Kentucky Political Watch

No Gunfights at the Saloon

2011-08-31T11:16:00.001-04:00

Saturday, 27 August 2011 14:40 Written by The Washington Times

Whether it’s the economy or gun control, liberals rarely consider the consequences of their misguided schemes. President Obama wants more “investment” spending to help the economy even though his nearly $1 trillion in supposed stimulus did nothing to reduce unemployment. Keynesian economics didn’t work under Franklin D. Roosevelt or Jimmy Carter, either, but the left refuses to learn the lesson. Now we know that gun-grabber complaints about concealed-carry in bars and restaurants are nonsense too.

Earlier this month, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reviewed Virginia State Police records and found the number of firearms-related crimes committed in establishments that serve alcohol dropped 5 percent a year after concealed-carry permit holders could legally pack heat while out on the town. There were 145 gun crimes reported in taverns and eateries a year after the law took effect, compared with 153 before. The Times-Dispatch could only identify a single permit holder who had misbehaved, though gun charges later were dropped against that person.

This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Gun owners tend to be law-abiding members of their communities. Allowing concealed-carry at the local watering hole did nothing to change that. The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police worked overtime to defeat restaurant carry, urging Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto the bill in March of last year. “Allowing guns in bars is a recipe for disaster,” Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks Jr. wrote. “We can fully expect that at some point in the future, a disagreement that today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight, will inevitably end with gunfire if you sign this legislation into law.” The shootouts never happened.

Rogers Urges Federal Disaster Declaration

2011-07-15T12:37:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC - Today U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) joined U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and U.S. Senator Rand Paul in signing a letter to President Obama urging him to approve Governor Steve Beshear's request for a major disaster declaration as a result of the severe storms, flooding, strong winds and tornadoes beginning on June 19, 2011 and continuing in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

"The deadly storms and high waters that ripped through our region have left families devastated and communities searching for ways to keep up with the staggering debris removal and repair costs," said Rogers. "It is vital that this request be approved in order for our rural communities to recover and rebuild. My thoughts and prayers remain with the families whose homes and businesses were devastated by flood waters, but I’m proud of the many first responders and even neighbors who worked diligently to rescue flood victims across southern and eastern Kentucky, including three trapped coal miners in Bell County. Their bravery reflects the steeled nature of our people and I applaud all of those who dedicated hours on the ground to ensure their safe return to their families. Every business and individual who donated cleaning supplies, heavy equipment, volunteer hours, food and the like to enhance the recovery process is to be commended for your selfless acts of kindness in a time of great despair."

The federal disaster declaration specifically requests the following:
Individual Assistance for Bell, Breathitt, Knox, Lee, and Perry Counties; Public Assistance for Bell, Breathitt, Knox, Lee, Magoffin, and Perry Counties; Hazard Mitigation for the entire Commonwealth. The Governor further requested Public Assistance (Categories C-G) at 100 percent Federal funding.

The letter to President Obama reads:

The Honorable Barack Obama
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500-0005

Dear President Obama:

We are writing to bring to your attention a letter from Governor Steve Beshear requesting a major disaster declaration for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We respectfully urge you to give this request the timely and serious consideration that it deserves.

On June 19, 2011, devastating storms and flooding again swept through the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As a result, seven (7) counties in Southeastern Kentucky suffered extensive damage from the severe storms and flash flooding. The Governor has already issued a disaster declaration for these counties under state law and is now requesting federal assistance.

As the Governor conveyed in his letter, the Commonwealth has surpassed the $5.2 million expenditure threshold required for consideration of federal disaster assistance in accordance with provisions of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.

Timely and serious consideration of the Governor’s disaster declaration request on your part would aid Kentucky communities so severely affected by this most recent disaster.

Thank you in advance for your prompt action on this matter. Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact our offices.

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To view photos of the flooded region documented by Rogers' field representatives, visit http://www.halrogers.house.gov/photos and click on the album labeled 'Regional Photos'.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

House Passes Bill to Rein in EPA Regulatory Overreach

2011-07-14T10:16:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the House of Representatives has passed H.R. 2018, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011. H.R. 2018 aims to rein in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) one-size-fits-all regulatory overreach into federally-approved state water quality programs under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The bill reasserts the authority of each State to make decisions relating to the individual State’s water quality standards and brings needed regulatory certainty by restricting EPA’s ability to second-guess, micromanage, or delay a State’s permit decisions.
“Time and again, we’ve seen the bureaucrats at EPA overrun longstanding practices, overstep state authorities, and overreach without congressional authority, putting good-paying jobs in the Commonwealth in jeopardy. Whether a coal miner in Harlan County or a farmer in Pulaski County, there is near universal support for stopping EPA. This bill turns the tables and tells EPA to back off,” stated Rogers, an original co-sponsor to H.R. 2018. “I’m pleased to see the House put another shot across the bow of EPA, but our job in stopping this bureaucracy and Administrator Lisa Jackson has just begun.”

Congress intended the states and EPA to implement the Clean Water Act as a federal-state partnership where the states and EPA act as co-regulators, also called a federal-state cooperative system of regulation. The CWA established a system where states can receive EPA approval to implement water quality programs, and under the CWA, 47 states, including Kentucky, have been so authorized to issue and enforce permits. The Kentucky Department for Natural Resources has been upholding strong standards for water quality in the Commonwealth for years, and yet, on May 11, 2011, Kentucky Secretary of the Energy and Environment Cabinet, Len Peters, testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to express growing dismay at EPA’s take-over of state water programs.

H.R. 2018 restores the cooperative balance between the States and the federal government to ensure Kentucky’s natural resources and economic development are preserved. The bill passed with bi-partisan support and now will go to the Senate for consideration.

On a related front, the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday passed the FY12 Interior-EPA Appropriations Bill and included a number of provisions aimed at slowing or stopping EPA regulatory actions. This bill sends a strong message that the EPA’s “legislation by regulation” and commandeering of congressional authority is opposed by a strong bi-partisan contingent of lawmakers – the legislation caps EPA personnel and takes explicit action to address EPA’s wrong-headed greenhouse gas regulations, its de facto moratorium on mining permits in Appalachia, its attack on the cement and utility industries through unsolicited revisions to the Clean Air Act, and its obstruction of oil and gas permitting in the Outer Continental Shelf.

“The actions taken in this funding bill related to the EPA are for good purposes – to rein in excessive spending and stop job-killing regulations,” Rogers said. “While the original mission of EPA was to maintain the health of our citizens and prevent future environmental degradation, this agency has become the poster child for this Administration’s widespread regulatory overreach and is as a result putting mining, manufacturing, and farming families out of business at a time when some Kentucky counties have 18 percent unemployment. Americans across the country pinpoint harsh regulatory burdens as a major factor in slow job growth and discouraging job creation. We’ve got to put people back to work, not more dubious regulations on the books.”

For a complete list of accepted amendments to the legislation, visit the Appropriations Committee website at www.appropriations.house.gov. This legislation awaits further consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

Tea Party – Alive and Doing Well

2011-06-30T16:20:00.001-04:00

Tea Party of Kentucky Candidate Forum was a refreshing experience. About 150 people attended this event at Evangel Conference Center in Louisville on June 18th. The candidates and the patriots showed great enthusiasm for the up and coming election on November 8, 2011, clarifying that the Tea Party is not dead and insignificant, but alive and doing well.

While all of the candidates were invited to speak, sadly only the Republicans found it important enough to show up:
Candidate for:
Governor, Senator David Williams
Secretary of State, Bill Johnson
Auditor of Public Accounts, John T Kemper III
Attorney General, Todd P’Pool was represented by David Ray
Treasurer, K.C. Crosbie
Commissioner of Agriculture, Kentucky Rep. James Comer.

The candidates are united in purpose to take Kentucky forward in business, better schools, ethics, less government intrusion and more accountability to the voters.

From Kentuckians for Freedom:

Scott Reed (Louisville Tea Party), Bobby Alexander (Central Kentucky Tea Party), Jeff Blackstone (Owensboro Tea Party) and Ann and Vic Altherr (Grassroots Tea Party of Boone County) spoke of their efforts and activities in their communities.

Straw Poll Results The audience voted in a straw poll for the candidates that will be in the Kentucky November election. The Republicans won hands down. Here are the results:
Governor David Williams(R)–96% Steve Beshear(D)–0% Neither–4%
Attorney General Todd P’Pool(R)–99% Jack Conway(D)–1%
Secretary of State Bill Johnson(R)–100% Allison Lundergan Grimes(D)–0%
Auditor John T Kemper III(R)–100% Adam Edelen (D)–0%
Treasurer K.C. Crosbie(R)–97% L.J. Todd Hollenbach(D)–3%\
Commissioner of Agriculture James Comer(R)–100% Bob Farmer(D)–0%

Oh My Gosh!!!!!

2011-06-28T20:48:00.002-04:00

This is not the actual remark that I made today when Michelle Bachman's stupidity was plastered all over the news!!

You see this shinning example of stupidity, who is actually being considered by some as a choice for President of the United States of America!

This burnt light bulb exclaimed that one of my favorite movie actors was born in Waterloo Iowa!! Of course I am talking of John Wayne.....

Now I am a Republican, and I usually believe in the idea of not speaking ill of other Republicans, but when a candidate actually is stupid enough to forget that one of the biggest serial killers(John Wayne Gacy) of all time lived in her hometown, and not a great actor being born!

Well you have to scream What the fu**!!!!

State GOP Chairman Calls for Democrat Ag Commissioner Candidate to Withdraw from Race

2011-06-23T10:41:00.000-04:00

Kentucky’s race for Agriculture Commissioner may be over before the campaign even begins.

Democrat Bob Farmer was caught on tape calling Eastern Kentuckians “toothless and inbred” and media outlets across the state carried the ugly comments. Public outcry was fast and furious.

Republicans, Democrats and Independents are calling Farmer unfit for public office. In fact, GOP Chairman Steve Robertson is calling on the Democrat Party to demand Farmer’s withdrawal from the race. To view some television news coverage on the story, click here and here.

Show your support for Republican candidate and lifelong farmer James Comer by contributing your time, money and energy to his campaign! For more information about the Comer for Commissioner of Agriculture, visit www.jamescomer.com.

Urgent News for Kentucky

2011-06-02T15:29:00.002-04:00

BY RANDY WALTERS
Life in Kentucky is nearing a change that is like nothing we’ve ever seen thanks to the EPA and Kentucky’s Division of Water. Together these two government entities are doing more damage to our economy than a trainload of terrorists wearing suicide vests.
The Kentucky Division of Water has now decided that any operation that discharges water and has a KPDES, Kentucky Pollution Discharge Eliminating System permit will be held to the same standard as the coal industry.
This will include every industry in the state as well as the sewage plants owned and operated by our municipalities. To put this into perspective it means the water testing people who had previously been able to measure for water conductivity down stream from the outlet will have to start taking their samples at the source of the discharge as has always been the case for mining.
To make things even sweeter the EPA is now starting to introduce standards for water that will be less than 300 micro ohms per centimeter. Their logic is that continued discharge of water into Kentucky’s waterways, (eastern Kentucky) will kill off insects such as the Mayfly.
The Mayfly is doing just fine at this time, but they are predicting the future without solid scientific proof. The study they used to bring about the water conductivity scam is the “Pool” study, and it is not definitive. In fact, the study itself admits the possibility of not being correct.
This change in monitoring that will require all Kentucky permit holders be held to the same standards as the coal industry will cost Kentucky more than it can be realistically expected to pay. Not only will the cost of operating a manufacturing facility go sky high, but also the cost of flushing our toilets will become restrictive.
If you doubt the effect these bureaucrats will have on your financial status you are making a mistake. These tests are expensive, but the real cost will come in the form of upgrades to make the permit holders’ facilities compliant to state and federal regulation. It will be nothing for the operators of sewage disposal plants to have to come up with millions of dollars for their systems.
The water conductivity controversy has been mainly aimed at the coal industry, but the coal industry is not the bad boy in this deal. No, the highest water conductivity discharge levels are found in sewage plant discharge, and from storm drain run-off. To find coal mining in relationship to water conductivity you have to search much further down the list of polluters.
Biologist Joey Lewis of Hyden, Kentucky, and this writer, both representing Coal Fed Families, testified before the Kentucky Senate’s Natural Resource and Energy Committee in February of 2009, and told the members of the committee to expect this action to take place in the future.
We also warned them of the financial consequence it would create for local municipalities and Kentucky manufacturing concerns in that meeting these standards would require major funding. Any entity with a KPDES permit will be held to this standard, and 2012 is the year that many of these permits come up for renewal.
To make matters worse, the EPA has pulled all the pending permits for mining coal in Region IV. Their reason is one of mistrust of quality assurance requirements and testing of water in the region. The order to hold the permits up came directly from the White House. Unless this action is rescinded we will soon start to see mining come to a halt.
This will mean higher utility rates for everyone who owns a light bulb, and will drive industry from the state, possible the nation when you consider the international concerns, like GE, who operate here now.
All the talk about EPA easing up on requirements and regulation as a result of the adverse effect it will have on the economy were no more than the usual lip service we in the coalfields have had to deal with since Obama went into office.
Kentucky is getting shafted by the Obama Administration’s liberal EPA crew, and by Kentucky’s current Attorney General and Governor. Governor Beshear talks a big talk, but has not walked the walk in looking out for Kentucky. He has not filed a state sovereignty suit, nor has our liberal attorney general.
Coal Fed Families warned you about the possibility of such a situation, and now it is happening. Contact your representatives and senators both state and national. Tell them to back off or plan on leaving public office.

Update From Hal Rogers

2011-06-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

Update From Hal

Dear Friend,

As the Kentucky National Guard prepares for the largest deployment of its troops since World War II, we realize the bravery and sacrifice required of them. More than 1,300 soldiers from the 149th Manuever Enhancement Brigade (MEB) will be training for deployment for Operation New Dawn to help U.S. Forces withdraw from Iraq later this year. Nearly 700 of those soldiers are with the "Mountain Warriors" Battalion, made up mostly of men and women from Southern and Eastern Kentucky. Louisville's Freedom Hall will host a departure ceremony on Saturday, June 4th at 4:00 p.m.

Every Memorial Day, we are reminded of the true cost of freedom. This year, I had the distinct privilege of honoring our troops and fighting families by serving as the reception host to the nationally televised “National Memorial Day Concert” inside the U.S. Capitol. With music performed by the National Symphony Orchestra and dramatic performances by Hollywood’s rising stars, this event recognized the bravery of soldiers and families who have carried the full weight of our flag, going above and beyond the call of duty.

In Somerset, we had the rare opportunity in May to honor the fallen and missing soldiers of the Vietnam War when The Center for Rural Development hosted The Wall that Heals, a mobile replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. Click here to watch the kick-off ceremony.

I salute all of our veterans and active members of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as their families.

Reining in the EPA
Here on the homefront, I recently co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to rein in the overreaching Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Obama Administration and the EPA have not only taken dead aim at the coal industry in Southern and Eastern Kentucky and across Appalachia, but also state government's ability to issue permits under the Clean Water Act (CWA). The bureaucracy is strangling economic growth through job-killing regulations.

H.R. 2018, the "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011" restricts EPA's ability to second-guess or delay a state's permitting and water quality certification decisions under CWA once EPA has already approved a state's program. We must restore the long-standing balance between federal and state partners in regulating the nation's waters.

Appropriations News

Earlier this week, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly and wisely rejected the President’s request of an increase in the debt limit without any restrictions or reductions in spending. In other words, the federal credit card at a record $14.3 trillion dollars is about to be maxed out later this summer. Any financial advisor will tell you that the first step in getting out of a debt is to start by cutting up your credit card, not extending your limit.

