Tobacco Regulation

Could this be the lead in to Marijuana Legalization

As of today, the Senate is working on a bill that already passed the House, on the regulation of Tobacco products. The Senate is making the changes they would like to see and will pass it back to the Congress for their approval. The main focus of this bill, as I understand it, is to prevent the use of tobacco by minors. What I am wondering is, could this be a doorway to the legalization of Marijuana?

For me, I do not think this would be a bad thing. No, I am not a Pot Head. I do enjoy my dalliances with volatile liquids from time to time though. (Manhattan in particular, in a pitcher of ice) I think we can set a small amount of use of Cannabis to be legal and amounts over the set legal amount to be fined like a traffic ticket. Think of the revenue obtained while enjoying the savings in court costs. The Tax money could be spread from Local to Federal levels. The fines written, you know there would be, could bring in millions across the country.

The following is a quote from an article authored by Stephen J. Dubner on NewYorkTimes.com;
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/pot-quorum/
Two years ago we ran a quorum debating the pros and cons of decriminalizing marijuana. Since then, a largely theoretical debate has moved quite substantially toward the realm of reality, with a growing number of states and municipalities having changed their laws. The details from place to place vary greatly and are very much a patchwork; the most prominent state to make a move is Massachusetts. The California legislature, meanwhile, is wondering whether marijuana could save its economy — which, as we read just this morning, is badly in need of saving.
Although President Obama doesn’t seem interested, arguments in favor of decriminalization are popping up everywhere, from the Law Enforcement Against Prohibition platform to the senior thesis of a graduating economics major at Brown named Max Chaiken, which finds that “a legally taxed and regulated marijuana market could generate upwards of $200 billion annually in excise tax revenues for the federal government … [which] would be enough to fund Medicaid.”

Mostly every link I did review for this article, talked about the medical issues Marijuana is said to cause. However, Marijuana is being considered for medical purposes as a pain reliever with cancer patients. This seems kind of ironic, huh? I am sure the debate will continue with one state or another. Whether it be California, Massachusetts or such, I believe the issue of Marijuana legalization is down the road and will be coming up sooner rather than later. Hey GOP! Want to make a comeback? Have I got an issue for you!!!

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
http://www.nida.nih.gov/infofacts/marijuana.html
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/marijuana.html
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuana/index.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/marijuana.html
http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/pot-quorum/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
http://www.tobacco.org/
http://www.tobacco.org/History/Tobacco_History.html

Unitil Must Go

On December 11, 2008, the most devastating Ice Storm in Massachusetts history took place. I know of this first hand. I, along with my disabled wife and mother-in-law, barely survived it. This is no thanks to the most useless, incompetent and criminally negligent utility company I have ever been a customer of, UNITIL. We live in the Franklin Road area of Fitchburg. This area has always been the forgotten step child of the city. From our previous crooked mayor Dan Mylott to the incompetent Lisa Wong today, our area of town always seems to be the last to receive any kind of service during good times, let alone during a crisis. But, this article is not about the lousy government we have here in Massachusetts. This is about a utility company that has shown they are criminally negligent, to the point where loss of life, could have taken place due to their ineffectiveness and inability to respond in a disaster.

Our home was without power for over twelve days. Frozen pipes and fixtures were replaced before the house became inhabitable again. Let me take you through a quick time line of my experience. We lost power around 2:00 AM Thursday morning. We survived pretty well through the first day and then through the next. After numerous calls to criminally negligent UNITIL, being told they were doing the best they could, never seeing a truck in the area, I had my mother-in-law taken to my sister-in-laws house. She had power. You see, she lives in Leominster Massachusetts with National Grid as her utility provider. She had power the day after the storm. Yes, there are demographics involved, but Leominster is the neighbor to Fitchburg. Leominster was just as hard hit as Fitchburg but, Mayor Mazzarella of Leominster, along with National Grid had his city completely powered up within five days. Meanwhile, our Mayor Wong floundered in confusion and incompetence trying to get the criminally negligent UNITIL into action. I’ll fast forward to the seventh Day without power. We had survived an additional twelve to fifteen inch snow storm and numerous broken promises, from the criminally negligent UNITIL, of power restoration. It was because of these promises that I remained behind with my disabled wife. We were trying to stay warm ourselves and keep the house from freezing, thinking if we could just hold on for another hour, then the power would be on and we would be home free. That hour never came.


