Directly after spending 13hours in a car with 4 teenage girls on the heels of 10day in Florida makes a person appreciate civility (and sleep), hence my cumbaya moment.
Friends, I cannot express to you the over whelming positive response I have received about our showing today! I tell you this, that because of our unwavering dedication to our beliefs accompanied with our self control and civil demeanor we have gained the respect of Senator Lincoln, her staff and all those in attendance at today’s event~ We have just solidified the meaning of American Patriot.
From the beginning of The TEA Party movement the mantra has been “it is not about left or right it is about America”. Today at Senator Blanche Lincoln’s fund raiser in Bella Vista, AR no truer words were ever spoken.
I was unable to attend the event today but thanks to advanced technologies i.e. facebook, twitter, email, and cell phone uploads I was able to piece together the tesserae of a fine mosaic. Imagine if you will a beautiful park laid in the depths of an Arkansas forest with a babbling brook running through the center and huge boulders as the back drop on an August evening at the end of summer; insert hundreds of citizens from every political persuasion gathered under very conspicuous circumstances, saddled with incredulousness over the most controversial issue facing a nation, and what would you expect? Well that was the scene. Over 150 people (mostly TEA Party People) lined the entrance to Blowing Springs Park this afternoon with signs displaying fears, concerns and downright frustration of the much debated Healthcare issue, while others, perhaps as many as 50 Tea Party people and the remainder democratic supporters walked through what could be described as a conga line to attend a Democratic Fund raiser. For more than 3 ½ hours in close proximity R’s, D’s, L’s, and perhaps even some C’s and G’s sat or stood side by side without incident as Senator Lincoln and others presented their program.
Though there were some early tensions and perhaps some bad decisions made around the table, the day ended with a new found appreciation for civility.
I received this text this evening around 8:30-"Laurie...I just wanted to say that your group was orderly and respectful...you should be proud of the way they conducted themselves" Robbyn Tumey, Former Chairman of the Benton Co. Democratic Party
May God bring a new understanding to Americans as we move forward.~ God’s Speed
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Public? Town Hall? Rally? Where?
Over the last twenty-four hours there has been quite the brouhaha over Senator Blanche Lincolns Non-Town Hall, Town Hall meeting. After making calls to the senator’s office consistently over the past two weeks and being repeatedly told she was not having a public forum on healthcare, you can imagine my surprise when the following came in an email from Organizing for America on Thursday around 6pm:
Benton Co Democratic Party Event in Rogers with Sen. Lincoln(Health Care Public Event)
I wanted to send you an urgent invitation to an important public meeting with Sen. Blanche Lincoln this Saturday, August 15th. She'll be talking to constituents and gathering feedback -- this is an ideal opportunity to make sure your support for health insurance reform is seen and heard at exactly the right time.Our congressional representatives are back home this month, and they're facing more and more pressure from special interests on health insurance reform. It's critical that we get out there and show them where we stand.
What: Public meeting withSen. Blanche LincolnWhere: Samaritan Community Center 1211 W Hudson RdRogers, AR 72756 When: Saturday, August 15thArrival Time: 3:30 p.m.Start Time: 4:30 p.m.Our representatives are under attack by Washington insiders, insurance companies, and well-financed special interests who don't go a day without spreading lies and stirring up fear. We need to show that we're sick and tired of it, and that we're ready for real change, this year.Please come to the meeting, and make sure that the most powerful voices in this debate are those calling for real reform, not angrily clamoring for the status quo.Thanks,KyleKyle SimonArkansas State DirectorOrganizing for AmericaP.S. -- Before the event, please print off a flyer to display and make sure that your support is visible.
After making a few calls we (Arkansas Unite) decided that we would like to have a chance to participate in what seemed to be the only chance we would have to address our senator with questions and concerns we have on the healthcare issue…being this was a “ Health Care Public Event”
We began to facebook, twitter and email our members across the state this message, http://bit.ly/qjBr4,notifying them of our opportunity to address our senator.
Around noon today (Friday) I received an email from Debbie Rambo, Executive Director of the Samaritan Community Center which read in part:
It has come to my attention that an organization entitled Arkansas Unite has recently sent out an e-mail that states that Senator Blanche Lincoln has scheduled a town hall meeting on Health Care Reform that will be held at our building on Saturday evening .
Please note that this information is NOT correct... I have been repeatedly assured by the event organizer that this is not a town hall type of forum, and there will not be questions and answers… Please note that I have also notified the state director of the Arkansas Democratic Party, as well as the state director for Organizing for America (Kyle Simon) that this is NOT a public (or private) healthcare forum and requested that this information be removed from the Organizing for America website immediately.
**As of right now Friday at 10:47pm OFA’s site reads - Benton Co Democratic Party Event at Blowing Springs Park with Sen. Lincoln (Health Care Public Event)- note the change in location
Around 4pm today (Friday) I received another email from Ms. Rambo stating, “Please note that the Democratic Rally scheduled for tomorrow evening at the Samaritan Community Center has been cancelled.”
Boy the stuff was really beginning to hit the fan. So I decided to do a little google search I found this-
http://politicsinarkansas.com/2009/08/lincoln-event-wont-be-health-care-forum/
Lincoln: Event won’t be health care forum
— Posted by John Lyon on August 14th, 2009
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln wants everyone to know that an upcoming rally in Benton County is not a public forum on health care.
In a news release, Lincoln’s campaign said today that Saturday’s annual Benton County Democratic Rally was incorrectly described in e-mails issued by the Washington-based group Organizing for America as a “health care public event.”
“The Benton County Democrats have planned this event for months and Sen. Lincoln believes it is unfortunate that the erroneous e-mail by Organizing for America has misstated its purpose,” Lincoln’s campaign manager, Steve Patterson, said in the release.
Well now we can all understand how a mistake like that can be made but then up pops this jewel http://bit.ly/KcYPQ from MoveOn.org:
Real Voices for Change Action
Samaritan Community Center in Rogers, 1211 Hudson RoadRogers, AR 72756Saturday, August 15th, 4:30 PM
Let's keep the momentum going! Please sign up for this gathering right away!
Please join us at the Benton County Democratic Committee Summer Picnic/Rally as we ask Senator Lincoln to support a strong public health care option. To enter this event, you must purchase a ticket, but we will be holding signs out front. Tickets are $5 to enter and $10 if you would like a meal. If ...(more)you're interested in buying tickets, please contact any of the following people ASAP. Carole Westby, 876-… c:640-….; Charles Aldrich, 636-….; or Bill Millager, 636-…..
Lincoln: Event won’t be health care forum
— Posted by John Lyon on August 14th, 2009
U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln wants everyone to know that an upcoming rally in Benton County is not a public forum on health care.
In a news release, Lincoln’s campaign said today that Saturday’s annual Benton County Democratic Rally was incorrectly described in e-mails issued by the Washington-based group Organizing for America as a “health care public event.”
