"Opportunity Lost"

"Our Politicians Just Weren’t Thirsty for Tea on Wednesday"

This column presents a non-partisan, conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week:
"Our elected representatives, national, state, country, and municipal all missed an opportunity to demonstrate their concerns for the struggles of the common taxpayers when they shunned the "Tea Party" tax protests last week."
I believe this nationwide protest event was a sincere, non-partisan effort by millions of loyal Americans who are very concerned about the direction our nation is being rushed towards by a powerful, ultra-liberal element of our society. The speed at which these changes are being forced upon us all, and the lack of preparation and forethought is frightening.
Millions of American families are suffering as they experience a diminished ability to maintain their standard of living. Millions are worried abut unprecedented levels of spending, a swelling bureaucracy, and a large leap we are taking towards socialism and away from the capitalistic system which has made our nation so successful.
They feel we are changing as promised during the campaigns, - changing from bad to worse! This group of demonstrators was not made up from radical, political, self-serving activists who normally are displayed on television carrying signs and ranting insanities. Instead this demonstration was comprised of a unique blend of hard working, tax paying, ordinary, patriotic citizens who are very, very concerned about the future of our great nation. They are not "right wing redneck activists" as the national media and self-serving liberals describe.
Locally, this grassroots protest was organized by two local housewives, a local sign painter, and a local educator. Yet, our local and state politicians shunned and even ridiculed their efforts. The three hundred who showed up for the event did not involve a single state, county, or municipal elected representative of the people of Jackson County.
Instead of stepping forward, responding to invitations to speak, supporting the movement, and expressing an understanding of the growing fear, and plight of their constituency, politicians cowered, hidden in their public offices, as the crowd cheered patriotic speeches outside.
It was the largest public gathering I have ever been to in Jackson County when there were no politicians, circulating around shaking hands. To me, for our existing representatives – it was an opportunity lost.
From their actions, I feel it is safe to assume our representatives favor increasing the size of the bureaucracy, taxing the population even more, and the "Big Brother" socialistic system. I hope the next group we elect will be more enlightened. Perhaps they can "Get it Right." (If any politicians wish to write a rebuttal to this opinion – I welcome their submission.)
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
· I read where today one student in every fifteen in the US is a child of an illegal alien. Our bureaucrats are busy writing comprehensive plans with a school element that will force evil developers to pay huge impact fees for the new students their developments bring. Who is paying the impact fees for students created by our government allowing illegals to flood into our land? – I can answer…you and me!
· It seems TDC (Tourist Development Council) Chairman Charley Carter is pushing for a campaign to proceed with building a convention center out near the west exit for I-10. We need this convention center about like we need a hole in the head. It will be another drain on the county budget as we have another empty, decaying public building on our hands. Also, the 2 percent extra bed tax being collected to build a fund for this project has caused our local inns to lose revenue ever since it was enacted.
· Our current administration is in the process of nationalizing our banking system. Stewart Varney, a conservative economist who was raised in England, but has lived in the US for thirty-five years, relates how after the banks in England were nationalized, they soon were filled with political corruption. "Refuse a loan to this group who does not support our party – give this group whatever they want, since they are big political donators." – Do we want this?
· The EPA is too powerful, and is costing our nation billions every day. In the vegetable farming area of California a severe drought is ruining crops and taking hundreds of farm worker jobs. Water is available in a mountain reservoir, but the EPA has blocked usage of the water because of the impact on some species of fish. Green is out of control.
· "The society that puts equality before freedom will end up with neither…The society that puts freedom before equality will end up with a great measure of both." – Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winning economist.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.

In God We Do Not Trust???

If not Him, then Who??? . . . Big Brother?

This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week:

The latest dollar coin which was recently minted cleverly omits the traditional phrase on American currency, “In God We Trust”. In protest, many citizens are refusing to accept the coin as change in their sales transactions.

During a recent speech delivered by our President during his trip to the Islamic dominated Mid East, he stated “In the United States we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation. Instead we consider ourselves to be a nation of citizens bound by common concepts.”

This is a far, far departure from the beliefs upon which our nation was founded over two hundred years ago. Our history began with the Pilgrims first settling here as they fled Europe in order to achieve religious freedoms. This progressed to the Revolutionary War and our Declaration of Independence from England. The founders of our nation wrote our wonderful Constitution, filling it with statements proclaiming the “God Given Rights of Man” They filled their statements and the air of their time with oratory proclaiming the importance of God, our Creator.

Today, the administration in power is being severely influenced by influential liberals imbedded in the anti-Christian, “Secular Progressive” movement. In the apparent philosophy of our new administration, where they have changed references to “terrorists” as “misdirected foreigners”, and have changed terrorists acts to “unfortunate incidents caused by misdirected foreigners”….I soon expect Washington to give instructions to staff and media to change the “Ten Commandments” to “Ten Rules of Appropriate Conduct”.