The decision, to abandon the house, came at the end of the seventh day, when I was angered so much by a criminally negligent UNITIL employee named John, I almost assaulted him in a rage. Power trucks had worked on our poles and told us we had power. We did not. I approached the criminally negligent UNITIL worker, sitting in a UNITIL vehicle talking on his cell phone. I explained to this criminally negligent individual that we did not have power to our house. This criminally negligent individual told me, very arrogantly, that the power was restored to my house and I must have a problem on my house. This criminally negligent individual said “that isn’t my problem pal, good luck” and turned to finish talking on his cell phone. I almost yanked this criminally negligent UNITIL worker out of his car and beat the snot out of him. But, I went home and told my wife we must leave because there was no one coming to help us. As we drove away I saw the same criminally negligent UNITIL worker still sitting in his vehicle talking on his cell phone. During the time my wife had spent in the house, waiting for power to be turned on by the criminally negligent UNITIL, she became very ill developing an infection requiring hospitalization. After twelve days, the power was restored by National Grid that had been ordered into the area to help out. There was nothing wrong with our house electrically. When the power was correctly restored to our house from the street, we made repairs and moved back in.

On Sunday March 15, 2009, I was disgusted and outraged when this article appeared in the Worcester Telegram, a newspaper published out of Worcester Massachusetts;
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090315/NEWS/903150415/1160/SPECIALSECTIONS04&source=rss

This article was written by Shaun Sutner

Critics of Unitil, the embattled utility that has come under intense criticism after the December ice storm, blasted the company for awarding a nearly $300,000 incentive bonus to Robert G. Schoenberger, its $1 million-a-year president and CEO, for outperforming his 2008 job goals. According to documents filed Friday with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission, Mr. Schoenberger got $294,796 tacked onto his other compensation on Feb. 16 for exceeding target objectives. Based on the bonus formula, he received 10 percent on customer satisfaction, while 25 percent was linked to company earnings. “The whole thing is obscene,” said Fitchburg City Council President Stephan Hay. “I challenge them to find a customer in Fitchburg who is satisfied with their performance.” Wesley Eberle, an executive with O’Neil and Associates, a Boston PR company hired by the New Hampshired-based utility to handle media inquiries in the wake of the Dec. 11-12 storm, said the company has made changes to better serve customers, many of them in northern Worcester County. However, he said, Mr. Schoenberger heads “a well-run utility with effective, efficient management that is working hard for its customers and working hard for its shareholders.” Mr. Eberle noted that Mr. Schoenberger was recognized as one of the top CEOs in the country and that Unitil completed a successful acquisition of Northern Utilities last year. He also said Unitil soon will be passing on rate decreases to customers. But many customers and elected officials in Ashby, Fitchburg, Lunenburg and Townsend — the Massachusetts communities serviced by the utility — remain incensed with the company for leaving many customers without power for almost two weeks after the storm. Some have also complained about excessively high rates and billing problems. A petition seeking the removal of the utility has garnered more than 5,000 signatures, and a class action suit was filed Jan. 7 against Fitchburg Gas and Electric Light Co., a division of Unitil, by 14 people from Fitchburg, Lunenburg and Townsend. The news that Mr. Schoenberger, and three other top executives who got financial awards ranging from $77,000 to $101,000 further inflamed bitterness, and some are renewing their call to remove Unitil as the electricity and gas heat provider in their communities. “I understand it’s a free enterprise system and that their primary responsibility is to shareholders,” said state Rep. Stephen L. DiNatale, D-Fitchburg. “But tell that to the folks in Fitchburg who have been unfairly subjected to utility rates that are outrageous. “If Bob Schoenberger is doing such a wonderful job for investors, then how do you explain the unfathomable bills people are getting?” Mr. DiNatale continued. Robert V. Antonucci, president of Fitchburg State College and a member of Unitil’s board of directors, declined to comment, saying he has been advised by the utility’s lawyers to leave public statements to company executives. Nicholas C. Pappas of Fitchburg, one of the plaintiffs in the class action suit, said his lawyers have also told him not to publicly comment about the company. Mr. Schoenberger, 58, has been chairman of the board and CEO of Unitil since 1997 and president since 2003. Before that, he was president and chief operating officer of the New York Power Authority. In addition to his $443,302 base salary last year, Mr. Schoenberger received stock awards worth $125,748; non-equity incentive compensation valued at $294,796; $366,736 in pension and other deferred compensation earnings; and $56,404 in other payments. He made a total of $1,295,985 last year, up from $1,179,819 in 2007 and $1,019,013 in 2006, according to the SEC filing. “To read that the executives of Unitil are getting bonuses is an insult to the city of Fitchburg and to the ratepayers,” said Mr. DiNatale. Other Unitil executives made the following incentive bonuses for 2008: • Mark H. Collin, senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer, $99,820; • Thomas P. Meissner Jr., senior vice president and chief operating officer, $101,000; • George R. Gantz, senior vice president, Unitil Service, $77,532; • Todd R. Black, president, Usource, $45,987.