“The Benton County Democrats have planned this event for months and Sen. Lincoln believes it is unfortunate that the erroneous e-mail by Organizing for America has misstated its purpose,” Lincoln’s campaign manager, Steve Patterson, said in the release.
Well now we can all understand how a mistake like that can be made but then up pops this jewel http://bit.ly/KcYPQ from MoveOn.org:
Real Voices for Change Action
Samaritan Community Center in Rogers, 1211 Hudson RoadRogers, AR 72756Saturday, August 15th, 4:30 PM
Let's keep the momentum going! Please sign up for this gathering right away!
Please join us at the Benton County Democratic Committee Summer Picnic/Rally as we ask Senator Lincoln to support a strong public health care option. To enter this event, you must purchase a ticket, but we will be holding signs out front. Tickets are $5 to enter and $10 if you would like a meal. If ...(more)you're interested in buying tickets, please contact any of the following people ASAP. Carole Westby, 876-… c:640-….; Charles Aldrich, 636-….; or Bill Millager, 636-…..
One might argue that Organizing for America could send an “erroneous email” and get is wrong, being that they are supposedly an arm of the Obama Administration, but to try and convince me that an organization with an impeccable reputation for facts such as MoveOn.org got it wrong is a whole nother matter. What really strikes me as peculiar is the names at the bottom of the email from MoveOn.org, Carole Westby, Charles Aldrich & Bill Millager. Umm I have seen these names somewhere before…where was it? OH! I know here http://www.bentoncountydemocrats.org/ on the Benton county Democrats’ site on Aug 4th announcing the “Summer Rally/Picnic”
Good Times Are Here!
Written by Bill Millager
Tuesday, 04 August 2009 08:39
Join Senator Blanche Lincoln and other Distinguished Speaker at our Summer Rally/Picnic Please buy your tickets well in advance from Carole Westby, 876-…. c:640-….; Charles Aldrich, 636-….; or Bill Millager, 636-….
Now am I supposed to believe that the contacts being the same for both organizations (Benton County Dems and MoveOn.org) had a miscommunication between themselves? Well let’s just say I “report, you decide”.
I am not saying this happened (and I am not, not saying it either) but it looks like what might have been a plan to STACK a meeting with friendlies and perhaps have a very favorable Town Hall for the news media got just a little out of hand.
Not only did the email from Organizing for America say it was a “public” event, they had a link for attendees to print off a sign and encouraged people to “make sure that the most powerful voices in this debate are those calling for real reform”. While the Benton County Dems, oops I mean, MoveOn.org’s email stated “we will be holding signs out front”. One might tend to think with that kind of verbiage there was going to be a little more going on than just sippin ice tea, eatin watermelon and listenin to the good ole fashion political rhetoric.
At around 9 pm this evening, we received word from a source that in fact the meeting has not been cancelled but moved to a different location. You think they did that on purpose? I am beginning to get the impression they don’t want anyone who might disagree or have questions that challenge the senator’s logic supporting the current health care bill to not show up, YA think?
All that said, I am sure that Senator Lincoln and the Democrats of Arkansas, specifically Benton County never intended to shirk those of us that disagree with her stance on the pending healthcare bill and have every intention of letting us know in the morning of the current location (*wink* we already know), so that we will have a chance as voters, constituents and concerned citizens to address our senator before she heads back to Washington to cast her vote impacting the lives of all Arkansans, especially those who oppose this egregious proposed healthcare legislation.
I am not saying this happened (and I am not, not saying it either) but it looks like what might have been a plan to STACK a meeting with friendlies and perhaps have a very favorable Town Hall for the news media got just a little out of hand.
Not only did the email from Organizing for America say it was a “public” event, they had a link for attendees to print off a sign and encouraged people to “make sure that the most powerful voices in this debate are those calling for real reform”. While the Benton County Dems, oops I mean, MoveOn.org’s email stated “we will be holding signs out front”. One might tend to think with that kind of verbiage there was going to be a little more going on than just sippin ice tea, eatin watermelon and listenin to the good ole fashion political rhetoric.
At around 9 pm this evening, we received word from a source that in fact the meeting has not been cancelled but moved to a different location. You think they did that on purpose? I am beginning to get the impression they don’t want anyone who might disagree or have questions that challenge the senator’s logic supporting the current health care bill to not show up, YA think?
All that said, I am sure that Senator Lincoln and the Democrats of Arkansas, specifically Benton County never intended to shirk those of us that disagree with her stance on the pending healthcare bill and have every intention of letting us know in the morning of the current location (*wink* we already know), so that we will have a chance as voters, constituents and concerned citizens to address our senator before she heads back to Washington to cast her vote impacting the lives of all Arkansans, especially those who oppose this egregious proposed healthcare legislation.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Why won't they talk to us?
As the news of "crazed" town hall meetings dominates the news, we here in Arkansas are finding it hard to even get a return phone call or an email.
Monday morning August 3rd I received a call from a friend letting me know they had contacted Rep. Vic Snyder's office and asked if he was going to hold any Town Hall meeting during his recess,the answer...NO!
So facebook, emails and twits went flying, appox. two hours later there surfaced a release that Rep. Snyder was going to hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday night the 5th of Aug at 6pm. with the Central Arkansas Labor Council. Once again the facebook, emails, blogs, and twits zoomed through cyber space. Approx 10 am yesterday morning (Tuesday, August 4th) we were told that it was a private meeting and that we would not be allowed inside. One more time we hit the keyboards to spread the message that it was a closed meeting but we should still attend to let Mr. Snyder know that we are very interested in having some time with him while he is home.
About 2:30 that same day while in a meeting my blackberry went into convulsions, in a matter of just a few minutes i received myriad texts, emails and facebook messages that the meeting had been canceled, perhaps moved to Arkansas Children's Hospital.
I know this is getting repetitive but this is the story, one more time we notified everyone. Below is the final statement we sent out. It is our sincere hope that our elected officials will find time while they are home on recess to openly discuss with the people of Arkansas the decisions they have been making while representing us in Washington.
I know that I am willing to listen intently, ask concise relevant questions in a respectful manner and convey in a civil tone my concerns.
Our Statement:
Friends
We found out this afternoon due to scheduling conflicts, Vic Snyder’s office is canceling the town hall meeting tomorrow night at the Central Arkansas Labor Council on Enmar Drive.Since then we have been informed that Representatives Snyder and Ross will be at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital at 2 pm for a town hall meeting. Our question would be why would our elected officials choose a hospital filled with children and hurting families for a political forum? We have waited for months for our elected officials to return in able to have an opportunity to respectfully address their decisions in Washington. To involve ill children and their families seems to be once again an extremely poor choice.Given these circumstances are beyond our control, we encourage you to be mindful of the situation and of the innocent families involved and to refrain from attending. Please keep those children and their families in your thoughts and prayers. As always, we encourage everyone to be firm and assertive but civil. We are honorable people who are sympathetic to the hurts of our fellow citizens.Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to have an open dialogue with our representatives during their recess. Please let them know in a considerate manner that we would like some of their time. Stay informed, engaged and empowered
Monday morning August 3rd I received a call from a friend letting me know they had contacted Rep. Vic Snyder's office and asked if he was going to hold any Town Hall meeting during his recess,the answer...NO!