At present, we’re borrowing 42 cents out of every dollar, largely from China. We’re adding a record $1.6 trillion dollars to our debt annually and every dollar borrowed becomes a future dollar plus interest we have to pay back. This is shameful, unsustainable, and represents a serious threat to our economic and national security. My Republican colleagues and I are insisting the White House and Senate Democratic leadership get serious about reducing the deficit with cuts in spending that exceed the proposed $2.4 trillion debt limit increase. This means that for every dollar we increase the debt ceiling, we want at least that much and more in savings to try and get our fiscal house back in order.

Click here for more information on my work as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee

Congressional Art Competition
I appreciate all of the art teachers who encouraged their students to participate in the Congressional Art Competition. Our 2011 winner was Emily Tackett, the valedictorian for Breathitt County High School. Her artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year to represent Kentucky's Fifth District.

Emily utilized charcoal on pre-toned paper to recreate her grandmother’s reunion with her brother during World War II. She entitled the piece "Brother Returns from War." Her art teacher is Paul Hale. Emily is the daughter of Lisa and Jesse Tackett of Jackson, Kentucky.

Volunteers in the 5th
There is no question that the volunteers and community leaders in Kentucky's Fifth District are the backbone of the success we are witnessing at PRIDE and UNITE.

PRIDE Spring Cleanup totals are starting to roll in and so far, every community met or surpassed the "Get Five for PRIDE" challenge in April!

Wolfe County increased the number of volunteers from 40 volunteers last year to 1,618 this year! Whitley County increased from 690 to 1,334 volunteers this year! I am impressed by the determination of our communities to restore the natural beauty of our region.

The Operation UNITE Community Coalitions invested a lot of time and resources in the "Accidental Dealer" campaign, educating the public about the importance of locking up prescription pills and properly disposing of expired or unwanted medications.

The UNITE "Pill Dragon" destroyed more than 500,000 unwanted prescription pills during the campaign, keeping them out of the hands of potential abusers.

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As always, please feel free to contact me at any time by sending me an email. If you would like to receive more frequent updates on what’s happening in Washington, please join my Facebook page or subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thank you to everyone who has dropped by to share your opinion -- let’s keep the dialogue going!

Sincerely,

Hal

Hal Rogers Update: More Counties Added to FEMA Declaration

2011-06-02T15:25:00.000-04:00

More Counties Added to FEMA Declaration

WASHINGTON, DC - Today U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) announced more counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky have been added to the FEMA Disaster Declaration (FEMA-1976-DR) stemming from the severe storms that rapidly moved through the region April 22, 2011 through May 20, 2011. Federal funds will be available to help some individuals and communities recover from the damage left behind by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding.

"The people of Southern and Eastern Kentucky are still trying to recover from the devastating effects of the severe storms, but federal financial assistance is on the way," said Rogers. "I encourage eligible families and businesses to be diligent in documenting damage and to apply for assistance as soon as possible."

The following counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky are now eligible for federal financial assistance:

Individual Assistance (IA) is available to Lawrence and Pike Counties.

Public Assistance (PA) is available to Bath, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Lee, Magoffin, Menifee, Morgan, Owsley, Perry and Rowan Counties.

All counties in the Commonwealth of Kentucky are eligible to apply for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

Visit www.fema.gov for more information on FEMA-1976-DR.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

The Path

2011-05-29T16:09:00.002-04:00

By: L.F. Combs

Everyday we are bombarded with information on drugs, and what can happen when you take illegal drugs. Our children are preached to about the evils of gateway drugs that when used open the doors to other more dangerous drugs. The drug Oxycotin, and other drugs have plagued the county causing deaths, imprisonment, and stealing all over the area. The reasons for people turning to drugs to take away their problems are a numerous, and varied as the personalities of the citizens of Perry County, but the gateway to these problems is well known. A drug has been known to open the door to the use of harder more addictive drugs. This gateway is something Kentucky is well known for producing this drug, and some would say it is one of the biggest industries in the state. Why is this drug so manipulative in it’s ability to snare people especially the youth of the state? They see it everywhere, their parents, and other family members use this drug to celebrate, and unwind from a days work. The mixed messages that are flowing through the media that the medical benefits of the drug, and in the same sentence telling of the addictive properties for some people. A daily dose of media promotions of this drug, the movies telling the children and others that it isn’t that bad. Church groups, government agencies, out reach programs all have tried to prohibit the distribution of this drug. Now I know that many are thinking that I am going to attack Marijuana. If you think this you are not correct I am talking about the only legal drug that is abused, and has killed more people on a daily basis than any other substance known to man. Alcohol the magical fluid that has been part of society since the early days of the country, and in fact has been with the world since ancient times a drug so old it is mentioned in the Bible. Now if Marijuana is the gateway drug then alcohol is the path to the gate. So many criticize the wonder weed yet they go home to pop the top on a beer all the while preaching about the problems of the county. The nation has never learned the lessons of prohibition we are still foolishly fighting to stop human beings from themselves, and the evils of drugs. We spend millions daily on the eradication of all drugs considered to be evil in the eyes of some. I am not advocating the use of drugs nor am I going to say that it is evil that to me is up to the idiot that is trying to run from the world. I am just saying why spend millions on this war when we have seen no real results from prohibition? Frankly I have noticed more benefits from the use of treatment programs, and state monitoring of drugs like alcohol. Wouldn’t it make more since to allow for those that wish to use a substance be treated by a doctor to allow for safer use of said substance? Wouldn’t it make more since to not turn a substance into something that is a taboo, and make it appear more desirable to the young? You are not going to stop the use of drugs there has never been a drug free society not a single example in the history of the world. It’s time the area stopped wasting money on prohibition it doesn’t work learn from history. Closing your eyes and saying where a little better off than we were a few years back is stupid. Open your eyes, and learn from history.

TEA? NAH! STUPID? YES!

2011-05-12T11:33:00.000-04:00

BY RANDY WALTERS

In reading the WHAS poll results one conclusion became obvious: There are a great many people being surveyed who are so stupid they need to have their citizenship papers pulled. I am referring to the group the survey called “TEA Party supporters.”
In trying to understand the failure of Kentucky’s education system one only has to read the WHAS poll. It is not logical that anyone who proclaims to support, be a part of, or participate in anything remotely TEA could say they were for David Williams.
I am begging you to stop using TEA to describe your political views as you are surely confused, and you are embarrassing not only yourself, but TEA as well. In other words, you are either stupid or just kidding yourself.
The only person running for governor who espouses TEA principles is Phil Moffett. Any other choice is the equivalent of saying “I’m a Communist, but I believe in Capitalism.” It’s oil and water. David Williams is no more in line with TEA values than Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid, and your choice of Williams in a poll shows that you really don’t have a grip on what’s going on.
Another example of this confusion becomes obvious when people like Sean Hannity bitch and moan over the rapper “Common” being at the White House. Any of these so called “Conservative, TEA Party value” humping radio, television or internet preachers who protest such things have lost their minds.
Hey, TEA means, among other things, observance of the Constitution of the United States. Did they read it? Maybe, but it’s for damn sure they did not understand it. The first Amendment is so clearly written it makes it hard for this writer to understand how anyone could be confused of its meaning. “….Freedom of Speech…” I know it’s in there, I remember reading it, over and over out of admiration for its simplicity. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”Now, you might disagree, and you have that right, but to disagree with what “Common” says in his songs, or that the president had him as a guest at the White House for a recital is to say you just don’t understand freedom of speech, or you really don’t believe in it. Which is it?
It’s pretty much the same thing as saying you are a TEA Party supporter or member and you’re for David Williams. It is just stupid, and according to John Wayne “You can’t fix stupid.”
There are so many other issues to be discussed that bringing up “Common” at the White House indicates either a lack of intelligence on the part of the people making the noise, or it shows their true feelings of “Do as I say, not as I do.”
Another possibility is distraction. Are the people on the right so gullible as to allow themselves to be led to complaint about a rapper to the point of lessening the more serious issues facing the United States? It resembles the tail wagging the dog which could be what’s happening.
I would suggest from now on if you are asked anything about the TEA Party you utilize your Fifth Amendment right to not incriminate yourself. “I am now invoking my right to not incriminate myself as I have no earthly idea what TEA means, nor do I have any knowledge of the candidates in this race, but I will vote as I always do my patriotic duty.”
No, you’re patriotic duty would actually require you to know something about the candidates other than what party they proclaim to represent. The informed voter is not going to vote for David Williams on a logical basis. The informed voter may be intimidated by Williams, or be so blinded by Richie Farmer’s basketball prowess in years past, but the choice will not be one based on logic. Williams is so much a part of Kentucky’s financial mess it would be erroneous to think things would get better with him governor’s seat.
Williams is not TEA, nor are those people who proclaimed to be while saying they support him. Understand this, there is only one person of TEA quality running for governor, Phil Moffett. Yes, money has been a problem for Phil in this race, but he can say he doesn’t take money from convicted felons who were caught up in vote fraud conspiracy.
The true TEA Party followers demand a much higher standard in morals, ethics, and principles than David Williams will ever be able to claim with proof. His downfall on those issues is written in his record, at least the parts that have not been erased.
Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
East Kentucky TEA Party
“Hot TEA” at realhottea.com

What are the people to do??

2011-05-11T12:53:00.000-04:00

Recently I had the opportunity to talk with some citizens of Perry County that had been affected by water run off, slides that had left large rocks in the road, and numerous other problems.

I have talked with people who are still waiting on clean water to drink!

I have talked with people that are actually setting up prayer groups concerning the corruption in this county!!

I talked with an individual who has had his life threatened several times only to have no action from the City Police, State Police, or even the London Federal Bureau Task force!!

The county is over flowing with drug dealing, drug deaths, and drug related crime. Yet due to a feud between political factions the Perry County Sheriffs office is underfunded, and has had large sums of money found to be missing! A drug task force where some are making hundreds of thousands of dollars!! Yet! still drugs are everywhere!

Both School systems have had numerous problems from a Principle that allows drinking, to funny tests scores.

Recently a man who was working in the Federal Courthouse in Perry County as door security( as I understand may have worn a badge at the time) convicted in a vote buying scheme. To make this even more outrageous he may still be working at this courthouse in a similar position.

Now with all these problems and more! The county judge has decided that he needs his own county patrol to guard the county park bathrooms!!

Now how is he paying for this in a county that can't even pay it's deputies ? Coal Severance funds!!

That's right with all the problems concerning roads, poverty and other problems he is forming a county toilet tactical unit!! The Poop Troop!!

In talking with people it is obvious to me that something is really wrong in this county, and with the officials that are supposed to work for the people as a whole, and not just an inner circle.

LEXINGTON H-L CUTTING STAFF, GREAT

2011-05-10T15:20:00.000-04:00

BY RANDY WALTERS
The Lexington Herald Leader announced they would be cutting staff, again. Kentucky must be doing something right to cause that liberal, California owned rag to be having trouble. However, as is the case in most bureaucracies they will keep the sludge and cut the workers.
The paper has such greats as Tom Eblen and John Cheves on staff who are so far to the left it’s sickening. Eblen came to Hazard and spoke out against surface mining at a civic function, and probably thought his greatness deserved applause. Was he surprised when people walked out?
John Cheves is so useless that if I were a left winger in charge at the H-L, I would fire him for being so damned obvious. His coverage of the Republican Primary debate on KET was so Williams leaning it was pathetic.
The H-L rag doesn’t have to admit they are looking out for Beshear, their reporters have done that for them. They want David Williams to win the primary because they know he cannot beat Beshear in the general election. Sure, they’ve written some semi negative stories about Richie Farmer, but they have written nothing that can’t be fixed with a little PR, and their last feature on him was the fixer.
They’ve gone as far as to help Williams address the “Bully from Burkesville” label, and they got that smoothed out as if David Williams is just a poor misunderstood do-gooder with a heart of gold.
What they omitted was the problems facing Kentucky as a result of David Williams, Steve Beshear, and Greg Stumbo, and their ceaseless efforts to uphold Kentucky’s “ politics as usual at any cost” status. The bad thing about their omissions is that they call it “Journalism.”
At this point I feel it necessary to offer a suggestion to these liberal hacks. Why not do investigative reports on Kentucky’s failing education system, its impending financial melt-down, its failure to attract business from a tax standpoint, and its rating as the worst managed state in the nation?
After doing this exhaustive research work they might also want to mention who has been in charge and whose policies and actions have brought Kentucky to such levels of excellence. It would be a refreshing change to see the H-L act like a news outlet, but I doubt that ever happening.
In Phil Moffett we have a candidate running for governor who offers realistic solutions to the problems facing Kentucky, but his lack of “Politics as usual one liners” is unattractive to the folks at the H-L. They feel comfortable with David Williams ads proclaiming “Kentucky needs leadership now,” and not doing cartoons about it.
David Williams has been leadership in Kentucky for so long that he qualifies for a place in the history books, now. His ads would make an outsider think he’s the new kid on the block when, in fact, he’s one of the architects of our miserable status.
Will the H-L call his hand on such nonsense? When pigs fly they might, but even then I would have to see it prior to believing it. It’s as if they think we’re all the victims of Kentucky’s failed education system and can’t remember who has been at the helm for Kentucky’s “Titanic” experience.
The attitude towards Kentuckians as exemplified by the H-L is hurtful. Many folks in eastern Kentucky have given up on it and no longer waste their time reading it. Many folks in central Kentucky have become so put out with it as to cause them to stop reading it.
Could one assume there’s a pattern here? Could one assume there’s a pattern nationwide concerning the so called, “Journalists?” Could that be part of the reason circulation is down to the point of lay-offs at many of the nation’s news papers? Whatever the reason it will be better for Kentucky when the H-L shuts their doors. After all, who needs them when you can better investigative reporting from the writings on the walls of most pubic toilets?
Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
East Kentucky TEA Party
“Hot TEA” at realhottea.com

What to conclude???

2011-05-08T15:27:00.000-04:00

This is the second post concerning the evidence that has been turned over to me by a former law enforcement officer from Perry County Kentucky.

The evidence is a tape recorded in a bar in Hazard Kentucky on the day of an election.

I have been told that veteran city police officers knew of the illegal activity in the bar, in fact had to allow the activity due to orders from the Mayor of Hazard.

I have also been told that this tape was offered to other law enforcement agencies, but they had to refuse to take action due to superiors orders to kill any investigation.

I have heard many things in my life, but I have never heard the type of raw, unbridled spirit of criminals allowed to operate free of any law enforcement until I heard this, and other taped evidence.

As with the first post I am keeping this post short, and to the point. I am leaving you with a quote from the tapes as I feel that it will allow you to reach the same conclusion that I have reached. That in Perry County Kentucky elections are as filthy as they come, and that the people are not the ones with the say, but certain families with money.

Quote, " Do you think we can count on the Mayor to work with us next time?" asked Mister L
" I think he will " said Mister W

Also look for my next post that will inform the citizens of Perry County in need of help that the coal severance money is going to fund their County Judges own private County Patrol that will be keeping the park toilets safe!

STATEMENT: Rogers on Osama bin Laden's Death

2011-05-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Representative Hal Rogers (KY-05) released the following statement, commending the U.S. Armed Forces in their successful mission to take down al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden:

"Almost ten years ago, Osama bin Laden orchestrated the most heinous terror attacks on American soil. Instead of cowering and capitulating, our nation and our allies rose up against this international menace. I applaud the men and women of our Armed Forces who have pursued relentlessly and fought bravely, some paying the ultimate sacrifice, to bring this villain to justice. Today, while our flag flies strong and true, we must never forget the families or the lessons of 9/11."

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

A qoute says it all!

2011-04-29T11:27:00.000-04:00

Hello citizens of Kentucky! My name is Dan Cooper, but you can call me Buster! This is my first post at the Kentucky Political Watch blog, and it is a doozy!!

Last night I got to hear a tape that really just blew me away!!

It was a tape of vote buying during an election in Perry County Kentucky. Up until now I had heard stories about Perry County, and the little town of Hazard, had never really believed them as they usually seemed to be right out of a script for the t.v. show The Dukes of Hazzard!!

I would have never ever believed them if I had not heard this audio tape, and had not seen some of the other evidence. It is actially like they are auctioning off the county offices, or having an open market rally! They literally sit in a bar on main street, and organize the buying of votes.

