Shutdown 13- Lessons to Learn

With the possible deal announced by Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, it appears that this round of the budget fight might be over. With the apparent end of "Shutdown ’13" there are lessons that need to be remembered from the last two weeks.

1. -Our Great Leader, King Barack, the Petulant (Peace be Upon Him) will use the power of his office to attack the American People and use the power of his office to cause pain to average Americans. The biggest example of this are the actions of the National Park Service- closing open air memorials (such as the WWII Memorial and Vietnam Memorial) and attempting to close private property – such as Mt Vernon. These actions were, at best, extra-constitutional. More accurately, these actions differ little from the actions of King George III during the 1770’s and are no less Tyrannical. Since the long term memory of most Americans seems to be almost non-existent, and many who would read this will say “King George who?” I will also say that the actions of the President were NIXON-IAN at best. 


2. -The Main Stream Media will ignore the extra-constitutional actions, illegal activities, and down- right atrocities on the left. When the MSM cannot avoid reporting on actions that appear “bad for the left” they will spin the events or actions to make sure the left appears in the best light possible. For example- ABC News brushed over the conflict over the WWII memorial on October 1, stating the vets were allowed into the memorial - vs. the Stars and Stripes report that the Vets “stormed” the memorial- there is a huge difference between the two. 


3. -GOP “Leaders”- or better stated, those GOP Senators who are “approved” or “liked” by the MSM and Left- Senator McCain for example- will spend their time attacking members of their own party, rather than standing for principle. Put it another way- the GOP “Leadership” would rather “eat their young” than stand on principle. Senator McCain’s attack on Senator Cruz over the “sort of filibuster” is a prime example. In response to Senator McCain’s comments – Senator McCain, take a Civics Class- we DO NOT live in a Democracy- we live in a Republic. (Not that Senator McCain would care what I have to say- I am only one of his constituents). It is time for the rank and file of the GOP to change the leadership and vote the bums out! 


4. -The Shutdown showed the excess of the Federal Government. Besides the closure of National Parks and Monuments- done mostly to “cause pain” to the average American, the impact on the average American was negligible. Now I am sure someone will be screaming, “But Federal Employee’s did not get paid!” Actually- they will. Federal Employees just got two weeks off, paid, and car manufacturers are saying federal employees can “defer” up to 3 months of payments on their vehicles! WOW! I wish I could get that the next time I am laid-off or furloughed from a private organization!


5. -The GOP "Leadership" in the Senate is the best there is at "grabbing defeat from the jaws of victory."   

These are just a few lessons that could be learned from Shutdown ’13. Hopefully these lessons will be remembered when it is time to vote in November 2014-but I fear they will not. I am quite sure there are many more lessons that can be learned, and I invite readers to comment and add or discuss lessons that should be learned.

Shutdown 13- Lessons to Learn

Who Really Owns the Parks?

Before this last week, I thought that National Parks belonged to the "People" of the United States- that National Parks were lands set aside and held in Trust for not only those alive now, but for future generations- that the purpose of the National Park Service was to serve the People, maintain the parks and to serve as guides to help people enjoy the Parks.

Apparently, I am wrong.  Apparently the Executive Branch owns National Parks- not the People.  The Parks are lands set aside for the President to use for two things:

1st- the lands are set aside to serve as a rally location for those that agree with the current Regime - like the Pro-Amnesty rally on the Mall this last week (despite the shutdown).

2nd- Parks exist for the President to use to inflict personal pain on Americans and visitors - the "make it hurt strategy"- by preventing people from "looking" at things within the Parks from private areas (such as shutting down road pull off areas in South Dakota that are outside a national park so people could not even see Mt Rushmore), or closing access roads to allow people to look at one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the world by closing sidewalks that pass a wall that lists the names of those that died serving their country (Vietnam Memorial).

Apparently the Park Service exists to close roads, sidewalks, harass citizens, and to do the bidding of the President, to "make it hurt."

A great number of our National Parks are natural wonders- they existed LONG before there was a US Government and will continue to exist long after the US Government is gone.  These Parks were not "built" by the Government.  Yes, at these parks, roads, visitor centers and other structures were built- sometimes before the park was a "Park"- but the fact remains that with these natural wonders, people are more interested in viewing the "handiwork of Almighty God" than they are in looking at the wonders of the visitor's center or the fee collection booth. The Grand Canyon does not get covered with a big tarp or filled in with dirt just because  Our Great Leader, Barack the Petulant (Peace be Upon Him) said the Government is closed.