In this theme, these ordered changes in wordage might include:

1. Thou Shalt have no other Gods.
To be replaced with….
“Thou Shalt worship the icons of Rock, Rap, and Hollywood above all men.”

2. Thou Shalt not make unto thee any graven images.
To be replaced with....“Earrings, gold chains, baggy jeans, and tattoos are cool.”

3. Thou Shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.

To be replaced with….
“God Damn the United States!”
(In the vernacular of Reverend Wright.)

4. Remember the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy.

To be replaced with… “Be a ‘party animal’, It’s Saturday somewhere!”

5. Honor thy Father and thy Mother.
To be replaced with…..

“You should do what Papa and Mama says…if you happen to be one of those few who know who they both are!”

6. Thou shalt not kill.

To be replaced with....

“Doin’ drive-by’s and puttin’ out contracts start gang wars”

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
To be replaced with....

“If it feels good….Do It!”

8. Thou shalt not steal.

To be replaced with…

“Always scope out a mark first, and have a good pawn shop fence handy to handle thy goods”.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
To be replaced with…..

“Lie, lie, lie if it will save your butt.”

10. Thou shalt not covet your neighbors wife.

To be replaced with…..

“If you can’t love the one you love…love the one you’re with!”

What a wonderful society we are evolving into, with over 40% of our children born out of wedlock, the family structure being lost, men marrying men, babies being aborted every day, allowing our school systems to fail because of government regulation and social correctness, most of our politicians cheating on their taxes, the nation’s top executives stealing millions and taking people’s life savings, no one accepting personal responsibility for their condition or actions, everyone looking for a way for Big Brother to take care of them, government ignoring enforcement of immigration laws and allowing millions of illegal aliens to burden our society, millions of people taking a free ride from vote buying, government give-away social programs, governors selling political positions to the top bidders, ballots being carried around in the trunks of cars in case they are needed when the vote count is made, God being banned from our schools and public events, Christmas being changed to “Winter Holiday”, terrorists who kill thousands and knock down skyscrapers with airplanes being slapped on the hand and told to “stop that”, and our top officials touring around the world apologizing for how bad the United States has been.

I say it is time to stick our head out of a window and yell, “I’m tired of this bull crap and I am not going to take it any longer!!” Do this and you will be “Getting it Right”.

Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –

● Our pretended quest for energy independence is still focused on playing political games instead of facing the reality of the situation. The programs being pushed are directed at repaying the liberal environmental, global warming supporters instead of attacking the problem. How many new nuclear power plants, Alaskan drilling programs, natural gas pipelines, oil shale mining programs, and new off shore leasing and exploration plans have you heard about? However, they do plan to enact a “cap and trade” emissions plan on coal fired power plants which will cause electric rates to go up for the poor consuming public. Just wait, when things are at their economic worse…the anti-American Sheiks of the Mid East will bring back gas prices of $4.00 and higher gas prices.

● Norman Thomas was a world recognized socialist, pacifist, and six time candidate for the office of U.S. President, running as the candidate for the Socialist Party of America. In one of his latter speeches he stated, “The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will eventually adopt every fragment of the socialistic programs, until one day America will be a socialist nation.” How right he was!!

● Congratulations to all of you who took time to demonstrate your involvement at the “Tea Party” tax protest on April 15. Taking part in what is going on is “Getting It Right”.

Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Hatcher Publications.

The Closing of the Last Factory

West Point Home ….Gone Forever

This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week:

"Jackson County just lost its last textile employer, when will our nation close its last factory?"

How do you destroy a thriving industrial system within a national economy within ten years? If you want to destroy an entire nation’s industrialized system within a minimum passage of time you should take the following steps:

Step 1- begin escalating the cost of manufacturing within the nation as much as possible. This can be accomplished through creating the highest corporate tax rate in the world, then steadily increasing the cost of labor by legislating a series of minimum wage increases which raise labor cost from $.90 per hour to a minimum of $5.35 per hour (even though this creates inflation which raises the costs of everything consumed by a family), then impose strict and often unnecessary environmental rules which create extra costs, then impose constant governmental inspections, reports and administrative requirements.

Step 2 - When domestic manufacturing costs have risen to a level which is at least five times as high as a majority of other producers in emerging nations such as China, India, Korea, Viet Nam, Philippines, Africa, the Middle East, and even Mexico….then adopt the concepts of a "global market and free trade" and remove all tariffs and protective quotas for imported products from these nations. Do not impose any labor restrictions, safety restrictions, environmental restrictions, or any other restraints on incoming products.

Step 3 – After these regulations and free trade agreements have been implemented, just sit back and wait for six or seven years and watch as more and more domestic companies are forced to close their domestic manufacturing plants and begin sourcing these same products from these low cost nations in the new factories which are opening there to ship to the US markets.

