RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN
ADVANCING THE CONSERVATIVE CAUSE
Vol. 3 – No. 7 September 2019
NEXT MEETING OF THE RHEA COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY
There will NOT be a regular monthly meeting of the Rhea County Republican Party in September. See you in October! (Bring a friend.)
EDITORIAL
I have the advantage (or disadvantage as the case may be) to have been born in a time when memories of WWII were still fresh in the minds of my parent’s generation. In school, a lot of the history of the Second World War was taught by people who lived through it – and participated in it. My parent’s and many of my aunts and uncles either fought in that war or they worked in defense-related jobs that helped bring it to an end. Regardless of what roles they played, they were all united and focused on one thing – winning the war. I learned a lot valuable lessons from all those people and, in a few paragraphs, I will share with you one idea that can be applied to our current times.
Most Americans haven’t awakened to realize it yet but we are at war today, a war that will ultimately decide whether the United States continues to exist as an independent and sovereign country. This war has been raging for years! At this point the “war” continues to be mostly of an economic nature. Today’s war is with China.
There have been many casualties in this war. Millions of American workers lost their jobs when China took advantage of the high taxes imposed on corporations by luring those employers into their country. Thankfully, we elected a President who understands how high taxes stifle our economy and ultimately harm the American worker and he managed to convince Congress to help him “make America great again” by lowering those taxes.
Lately though, a few people have become aware of the impact that China had on the American economy that were caused by the massive and continuing theft of intellectual property, the dumping of materials e.g. steel and certain commodities onto the world market, the manipulation of currencies, the loss of jobs for American workers as their employers moved out of the country, and the drain of trillions of dollars from our economy due to ill-conceived (and downright stupid) trade agreements.
One or more series of events may change the entire profile of this war but both the United States and China know that an armed conflict would be a lose/lose situation. To avoid such an outcome, America must have leadership that knows how to create win/win business arrangements; we must have a President who understands “The Art of the Deal.”
When historians write about this war, the objective analysts among them will begin by remarking on how it all started. There are many parts to “the answer.” Following is not the complete answer but there are a few things that historians will note.
According to a press release (August 9, 2019, 6:51PM) from Representative Mark Green (R-TN, 7th District): “China’s theft of U.S. intellectual property costs our nation upwards of $800 billion a year. Effectively, tens of thousands of American jobs are being stolen by China. This is unacceptable. . .” More on this topic at the following link: https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/26/congress-to-china-stop-stealing-our-stuff/.
China’s thievery began even before 2001, the year that China was unwisely admitted into the World Trade Organization (WTO). China had long been known for buying many American-made products and then reverse engineering them in order to manufacture their own versions of the same product – a direct violation of international patent laws.
China has indeed become a formidable enemy and our own government is at least partially to blame. China, which now has the world’s largest economy ($25.3 trillion in 2018), is also the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasury Bonds, $1.11 trillion as of 2018, which is 27% of our nation’s debt owed to foreign countries. Think what the result might be if China were to suddenly call in that debt!
China’s role as “America’s largest banker” allows it to leverage the Yuan against the dollar. China devaluates its currency to keep its export prices artificially low. Not only does China manipulate its own currency – the Yuan – it buys U.S. debt to artificially increase the value of U.S. currency.
China’s population is 1.38 billion people – the world’s largest population – which gives them the largest workforce on earth and thus enables them to out-produce any other nation. Their workers are paid a little more than a third of what U.S. workers earn, therefore, they are able to produce identical or competitive products for far less money than the cost of the same products produced in the United States.
Add to this the fact that China has further harmed the U.S. economy by imposing tariffs on all U.S. goods entering their country, while the U.S. has, historically, allowed the importation of Chinese goods with little-to-no tariffs and it is easy to understand why there is such a huge trade imbalance.
Fortunately, President Trump has begun to defend the United States against China’s attack on our economy by imposing tariffs on Chinese-made goods. Many liberals and a few faux-conservatives have expressed concerns that President Trump’s tariffs will cause economic pain to several sectors of the U.S. economy but, this is what wars do. Few people have had the foresight to acknowledge that a little pain now is far better than a lot of pain later on, and unless the United States finally stands to defend itself against what is, without doubt, a cruel enemy, that’s precisely what we can expect.
(As a side note, China’s population of 1.38 billion people would enable it to raise the world’s largest standing army!)
In a strictly arithmetic comparison, in 2017 (the most recently confirmed numbers) the U.S. exported $1.6 trillion worth of goods while China exported $2.2 trillion in goods to the U.S. In 2018, China exported 18% of all its goods produced to the United States. In that same year, China enjoyed a net surplus in trade while the U.S. had a $419 billion trade deficit!
No rational human being desires conflict and neither does any rational human being desire for conflicts that may develop to continue a moment longer than necessary but, as we learned from Sun Tzu in “The Art of War,” once one finds themselves embroiled in war, it is wise that all necessary measures be employed to end that war as quickly as possible. Let us hope our government has the wisdom to understand this principle.
