Monthly Archives: March 2009
Could Daniel Hannan give the GOP some advice?
I would like to thank a good friend for passing along this YouTube clip of Daniel Hannan, who is the MEP for South East England. Hannan delivered a speech, while Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the European Parliament on Tuesday. Hannan called Brown out on his excessive spending and how he is ignoring free trade. Maybe, the GOP needs Hannan to give them some advice on calling out the President and those who stand against our liberties through voting for the Democrat power grabs.
Here is the video and the text of his speech.
The Road Back To Capitalism
What will you be doing on April 1st? Let me guess, you will be pulling pranks on people. Wouldn’t you rather listen and partake in a conversation about a panel discussion about the free market economy and the threats facing our economy by the Obama administration?
Well, the America’s Future Foundation (AFF) will be holding their first meeting in Fairfax at Auld Shebeen Irish Pub to discuss how we can return the country back to believing in the power of the free market economy. Come join your fellow conservatives and libertarians as we discuss how to return back to capitalism. Here’s the details:
THE ROAD BACK TO CAPITALISM, a panel discussion.
Free food as well as hard and soft drinks will be provided.
Date:Wednesday, April 1, 2009
7:00pm – 9:00pmThe Auld Shebeen Irish Pub, Downtown Fairfax
3971 Chain Bridge Rd
Fairfax, VADrinks start at 7:00pm and the panel discussion begins at 7:30pm
Guest speakers include:
- Ed Goeas – President/CEO, Tarrance Group
- Kerri Houston Toloczko – Senior Vice President, Institute for Liberty
- Anthony Bedell – Executive Director, FCRC
- Keith Fimian – Former Congressional candidate
Topic of conversation:
The Obama Administration is off and running. In the past two months we have seen a slew of new big government programs and unprecedented spending. Since the loss of the election in November capitalists from across the nation have started to think about the road back not only to power, but how to return the country to believing in free-market principles.With a plummeting economy, do free market ideas stand a chance? Can the defenders of capitalism find new and creative ways to express their ideas in opposition to Obama’s socialist vision? Have Republicans discovered a comeback strategy based on ideas and principles that libertarians and conservatives can support? What does John Cook’s recent victory in the Braddock Supervisor special election say about Fairfax County’s political climate going forward?
In short, what is the road back to capitalism?
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
Breaking News Regarding State GOP Chair
Last night, the 11th Congressional District Republican Committee met to discuss a resolution to call for Jeff Frederick’s resignation as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. The resolution failed to pass. Developing…
Time to hold VDOT accountable
There is a new website, Expose VDOT Waste, where the public can expose wasteful practices with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). Senator Mark Obenshain started this website to bring to life the waste and practices within VDOT. This is a great example of transparency at work, even if the Democrats in the General Assembly did not want to conduct an independent audit of the agency. You can also join the group on Facebook.
The recent video I had mentioned in a previous post is the exact example of waste that we need to bring to our elected officials. This nonsense needs to stop, and I am glad that Obenshain wants to bring this waste out for all to see.
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
Why Leggings are not considered Pants?
It is a question that has plagued modern fashion lately, and a topic that my past contributor, OrangeDot was going to mention before she had to stop blogging due to her work requirements. So, in honor of OrangeDot, I decided to take a stab at this question. Also, this is part of a suggestion from another good friend of mine, who felt this topic needed to be addressed by someone from a different vantage point. Thanks, Em!
You see, leggings have become a fashion trend among teenagers and young women in their early 20s. While many use common sense in wearing these so-called tights with feet cut out, there are some who take their love for these tights and wear them without a covering. What are some of these women thinking? These leggings are made of spandex and cotton, so they conform to all of your trouble areas. Wearing leggings on their own are a faux pas, as these spandex/cotton pieces were clearly designed for covering with a cute denim mini skirt or a little black dress.
Where does Virginia stand in Public Education Standards?
Recently, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released their Report Card on American Education, and the statistics about the state of education in America is quite interesting.
The report card ranked Virginia #11, in terms of academic achievement, compared to neighboring states, which fared much lower in this department. Another interesting statistic from this study was the amount of money spent per student in Virginia. The national average is $9,389, and Virginia only spends $9,349 on each student with the average salary per teacher being $2,770 less than the national average of $46,593.
Aside from the expenditures, Virginia students also score higher on standardized testing compared to their peers in neighboring states in reading and mathematics. The quality of education being received in the public schools in Virginia is paramount to the success in these subject areas. The Standards of Learning preparations have definitely proven beneficial for the rising test scores.
However, this study does bring some areas where Virginia needs to improve. One would be focusing on increasing the high school graduation rates. Right now, our high school graduation rate is 74.2%, compared to the national average for 70%. Maryland has a rate of 74.8%. Additionally, we need to ensure school choice here in Virginia. Currently, Virginia does not have a school voucher program, which would allow parents to move their child from a failing school to a higher performing school.
Virginia should be proud of its overall score for public education. There is no doubt that improvements still need to be made, but the fact that we have a higher score than neighboring states, which spend more on their students says a lot about the high standards placed in teaching, etc.
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
Mark Sanford's Stimulus Smackdown
Mark Sanford gave an eloquent explanation of why he refused South Carolina’s portion of the Stimulus payment in Friday’s edition of Wall Street Journal. Sanford is the exact prescription that the Republican Party needs as a leader and someone who will be a strong contender in 2012.
Look, I feel that anyone who accepts the full stimulus payment is making a huge mistake and passing along the debt to future generations, who might not be able to see the light of day due to the overwhelming debt. Sanford might have accepted some of the payment, but it will no doubt be used to address the current debt situation that South Carolina has been experiencing. Common sense is what we need in a leader, and no doubt, Sanford brings these strengths to the table.