These parks could ALL be open now- the US House passed a bill to fund the National Park System- but the Democrats in the Senate have said no as has the President.

Many of the States offered to fund their Parks as soon as the shutdown began- however, His Royal Petulantcy said no.   Finally, the Regime has told the states that the Parks may open, if the State foots the bill - instead just approving the Park Service funding bill and opening all the parks in every state and territory.

Last evening on the news we saw Gov. Jan Brewer of Arizona hand over a check (ransom payment) to the National Parks to allow Arizona to re-open Grand Canyon.

Maybe now that the Parks are starting to open, we will stop seeing the Parks being used as Political Weapons.

After all, these parks don't belong to the politicians, and they are not even "property" of the United States. They belong to US...

They belong to We the People

Who Really Owns the Parks?

Debt Ceiling? What "Ceiling?"

Earlier today, I saw a question posed about "raising of the Debt Ceiling" The question asked, was, "do you think we should raise the Debt Ceiling because it's really just increasing the amount that each of us will have to pay for Government spending?"

Great question.... But, In thinking of this I began to wonder why we even call it a Debt Ceiling?

Ceiling in this context is defined as "a maximum limit." Ceiling implies a stopping point. However, in discussing the Debt Ceiling, it never really is a Ceiling.  

Every time the Debt "Ceiling" is approached, there is a flurry of activity and excitement in the media and Congress.  There is wringing of the hands, wailing and gnashing of teeth. The "Talking Heads" on the Networks all repeat the same mantra- "If Congress does not vote to increase the "Debt Ceiling" by midnight on <insert date here>, the world will end- and not just the normal "World Coming to an End-  We are talking about:

A disaster of biblical proportions.  Old Testament, real wrath of God type stuff.  Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes...The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! (Yes, this quote is from Ghostbusters)

Finally, a calm Constitutional scholar points out, "Of course Congress will raise it, the 14th Amendment says they must."   Then in the very nick of time, Congress votes, Washington breathes a sigh of relief, the sun comes out, rainbows appear and all is well again- until the "Ceiling" is reached again, and the cycle starts over.

Why? Because Congress has spent all of OUR MONEY they are allowed to spend;  and Congress must grant themselves permission to keep spending more- of OUR MONEY.        

But is it REALLY A DEBT CEILING?  If it were a CEILING wouldn't Congress hit the limit and be required to stop?  CEILING after all means "Maximum Limit."  

In the case of Congress and spending Our Money there certainly does not seem to be a limit- in fact there is not even really a pause or hiatus- Congress just moves from one INTERVAL of INCREASING THE PEOPLE'S DEBT to another, with barely a hiccup. 

And when it is all over- actually when the next INTERVAL OF INCREASING THE PEOPLE'S DEBT begins- Washington will breathe a sigh of relief and "the People" will relax, because Congress passed a new Debt Ceiling.  

Throughout this crisis (of our own making), there are those that wonder, how do we prevent this vicious cycle from happening again?  Perhaps if we reduced spending? Heaven forbid!  Congress is addicted to bribing the people with their own money (spending).  And like a drug, the amount (of the bribe) must be increased in each interval.  To be fair, We The People, allow Congress to bribe us with our own money, and with each bribe we ask for more- hiding behind such "safe sounding" terms as "raising the Debt Ceiling" instead of acknowledging the truth- we allow another INTERVAL OF INCREASING THE PEOPLE'S DEBT and BRIBING THE PEOPLE WITH OUR OWN MONEY.

As Alexis de Tocqueville said: 

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years.

Debt Ceiling? What "Ceiling?"

Godspeed, Cdr Scott Carpenter, USN (Ret) 1925-2013

Cdr. Scott Carpenter, USN (Ret.) 1925-2013

Cdr. Scott Carpenter, USN (Ret.), Mercury Astronaut and Commander of Aurora 7, died today. He was 88 years old. Cdr. Carpenter was the fourth American to fly in space and the second American to orbit the Earth. He was awarded the Navys Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

 "High Flight"

 Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth

of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,

I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.

Where never lark, or even eagle flew —

And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

-Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

--John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

Godspeed, Cdr Scott Carpenter, USN (Ret) 1925-2013

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Shut Down

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will close on Thursday, October 10, 2013 due to the Government shutdown.  The NRC had been operating on "carry-over" funds but will run out of those funds on Thursday.