I plan on doing several posts on this tape, and this one is a brief introduction to the series of articles. It is also a summation of the whole series as one quote (which is the subject of this post) from this tape really just screams the whole filthy business in one small sentence!

I quote, " I just voted for someone I really didn't want to, but you have to go with the big money!"

Pension Gate By: Randy Walters

2011-04-20T11:52:00.001-04:00

Here is an article written by Randy Walters of Hazard Kentucky that has been submitted to me today.

I hope to see more people in the region express their opinions concerning issues that they feel need to be addressed.

Please feel free to use your right to freedom of speech, and send any articles you wish. This blog is open to the people.

Pension Gate
BY RANDY WALTERS

It has been discovered that the video record of the passing of HB 299 has been erased. HB 299 is the pension bill that makes it possible for senate president David Williams to make a million dollars after he leaves government.
A million dollars in pension money at the expense of Kentucky Taxpayers all done with the stroke of a pen in HB 299, and now the video record has mysteriously vanished. Go figure.
It’s beyond belief that in this age of so much more political awareness a man like David Williams would even be considered for the top position in a state. Or is it just normal for a state employee to have a million dollar pension plan? If so, we should all strive to be state employees.
Were Kentucky to be in decent financial shape David Williams’ pension deal would still be obscene. Recently he has said he would give the money back. Wow, that’s like saying, “If you think I stole your money I’ll just give it back.”
He then said if the law would not permit him to give the money back to the state he would donate it to charity. Why not just sponsor a “David Williams Pension Fest” in Frankfort every year and get everyone drunk?
Even if the charity thing was the only option one would wonder what law gave Williams the power to decide where to donate our tax dollars?
No, no, no, this is all wrong and David Williams is one of the architects of this thievery. He got caught reaching for the brass, (Gold) ring and he wants us to give him a boost so he can reach it. No thanks, Dave, you’ve slopped at the public trough long enough.
As for the missing recordings, well, are you really surprised? Had they been erased by mistake why was there not just a blank space accompanied by an explanation of what happened? To say the least it merits an inquiry by law enforcement.
It’s hard to believe we are even having this discussion. David Williams is exactly what’s wrong with Kentucky as he is a politician who has extremely high self esteem at the expense of others.
Kentucky voters do have a choice this May. The choice between a politician and a statesman. Phil Moffett has exhibited his statesmanship through is work in helping children get a better education through private efforts. David Williams has exhibited his self centered arrogance through his actions while on the payroll of the state.
It’s a time in our history when we have to make the right choice or allow our children and grandchildren’s futures to be legally looted by the likes of David Williams type politicians on both sides of the isle.

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Familiesrealhottea.com




Randy Walters	Williams' pension plan HB 299	3:38 am	10 k
Randy Walters	RE: on the net tonight	Tue, 10:34 am	13 k
Randy Walters	FW: Finally!	Mon, 6:51 pm	262 k
Randy Walters	Richie Farmer	Mon, 9:51 am	1.0 m
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Randy Walters	FW: two more	Sat, 9:30 pm	2.4 m
Randy Walters	FW: crime 2	Fri, 11:26 am	636 k
Randy Walters	FW: Wish I could think of answers this fast.....	Fri, 6:37 am	16 k
Randy Walters	FW: Ginny Saville asked you a question...	Fri, 4:45 am	8 k
Randy Walters	real housewives of Perry ounty	Fri, 4:26 am	1.6 m
The Washington Post	Breaking News: FAA official in charge of air traffic resigns (corrected)	04/14/2011 8:14 am	4 k
Randy Walters	no subject	04/12/2011 6:27 am	9 k
Randy Walters	RE: the shoot out	04/12/2011 3:33 am	16 k
Izar	Seze the secerts ofv alsobute male poower	04/11/2011 7:57 pm	1 k
Randy Walters	RE: the shoot out	04/11/2011 1:31 pm	13 k
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Randy Walters	50 people	04/10/2011 1:42 pm	11 k
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Randy Walters	t	04/08/2011 3:48 am	8 k
Randy Walters	Hot TEA tonight.	04/07/2011 1:11 pm	7 k
Randy Walters	FW: Press Conference and Rally	04/05/2011 1:34 pm	10 k
Randy Walters	step aside boy	04/04/2011 7:32 am	19 k
Damia Hadrian	People feel hugge with our outstanding drygs	04/02/2011 9:07 pm	1 k
Randy Walters	gp cats	04/01/2011 4:10 am	375 k
Randy Walters	stuff	03/31/2011 4:37 am	3.6 m
Randy Walters	RE: tonight	03/30/2011 1:11 pm	15 k
Randy Walters	song for Phil	03/30/2011 10:05 am	2.4 m
Randy Walters	Willams spot	03/29/2011 8:08 am	1.2 m
Randy Walters	FW: [Lexington-Ky-WeSurroundThem] Action Alert - EPA	03/28/2011 3:55 am	8 k
Randy Walters	tonight	03/28/2011 3:34 am	5 k
Nick Goadby	Magnify your feleings capbailities	03/25/2011 5:51 pm	1 k
Randy Walters	FW: Backin to Burkesville	03/25/2011 5:40 am	10 k
Randy Walters	FW: vacation in Japan	03/25/2011 5:28 am	110 k
Randy Walters	call time	03/24/2011 12:47 pm	2 k
Randy Walters	boom	03/23/2011 7:05 pm	14 k
Randy Walters	RE: show	03/23/2011 1:54 pm	7 k
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Randy Walters	The Lizard Band	03/22/2011 7:23 pm	1.2 m
Randy Walters	RE: show	03/22/2011 12:32 pm	5 k
Randy Walters	show	03/22/2011 5:07 am	2 k

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Changes To The Blog

2011-04-19T13:05:00.003-04:00

I am in the process of making some changes to the blog... I am going to be working with it, but not full time... I am going to hand it over to another...

Don Buster Cooper will be the person handling all future moderation as well posting on political matters.....

I have been assured that it will be even hotter on the issues than when I was doing all the posting....it is also going to be doing more on the political dirty laundry of the state!

Reid and Durbin within 180 degrees

2011-04-12T15:20:00.000-04:00

Senators Harry Reid of Nevada and Dick Durbin of Illinois are within 180 degrees of being right in their assessment of the TEA Party’s social agenda. The two blamed the TEA Party for the trouble in the budget negotiations this past week as if it were a giant holding them hostage.
Our two distinguished senators call it the “Extreme social agenda of the TEA Party,” and in a way they might be considered right. They are referring to the federal funding of Planned Parenthood which is doing abortions, and the money going the EPA which is reigning terror on the nation through their environmental policy.
The TEA Party will agree with them that the problem has been a social agenda, but it’s Reid, Durbin, and Obama’s social agenda we are being forced to fund with our tax dollars, and that’s the problem. The TEA Party and other conservative groups just do not agree they should pay for something with which they disagree.
In times past the liberal Democrats and immoral Republicans would have been able to slide this stuff by in their political back scratching ways of porking projects and programs to help in their reelections. In case you haven’t noticed, times are changing.
There is a greater awareness of the way things are done in Washington and state capitals all across this great nation, and that awareness is what led to the pressure being put on the Republicans to not accept a token spending cut such as the one offered by Obama.
Still, the Republicans put off standing up to the liberal spending agenda until the debt ceiling talks coming up in May. How they will revert to their cowardly ways at that time remains to be seen, but rest assured they will resist logic if they can.
It will be a really tough time for legislators as they will have to devise a way to prove themselves worthy in the eyes of the hand out world. This in the face of growing taxpayer demands for them to stop the madness before it destroys us. It will be like trying to taking drugs from a jones’n socialist junkie.
The Democrats have already started trying to cushion their stance by saying the Republicans don’t care about women’s health or the air we breathe. You can bet there will be other issues of human cruelty leveled as more social cupcakes are pulled from the government menu.
In a perfect world things could have been different, but the politicians ruined it by going overboard in a giveaway orgy of crooked deals, despot funding foreign aid, and vote buying social programs for those who were ever so willing to take advantage.
Our hopes depend on the continued perceived strength of the TEA Party and other grassroots organizations. If we continue to elect those who reflect our beliefs, our property, and our way of life it could actually work itself out. If we let up for even a minute the liberals will smell blood and move in for the kill.
To expect any help from the establishment Republicans or the so called Blue Dog Democrats would be too great a risk. The proof of their feelings towards their fellow counterparts was made obvious by the kiss fest held on national television between Sen. McConnell, Senator Reid, and President Obama after the agreement was reached in this last go around.
Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families at coalfedfamilies.com
Hot TEA at realhottea.com
East Kentucky TEA Party at eastkyteaparty.com

ON SECOND THOUGHT

2011-04-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

The proposal to unite the TEA Party groups as to give it a stronger voice in politics sounded good at first, but on second thought it’s a bad idea. In fact it’s a terrible idea because it defeats the purpose of the grassroots movement.

The TEA Party and other grassroots groups derive their power from the fact that they are not answerable to anyone accept the group’s members. In other words, there is no national leadership in control.

It’s the most refreshing thing to happen to the American political scene since the "We The People" concept was put into place. Without national leadership or control the groups can advocate whatever they wish, and there is no protocol that must be followed.

The sum of its consequences is greater than that which could be spoken by one central voice. Government officials, lobbyists, nor any special interest groups can influence the TEA Party as there is no control. Much like herding cats, the TEA Party groups go their own way, and politicians are starting to learn the fatality of not searching them out for counsel.

There is a central theme of the groups which consists of lower taxes, smaller, less intrusive government, and more respect for individual and state’s rights.

Were the TEA Party groups to have a central voice of leadership in Washington would make it possible for compromise on such issues depending upon the political leanings of the leadership or possible pressure from the administration. As it is there is no way to do any of that as there is no one person or single group of people in control.

If there was it would greatly diminish the effect of the TEA Party groups on the political process. The instant we stop fanning the flames of the small fires that heat the blanket of our freedom is the precise time we will see our liberties freeze.
The established Republican and Democrat parties have both shown us what can happen as a result of formality.

Any effort by the TEA Party groups in unison should remain the decisions of the individual groups, not a central command.

Also, the Democrats in congress who do not want to move towards fiscal sanity have no one person to blame for their difficulties. Their feet are being held to the fire and they cannot put a name to the arsonist causing the heat. All they can do is blame something they do not control.

The Republicans are starting to realize that TEA is not going away, and there is no single office they can call to get an appointment for a meeting to discuss a strategy. TEA is much larger than any one person, group, or party, and it needs to remain just as it is.

Randy Walters

Coal Fed Families at coalfedfamilies.com

"Hot TEA" at realhottea.com

Ben Chandler Attacks Coal Again!!

2011-04-07T19:37:00.004-04:00

Well the anti-coal Ben Chandler is at it again!!

Why can't this man see that the coal industry is needed in this region, and in America???

People like Chandler keep wanting to attack coal!! Wanting to shut down the industry, but they have no plan as to what to use to replace coal!!

It is all liberal tree hugging fantasy ranting!!

Wanting to save their Disney warped view of nature without any real substance to the argument!!

If you close down the coal industry what are you going to do to employee people in this region??

What are you gonna replace the coal with to keep the lights on in your house Chandler??

Below is the latest attack on the Coal industry by Chandler:

Protect Our Streams from Mining Waste

From: The Honorable Heath Shuler
Sent By: ryan.fitzpatrick@mail.house.gov
Bill: H.R. 1375
Date: 4/6/2011

April 6, 2011

Protect Our Streams from Mining Wastes

Cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act, H.R. 1375

Dear Colleague:

Congressman Frank Pallone has reintroduced the Clean Water Protection Act (H.R. 1375) to protect our nation's waterways and promote economic growth in American coal country. I hope you will join us as proud cosponsors of this critical legislation.

We need to recognize the important role that coal currently plays in our national energy portfolio. However, we must also work to strike a balance between protecting our environment and promoting economic growth in the future. We feel that H.R. 1375, the Clean Water Protection Act, does both.

H.R. 1375 prohibits the dumping of waste from mountaintop removal coal mines into our precious rivers and streams. This waste contains dozens of heavy metals and chemicals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and selenium. Tap water in many local communities runs orange and even black from these “valley fills”, jeopardizing the health of the people in this region.

H.R. 1375 would not only end water pollution from mining waste, but would also help to revitalize mining communities like those in Appalachia. Mountaintop removal coal mining results in a tremendous loss of traditional underground coal mining jobs, which are critical to coal bearing regions of our country. It also leaves local communities with little ability to diversify their economy and seek new industrial investment, given the pervasive damage that this activity often creates in the local environment.

To date, at least one million acres of Appalachia's mountains have been leveled by mountaintop removal mining. More than 500 mountains have been flattened by this process, and nearly 2,000 miles of streams are buried and destroyed by the dumping of mountaintop removal waste. If Congress does not intervene, we will lose even more of Appalachia's vibrant communities and culture, long-term economic growth potential, natural beauty, and abundant ecological resources and services.

As members in search of commonsense solutions that balance environmental and economic needs, we ask that you strongly consider cosponsoring H.R. 1375, the Clean Water Protection Act. For more information, please contact Ryan Fitzpatrick in the office of Rep. Heath Shuler (5-6401) or ryan.fitzpatrick@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Heath Shuler, NC-11 Ben Chandler, KY-06

Jim Cooper, TN-05 Mike Michaud, ME-02

You know I would call Chandler a Weasel, but I don't want to ruin a Weasels reputation by comparing it to the likes of Chandler!!

Gun Owners of America

2011-04-05T13:46:00.001-04:00

Senate to Consider Bill Allowing Obama-Packing Scheme

Shortly, the U.S. Senate will consider legislation to take a number of key gun-related offices in the Department of Justice and remove them from the requirement of Senate confirmation. The legislation is sponsored by anti-gun zealot Charles Schumer (D-NY) and weak-kneed Republican Lamar Alexander (R-TN).

S. 679 would give Barack Obama the ability to fill major gun-related Department of Justice slots with anti-gun partisans, without the pesky inconvenience of having to comply with the Constitution's requirements for Senate confirmation.

Consider the following:

Barack Obama has not hesitated to load up his administration with anti-gun crazies like Regulatory Czar Cass Sunstein (who thinks hunters should be sued in court because of the pain and suffering they inflict upon animals) and Andrew Traver (the nominee to head the ATF who never met a gun control proposal he didn't like).

If he has been willing to pack his administration with anti-gun extremists -- many of whom had to pass Senate confirmation -- imagine what kind of lunatics Obama could nominate if the Schumer-Alexander legislation exempted major positions from constitutional advise-and-consent requirements.

To take posts like the official who composes statistics for the Justice Department (the Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics) and the person who represents the Justice Department before Congress (Assistant Attorney General, Legislative Affairs) and turn them into "Political hack" positions is unacceptable.

ACTION: Contact your Senators. Urge them to filibuster S. 679, the Schumer-Alexander bill to exempt Justice Department gun-related posts from the Constitution's advise-and-consent requirements.

ALERT: ATF to Ban Tactical Shotguns

2011-03-31T15:42:00.002-04:00

This is from the National Association For Gun Rights! We need to always be ready to fight any infringement of the Second Amendment!

Alert From Association For Gun Rights-

I hope you're not one of those gun owners who said, "They'll never come for my shotguns."

If you are, I'm afraid the rain is about to fall on your parade.

You see, the ATF is coming for your shotguns ... with a vengeance.

The ATF wants to ban the importation of any tactical shotgun it views as not meeting the "sporting suitability" use as defined in the Gun Control Act of 1968.

That means all they need to do is make up a bunch of "features" that don't (according to them) "fit" a sporting use of a shotgun.

It's an open door for an outright shotgun ban ... the very same shotguns that are probably in your gun safe right this minute.

This ban may seem too horrible and too outrageous to be real. But believe me when I tell you: This is no hoax.