So facebook, emails and twits went flying, appox. two hours later there surfaced a release that Rep. Snyder was going to hold a town hall meeting on Wednesday night the 5th of Aug at 6pm. with the Central Arkansas Labor Council. Once again the facebook, emails, blogs, and twits zoomed through cyber space. Approx 10 am yesterday morning (Tuesday, August 4th) we were told that it was a private meeting and that we would not be allowed inside. One more time we hit the keyboards to spread the message that it was a closed meeting but we should still attend to let Mr. Snyder know that we are very interested in having some time with him while he is home.
About 2:30 that same day while in a meeting my blackberry went into convulsions, in a matter of just a few minutes i received myriad texts, emails and facebook messages that the meeting had been canceled, perhaps moved to Arkansas Children's Hospital.
I know this is getting repetitive but this is the story, one more time we notified everyone. Below is the final statement we sent out. It is our sincere hope that our elected officials will find time while they are home on recess to openly discuss with the people of Arkansas the decisions they have been making while representing us in Washington.
I know that I am willing to listen intently, ask concise relevant questions in a respectful manner and convey in a civil tone my concerns.
Our Statement:
Friends
We found out this afternoon due to scheduling conflicts, Vic Snyder’s office is canceling the town hall meeting tomorrow night at the Central Arkansas Labor Council on Enmar Drive.Since then we have been informed that Representatives Snyder and Ross will be at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital at 2 pm for a town hall meeting. Our question would be why would our elected officials choose a hospital filled with children and hurting families for a political forum? We have waited for months for our elected officials to return in able to have an opportunity to respectfully address their decisions in Washington. To involve ill children and their families seems to be once again an extremely poor choice.Given these circumstances are beyond our control, we encourage you to be mindful of the situation and of the innocent families involved and to refrain from attending. Please keep those children and their families in your thoughts and prayers. As always, we encourage everyone to be firm and assertive but civil. We are honorable people who are sympathetic to the hurts of our fellow citizens.Hopefully, we will have an opportunity to have an open dialogue with our representatives during their recess. Please let them know in a considerate manner that we would like some of their time. Stay informed, engaged and empowered
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Rules we need to know
Today in my husband Mike's column in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette he laid out the Chicago extremist Saul Alinsky’s 1971 “Rules for Radicals.” I along with many others believe this is crucial information We must understand what we are up against and the mindset of the people who are pushing so hard to turn our country inside out.
Please read this carefully, as you do think about all the arguments you have heard as of late...things will begin to fall into place, and where you thought you might be going absolutely stark raving mad you will realize- "no I was right, I/we are being manipulated and played".
I know for me this read shed a much needed light on- how, what, where, when and why we got to this point.
Someone today emailed me after reading Mike's column and said they needed time to digest, "healthy eating here".~ Read on~
Below, Craig Miyamoto of Public Relations Strategies cites Alinsky’s dozen rules for duping and using the honorable citizens of the country, a.k.a. “the enemy.” What better way to achieve Alinsky’s dream than to make us dependent by eliminating free enterprise and individual liberties?
The effective way to counteract such calculated subversion is for the hardworking, tax-paying so-called enemies to arise and become radical activists for preserving the Constitution and individual liberty. Alinsky’s rules: Power is not only what one has, but what the enemy believes one has. It is derived through money and people. Those without power must build it from flesh and blood. Both are in ample supply. Government and corporations always have difficulty appealing to people. They usually resort to economic arguments.
Activists should never exceed the expertise of their people. Doing so results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to anyone’s backbone. Organizations under attack wonder whyradicals don’t address the “real issues.” This is why.
Whenever possible, go outside the enemy’s expertise. Find ways to increase his insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by the seemingly irrelevant arguments they are forced to address. In other words, create a crisis.
Make the enemy live up to his own rule book. “If their rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all their own rules.” “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” The object is creating anger and fear.
Use tactics your people enjoy. “They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. Radical activists . . . are no different than any other human being. We allavoid ‘un-fun’ activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.” “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. . . . Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.” Keep pressure on a target. “Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.” Attack repeatedly from all sides, “never give the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.” Reminds me of the inexplicable rush to pass stacks of unread, bad legislation.
Any threat usually proves more terrifying than the thing itself. The enemy’s imagination and ego can dream up more consequences than any activist can when perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario. The demoralized organization “will expend enormous time and energy conjuring in its own collective mind the most dire conclusion.” “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence on the part of the other side “can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. Unions used this tactic. Peaceful (albeit loud) demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath,” often in the form of violence that created brought public sympathy.
“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.” Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table and a forum to wield power, so they should have a compromise solution. Anyone else thinking of all those federal favors to ACORN?
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.”
Just FYI (from his most dedicated fan) you can get an online superscription to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette online with Mike's column every Tues, Saturday, Sunday.
Please read this carefully, as you do think about all the arguments you have heard as of late...things will begin to fall into place, and where you thought you might be going absolutely stark raving mad you will realize- "no I was right, I/we are being manipulated and played".
I know for me this read shed a much needed light on- how, what, where, when and why we got to this point.
Someone today emailed me after reading Mike's column and said they needed time to digest, "healthy eating here".~ Read on~
Below, Craig Miyamoto of Public Relations Strategies cites Alinsky’s dozen rules for duping and using the honorable citizens of the country, a.k.a. “the enemy.” What better way to achieve Alinsky’s dream than to make us dependent by eliminating free enterprise and individual liberties?
The effective way to counteract such calculated subversion is for the hardworking, tax-paying so-called enemies to arise and become radical activists for preserving the Constitution and individual liberty. Alinsky’s rules: Power is not only what one has, but what the enemy believes one has. It is derived through money and people. Those without power must build it from flesh and blood. Both are in ample supply. Government and corporations always have difficulty appealing to people. They usually resort to economic arguments.
Activists should never exceed the expertise of their people. Doing so results in confusion, fear and retreat. Feeling secure adds to anyone’s backbone. Organizations under attack wonder whyradicals don’t address the “real issues.” This is why.
Whenever possible, go outside the enemy’s expertise. Find ways to increase his insecurity, anxiety and uncertainty. Watch how many organizations under attack are blind-sided by the seemingly irrelevant arguments they are forced to address. In other words, create a crisis.
Make the enemy live up to his own rule book. “If their rule is that every letter gets a reply, send 30,000. You can kill them with this because no one can possibly obey all their own rules.” “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” The object is creating anger and fear.
Use tactics your people enjoy. “They’ll keep doing it without urging and come back to do more. They’re doing their thing, and will even suggest better ones. Radical activists . . . are no different than any other human being. We allavoid ‘un-fun’ activities, and but we revel at and enjoy the ones that work and bring results.” “A tactic that drags on too long becomes a drag. . . . Even radical activists get bored. So to keep them excited and involved, organizers are constantly coming up with new tactics.” Keep pressure on a target. “Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new.” Attack repeatedly from all sides, “never give the reeling organization a chance to rest, regroup, recover and re-strategize.” Reminds me of the inexplicable rush to pass stacks of unread, bad legislation.
