing there is no one in Congress under the age of 40. His philosophy is based on the following three things - low taxes, limited government, and local responsibility. If he is elected to the Wells County Council he would like to bring attention to local government reform, cut expenses by consolidations due to the overlap between city and county government, compensation packages for elected officials, and limited but effective government. He said we the people must take responsibility to keep our house in order or someone else will do this for us. He thinks public information needs to be made available and public officials need to be held accountable.

TODD MAHNENSMITH - currently is on the Wells County Council representing the 3rd District. He is a business owner in Ossian. He is concerned with communications between the departments at the County which was the reason for the problems that have occurred. He said he plans to support better communications between the offices. He told of some of the duties of the Council including budget, transfers, resolutions and certain expenditures.

YVETTE RUNKLE - currently works in the Clerk's Office and has 35 years experience in the accounting field. She has been an office manager, been involved in 4-H for many years and works as a mentor of young girls at Son light Church. She feels her accounting experience and multi-tasking abilities will be very beneficial if she is elected to the Clerk's position.

Question and answer session followed and the meeting adjourned at 8:25pm.

Reviving the Constitution - Webcast

Hillsdale College in Hillsdale Michigan is offering a free online webcast of a town hall called “Reviving the Constitution”. Hillsdale is private university that focuses its curriculum upon constitutional studies and the founders vision for this nation. 

If you can, take the time to register online and take part in this event. Click the Hillsdale logo at the bottom of this post to go there home page where you will see the link to sign up.

Hillsdale College Constitution Town Hall

"Reviving the Constitution"
A Constitution Town Hall, brought to you by the
Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for
Constitutional Studies and Citizenship

When:
Saturday, January 30, 2010
9:00 am - 3:00 pm EST
Download the agenda

 

Click Image Below to go to homepage, look for this link to signup

The End of Progressive Talk Radio…

This has been quite a week, Scott Brown’s win Mass, The Supreme Courts reversal of McCain-Feingold and now this little jewel… Air America is filing for Chap 7 liquidation, Free Markets do work.

True to form even in its final statement to the “cruel, cruel” world, Air America couldn’t resist taking a side swipe at capitalism. They cite “difficult” economic conditions and a “lack of ad revenue industry wide” as the contributors to their demise. But their statement is strangely devoid of anything that would assign responsibility to themselves or their business model, after all its the “system" that caused their failure not the risk of running a business.

I guess the author of the statement is not privy to the financial records of the “Wall Street Journal”, “News Corp.” or the “Rush Limbaugh Show”. These companies are filing Chapter 7 because a “lack of ad revenue”. FoxNews is not scaling back because of “difficult” economic conditions. Actually the statement reads like a Robert Gibbs press release, little wonder considering they are of the same progressive ideology. 

Unfortunately we are stuck with its progeny, like Al Franken….

 

Original statement from www.airamerica.com , emphasis mine:

 

 

It is with the greatest regret, on behalf of our Board, that we must announce that Air America Media is ceasing its live programming operations as of this afternoon, and that the Company will file soon under Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code to carry out an orderly winding-down of the business.

The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a "perfect storm" in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection. From large to small, recent bankruptcies like Citadel Broadcasting and closures like that of the industry's long-time trade publication Radio and Records have signaled that these are very difficult and rapidly changing times.

Those companies that remain are facing audience fragmentation as a result of new media technologies, are often saddled with crushing debt, and have generally found it difficult to obtain operating or investment capital from traditional sources of funding. In this climate, our painstaking search for new investors has come close several times right up into this week, but ultimately fell short of success.

With radio industry ad revenues down for 10 consecutive quarters, and reportedly off 21% in 2009, signs of improvement have consisted of hoping things will be less bad. And though Internet/new media revenues are projected to grow, our expanding online efforts face the same monetization and profitability challenges in the short term confronting the Web operations of most media companies

When Air America Radio launched in April, 2004 with already-known personalities like Al Franken and then-unknown future stars like Rachel Maddow, it was the only full-time progressive voice in the mainstream broadcast media world. At a critical time in our nation's history — when dissent on issues such as the Iraq war were often denounced as "un-American" — Air America and its talented team helped millions of Americans remember the importance of compelling discussion about the most pivotal events and decisions of our generation.

Through some 100 radio outlets nationwide, Air America helped build a new sense of purpose and determination among American progressives. With this revival, the progressive movement made major gains in the 2006 mid-term elections and, more recently, in the election of President Barack Obama and a strongly Democratic Congress.

Laws have changed for the better thanks to this revival.....but all the same our company cannot escape the laws of economics. So we intend a rapid, orderly closure over the next few days. All current employees will be paid through today, January 21. A severance package will be offered tomorrow to full-time current employees with more than six months of tenure.