Make no mistake: This ban will affect hundreds of gun makers who produce shotguns that are currently in use not only by law enforcement and the military in the United States but also home owners who simply want an effective home defense shotgun.

The real question is, what can you do about it? For starters, get informed about these guns.

Thanks for your support,

Dudley Brown
Executive Director

PS - The ATF is proposing to ban importation on all tactical shotguns it asserts don't have any "sporting" use. If they succeed, this will be the most dangerous interpretation of the 1968 Gun Control Act ever envisioned and will outlaw thousands of perfectly legitimate home defense shotguns.

Rand Pauls Campaign Freedom Alert!

2011-03-30T15:39:00.002-04:00

Dear Friend of Liberty,

I hope you join me in my firm conviction that now is the time to fight back against the out of control Federal Reserve and continued Wall Street plundering of our tax dollars.

The threat isn’t hard to see -- just look all around us. Our constitutional principles and freedoms are being assaulted at every turn. More bailouts, trillion dollar “stimulus” plans, huge new debt burdens for our children, simply printing money to cover our failed policies -- I could go on and on. You and I both know that President Obama is going to keep going and going unless someone puts a stop to the madness.

But the good news is there is a way to fight back. And that fight starts today -- by “Auditing the Fed” and showing the American people just how the Fed has abused its power, debauched the dollar, and helped strangle our economy.

Because I know you are a friend in Liberty, I wanted you to be among the first people contacted by Campaign for Liberty for the vital fight against the out of control Federal Reserve.

Please read the enclosed letter from my friend and Campaign for Liberty’s President, John Tate. John isn’t just a friend of mine. He’s also a patriot with years of experience getting things done in politics. Now he’s agreed to take up the fight in a way I cannot -- by leading the fight for Liberty on the outside, while I do battle in the halls of Congress.

I trust you’ll find this battle to expose the out of control Fed worth your support.

For Liberty,

Congressman Ron Paul

Backin’ to Burkesville

2011-03-25T13:29:00.002-04:00

By Randy Walters
At realhottea.com

He sure didn’t see it going this way
Beaten by Beshear in a hard fought game
He can identify now with Duke’s coach “K”
And he’s Backin to Burkesville with doubts about May. rw
　
　
Like a Barker at an old time carnival Governor Beshear called the senate in and made Senate President David Williams his personal Rube. Beshear and the house voted to accept the senate bill in dealing with Kentucky’s massive Medicaid problem, a bill that called for cuts from programs the house did not want.
It must have appeared that house democrats had come to their senses and decided the wisdom of Williams and his cohorts in the senate was so great and mystical that they just had to go along. It may have seemed that way to Williams, but alas it was StevO who got the last laugh.
According to news reports the governor had assured house democrats that he would line item veto the cuts. So, they had nothing to lose by voting for the senate version. Senate President Williams, on the other hand, had everything to lose, and he lost it.
StevO got the best of him with a swift kick to the softer region that surely made Williams run for the Pepto. Ouch Williams, that has to hurt with dreams of fat cat gubernatorial pay based pension riches. The best laid plans…….
The ever so confident Williams is now news fodder for everyone in the Commonwealth. News service providers are heralding the move by Beshear, but not because they agree with either of the choices on Medicaid, but because of the sheer beauty of the political move Beshear pulled off in Frankfort. It was a real bipartisan effort to solve one of the state’s most pressing issues, Frankfort style.
Of course the people of the Commonwealth were put completely out of the picture on this, and it became just another political move by the folks on both sides of the isle we have come to expect, politics as usual. The significance being the timing of StevO’s whack on his real good buddy, David Williams. Somehow it seems we deserve better, but we elected the Barker and the Rubes, and for now we’re stuck with them. It may take a little while, but eventually their types are being weeded out of the process.
Don’t be surprised to see the Williams-Farmer Campaign Bus going down the highway in reverse. They might as well be “Backin to Burkesville” as far as this race is concerned. It’s too late to change the sign to read, “Farmer-Williams.”

GOA Alert : Gunnies Take it on the Chin

2011-03-20T13:26:00.001-04:00

In a defeat for fiscal and Second Amendment conservatives, the House and Senate this week approved a short-term “continuing resolution” (CR) to extend the operation of the government for three weeks -- until April 8.

The CR would continue to fund anti-gun ObamaCare, ATF’s illegal multiple sales regulations, ATF’s unlawful Project Gunrunner -- and a litany of other unconstitutional provisions.

Majority Leader Harry Reid rammed the anti-gun CR through the Senate on Thursday. In both chambers, the leadership tried to excuse its actions on behalf of the CR by arguing that it would cut $6 billion from the roughly $1.5 trillion deficit -- two-thirds of one percent of the current deficit.

But all of these cuts were painless cuts preapproved by the Obama administration. For example, $1.7 billion came from money left over from the census.

All the while, the CR continues to fund the implementation of ObamaCare and the ATF’s illegal activities -- including its unlawful multiple sales gun registry and its disgraceful effort to put firearms into the hands of Mexican drug lords through its appropriately named Project Gunrunner.

You can see GOA’s groundbreaking report on ATF’s Gunrunner scandal at:
http://gunowners.org/projectgunrunner.htm

Plus, several videos exposing ATF -- including Executive Director Larry Pratt’s appearance on Fox News -- can be viewed on GOA’s homepage at:
www.gunowners.org

GOA is now asking members of the Senate and House to reject any further short-term CR’s unless they defund the anti-gun ObamaCare program and ATF.

Activists are encouraged to thank their Representatives and Senators who voted AGAINST this week’s CR. Deserving special thanks are the 54 Republicans who voted to oppose the CR for the right reasons.

Click here to see the list at gunowners.org

Rogers Invites Students to Participate in

2011-03-11T13:19:00.002-05:00

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers (KY-05) sent the following letter to schools in the fifth congressional district, encouraging their students' participation in the 2011 Congressional Art Competition.

The text of the letter is below:

March 10, 2011

Dear Fifth District Principals and Art Teachers:

It gives me great pleasure to invite each of your students to participate in the 2011 Congressional Art Competition, “An Artistic Discovery.”

Each year, Congress holds an annual art competition for high school students to display their artistic talents and represent their congressional district. Thousands of high school students from all across the country participate in this competition, and one winner from each congressional district is chosen.

I hope that you will encourage your students to participate in this wonderful presentation of our children’s talent. The United States Capitol plays host to over 3,000,000 visitors per year. With such a large and diverse quantity of guests, students from our region have a unique opportunity to showcase their talent to a wider audience. We have so much to offer in our great region, and I am grateful that the students of the fifth congressional district will have the chance to participate in this competition, and proudly represent all that Kentucky has to offer.

Teachers and principals in the fifth district are encouraged to notify students of the competition and guidelines. The winner from the fifth congressional district will have their artwork displayed at the United States Capitol for an entire year. All artwork is due at the coordinating Congressional District Offices by April 22, 2011. Regional winners will be chosen from the Somerset, Prestonsburg and Hazard district offices. Information regarding regions is attached. District staff at each office will chose the finalists, and an overall winner will be chosen from the regional winners. The winner’s artwork will be hung for display in the United States Capitol.

Should you have any questions regarding the competition, please do not hesitate to contact Chelsea Whalen in my Washington D.C. office at 202-225-4601 or by email at chelsea.whalen@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

HAROLD ROGERS
Member of Congress

Artwork should be submitted to the following district offices as indicated by county.

Prestonsburg District Office
(Bath, Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan, Pike and Rowan counties)
110 Resource Court
Suite A
Prestonsburg, KY 41653

Hazard District Office
(Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Menifee, Owsley, Perry and Wolfe counties)
601 Main Street
Hazard, KY 41701

Somerset District Office
(Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne and Whitley counties)
551 Clifty Street
Somerset, KY 42503

Will Congress Lay the Groundwork for Gun Confiscation?

2011-03-11T13:15:00.001-05:00

Within the next 90 days, Congress will vote on whether to reauthorize legislation to specifically allow the government potential access to millions of gun records (4473’s).

Historically, gun registration has been a prelude to gun confiscation. Almost 20 years ago, JPFO (Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership) documented how several foreign governments in the Twentieth Century had used gun control -- and quite often gun registration -- to confiscate firearms. In each case, such gun confiscation was a prelude to genocide.

Currently in the United States, the 4473 forms that gun buyers fill out are stored at gun dealers’ shops. But provisions in the PATRIOT Act (which sunset soon) specifically allow the FBI to seize these gun records under certain conditions.

We now have a unique opportunity to make sure these dangerous provisions expire -- or to exempt gun records from the reach of the government.

Rogers, Capito Introduce Legislation To

2011-03-08T16:44:00.000-05:00

Mining Jobs Protection Act will end
EPA’s unfair permitting practices

Washington, DC – U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) and U.S. Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (WV-02) introduced legislation today to protect Appalachian coal miners from an overreaching Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its war on coal.

In response to EPA’s recent “strangulation by regulation,” the Mining Jobs Protection Act aims to eliminate the backlog of surface mining permits that has created uncertainty in the business community, threatening some 80,000 high-paying Appalachian coal mining jobs. Currently, mining operations must obtain a 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in consultation with EPA before work may commence. Since 2009, however, the EPA has overstepped its legal authority to hold up dozens of permits in Appalachia, and last month, took a wholly unprecedented action by retroactively vetoing a long-standing mining permit in Logan County, WV.

The Rogers-Capito legislation directs EPA to “use it or lose it” when deciding to invoke its veto authority, putting in place a 60-day limit for EPA to justify whether a permit will be approved or denied and injecting much-needed certainty into the regulatory process. In addition, the bill ensures that EPA cannot use its veto retroactively.

“As I reiterated to EPA Administrator Jackson last week, it all comes down to jobs. Coal is a vital sector of Kentucky’s economy, sustaining some 200,000 jobs, and essential to our national energy security, providing some 50% of our country’s electricity,” stated Rogers, member of the Congressional Coal Caucus. “Continued and arbitrary delays in the permitting process are threatening to put our people out of work. With unemployment hovering at 9%, our job-creating industries need regulatory certainty – not more of EPA’s an aggressive and overzealous ‘strangulation by regulation.’ The legislation that Congresswoman Capito and I introduced today limits EPA’s authority and ends its unofficial war on coal, restoring certainty and stability to employers and helping put Kentuckians back to work.”

“The EPA has no right to arbitrarily revoke previously approved permits in the name of advancing an anti-coal agenda. Intentionally delaying the approval process has led to a slow-bleed of jobs throughout Appalachia at a time when we should be focusing on making it easier for businesses to stay afloat. Our miners should be able to conduct their day-to-day business and make investments in the future without a veil of uncertainty hovering over the industry. Thousands of my constituents depend on the mining industry to put food on the table, and I will fight to keep it from being targeted by those who wish to use regulatory authority to launch the so-called ‘war on coal,’” stated Capito, cofounder of the Congressional Coal Caucus.

Sens. McConnell, Inhofe, and Paul introduced similar legislation in the U.S. Senate last week.

House Votes to Put Anti-gun ObamaCare and ATF on Chopping Block

2011-02-26T11:48:00.000-05:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Last Friday, the House tacked defunding of the anti-gun ObamaCare law onto the "continuing resolution," which is required to fund the federal government through September 30.

In a series of four votes, the House approved:

* An amendment offered by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) to defund ObamaCare for the next six months;

* Two amendments sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to defund previously appropriated provisions of ObamaCare; and,

* An amendment offered by Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO) to defund IRS implementation of the "individual mandate," which is the ObamaCare requirement that forces Americans to cough up their medical information which could later be used by the FBI to block gun purchases (and forces them to buy government-approved insurance).

In addition, the House, by a sizable majority, adopted the Boren-Rehberg amendment to defund ATF's efforts to create a new gun registry for many multiple gun sales. (Rep. Dan Boren is a Democrat from Oklahoma.)

Gun Owners of America contacted every member of the House of Representatives prior to the vote on the Boren-Rehberg amendment. This is an important provision that will stop the ATF's attempts to illegally register gun owners.

Since last year, the ATF has been trying to require licensed firearms dealers (in some states) to report to the government the sale of two or more semi-automatic rifles that are .22 caliber or greater, that can accept a detachable magazine, and that are purchased by the same person within five business days.

The House's actions last week put us in a position where 41 senators can force Democrats to either:

1. Defund the anti-gun ObamaCare, plus ATF's unlawful gun registry; or

2. Shut down the non-essential functions of the Obama administration, including ATF.

Shutting down the ATF would represent a boon for gun owners' rights. (Click here to see GOA's report on the most recent egregious abuse by the ATF.)

The fight to defang the ATF -- and to repeal ObamaCare -- are two top priorities at Gun Owners of America.

Given that there are 47 Republicans in the Senate -- and 51 senators who purport to oppose ObamaCare's mandate that you buy insurance you don't want -- you would think that defunding ObamaCare and the ATF would be an imminently winnable fight, right?

Well, let's hope so. Because you can be sure of this... if the shoe were on the other foot, Senator Barack Obama (in 2008) would NOT have shied away from shutting down the non-essential functions of the Bush administration in order to get his way.

Heck, no!

The good news is that we have the vehicle to kill ObamaCare and the ATF's unlawful multiple sales registry -- if we just have the will to do so.

ACTION: Contact your two Senators and insist they filibuster any version of the "continuing resolution" which does not defund ObamaCare and bar funds for ATF's unlawful multiple gun sales registry.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send a pre-written message to your Senators.

Rifles Banned By Barack Obama

2011-02-21T10:43:00.001-05:00

Dear fellow Patriot,

Nearly 1 million American rifles.

Banned by a stroke of Barack Obama’s pen.

In a move unprecedented in American history, the Obama Administration secretly banned the re-importation of nearly one million American made M1 Garand and Carbine rifles.

The M1 Garand, developed in the late 1930’s, carried the United States through World War II seeing action in every major battle.

General Patton at the time called the M1 Garand “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”

The rifle is largely credited with giving American soldiers the advantage and securing victory for the allies.

During the Korean War, nearly one million of these rifles were brought to South Korea and left with the South Korean government afterward.

Now, South Korea wants to give American gun collectors the chance to get their hands on this unique piece of history.

A piece of American history that Barack Obama would like to see go down the memory hole.

That’s why I need as many Americans as possible to put themselves on record opposing this gun ban.

Will you please join me?

After World War II, the United States government sent millions of these rifles overseas to our allies and friends.

Over the past 50 years, many of the countries we lent them to returned them to America to be bought and sold by firearms collectors.

This is nothing new.

Make no mistake; these rifles were made in America, by Americans, for Americans, to defend freedom on foreign shores.

As a part of our history, they are greatly sought after by American shooters and collectors.

But according to Hillary Clinton’s State Department there is a danger they might “fall into the wrong hands.”

That they might, possibly, one day be used in a crime.

No mention of the hundreds of thousands of gun owners deprived of the opportunity to own an integral part of American history.

The State Department’s outrageous claims are nothing more than a thinly veiled ploy to distract from the real issue:

President Obama’s deep seated hatred for gun rights.

While his gun-grabbing base is giddy with praise at this back-door gun ban, law-abiding citizens across the United States are crying foul.

Let me be clear: at no time in U.S. history has the ownership of this firearm -- or any part of this firearm -- been illegal, restricted or banned.

Americans have collected World War II M1 Garand and Carbine rifles for decades.

Now they are sold through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

You can even purchase a newly manufactured model from Springfield Armory that was made just a month or two ago.

And the M1 Garand’s caliber or capacity is no more dangerous than the millions of modern firearms owned by Americans across the country today.

As you can see, there is absolutely no justification for this unconstitutional gun ban.

Dear fellow Patriot,

Nearly 1 million American rifles.

Banned by a stroke of Barack Obama’s pen.

In a move unprecedented in American history, the Obama Administration secretly banned the re-importation of nearly one million American made M1 Garand and Carbine rifles.

The M1 Garand, developed in the late 1930’s, carried the United States through World War II seeing action in every major battle.

General Patton at the time called the M1 Garand “the greatest battle implement ever devised.”

