Monday, October 26, 2009

THS BAND EARNS "SUPERIOR" MARKS AT UIL REGIONALS

Taylor, TX - Taylor High School is home of a championship academic decathlon team and award-winning band.
THS Band Director Jacques Brown took his award winning marching band to the Regions 18/26 UIL Marching Contest in Georgetown Saturday, where they earned their 5th straight Division I Superior rating in this year's most prestigious marching contest.










Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Truth behind the new Tea Parties

I wrote this several years ago and posted on MySpace, when I left for Facebook I copied and placed here on my blog (which I use for Internet storage, I am not a blogger). So this year, wanting to share once again my findings regarding the behind the scenes building of the Tea Party, I had to do a little updating since so much information has changed.
I am leaving all the original links and info I researched, but will label new additions with (edit). You will probably find some links no longer work, some companies have changed names, and of course board members have changed.
My own words are red, while info copied and pasted from long ago sites are black.



All the people who are behind the Tea Party have vested interest in blindsiding people in order to increase their own profits and power.

http://www.freedomworks.org/

The organizers of the "new" tea parties is Freedom Works. Using the link you can go to their mission statement. Sounds pretty good overall.
"
FreedomWorks fights for lower taxes, less government and more economic freedom for all Americans.
FreedomWorks combines the stature and experience of America’s greatest policy entrepreneurs with the grassroots power of hundreds of thousands of volunteer activists all over the Nation.
FreedomWorks, led by former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, has an unrivalled ability to reach opinion leaders and elected officials with innovative policy ideas and effective strategies for change.
FreedomWorks drives policy change by training and mobilizing grassroots Americans to engage their fellow citizens and encourage their political representatives to act in defense of individual freedom and economic opportunity."
But let's dig just a little deeper into who supports it, who founded it, and its board members.
Endorsers and their comments:
"Folks, you've got to get to know this organization ... They have been doing a great job all over the country educating people."-President George W. Bush

"I am an enormous fan of FreedomWorks."-U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Study Committee
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mike_Pence
use link to find out about Pence's voting record such as:

"Pence has long been an advocate of earmark reform. He voted against the $139.7 billion Transportation-Treasury spending bill in June 2006, and in favor of a series of amendments proposed that same month by Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to strip other members’ earmarks from the federal budget. Pence, however, has secured several of his own earmark projects. He earmarked $500,000 for the “Transit Acquisition and Intermodal Facility Project” in his state, as well as $250,000 for construction of a park in Portland, Indiana. Pence also secured earmarks for inclusion in a fy2007 Labor-Health and Human Services bill. This included $200,000 for both Ball State University’s Center for School Innovation in Muncie, Ind. and to the Madison County Community Health Center in Anderson Ind. In addition, he also secured $100,000 for Ivy Tech Community College in Columbus, Ind. When confronted, Pence’s spokesman confirmed the projects, stating, “Mr. Pence stands by his earmark requests,” he said."
"Pence is the head of the conservative Republican Study Group which recently pushed, successfully, for cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and student loans."

The others I left out since I could not find any verification of statements nor context. Only information on this page are ones I could verify from more then one source.

Now lets take a good look at the founders and board of directors:
http://www.freedomworks.org/about/board-of-directors
*(edit: this link now sends you to the new board members)

The valued members of our Board of Directors help chart the course for FreedomWorks.

The Honorable Dick Armey (Chairman) Former House Majority Leader
what Freedomworks fails to mention is: (*edit: Dick Armey is no longer Chairman, here is link to latest news on him:
http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/people/armey-in-exile/  )

Dick Armey's real job:
The largest law firm in the nation and internationally. (in Washington dc they are known as the most powerful lobbyist on an international scale)
http://www.dlapiper.com/home.aspx
They provide a wide range of services globally through 13 core Service groups.
* Aerospace and Defence
* Banking
* Commercial Contracts
* Corporate
* Employment, Pensions and Benefits
* Energy and Water
* Finance
* Hospitality and Leisure
* Intellectual Property
* International Arbitration
* International Trade
* Life Sciences
* Litigation and Arbitration
* Product Liability
* Projects and Infrastructure
* Real Estate
* Regulatory and Government Affairs
* Restructuring
* Tax
* Technology and Media
* Transportation

DLA Piper clients range from multinational, Global 1000, and Fortune 500 enterprises to emerging companies developing industry-leading technologies.