On June 6, 2009, it is being reported that Massachusetts State Attorney General Martha Coakley is recommending a 4.6 million dollar fine to be levied against criminally negligent UNITIL for their criminally negligent response to the Ice Storm. Criminally negligent UNITIL says this is unfair. I congratulate Ms. Coakley. It seems she is the only Massachusetts Politician that has any balls in doing something to criminally negligent UNITIL.

As for me, I do not feel this is enough. I believe, with all my being, that criminally negligent UNITIL must have their license to work in the state of Massachusetts revoked and they should be kicked out. The response or lack of response was CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT on so many levels. The bonuses given to the CEO and other Executives of this criminally negligent company are obscene, disgraceful and typical of how Corporate America flips the middle finger and spits on the average American citizen. Now, I would love to see CEO Schoenberger and all his top executives hanging from a tree on the center green in Fitchburg. But, I guess we are to civilized for that. (Damn it!) I’ll just have to settle for them being kicked out, if that even happens at all. For now, I plan on moving out of the area if criminally negligent UNITIL remains the power utility and the present incompetent administration remains in charge here in Fitchburg. I have had enough. Oh by the way, my utility bill has gone up over seventy five dollars, a month, more than at this time last year. So much for the rate reduction that criminally negligent UNITIL said was coming.

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
http://www.unitil.com/
http://www.unitil.com/content/aboutus/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/06/ag_seeks_46m_in_fines_for_unitil/
http://www.google.com/finance?q=NYSE:UTL
http://www.northernutilities.com/
http://wbztv.com/icestorm08/unitil.ice.storm.2.1032820.html
http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/05-27-2009/0005033557&EDATE=
http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/05/12/utility_promises_better_response/
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090315/NEWS/903150415/1160/SPECIALSECTIONS04&source=rss
http://unitilsucks.blogspot.com/

The Man Behind The Curtain

Rahmbo

In the movie, The Wizard of Oz; Dorothy, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion go to the castle to meet the famous Wizard. Over and above the difficulty they had, to get in to see him, the three soon realized that all of the smoke and mirrors were just a cover for a man behind the curtain. In our, Land of Oz, President Barack Obama is front and center. But, there is a man behind the curtain, just the same. This man comes in the form of, Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration, Rahm Emanuel.

In researching Mr. Emanuel I found, there are no smoke and mirrors, when interacting with this individual. He is real, in your face and takes no prisoners, when he wants to get his point across. He has also had quite a career in politics and overall life experiences as he approaches his fiftieth birthday this year. The following is a short excerpt, from an article about Mr. Emanuel’s life, by M.J. Stephey and Kate Pickert of Time Magazine, Political Section; http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1856965,00.html
Fast Facts:
• 48 years old, married to Amy Rule, a woman he met on a blind date. They have three children.
• He studied ballet in high school and was offered a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet, but went to Sarah Lawrence College instead, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He has a master's degree in speech from Northwestern University.
• As a teenager, he severed his right middle finger slicing meat at Arby's and went swimming in Lake Michigan before getting stitches. After the wound became severly infected, Emanuel had the top of his finger amputated and spent six weeks recovering.
• Has served in the White House before, as a senior advisor to Bill Clinton. On Emanuel's 38th birthday, Clinton gave him a photo with the following tongue-in-cheek inscription: "Now Mr. President, how many times do I have to tell you, say it this way?" Clinton wrote. "And, by the way, wish me a happy birthday. Always gently, Rahm. 11/29/97."
• Before working in the Clinton White House, Emanuel worked for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley. He was first elected to Congress in 2002, and is the fourth-highest ranking House Democrat.
• In between his stints in Washington, Emanuel got rich working as an investment banker. He once sat on the board of Freddie Mac and recuses himself from any Congressional votes on the mortgage giant.
• Orchestrated the Democratic takeover of the House in 2006 and is known among colleagues as "Rahmbo."
There are many more interesting facts that were presented. I recommend clicking on the link above for the complete article.