The rifle is largely credited with giving American soldiers the advantage and securing victory for the allies.

During the Korean War, nearly one million of these rifles were brought to South Korea and left with the South Korean government afterward.

Now, South Korea wants to give American gun collectors the chance to get their hands on this unique piece of history.

A piece of American history that Barack Obama would like to see go down the memory hole.

That’s why I need as many Americans as possible to put themselves on record opposing this gun ban by signing the Official Firearms Freedom Survey I’ve enclosed.

Will you please join me?

After World War II, the United States government sent millions of these rifles overseas to our allies and friends.

Over the past 50 years, many of the countries we lent them to returned them to America to be bought and sold by firearms collectors.

This is nothing new.

Make no mistake; these rifles were made in America, by Americans, for Americans, to defend freedom on foreign shores.

As a part of our history, they are greatly sought after by American shooters and collectors.

But according to Hillary Clinton’s State Department there is a danger they might “fall into the wrong hands.”

That they might, possibly, one day be used in a crime.

No mention of the hundreds of thousands of gun owners deprived of the opportunity to own an integral part of American history.

The State Department’s outrageous claims are nothing more than a thinly veiled ploy to distract from the real issue:

President Obama’s deep seated hatred for gun rights.

While his gun-grabbing base is giddy with praise at this back-door gun ban, law-abiding citizens across the United States are crying foul.

Let me be clear: at no time in U.S. history has the ownership of this firearm -- or any part of this firearm -- been illegal, restricted or banned.

Americans have collected World War II M1 Garand and Carbine rifles for decades.

Now they are sold through the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

You can even purchase a newly manufactured model from Springfield Armory that was made just a month or two ago.

And the M1 Garand’s caliber or capacity is no more dangerous than the millions of modern firearms owned by Americans across the country today.

As you can see, there is absolutely no justification for this unconstitutional gun ban.

This is just the latest in a series of anti-gun schemes from the Obama Administration:
*** New BATFE regulations on semi-automatic rifles, requiring firearms dealers to act as an informant to anti-gun federal bureaucrats if someone buys more than one rifle;

*** The Disarming American Citizens Act (H.R. 2159 in the last Congress) letting Attorney General Eric Holder revoke the Second Amendment rights of ANY American he chooses based on pure suspicion;

*** Notorious anti-gunners appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court and other senior administration positions;

That’s why it is essential that Americans like you and I take a stand against the M1 Garand gun ban!

It has been common practice since the end of World War II to re-import these American made rifles from the foreign allies they were lent to during the war.

But the Obama Administration departs radically from the American tradition.

In fact, on top of banning American citizens from owning these historic firearms, Obama’s State Department is arranging for the destruction of nearly one million of them -- ironically, at a time of ballooning federal deficits.

It’s an outrage!

These firearms -- truly pieces of American history -- rightly belong in the hands of U.S. citizens.

That’s why I’ve joined with the National Association for Gun Rights to fight this power grab in the U.S. Senate.

Do you believe the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Second Amendment are the supreme law of the land?

Do you believe that President Obama banning the re-importation of these historic firearms is an unprecedented and unconstitutional power grab?

Do you support Congress forcing President Obama to reverse his ban and save these American made rifles from destruction?

If you said “Yes” to these questions, please sign the Firearms Freedom Survey the National Association for Gun Rights has prepared for you.

Your survey will put you squarely on the record AGAINST Barack Obama’s Rifle Ban.

And along with your signed survey, I hope you’ll send a generous contribution of $250, $100, $50 or even just $35 or as little as $25 to help finance this battle.

With your generous contribution, the National Association for Gun Rights will continue contacting Second Amendment supporters to turn up the heat on targeted U.S. Senators.

Not only that, but they’re preparing a massive program to launch the designed to force President Obama to reverse this ban.

Direct mail. Phones. E-mail. Blogs. Guest editorials. Press conferences. Hard-hitting internet, newspaper, radio and even TV ads if funding permits. The whole nine yards.

Of course, a program of this scale is only possible if the National Association for Gun Rights can raise the money.

But that’s not easy.

So please put yourself on record AGAINST Barack Obama’s Rifle Ban by signing NAGR’s Firearms Freedom Survey.

But along with your survey, please agree to make a generous contribution of $250, $100, $50 or even just $35.

And every dollar counts in this fight so even if you can only chip in $10 or $20, your help will still make a difference.

Thank you in advance for your time and money devoted to defending our Second Amendment rights.

For Freedom,

Rand Paul
United States Senator

Rogers to Governor: Stop the Repeal of Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

2011-02-18T11:00:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Yesterday, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) called on Florida Gov. Rick Scott to reconsider his proposal to repeal Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP).

In a letter to Gov. Scott, Rogers, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, noted that the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs is our country’s fastest growing drug problem, and Florida is ground zero for black market painkillers that continue to spawn overdoses and feed illegal habits across the country.

“For years, I’ve seen the havoc wrought in Appalachia by the abuse of pain medication, but the misuse of prescription drugs is now the fastest growing drug problem in our entire nation. It is no secret Florida’s pill mills have been ground zero for the illicit diversion of these drugs, and now is no time to shy away from the immense challenge of shutting down the pill pipeline,” said Rogers. “I look forward to welcoming ONDCP Director Kerlikoske to my congressional district next week, to bring to the national spotlight the lawlessness and hopelessness that can result from pills diverted along the ‘Flamingo Road,’ but also to highlight the impressive strides to attack this multi-faceted problem in southern and eastern Kentucky thanks in large part to Operation UNITE. My people are doing their part; it’s time for Governor Scott to use the tools at his disposal to do the same.”

State-run prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are a valuable tool for combating pill diversion and abuse, and bridging the gap between legitimate medical need and potential misuse. Florida’s program was authorized in 2009, largely in response to national outcry over an outbreak of dangerous pill mills in the state, but to date, has not been implemented by the Florida Department of Health.

The text of the letter is below:

February 17, 2011

The Honorable Rick Scott
Governor, The State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Dear Governor Scott:

I am alarmed and dismayed by recent press reports indicating your intention to repeal Florida’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). On behalf of my constituents, who continue to suffer from out-of-control and escalating prescription drug diversion originating from your state, I respectfully ask that you reverse your position on the value of and unquestionable need for Florida’s PDMP and go to work on implementing this important medical and law enforcement solution. The tragic story of Lisa Rogers as reported on February 14, 2011 in the St. Petersburg Times is one of many heart-wrenching incidents in my congressional district that have occurred as a direct result of the illicit diversion of prescription narcotics from Florida to Appalachian Kentucky, and frankly, along the entire eastern seaboard. Dubbed the “Flamingo Road,” thousands of unscrupulous drug dealers and addicted users have made the trek to your state because of the ease of access to these powerful and habit-forming drugs, and after years of prodding, your predecessor acknowledged the need for action. A giant sigh of relief swept across the nation when S.B. 462 was signed into law in Gainsville. Now is not the time to back down from this life or death challenge.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy has indicated that the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs is our country’s fastest growing drug problem, and your state is ground zero for black market painkillers that continue to spawn overdoses and feed illegal habits across the country. Notably in 2009, 98 of the top 100 prescribers of oxycodone hailed from Florida, dispensing over 19 million dosage units of this drug, which represents 89% of the total dispensed by the country’s top prescribers. While Kentucky leads the nation in the non-medical use of prescription drugs, overdoses are killing seven Floridians per day. The notion of cancelling Florida’s PDMP is equal to firing firefighters while your house is ablaze; it neither makes sense nor addresses an urgent crisis. Governor, your state, more than any other, must take this crisis seriously.

As we’ve seen in Kentucky, PDMPs are one of the most effective and accessible tools to combat prescription drug diversion and abuse, bridging the gap between legitimate medical need and potential misuse. The Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting System (KASPER), after which your program is modeled, has had unprecedented success in bringing this problem under control. In 2008, KASPER processed nearly 418,000 requests for patient prescription information. Of the 94% which came from the medical community, including physicians, ER doctors and pharmacists, nearly three-quarters of them say KASPER is “important” in helping to ascertain patient intentions and patterns, and to feel comfortable writing prescriptions for patients truly in need of medical attention. In the same year, just over 11,000 KASPER requests came from the law enforcement community, and 96% of these KASPER users agree that the PDMP is an excellent tool for obtaining evidence in criminal investigations.

These reports create informed decision-making for good medicine and good law enforcement. I have heard anecdotally of countless occasions where KASPER has helped a doctor provide better patient care or a law enforcement official interrupt a crime. Thirty-three other states are catching on with operational PDMPs. Still ten others, Florida included, have passed authorizing legislation. Nationwide, since 2003, there has been a 2,596% increase in the number of prescription reports produced by state-run PDMPs annually. Important steps have recently been undertaken to facilitate interstate data exchange among these programs to reduce the doctor shopping we’re experiencing, such as that between Florida and Kentucky. With such impressive strides being made to enhance the PDMP model and integrate data-sharing, now is not the time to back away from project implementation in Florida. Your state’s participation is paramount to the success of our nation in fighting this problem, helping addicts get treatment and prosecuting pushers.

Some have wrongly suggested that patient privacy could be compromised and have used this as an unfounded distraction. Every existing PDMP has strict state and federal regulations governing who may access the data system and for what purpose. Florida is no different. Violators of these laws are charged in criminal courts as Class C or Class D felons, and medical practitioners face the loss of their license. In most instances, only medical licensing boards, law enforcement officers, Medicaid, grand juries with a subpoena, practitioners, pharmacists and judges and/or parole officers are granted access to patient information. Many states have even stricter regulations governing access to prescription drug information.

Finally, as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, I can certainly appreciate the fiscal pressures with which you are confronted in balancing a tight state budget. However, this is a matter which warrants sacrifices elsewhere. The U.S. Department of Justice has already invested $800,000 to stand up Florida’s program. Surely we can agree that to squander this important investment in your PDMP, which I understand has been complemented by some $500,000 in private donations, during such dire economic times would be imprudent.

Governor Scott, President Obama’s Drug Czar and former Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske will tour Kentucky next week to survey the Commonwealth’s enormous troubles with prescription drug abuse. I can tell you that he will find that our problems begin in the Sunshine State. I strongly encourage you to see through the implementation of Florida’s PDMP and not turn your back on the coalition of Florida police officers, physicians, pharmacists, treatment professionals, and even legitimate pain management clinics who have fought tirelessly in search of a solution.

Sincerely,

HAL ROGERS
Member of Congress

Kentucky River Area Lincoln Club Annual Dinner

2011-02-16T13:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Republican,

The Kentucky River Area Lincoln Club will be hosting its annual Lincoln Celebration Dinner on Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. at the Leslie County Community Development Center located at 180 Maple Street in Hyden, Kentucky.
Our guest speaker for the evening will be Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers. Congressman Rogers will be joined by Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, Senator Brandon Smith, Representative Tim Couch and a host of local public officials as well as several hopeful candidates.
Ticket price for the event and dinner will be $20.00 per person. Tickets may be purchased in advance from your party chairman or at the door. If you know in advance that you will be attending, please let your county chair know, as this will help us have a head count for food preparation.
Please urge all of your friends and fellow Republicans to come out and support this event.

Directions:
• Travel on the Hal Rogers Parkway (KY- 80) (West from Hazard)
• Take the Hyden exit. Traveling on the (Hyden Spur), travel approximately four miles.
• Turn left onto 421 at the bottom of the hill (this is at a 3 way stop)
• Less than ½ a mile turn left onto Kate Ireland Dr.
• Next turn right onto Maple Street
• Just past Hyden Elementary School you will see the Leslie County Community Development Center.

Gun-grabbers around the globe believe they have it made

2011-02-15T17:53:00.003-05:00

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently announced the Obama Administration will be working hand-in-glove with the UN to pass a new “Small Arms Treaty.”

Disguised as an “International Arms Control Treaty” to fight against “terrorism,” “insurgency” and “international crime syndicates,” the UN’s Small Arms Treaty is in fact a massive, GLOBAL gun control scheme.

I’m helping lead the fight to defeat this radical treaty in the United States Senate and I want your help.

Please join me by taking a public stand against this outright assault on our national sovereignty by signing the Official Firearms Sovereignty Survey.

Ultimately, the UN’s Small Arms Treaty is designed to register, ban and CONFISCATE firearms owned by private citizens like YOU.

So far, the gun-grabbers have successfully kept the exact wording of their new scheme under wraps.

But looking at previous versions of the UN Small Arms Treaty, you and I can get a good idea of what’s likely in the works.

If passed by the UN and ratified by the U.S. Senate, the UN “Small Arms Treaty” would almost certainly FORCE the U.S. to:

*** Enact tougher licensing requirements, making law-abiding Americans cut through even more bureaucratic red tape just to own a firearm legally;

*** CONFISCATE and DESTROY ALL “unauthorized” civilian firearms (all firearms owned by the government are excluded, of course);

*** BAN the trade, sale and private ownership of ALL semi-automatic weapons;

*** Create an INTERNATIONAL gun registry, setting the stage for full-scale gun CONFISCATION.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is NOT a fight we can afford to lose.

Ever since its founding 65 years ago, the United Nations has been hell-bent on bringing the United States to its knees.

To the petty dictators and one-world socialists who control the UN, the United States of America isn’t a “shining city on a hill” -- it’s an affront to their grand designs for the globe.

These anti-gun globalists know that so long as Americans remain free to make our own decisions without being bossed around by big government bureaucrats, they’ll NEVER be able to seize the worldwide power they crave.

And the UN’s apologists also know the most effective way to finally strip you and me of ALL our freedoms would be to DESTROY our gun rights.

That’s why I was so glad to hear that the National Association for Gun Rights is leading the fight to stop this assault on our Constitution!

The truth is there’s no time to waste.

You and I have to be prepared for this fight to move FAST.

The fact is the last thing the gun-grabbers at the UN and in Washington, D.C. want is for you and me to have time to mobilize gun owners to defeat this radical legislation.

They’ve made that mistake before, and we’ve made them pay, defeating EVERY attempt to ram the “Treaty on Small Arms” into law since the mid-1990s.

But now time may not be on our side.

In fact, we’re likely to only have a few weeks to defeat the treaty when they make their move.

And we definitely don’t have a President in the White House who will oppose this treaty.

So our ONE AND ONLY CHANCE to stop the UN’s “Small Arms Treaty” is during the ratification process in the U.S. Senate.

As you know, it takes 67 Senate votes to ratify a treaty.

With new pro-gun champions joining me in the Senate, rounding up enough votes to kill this thing should be easy, right?

Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Even with the Republican tidal wave in November, there still isn’t a pro-gun majority in the Senate to kill ratification of the treaty.

You know just as well as I do how few Senators are truly “pro-gun.”

Not only that, but many Senators get “queasy” about killing treaties for fear of “embarrassing” the President -- especially with “international prestige” at stake.

They look at ratifying treaties much like approving the President’s Supreme Court nominees.

Remember how many Senators turned their back on us and voted to confirm anti-gun Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor?

A dozen more only voted against Sotomayor after receiving massive grassroots pressure from the folks back home.

So if we’re going to defeat the UN’s Small Arms Treaty we have to turn the heat up on the U.S. Senate now before it’s too late!

Do you believe the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Second Amendment are the supreme law of the land?

Do you believe any attempt by the United Nations to subvert or supersede your Constitutional rights must be opposed?

If you said “Yes” to these questions, please sign the survey at the National Association for Gun Rights web-site.

Your survey will put you squarely on the record AGAINST the UN’s Small Arms Treaty.

So please put yourself on record AGAINST the UN’s Small Arms Treaty by signing NAGR’s Firearms Sovereignty Survey.

Thank you in advance for your time and help defending our Second Amendment rights.

For Freedom,

Rand Paul
United States Senator

Rogers Introduces Bill to Curb Federal Spending

2011-02-14T10:06:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced a Continuing Resolution (H.R. 1) to fund the federal government for the last seven months of the fiscal year while cutting spending by over $100 billion from the President’s fiscal year 2011 request. This CR legislation represents the largest single discretionary spending reduction in the history of Congress.