Until China agrees to stop its harmful economic practices against the United States, what can we, the everyday American, do to help win this war with China? Ultimately, it’s simply to remember that we cannot be defeated for so long as we remain united and every American can unite in using the power of our purse! Here’s how:
One thing every American can do today is to READ THE LABEL on everything they buy. Every product sold in the United States is required by Federal law to have a label that includes, among other things, the country of origin. By refusing to buy Chinese-made goods, we can do our part to help our country win this war. You see my friends, we can get along just fine without Chinese goods but China’s economy will ultimately collapse without our trade. If we, as American patriots, join forces like our parents and grandparents did during WWII by making a commitment to stop buying Chinese products, their economy will collapse. Then, in addition to making our commitment to boycott Chinese goods we must also inform our elected representatives that, in no uncertain terms, they must get on board and become a part of this war effort, or we’ll send them home. Americans have proven in the past that when we are united, we can do anything and no one – no one! – can defeat America.
[For more information on our war with China please visit the following links: https://www.thebalance.com/china-economy-facts-effect-on-us-economy-3306345
and, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/us_china_economic_relationship.pdf – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The definition of an “Assault Weapon” is – and always has been – variable. In the 1880s it was the Gatling gun. In the 1930s it was the “Chicago typewriter” (Thompson sub-machine gun.) Today, it’s any rifle built on an AR, AK, or UZI platform. Tomorrow, it will be a .22 revolver.
The gun grabbers won’t stop; they’ll continue to encroach on our 2nd Amendment rights until they think we can no longer defend ourselves against a tyrannical government. That’s when Americans will wake up to realize we are slaves to the government. All in all, my definition of an “assault weapon” depends on which side of the door it’s on.
QUESTION OF THE MONTH
What are the three most important things the Republican Party must do in order to win back the House of Representatives, maintain or increase the Republican majority in the Senate, and reelect Donald Trump?
COMMENTS FROM OUR REPRESENTATIVES
[Representatives from all states are invited to share their comments with our readers. Please email them to pyrope84045@mypacks.net Thank you! – Editor]
Randy Weber (R-TX, 14th District) offered the following comment on the passage of HR 3877 in the House of Representatives:
“While there are certainly some good measures within the Budget Act, not the least of which is a strong commitment to our military, I could not support lifting the budget caps yet again. There is no question that a divided Congress often calls for compromise to move the ball forward. However, we cannot keep compromising ourselves into greater and greater debt.
“That’s exactly what this bill does. Passing this legislative package means busting spending caps by $324 billion through 2021. It means suspending the debt limit for the next two years, allowing unlimited borrowing. Worse, even without the additional borrowing, it means increasing the federal deficit by almost $2 trillion in just the next 10 years.
“The Democrats’ big-budget agenda will bankrupt our nation. At some point, Congress must stop treating the American taxpayer like an unlimited cash machine.”
Lamar Alexander (R-TN, US Senate) offered the following comment on the passage of the budget bill.
“President Trump and congressional leaders announced a two year budget agreement that supports our national defense, national laboratories, national parks and biomedical research.
“The U.S. Senate voted to permanently reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, which provides compensation to September 11th first responders and survivors suffering from related health conditions.
“Supporting a budget deal that strengthens our military and funds important programs for Tennessee.
“This week, I urged my Senate colleagues to support the two year budget deal announced by President Trump and congressional leadership.
“What this new two year agreement does is important. First, it suspends the debt limit – the amount that the United States can borrow – in order to avoid a global financial crisis.
“Second, it raises the defense and non-defense discretionary budget caps—or the amount of money that the appropriations committee can spend on our national defense, our veterans, national laboratories, biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, and national parks.
“There has been a lot of chest beating about how this budget agreement adds to the deficit, and it is appropriate to be concerned about the deficit. But, what’s inappropriate is blaming our $22 trillion national debt on funding for our defense, national parks and national laboratories.
“The problem is mandatory spending on entitlements, including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. We should consider a plan like the Fiscal Sustainability Act, which Senator Corker and I introduced, to reduce the growth of entitlement spending by nearly $1 trillion over 10 years.”
[Rand Paul (R-KY) offered an amendment to rename this bill “The Kick the Can down the Road Bill of 2019.” Unfortunately the amendment did not pass perhaps because his amendment revealed too much TRUTH. – Editor]
[I wrote emails to both Tennessee Senators and to the Congressman who represents the 4th District to urge that they work to defeat any and all legislation having to do with “Red Flag” laws. I received responses from Senator Blackburn and Congressman DesJarlais (below). Unfortunately, Senator Alexander did not respond. – Editor}
Marsha Blackburn (R-TN, US Senate)
Dear Mr. Bancroft,
Thank you for writing regarding proposed restrictions on gun rights. I always appreciate hearing from Tennesseans.
The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms, and this cherished right stems from the rich history of our country’s founding. Law-abiding citizens who are gun owners should not be subjected to unconstitutional abridgements of their rights or targeted for persecution.
Protection of our Second Amendment rights is dear to me. I am opposed to restrictions on firearms that could unfairly target hunters, homeowners, and law-abiding citizens. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, you be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind should any legislation limiting our Constitutional right to bear arms come before the committee or the full Senate.
Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. If you would like regular updates on my work for Tennessee, please sign up for my weekly newsletter or follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.”
Scott DesJarlais (R-TN, 4th District)
Dear Mr. Bancroft,
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding gun-control and Second Amendment rights in this country. I truly appreciate having the benefit of your views on this important issue.
Like you, I am deeply saddened by recent acts of violence in our nation and I join many other Americans in recognizing the need to create safer environments across our country. Unfortunately, the left-wing media and House Democrats are using these tragedies to advance a political agenda that would do little or nothing to eliminate the dangers posed by these deeply disturbed individuals. The issue on which we should be focusing is how to better identify and stop home-grown violent extremist threats, lone-wolf attackers, and radical Islamic terrorists.
