Eschew Obfuscation

From the AP report;

HARRISBURG, Pa. — U.S. Rep. John Murtha, an influential critic of the Iraq War whose congressional career was shadowed by questions about his ethics, died Monday. He was 77.

Two quotes come immediately to mind, pick one;

Clarence Darrow
I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure.

Mark Twain
I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.


It seems a bunch of folks are upset with Governor Bob for his stand on something described as “gay discrimination”. I’m sorry, but I just don’t get it.

Like you, I’m protected by law against discrimination based on any number of outward, more or less visible, characteristics. I can’t be fired just because I’m an old fart. (That would be of some consolation if I could just get hired in the first place, I suppose.) I can’t be fired just because I’m white, nor can you just because you’re black. I’m a male, but I have no legal advantage over my female neighbor. There’s more, but you know them all as well as I do. I see no reason to change any of this.

Some people insist these protections should be extended to include “sexual inclination”. Well, ain’t that precious.

In all the world there are only a handful of people who truly know my “sexual inclination”. Am I “straight” or am I “gay”? Who cares? I’ve never felt the uncontrollable urge to confront everyone I meet and describe the goings on in my bedroom. Or any bedroom where I may have been a guest.

I suspect you are probably like me. If pressed for actual evidence, most, if not all, of your friends wouldn’t know for sure either. Nor should they.

There is, however, one group who insists upon telling you, me, and pretty much everyone else, just who and what they like to poke around at in their bedrooms. You know, those militant members of the “GBLT community”. (Side note, of the four, at least being bi-sexual immediately doubles your chances for a date on the weekend. As for the rest, well I see no advantage at all.) These are the people who are most upset that employers may find them to be less than ideal employees.

Look guys, I imagine I’m like most friends and employers. I really don’t care what you do at home, as long as you do your job well, don’t create turmoil on the shop floor, and for goodness sake, don’t show up at the company picnic in a thong and a feather boa.

I hardly know where to begin.

I’ve spoken here before about voters who know little about what they are voting for. Today’s letter section in the Martinsville Bulletin contains a prime example. A Mr. Richard Hight begins his letter with a cheer for Delegate Ward Armstrong, who he just knows has taken a strong stand against the “Republican-approved conduct of the Appalachian Power Company”.

The second paragraph has zero relevance to this completely misguided opening, instead he attacks Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity who are, in his opinion, “distorting their comments to favor their right-wing politicos and demonize any Democratic plan to get Americans back on the job and earning a living wage to be negotiated for all workers by federal wage guidelines”.

Huh?

What that has to do with AEP is anyone’s guess, the connection existing only within the little mind of Richard Hight.

Richard gets past this lapse in his third paragraph though, and returns to his original subject. Only now he wants an investigation into “…all the members of the Virginia State Corporation Commission for possible dereliction of their duty to protect the citizens of southern Virginia from profiteering by the Appalachian Power monopoly”. Next he wants an audit of all AEP board members and executive officers and raises questions about Bob McDonnell’s integrity.

Huh?

Get with it Richard. Instead of listening to others like you who know squat about the subject at hand, take the time and make the effort to find out just what you’re talking about.

Our current problem with AEP was not caused by Glenn Beck and his friends at Fox News. It was not caused by former Attorney General Bob McDonnell. It was caused by our former Governor who modified an already flawed bill which passed the General Assembly with near unanimity. (In case you didn’t know, that means Ward voted for it. Both times.) The bill, which passed in 2007, took away most of the discretion the SCC formerly had in granting rate increases to investor-owned utilities. (That would be AEP, Richard.)

Yes Richard, Ward does deserve some credit for finally putting forth some suggestions which would solve this problem. As does Senator Reynolds. However, one might question them both on why it has taken over two years to correct a problem that Senator Reynolds and Senator Puckett saw from the beginning. (Both voted against the 2007 bill.)

I’m here in Richmond today, along with fellow Henry County resident and activist Mary Martin, working to get Virginia customers of AEP some relief from the incessant rate increases since the passage of the “Dominion Power Bill” passed in 2007. According to some accounts, AEP has effectively increased rates as much as 80% since the passage of that bill. This must be changed.

Ironically, even though the bill received quite a bit of criticism after its passage, even earning the dubious title referred to above, it has been AEP, not Dominion Power, who has most abused the privileges granted by the bill. I’m not a customer of Dominion, but I understand Dominion has actually reduced rates since the bill’s passage.

This afternoon we met with House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong. Delegate Armstrong was quite adamant in his agreement with us that something must be done.

As we pointed out, and Ward was well aware, the law as it stands now ties the hands of the only entity in the state with the power to regulate monopolistic utilities, the Sate Corporation Commission (SCC). Under the present law our state essentially guarantees AEP a certain profit, with no means available to factor in bad management practices if they exist. This must be changed.

Another portion of the bill that must change allows utilities such as AEP to begin charging customers a higher rate before the SCC has ruled. If, and as I pointed out, the SCC is even able to deny the requested rate increase, AEP is required to reimburse its customers for the denied, though still collected, rate increase. Since there is no provision to audit AEP in this area of business practice, no one knows for certain if the full amount has been refunded or credited. This must be changed.

Presently there are several bills proposed to fix these and other problems. In addition to Ward Armstrong, Delegates Don Merricks, Bill Carrico, Morgan Griffith, and Terry Kilgore have bills pending. So do Senators Phillip Puckett and Roscoe Reynolds. There may be more in each chamber.

That brings us to the biggest problem facing each of these Bills. As I said earlier, even though Dominion Power is covered by the same laws, unlike AEP Dominion has been a responsible corporate citizen.

With the majority of Virginia’s delegates and senators receiving their power from Dominion, (Sadly some in ways in addition to electrical. Hello Senator Saslaw.), it will be an uphill battle to convince those members of the dire need for reform.

I’ll be in Richmond on Monday, hopefully in order to have some influence in getting our area some relief from AEP’s constant rate increases.

I called Senator Reynolds last week and thanked him for introducing legislation designed to provide that relief, but I’m concerned with the fact that his bill will not become effective until 2011. That’s too far out and SWVA needs help now.

What most people don’t know, (actually, I haven’t found anyone yet who does know); The law as currently written guarantees AEP a certain profit margin. That is unacceptable. No other industry, especially a for profit monopoly, is given such a guarantee. Nor should they.

Virginia’s General Assembly must take any steps necessary to protect consumers from unconscionable rate increases. Rate increases which seem to come not from actual need, but instead simply because the law allows.

Sometimes you get spin. Sometimes you really get spin. Like this, responding to a devastating loss in the 2009 City Treasurer election in Martinsville, then, (and current), mayor Kathy Lawson said after coming in last in a field of four with less than 100 votes; “I think that was a reflection of the people in the city being pleased with the job I am doing as mayor.” [link]

Until now that has been my choice as the most inventive explanation for a political loss.

Until now, I said.

Mister Obama has managed to top that one. By a bunch.

Explaining Scott Brown’s victory last Tuesday he said; “Here’s my assessment not just of the vote in Massachusetts but the mood around the country. The same thing that swept Scott Brown into office swept me into office.” [link]

In light of the Roanoke Times editorial today, I’m moving this article back to the front page. Some time back I placed this on the sidebar of my old site, “I’m Not Emeril“. There it received quite a few comments, though none that could be considered viable suggestions for a new law. Perhaps Dan and his kids on Campbell avenue can step up to this challenge.

Please use the comment section to describe a new, tougher gun law that would have prevented any of the school shootings in our country’s history. Or. for that matter, any shooting involving victims in a “gun free zone”, whether it be a school, airport, government building, courthouse, store or restaurant.

Use your liberal imagination. Unleash your progressive thoughts. We are all anxious to hear your ideas.

Just remember that we do have a Constitution, unless your suggestion is to amend portions of it. If that is your suggestion I require a valid, in depth argument for doing so. One that would persuade a sufficient number of citizens to go along with such an amendment. Facts matter, feelings and emotion won’t cut it.

NOTE:
I do NOT like to moderate comments, so keep them somewhat family friendly. My family, friends, church members, and co-workers do read this blog. Who knows, your mother might read here as well.

It’s a popular bumper sticker slogan, “Kill ‘em all, let God sort it out”.

It seems most of our politicians, at least Democrats in Congress, have taken that attitude and applied it to their votes. “Pass em all, let the Supreme Court sort it out”.

Our Constitution is pretty clear overall, even to a layman. In it, all powers granted to the federal government are enumerated, and our founders were careful to clearly state that if it ain’t in here, you (federal government) ain’t got it.

As far back as 1994 the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) wrote: “A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of federal action. The government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States.” In fact, the 5th amendment (part of the Bill of Rights), makes this pretty clear:

“No person shall … be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”

If you do not want to spend your hard earned money for health insurance, but would prefer to use it for rent, groceries, or even beer, this requirement would constitute a “taking” of private property under the 5th Amendment. Obamacare, in its current form in both the House and Senate versions, will contain some form of forced participation with jail or fines used for enforcement. An obvious violation of the 5th Amendment.

That’s not all. The Senate version contains race-based incentives and preferences. A clear red flag that the bill does not conform to the Constitution. In fact, the United States Commission on Civil Rights sent a letter to the Senate regarding racially discriminatory provisions in Obama’s health plan. The letter reads:

“No matter how well-intentioned, utilizing racial preferences with hope of alleviating health care disparities is inadvisable both as a matter of policy and as a matter of law. … Ensuring that all Americans, regardless of race, have access to quality health care requires both creativity and hard-nosed attention to data. It also requires staying within the requirements of the Constitution. The current race-based provisions of the Senate Health Care bill display none of these qualities.”

This “Pass em all, let the Supreme Court sort it out” attitude may sit well with some of you, but I consider it blatant dereliction of duty and a clear violation of the solemn oath each has taken upon being seated in Congress.

Here in Virginia, one of our Senators has taken two separate oaths to uphold and defend the Constitution. First as a Marine, then as a Senator, Jim Webb has sworn before God that his first duty is to the Constitution. Shame be upon him for placing his party and President Obama above the Constitution and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

I know this is totally, completely, non-politically correct, but I’m wondering how long before the earthquake in Haiti is blamed on global warming? And will the first to draw the conclusion receive the scorn and vilification that Pat Robertson has (deservedly) received?

Via email…

Once upon a time there was a female brain cell which by mistake happened to end up in a man’s head.

She looked around nervously but it was all empty and quiet.

“Hello?” she cried, but no answer. “Is there anyone here?” she cried a little louder, but still no answer.

Now the female brain cell started to feel alone and scared and yelled at the top of her voice “HELLO, IS THERE ANYONE HERE?”

Then she heard a very faint voice from far, far away…

“We’re down here ..”