DLA Piper represents more than 140 of the top 250 Fortune 500 clients and nearly half of the FTSE 350 or their subsidiaries.

http://www.dlapiper.com/dick_armey/
Congressman Dick Armey joined DLA Piper in January 2003, upon completing 18 years of service to the nation in the US House of Representatives, culminating in eight years as Majority Leader.
Richard K. Armey
Senior Policy Advisor
Co-Chair, Homeland Security
500 Eighth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
United States
T: +1 202 861 6007
F: +1 202 689 8564

The Honorable James H. Burnley  (*edit: No longer listed as a board member though still with Venable new link goes to his profile and areas of expertise:  http://www.venable.com/james-h-burnley/
A partner at Venable LLP, James H. Burnley previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 1987 to 1989 and is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on transportation law and policy. He also served as Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 1983 to 1987 and was General Counsel of the Department in 1983. Prior to his years with the USDOT, Mr. Burnley served as Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Justice Department and as Director of the VISTA Program in the early 1980s
http://www.venable.com/overview/
Check out their areas of service.
http://www.venable.com/services/



Matt Kibbe FreedomWorks

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Matt_Kibbe

CSE  President Beckner left to work for Silk Lintott Inc.
Virginia-based Silk Lintott, Inc., a provider of complete financial solutions to very high net worth families.

(*edit now President and CEO of Freedom works and updated information on his background not found before: That center, also known as 'Center for Market Processes' (CMP), later turned into the Mercatus Center. Both the Cato Institute and CSE recruited people from CMP as can be seen from this posting of Vernon Imrich on March 7, 1994.

Click on Mercatus Center and surprise, surprise whose names show up?
The Mercatus Center was founded and is funded by the Koch Family Foundations. According to financial records, the Koch family has contributed more than thirty million dollars to George Mason, much of which has gone to the Mercatus Center, a nonprofit organization. Democratic strategist Rob Stein described the Mercatus Center as "ground zero for deregulation policy in Washington.”
The Mercatus Center has engaged in campaigns involving deregulation, especially environmental deregulation. It now fills the role once played by the economics department at Chicago University as the originator of extreme neoliberal ideas. Fourteen of the 23 regulations that George W Bush put on his hitlist were, according to the Wall Street Journal, first suggested by academics working at the Mercatus Centre ) **end of edit


CSE President Paul Beckner to Join Silk Lintott Incorporated;
Current Executive Vice President Matt Kibbe to Lead CSE


http://www.freedomworks.org/press-releases/cse-president-paul-beckner-to-join-silk-lintott-in

For those who do not know: CSE (Citizens for a Sound Economy) eventually changed its name to FreedomWorks.

Thomas Knudsen
Thomas Knudsen is president of Thomas Publishers located in New York City. He graduated from Yale University and received an MBA from the Uris School of Business.

Richard J Stephenson Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Richard Stephenson heads the Cancer Treatment Centers of America as well as several other health care, finance, and real estate companies. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wabash in Crawfordsville, Ind. and his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law.