Chairman Hal Rogers gave the following statement:

“America has reached a fiscal crisis. We are now borrowing 40 cents for every dollar we spend. We have no choice but to rein in out of control spending, and get our nation’s fiscal house in order.

“This legislation includes the largest reduction in discretionary spending in the history of our nation – over five times larger than any other discretionary cut package ever considered by the House. It cuts over $100 billion compared to the President’s request, while providing common sense exceptions for our troops and veterans.

“These were hard decisions, and I know many people will not be happy with everything we’ve proposed in this package. That’s understandable and not unexpected; this is meant to be a shared sacrifice among all Americans. Our sacrifices will not be small, and they will not be without pain. But our reward will be a nation that can survive and prosper. We all must be a part of the solution that will ensure a better life for our children and grandchildren.”

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

GOA Activists Win Three Key Battles in Congress

2011-02-12T11:31:00.001-05:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Friday, February 11, 2011

There is good news on several fronts.

GOA recently warned you that anti-gun Democrats might attempt to attach gun control restrictions on the bill to reauthorize funding the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration).

These proposals included a ban on high capacity magazines, restrictions that would end gun shows and, potentially, stripping millions of gun owners of their rights by placing them on "watch lists" without any due process of law.

At this point, it appears that your efforts to counter these disastrous proposals with GOA-backed initiatives have backed the gun grabbers into a corner, and we are optimistic that their plans are stymied for now.

Senate rules survive attack by the Far Left

In late January, GOA members and activists largely won a battle in the U.S. Senate that will have huge implications over the next two years.

At issue was the Senate filibuster, a well-known but little understood procedural maneuver that allows a minority of Senators to block legislation unless debate is "shut off" by a supermajority -- usually sixty votes.

The filibuster has been particularly important to gun owners, as it has been used to stop the leadership of both parties in their efforts to end gun shows and ban so-called assault weapons. It has also been used for such purposes as slowing down (and forcing changes to) legislation to expand the Brady law.

The filibuster was put on the chopping block by anti-gun senators in late January, since they consider it an "arcane rule" that has been a pesky impediment to their socialist agenda.

On the first day the Senate returned to Washington in January, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sought to place his own judgment over the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and hundreds of years of precedent.

In a blatant abuse of power, Senate Democrats argued that the chamber is not a "continuing body" and, therefore, its standing rules could be changed on the first legislative day of the session by a simple vote of fifty Senators (plus Vice-President Biden). If successful, the plan would have ended the filibuster entirely in order to ram through whatever legislation they and President Obama wished.

The only way to accomplish this, however, was to throw the entirety of the Senate rules out the window. But even some Democrats were unwilling to go along with this scheme. To buy time, the anti-gunners even used a magic calendar and stretched the first legislative day from January 5 all the way to January 25.

Alone among Second Amendment groups, GOA fought against this rules change. And we won what may prove to be the most important Senate victory of the next two years -- something for which GOA members deserve a lot of credit.

The importance of this win cannot be overstated. Failure would have opened the door, for example, to a host of gun control legislation that typically follows a highly publicized tragedy such as the shooting in Tucson.

Anti-gun ObamaCare on the ropes?

There's been a lot of news on ObamaCare during the last month. In a massive blow to the Obama administration's socialist anti-gun agenda, Florida federal district judge Roger Vinson held that ObamaCare was unconstitutional and "non-severable." This means that, if the decision is upheld, the entire law goes into the trash bin.

A few days before this court decision, the House of Representatives voted to repeal the anti-gun law by a tally of 245-189.

The repeal bill faces tougher challenges in the Senate, but there are many ways it could still pass. While many people believe the bill will fail in the Senate regardless, the truth is that many bills start without a majority of support in Congress, but ultimately get passed.

If Republicans choose to tack an ObamaCare repeal onto the federal appropriations bill (the "continuing resolution") or the debt limit increase, Obama will have no choice but to sign away his own treasured legacy. His only alternative would be to shut down all of his rule-making agencies for the remainder of his term.

The vote in the House was a huge victory for gun rights activists, as ObamaCare will allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to troll a federal database containing your most confidential health care data in order to create millions of new "prohibited persons" for the FBI's Instant Check system.

GOA thanks its members and activists for taking action to pressure the U.S. Congress in support of these victories. The thanks are extremely heartfelt, because it is YOUR willingness to act that tips the scales in such fights, and allows GOA to continue to be a force that elected officials dare not ignore.

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Larry Pratt interviews Walter Williams on the GunOwner's News Hour

Don't miss Larry Pratt's exclusive interview with teacher, economist and radio personality Walter Williams. This is a must-hear interview. In it, Williams discusses the wisdom that helped him become the man he is today, and how as a young man he was transformed into a small-government libertarian.

Pratt and Williams also touch on the alarming misuse of schools' zero tolerance policies against anything remotely gun-related.

Fans of Walter Williams will also learn about some of his impish behavior where he challenged segregation during his military career and how he (as a black man) "defends" racial discrimination. You won't be disappointed.

Click here to listen to the GunOwner's News Hour interview with Walter Williams.

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Federal and American Eagle issue safety warning

According to Federal, "certain lots of recently manufactured .45 Auto ammunition may contain an incorrect propellant charge." Gun owners need to realize that using ammunition from certain lots "may result in firearm damage and possible serious injury."

Those lot numbers are as follows:

* American Eagle (AE45A, AE45N1, AE45A250)
* Champion (WM5233)
* GoldMedal (GM45B)
* Hi-Shok (45C, 45D)
* Federal Personal Defense (C45C, C45D).

ATF Declaring War on Honest Gun Owners

2011-02-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

-- Time for Congress to rein in this rogue agency

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

They are coming for your guns any way they can.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is waging a war on innocent gun owners, and not surprisingly, the Obama administration has done nothing to keep them in check.

You are no doubt aware of how the agency has been going after honest gun dealers in recent years. Combine that with byzantine federal laws and regulations -- subject to BATF interpretation -- and it's no wonder the number of FFL holders has decreased almost 80%.

Then there was former National Guardsman David Olofson. In 2008, Olofson's loaned AR-15 malfunctioned at a range -- firing a three-round burst with a single trigger pull. The ATF could only replicate the malfunction after experimenting with different types of ammunition behind closed doors. Having achieved the result they wanted, the ATF labeled Olofson's gun a machine gun, and he was sentenced to three years in prison for an illegal "transfer."

The agency also put millions of gun owners in its crosshairs when it reclassified shotguns that are equipped with pistol grips. By decreeing in 2009 that such firearms are not "shotguns," the ATF acted as a de facto legislative-making body... quietly turning millions of gun owners into potential criminals overnight.

If the weapons are not "shotguns," then what are they? The NFA Owners Association suggests the only logical alternative is that such firearms are now "destructive devices" -- in the same category as grenade launchers, which require owners to register their weapons and pay a $200 tax.

Of course, failure to register such weapons and pay the required tax would result in the same treatment that David Olofson received.

One Senator on Capitol Hill is looking into the agency's contemptible practices and asking pointed questions of ATF Acting Director Ken Melson.

In late January, Senator Charles Grassley (R-AL) questioned Melson about abuses stemming from Project Gunrunner, a program the ATF started in 2005 to stop US guns from getting into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. In order to track illegal gun running, the ATF engages in (and approves of) illegal gun purchases made at gun shows and stores throughout the southwest.

The word is starting to leak out that the ATF has its fingerprints on many of the strawman sales that are grabbing so many headlines. On January 30, newspaper headlines in El Paso, Texas, stated that: "US agency intentionally permits arms to be trafficked into Mexico."

So the ATF is actually helping to move illegal guns across the border. To make matters worse, says Sen. Grassley, one of the sales the ATF sanctioned went to suspected straw purchasers who later shot and killed Customs and Border Protection agent Brian Terry.

But when Sen. Grassley asked the ATF head for an accounting, the agency instead cracked down on the internal "whistleblowers" who supplied him with the information.

Imagine that... if the agency is willing to put the squeeze on its own agents, what are they willing to do to the rest of the population?

This lack of integrity on the part of ATF management is reminiscent of a 1993 60 Minutes feature story. In it, ATF agent Bob Hoffman stunned interviewer Mike Wallace by saying that "the people I put in jail have more honor than the top administration in this organization."

For over three decades, the ATF has had a record of abuse -- not only in its treatment of the few honest agents that work there, but also in their treatment of law-abiding gun owners. Even as far back as 1982, the Senate Subcommittee on the Constitution found that 75 percent of ATF gun prosecutions were aimed at ordinary citizens who had "neither criminal intent nor knowledge," but were "enticed by agents" into unknowing technical violations.

ACTION: Ask your Representative to urge the Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to hold hearings on the ATF. This agency needs to be on top of the Chairman's list of government abuses to investigate. You can click on the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Representative a pre-written message.

VIOLENCE BREWING IN THE COALFIELDS

2011-02-08T12:19:00.001-05:00

RANDY WALTERS
COAL FED FAMILIES
　
The consequence of actions is something all should realize. It makes no difference what the action, an equal and opposite reaction can, and should be expected. The coming reaction in the coalfields will not be an exception to the rule.
On Monday evening this writer was informed of a group of coal miners who went in search of an environmental protest march to Frankfort. The objective of the search was to find the environmentalists marching to oppose surface mining, and do them physical harm.

As one of the miners explained, “We’re tired of sitting back and doing nothing while these people do things that are going to take our jobs. We’re not going to do it anymore.”

If it were just talk it would be different, but it’s not. In an article posted on the Kentucky 912 website last year this writer warned “When the leaves turn green.” It now seems the miners are not going to wait for spring to express their feelings toward those who would shut down surface mining operations.
“We couldn’t find them(the tree huggers) even though we traveled a great distance throughout eastern Kentucky. But, the next time they have a meeting, we’re going, and we’re going to whoop their asses.”

The environmental movement has caused many a miner to worry about how he or she is going to support their family if their jobs are shut down. The EPA, The Army Corps of Engineers, and MSHA under Barack Obama, plus Kentucky’s own Division of Water under Steve Beshear have tightened the screws on the eastern Kentucky coalfields through bogus regulations to the point that violence is on the table now as a way to fight for survival.

The hard working Americans of the eastern Kentucky Coalfields do not plan to go quietly into an unemployment line to be rewarded with a token government check just to appease the liberal environmentalist movement.

This should serve as a warning to those who think they know what’s best for everyone. Mountain people are not strangers to confrontation, and those who think our livelihoods are any less valuable than their own may soon discover a cold, harsh reality.
It’s that opposite reaction law of physics, but the likelihood of it being an “equal, but opposite reaction” is slim to none.

Magazine Ban, Gun Show Ban and Even a Gun Ownership Ban...

2011-02-04T18:40:00.000-05:00

Magazine Ban, Gun Show Ban and Even a Gun Ownership Ban...

-- All this and more may come up in the Senate!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Friday, February 4, 2011

Since the Tucson tragedy, anti-gun Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) has been hovering like a vulture, waiting to pick the bones of the victims for political advantage.

Now he has his chance.

The same Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization which provided a vote on the repeal of ObamaCare may well be the vehicle for a series of gun control proposals.

Right now, no one knows which amendments will be offered. Democratic leaders like Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) are threatening to offer anti-gun amendments, and pro-gun Senators like Tom Coburn (R-OK) are considering amendments to protect gun rights.

Now, it's entirely possible that senators from both sides will simply retreat to their own corners. In fact, GOA's sources inside the Senate indicate that gun amendments to the FAA bill are unlikely at this point, but there's no way can we count on that -- and risk being caught unprepared.

There are three amendments which Lautenberg and Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) have been nursing since Tucson.

The first would limit semi-automatic magazines to 10 rounds, in a reprise of the Clinton ban.

The second would effectively shut down all gun shows. It would do this by sending any gun show promoter to prison for up to two years if a SINGLE attendee were not informed of his Brady Law obligations. No one would dare sponsor a gun show under these circumstances.

The third anti-gun amendment would allow the Obama administration to seize guns from anyone they choose to place on a "watch list." Millions and millions of pro-gun supporters could find their names on an ObamaList with no due process -- and no way to get their names removed. Please note that this administration has already advised law enforcement to treat supporters of the Constitution and gun rights as possible domestic terrorists!

ACTION: Contact your two senators. Ask them to support any pro-gun amendments, and definitely insist they vote against the Lautenberg/Durbin amendments to ban semi-automatic magazines, shut down gun shows, and create a "no guns list" of Second Amendment activists. You can click on the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your senators a pre-written message.

Rogers on the Centennial of Ronald Reagan’s Birth

2011-02-04T17:25:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON,D.C. – U.S. Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-KY), made the following statement today to mark the 100th birthday of President Ronald Reagan.

“Ronald Reagan’s vision for our country is as pertinent today as it was 30 years ago, when he and I first came to Washington. Reagan was optimistic about the great promise of economic reform, about finding a cure for our economic sickness. The 40th President reminded us of our cherished, hard-fought history and re-instilled the vision of America as a champion of liberty, a ‘shining city on a hill.’ As we celebrate his 100th birthday, I hope that we can embrace today’s economic and security challenges with that same spirit of optimism.”

Reagan’s Birthday is February 6, 1911. He died June 5, 2004, at the age of 93. President Reagan and Congressman Rogers were both elected to their respective federal offices in 1980.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

Rogers to Testify and Rally in Frankfort

2011-01-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

Supports Senate Bill 45 to Suppress Meth Epidemic

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced his plans today to join State Legislators in Frankfort on Thursday, February 3, 2011 to discuss the need for new legislation to battle the methamphetamine epidemic in Kentucky. Rogers will testify before the Kentucky Senate Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. followed by a rally in the Capitol Rotunda at 2:30 p.m. in support of Senate Bill 45.

“Meth is saturating our state at an alarming rate in the form of injuries, deaths, criminal investigations, incarcerations, treatment and the crippling costs of dismantling hundreds of meth labs every year,” said Rogers. “The methods of the past are clearly not working. Law enforcement officials discovered more than 1,000 meth lab sites in Kentucky last year. We don’t want to continue finding more meth labs, we want to drastically reduce the manufacturing of meth. Operation UNITE has been a national model in investigations, treatment and education of drug abuse and I believe other states are looking to Kentucky to lead the way once more in the scourge of meth."

Senate Bill 45 is modeled after legislation passed in Oregon and Mississippi, requiring a prescription for pseudoephedrine, the precursor for meth. In addition, the bill requires pseudoephedrine to be a schedule IV controlled substance, allowing it to be tracked by Kentucky’s All-Scheduled Prescription Electronic Reporting system (KASPER). The 9-gram limit for 30 days would remain in effect.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit http://www.halrogers.house.gov.

Bi-Partisan-Bad Partisan

2011-01-27T15:11:00.001-05:00

Just when you think our congressmen and women couldn’t possibly go any lower some fool brings a shovel and down they go. Sitting together at the State of the Union Address? Come on, do they actually think they were fooling the public?

The truth of this mess is that the establishment losers who shared seating arrangements with those from “Across the isle,” were exhibiting their plastic, show business tendencies. John McCain would have French kissed Nancy Pelosi if he could have quit smiling at the president long enough.

Anyone who actually believes in liberty, private enterprise, and freedom probably felt the need for a shower after watching the event. All those establishment types hugged up to the words of yet another Obama speech, I tell you it was scary.

When you see that kind of “togetherness” you have to know your nation is not safe, your tax dollars are about to be squandered, and your children and grandchildren are about to become more valuable, to the Chinese.

A coal operator in eastern Kentucky once said, “You’re nobody here until you’re a million dollars in debt. That way the bankers keep up with your wellbeing all the time.” Our descendents may soon be getting welfare calls from Beijing.

The president fell back to the “Politically Correct” way of announcing more spending when he chimed in with the term “Invest.” “We need to invest in this…we need to invest in that……we need to invest in the future for our children….”