An outright ban on certain types of firearms, as well as the implementation of universal background checks, would do little to deter criminals who currently obtain firearms illegally and would do absolutely nothing to combat the real issue here – violent and mentally ill individuals. Furthermore, these proposed “red flag laws” are deeply flawed, as they violate the due process rights of law-abiding gun owners and pose a real risk of being abused by anti-gun fanatics. Please know that I will oppose any and all legislation that is seeking to deprive our citizens of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms
The Second Amendment makes plain to criminals that their targets have the right to defend themselves, their families, and their property. Since criminals already violate the law, gun-control legislation would only hinder the safety of law-abiding citizens. Rather than depriving our citizens of their constitutional rights, I will instead focus on working with my colleagues to enact sensible measures that strengthen our fight against both foreign and domestic terrorism.
It is an honor and a privilege representing you and all of Tennessee’s Fourth Congressional District. Please let me know if you have additional comments or question on this or any other legislative matter.
Mark Green (R-TN, 7th District) shared the following announcement:
On September 16, I am hosting a lunch in Clarksville where I’ll provide an update on the latest at the border. I’m eager to tell you about my recent trips to El Paso and Israel—where I saw firsthand the flaws in our border security and what we can learn from Israel.
As a friend and longtime supporter, I wanted to share the registration link with you before we send out invitations to the general public next week to be sure you have a chance to secure your seat. You can RSVP today by visiting https://secure.anedot.com/mg4tn/september16lunch.
If you are interested in sponsoring the lunch, contact Reid Witcher at 615-564-2642 or Reid@RachelBarrettCo.com.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
State of the Union Address: Grover Cleveland (December 6, 1887).
To the Congress of the United States:
You are confronted at the threshold of your legislative duties with a condition of the national finances which imperatively demands immediate and careful consideration.
The amount of money annually exacted, through the operation of present laws, from the industries and necessities of the people largely exceeds the sum necessary to meet the expenses of the Government.
When we consider that the theory of our institutions guarantees to every citizen the full enjoyment of all the fruits of his industry and enterprise, with only such deduction as may be his share toward the careful and economical maintenance of the Government which protects him, it is plain that the exaction of more than this is indefensible extortion and a culpable betrayal of American fairness and justice. This wrong inflicted upon those who bear the burden of national taxation, like other wrongs, multiplies a brood of evil consequences. The public Treasury, which should only exist as a conduit conveying the people’s tribute to its legitimate objects of expenditure, becomes a hoarding place for money needlessly withdrawn from trade and the people’s use, thus crippling our national energies, suspending our country’s development, preventing investment in productive enterprise, threatening financial disturbance, and inviting schemes of public plunder.
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
[Readers from all countries and states are invited to share their comments, ideas, and opinions. Please email your comments to pyrope84045@mypacks.net – Editor]
Tom McCullagh, a friend and reader from Shorewood, IL has announced his candidacy to serve as State Senator for the 49th District. Tom is both a strong fiscal and constitutional conservative. He offered the following statement for your consideration:
“As a father of two and a small business owner, I am extremely concerned about the fiscal shape of our state. Our increasing debt due to flawed leadership that has caused us to spiral out of control. We are losing more and more residents to the policies and over taxation of our families and business owners, which has made it near impossible to grow and exist in this state. My hope is that we can reduce the tax burdens and have a positive family environment with a newly reborn economy that allows our residents to have faith in their ability to live the American dream. I also have an undying faith and support for our Second Amendment and I will never allow anything to compromise our ability to exercise our second amendment rights. I will use my tenacity to stand up for what I believe in and fight for our constitution and the rights there in. I will not bow or capitulate to any sort of socialist demands or communism in any form or any bill I see.
“Through fiscal mismanagement we have allowed our pensions to go way under-funded. The current Illinois government feels our pensions are a checking account that they can always write checks from and never balance. People work their entire lives to contribute to their pensions, at the rate we are proceeding they will not have the luxury to retire. If we are to succeed as a state people need to have faith that their retirement accounts and pensions will be safe from the sticky fingers of Illinois politicians.
“A vote for me is a vote for a strong republican tax payer watch dog, an unending supporter of the second amendment, as well as a strong opponent to socialism as well as communism in any form- no compromise. I will never cease to fight for our families’ future.”
[To learn more about Tom, visit his website at https://www.mccullagh4senate.com/ and let him know you heard about him via The Rhea County Republican. – Editor]
Susan E Gingrich, conservative activist and freelance writer, resides in Tellico Village. She leads Living Red in Tennessee, Patriots’ Reborn and is the sister of former speaker Newt Gingrich offered the following for your consideration:
A grueling and combative budget process just ended, culminating in passage of a budget not in the best interest of taxpayers. As usual, the public was partially informed, details withheld from them prior to the vote, and their concerns, with the exception of increasing taxes, minimized or flatly ignored. Did the Commission Budget Committee actually pass the budget in committee, or was a non-vote intentional, and a gentlemen’s agreement made to spend more than the amount in the posted budget document? I consider honesty and integrity prerequisites for any gentleman or lady. Including plans for a seven million dollar new courthouse annex building, without real public input, is a big, expensive deal. It is a lot of money, just like spending the three and a half million from the fund balance, our county’s rainy day fund.
When I ran for county office, something I will never do again, I was told that I didn’t know how things work here. How could I, when there is a lack of transparency, demonstrated by the less than informative county web site, governmental committees meeting with no files notes, and information not posted to the public in advance, only provided to officeholders during commission and school board meetings. Votes are cast based on supplemental information, not seen by or available to taxpayers before the vote. To even see it, written record requests must be made by the public, and it is often received well after decisions impacting taxpayers are made. Too much taxation, without fair and appropriate representation or consideration, is how I see it.
After four years, I have a good idea of how Loudon County government and politics works. I believe there are good county employees and elected officials, who truly do or want to act in the best interest of the public, especially taxpayers. Unfortunately, there are also elected officials operating in the “What’s in it for Me”, not the “What’s in it for Taxpayers” model. They employ the politics of personal destruction against each other, and members of the public, including their own constituents. Power, control and manipulation are their game. Gossip, innuendos, lies, and distortions of the truth, plus fake news are all in their quivers of arrows. To my surprise, I also found out that men are the biggest purveyors of county political gossip.
On July 4th, we celebrated the 243rd anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Our country is a miracle, made possible with the blessings of God Almighty. I believe in miracles, and that with God all things are possible, including open Loudon County government listening to and accountable to taxpayers!
Jim Hice, a reader from Cleveland, TN shared an article by Katherine Timpf, a writer for The National Review, revealing more about how George Orwell’s “new speak” is becoming a reality in America. When our language is controlled, our freedom will be forever lost!
Colorado State University’s Inclusive Language Guide instructs students “to avoid” using the words “America” and “American,” because doing so “erases other cultures.”
“The Americas encompass a lot more than the United States,” the guide states. “There is South America, Central America, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean just to name a few of 42 countries in total.”
“That’s why the word ‘Americano’ in Spanish can refer to anything on the American continent. Yet, when we talk about ‘Americans’ in the United States, we’re usually just referring to people from the United States. This erases other cultures and depicts the United States as the dominant American country.”
The guide advises students to use the words “U.S. citizen” or “person from the U.S.” instead of “American.”
Some of the other words and phrases deemed not inclusive by the guide include the words “male” and “female” (because this “refers to biological sex and not gender,” and “we very rarely need to identify or know a person’s biological sex and more often are referring to gender”), “cake walk” (because it apparently has origins in “the racism of 19th century minstrel shows”), “freshman” (because it “excludes women and non-binary gender identities”), “Hispanic” (“because of its origins in colonialization and the implication that to be Hispanic or Latinx/Latine/Latino, one needs to be Spanish-speaking”), “hold down the fort” (because “the U.S. the historical connotation refers to
guarding against Native American ‘intruders’ and feeds into the stereotype of ‘savages’”), “no can do” (because it was “originally a way to mock Chinese people”), “peanut gallery” (because it “names a section in theaters, usually the cheapest and worst, where many Black people sat during the era of Vaudeville”), “straight” (because it “implies that anyone LGBT is ‘crooked’ or not normal”), “food coma” (because it “directly alludes to the stereotype of laziness associated with African-Americans”), and “war” or “battle,” when used any way other than to describe a literal war or battle (because “they evoke very real tragedy that can be problematic for survivors of war or Veterans”).
[Visit https://www.yahoo.com/news/colorado-state-don-t-word-193332135.html for the full article. – Editor]
Lisa Schiffren, a reader from the Bronx, NY offers her perspective on an article that recently appeared in The New Yorker. [It’s] a long — typically overlong — disquisition on the Democrats’ rush to judge Al Franken for minor sexual harassment offensives, and force him to resign from the U.S. Senate, without due process or any reasonable sense of proportion. The villains of the story are Kristin Gillibrand, who is a vengeful fury, and Charles Schumer, who forced the resignation and has no regrets about denying the man due process. The usual loudest, dumbest harridans — Kamala Harris, Masie Hirono, etc. also pushed hard. None of them could acknowledge that there are gradations of every bad action — grabbing someone’s tush is not the same thing as rape. What remains both shocking and important lesson for the rest of us, is that no fellow United States Senator of Franken’s party was willing to accord him the due process that is the core of our legal system. This should scare all of us. Though, of course, it is not as terrible as the use of manufactured “evidence” where there was none, by many of those same women on the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings.
At the time of the resignation, we conservatives were amused. The GOP censures its own. The Democrats never do. So it was about time. And this occurred just as Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore was being pilloried for dating much young women, so, payback. Franken was awful about Trump, and he was annoying. But no one I knew thought he should be forced to resign. Senator Bob Menendez, convicted in court, sure.
In my view, there are two serious lessons in this story. The first is that the Democratic Party is literally willing to harm itself when a matter of its current, politically correct religion comes up. As this incident illustrates. Nor do they even pretend to care about the niceties of our legal system in which due process is the most central tenet.
The second gives me pause, because I don’t like it. Nevertheless, it is hard not to conclude that (Democratic) female lawmakers are easily led into frenzied, emotional mob behavior, especially when the inflammatory matter of sexual relations is raised. It was not a surprise that some of the most vituperative, and wholly, clownishly performative behavior in the subsequent Kavanaugh hearings, came from Kamala Harris and Masie Hirono, neither of whom seems to have any regard for the rule of law or due process or constitutional democracy. All of the liberal, and even progressive women who demonstrated any sort of maturity, professionalism, or willingness to let the process play out, were activists, outside of the bloodthirsty mob. The mob of U.S. Senators.
If you can get through Jane Mayer’s endless details, and pathetic rendering of what Franken has become, it is clear that even she sees it that way.
Rocky Silverman, a reader from Seattle, WA shared the following comments by Lynne Lechter.
Jews used to be considered smart, and having a Yiddshe kopf was a compliment.
No more. There’s a new type of Jew on the loose in America: the ‘Yidiot.”
A Yidiot accepts anti-Semitic, riot-inciting Al Sharpton’s attendance at a New York City memorial rally for the Jews killed in Pittsburgh but is offended at President Trump’s appearance in Pittsburgh to honor them.
A Yidiot is silent when Farrakhan trashes Jews as “termites,” rants “Death to America, Death to Israel from Iran,” is feted in public with past presidents Clinton and Obama, and is sought after for advice from seventeen members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but believes President Trump is anti-Semitic.
A Yidiot belongs to a political party that elected anti-Semite Keith Ellison as attorney general of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib, who waved a Palestinian flag in celebration, to the US Congress and thinks that diversity is more pressing issue than assimilation.
A Yidiot believes it is fair to give an American citizen who has worked all his life an average Social Security monthly stipend of $1,400 while supporting illegal immigrants for $5,500 to $6,000 per month.
A Yidiot believes supporting the right to an abortion up through the ninth month of pregnancy is more important than supporting Israel’s existence.
A Yidiot’s political party’s past leader supports taking a gun to a knife fight, past attorney general espouses kicking opponents when they are low, and whose party exhorts mobs and Antifa to public violence and personal confrontation, all while accusing the opposing party of encouraging violence.
A Yidiot allows its political party to boo the idea of Jerusalem being the capital of Israel, and silently allowed Obama to deny formal Israeli citizenship to Jews born in Jerusalem but attacks President Trump as a threat to Israel for moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem.
A Yidiot sends their children to colleges and universities where ugly, hurtful, and dishonest anti-Israeli propaganda proliferates through Palestinian-funded BDS, yet remains silent and continues to make donations to those institutions.
A Yidiot knows there are over 50 Muslim countries and countless Christian ones that are never criticized for their religious moorings, but thinks Israel, the only Jewish State, cannot be both Jewish and a democracy.
In short, a “Yidiot’ is someone who does not have a Yiddishe kopf.
Jim Clarkson, a reader from Columbia, South Carolina and owner of RSM Energy
“The elephant in the room” is an idiom describing an obvious problem or truth that no one wants to discuss. That’s the situation in discussions of solar power. Energy discussions and articles on solar power rave about how much it has increased, which state is doing this or that and what the future holds for solar expansion. “Success” stories abound in the energy press and the general media. To the uninitiated all of this enthusiasm could give the impression that solar power is a great development and boon to mankind.
The solar power phenomenon for on-grid electricity is wholly a result of tax credit subsidies that no one wants to talk about. If you are out in the boonies, then solar power beats having no power at all. But the production of solar power to feed into the grid and compete with traditional sources of power is a phony, government-created industry with no free market support. If there were no subsidies, one would be a fool to invest his own money in the technology – and fools usually do not have a lot of money to invest,
Warren Buffet says solar does not make sense without the tax breaks. Tom Fanning, CEO of Southern Company, says essentially the same thing. The big winners in the solar business owe their success to political connections and gaming the myriad of complicated governmental programs. The real underlying economics do not support the huge investment being squandered on solar equipment production and installation. As such it is – to use a popular word – unsustainable. It is a pretty safe bet to predict it will all come crashing down like previous governmental energy industries. There was the multi-billion-dollar waste of “synfuels” [synthetic fuels] making a $30 per MMBTU [Million Btu] natural gas substitute. There were the “PURPA machines” where pretend and uneconomical co-generation plants were built.
Solar power joins the list of expensive government-sponsored energy failures. Yet the rhetoric is that renewables will be the base of a whole new energy economy. A new energy paradigm characterized by political connections, fly-by-night bankruptcies, a huge waste on projects that fail to perform as promised, and favorable crony-driven local and state policies that are spreading following federal examples is fundamentally unsound and an enormous misdirection of resources.
Connie Rose-Straub a reader from Kingston, IL offers the following:
I don’t have a problem with raising the age to 21 to legally purchase a firearm. I don’t have a problem with background checks, nor a 3-day waiting period to purchase a gun. But I DO have a problem with Red Flag laws! It’s just too risky that someone with a grudge against another person could falsely accuse them to the authorities as being a threat. The accused would be forced to surrender their weapon(s) without proof that the accusations are warranted. It then would be costly to hire an attorney to prove their case in court as being unfounded. That would be the equivalent of being “guilty until proven innocent” which is contrary to our rule of law, specifically the Fifth Amendment of our Constitution.
Instead, unseal records of teenagers who while in high school have made egregious threats, or who have suggested or displayed acts of aggression. The El Paso shooter and the Parkland shooter come to mind. Those records should be made available during background checks.
Pam Whitson a reader who is perpetually stuck in traffic on the outbound Kennedy Expressway shared the news that her state’s Governor J. B. Pritzker has signed a bill that would give illegal aliens standing to sue their landlords if the landlord told anyone – including law enforcement – that one of their tenants was, in fact, an illegal alien. In addition to the illegal alien being given standing to sue the landlord, the landlord is subject to being fined up to $2000 for submitting their report. On signing the bill into law, according to The Center Square blog, Governor Pritzker was quoted as having said: “I’m proud that in signing this bill we are making Illinois the first state in the Midwest to protect our immigrant tenants and give them a little more relief in these tumultuous times. Here in Illinois, we are, and always will be, a welcoming state.”