FreedomWorks Emeritus Board

Bill Jaeger Jaeger Vineyards


FreedomWorks Foundation

The Honorable Dick Armey (Chairman) (edit: no longer foundation member)
Former House Majority Leader
Steve Forbes (Full Bio)
Forbes Magazine
Steve Forbes is President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine. The company’s flagship publication, Forbes, is the nation’s leading business magazine, with a circulation of 900,000. In both 1996 and 2000, Mr. Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defense. Mr. Forbes is the author of Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS (Regnery, 2005) and A New Birth of Freedom (Regnery, 1999).
Ted Abram 
American Institute for Full Employment
Ted Abram is executive director of the Klamath Falls, Oregon-based American Institute for Full Employment. Prior, Abram served 16 years as a Circuit Court Judge for the State of Oregon. He spent ten years as Presiding Circuit Judge for Klamath and Lake Counties and served on the Commission for Judicial Fitness for six years.
Matt Kibbe FreedomWorks
Robert Lansing (*edit: now Chairman, FreedomWorks and The Westminster Funds . Did find out that Litchfield is the law office for Westminister Funds where Lansing is  Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - Lake Forest http://www.westminsterfunds.com/Team.html
Litchfield Advisors, a Chicago real estate advisory company
I could find nothing about Litchfield except from UK. But did do political contributions search:
http://tinyurl.com/kt89g3 (*edit: link no longer works)
http://www.campaignmoney.com/ (*edit: no longer works)
Please check out who and what he contributes to personally. (*edit while I did not find his nor Westminster name on contributions, since this has been his baby for so long I am sure with some research will begin to find connections with others name. No wonder Cruz check out all the donations they made to him
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/committees/club-for-growth-action.asp?cycle=12
CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC (older list of contributions to campaigns, before the Personhood of corporations).
New links for information on Club For Growth PAC
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Club_for_Growth

Click on it and you will see it is primarily: Trade/Membership/Health lobbyist. http://www.clubforgrowth.org/about.php (*edit: link no longer works and the new version of website does not list primary lobbyist.)


one example listed on Club for Growth PAC website:
 http://www.americanshareholders.org/
AmericanShareholders.org was founded in 2000 to represent the interests of America's shareholder-majority. In 1980, only 20 percent of adults owned shares of stock or mutual funds.
(*edit newly found related organizations: 
http://www.atr.org/grover-norquist-a3016
which is the Americans for Tax Reform and
http://www.americanshareholders.org/
American Shareholders is a special project of Americans for Tax Reform dedicated to representing the interests of America's shareholder majority.)
Frank M. Sands, Sr.
Sands Capital Management
Frank M. Sands, Sr., is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Sands Capital Management. Sands Capital Management began operations in February of 1992. It was founded with the belief that a small, dedicated, professional investment group, committed to and focused on a high quality growth investment strategy, could create wealth for its clients over time and in a prudent fashion. The investment strategy has been developed and refined by Frank over his 37-year career in investment management. Since 1992, assets under management have increased from approximately $60 million to approximately $19 billion. In addition to his successful business, Mr. Sands has been involved as a board member of a number of different volunteer boards and community organizations. He and his wife, Marjorie, reside in Virginia.
http://www.sandscapital.com/philosophy.html Sands Capital Management is an independent investment management firm focused exclusively on portfolios of high quality growth companies. Our clients include corporate pension plans, public plans, endowments, foundations, Taft-Hartley plans, family offices, and individuals.



People must dig deep into any organization they join. My grandmother always told me to believe non of what you hear and half of what you see. Research and learn truths for yourself was her point. That was nearly 50 yrs ago, but it still holds true today. People must begin to use their critical thinking skills, research, and find out if 1+1=3 or does it equal 2?
Freedom Works and all its ties to big Corporation lobbying, has many knotted threads with other similar organizations whose only goal is tax freedoms for wealthy, corporate control, and ending middle class in order to have an 'indentured servitude' type of working class.
Just because something reads good on surface, tells you what it knows you want to hear, doesn't mean it is not the same old Bait and Switch con. I bet more people do a deeper research before buying a car then following a pied piper. Never noticing where they are going until they fall off the cliff.