If you go to the White House Website, the following link rounds out the relative experience that Mr. Emanuel has obtained; http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/rahm_emanuel/
CHIEF OF STAFF RAHM EMANUEL
Rahm Emanuel is the White House Chief of Staff. Prior to joining President Barack H. Obama's administration, Emanuel served in the House of Representatives, representing the fifth district of Illinois, and was Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. As an advocate for Chicago's working families, Emanuel served on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees taxes, trade, Social Security, and Medicare issues.
Appointed by then House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Emanuel served as Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2006 cycle. Under his leadership, Democrats gained 30 seats in the House without losing a single incumbent, and ushered in a new Democratic majority for the first time in more than a decade.
In January 2007, the new majority elected Emanuel to serve as Democratic Caucus Chair, the fourth-highest-ranking member of the House Democratic Leadership. As Chair, Emanuel led the Democratic Caucus in fulfilling its campaign promise to pass legislation reflecting the values and priorities of the American people.
Before being elected to Congress, Emanuel worked at the Chicago investment bank Wasserstein Perella. He was a core member of the Clinton White House from 1993 to 1998, starting as the national finance director for the 1992 campaign and eventually becoming Senior Adviser to the President for Policy and Strategy. In 1989, Emanuel was a senior adviser and chief fundraiser for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's campaign. He also played an important role in Paul Simon's 1984 campaign for the Senate.
Emanuel graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1981 and received a Master's Degree in Speech and Communication from Northwestern University in 1985. He and his wife, Amy Rule, have three children, Zach, Ilana, and Leah.

Of all the information I have read to research this article I noticed a common fiber in all of them. Regardless of whether the article supported Mr. Emanuel or criticized him. They all appeared to greatly respect him and his abilities along with a slight touch of admiration as well. Now I have not been a blogger for a long time and can count on one hand (well maybe two), how many short Bio’s I have written. This is the only one I can make that claim to. In fact, unless I am not looking in the right places, even the derogatory information I read, appeared to be mild compared to some individuals I have written about. I feel this says an awful lot about the character of the man. A character of a determined, steadfast but, fair man who has devoted a good part of his life to public service to help make a better world for all of us to live in.

If I ever have the pleasure of meeting Rahm Emanuel, I hope we hit it off well. I have a feeling he is one of the good guys. Someone you would be proud to have in your corner and to be equally as proud, to know you are in his, as well.

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rahm_Emanuel
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/02/090302fa_fact_lizza
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/e000287/
http://www.nypost.com/seven/02172009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/rahms_rent_is_just_the_tip_of_ethics_ice_155536.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/us/politics/06emanuel.html
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/politics/government/rahm-emanuel--PEPLT000007532.topic
http://search.bloomberg.com/search?q=Rahm+Emanuel&site=wnews&client=wnews&proxystylesheet=wnews&output=xml_no_dtd&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&filter=p&getfields=wnnis&sort=date:D:S:d1
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/8091986/the_enforcer/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/10/us/politics/10obama.html?_r=1&ref=politics
http://www.politicalfriendster.com/showPerson.php?id=2281&name=Rham-Emanuel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rahm_Emanuel

Trouble in the House

In January of this year, Speaker of the House Salvatore DiMasi, resigned his position from the Massachusetts Legislature. A few days ago, he was indicted on federal Charges. The following is an excerpt from an article by the Editorials and Opinions Column of the Republican; http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/06/mass_corruption_gets_triple_cr.html
DiMasi, who stepped down as speaker in January amid rumors of corruption, follows fellow Democrats Thomas M. Finneran, and Charles F. Flaherty, both of whom pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges. Finneran, who also stepped down under fire, was indicted in June 2005 for obstruction of justice in connection with a civil suit over a legislative redistricting plan and Flaherty lost his speakership in 1996 after he agreed to plead guilty to federal income tax evasion.
This incident with Mr. DiMasi, makes it a trifecta of House Speakers, which have resigned and were indicted due to corruption within the Massachusetts Legislature. One would have to ask what is the problem and what is it going to take to change the attitudes and behavior on Beacon Hill. Is it the voters who keep electing these unsavory characters or is it the atmosphere and tone of entitlement that seems to wisp through the halls of the state’s law making body.


Governor Deval Patrick, who has had an image and confidence problem with the voters, has been mainly silent on trying to introduce ethics reform. The bill, which is up for consideration now, looks more like a watered down reform meant to pacify more than solidify trust in the state government. Mitt Romney, Jane Swift and Paul Cellucci were all past Massachusetts Governors who found themselves in constant battle with a Legislature lead by one of these past House Speakers. None of these individuals could effect enough change, on their own, to improve the Legislative climate. You would think that Legislators, from both parties, would standup and say enough. But, remember, this is TAXACHUSETTS! Whenever there is a problem, just tax the hell out of it.