Any threat usually proves more terrifying than the thing itself. The enemy’s imagination and ego can dream up more consequences than any activist can when perception is reality. Large organizations always prepare a worst-case scenario. The demoralized organization “will expend enormous time and energy conjuring in its own collective mind the most dire conclusion.” “If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.” Violence on the part of the other side “can win the public to your side because the public sympathizes with the underdog. Unions used this tactic. Peaceful (albeit loud) demonstrations during the heyday of unions in the early to mid-20th Century incurred management’s wrath,” often in the form of violence that created brought public sympathy.
“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.” Activist organizations have an agenda, and their strategy is to hold a place at the table and a forum to wield power, so they should have a compromise solution. Anyone else thinking of all those federal favors to ACORN?
“Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.Cut off the support network and isolate the target from sympathy. Go after people and not institutions; people hurt faster than institutions.”
Just FYI (from his most dedicated fan) you can get an online superscription to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette online with Mike's column every Tues, Saturday, Sunday.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
My conversation over EN"LIGHT"ENING Rail
Okay I don’t how else to post this except to post the entire thread so it makes sense and flows believe me when I tell you it is worth the read to see how people think and what the mind set is out there that we need to overcome.
Suzanne: I am totally behind this concept and
hopefully someday to be a reality!!
Laurie Lee Masterson: I am not necessary opposed to a
light rail system, just where is the money going to come
from? Who is going to pay the 1-2 million upfront for the
feasibility study? When asked if this system has been implemented anywhere
comp. to NWA, the answer was no. My next question would
be - Can you please give me the area this system is
implemented and is profitable?
We are staring at huge Federal tax increases, potential
millage increase for Fay High, unemployment is up, the
economy on a whole is unstable.
Is this a responsible time to spend 2 million dollars on
something that is not a necessity?
Suzzane: I have to add that this IS a necessity for
those of us who have to commute. I am talking big picture.
While it may not benefit everybody, projects such as the high
school are using my tax dollars for which I receive NO benefit
at all, given that I chose not to have any children. Net, net...I
am not even in support of expanding the high school and
think I have the right to have my tax dollars put toward
something that will actually benefit people like me, and there
are many of us who make that commute every day just to
survive.And...at a price, including dodging death
after being hit by a semi truck driver and dodging road ragers
on a daily basis. I am fully in support of this initiative, as
many other citizens are, as evidenced by the comments. Not
only is it our right (those of us who would use it) but the
benefits are many.
Laurie Lee Masterson: Suzanne without trying to be totally
confrontational I am not sure what you mean it is your
"right". Would you please refer me to where that is in either
the state or federal Constitution?
Your argument may be little foiled n the fact that I don't use
either one..my children go to private school and we have 3
cars and commute everyday. The actual argument is not is the Light rail something we
would all use and enjoy, I would use and enjoy a yacht but I
don't have the money, and Fayetteville doesn't have the
money for this project at this time.
Tax money is not about "getting" something YOU/I want our
to make life easier.
S.K.: We all need to consider carefully the notion that
we pay tax dollars for things we don't use or don't benefit
directly from...great schools in FYV make it a desirable place
to live, and your personal prosperity benefits in many ways
(think of the value of your home). Likewise, light rail will
remove hundreds to thousands of cars from I-540 daily - ...
Ms. Masterson: You own 3 cars and commute
everyday. Calculate your personal cost of owning 3 cars
(purchase prices, sales tax, insurance, maintenance) and the
annual cost of your daily commuting (fuel). Do you think your
taxes to pay for a light rail project would exceed your current
annual expenses related to reliance on personal
transportation? I wager your savings would be substantial.
Laurie Lee Masterson :SK I don’t know of anyone who does
not want to live in a "desirable" place, that is not the
question. The question is where is the money? We cannot
continue to spend or commit to spend money we don't have
for things we don’t have to have to impress people we don't
even know. A 'desirable" community would be one that is responsible and
disciplined with it's money and models that for it's citizens.
There is real "benefit" in financial security.
And on that note if it is "not about the money" (as far as what
it cost in taxes to build) then why do they keep telling us how
much money we will save in gas, and insurance, and hwy
construction...etc. I live in the county, if the light
rail is built I (and most everyone else) still has to drive to the
LR station, so i save nothing in insurance. It cost me $3 gal
for gas which I can drive approx 27miles on. With the light
rail system it would cost me approx $5 to park my car,
perhaps as much as $4 for a round trip ticket to say Rogers
(about 25 miles away=50 miles round rip) So now I have
spent $9 dollars plus my time parking, getting on and off the
rail, then when I get to Rogers I have to get a cab or rent a
car to go where I am going...
Tim : There are a gazillion reasons we need this,
not the least of which is maintaining Dickson Street as a
destination. With a Dickson Street stop we will have the
opportunity to have mountains of people from the north
stream into Fayetteville to see shows, eat at restaurants, and
spend their sweet, sweet tax dollars here in Fayetteville. They
won't even have to worry about where to park, because they
will have parked remotely. Plus, we won't have to worry
about parking or dangerous interstate driving when we go to
Crystal Bridges or the airport. It's a HUGE win-win for
everyone involved.
A post by Suzanne that was deleted read in part "I don't have the
time or energy to sit here and dig through all of the research
that has been done on this topic, and I don't have to justifymy viewpoint, as I am entitled to it"
Laurie Lee Masterson
a Gazillion is a lot I am not sure where that falls after a trillion
but since it is really hard to conceive of that figure please list
for me outside of "maintaining" Dickson which that argument
seems a little flawed, what are some specific 3-4 other
reasons that this is a "great idea"?
Suzanne, I agree you have a right to
your opinion but isn't our responsibility to INFORMED voters,
to make good responsible decisions for the "good" of all?
Voting on opinion, while your right, is not in the same vain of
thinking as you apply to the Rail system "the good/benefit to
the human being". If it is running in the hole then the wellbeing of everyone is at
stake... ppl need food, shelter and clothing before
transportation. and just a side note the Constitution (voted on by the people)
is the foundation for all law and should be followed to the
letter if in fact we are interested in Human Kind.
thank you for your time, my hope and prayer is that ppl will
be come informed educated voters and not emotional
reactionary voters.
God's Speed
S.K. RE: ppl in town commuting to rail stations. ppl in
town will have a variety of choices regarding their commute
to/from a rail station. Depending on proximity, folks might
walk on city sidewalks, walk on the trail system, ride a bike,
ride a scooter, carpool with others from their neighborhood,
have a spouse or partner drop them off and pick them up,
ride Razorback Transit. Other commuting solutions would be
part of the discussion in planning a light rail system. Folks
may opt for more economical cars if their daily commute is 5
mi rather than 50 mi. There are many possibilities for those
Laurie Lee Masterson those are all great options for a
select few, what about ppl with families that say live more
than 2 miles from the station? Then there is the problem of
parking, Downtown Fay is already a parking nightmare, where
do all the rider cars park, what the expense be of the parking
garage? Again I am not strictly opposed to the rail idea, just think
before we step out there and spend 1-2 million on a
feasibility study there are some things to consider.
1) who pays for the study?
2) where does that money come from, are we going into debt
to do this study?
3) are the other areas involved already committed to the
project? If we spend 2 mill and Springdale says no then what?
they are cutting their budget dramatically now.
4) what about land, the cost of absorbing the land needed for
this?
5) The usage variable, our population compared to the other
areas this is implement (I might add without profit) are much
larger, ten fold n some cases. Can we justify the amount of
ppl who use this
Tim Laurie--I thought I did? Access to the airport
and Crystal Bridges....remember that? If you want me to keep
going...
Less environmental impact because of traffic on 540, Access
for Wal-Mart employees who live down here to the hqrs, less
drunk driving accidents, more traffic and commerce at Drake
Field if that station is built (which helps out all the industry in
Fayetteville), access from Drake to the business districts of
Fayetteville, access for Tyson employees who live in other
cities to their hqrs, transportation for students who don't have
vehicles (unlike YOU), more money in sales taxes for those
who stop at the mall station who don't want to fight the
traffic, an incentive for people like you to drop their vehicles
all together and ride bikes like they do in other metropolitan
areas, an incentive for Wal-Mart to stay based here. I'm
gonna stop before I hit a gazillion.
Now, you may not be convinced, but you
don't have to ride it if you don't want to pay the parking fee,
or park for free somewhere and walk, or take a bike. It's a
free country. But you'll wind up paying $9 in gas to drive back
and forth between Fayetteville and Bentonville anyway, most
likely, even if the ticket prices were that high--plus you have
the option to ride.
My point here being, that it is good for you. But just because
you don't like it since it apparently won't save YOU on
insurance, doesn't mean it's not a good idea for the rest of
NWA and Fayetteville.
And FACT POLICE--the constitution was voted on by state
legislatures, not the people. Also, in reading your earlier
posts....unless we make over $250,000/yr. "we" won't be receiving a
tax increase on the federal level. Maybe YOU will, but the vast
majority of "we" voters shall not.
Laurie Lee Masterson can you please refer me to the the
study from other places where these fact bare out?
How do i ride my bike with two children, groceries, sports
gear, friends of kids. How many Walmart/tyson ppl commute that will relinquish
their cars? don't they have to drive to the station? what about
their families, and what "more sales tax"? it cost 40-60 mill for hwy but over
124 mill/mile for rail. for 100 miles is would be
12,400,000,000 we are getting closer to your gazillion
I am not looking for an argument I am looking for a
discussion on the facts, not my opinion or yours or what
either of us believes we know... what do the facts say.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Article
s/000/000/002/351jldsx.asp
I would encourage you to go and
read the bill about 250,000 being the cap for taxes. And that
is not taking into account the cap-n-trade tax, health care tax,
efca tax, new highschool tax, new dog park tax, new fuel tax,
new cash for clunkers tax, new state funded parks tax, new
state lottery tax, new state river project tax... and there really
are a gazillion of these. it makes no difference what tax
bracket you are in what matters is what are the ppl paying
the taxes in...business owners will increase their products to
you in affect you loose buying power, and when they raise it
they do it exponentially..to regain profit. there is a much
bigger picture than just having a new rail that would be nice to
us
Tim: The Weekly Standard is a right-wing rag.
Clearly you do not understand how taxes work. Let me
explain some things. First, there are not taxes for all those
things such as a "cash for clunkers tax". Much of the stuff you
mentioned is federal (I won't even mention Arkansas because
our Democratically-run state is lowering taxes, and there is
not a lottery tax, that would be counter-intuitive all together
now wouldn't it?), and most federal taxes come out of the
federal income tax you see in your paycheck. The other ones
are mostly local sales taxes (STILL at 9.25%, and hasn't
changed in a WHILE in Fayetteville) and property taxes (I got
my letter yesterday letting me know that my value is now
lower, along with everyone else, and we will have to pay LESS
NOW than in the past few years).
And as for the children and groceries thing, not my problem. I
would suggest moving closer to town if you have to move
around so much. But complaining won't solve your problems.
Oh, and you
might put them in public school (since you
pay for it anyway) where they could have bus service, thus
saving you money and saving the environment at the same
time (not that you seem to care all that much).
post here by Suzanne that was deleted- saying that she did not have to stand for my insults, she had a masters degree and was a researcher.
Laurie Lee Masterson: Timall the taxes I listed are real taxes including the lottery tax,
itis called a regressive tax. The cash for clunkers is paid by
federal tax dollars which are taxes. anything and everything
the fed. gov pays for is from tax money which is paid by tax
payers. Arkansas is not lowering taxes we are one of the
highest taxed states in the entire US and Fay is one of the
most expensive places to live. Your property tax going down
is not because taxes went down it is because property values
went down so that is actually worse for you than if they had
raised your taxes, you have less equity. So not matter what
level they are on they are all taxes that come out of our pay
and they are all going up and exponentially, all the while our
assets are going down, home values, 401k's, the dollar itself.
As for my children I am not complaining I am very aware that
I already pay for schools I don't use.
I am simply asking questions and stating facts from research
I have done on the light rail. why must you attack me
personally ..." not that you seem to care all that much" are
you assuming because I am not in favor of spending millions
of dollars on an unproven "upgrade" that I not concerned
with the environment? I find that a little brash. You don't know
me, don't know where or how my family and i live.
I am simply asking where the proof in your argument is.
Where are the studies? The data? As far as the "right wing
rag" i didn't know light rail was a left/right issue?
Suzanne-I have not once said anything that would imply I was judging
you I just simply reiterated what you said " I don't have the
time or energy to sit here and dig through all of the research
that has been done on this topic, and I don't have to justify
my viewpoint, as I am entitled to it." Implying that your
decision is not based on facts but simply the fact that you
think the light rail is a good idea, again that is your right, but
again i would submit that making a decision of the
magnitude, putting our community literally 100's of Millions of
dollars in debt we might do our due diligence before signing
off on it. there is no insult intended. And as far as a masters
degree that is something to be proud to have, I never said
you were ill-informed you told me you didn't want to be
informed
Suzanne: I am totally behind this concept and
hopefully someday to be a reality!!
Laurie Lee Masterson: I am not necessary opposed to a
light rail system, just where is the money going to come
from? Who is going to pay the 1-2 million upfront for the
feasibility study? When asked if this system has been implemented anywhere
comp. to NWA, the answer was no. My next question would
be - Can you please give me the area this system is
implemented and is profitable?
We are staring at huge Federal tax increases, potential
millage increase for Fay High, unemployment is up, the
economy on a whole is unstable.
Is this a responsible time to spend 2 million dollars on
something that is not a necessity?
Suzzane: I have to add that this IS a necessity for
those of us who have to commute. I am talking big picture.
While it may not benefit everybody, projects such as the high
school are using my tax dollars for which I receive NO benefit
at all, given that I chose not to have any children. Net, net...I
am not even in support of expanding the high school and
think I have the right to have my tax dollars put toward
something that will actually benefit people like me, and there
are many of us who make that commute every day just to
survive.And...at a price, including dodging death
after being hit by a semi truck driver and dodging road ragers
on a daily basis. I am fully in support of this initiative, as
many other citizens are, as evidenced by the comments. Not
only is it our right (those of us who would use it) but the
benefits are many.
Laurie Lee Masterson: Suzanne without trying to be totally
confrontational I am not sure what you mean it is your
"right". Would you please refer me to where that is in either
the state or federal Constitution?
Your argument may be little foiled n the fact that I don't use
either one..my children go to private school and we have 3
cars and commute everyday. The actual argument is not is the Light rail something we
would all use and enjoy, I would use and enjoy a yacht but I
don't have the money, and Fayetteville doesn't have the
money for this project at this time.
Tax money is not about "getting" something YOU/I want our
to make life easier.
S.K.: We all need to consider carefully the notion that
we pay tax dollars for things we don't use or don't benefit
directly from...great schools in FYV make it a desirable place
to live, and your personal prosperity benefits in many ways
(think of the value of your home). Likewise, light rail will
remove hundreds to thousands of cars from I-540 daily - ...
Ms. Masterson: You own 3 cars and commute
everyday. Calculate your personal cost of owning 3 cars
(purchase prices, sales tax, insurance, maintenance) and the
annual cost of your daily commuting (fuel). Do you think your
taxes to pay for a light rail project would exceed your current
annual expenses related to reliance on personal
transportation? I wager your savings would be substantial.
Laurie Lee Masterson :SK I don’t know of anyone who does
not want to live in a "desirable" place, that is not the
question. The question is where is the money? We cannot
continue to spend or commit to spend money we don't have
for things we don’t have to have to impress people we don't
even know. A 'desirable" community would be one that is responsible and
disciplined with it's money and models that for it's citizens.
There is real "benefit" in financial security.
And on that note if it is "not about the money" (as far as what
it cost in taxes to build) then why do they keep telling us how
much money we will save in gas, and insurance, and hwy
construction...etc. I live in the county, if the light
rail is built I (and most everyone else) still has to drive to the
LR station, so i save nothing in insurance. It cost me $3 gal
for gas which I can drive approx 27miles on. With the light
rail system it would cost me approx $5 to park my car,
perhaps as much as $4 for a round trip ticket to say Rogers
(about 25 miles away=50 miles round rip) So now I have
spent $9 dollars plus my time parking, getting on and off the
rail, then when I get to Rogers I have to get a cab or rent a
car to go where I am going...
Tim : There are a gazillion reasons we need this,
not the least of which is maintaining Dickson Street as a
destination. With a Dickson Street stop we will have the
opportunity to have mountains of people from the north
stream into Fayetteville to see shows, eat at restaurants, and
spend their sweet, sweet tax dollars here in Fayetteville. They
won't even have to worry about where to park, because they
will have parked remotely. Plus, we won't have to worry
about parking or dangerous interstate driving when we go to
Crystal Bridges or the airport. It's a HUGE win-win for
everyone involved.
A post by Suzanne that was deleted read in part "I don't have the
time or energy to sit here and dig through all of the research
that has been done on this topic, and I don't have to justifymy viewpoint, as I am entitled to it"
Laurie Lee Masterson
a Gazillion is a lot I am not sure where that falls after a trillion
but since it is really hard to conceive of that figure please list
for me outside of "maintaining" Dickson which that argument
seems a little flawed, what are some specific 3-4 other
reasons that this is a "great idea"?
Suzanne, I agree you have a right to
your opinion but isn't our responsibility to INFORMED voters,
to make good responsible decisions for the "good" of all?
Voting on opinion, while your right, is not in the same vain of
thinking as you apply to the Rail system "the good/benefit to
the human being". If it is running in the hole then the wellbeing of everyone is at
stake... ppl need food, shelter and clothing before
transportation. and just a side note the Constitution (voted on by the people)
is the foundation for all law and should be followed to the
letter if in fact we are interested in Human Kind.
thank you for your time, my hope and prayer is that ppl will
be come informed educated voters and not emotional
reactionary voters.
God's Speed
S.K. RE: ppl in town commuting to rail stations. ppl in
town will have a variety of choices regarding their commute
to/from a rail station. Depending on proximity, folks might
walk on city sidewalks, walk on the trail system, ride a bike,
ride a scooter, carpool with others from their neighborhood,
have a spouse or partner drop them off and pick them up,
ride Razorback Transit. Other commuting solutions would be
part of the discussion in planning a light rail system. Folks
may opt for more economical cars if their daily commute is 5
mi rather than 50 mi. There are many possibilities for those
Laurie Lee Masterson those are all great options for a
select few, what about ppl with families that say live more
than 2 miles from the station? Then there is the problem of
parking, Downtown Fay is already a parking nightmare, where
do all the rider cars park, what the expense be of the parking
garage? Again I am not strictly opposed to the rail idea, just think
before we step out there and spend 1-2 million on a
feasibility study there are some things to consider.
1) who pays for the study?
2) where does that money come from, are we going into debt
to do this study?
3) are the other areas involved already committed to the
project? If we spend 2 mill and Springdale says no then what?
they are cutting their budget dramatically now.
4) what about land, the cost of absorbing the land needed for
this?
5) The usage variable, our population compared to the other
areas this is implement (I might add without profit) are much
larger, ten fold n some cases. Can we justify the amount of
ppl who use this
Tim Laurie--I thought I did? Access to the airport
and Crystal Bridges....remember that? If you want me to keep
going...
Less environmental impact because of traffic on 540, Access
for Wal-Mart employees who live down here to the hqrs, less
drunk driving accidents, more traffic and commerce at Drake
Field if that station is built (which helps out all the industry in
Fayetteville), access from Drake to the business districts of
Fayetteville, access for Tyson employees who live in other
cities to their hqrs, transportation for students who don't have
vehicles (unlike YOU), more money in sales taxes for those
who stop at the mall station who don't want to fight the
traffic, an incentive for people like you to drop their vehicles
all together and ride bikes like they do in other metropolitan
areas, an incentive for Wal-Mart to stay based here. I'm
gonna stop before I hit a gazillion.
Now, you may not be convinced, but you
don't have to ride it if you don't want to pay the parking fee,
or park for free somewhere and walk, or take a bike. It's a
free country. But you'll wind up paying $9 in gas to drive back
and forth between Fayetteville and Bentonville anyway, most
likely, even if the ticket prices were that high--plus you have
the option to ride.
My point here being, that it is good for you. But just because
you don't like it since it apparently won't save YOU on
insurance, doesn't mean it's not a good idea for the rest of
NWA and Fayetteville.