Who decides how much your health care cost? For Profit insurance companies, clinics, hospitals, and pharmaceuticals.
Who decides how much your utilities cost?
For Profit companies, electrical, gas, cable, etc...
Who decides how much you pay for food? For Profit corporate farms. (here I just want to throw in the fact that the farms in Mexico and Canada from which the CDC determined the swine flu began are owned by the same US corporate pig farm)
Who decides how much interest you pay for your home, cars, credit cards? The Banking industry
The list goes on and on. Being that every organization involved in formation the the Tea Party are connected to Corporate, Banking, Health Care for profits, doesn't that make you wonder "are they really looking out for MY interest. 

No what they want you to do is (Bait) divert your attention and blame to the government and away from Corporate America while they ensure (Switch) their interest become the power in this country. Same old con game. 

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Universal Health care will create slaves and the Tea Party movement

Article from Rio Grande Guardian by:
Tom Haughey:
Slavery returns

http://tinyurl.com/lkxrve
Please read article in order to understand what I have to say.

I am not sure who Haughey is nor what planet he lives on, but to compare universal health care to slavery proves he is not from this universe.
In his statements regarding how pre-civil war only slaves received free medical care while free white people did without borders on racism and totally crosses the line on ignorance of history.

For him to believe we are not already slaves to for profit insurance company's and hospitals again either ignorant or in the pockets of health care business.

My email response to this article:

'Most of us who are insured are already slaves to our health care. As a former ER/Critical Nurse and now a disabled drain on my insurance; I can assure you that all the things you wrote in your article about universal health care is already a reality. I watched as the hospitals I worked in changed from Board of Directors composed of Physicians to Businessmen. Which epitomizes the old saying "The fox guarding the hen house".


"All hospitals I know of became structured for profit vs patient care. Suddenly, we were no longer allowed to staff according to patient acuity. It was a flat 3-5 patients per ICU nurse. Our ER's became bogged down, not due to increase in patients, but lack of staff.

I was on the verge of quitting nursing (as hundreds already have) due to lack of ability to care for patients properly, as well as knowing I could lose my license at anytime.
I have watched as we rolled a child out of a trauma room into the hallway to make room for another trauma. sitting in that hallway she had no physician nor nurse attention: all of this despite the fact she had a head injury due to car accident.

I have heard Physicians rant how they can not care for their patients according to their needs, but according to what their insurance company approves (again, not doctors making those decisions but business). The foxes have taken over both ends.

Health insurance companies already charge higher rates for smokers and people who 'they' determine obese. Though the body-adipose ratio is much lower then what doctors use.

I have ER stories which if I were to speak out about could very well close some large Trauma centers down by JCHACO. People dying because not enough staff, or staff been on duty 16 hours without breaks making mistakes, or just plain neglect in waiting room because their insurance requires prior notification and approval before being seen.

This is our health care now. So how does your article, or opinion differ from what we already have?"

It must be nice to live in the world that you seem to exist in. But for most of us, the world is very different.

We do not need health care reform, but health care revolution.
If my husband was old enough to retire, my teenage daughter grown, then we would do what so many other baby-boomers are doing. Retiring in nations where health care is free and good.
Just think of the effect on our economy as we all start leaving. I have known some who have moved as far as Saudi Arabia.
Either that are go into politics to win a seat in Congress so they have free and good insurance.

So the next time you wish to voice your opinion, I would suggest you set down with a group of Dr's, nurses, and patients. Find out that most of us are already slaves. As my grandpa use to say 'opinions are like a**h***s, every body has one'. Truth on the other hand requires unbiased research.'

Then I checked out another of his articles in same paper. Not very surprised to find he is a supporter and active in the Tea Party movement. The biggest con invented by big corporations to melt the keys to the shackles we already have on. And I must admit, their cleverest one.
One Payee health care can not make us slaves, we already are. And the Freedom Works group are convincing people to work for their continued enslavement.