[California has a similar law; both states are in violation of Title 8 US Code, subsection 1373. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/8/1373 – Editor]
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The further a society drifts from the truth the more it will hate those who speak it. – George Orwell
ON THE HOME FRONT
Billy Thedford, Jim Reed, Harold Fisher, Emaly Fisher, Bill Hollin, and Russell “Rusty” Rogers have voted to impose both an increase in property taxes and a wheel tax on Rhea County residents. As of this writing, the hike in Rhea County property taxes is a done deal. The wheel tax (some estimates are as high as $50 per tag), are coming later. Caroline Housley (a former County Commissioner) offered the following comment in response to their tax increase:
“Here is my view from the property tax increase and no wheel tax. Do the citizens of Rhea County know that if the Commission passed a wheel tax they were still going to have to pass a property tax increase? (Which means a lot of citizens were going to be taxed twice.) And do the Citizens of Rhea County know exactly why they had to pass this tax? They had to raise taxes whether by wheel & property or both just to fund the [new] Justice Center – a Justice Center that the Sheriff said would not cause a raise in taxes. So before everyone gets upset at the Commissioners that voted last night for a property tax to look at the big picture. The tax would have not been needed without a Justice Center, so look at the Commissioners that voted for the Justice Center to be built at the current location it is being built, look at the Commissioners that voted to borrow the $25+ million to build the Justice Center [b]ecause once they voted for [it] they had to figure a way to pay for [it.] (And not saying something didn’t need to be done about the current jail but there were other options that would not have cost the citizens of Rhea County so much.)”
Alexander Brown, Chief of Staff for the Tennessee Young Republicans Federation shared some great news:
Jason Emert, Young Republicans National Foundation (YRNF) Chairman discussed the successes of the Tennessee Young Republican Federation’s (TRNF) successes over the past year. These successes include: The TRNF has tripled its membership across the state; TRNF Chapters have increased from 8 to nearly 30 counties; there are more YR candidates for state and local offices than ever, including State Representative, County Mayor, City Mayor, County Commission, and City Council, and; they occupied campaign organization roles that helped elect Senator Marsha Blackburn and Governor Bill Lee.
Nashville, Tennessee has been chosen as the next site for the Young Republican National Federation quarterly meeting in November. The dates are Friday, November 8 to Sunday, November 10. We should have a good crowd of 150 to 250 representing most of 50 states. As was stated at our Omaha meeting in July, former Chairman Jason Emert and his team helped to grow the Young Republicans by restarting new YR Federations in states that we have not had a presence in for some time. Membership has grown as well, which is very exciting, so this next meeting should be a big one and the Tennessee Young Republican Federation is going to make sure that they get a warm welcome of Southern hospitality and really get to see Nashville as well as some of the leaders of the Republican Party in Tennessee. We hope that many young people will take the time to learn about the YRs and what we stand for and want to become involved!
[Conservatives everywhere need to become involved in their local Young Republicans organizations or provide support and mentoring. – Editor]
Jason M. Reynolds, a reporter for Tennessee Star, wrote an article published on 8 August, informing us of a Tweet (a “how to” video in Spanish) that was released by Nashville Mayor David Briley, who offered advice to illegal aliens residing in Nashville. A translation of his remarks follow:
“Hello,
“I am Mayor David Briley. I know that many immigrant families in Nashville are worried about the recent news announcing possible activities of immigration agents.
“So far we do not have any report of such activity. However it is important that everyone is prepared. Please know your rights and make a plan for your family.
“You have rights in the United States regardless of your immigration status. You have the right not to open your door unless the agents have an order signed by a judge. You have the right to remain silent and not sign papers before talking to a lawyer.
“The Coalition for the Rights of Immigrants and Refugees of Tennessee [TIRRC] have several resources to help you make a plan. Please visit their social media or call 615-414-1030.
“To all families that are afraid, I tell you that you are welcome. In Nashville we are happy to have you here and we will do our best to keep you families safe.
“Thanks”
For the full story, visit this link: https://tennesseestar.com/2019/08/08/nashville-mayor-david-briley-tweets-how-to-video-in-spanish-telling-illegal-aliens-how-to-avoid-capture-by-ice/
John Gentry, of Goodlettsville, TN has recently announced his candidacy for the Tennessee State Senate. Following are his observations on a common legal problem:
“Here is a little dose of common sense showing you how ridiculous our legal system is. A common problem in our courts today is judicial bias. Also known as corrupt attorneys in black robes (aka judges) conspiring with attorneys to deny due process, and extort under color of law.
“A litigant who is being subjected to a biased court can file a Motion To Disqualify to have the judge removed from the case. In Tennessee state courts this is filed pursuant to Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 10B, and in federal courts pursuant to [Title] 28 U.S. Code § 455. Pursuant to Rule 10B, a represented party cannot file a motion to disqualify themselves, and it has to be filed by their attorney. But attorneys will never allege bias against a judge they have to stand before.
“And of course, judges never recuse or disqualify when they are accused of bias.
“Think! The ridiculous disqualification process is trickery, deception, and a confidence scheme.
“A judge who is biased in a case is conspiring with the attorneys to deny due process. Due process requires an impartial judge. Therefore, denial of an impartial judge, and being subjected to a biased judge is a denial of due process.