The "resident" inspectors at the 100 US Nuclear Plants will remain on the job however. 

And here we were told that life/safety operations would not be affected.  Yes, inspectors will remain on-site and the inspector general of the NRC will remain working, but aren't there other vital functions performed by the NRC? Perhaps it is time for the President to stop worrying about pushing vets out of memorials (the "make it hurt" campaign) and start negotiating with the GOP. 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission to Shut Down

Arizona Game & Fish Meeting to Deal with Federal Shutdown Issues

The last attack by the Administration of Our Great Leader, Barack Hussein Obama (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Democrats in their "make it hurt" campaign is against Anglers and Hunters.

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission is meeting for the second time this week in emergency session to discuss impacts of the Federal Shutdown. Monday, the Commission voted unanimously to provide personnel, funding and other needs to the Federal Government so that Lees Ferry boat ramp on the Colorado River could be opened.  The Federal Government has also closed the "banks" of the Colorado River at Lees Ferry.

Today's emergency meeting will discuss closures at Roosevelt, Apache, Saguaro, Bartlett and other lakes in central Arizona. These lakes are part of the Salt River Project. The meeting will be available live by telephone or web. Information on attending is in the Agenda. 

Of greater concern is the commision will take comments from Hunters about apparent  closures in National Forrest areas.  It is not clear what areas have been closed specifically to hunters. 

Again the administration is attempting to "make it hurt" by closing areas that normally are never closed and were not closed in the 1995-1996 shutdown.  The administration is SPENDING money to close areas that are Private or State funded by barricading access roads to these private or state lands and parks that cross federal land.  

At the same time that the administration is thinking of new things to close and ways to "make it hurt," they are turning around and blaming Ted Cruz and the House Republicans for the closures.  

Enough is Enough.  The House should keep passing funding bills, and forcing the Democrats to say no.  At the same time, citizens should demonstrate and disobey if needed to access lands, lakes and parks that the Federal Government has no reason to close to begin with.  

The Government derives its JUST POWERS FROM CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED. Its JUST POWERS.  The Government is using its powers in UNJUST ways. Maybe it is time for the people to withdraw their consent. 

(Mobile post)

Arizona Game & Fish Meeting to Deal with Federal Shutdown Issues

Breaking: Navy-Air Force Game Will Be Played -Despite the Government Shutdown

The Service Academy Football teams WILL be allowed to play this weekend!  Future games are still up in the air.   Navy will beat play Air Force at Annapolis and Army will be playing Boston College.

Navy-Air Force is traditionally played on the First Saturday of October and will be aired on CBS.

These games are allowed to be played because they are paid for by "non-appropriated" funds.

GO NAVY!

Prior Posts on Navy Football and the Army-Navy Game- Click Here

Breaking: Navy-Air Force Game Will Be Played -Despite the Government Shutdown

Tom Clancy 1947-2013

Rest in Peace

Tom Clancy 1947-2013

From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of ...Washington DC.

As the Federal Government shutdown at midnight, someone in the Administration decided to spend money to deploy barriers to close the World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. However, a group of Veterans of World War II, stormed the barricades and showed the Park Police that they can still take and hold ground.

For those who have never been to the World War II Memorial, it is an open-air "plaza." There is no gate, no admission, no "entrance." There is no "cost to operate" the Memorial; no one stands guard or takes admission. The Memorial is open 24x7x365- or it had been until today - when the Administration decided to SPEND money to deploy Park Police and move in barricades to block sidewalks that lead into the plaza area .

The barricades were set up in advance of the pre-planned, scheduled and announced arrival of a group of World War II Veterans from Mississippi. While the Park Police were distracted by Rep. Steve King, the men and women of the Greatest Generation stormed the barricade; and with bagpipes playing these Veterans who once stormed Normandy and Iwo Jima, took the Memorial and stood their ground as they once did in the forests of the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge...

I would be willing to bet that when the Park Police told them to stand down, at least one of them replied, "NUTS!"

North Africa, Italy, Normandy, Guam, Iwo Jima... Did anyone ever think we would one day add to the list Washington, DC?

Everyone of us should thank the Almighty for these Veterans- these Heroes- but in addition, we all should work and pray, that this Country and  this Government that this Greatest of Generations fought and died to protect and defend is NEVER able to try to shut these HEROES out again!

From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of ...Washington DC.