Haughey: McAllen Fourth of July Tea Party was a big success
http://tinyurl.com/lorm8b

For those who do not know the beginnings of the Tea Party movement nor the group who organizes and promotes (from behind the scenes of course) I will give you the truth vs the emotional twisted version they promote.

http://www.freedomworks.org/
This is the website. At first look it all seems to be very patriotic and all for the common person's rights.
But dig just a little beneath the surface and what you find is all board members and founding members are lobbyist, wealthy business owners, ties to pharmaceutical companies, etc.......
A HUGE Duhhhhhhhh, 1+1=what

Just click on board of Directors.
First scroll down to

FreedomWorks Foundation

The Honorable Dick Armey (Chairman) Former House Majority Leader.

He also works for the largest law firm in the world. Known for their successful lobbying efforts in Congress.

Richard K. Armey Senior Policy Advisor and Co-Chair, Homeland Security

http://www.dlapiper.com/dick_armey/


Steve Forbes (full bio http://tinyurl.com/cfbr4x )
Forbes Magazine: Steve Forbes is President and Chief Executive Officer of Forbes and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes magazine. The company’s flagship publication, Forbes, is the nation’s leading business magazine, with a circulation of 900,000. In both 1996 and 2000, Mr. Forbes campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defense. Mr. Forbes is the author of Flat Tax Revolution: Using a Postcard to Abolish the IRS (Regnery, 2005) and A New Birth of Freedom

Ted Abram

American Institute for Full Employment

Ted Abram is executive director of the Klamath Falls, Oregon-based American Institute for Full Employment. Prior, Abram served 16 years as a Circuit Court Judge for the State of Oregon. He spent ten years as Presiding Circuit Judge for Klamath and Lake Counties and served on the Commission for Judicial Fitness for six years.

(Abrams non-profit organization sounds good until once again you dig a little or lot)
Unemployment Insurance and Workforce
http://www.fullemployment.org/uiexamples.php
Over time Unemployment Insurance tax structures can develop unintended negative impacts on employers, employees and the economy. This can result in unstable trust funds, unfair taxation and higher unemployment. For example, studies show that 30% to 50% of temporary layoffs can be due to imperfect unemployment insurance tax structures.

Unemployment claimants can take twice as long to find work as the uninsured . During this time they normally try to get by with half of their former wage in benefits and rapidly spend what little savings they have. Studies show that there are a number of ways to speed up reemployment, but the key is to do so within state budgets while balancing the burden on state staff and employers, both of whom typically share the burden of verifying claimants’ worksearch efforts.

A little more digging to find his link to:
National Conference of State Legislators
http://www.ncsl.org/statefed/welfare/welfare.htm
Serves legislators and staffs of fifty states, commonwealths and territories. Provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on state issues.
Federal Human Services Issues are important to the states because actions by the federal government have consequences for state laws, policies and budgets. NCSL takes positions on federal actions based on policy adopted by the Conference. NCSL federal human services staff track federal legislation and regulations in many different areas: income security programs, including welfare reform reauthorization; human services programs including child care, nutrition assistance and the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG or Title XX); and assistance to immigrants and refugees. NCSL testifies on these issues before Congress and sends letters to Congress about these issues. Bill analyses and alerts keep legislators informed. If you are a legislator or legislative staffer, go to Join listserv, and you will receive information alerts or action alerts when bills are moving in Washington, D.C.

Read between the lines. Lobbying for no federal financial help for unemployment, child care, nutrition etc......Most states can not afford to go it alone. But again, the rich never care about that.

Robert Lansing

Litchfield Advisors, a Chicago real estate advisory company


Frank M. Sands, Sr.

Sands Capital Management

Frank M. Sands, Sr., is Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of Sands Capital Management. Sands Capital Management began operations in February of 1992. It was founded with the belief that a small, dedicated, professional investment group, committed to and focused on a high quality growth investment strategy, could create wealth for its clients over time and in a prudent fashion. The investment strategy has been developed and refined by Frank over his 37-year career in investment management. Since 1992, assets under management have increased from approximately $60 million to approximately $19 billion. In addition to his successful business, Mr. Sands has been involved as a board member of a number of different volunteer boards and community organizations. He and his wife, Marjorie, reside in Virginia.