“Bias takes many forms; unlawful orders, ignoring perjury, relying on obvious perjury as basis of their decisions, using unsupported allegations as basis of their decisions, wrongfully excluding evidence, denying the right to be heard, case steering, and on and on and on… These practices are unfortunately all too common in our courts today.
The injury or oppression of constitutionally protected rights, including oppression of a right of due process is a federal crime with a penalty of incarceration and/or fine, as defined in federal statute; [Title] 18 U.S. Code § 241: If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person… in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, … They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
“So when you ask a judge to disqualify based on bias, you are either accusing them of a federal crime, or you are expressing concern that there is an appearance of a federal crime in progress.
“Here’s the scam – guess who hears the motion to disqualify? Yep, you guessed it… the judge who hears the motion is the very judge you are accusing of a crime. Wow! So now you have a person accused of a crime, acting as a jury of one, deciding their own innocence. And again, when bias is alleged, corrupt attorneys in black robes pretending to be judges never disqualify.
“We need to stop this scam. We need a state statute requiring that whenever a motion to disqualify is filed, the judge must disqualify. If the judge refuses to disqualify, the motion to disqualify must be heard by a jury. We cannot continue to have criminal judges as a jury of one deciding their own guilt or innocence.
“In the meantime, until we can correct this problem with proper legislation, if you are subjected to a corrupt and/or biased judge, go ahead and file a motion to disqualify. But along with that motion, file a Jury Demand & Written Stipulation pursuant to Tenn. R. Civ. P. Rule 38.01, 38.02, and 39.01.
“As state senator, when elected, I will continue to fight to preserve your rights and restore justice and equality for all.
“To learn more about my candidacy, please visit the following link: https://wethepeoplev50.com.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power. — Alexander Hamilton (1775)
BOOK OF THE MONTH
I’m taking October off from reading books so I can finish innumerable chores around our home place and prepare for the coming winter so, this month, I offer two books that I hope you’ll read. I know you will enjoy them and you’ll learn a great deal in doing so.
Arkady Polishchuk, a reader currently based in Washington DC but currently residing in Prague, Czech Republic, and working with Radio Free Europe, wrote a fantastic biography entitled “Dancing on Thin Ice – The Travails of a Russian Dissenter.” Arkady offers an incredible glimpse into life in the Soviet Union (and in Russia today), and tells of his life as a high-ranking journalist. employed by Pravda. Once Party member, he relates how he became disenchanted with the Party, the Politburo, and Russian life under the Soviet regime. He was greatly moved by the Russian Army brutally attacked Czechoslovakia (1968), but his turning point ultimately came when a Jewish doctor was falsely accused (in 1974) of harming children Ukraine as a means to undermine the future of the Soviet military. Following that time he became an outspoken dissenter until he was finally exiled in 1978, and relocated to New York City. Arkady Polishchuk has always fought – in every way he could – for the Christians and Jews trapped in Russia, and continues his heroic work today with Radio Free Europe and Amnesty International. If you enjoy reading about a truly fearless individual who is not afraid to take a stand against “the system,” you will be greatly rewarded by reading this book!
Diane Bederman, a reader from Toronto, Canada has a new book “Anatomy of Fake News in the Era of Donald Trump,” and has made it available to us free of charge at the following link:
https://dianebederman.com/anatomy-of-fake-news-in-the-era-of-donald-trump/
[Thank you Diane! – Editor]
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
The purpose of the legislative report is to inform the reader about legislation that is currently under consideration which may have significant impact on our lives. Readers are encouraged to analyze each bill’s content and become cognizant of what our representatives are proposing and (hopefully) become engaged in the process by offering their opinions – in support of or against – such legislation. “They” won’t know what you think unless you tell them! – Editor
HR 3239 Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act (Ruiz, D-CA, 21 pages), was passed by the House of Representatives and forwarded to the Senate for consideration. This bill requires CPB to provide comprehensive health screenings, followed by appropriate treatment (including surgeries and outpatient care), to all person who are detained by CBP (See Section 2 (b) (1-3)). Detainees are not required to disclose any of their medical information or history (e.g. whether they have HIV/AIDS) to CBP or the medical professionals who assess and treat them (See Section 2 (c) (3)). Detainees shall be provided with food that is to their liking and comfortable shelter. The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall conduct unannounced inspections at CBP facilities to ensure all requirements of this legislation are met.
HR 2203 Homeland Security Improvement Act (Escobar, D-TX, 58 pages)
To increase transparency, accountability, and community engagement within the Department of Homeland Security, provide independent oversight of border security activities, improve training for agents and officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and for other purposes. In other words, this bill has nothing to do with improving the security of US Citizens and everything to do with enabling illegal aliens who are invading our country. To wit: Section 1 “Establishes a National Commission to Investigate the Treatment of the Migrant Families and Children by the Trump Administration.” This commission is empowered to demand the submission of periodic reports from Customs and Border Protection on any topic that the commission may deem useful to their purposes. The compilation of these reports impose a drain on CBP resources which prevents them from accomplishing their normally assigned tasks of securing the border and stopping the influx of illegal aliens into our country. Section 2 requires the “Establishment of the Office of the Ombudsman for Border and Immigration-Related Concerns.” CBP is required to provide the Ombudsman with information such as the Ombudsman may deem necessary and appropriate, to submit to unannounced inspections, and to provide a comprehensive annual report. Essentially, the goal of HR 2203 is to overwhelm the system to the point where CBP can no longer accomplish its mission.