Now Massachusetts is not the only state to have a corrupt government environment. Being a neighbor of Rhode Island, maybe their shenanigans keep wearing off on us. Of course, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has taken corruption to a whole new level as it is. The time may have come where a voter uprising needs to take place.

I can only hope voter outrage, will equate to a massive changeover in government representation. What we need is a good old fashion THROW THE CROOKS OUT!

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
http://www.thecommonwealthreview.com/2009/01/mid-day-mail-demasi-reelected-amidst.html
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2008/11/23/sals_pals/
http://news.google.com/news?q=Massachusetts+House+Speaker&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&ei=BSUpSt6CG4TeNYmYhdQO&sa=X&oi=news_group&resnum=1&ct=title
http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/06/mass_corruption_gets_triple_cr.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Finneran
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/01/statement_of_fo_1.html
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1996_March_27/ai_18134208/
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-18133879.html
http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-government/7214595-1.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/07/us/it-s-a-tough-time-for-the-democratic-party-in-massachusetts.html
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/06/03/concentration_of_power_held_by_speaker_blamed_as_a_key_factor/
http://spectator.org/archives/2009/06/05/three-times-a-felon
http://davos.wsj.com/topic/Salvatore_DiMasi

The Best and Brightest

The Best and Brightest, is the name of the group of people who tune in to 96.9 WTKK FM, in Boston Massachusetts. In particular, the Jay Severin Radio Talk Show, which broadcasts between the hours of 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM Monday thru Friday. I am a member of this group and have listened to Jay for many years. On April 30, 2009, Mr. Severin was suspended for derogatory, and what many consider racist, comments he had made on a previous broadcast. The following is part of what he was quoted as saying;
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/tyt-jay-severin-unapologetic-racist-a
"So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico - women with mustaches and VD - now we have swine flu."

"When we are the magnet for primitives around the world - and it's not the primitives' fault by the way, I'm not blaming them for being primitives - I'm merely observing they're primitive."
"It's millions of leeches from a primitive country come here to leech off you and, with it, they are ruining the schools, the hospitals, and a lot of life in America."
"We should be, if anything, surprised that Mexico has not visited upon us poxes of more various and serious types already, considering the number of criminaliens already here."
Mr. Severin also said, to the effect, the criminaliens are using our hospital emergency rooms as condominiums.

Now, I did not hear this broadcast so; I am depending on sources for the accuracy of his comments. I do know these comments are believable, because Jay has always laced his commentary with salty or racist tones throughout his broadcasting career that I have been a listener of. Of late, the rhetoric had become much more hateful and vile from Mr. Severin as well as from other hosts from this radio station, Michael Graham and Michelle McPhee. I remember emailing the WTKK Management, commenting on the extremely negative tone the radio station appeared to be taking. I mentioned to them that, I thought they were risking financial liability with ethnic groups, who could be offended, by the rhetoric.

On June 2, 2009, Jay Severin returned to the airwaves. The following apology appeared on the WTKK website; http://www.wtkk.com/
"I wish to offer and trust you will consider my sincere apology. I and the men and women for whom, and with whom, I work have a duty to our community to ensure that every day our station offers - in partnership with You - ideas and conversation about the issues of the day which are thought-provoking, compelling, challenging, entertaining - but also always responsible, civil, thoughtful and respectful to all members of our community. This is our standard. However, recently, in making certain remarks, I failed this standard, and thus failed my colleagues and you. My remarks were hurtful, unkind and wrong. For those remarks and for failing to meet the standards you are right to expect of me, I am sincerely sorry. Most especially to the members of the Mexican community and Mexican-American community, I regret my remarks and I apologize for them. I am sorry. I want you to be an engaged and proud member of this audience, but I appreciate I must earn that privilege, every day. And I can only expect to do so by conducting a civil and intelligent conversation worthy of you, worthy of your family - whether or not you always agree with my opinions. To every person I have offended by my recent remarks: I am truly regretful and extend my apology. And to those who were not offended, I have still let you down by appealing to something less than the "best and brightest" in you, and for this I am also sorry. I am tremendously eager to renew - and make better - our ten years together of daily conversation and vigorous debate. You have my personal pledge that I will do my best to make ours the best show on radio. And, as ever, thank you for my job."

-Jay Severin

For myself, I hope Jay will go back to the talk show host I used to listen to, a few years ago. A man who was a veteran of political campaigns and gave his unique insight, into the behind the scenes activities, of the days events. He could predict, with uncanny accuracy, the future political decisions that would probably be made and what the probable results would be. If he had a caller that challenged him, he would be his own defense attorney and would dissect (sometimes slice and dice) his opponents accusation or point of view and present an intelligent alternative or rebuttal of the facts presented.