Are Ron Paul and Third Party Candidates Terrorists?
According to the recent Missouri Information Analysis Center report, those who are libertarian might be considered members of militia and domestic terrorists. Anyone who might have a Gasden Flag (Don’t Tread on Me), Ron Paul or Bob Barr bumper stickers are being labeled by their political views. I guess those who might support third party candidates are being pigeonholed by the government. It is absolutely appalling, as I consider myself to be a small “l” libertarian leaning republican.
It has sparked enough outrage with Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck reporting on this issue, which clearly appears to violate our freedoms to voice our views. In fact, here is Beck’s take on the issue.
Hopefully, someone will challenge the MIAC to reverse their opinions of third party supporters and those who share in libertarian principles. There is no way that Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin, or Bob Barr supporters should be considered domestic terrorists. We are all trying to fight to restore America back to our founding principles of minimal government, limited taxation, and more personal liberties.
New iPhone and BlackBerry Curve to hit shelves in July
Yesterday, I was talking with one of my friends who works for AT&T, and we were discussing the new BlackBerry Curve, which will be hitting the shelves in July. As we were talking, he also mentioned that the new iPhone will be arriving at the same time. Since I am eligible for an upgrade in November, I was starting to weigh the pros and cons on both phones.
Currently, I have a BlackBerry Curve 8300, which has definitely been a great smartphone. After all, it has great sound qualities, whether you are using the handset or listening to Pandora on the phone. In fact, I often treat my BlackBerry like it is an iPod by downloading music from my computer on to the phone. Aside from the sound, I also like that you can copy and paste stuff on the BlackBerry, and the Documents to Go feature allows me to access Word documents at the click of a button.
The new BlackBerry Curve offers these features, along with a 3.2 megapixel camera and video recording technologies. In fact, the new BlackBerry Curve will also feature a format that is similar to the BlackBerry Bold. The other good part to the new Curve is the fact that BlackBerry is featuring a new applications store to remain competitive with the iPhone.
As for the iPhone, all of the cool kids have these amazing devices. Although it is more pricier than the BlackBerry, it offers more applications and features. With a larger display screen and touch screen capacities, the iPhone is a more modern device that offers many of the available features of the BlackBerry Curve devices. You can still video record, take pictures, use the Google Maps feature, and Twitter on the iPhone. However, with the new software upgrade, you will now be able to cut and paste, as well as having direct wi-fi access. In fact, Engadget has a great breakdown of the new features with the iPhone software upgrade.
Overall, both the iPhone and Blackberry Curve will no doubt provide competition with each other. In the meantime, it looks like I have a difficult decision to think about before November.
Poll: Do you think RPV Chairman Jeff Frederick Should Step Aside?
There has been a considerable amount of buzz within the blogosphere and mainstream media about whether or not Jeff Frederick should step aside as Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia. There has been some convincing arguments from both sides, but I feel that we cannot remain unified as a party or win races with such infighting. This is why I have decided to remain neutral in even reporting this material and have kept my opinions silent on this matter. The decision now lies in the hands of the State Central Committee, and they will ultimately vote on what will be in the best interest of the party.
I have decided to create a poll gauging whether or not Jeff Frederick should step aside as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.
Personally, I supported Jeff Frederick at last year’s convention, because I felt that he would lead our party in the right direction. I am now left wondering how he will be able to lead our party after all of the accusations and be able to work with the State Central Committee to ensure victory in November for all of our statewide candidates and retain a strong majority in the House of Delegates. We need to be unified or we will continue to lose. While Jeff Frederick has defended his record and submitted his rebuttal to the accusations, I am uncertain if we can work together with this cloud of controversy.
Now, I am not calling for anyone to resign, rather it falls on the hands of the State Central Committee, who decide to ignore the grassroots and not allow for Frederick to redeem himself in the 2009 elections. While I am a grassroots activist, it will become difficult to lead effectively with everyone going against you. Sometimes, when there is dissension, it can bring out true leadership. This will be interesting to watch how this plays out, if Frederick remains as the RPV Chairman.
While we have lost some major races in 2008, most of this had to do with a bad candidate at the top of the ticket (John McCain) and just a referendum on the Republican party at the national level. While many would argue on the real reasons why Virgil Goode and Thelma Drake lost last November, I would say it was the general attitude that many Americans held about the Republicans in Congress. It is not necessarily Jeff Frederick’s fault.
Then, we move onto the recent special election races, where two Republican candidates won (John Cook in Fairfax’s Braddock District and Barry Knight in the 81st HOD race) and three Republican candidates lost (Joe Murray in the 47th House District, Pat Herrity, who ran for Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors seat, and John Coggeshall for the Norfolk’s Commonwealth Attorney). There were lots of reports that the RPV did not provide adequate assistance with these races, and the sole pressure was placed on the unit chairmen (many of them, with the exception of Alexandria signed this letter). I always thought these local races were supposed rely on the strong leadership of the unit chairmen.
We can not always call for someone to step aside when things go awry. This is when real teamwork becomes essential. Maybe, it is time for all Republicans to work together for the common revival of our core principles of being advocates for limited government, lower and fair taxation, and calling the Democrats on their flawed policies. Attacking each other from within accomplishes nothing, and this is a lesson I have learned from observation.
It’s time to unite for the good of the Republican party. The decision will made on April 4th on who will emerge victorious in this fight, and whatever the outcome, it is time to work together to ensure victory in November.
**Cross Posted at Virginia News Platoon