The proper and honest thing for him to have said was, “The American Taxpayer needs to spend more of their hard earned money on bureaucratic nonsense,” but the temptation to lie must have been too great to overcome.

The results of politicians working together are clearly evident in Kentucky. Steve Beshear and David Williams have been working together, and Kentucky’s last place rating in state management is the proof. In fact, Williams’ candidacy for the office now held by Beshear must have been a shock to the emotional stability of the governor. He had to feel like a jilted lover.

Throw in the great “Forked Tongued Speaker,” Greg Stumbo, and you’ve got a trilateral mess, kiting checks in order to claim a balanced budget. The bottom line is never really the bottom line in Kentucky.

The State of the Union Address showed one thing that cannot be denied. The establishment politicians are running scared. They can see that things are going bad for them by the new faces in the crowd, and that dreadful word, “TEA.”

People like Kentucky Senator Rand Paul who wants to slash wasteful programs and disrupt the way business is done. After all, the way business has been done is the reason we are in such a dismal financial state, and the thoughts of losing their sugar tit is leaving a sour taste in their mouths. How can they be expected to get re-elected if they can’t use taxpayer money with which to buy votes?

It was wonderful to know the people had spoken, and many of the problem creators were not in attendance thanks to the 2010 election. More of them need to be shown the door, and through the efforts of the TEA Party it could well happen.

Kentucky has the great opportunity to make such a change in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Once again the nation’s eyes are on our state to see if the TEA Party and the people can show up by electing Phil Moffett. The spirit that has caused sunshine to return to a dreary time in our history needs to continue through the movement that is pushing the clouds of politics out to sea.

Kentucky has been one of the shining stars to which America is looking for guidance through example. God willing we will continue in the right direction by refusing to accept any more of the "Tired Old Party" candidates. Electing Phil Moffett will show the nation that Kentucky will not reaffirm bi-partisan failure.

Randy Walters

Coal Fed Families

THOU SHALT NOT BE POLITICALLY CORRECT…..OR LIE!

2011-01-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

Slowly, but surely Americans are being forced to be bi-lingual in their own language. The more savvy of us refer to it as being, “Politically Correct” or PC, while many of us just call it what it is, “Lying.”
The latest of these crazes is to change “Job Killing,” to “Job Destroying” when speaking of Obamacare. It seems that since the Arizona shootings we need to remove such words as “Killing,” from our vocabulary because of the obvious connection between Obamacare and Arizona.
Should our ever so busy politicians want to really be “Politically Correct,” I have a suggestion. If accepted it will make things much more transparent for the American People, and it will pad lock a lot of our political back rooms.
Every time a politician wants to pass a bill he or she should have to say, “This bill will force taxpayers to shell out more of their hard earned money so we can use it for others who do not pay taxes, “ or “This bill will force taxpayers to shell out more of their hard earned money so my friend’s construction company will make a huge chunk of change and donate to my re-election campaign.”
After all, the phrase, “This bill will provide for……” is a lie. Bills do not provide a thing for anyone, taxpayers do after being forced by the government. Also, “We are going to help these folks get back on their feet with these low interest loans, is yet another lie.
“We,” as spoken by members of congress, do not help anyone. To make it really PC they would have to say, “We’re going to make you help these folks so we can feel pretty good about our otherwise useless existence, and guarantee ourselves re-election from the people we are bankrolling with other people’s money.”
The smoothness with which our politicians use such phrasing is something to behold. Their manipulation of the English Language is that of masters. In other words, they are some of the world’s best liars, and they also rank highly on the scale of thieves. This includes both major parties.
As for the TEA Party, we can only hope that our people do not learn the language of Frankfort or Washington, but instead retain the ability to speak out of just one side of their mouths. The danger that poses the most damning threat to the liberty and freedom of this country is our own acceptance of the politically correct explanations spewing from our own government.
If you believe our nation to be one founded upon Christian principles you must also believe the majority of our politicians are bound for hell. If you believe this nation to be a nation of laws you must also agree that far too many of our politicians have escaped the gallows.
Two prime examples of politically correct actions involving stealing and lying are Obamacare and Cap and Trade. The over two thousand page Obamacare fiasco was not read by the majority of the people who forced it down our throats, and it contained special deals for politicians who were reluctant to vote for it. Special deals not granted “all the people.”
Cap and Trade would benefit the power companies by allowing them to sell their carbon credits to other industries so they could operate. The bill would serve no purpose but to put a burden on the taxpayers who work to support their families, and would do absolutely nothing to help the environment. Those carbon credits would still be used, but it was politically correct at the time it was voted on in the House.
Politically Correct and lying go hand in hand. Were it just the average person on the street it could be overlooked, or dealt with on a personal basis. That it has become the standard operating procedure of our elected officials is a threat to all we hold dear.

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families

Update From Hal

2011-01-25T10:15:00.001-05:00

Dear Friend,

Congress is ringing in 2011 with new members and a new mission.

Appropriations Overhaul

I begin my 16th term with added responsibilities, as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee.

This year, the Appropriations Committee will be ground zero for a wide range of reductions across the federal government. With trillion dollar deficits and billion dollar bailouts, our federal spending is out of control and we’ve got to rein in Washington. The new Republican majority is starting by cutting Congress' own budget first. We are showing we’re willing to lead by example.

This is a critical time for the Appropriations Committee, as we will carry out the most expansive reduction of discretionary spending in the history of our nation. Under my watch, the Appropriations Committee will be an instrument of change to enforce the will of the American people and bring our fiscal house into order. While this is going to be difficult undertaking, you can count on me to make the tough decisions and hold the line on spending.

Click here for more information on my work as Chairman of the Appropriations Committee

Health Care Repeal

On January 19, 2011, the House of Representatives took the first step towards creating a common sense health care system that provides quality affordable care for all Americans. By passing H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, the House sent a clear message that the American people have been heard loud and clear. H.R. 2 represents a bold effort to stop the onslaught of mandates, regulations, taxes, fees and bureaucratic red tape that is inherent in the ObamaCare scheme.

Since passage of H.R. 2, we’ve gone to work on developing legislation focused on actually lowering health care premiums and empowering doctors and patients, not Washington bureaucrats and IRS agents. This includes enacting medical liability reform to rein in junk lawsuits and stop “defensive” medicine, permitting Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines so that families have more choices, expanding health savings accounts, creating associated health plans for small business, strengthening the doctor-patient relationship, ensuring access for patients with pre-existing conditions and a permanent prohibition on taxpayer funding of abortion.

Getting health care right is a top priority of mine and I remain focused on ensuring we have a world class health care system for all Americans.

On the Home Front: Fighting the Meth Epidemic

In 2010, law enforcement officials discovered more than 1,100 meth lab sites in Kentucky, the third highest amount in the nation. Despite legislative attempts to limit and electronically track the purchase of pseudoephedrine, the main ingredient used to illicitly manufacture meth, the epidemic continues to saturate our region at an alarming rate. Oregon and Mississippi have nearly eliminated meth labs by requiring a prescription for pseudoephedrine and regulating it as a scheduled controlled substance. After witnessing the unmatched success they are experiencing, State Senator Tom Jensen introduced Senate Bill 45, to follow suit in Kentucky. I believe SB45 gives us a fighting chance in this battle for lives across the state.

On February 3rd, I will join Kentucky Legislators at a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. At 10 a.m., I will testify about the devasting effects meth is having on our region and the need for tougher legislation. At 2:30 p.m., I will stand with hundreds of Kentuckians in the State Capitol Rotunda to rally for Senate Bill 45. I invite you to stand with me and give a voice to all of the innocent children living in homes where meth is being made every day.

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As always, please feel free to contact me at any time by sending me an email. If you would like to receive more frequent updates on what’s happening in Washington, please join my Facebook page or subscribe to my YouTube channel. Thank you to everyone who has dropped by to share your opinion -- let’s keep the dialogue going!

Sincerely,

Hal Rogers

Attack on Coal costing everyone

2011-01-21T12:40:00.000-05:00

The coal industry of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia has provided affordable energy for a large portion of the United States for many years. This industry fired the industrial revolution, and continues to provide a dependable source of energy.
The men and women who work to make this possible are dedicated to their jobs, and are proud to be a part of what made this land great. Our ancestors worked in terrible conditions, and there is a history to which we all feel a tie.
Under the Obama administration, and in conjunction with environmental groups such as the Sierra Club that pride is under attack. It’s not just the history of our way of life, it’s also the future of America’s way of life. Each new regulation the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, or MHSA comes up with costs the working people of the country in one way or another.
The immediate effect being a sharp rise in power bills. The more we have to pay for electricity means the less we get to use for other items thus slowing the economy.
The next effect is the loss of jobs. Many industries cannot afford power bill increases as they are operating on such a marginal basis It doesn’t take an economist to understand what corporate entities do when a facility becomes overburdened with expenses, they move or shut down.
The regulations in question include water conductivity levels. This is the level of electric charge water will conduct due to the mineral content of the water. The main contributors to water conductivity are sewage plants and storm drain run-off. Surface mining is one of the least contributors, but is now being targeted by the EPA and environmental groups.
The level the EPA is forcing on the coal industry is 300 to 500 micro ohms per centimeter. The level of Propel energy type drink sold in stores is over 1000 micro ohms per centimeter. The levels coming from storm drain run-off and sewage plants is far greater. The trouble this is causing the coal industry can be seen on your electric bill.
The national sentiment towards the healthcare bill has been negative due to the cost. If more people in America were aware of the cost damage the government is doing to the energy market it would create a similar response.
The economy of the United States depends greatly on low energy prices. Phony science and liberal environmentalists are bringing those low energy prices to a halt. The hope we have in the coalfields is for a national dialogue about coal. One of the problems we have in that effort is the difficulty in getting news out of the mountains to the rest of the country. The media is not friendly to the coal industry.
As long as this situation exists the people of America can expect their power bills to continue to climb, their jobs to decline, and the economy to suffer.

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
Coalfedfamilies.com
About the author.
Currently General Manager of WLZD-LP Hazard, Kentucky and Director of Coal Fed Families.
Former co-owner of two eastern Kentucky newspapers.
Former member of Peabody Testing’s In Service Inspection team doing non destructive testing in nuclear power plants. Former Level II inspector in Radiography, Magnetic Particle, and Penetrant testing.
Former Coal Miner.

Roger Votes to Repeal !

2011-01-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

Rogers Votes to Repeal Job-Killing
Health Care Reform Law

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the House of Representatives has approved legislation to repeal President Obama’s burdensome and costly health care reform law pursued and passed by the then-Speaker Pelosi-led Congress last year. Rogers is a cosponsor of H.R. 2, the Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, which passed the House by a vote of 245 to 189.

“For the last two years, the White House has repeatedly ignored the wishes of the American people and pushed through a costly, big government agenda,” stated Rogers. “There is no better example of this disregard than the budget-busting, job-killing health care bill that will add at least $701 billion to our deficit while doing nothing to bring down health care costs. Even worse, government bureaucrats are given greater control of medicine than local doctors and patients. Instead, this boondoggle saddles working families and small businesses with more taxes and costly red tape eventually hindering access to affordable, quality care. The path to greater patient choice and lower costs begins with today’s repeal, and as the 112th Congress continues to deliberate on this important issue, I look forward to passing common-sense legislation that will open up access and ensure America’s health care system remains the greatest in the world.”

Over the last year, Rogers has cosponsored several pieces of legislation to repeal the Democrat government take-over of health care and replace it with legislation that focuses on lowering health care premiums and empowering doctors and patients. This includes the enactment of medical liability reform to rein in junk lawsuits and stop “defensive” medicine, allowing Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines so that families have more choices, the expansion of health savings accounts, strengthening the doctor-patient relationship, ensuring access for patients with pre-existing conditions and a permanent prohibition taxpayer funding of abortion.

Judge declines speedy ruling against EPA mine rules

2011-01-20T12:19:00.000-05:00

Charleston Gazette - January 18, 2011

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Obama administration appears to have exceeded its legal authority in launching tougher permit reviews and issuing new water quality guidance as part of its crackdown on mountaintop removal coal mining, a federal judge has ruled.

But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton in Washington, D.C., also ruled that the coal industry has not shown an urgent need for a court injunction to stop the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's actions from shutting down coal-mining operations.

In a Friday ruling, Walton denied the EPA's request that he throw out the suit, but also refused to grant a preliminary injunction the National Mining Association sought against the agency.

The decision is the first legal ruling in the mining industry's effort to undo Obama administration permit reviews and water quality guidance that EPA says are designed to "significantly reduce the harmful consequences of Appalachian surface coal mining operations."

EPA spokeswoman Betsaida Alcantara said the agency was reviewing the judge's decision and had no immediate comment.

In a prepared statement, the National Mining Association said that it was encouraged that the judge said its suit may prevail on the merits, but disappointed that there was no preliminary injunction granted.

"We remain committed to pursuing the merits of our case," said mining group President Hal Quinn.

Earthjustice lawyer Jennifer Chavez, who represents environmental groups that intervened on EPA's side of the case, declined comment on the judge's ruling.

While the coal industry favors mountaintop removal's efficiency, and local political leaders praise the jobs provided, there is a growing scientific consensus that the practice is causing widespread and irreversible damage to the region's forests, water quality and communities.

Coal industry lawyers sued the EPA last July, alleging that the agency was writing new regulations without required public input and exceeding its legal authority over surface mining operations.

EPA asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that more rigorous permit reviews and new guidance did not amount to final agency decisions that could be challenged in court.

But Walton concluded that, "it is clear to the court that the EPA has implemented a change in the permitting process" that can be challenged.

Walton ruled that the industry is likely to win on the merits of its case, but had not shown that mining companies face irreparable harm needed to warrant a preliminary injunction prior to a full hearing on the case.

"If a plaintiff has shown that financial losses are certain, imminent and unrecoverable, then the imposition of a preliminary injunction is appropriate and necessary," Walton wrote. "Here, however, the plaintiff has not demonstrated the imminence of any of its members' losses."

Opening Shot On ObamaCare Scheduled for Wednesday

2011-01-18T12:38:00.000-05:00

-- First volley in what will be a long battle

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to hold its first vote on repealing the anti-gun ObamaCare law this Wednesday.

Good for them!

As GOA has pointed out for more than a year, ObamaCare will allow the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) to troll the federal health records database in an effort to disarm hundreds of thousands of law-abiding Americans.

Even after the forced adoption of language to take care of SOME of the anti-gun problems with the bill, ObamaCare still does not prevent the government from using health records to place people on the FBI gun prohibition list (the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS).

But, some would protest, ObamaCare does not explicitly mention firearms or background checks.

Well, neither did ObamaCare explicitly give Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius the ability to promulgate rules to regulate insurance premiums. But she did.

Neither did it give HHS the ability to implement the deleted "death panel" language. But they did, until public outrage forced them to retreat.

Neither does any statutory law authorize the BATFE to use the Mexico drug cartel violence problem to require U.S. gun dealers to report the names of persons making purchases of more than one rifle. But they have.

So the question is this: How much do you want to bet that Barack Obama, and his anti-gun appointees, will not use every tool at their disposal to go after the Second Amendment community?

Gun Owners of America has reviewed the two-paragraph repeal bill, sponsored by new Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and it is perfect.

Please urge your Congressman to support H.R. 2, officially entitled "A bill to repeal the job-killing health care law," and to speak in favor of its passage.

But, even more important, tell your Congressman that this is just the beginning!

Already, the far left is engaging in the sleazy tactics that got this "Obamination" passed in the first place.

"Repeal would increase the debt," they say. BUT, if you eliminate the Bernie Madoff-style accounting, repeal would actually cut $700 billion from the national debt.

"It's just for show, it will be vetoed by Obama anyway," they say. BUT, many times congressmen have gone against their own party's president to override a veto -- when the American people demand it.

All friends of liberty must oppose ObamaCare with the same zeal and determination that Obama/Pelosi/Reid used to pass it.

