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Krystlehttp://crystalclearconservative.wordpress.comMeet Krystle, a blogger who loves to cook, run, and talk about politics/sports. I can be contacted at crystalclearblogger@gmail.com.

Is there a connection between Aneesh Chopra and PRISM?

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With the recent controversy of the government monitoring its own citizens, it is clear for many to point fingers at who is to blame. If anything, we could sit around and point fingers at various entities in the Obama administration.

Today, Bishop E.W. Jackson (R), candidate for Lieutenant Governor might have brought up a series of interesting questions to ask of a possible opponent. Aneesh Chopra is one of the Democrats seeking the Lieutenant Governor’s nomination for his party, and he served in the Obama administration as Chief Technology Officer. During that time, it is unknown whether or not he had connections with the PRISM program and other ways to monitor American citizens. Jackson, in a statement from his campaign, is seeking to find out what Chopra might know about the government surveillance.

:As more information becomes public concerning the government’s efforts to monitor its own citizens in violation of the Fourth Amendment, Virginians have a right to know: What did Aneesh Chopra know about the PRISM program and other federal government efforts to archive our telephone conversations, e-mail and internet activity? If Aneesh Chopra can not stand up to his boss in the White House for the privacy of American citizens, how can Virginians trust him as Lieutenant Governor?”

With the “1984″ style surveillance taking place, Chopra should come clean to voters on what connection he might have had during his tenure as Chief Technology Officer to the PRISM program. If one thing is for certain, this is only causing many people to continue having a deeper distrust in the government.

Thinking about What’s Next

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…in terms of training. You see, I have been silent, as I am starting a new fitness crazy. I am training for my first triathlon. Why would someone who loves running so much considering combining biking and swimming? Well, it would make things more interesting.

After running my first half marathon (ran it in 2:45) on April 28 with little training, I have decided to can the full marathon (even though, Boston was the goal) because I just felt terribly sore and wiped out. One might laugh and say, “You silly woman, you are sore because you ran 13.1 miles on little training.” Yeah, I hear you, but after running 13.1 miles, I just don’t see the point in adding 13.1 more miles to the total. Also, the longer distances tend to become boring. I like for things to be done faster, and the half marathon, 10K, and 5K distances tend to make me feel more satisfied.

So, why am I throwing more things into the mix? Well, I love swimming and biking as forms of cross training, so I think that by adding these two elements to a race…it makes things more interesting. Also, swimming and biking are gentle on the knees. I am excited to have another event to train for, and in the meantime, I will try to find the energy to comment on some of the more interesting scandals and political races soon.

Any recommendations for sprint triathlons, road bikes, etc.?

The No Comment Show Starring Rep. Jim Moran

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It appears that I missed out on a good event last night, as Congressman Jim Moran (D-Va.) showed his “no comment” technique of avoiding questions.  You would think if Rep. Moran is hosting a community panel on gun violence that he would want to hear from both gun control advocates and gun rights advocates.  A female gun owner asked Moran why he wasn’t pro-choice when it comes to a woman’s right to defend herself with a firearm.  Moran avoided the question.  There were more questions asked by the audience that Moran avoided answering as well.   Nicki at The Liberty Zone and Retire Jim Moran have more video of last night’s so-called “Conversation on Gun Violence in America.”

With events like this, it only proves that we need to have better representation for the 8th District in Congress.

Jim Moran to hold Gun Violence Forum

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Guns and gun control has become a hot topic issue.  It seems like we have a government that would rather strip you of your Second Amendment rights more and more, in the wake of shootings.

With politicians pushing gun control, it did not surprise me to see that my Congressman, Jim Moran, is holding a panel discussing gun violence.  According to ARLnow, this panel will feature gun control advocates and mental health professionals to discuss how to prevent violence.  Where is the invitation for gun rights groups?  There is no representation from those who could inform people that guns are not dangerous, if you know how to handle them properly.   No doubt, their solution will be to grab guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens, who know how to use firearms safely.

You see, the delicious irony of this forum:  Moran is hosting it.  Considering he has quite the rap sheet for assaulting others, Moran is quite the expert with violent behaviors.   After all, I am pretty certain he will be yelling at those who disagree with him, so it should be entertaining to witness on Monday, March 11th.

Bill Bolling Needs Your Help…or Maybe Not!