We are the largest consuming marketplace in the world, but are rapidly becoming a service based economy instead of a manufacturing based economy. These changes have occurred in virtually every industry, and are at the basis of the problems currently being faced by the US automotive industry as it struggles to survive and begs for taxpayer funding. Other industries which are almost gone, or are already gone include the electronics industries such as television, radios, computers, telephones, microwaves, hair dryers, irons, textile manufacturing, apparel manufacturing, lighting, wiring harnesses, pharmaceuticals, meters, gauges, steel and iron, paper, furniture, fruit, fish, vegetables, tractors, lawn mowers, and on and on and on…….all going or gone and with them billions in potential tax revenues and millions of jobs.

Locally, only a relatively short time ago we enjoyed the following employing factories which are now gone; West Point Home (Chipley 400 jobs), Warnaco (Graceville 250 jobs), Colonial Corp. (Cottondale 200 jobs, Cottonwood 200 jobs), Russell Corp (Marianna 3 plants 1100 jobs), Donny Mills (Donaldsonville 150 jobs, Malone 50 jobs), Big Bend (Sneads 100 jobs), Quincy Mfg. (Quincy 150 jobs), Panama City (2 plants and 250 jobs), Havana (1 plant 100 jobs), Dothan (2 plants 400 jobs), Blakely (1 plant 200 jobs), De Funiak Springs ( Continental Apparel 150 jobs), Lehigh Furniture (Marianna, 650 jobs) ….and on and on… and on. Dothan recently even lost it’s long time producer of prophylactics, Trojan Mfg..

Just for general information, the concept of free trade was enacted during the Clinton Administration, but was endorsed by an assortment of Senators, both Republican and Democrats. NAFTA which was the lead trade treaty in this movement was passed in 1993 by a vote of 68 to 31, with one abstention. Notables who voted for the measure were both Senators from Florida, Graham and Mack, along with Dodd (D. of CT), Hatch (R. of UT), Kennedy (D. of MA), Kerry (D. of MA), Leiberman (D. of CT), Lott (R. of MS), McCain (R of AZ), and Nunn (D of GA).

In my opinion, as our nation lost the strength and vitality formed by the industrial basis of our economy, and transformed into a service/distribution based economy it became more susceptible to the ravages of recessions. The mechanisms historically used by the federal reserve to regulate growth and inflation, such as manipulation of the discount interest rate have lost their impact since factory expansions and purchase of new equipment is no longer influenced by these financial changes. ….all of that type of activity is occurring in China and other Asian nations. Thus, our economy is basically unregulated by any controls and is much more susceptible to what is happening around the world.

At present, the only growth industry within our new version of the USSA is government. With the current onrush to socialism and increased government participation in all aspects of life…. it can only continue to grow. At the same time our environmentalist elite continue to push for the "green movement" and the extra mega billions in costs this effort generates for our society. Personally, until global warming can be proven to be caused by man….I had rather have a green wallet.

Anyway, our last area textile plant has closed…I wait for the closing of our nation’s last plant of any kind.

Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning

● I encourage all readers to participate in the "Tea Party" tax protest on April 15 at noon at the Jackson County Court House. Do this and you will be "Getting It Right"!

● The exemption on the "Death Tax" will expire this year. This terrible tax often requires heirs to sell their families properties, farm, or home in order to pay the 45% tax which is imposed upon the death of the senior family member. This is double taxation, since taxes were paid when the earnings were generated which enabled the original purchase of the properties. We all need to urge our legislators to not allow this tax to be restored.

However, proponents of income distribution will welcome this double tax on families.

● It appears our leadership is supporting global government, global currency, global trade, and global regulations. The next step is global income redistribution which will lower our standard of living down to a level near that which currently exists in Africa and India.

● Our administration is in the process of dismantling our military, halting weapons development, stopping the missile shield programs, cutting back on space exploration, reducing the size of our military, reducing veterans benefits, and using these savings on more entitlement programs. Meanwhile, Iran is almost through developing the atomic bomb, and North Korea is developing a missile which can deliver that bomb.

● I understand that the administration plans to discontinue the Navy Seals program….they plan to replace the Seals with a woman’s synchronized swimming team.

● An unintended but real aspect of the global trade concept is the "globalization of industrial loyalties". Since US companies are no longer dependent on US manufacturing sites, US regulations, US labor laws, and the US Government…their identification with the United States as their home base is also diminished. Why have your international, global corporation based in such an anti-business environment. This opens the opportunity for the entire corporate framework to shop the world for a site which best fits their need. In this process, the US loses the corporate headquarters and the entire US national identification with the company. This is the new wave of change in the global, industrial marketplace. Stay tuned for the full impact of this evolution.

Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.

U.S.S.R (Union of Socialist Soviet Republics) and theU.S.S.A. (United Socialist States of America) Will they Become Identical Economies?

The United States appears to be on a fast track into socialism.

This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions. Now, on to the subject of the week:

Socialized banking, socialized auto manufacturing, and socialized medicine, where will our new leadership take us over the next four years?
"Here, auto industry, take a few billion dollars and stay in business for a while longer, but if you take it you must obey my commands". That is the message our leadership in Washington has delivered to the defunct automobile manufacturers, General Motors and Chrysler Motors. Soon after our capable bureaucracy issued the following orders to these two manufacturing giants:
● General Motors, thou shalt immediately fire your CEO, Rick Wagoner.
● General Motors, thou has only 60 days to atone for thy sins and develop a new restructuring plan for your future life, or thy shall be put to death. If a suitable plan is accepted thou shalt be awarded another twenty billion dollars to go with the previous bounty given to you of $13.4 billion.
● Chrysler, thou has only 30 days to give of thyself enough to partner with Fiat of Europe. If this union is consummated thy shalt be awarded another six billion dollars to go with the $4.0 billion already bequeathed to you.
● To both of you we order that thou immediately discontinue producing and selling SUV’s and vans, even though many of these models are still profitable. In our bureaucratic wisdom and political quest for environmental voters, we order you to begin producing only small (one cubit or less in length) , gas efficient vehicles….whether the public wants to buy them or not.
● GM, you are hereby ordered to immediately discontinue research and manufacturing of electric cars. From this time forward, thou shalt focus on increased fuel efficiency only.
● Remember, ecology and global warming are more important than profits.
● To our beloved Auto Unions, please be assured that thou shalt continue to receive your just share of these funds in continuing payments of dues from the
employees of these companies. We may be forced to ask for some trivial concessions from your group, but be confident we remember all of the generous tithing you gave to our political needs during our time of diminishment.
● Buyers of these government owned and produced automobiles, be assured that the Lord over all, your beloved Government, will guarantee all warranties involved with any of these government produced vehicles will be made valid for an eternity.
● To Ford motor company, since you have managed your companies well, and have demonstrated you can exist without any assistance from above, then you shall be excluded from all assistance and benefits. We also wish to inform you that since the Government now owns and manages GM and Chrysler, all government vehicles which are from this time purchased for government use….will no longer include any Fords.
And folks, this is only the beginning. I can hardly wait to see what astute management edicts are emanated from Washington loonies when they begin managing our health care systems and our banks.
Another distressing aspect of these changes in the free market, entrepreneur inspiring, capitalistic, economic system which over the past hundred years has built our nation’s economy into the largest, most vibrant system in the history of mankind, is Big Brother Government’s intrusion into the process. This automatically introduces elements of corruption, favoritism, political bias, and incompetency into the highest levels of the system.
Who is to decide which industries will live because of government "bail out" funds, and which will be allowed to die a natural death? Who will make these God-like life and death decisions? On what criteria will these choices be made? Who decided to let Circuit City go into bankruptcy while AIG was given life sustaining funding?
This type of uncontrolled decision making opens the door full width for political favor buying by companies, corruption, unfairness, and it tremendously increases the power and influence of our politicians and the federal bureaucracy. All of this is being paid for by the future taxes which will be paid by our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. What could be worse!
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● Our commissioners had to declare a state of emergency, even though no emergency exists….in order to be eligible for emergency funding if an emergency does occur. This was done because of the way some wise, State Emerg-a-crat wrote the regulations. What wisdom!
● I offer a suggestion to our state politicians who are eagerly seeking our new sources of funds for the bureaucracy. They have already put a host of DOT (Dept. of Transportation) workers out on the interstates giving traffic fines just as if they were State Troopers, in order to increase revenues from those who dare drive over the speed limit. Our legislators have also increased the fines up to a mortgage financing level, but why not put even more state agencies at work harvesting this easy income? They should get our Fish and Wildlife Officers out of the woods where they only give a few fines per day and put them out on the interstates to increase the yield. Also, the DEP goons should be able to write speeding tickets, as well as bus drivers, street cleaners, garbage truck drivers, mowers and graders. The only problem will be finding enough spots for all of these ticket writers to hide…guess we will have to build more billboards.
● I saw where a man in Travares, Florida found a two foot alligator in his house and when he picked it up it managed to clamp down on his arm. His wife pried the varmint off his arm and took a picture before they threw it back into a nearby lake. It made the papers, and then he was visited by officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission who gave him a warning ticket for molesting an alligator. Big Brother is watching!
● I see where a group is planning a nation wide, Boston Tea Party type of tax protest on April 15. I think this also includes a local group which is planning a protest in front of the Jackson County Court House.
● Fears generated by our current economic woes are enabling radical elements of our government to push the nation towards socialistic and communistic solutions. Please remain on guard to resist these types of dangerous, long lasting changes. Do this and you will be "Getting It Right".
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.