Gun Owners of America will be tracking this vote and it will be used for the 2012 GOA Congressional Rating.

Action: Contact your Representative and urge him or her to vote FOR the ObamaCare repeal. Click over to the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send a pre-written message, or one of your own.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Letter Of Concern

2011-01-15T12:39:00.001-05:00

Dear friends,

I am writing you in a call for help. This is not just a philosophical thing, it's a reality happening now thing. The MHSA is coming down on the coalfields with regulations that will either put the industry out of business on their own, or cause the price of coal to increase to the point that nobody will be able to use electricity to keep warm and illuminate their worlds as we are now doing. Their regs have to do with dust control.
Regulations from the EPA and MHSA are intentionally causing jobs to be lost. We are dependent now on Hal Rogers to help by slashing budgets to the point that the agencies will get the message and stop their attacks on us. If that doesn't happen we have few avenues left.
It's time we stopped depending on Washington to help, and turned back to the 10th Amendment to protect ourselves from Washington.
Phil Moffett has vowed to do just that if elected governor. I know Phil through David Adams, and have had numerous conversations with him. He is consistent, and he is right. We can only pray he gets elected and we can break the chains of bondage to politicians like Williams and Beshear.
Until that time we need your help in making the war against coal a common subject with our people.
Kentuckians need to be educated more about the effect this battle has on their families and their lives. The recent upturn in electric bills is a prime example of what the liberal environmentalist movement has done. The government bureaucracies have fed on this movement as if it were gasoline being thrown on their flames.
Quite simply, if you do not get involved you can expect your household budget to continue to take hits from the power companies through poor decisions from our own public service commission, their boss, and all the arrogant people we now have in leadership positions.
Help us keep the coal affordable. Otherwise YOU will pay, and Kentucky and America will suffer.
You can do this by making all your friends aware of what's going on in the coalfields of Kentucky and West Virginia.
Please, spread the word.

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
coalfedfamilies.com

Protect the Constitution

2011-01-14T18:26:00.000-05:00

-- Read it, don't violate it

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Friday, January 14, 2011

Calls for greater gun control in response to the Tucson, Arizona massacre are growing daily on Capitol Hill.

This hardly comes as a surprise. For many legislators, the knee-jerk reaction to any criminal shooting is to pass yet another gun control law, despite the fact that the criminal already broke many laws in the commission of the crime.

The zaniest of the new proposals is one by Representative Peter King (R-NY) to ban guns within 1,000 feet of certain federal officials -- including members of Congress. What the Congressman ignores is that what he euphemistically calls "gun free zones" are actually "criminal safety zones."

Thankfully, House Speaker John Boehner flatly rejected the King plan.

Another proposal, being offered by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), would ban ammunition feeding devices holding more than an arbitrarily determined number of rounds.

For Mr. Lautenberg, the magic number is 10 rounds.

"These high-capacity clips (sic) simply should not be on the market," Lautenberg said. "When the Senate returns to Washington, I will introduce legislation to prohibit this type of high-capacity clip."

But what would Lautenberg say to the "average citizen" who runs out of ammunition when facing multiple attackers? Or, more accurately, what would he say to that victim's family?

Of course, if Lautenberg were successful there is no doubt he would be back with a ban on even smaller magazines as soon as the next headlines are made. He's only trying to take a small bite out of the Constitution at this time, as he seeks political advantage from the sad events of last weekend.

To make matters worse, when the Senate reconvenes later this month Majority Leader Harry Reid has cooked up a plan to make it easier to pass anti-gun laws like Frank Lautenberg's.

Reid is seeking to change the rules of the Senate to strip the minority party (currently Republicans) of their ability to stop legislation using the filibuster, which historically requires a 60 vote majority to overcome.

Pro-gun Senators have successfully used the filibuster to stop gun control, especially when emotions are running high following a nationally publicized shooting.

But before the Senate considers changing its rules to make it easier to pass gun control or votes on any bills that would violate the Constitution, Gun Owners of America has a proposal of its own: Read the Constitution!

As you know, GOA spearheaded the effort to get the Constitution read on the floor of the Congress. Speaker Boehner brought the reading to the House floor two weeks ago, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has made no indication that he will follow suit.

That is a sad commentary on the Senate. The Constitution is the real, binding contract with America, but it continues to be ignored even though each and every Senator raises his or her right hand and swears an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," and that they will "bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

Harry Reid cannot be allowed to continue to rule the Senate with an iron fist. GOA is working with several senate offices on a plan to read the Constitution over Reid's opposition. It is important for all Senators to support this effort to read out loud America's most important founding document.

Action: Contact your Senators and urge them to 1) oppose Harry Reid's plan to do away with the filibuster, 2) oppose the effort by Sen. Frank Lautenberg to ban so-called "high capacity" ammunition feeding devices and, 3) support any effort or resolution to have the U.S. Constitution read out loud on the floor of the Senate. You can click on the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to quickly send your Senators a pre-written message.

Rogers Op-Ed: Will We Save the Kaydens

2011-01-13T18:43:00.001-05:00

By, Congressman Hal Rogers

It feels like déjà vu as I read through daily newspaper articles and find story after story detailing another horrendous drug epidemic spreading across Kentucky.

In 2003, a series of news articles pinpointed Eastern Kentucky as the “Prescription Painkiller Capitol of the Nation” with the powerful narcotic, Oxycontin as the number one culprit. Today, seven years later, the illicitly manufactured drug, Methamphetamine, is poisoning our communities.

Meth has become so commonplace that manufacturers can make it virtually anywhere, any time in a one-step process. It is so simple and cheap, that they can go to any local store that sells common household products like drain cleaner, batteries, purchase their limit of pseudoephedrine and mix the ingredients in a 20 oz. plastic soda bottle.

In comparison to all of the drug-related news reports that seem to pop up around the clock, none stopped me in my tracks like the heart-wrenching story of 22-month-old Kayden Branham from my hometown, Wayne County. His tragic story is fueling a new mission.

One-Step Death

In Kayden’s case, the corrosive drain cleaner was left in an open cup at a home where meth was allegedly being made. Kayden died an unthinkable death after drinking from that cup in May 2009.

With the number of meth labs skyrocketing across Kentucky, I can only imagine and pray for all of the children, unaccounted for, in homes where meth is being made. And let there be no doubt that meth is on the rise.

In 2010, law enforcement responded to a staggering 1,100 meth lab sites in Kentucky, up from 738 in 2009.

And even these figures are deceptive, as within each site, there may be dozens or even hundreds of meth labs. Last year in Clay County, for example, law enforcement responded to one site where 85 labs were found on a hillside.

The cost of investigations, arrests, incarceration, treatment and dismantling labs are crippling our already unstable Kentucky economy, to the tune of $48 million dollars per year.

The personal impact is even more tragic. Meth labs are endangering the lives of first responders, the innocent children in meth homes and anyone who unknowingly passes by a combustible meth lab in a car, a backpack or soda bottle.

A Clear Target

The one and only ingredient that meth cannot be made without, is pseudoephedrine.

In 2005, the increase in meth labs prompted Kentucky state legislators to limit the sales of pseudoephedrine and put the medication behind the pharmacy counter.

Optimism quickly deflated, as the realization of loopholes grew apparent.

Vanloads of people have been caught buying their individual limit of pseudoephedrine to mass-produce the highly addictive drug they all crave. Police have dubbed the scheme “smurfing.”

In fact, Kentucky State Police believe as much as 77% of pseudoephedrine sold is used to make meth.

Oregon experienced the same effects as Kentucky. However, when Kentucky moved to electronically monitor the sales of pseudoephedrine in 2007 in hopes of tightening the loopholes, Oregon went the extra mile, passing legislation to make it a scheduled controlled substance, requiring a prescription.

Oregon’s decision was a real solution. Meth lab sites dropped to 55 in 2006 with a record low of 10 in 2009, compared to the more than 700 meth lab sites in Kentucky the same year.

Mississippi is also experiencing dramatic results after following suit last July, reporting a 68% decrease. Indiana, Tennessee and Missouri are now considering similar legislation.

Our national neighbor Mexico, largely criticized for its lack of drug enforcement over the years, completely banned pseudoephedrine.

Kayden Branham is our wake up call. Will Kentucky hit the snooze button and lay in bed with the industry or fight for a real solution?

###

Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

Release Of Additional LIHEAP Funds

2011-01-12T11:28:00.001-05:00

Rogers: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to Release Additional LIHEAP Funds

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services will release additional funds to the Commonwealth of Kentucky this week for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This will bring the state’s total allotment of block grant funds for the current year to approximately $57 million, equivalent to last year’s funding level. LIHEAP funds, administered through the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, help those households which must expend a high proportion of income for home heating during the winter months.

“In our region, home heating costs can put a strain on the budgets of every family trying to make ends meet. This season’s brutal cold spells and snow showers haven’t helped the situation,” stated Rogers. “It is critical that low-income families, particularly our seniors and households with small children, be able to keep their homes warm to avoid illness and assure comfort.”

The Kentucky LIHEAP program helps approximately 150,000 families in Kentucky, including many in the 5th District, pay their heating bills each winter. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services coordinates with Community Action Agencies across the state to provide recipient benefits. Customers can receive assistance with natural gas, electric bills, and bulk fuels such as propane, fuel oil, wood and kerosene. More information on how to apply for LIHEAP funds can be obtained at http://www.communityactionky.org.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information, visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

Efforts to Politicize Arizona Tragedy

2011-01-11T13:23:00.000-05:00

Efforts to Politicize Arizona Tragedy Highlight Importance of Proposed Senate Rules Changes

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Monday, January 10, 2011

First of all, our prayers go out to the families and victims of the horrific tragedy that took place in Tucson over the weekend. We pray that God will bring comfort to them in this time of trial.

The political left is trying to pin this tragedy on gun owners and conservative talk radio. Never mind the fact that this creep hated the Bible and the U.S. flag, loved the Communist Manifesto and Mein Kampf and, according to his friends, was a drug abusing lefty.

But why let the facts get in the way?

Already, we see the pattern we witnessed in Columbine, with liberal politicians flocking like vultures to pick political advantage from a tragedy. Some have blamed people who, like us, are outraged at the unconstitutional, anti-gun contents of ObamaCare.

And New York Congressman Carolyn McCarthy has already announced her intention to suck political benefit from the shootings by introducing anti-gun measures. These apparently include a magazine ban and a gun show ban, notwithstanding the fact that Jared Loughner bought his firearm from a retailer and underwent a Brady Check. (The Instant Check is an unconstitutional requirement in itself, which has failed to stop "gun violence," but that's an issue for another day.)

The calls for banning or restricting gun shows have also spread to the state level. Over the weekend, Virginia State Sen. Janet Howell called for closing the so-called "gun show loophole" and then put GOA in her crosshairs.

"I think it is imperative that my constituents understand that the Virginia General Assembly is yielding on every gun issue to a fringe group called the Gun Owners of America. They make the NRA look reasonable," she said.

Thanks, Senator Howell, we'll take that as a compliment.

A week ago we would have predicted that congressional Democrats would be loath to try to ban firearms in the wake of the 2010 elections. But we can no longer assume that an assault on the Second Amendment is not forthcoming.

Following the Columbine shooting, we utilized long-standing Senate rules to slow down and eventually defeat such an anti-gun assault. But liberal Democrats in the Senate are currently pushing proposals to change the Senate rules to make it easier to ban guns.

Their proposals include:

* A measure to reduce the time for debate on nominations like Supreme Court nominees Sonya Sotomayor or Elena Kagan to two hours;

* A measure to block a Senator's ability to place a "hold" on anti-gun measures (a parliamentary procedure which allows Senators to slow down legislation); and,

* Several measures to restrict or entirely eliminate the filibuster. But as we saw during the fight over the anti-gun ObamaCare bill, the filibuster can be our greatest weapon. We only lost by one vote in the Senate -- and that's a vote that Harry Reid no longer has.

If the filibuster survives these rules changes, then it may be because of a "compromise" which will guarantee Reid three vote-buying amendments at the end of a filibuster. NOTE: The compromise would actually be worse, and it would lock out pro-gun senators like Jim DeMint from the ability to offer any countering amendments.

ACTION: Contact your two Senators. Insist that they oppose proposals to change the Senate rules that would open the floodgates on anti-gun legislation. You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Senators the pre-written message below.

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Efforts by anti-gun Rep. Carolyn McCarthy to pluck political advantage from the Arizona tragedy highlight the importance of the Senate rules.

Currently, liberal senators concerned that Harry Reid has not crammed enough unconstitutional legislation down the throats of the American people are pushing rules change proposals that include:

* A measure to reduce the time for debate on nominations like Supreme Court nominees Sonya Sotomayor or Elena Kagan to two hours;

* A measure to block a Senator's ability to place a "hold" on anti-gun measures; and,

* Several measures to restrict or entirely eliminate the filibuster.

If the filibuster survives these rules changes, then it may be because of a "compromise" which will guarantee Harry Reid three vote-buying amendments at the end of a filibuster. The compromise would actually be worse, and it would lock out pro-gun senators like Jim DeMint from the ability to offer any countering amendments.

Furthermore, all of this is being done via a procedure which, if carried to its logical conclusion, could allow a simple majority of the Senate to change the written rules at any time.

Please oppose all these rules change proposals.

I am informed that the rules votes will be rated as "gun" votes by Gun Owners of America.

Sincerely,

As the U.S. Constitution is Read on the Floor...

2011-01-07T16:24:00.001-05:00

-- GOA celebrates this historic event

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Friday, January 7, 2011

It's never been done before. The U.S. Constitution has NEVER been read on the floor of the Congress.

And to no one's surprise, the voting records of most Congressmen demonstrate they've never read the document for themselves!

So as you know, GOA initiated a campaign early last month to require the incoming Congress to read the Constitution. And our effort paid off yesterday when the House of Representatives read the Constitution on the floor of that chamber. This was quite a historic event.

One would think that every legislator (each of whom takes an oath to uphold the Constitution) would celebrate the reading of the document, but that was not the case.

"They are reading it like a sacred text," complained anti-Second Amendment Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who told The Washington Post that the "ritualistic reading" on the floor was "total nonsense" and "propaganda."

The Representative who spearheaded the effort in the House disagreed. "As the written expression of the consent the American people gave to their government -- a consent with restrictions and boundaries -- the public reading of the Constitution will set the tone for the 112th Congress," said Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte in a statement.

Republican and Democrat Representatives alike took turns reading the Constitution out loud on Thursday, but there was a definite difference in the interest level this event was generating on each side of the isle.

GOA's Director of Federal Affairs, John Velleco, observed the reading from the House gallery and noted that, "The Republican side was mostly full; the Democrat side was mostly empty.

"But while we celebrate the reading and thank the millions of Americans who supported this effort, we also realize that this is just one step. Now we must hold their feet to the fire and see to it that they actually abide by the document."

In a letter, GOA thanked House Speaker John Boehner -- who kicked off the reading with the Preamble -- for bringing the measure to the floor. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), however, has given no indication that the Senate would read the Constitution (which comes as no surprise, since they violate it on a daily basis).

To force the issue in the upper chamber, GOA is working with several offices on a Resolution that would require the reading of the Constitution when the Senate comes back later this month.

So to help keep the pressure on and the issue alive on Capitol Hill, GOA is continuing to gather signatures at www.readtheusconstitution.org. If you have already signed the petition, please be sure to have family and friends get on board as well.

Rogers Sworn For 16th Term

2011-01-06T20:27:00.000-05:00

Rogers Sworn in for 16th Term,
Takes Helm of House Appropriations Committee

WASHINGTON, DC - Last night, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) was sworn in for his 16th term as the representative for Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, and begins his tenure as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee for the 112th Congress.

“It is a true honor to continue my service on behalf of southern and eastern Kentuckians and the nation,” stated Rogers. “As the U.S. Constitution is read on the House Floor, it should serve as an apt reminder to those in the hallowed halls of Congress of the duties with which we were charged by our founders and the American citizenry. Today we go to work to ