Speaking Up For Women

By Tim Philbin

While reading the paper the other day I was shocked at the sexism, bias and blatant disregard for the equality of women in our society.

Where is the National Organization for Women on this subject? Will the ACLU file an immediate lawsuit to right what is clearly an unjust law?

Why aren’t liberals flooding the state house, the White House, the halls of congress with phone calls, letters and protests to undue a clear injustice to women.

For years we have heard the moaning and whining of feminists that women should be treated the same as men, given a chance to break through the “glass ceiling” , a place at the table so that all women may realize their full potential.

I seem to remember court cases that eventually forced “men’s clubs” to admit women. Yes, it is time that the remnants of bias, sexism and unfair treatment due to ones gender are stopped.

I for one will gladly lend my support to the cause.

What cause you ask?

A local newspaper reported that there was a proposed change in the law that would favor men and ignore women.

Here’s what they wrote – “Two rites of passage. One simple form. That's the concept behind proposed legislation that would automatically register young men with the Selective Service when they apply for their first driver's license. Proponents say the measure will ensure that teenage boys don't miss out on the many federal benefits that accompany Selective Service registration.”

What?? Women are not required to register with the Selective Service!

How old fashioned. Women have for years fought for their equal rights. If feminists want women to be treated the same as men then who am I to disagree?

Hey guys let's change this unjust law so WOMEN will be required to sign up as well.

Hey, NOW crowd, be careful what you wish for – you might just get it.

Arresting Development

By Tim Philbin


If I understand a recent “out of town newspaper” story, the legislature will be in charge of shielding children of crooks from seeing mommy and/or daddy from getting arrested. The resultant trauma can be devastating for the child.

No doubt that the kids would be upset to see a group of armed men (police) come in to the house and cuff someone.

But why is it the legislature’s responsibility?

According to the story, "Witnessing the arrest of a parent contributes to increased anxiety, fear, anger and symptoms of mental health disorders and can have significant, negative long-term implications for children's well being.”This legislation is about ensuring the well being of Vermont children impacted by their parents' criminality."
The way to fix this problem does not take an advanced degree in sociology although that may be what these people want you to believe.

How about mom and dad NOT breaking the law!

It’s simple; say to yourself “today I will not break the law”. If you don’t break the law you will not be subject to arrest and your children will not be forced to watch you hauled away in the back of a police cruiser.

It does not “Take a Village to Raise a Child” it takes a mom or dad that loves their child more then themselves. That puts the child’s’ well being before their own.

If more parents followed that simple premise many of our societal problems could be resolved.

The Great Obama Power Grab

By Tim Philbin

Who would have thought that the warranty on new cars would be guaranteed by President Obama and his administration?

Yes that is what the President said today. In fact his exact words were, “let me say it as plainly as I can -- if you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always. Your warrantee will be safe. In fact, it will be safer than it's ever been. Because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warrantee.”

Does that mean you will have to drive to the White House or the Senate garage to get your oil changed? I haven’t seen the fine print yet.

All of this comes about after the President rejected the latest offer by General Motors and Chrysler to restructure their companies in an effort to get more tax payer money to bail ‘em out.
Mr. Obama fired the head of GM, Rich Wagoner a man with over 30 years with the company and effectively took over the private company.

I don’t claim to be a constitutional scholar but what section of that revered document allows the President to fire the head of a private firm and seize control of the company?

This latest grab for power should have even the old Bush critics (of too much power in the presidency) sitting up and taking notice.

Well maybe not.

After all Mr. Wagoner in part of that newly hated group of corporate executives and “rich people” that are now the new enemy of the state.

Who or what is next?

God help us.

Finally My Voice In The Wilderness Is Heard

By Tim Philbin

What a bunch of phoneys!

I watch in amazement as each takes a turn showing their sorry faces on TV to express their contrived outrage over the now notorious bonuses paid to AIG executives.

The thieves in congress should be reminded that THEY are responsible for our money and any miss appropriation of our money is their fault. They gave AIG the money (our money) and should have known, attached strings, questioned management, or found out how this money way going to be spent.

Here’s what one columnist, Michelle Malkin wrote on the subject.
“Over the weekend, cloaked in their finest populist costumes, the Beltway's hair-sprayed and powdered politicians and White House aides took to the airwaves to inveigh against $165 million in employee-retention payments made by the government-backed insurance giant.

The checks were mailed Friday, but the March 15 bonus deadline had been on the Capitol Hill radar screen since December.

But it wasn't until last week that the hapless court jester of the Obama administration, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, scrambled to rein in the payments.

AIG Chief Executive Edward Liddy basically told him to buzz off.

Geithner, the primary architect of the original $85 billion AIG bailout last fall, "reluctantly" approved the bonuses.

And now his outraged boss has ordered him to scour every legal nook and cranny possible to get the money back.

Spare me President Obama's finger-wag. He's "outraged?" Meh.

Two weeks ago, Team Obama forked over another $30 billion for the basket-case company after it reported $61.7 billion in fourth-quarter losses.

That's on top of the first $85 billion round and the second $38 billion round under George W. Bush - both of which Obama supported. (Obama, by the way, collected more than $101,000 in AIG campaign contributions.)

Don't talk to me about how the Obama administration opposes rewarding failure. And don't talk to me about all the politicians stampeding to tax AIG's bonuses.

Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, the corporate crony who is the largest recipient of AIG donations, is now leading the charge to tax the retention payments in order to recoup the $450 million the company is paying to employees in its financial-products unit.

But Dodd, it turns out, was for protecting AIG's bonuses before he was against them.