Jay Severin is, no doubt, under a watchful eye. If not by his employer, definitely from minority groups who will stand by the ready, to jump into action, if he steps over the line of decency again. Good Luck Jay and I will tune in too.

That’s How I See It.

Website of reference;
http://www.jayseverinhasissues.com/
http://www.wtkk.biz/blogs/jayseverin/
http://www.westwoodone.com/program?action=viewProgram&programID=302
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2009/06/03/with_an_apology_and_a_few_barbs_severin_returns_to_the_air/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/jay-severins-insanely-rac_b_195280.html
http://jayseverin.blogspot.com/
http://medianation.blogspot.com/2009/04/wtkk-suspends-jay-severin.html
http://crooksandliars.com/nicole-belle/tyt-jay-severin-unapologetic-racist-a
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Severin
http://www.jayseverin.org/
http://www.wtkk.com/

Dream or Nightmare

July 2004, was the first time I had been inspired by a speech since the I Have a Dream speech, given by Dr. Martin Luther King, in August of 1963. When Barack Obama gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, I felt then, this man had a future in American Politics. Never did I realize he would be our 44th President. So far, he appears to be doing well. There are some things I do not agree with. I am concerned about the General Motors bailout and bankruptcy. But, I am also concerned about his administration’s appearance, of a lack of enthusiasm, with the E Verify Program.

The E Verify Program, formerly named the Basic Pilot/Employment Eligibility Verification Program, is a web based program where employers can join an information data base to verify the citizenship or legality of a new hire. Former President George W. Bush proposed, in his administration’s fiscal 2009 budget, to add $100 million dollars to enhance and expand this program. A recommendation was also made to make it mandatory for government contractors to use this program. This is the website outlining the budget proposal;
"Department of Homeland Security 2009 Budget Proposal
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/budget/dhs.pdf

On January 29 of this year the Obama administration postponed this regulation from taking effect. The website outlining the reasons for this decision is;
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335106500434589.html
Now, I am not a supporter of the previous administration but, I do support this program and I am very concerned that the Obama administration is dragging their feet on this. In an age of terrorism, border control and high unemployment, it is imperative to know who is working in this country and make sure only American Citizens or Legal Aliens with a Work Permit are allowed employment.

This program may not be full proof but, in my opinion, it is the best plan we have going. I believe we should work on the shortcomings of this program and improve upon it. We should make this program mandatory for all business owners in this country, in particular to; Government Contractors who take government funds to employ workers.

So, I ask President Obama to give this program a good close look and support the goals it wishes to achieve. What I am afraid of is, if President Obama and his Administration do not do more to protect and look out for the American Worker, like he says he is, then the Dream I thought I heard in 2004, may turn out in four years, to be more of a Nightmare.

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
^ "Department of Homeland Security 2009 Budget Proposal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123335106500434589.html
http://www.workforce.com/section/00/article/25/95/84.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Verify

The Epitome of Hypocracy

The Enemy From Within

Doctor George Tiller was gunned down this past Sunday while ushering at his church service, in Wichita Kansas. He was struck down by a bullet, fired from a gun used by an anti-abortionist loon named Scott Roeder. Dr. Tiller leaves behind his wife, four children and ten grandchildren. The following is his obituary from;
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=george-tiller&pid=127922039
Dr. George Tiller