And FACT POLICE--the constitution was voted on by state
legislatures, not the people. Also, in reading your earlier
posts....unless we make over $250,000/yr. "we" won't be receiving a
tax increase on the federal level. Maybe YOU will, but the vast
majority of "we" voters shall not.
Laurie Lee Masterson can you please refer me to the the
study from other places where these fact bare out?
How do i ride my bike with two children, groceries, sports
gear, friends of kids. How many Walmart/tyson ppl commute that will relinquish
their cars? don't they have to drive to the station? what about
their families, and what "more sales tax"? it cost 40-60 mill for hwy but over
124 mill/mile for rail. for 100 miles is would be
12,400,000,000 we are getting closer to your gazillion
I am not looking for an argument I am looking for a
discussion on the facts, not my opinion or yours or what
either of us believes we know... what do the facts say.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Article
s/000/000/002/351jldsx.asp
I would encourage you to go and
read the bill about 250,000 being the cap for taxes. And that
is not taking into account the cap-n-trade tax, health care tax,
efca tax, new highschool tax, new dog park tax, new fuel tax,
new cash for clunkers tax, new state funded parks tax, new
state lottery tax, new state river project tax... and there really
are a gazillion of these. it makes no difference what tax
bracket you are in what matters is what are the ppl paying
the taxes in...business owners will increase their products to
you in affect you loose buying power, and when they raise it
they do it exponentially..to regain profit. there is a much
bigger picture than just having a new rail that would be nice to
us
Tim: The Weekly Standard is a right-wing rag.
Clearly you do not understand how taxes work. Let me
explain some things. First, there are not taxes for all those
things such as a "cash for clunkers tax". Much of the stuff you
mentioned is federal (I won't even mention Arkansas because
our Democratically-run state is lowering taxes, and there is
not a lottery tax, that would be counter-intuitive all together
now wouldn't it?), and most federal taxes come out of the
federal income tax you see in your paycheck. The other ones
are mostly local sales taxes (STILL at 9.25%, and hasn't
changed in a WHILE in Fayetteville) and property taxes (I got
my letter yesterday letting me know that my value is now
lower, along with everyone else, and we will have to pay LESS
NOW than in the past few years).
And as for the children and groceries thing, not my problem. I
would suggest moving closer to town if you have to move
around so much. But complaining won't solve your problems.
Oh, and you
might put them in public school (since you
pay for it anyway) where they could have bus service, thus
saving you money and saving the environment at the same
time (not that you seem to care all that much).
post here by Suzanne that was deleted- saying that she did not have to stand for my insults, she had a masters degree and was a researcher.
Laurie Lee Masterson: Timall the taxes I listed are real taxes including the lottery tax,
itis called a regressive tax. The cash for clunkers is paid by
federal tax dollars which are taxes. anything and everything
the fed. gov pays for is from tax money which is paid by tax
payers. Arkansas is not lowering taxes we are one of the
highest taxed states in the entire US and Fay is one of the
most expensive places to live. Your property tax going down
is not because taxes went down it is because property values
went down so that is actually worse for you than if they had
raised your taxes, you have less equity. So not matter what
level they are on they are all taxes that come out of our pay
and they are all going up and exponentially, all the while our
assets are going down, home values, 401k's, the dollar itself.
As for my children I am not complaining I am very aware that
I already pay for schools I don't use.
I am simply asking questions and stating facts from research
I have done on the light rail. why must you attack me
personally ..." not that you seem to care all that much" are
you assuming because I am not in favor of spending millions
of dollars on an unproven "upgrade" that I not concerned
with the environment? I find that a little brash. You don't know
me, don't know where or how my family and i live.
I am simply asking where the proof in your argument is.
Where are the studies? The data? As far as the "right wing
rag" i didn't know light rail was a left/right issue?
Suzanne-I have not once said anything that would imply I was judging
you I just simply reiterated what you said " I don't have the
time or energy to sit here and dig through all of the research
that has been done on this topic, and I don't have to justify
my viewpoint, as I am entitled to it." Implying that your
decision is not based on facts but simply the fact that you
think the light rail is a good idea, again that is your right, but
again i would submit that making a decision of the
magnitude, putting our community literally 100's of Millions of
dollars in debt we might do our due diligence before signing
off on it. there is no insult intended. And as far as a masters
degree that is something to be proud to have, I never said
you were ill-informed you told me you didn't want to be
informed
Thursday, July 30, 2009
HEY! (HAD ENOUGH YET?)
The way I view things the Arkansas lottery is a good lesson learned. The people of our state, myself included (although I voted against the lottery) it appears voted to implement something without doing our due diligence.
Two-thirds of those who went to the polls voted to implement the lottery. What that means is over 66 percent of the people in the state said that they “trusted” the government of Arkansas to initiate a program involving millions of dollars on the off chance our schools would receive funding. Wonder what the thought process was of those pulling the “yes” lever? Suppose they were thinking of the children, the schools or the people of Arkansas that would be sucked into the lottery “scheme”.
I submit that is not the case at all. I believe that most likely they were thinking “wouldn’t be nice if I won a million dollars?” When one might argue we should all have been thinking, “I need some specifics here. If I vote for this and allow state officials to over see a program where literally millions of dollars at stake, who is in charge here? What are they going to get paid to run this? How many employees will be on the payroll? How is the money divided between the workers, the winners and the schools? In other words all the questions and arguments that are going on right now should have been occurring before WE THE PEOPLE gave our stamp of approval.
Evidently our Governor and Lt. Governor failed to do their due diligence as well. It seems after Grant county Sherriff Lance Huey was hired for $115,644.00, Gov. Beebe stepped in admonishing the commission which then voted to cap annual salaries at $80,000.00 without a review.
So here we are months later with the people realizing once again that we have allowed ourselves to be fooled. Now we are desperately trying to shouting “Hey wait just a minute here. That’s not how we envisioned this! What are you people doing?”
These questions, and more, should have been asked on the front end. We, as citizen, must start taking our voting seriously- rather than taking the attitude “Oh! That sounds good! He looks like a nice man. Let’s go pull the lever and have a beer.”
In my estimation we Arkansans got what we asked for, a classic scam. Hopefully in the future, (like when the school district is asking for $115 million bond to build an $83million high school by raising the local millage by 4.9) we will do our necessary due diligence and discover the actual facts before we give away our money.
Friends, this still is a government of, by and for The People. The People just need to remember that being a citizen in a free society requires real work. If not taken seriously, results like those we are seeing today (and have been living with many years): An over- reaching, over-spending, arrogant, self-indulgent government will only continue likely worsen.
Join with me today to say HAD ENOUGH YET?! No longer will I vote for any person, any law or any other issue about whom I’ve not personally done my home work. If we do that together -UNITED- we CAN expect great change. It’s the only way.
Two-thirds of those who went to the polls voted to implement the lottery. What that means is over 66 percent of the people in the state said that they “trusted” the government of Arkansas to initiate a program involving millions of dollars on the off chance our schools would receive funding. Wonder what the thought process was of those pulling the “yes” lever? Suppose they were thinking of the children, the schools or the people of Arkansas that would be sucked into the lottery “scheme”.