HR 3877 Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (Yarmuth, D-KY, 11 pages) was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate and signed by President Trump. The bill provides $671.5 billion for “security” spending and $626.5 billion for “non-security” spending, which adds $1.298 trillion to our national debt.
S 764 Article One Act (Lee, R-UT, 17 pages). In response to our southern border being recently inundated by illegal aliens – more than 100,000 per month – many of whom were exploiting our weak asylum laws to remain in the United States, Congress refused to offer measures that would relieve the invasion. President Trump was left no alternative but to declare a national emergency under the provisions of Article 1, of the Constitution to stem the influx of illegal aliens. Mike Lee, an alleged “conservative,” and many of his colleagues did not approve of President Trump’s efforts but they were unable to assemble a 2/3 majority to override President Trump’s declaration. Therefore, Senator Lee has introduced the “Article One Act” to place a thirty-day limit on the duration of any future national emergency unless permission for an extension is given by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
S 893 Secure 5G and Beyond Act of 2019 (Cornyn, R-TX, 8 pages). In response to the threats identified in Chinese-made communications electronics devices, rather than support President Trump’s tariffs on goods produced by enemies of the United States, this bill would require the President to develop a strategy to ensure the security of next generation mobile telecommunications systems and infrastructure in the United States and to assist allies and strategic partners in maximizing the security of next generation mobile telecommunications systems, infrastructure, and software, and for other purposes.
S 2183 Duplication Scoring Act of 2019 (Paul, R-KY, 5 pages). This bill would eliminate duplicative items in the various mission statements of Federal Agencies, Departments, Bureaus, and Offices, Senator Paul has introduced a bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to analyze certain legislation in order to prevent duplication of and overlap with existing Federal programs, offices, and initiatives.
S 2177 Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act (Lankford, R-OK, 13 pages). This bill provides taxpayers with an improved understanding of Government programs through the disclosure of cost, performance, and areas of duplication among them, leverage existing data to achieve a functional Federal program inventory, and for other purposes.
HR 3705 Saving Workers by Eliminating Economic Tampering (SWEET) Act (Perry, R-PA). The bill failed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 137-278. The bill would have ended taxpayer subsidies (~$12.6 million per year) to the sugar industry.
HR 3776 Changing Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE Act (Castro, D-TX). This bill would replace the phrases “alien” and “illegal alien in all foreign laws with the terms “foreign national” and “undocumented foreign national.” Most notably, if passed, this bill would require the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, and the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to undergo major revisions. Those opposing this bill argue that the existing terms used in federal law are both correct on a legal level and also on a political level.
Hans von Spakovsky (Heritage Foundation wrote “Undocumented immigrant” is a politically correct term adopted by pro-illegal alien advocacy groups and liberal media outlets to obscure the fact that such aliens have violated U.S. immigration laws and are in the country illegally. Precision in the law is a vital principle, sinjce the exact words used in statutes, regulations, contracts, guidance documents, and policy statements can significantly affect how they are implied and interpreted. If we are going to discuss and debate the issue of immigration and what our public policy should be, we should at least use accurate, precise terms, and talk about, for example, legal vs. illegal aliens.”
LAGNIAPPE
Our elected representatives have been working on an Orwellian bit of “newspeak” for quite a while and it has too often gone unchallenged. They refer to Social Security and Medicare as “entitlements.” Social Security and Medicare are DEFINITELY NOT “entitlements.” Those checks issued to us and to our healthcare providers are nothing more than a repayment of monies that were confiscated from our earnings by the government. Our apathy has allowed them to get away with changing the narrative to make it appear they are doing us a favor by (condescendingly) allowing us to have some of our own money back.
Other illustrations the “newspeak” George Orwell foretold of is taking root more deeply every day, and almost every American is awakening to the warning. This report of newspeak hatched out by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ change of lingo pertaining to how they shall refer to those who have been involved in their criminal justice system made national news:
Then: “Convicted felon/offender.” “Offender released from prison/jail.”
Now: “Formerly incarcerated person.” “Returning resident.”
Then: “Juvenile delinquent.”
Now: “Young person with justice system involvement.” “Young person impacted by the juvenile justice system.”
Newspeak is steadily creeping into the ways our laws are written; HR 3776 (see Legislative Report, above) is one of many examples!
Is it too late to stop the demands that we use what someone tells us is “politically correct” language? It’s only too late if we allow it to be.
CONTACT YOUR ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES
| President Donald Trump
The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington D.C. 20500 Phone: (202) 456-1414 Fax: (202) 456-2461 |
U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 40 – Suite 2 Washington D.C. 20510 Phone: (202) 244-4944 Fax: (202) 228-3398 |
| U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn
B40B Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-3344 Fax: (202) 228-0566 To contact visit website: |
U.S Representative Dr. Scott DesJarlais
2301 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-6831 Fax: (202) 226-5172 |
| Governor Bill Lee
Tennessee State Capitol Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-2001 Fax: (615) 532-9711 |
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
https://www.speaker.gov/contact Link above provides all methods of contact.
Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=contact
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| State Representative Ron Travis
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-3 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1450
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State Senator Ken Yager
301 Sixth Avenue North Suite G-19 War Memorial Building Nashville, Tennessee 37243 Phone: (615) 741-1449 Fax: (615) 253-0237 |