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — When George Tiller was young he dreamed not of being one of the most visible and strident advocates for abortion rights, but of becoming a dermatologist. The 67-year-old physician, who was shot and killed Sunday in his church, had said his path was altered by a 1970 plane crash that killed his father, mother, sister and brother-in-law. The former Navy flight surgeon was left with his father's family practice in Wichita, and he soon learned a secret. One of his father's patients asked him whether he, like his father, would perform abortions. At first, Tiller said, he did not believe his father had risked his medical license by performing then-illegal abortions. But after the Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortions in 1973, Tiller began providing them. By the time he was killed, his clinic, Women's Health Care Services, was among just three in the nation to perform abortions after 21 weeks of pregnancy, when the fetus is considered viable. He was a focus of abortion opponents for years, most peaceful, some violent. "George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence," his Tiller's widow, four children and 10 grandchildren said in a statement. They called him "a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere." Tiller's clinic was bombed in 1985, and he was shot in both arms in 1993 by abortion protester Rachelle "Shelley" Shannon of Grants Pass, Ore. In 1991, the Summer of Mercy protests organized by Operation Rescue drew thousands of anti-abortion activists to Wichita for demonstrations marked by civil disobedience and mass arrests. Federal marshals protected Tiller during the Summer of Mercy protests, and he was protected again between 1994 and 1998 after another abortion provider was assassinated and federal authorities reported finding his name on an assassination list. The women's clinic is fortified with bulletproof glass, and Tiller hired a private security team to protect the facility. Once outside the clinic, Tiller was usually seen accompanied by a bodyguard. Anti-abortion groups condemned Tiller's slaying. "We value life, completely deplore violence, and are shocked and very upset by what happened in Wichita today," said Mary Kay Culp, executive director of the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life. Tiller in 1997 said his "gifts of understanding" helped him bring a service to women that aided them in making their dreams of a happy, healthy family a reality. Tiller, who in his later years largely shunned interviews and public appearances amid his family's increasing fear of violence against him, said abortion was as socially divisive as slavery or prohibition. But he said the issue was about giving women a choice when dealing with technology that can diagnose severe fetal abnormalities before a baby is born. "Prenatal testing without prenatal choices is medical fraud," Tiller once said. Tiller contended that he pioneered the use of sonogram imaging during procedures, a process that has since been adopted by abortion providers nationwide. In 2002, Tiller founded ProKanDo, a state political action committee, to help elect abortion rights supporters and support abortion-friendly legislation. His resume includes the National Abortion Federation's highest honor, The Christopher Tietze Humanitarian Award, as well as the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights' Faith and Freedom Award
Dr. Tiller never asked for the notoriety he received. He was a dedicated physician who only wished to provide the services, allowed by law, to patients with an extreme circumstance. However, over the years, Dr. Tiller has been harassed, threatened and assaulted both physically and through reputation by the likes of Anti-abortion Terrorist Randall Terry and Fox News Goon and buffoon Bill O’Reilly.

This is a quote from Randall Terry, in regard to, Dr. Tiller’s death; http://www.earnedmedia.org/sftj0531.htm
WASHINGTON, May 31 /Christian Newswire/ -- Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue, led protests against George Tiller's late-term abortion clinic in Wichita in 1991.
Randall Terry, founder of Operation Rescue states, "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God. I am more concerned that the Obama Administration will use Tiller's killing to intimidate pro-lifers into surrendering our most effective rhetoric and actions. Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name; murder.
"Those men and women who slaughter the unborn are murderers according to the Law of God. We must continue to expose them in our communities and peacefully protest them at their offices and homes, and yes, even their churches."

Randall Terry is the founder of Operation Rescue. This, in my opinion, is a domestic terrorist organization with branches throughout the United States, including to my dismay, Boston Massachusetts, where I live. Mr. Terry has lived a very hypocritical life himself. Through divorcing his wife of nineteen years and disowning a homosexual son, who helped him in his failed attempt at public office, this domestic terrorist attempts to push his warped values onto the public stage;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Terry
During my research, I have observed Operation Rescue shutdown their websites to change their content when they come back on line. For such Christian people, why do they hide their content now? Because, Operation Rescue and Randall Terry deliberately post hateful remarks with the objective of finding some weak minded fool like Terrorist Assassin Scott Roeder, to do their dirty terrorist deeds for them. However, they are cowards that can not stand up and admit what they are.

As for Bill O’Reilly, the following article says it all;
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g7ZHM1F1rpPm8LkF12gyc--_LUTQD98IQJU00