Fox Business reporter Rich Edson pointed out that during the Senate porkulus negotiations last month, Dodd successfully inserted a teeny-tiny amendment that provided for an "exception for contractually obligated bonuses agreed on before Feb. 11, 2009," which exempts the very AIG bonuses Dodd and others are seeking to tax.

Pay no attention to what his left hand was doing. Dodd's right fist is pounding mightily, mightily for the sake of the taxpayers. The hypocritical indignation on the Hill is bipartisan.

On his Twitter page last night, Sen. John McCain huffed, "If we hadn't bailed out AIG = no bonuses for greedy execs."

Well, if the GOP presidential candidate had held fast to his opposition to such doomed corporate bailouts in the first place, maybe bailout-a-palooza wouldn't have spiraled into the gazillion-dollar mess it inevitably became.

If Washington's newfound opponents of rewarding failure want to do taxpayers a favor, how about giving back their automatic pay raises? How about returning all their AIG donations?

How about taking back all the bailout money to all the failed enterprises, from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to AIG, the automakers and the big banks? Barry? Harry? Nancy? John? Chris? “

Thank you Michelle, finally someone else has heard my rants or the last few months and is paying attention.

They're Looking For You!

By Tim Philbin

The following has just cleared the wires. Obamaniacs will take to the streets to seek out supporters (and non supporters alike). Of Mr. Obama's Socialist agenda.

Are names to be taken? What happens if you don't pledge your support as the article reports?

Does this not remind you of Chairman Mao and his army of volunteers parading around with The Little Red Book. My God is this the beginnig of the end of America?

Warn your friends and neighbors, call every talk show you can think of, write to every nespaper (if they will print it) and warn them of this gathering of information on all Americans. This is like a nightmare happening before our very eyes.

Prepare yourself my fellow patriots

______________

"US President Barack Obama mustered his powerful campaign army on Monday, calling on his millions of supporters to lobby on behalf of his budget and economic plan.

The appeal to back the president was made in an email and video sent out by "Organizing for America," the organization which morphed out of Obama's campaign machinery to push his agenda when he entered the White House.

In the video, Mitch Stewart, the director of Organizing for America, urged the president's supporters to take part in the "Organizing for America Pledge Project."

"The pledge project is an ambitious effort to map out and identify support for President Obama's economic blueprint across towns and communities in America," Stewart said.

"We're doing that by asking people to pledge your support for the broad initiatives outlined in President Obama's economic plan.

"Once you do, we will ask you to build support in your own communities by forwarding this pledge by email, by knocking on doors and by making phone call," he said. "We will show in every state, in every congressional district the hunger, for leadership and long range thinking that's in too short supply here in Washington."

Stewart said Obama's budget provides a "bold blueprint for our country's future.

"It addresses three of the most pressing challenges facing our nation: health care, energy and education," he said.

"That's the good news. The bad news is that as a result the special interests and the old habits in Washington will dig in even more.

"It's up to you to make sure that they don't stand in our way.

"By pledging and building support you will be taking the first steps towards establishing a nationwide grassroots network, neighborhood by neighborhood, standing side by side with President Obama as we bring about our agenda for change."

The appeal to grass roots supporters closely follows the tactics used by Obama during his triumphant election campaign and is another sign that the president plans to use the organization to help pass difficult legislation.

Obama's campaign manager, David Plouffe, has stressed that Organizing for America is not aimed at twisting the arms of members of Congress but meant to keep activists engaged on issues such as health care, energy and the economy"

Leadership 101

By Tim Philbin


Remember Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He's now 82 years old and has a new book, 'Where Have All The Leaders Gone?'.

Lee Iacocca Says:
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the 'America' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.
We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.
Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.
Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way. These are times that cry out for leadership.
But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America. In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.
If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America'. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

We Have To Pay For This Too1?

By Tim Philbin

Here's a bit of news I just got.

"The massive government bailout of the nation’s financial system could help thousands of illegal immigrants who obtained home loans from banks that were encouraged to offer them by the federal agency in charge of preserving and promoting public confidence in the system.

The controversial $700 billion bailout will offer foreclosure relief for those at risk of losing their homes and that includes thousands of illegal immigrants who got mortgages from U.S. financial institutions thanks to a push from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which began encouraging banks to offer services to illegal immigrants a few years ago.

Headquartered in Washington D.C., The FDIC insures more than $3 trillion of deposits in U.S. banks and is managed by a five-person board of directors appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. In the last few years the agency succeeded in getting several large lending institutions to offer a variety of banking services to illegal aliens, including home loans.

Now U.S. banks routinely offer services to people without Social Security numbers by accepting the Mexican identification called matricula consular to open accounts. Some states—like Illinois and Wisconsin—even used millions of dollars in public funds to provide low-interest home loans for illegal immigrants with no credit history or documentation in the U.S.

The loan default rate among illegal immigrants is high because they are inherently unreliable, are prone to fraud and may be forced by circumstances to return to their home nation at any point, according to a congressman representing a state that operated a large mortgage fraud ring featuring hundreds of unqualified borrowers that used fake identities to get money."

The veteran Colorado Representative, Tom Tancredo, wanted to assure that the bailout, didn’t offer incentives for illegal aliens. In a letter to his colleagues in Congress, Tancredo asked that safeguards be included on the bailout plan to verify the legal residency and identity of potential homebuyers. This will prevent illegal immigrants from obtaining federally backed home loans and assure that U.S. taxpayers are not absorbing their debts or bad loans made by banks to illegal aliens. (Complete details on the eligibility will not be announced until March 4th, when the program will start.)

Could it be a coincidence that the area’s hardest hit by home foreclosures happen to be illegal immigrant sanctuaries like Las Vegas, large parts of southern and northern California and the famous Arizona sanctuary of Phoenix?