We will strive to assist affiliates and partners in achieving a smooth transition. Starting at 6 pm EST today, we will provide our affiliates, listeners and users a selection of encore programming until 9 pm EST on Monday, January 25, at which time Air America programming will end.

We are proud that Air America's mission lives on through the words and actions of so many former radio hosts who are active today in progressive causes and media nationwide. In the years ahead, as we look back, we should all be proud of our passionate determination to assure that our nation's progressive voice would be heard loud and clear. Through the hard work and dedication of current staff, and those who preceded you, a lasting legacy was forged which will now continue through other voices and venues.

Thank you.

Read Original

http://airamerica.com/

Alabama Legislature Pass 1st State Sovereignty Resolution

Original Text of Alabama State Resolution:

 

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reads as follows: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"; and

WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment defines the total scope of federal power as being that specifically granted by the Constitution of the United States and no more; and

WHEREAS, Federalism is the constitutional division of powers between the national and state governments and is widely regarded as one of America's most valuable contributions to political science; and

WHEREAS, James Madison, "the Father of the Constitution," said, "The powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the state governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, [such] as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce. The powers reserved to the several states will extend to all the objects which, in the ordinary course of affairs, concern the lives, liberties, and properties of the people."; and

WHEREAS, Thomas Jefferson emphasized that the states are not "subordinate" to the national government, but rather the two are "coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole. The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government."; and

WHEREAS, Alexander Hamilton expressed his hope that "the people will always take care to preserve the constitutional equilibrium between the general and the state governments." He believed that "this balance between the national and state governments forms a double security to the people. If one [government] encroaches on their rights, they will find a powerful protection in the other. Indeed, they will both be prevented from overpassing their constitutional limits by [the] certain rivalship which will ever subsist between them."; and

WHEREAS, the scope of power defined by the Tenth Amendment means that the federal government was created by the states specifically to be an agent of the states; and

WHEREAS, today, in 2009, the states are demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government; and

WHEREAS, many federal laws are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; and
WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment assures that we, the people of the United States of America and each sovereign state in the Union of States, now have, and have always had, rights the federal government may not usurp; and

WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 4, United States Constitution, says in part, "The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government", and the Ninth Amendment states that "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people"; and

WHEREAS, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in New York v. United States, 112 S. Ct. 2408 (1992), that Congress may not simply commandeer the legislative and regulatory processes of the states; and

WHEREAS, a number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States; now therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA, BOTH HOUSES THEREOF CONCURRING, That the State of Alabama hereby claims sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States over all powers not otherwise enumerated and granted to the federal government by the Constitution of the United States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution serves as notice and demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate of each state's legislature, and the entire delegation of the Alabama members of the U.S. Congress.

Original Link: AL Sovereignty Resolution PASSED!

2010 Index of Economic Freedom – Heritage Foundation

History Challenge

If you score high enough and you get one of these, and if you do I will post your score here on the website. No cheating now… take the long quiz (96 questions)…..

 

Click the image below to go to the quiz

Just another reason…

I was watching a news report this morning were a member from the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network was contributing her opinion during a discussion on the healthcare debate. Her comments infuriated me a tad so being unfamiliar with the organization I went to the web and researched it…

They claim to be a “non partisan” organization “engaging, empowering and promoting the next generation of leaders through progressive policy”. Amazingly a “progressive policy”  institute is not questioned as being “non partisan”, yet an openly  “conservative” organization like the "Heritage Foundation” is a partisan mouthpiece for the GOP.

 

Read this statement from their website concerning their founding and history:

 

Now I don’t know about you, But I don’t see much in that statement that:  (1) is historical accurate  -OR - (2)  I agree with…

 

But what got my attention was this:

Yet another example of how our glorious senator represents our shared Indiana values… Thanks Mr. Lugar

GOP is 'out-tweeting' Dems in Congress - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

Read Full Article by Clicking Link Below:

GOP is 'out-tweeting' Dems in Congress - The Hill's Hillicon Valley

11 Jan 2010 – Meeting Minutes

MINUTES

January 11, 2010

The Constitutional Patriots met for a regular scheduled meeting on Monday, January 11, 2010 at the Life Center Auditorium with approximately 100 people in attendance. Johanna Campbell opened the meeting by welcoming everyone. The audience stood and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Johanna then told of the following upcoming events.

January 25, 2010 - Local Candidates Night - Phillip Stoller, Monte Fisher and David Fillers will be in attendance.

February 8, 2010 - Discussion will be about "Fair Tax".