Tiller killing puts spotlight on Fox's O'Reilly
By DAVID BAUDER – 1 hour ago
NEW YORK (AP) — The shooting death of abortion provider George Tiller has put Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly in the media spotlight because of stories he did about the Kansas doctor over the past few years.
Liberal commentators have questioned whether O'Reilly's words, including calling the doctor "Tiller the baby killer," were too incendiary. O'Reilly condemned Tiller's killing and said his opponents are exploiting the murder to attack Fox and stifle criticism of people like Tiller.
Tiller was gunned down Sunday while at church services in Wichita. He had operated a clinic that was one of three in the nation to perform abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy, when the fetus is considered viable, and had survived a previous shooting.
O'Reilly said on his first show after the killing that "quick-thinking Americans" should condemn it.
"Anarchy and vigilantism will assure the collapse of any society," he said. "Once the rule of law breaks down a country is finished."
Before Tiller's death, O'Reilly had talked about him on his top-rated "The O'Reilly Factor" some 29 times since February 2005, according to Salon magazine Monday.
Twice he sent producers to Kansas to report on the story. In June 2007, Fox's Porter Barry confronted Tiller in the street and asked, "they call you Tiller the baby killer. Is that appropriate?" Tiller was shown calling 911 and saying he was being accosted by an O'Reilly producer. Last July, Fox's Jesse Waters followed then-Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in the street to ask about Tiller.
Salon's Gabriel Winant wrote that "O'Reilly didn't tell anyone to do anything violent, but he did put Tiller in the public eye, and help make him the focus of a movement with a history of violence against exactly these kinds of targets."
Frank Schaeffer, who with his father Francis in the 1980s said that force could sometimes be justified in fighting abortions, wrote in The Huffington Post that he and the religious right "all contributed to this killing by our foolish and incendiary words. I am very sorry."
O'Reilly's frequent foil, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, cited Schaeffer's column Monday night and said Fox News also deserves part of the blame. He called for people to ask managers to change the channel when Fox News is played in bars, restaurants or waiting rooms, and to explain why they are walking out if they don't.
"We must again make the world safe for people who are condemned by Fox News Channel," he said on the air.
This year so far, O'Reilly averages 3.3 million viewers each weeknight, while Olbermann has 1.3 million, according to Nielsen Media Research.
A Fox News spokeswoman didn't respond to requests for comment about Olbermann's call for a Fox "quarantine."
When he heard about the Tiller murder, O'Reilly said on his show Monday that he "knew that pro-abortion zealots and Fox News haters would attempt to blame us for the crime and that's exactly what happened." An example he cited was Kansas City Star columnist Mike Hendricks, who wrote on Sunday that anyone who called Tiller a "baby killer" was an accomplice to the murder. Hendricks' online post did not mention O'Reilly or Fox specifically.
O'Reilly said that he had never incited people to do anything, and that he wished he heard more compassion expressed by some of these critics for the aborted fetuses.
"I'm coming at it from a factual point of view," O'Reilly said. "The man aborted 60,000 fetuses, potential human beings, all right? Human beings to some, not human beings to others but to everyone 60,000 potential human beings were aborted by the man who made millions doing it. To me, that's unconscionable. As an American, I have a right to say that."
The issue drew considerable public comment on Web sites.
The Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz wrote about the commentary that O'Reilly bears some responsibility for the killing but said he wasn't going to join the attack.
"It is perfectly fair to hold the Fox News host accountable for his words and to question whether he has gone too far in personally assailing Tiller time and time again," he wrote. "But is it his fault if some abortion hating-fanatic decides to kill another human being?"

Rupert Murdoch is the owner of Fox News and is just as culpable. I firmly believe in Freedom of Speech but, the Fox News Network abuses this freedom and promotes hatred, bigotry and terrorism by purposely engaging in programming that instigates, propagandizes and subverts the true spirit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This man is the modern day Joseph Goebbels who should be stripped of his FCC licensing and prosecuted along with the Stepford Anchor People and Commentators he employs. Rupert Murdoch, Bill O’Reilly and Randall Terry pulled the trigger on that gun just as much as Scott Roeder did.

As for Scott Roeder, I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Looking into his background and seeing his activism, he is a cancer in this society that was bred by the people I have mentioned. The sad part is there are others just like him, waiting for their moment, to poison our way of life. This all being fed by the terrorists within.

That’s How I See It.

Websites of reference;
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/01/kansas.doctor.killed.charges/index.html
http://www.christianadc.org/news-and-articles/171-dr-gary-cass-signs-petition-in-support-of-families-in-romania
http://www.christianadc.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/us/02tiller.html?hp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Newman
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randall_Terry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Rescue/Operation_Save_America
http://themoderatevoice.com/33804/suspect-in-murder-of-dr-tiller-allegedly-member-of-operation-rescue-forum/
http://www.earnedmedia.org/sftj0531.htm
http://www.operationsaveamerica.org/
http://elitestv.com/pub/2009/05/tiller-killed-dr-george-tiller-operation-rescue-late-term-abortion-procedure-doctor-murdered
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5755669
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:ZzTSMfjbUlsJ:www.operationrescue.org/pray-in-may-to-end-aboriton-wichita-ks-may-17-20-2007/+%22scott+roeder%22+kansas&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
http://www.operationrescue.org/archives/links/
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/article/33811_Tiller_Murder_Suspect_Identified_Posted_at_Operation_Rescue
http://www.chargetiller.com/petition.html?jne19e75ff=70#jotnave19e75ff978adf5f2f83737fafec6bd3
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/bostonglobe/obituary.aspx?n=george-tiller&pid=127922039
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Tiller
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_O)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g7ZHM1F1rpPm8LkF12gyc--_LUTQD98IQJU00