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When you send a survey asking whether people support your third party candidacy, you would want to make the survey available.  Imagine my surprise when there was no survey…I had to chuckle, because I think that someone does not want to hear my opinion.

bollingscreen

 

One also has to wonder what will happen if Bolling declares a third party candidacy.  What will happen to all of his Republican supporters?  Will they be able to attend the Republican convention and cast a ballot?   Aren’t all delegates to the Republican convention supposed to support the Republican nominee, which will be Ken Cuccinelli?   It is a shame that Bolling is considering a third party run, especially considering that he was “loyal” to the party for so many years.  Cuccinelli is the nominee, so get over it.  You can sit on the sidelines and not endorse…it’s a lot better than tarnishing your reputation as a crybaby.

Kudos to All Around Pizza

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Seriously, when did CNN’s Piers Morgan become relevant?  I mean this guy is a complete moron, who is fascinated by guns and gun control.   Recently, Morgan interviewed Jay Laze, who owns All Around Pizza in Virginia Beach.   All Around Pizza is offering discounts to those who carry firearms or have a concealed carry permit.  Laze got the idea from an ice cream shop in Utah that offered the same discount.  During the interview, Morgan berated Laze calling the discount stupid and saying that lives are put at risk.  Well, Morgan must not know how to operate or store a firearm safely, because the risk of injury is minimal if a firearm is safely stored.  Additionally, we are granted the right to bear arms, and in Virginia, concealed carry permits are allowed.   Kudos to Mr. Laze and All Around Pizza for being a good friend to liberty and gun owners.

Broken Promises Lie on the Roads

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Well, I am mad as hell.  Normally, it takes a lot for me to become irate as I am generally level headed for the most part, but there are some things that drive me towards the irate nature.  For example, I hate when people do not uphold promises.  It shows that their priorities are more important than upholding what they pledged to do.  You can only imagine my disdain for our Governor, Bob McDonnell.  Recently, both the Virginia House and Senate passed the Governor’s legislation (HB2313) which will raise the taxes on Virginians.  It couldn’t come at a worst time with the dismal economic situation and high unemployment numbers, and this deal also has constitutional violations as well.

It is not just the fact that both legislative chambers passed this legislation, but it is the fact that Governor Bob McDonnell promised from the time he was running for Governor in 2009 that he would not raise taxes.  With his slogan, “Bob’s for Jobs,” McDonnell painted himself as a fiscal conservative.  However, with this $1.3 billion transportation tax hike, he has broken a promise to lead on sound fiscal principles and has shown his true stripes.  It is this type of behavior that makes me regret casting my ballot for him in 2009.

There is another point that is being neglected in the midst of this bill.   In Sunday’s Wall Street Journal, there was a great editorial focusing on the transportation tax proposal and the factors that could have played into the finite details of the legislation.   State Sen. Chap Petersen (D-Fairfax) was even quoted in the article, saying:

“a grotesque combination of tax cuts, tax rebates, tax increases, new taxes, old taxes which are phased out (and then reappear elsewhere), regional alliances … special projects, and exceptions to all of the above.”

Of course, there was a compromise to get the Democrats in the General Assembly to support the bill, but there was also pandering to unions and real estate developers.   After all, the unions were pitching a fit about the Metro to Dulles, and there is such a great need to fund this project, which hasn’t come without controversy.  Add to that, the real estate developers are going to benefit from the Metro expansion project as well.  Governor McDonnell is looking out for his friends, considering that Real Estate Developers contributed $627,884 dollars in 2009. (Source:  VPAP)

Granted, this behavior is appalling, but we come to expect nothing better from politics. However, we expected better from our Governor, and there is no doubt that while he has done some things right during his term in office, the decision to raise taxes will tarnish his legacy.

Yes, transportation is a problem.  It is something that each locality should address, but it can be handled in other ways.  As my friend, Shaun Kenney points out in his recent post on Bearing Drift, there are other solutions that would have been better than raising the sales tax, imposing a hybrid tax, and expanding Medicaid (this was also featured in the bill to gain Democratic support).   Shaun proposed eight solutions in his post, which would have been better than raising taxes, like a private-public partnership for roads, a flat income tax that would have abolished transportation fees and taxes, and forgetting light rail/metro developments to improve existing road infrastructures.

Hopefully, Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will find the Governor’s transportation legislation unconstitutional or that the Governor will have the common sense to veto the legislation and go back to the drawing board that will be fiscally prudent for improving transportation projects. In the meantime, you can also take action against the transportation tax hike by sending a message to the Governor.  There is also a Facebook group slamming the Governor’s decision and No Hybrid Tax petition.