I submit that is not the case at all. I believe that most likely they were thinking “wouldn’t be nice if I won a million dollars?” When one might argue we should all have been thinking, “I need some specifics here. If I vote for this and allow state officials to over see a program where literally millions of dollars at stake, who is in charge here? What are they going to get paid to run this? How many employees will be on the payroll? How is the money divided between the workers, the winners and the schools? In other words all the questions and arguments that are going on right now should have been occurring before WE THE PEOPLE gave our stamp of approval.
Evidently our Governor and Lt. Governor failed to do their due diligence as well. It seems after Grant county Sherriff Lance Huey was hired for $115,644.00, Gov. Beebe stepped in admonishing the commission which then voted to cap annual salaries at $80,000.00 without a review.
So here we are months later with the people realizing once again that we have allowed ourselves to be fooled. Now we are desperately trying to shouting “Hey wait just a minute here. That’s not how we envisioned this! What are you people doing?”
These questions, and more, should have been asked on the front end. We, as citizen, must start taking our voting seriously- rather than taking the attitude “Oh! That sounds good! He looks like a nice man. Let’s go pull the lever and have a beer.”
In my estimation we Arkansans got what we asked for, a classic scam. Hopefully in the future, (like when the school district is asking for $115 million bond to build an $83million high school by raising the local millage by 4.9) we will do our necessary due diligence and discover the actual facts before we give away our money.
Friends, this still is a government of, by and for The People. The People just need to remember that being a citizen in a free society requires real work. If not taken seriously, results like those we are seeing today (and have been living with many years): An over- reaching, over-spending, arrogant, self-indulgent government will only continue likely worsen.
Join with me today to say HAD ENOUGH YET?! No longer will I vote for any person, any law or any other issue about whom I’ve not personally done my home work. If we do that together -UNITED- we CAN expect great change. It’s the only way.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Where are Woodward and Bernstein?
Just a few days shy of a week since the July 4th TEA Party and the emails are stilling coming in strong. The week prior I was receiving nearly 600 emails daily from across the country, Hawaii, Texas, Wyoming, California, Virginia, Oklahoma, Alaska… I counted 32 states from which I received correspondence since the initial TEA Party Day April 15th . Literally hundreds of thousands of people gathered around the Nation on April 15th and July 4th.
So where is the media? If you google July 4th TEA Party you will find thousands of hits, but no main stream media. Ss a matter of fact I couldn’t find but three papers in state of Arkansas that had ANYTHING on it at all, The NWA Times in Fayetteville, The Morning News in Springdale and the Baxter Bulletin of Mountain Home. (If I am wrong please let me know.)
In Arkansas there were 18 reported events. Let me give you some attendance numbers from those:
Heber Springs- 400+
Batesville- 200
Bella Vista- 400
Monticello- 40
Russellville-250
Fayetteville 1,000+
Mtn Home-1,500+
Rogers-125
El Dorado-100
So over 4000 people showed up at just half of the events and the mainstream press ignores them! Well I say that this is something that cannot be ignored.
Of the hundreds of emails I get daily the number one question by far is “What can I do?” The answer...take 30minutes to an hour each day for the next 90 days and do something that is proactive. Sit down and decide what it is that you believe, why you believe it and what you are willing to do to protect it. I encourage YOU to write your local paper and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and let them know if you were at a TEA Party. Tell them why you were there and that you refuse to sit idly by any more. Write, Fax, Email and Call your elected officials (if you need help finding out who they are contact us and we will help you) at least 3 times weekly. Research the issues and find out the REAL story, again if you need direction let us know. Read books like “The 5000 Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen, or “Common Sense” by Glenn Beck.
Right now John Boozman, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor need to hear from YOU. They know how I feel about the issues at hand, have they heard from you? Next week we are starting an 8 week campaign to gather 10,000 signatures to send to Little Rock. Letting our representatives know how the people of Arkansas feel about Cap-n-Trade (the Energy Bill) and National Health care. If you need information on these issues to make informed decisions then contact us and we will help you get the information you need.
I then encourage you to go to www.arkansasunite.com and let us plug you in so we can all be effective together. We are creating groups in every county in Arkansas to open up lines of sustained communication, to help inform people on the issues facing Arkansans, to engage citizens in a productive way, and thereby empower us all to make a difference. We have contacts in over 1/3 of the 75 counties right now that are meeting monthly.
This is a battle for our freedom and future that will not be won overnight. But only with tireless effort, dedication and an impassioned desire for freedom I am confident we will prevail. ~ God’s Speed
Remember: ~We Surround Them, You are not Alone!~
So where is the media? If you google July 4th TEA Party you will find thousands of hits, but no main stream media. Ss a matter of fact I couldn’t find but three papers in state of Arkansas that had ANYTHING on it at all, The NWA Times in Fayetteville, The Morning News in Springdale and the Baxter Bulletin of Mountain Home. (If I am wrong please let me know.)
In Arkansas there were 18 reported events. Let me give you some attendance numbers from those:
Heber Springs- 400+
Batesville- 200
Bella Vista- 400
Monticello- 40
Russellville-250
Fayetteville 1,000+
Mtn Home-1,500+
Rogers-125
El Dorado-100
So over 4000 people showed up at just half of the events and the mainstream press ignores them! Well I say that this is something that cannot be ignored.
Of the hundreds of emails I get daily the number one question by far is “What can I do?” The answer...take 30minutes to an hour each day for the next 90 days and do something that is proactive. Sit down and decide what it is that you believe, why you believe it and what you are willing to do to protect it. I encourage YOU to write your local paper and the Arkansas Democrat Gazette and let them know if you were at a TEA Party. Tell them why you were there and that you refuse to sit idly by any more. Write, Fax, Email and Call your elected officials (if you need help finding out who they are contact us and we will help you) at least 3 times weekly. Research the issues and find out the REAL story, again if you need direction let us know. Read books like “The 5000 Year Leap” by W. Cleon Skousen, or “Common Sense” by Glenn Beck.
Right now John Boozman, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor need to hear from YOU. They know how I feel about the issues at hand, have they heard from you? Next week we are starting an 8 week campaign to gather 10,000 signatures to send to Little Rock. Letting our representatives know how the people of Arkansas feel about Cap-n-Trade (the Energy Bill) and National Health care. If you need information on these issues to make informed decisions then contact us and we will help you get the information you need.
I then encourage you to go to www.arkansasunite.com and let us plug you in so we can all be effective together. We are creating groups in every county in Arkansas to open up lines of sustained communication, to help inform people on the issues facing Arkansans, to engage citizens in a productive way, and thereby empower us all to make a difference. We have contacts in over 1/3 of the 75 counties right now that are meeting monthly.
This is a battle for our freedom and future that will not be won overnight. But only with tireless effort, dedication and an impassioned desire for freedom I am confident we will prevail. ~ God’s Speed
Remember: ~We Surround Them, You are not Alone!~
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)