Rev. Randy Smith offered the prayer and read some reflections from Dede Huffman's written thoughts dated shortly before she passed away in August 2009. She expressed amazement at the magnitude of the first meeting and the expertise the people possessed to help this group. Her vision and words of wisdom give us the inspiration to carry on with the Constitutional Patriots.

Michael Yancey presented Politics 2.0 with the following goals:

OBJECTIVE - to increase membership and community involvement, proactive involvement in local issues, politics and the community in general and the need to understand how our city, county, schools, etc. are operated.

FOCUSED APPROACH - needs to be principle driven not issue driven, unite on what we agree on and agree and unite on liberty and freedom. The core of our principles is the Constitution.

THE GENERAL PLAN - Reorganize --Recognize--Respond--Responsibility

The Botton line is everyone has a role to play in this group. This is a start.....not an end. Local Focus can lead to national impact.

Johanna then explained that everyone needs to take a role in keeping this group together and making it stronger. Roles have been divided into three functional groups - Community Outreach, Events Coordination, and Support/Administration. She then asked the group to meet in the cafeteria after the meeting adjourns to find out more about the roles and to volunteer and sign up for jobs they would be comfortable doing. She reminded us that we need to do this for Dede, for our children and for our grandchildren.

Donations were then taken and the meeting was adjourned at 8:55pm.

The Constitution and Freedom – Judge Andrew Napolitano

The First Three installments of Judge Napolitano’s series on the US Constitution is currently available on Fox Nation. It is a five part series in which Judge Napolitano explains basic constitutional law and our governments role:

 

Click Fox Nation Link to View Series

So easy… A caveman can do it – The Stimulus

 

Snow globes?? You’re kiddin’ right?

Well obvious not, considering this picture was  just recently posted on a national blog. I am never amazed with what bureaucracies do, so I am not surprised. I am quite certain that the official(s) who identified “snow globes” as a potential threat to air passenger safety has his or her reasons for doing so. In fact I am quite certain if questioned on the matter they could relate several well researched and compelling reasons for not wanting air travelers to have access these mesmerizing plastic snow and water filled orbs. However, none of them will in any manner stop the next mutation of the “shoe” or “underwear” bomber from getting on an aircraft. And that is the problem of the day, isn’t it?

Having been in a government bureaucracy for nearly 20 years, I know the way they work. Since the majority of Federal agencies have nothing to sell, there is no profit motive holding them responsible. SO the result is an entity with very little “real” accountability until something embarrassing or terrible happens. Then comes the “investigation”. A process whose objective is to “identify” and “fix” what went wrong. And is much akin to fixing the plane’s engine after it has taken off.

Of course having survived a few of these, I know what it really is, a “witch hunt”. And if you have ever viewed an “investigation” in close quarters its difficult not to draw the comparison to 17th century Salem.

Rather than making the primary focus stopping these evil people “before” they get anywhere close to an airport, let alone an aircraft… we force a Dad to put his fragile gift for his daughter in a bag to be mauled by the Samsonite gorillas. A typical  bureaucratic response, not so much designed to solve the problem as it is to save face. A response focused upon what they have done, we we need to focus upon what they will do next.

If there is one thing we should have learned from terrorists by now is that they seldom change targets, but often change tactics. In 1993 they detonated a van in the parking garage the WTC North Tower, it didn’t work. 8 years later the tactics were different and so was the result.

Adding a few more liquids to the banned substance list will not prevent committed radicals from inventing a new way to hit us. In fact it emboldens them. The response has been to institute policies that encroach upon personal freedom. We may reason it is necessary for the safety of the public, but every freedom we feel compelled to sacrifice, no matter how small, is a victory for them.  We need to understand that killing us is not there ultimate goal, killing our beliefs are. Every surrender of liberty for us, is a gain for them.

We must also understand that no matter what we do, they are not going to stop. This is a war and must be viewed as such, not because of politics or agendas, but because “they” view it as Jihad, and have long before American Flight 11 hit the North Tower on 9/11. If we ignore this basic point we do so at our own peril.

Marginalizing your foe may be a useful tactic for people that follow Saul Alinsky. But such a tactic will not work with these enemies. We marginalized their declared Jihad against us for 10 years previous to 9/11 and the result was a foe that struck us harder than we previously believed to be possible. Going back to those types of tactics will only yield similiar results.

The only certain way to protect from a repeat of Flight 253, or another attack like 9/11 is to stop those that would commit the act before they have a chance. Unfortunately, we won’t. We will continue battle these this evil in the same “one arm tied behind our back” bureaucratic manner as we have fought the “war on poverty” and the “war on drugs”, so therefore we need not be surprised when get similar results.