Jeffersoniad Blog Alliance Opposes the Transportation Tax Hike

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It doesn’t take much to realize that HB2313 is a huge mistake, especially in a time when the unemployment is at an all-time high and when the economy seems to be tanking due to Congress and the Obama administration being focused on spending (rather than addressing the crisis and cutting programs).   HB2313 is supposed to raise money for transportation, but it will come at a cost to Virginia taxpayers.

The Jeffersoniad Blog Alliance (I’m a member of the coalition) sent a letter to members of the Virginia General Assembly rejecting the transportation tax hike.  Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

If fully implemented, the bill would cost Virginia taxpayers over $1.3 billion in new taxes.  With the economy on a knife’s edge, additional taxes would damage employment (by raising the cost of business), consumption (by raising overall prices), and the overall business environment.

Open Letter Regarding the Transportation Tax Hike (HB 2313) by Shaun Kenney

HB2313 is a bad idea, and one that will be detrimental to Virginia’s economy.

Motivation, Where Art Thou?

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Dear Readers,

I am going to be frank with everyone. The point has come where my well has run dry in terms of ideas. I have grown tired of politics, and along with that my motivation has gone out the window recently. I find myself blankly staring at the computer trying to come up with topics that I’m passionate about, only to be distracted by other things. Perhaps, this is just a phase that I will need to shake out of, and I know it might involve focusing on other topics, like marathon training, baseball, or technology. If you are interested in cooking/food, please visit my other blog, Charm Offensive Cooking.

At this point, I have decided to post weekly (if not, don’t worry…I’ll post something). Right now, I have other things on the plate. If you are libertarian leaning, please feel free to shoot me an email regarding guest posting. I will try to include your post. Also, I will have a review on Ken Cuccinelli’s book, “The Last Line of Defense: The New Fight for American Liberty.” I just started reading it, and I look forward to writing about the book.

Thank you for bearing with me. It has been a blessing to write interesting posts over the course of five years. I’ll still be here, just in a different format.

For Liberty,

Krystle

A Letter to Governor Bob McDonnell

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This is a guest post by Cary Reardon Nunnally, who wrote this letter to Governor Bob McDonnell. Nunnally has always been a strong defender of liberty, and she has been observing some of the shenanigans down in Richmond this General Assembly session. Enjoy!

Prioritize transportation if it is a priority, then cut spending on the other items, there is enough money in our treasury for transportation and the needs (not wants) of government here. There is no need to raise taxes. Especially not in regionalistic ways or overall rather than user-based with sunset. Make use of Gov Wilder’s Commission Report (tasked by Gov Warner). I attach it for your convenience. This would enable spending cuts approved by at least some democrats while not raising taxes and perhaps even finding another surplus, which, this time, could go toward transportation.

Republicans seem bent on self-destruction, and in an election year, why give the other team the fuel? Or is it true what some say, that republicans and democrats are the same, they all want to tax us now and there’s really nothing we can do about it but shut up and keep working.

Meanwhile, Virginia’s (America’s) founding fathers roll in their graves that we would threaten property rights, the very basis of our freedom and prosperity. Root out the UN Agenda 21 bills and trash them. Become a hero: No UN Agenda 21 in our state. Virginia encourages small business, not incentivizing big business by taxpayer giveaways! That’s the kind of thing we all want to hear.

We’re doing OK on the gun bills, but just for the record, tell Virginia you understand: When seconds count, police are minutes away. They need us to be able to defend ourselves. Tell our federal government that not one of our Virginia law enforcement officers will turn on OUR citizens. They are sworn to protect, not round them up at the pleasure of our current administration. This is not a communist regime. In America, we have Due Process. We have Habeas Corpus. We have Posse Comitatus. Let’s return Virginia to the rule of law and set an example for the other states.

And for God’s sake get rid of the drones. If government has them, then citizens are entitled to have them, just as with guns.

No expansion of Medicare…and the resulting influx of more voting nontaxpayers moving to our state for the benefits of a TWO BILLION dollar expansion of taxes (what HB880 has been reduced to) by Sen Stosch’s amendment. Do not allow this to happen to us.

Stand against the Constitutional Convention idea that ignores fact that states would have no control over what our Congress, with its 9% approval rating, would do for expensive years or decades of deciding who chairs, who rules, who votes and whether to hold the convention annually in Dubai.

Step up to the podium and tell us you are representing us, not the expansion of government, already unaffordable, and stop giving our money to Obamacare-crony companies and other special interests. We hunger for a powerful sign from our state leader that we will not tolerate the tyranny that comes at us from all directions this year.