Now let's look at the BOD:

The valued members of our Board of Directors help chart the course for FreedomWorks


The Honorable Dick Armey (Chairman)

Former House Majority Leader

The Honorable James H. Burnley

Venable

A partner at Venable LLP, James H. Burnley previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 1987 to 1989 and is one of the nation’s foremost authorities on transportation law and policy. He also served as Deputy Secretary of Transportation from 1983 to 1987 and was General Counsel of the Department in 1983. Prior to his years with the USDOT, Mr. Burnley served as Associate Deputy Attorney General for the Justice Department and as Director of the VISTA Program in the early 1980s.

http://www.venable.com/services/


Matt Kibbe
FreedomWorks
Thomas Knudsen

Thomas Publishing Company

Thomas Knudsen is president of Thomas Publishers located in New York City. He graduated from Yale University and received an MBA from the Uris School of Business.

http://www.thomaspublishing.com/
sounds like a normal book company but check out the business.
Richard J Stephenson

Cancer Treatment Centers of America

Richard Stephenson heads the Cancer Treatment Centers of America as well as several other health care, finance, and real estate companies. He received his bachelor’s degree from Wabash in Crawfordsville, Ind. and his J.D. from the Northwestern University School of Law.

Companies That Purport to Successfully Treat Cancer

http://www.quackwatch.com/02ConsumerProtection/FTCActions/ctca.html

Agree to Settle FTC Charges over Their Claims

FTC News Release: March 13, 1996

Old news, I know. But I had a patient whose husband was assured they could cure her pancratic cancer. After spending all they had saved, second mortaged their home, I was the one who had to console him when she died 3 months later. 2004 I was working in our Hospitals home health dept. Broke my heart everytime I went to see them.


FreedomWorks Emeritus Board

Bill Jaeger

Jaeger Vineyards

Political contributions:






Committees

1. National Republican Senatorial Committee $25,000
2. Mark Luce For Congress $1,000
3. U S Senator John Seymour Committee $1,000
4. New Leadership For America Pac $500
5. Terrell For Senate $500
6. Committee For The Presidency $500

Top candidates

1. Thomas Daschle $500



So once doing some research, I now understand why Haughy wants to convince us we are not already slaves, but will be if we get free health care. He, also, works to keep us slaves to large coroporations, who until the 16th admendment businesses were excluded from taxes. If the Tea Party's were to win out, only we the individuals would be required to pay.
What should be pushed is to insert the original wording of "uniform throughtout the US" and that it is for the "general welfare of US", which is its citizens not big business.
All of the Founders and Board of Directors of the Tea Party pushers have a large vested interest in doing away with federal taxes, preventing one payee health insurance, and removing any federal funds from states.

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A1Sec8http://tinyurl.com/2padn
This was written by the founding fathers, not an admendment.

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

No capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken





Amendment 16 - Status of Income Tax Clarified. Ratified 2/3/1913.

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.




Sunday, July 05, 2009

Just throwing it out there

I believe in:

**Human Rights and equality for all

**Democratic Socialism (Workers, not corporations nor govt, own resources, production, industry)

**If we do not seek peace and justice with our neighbor, we will never create it globally.

**No one owns anything nor anyone.

**Life, Love, Wisdom are gifts to be shared.

**Memories are the only things which you will transport with you when you leave the earth.

**Moderation in all things. Especially consumerism.

My Loves:

**My beautiful daughters who have turned out perfect despite me।

**My precious grandkids who remind me daily how wondrous life is.

**My hard working and protective son-in-law who teaches me what strength is.

**My compassionate and passionate husband who never fails to amaze me with his acceptance of my weirdness.

My Dislikes:

**Judgmental attitudes

**Having ideals or beliefs shoved down my throat.

**Disrespect for others and earth.

**Tired, Old conspiracies (if you choose to chase ghost vs working for positive change thats fine, just leave me out of it)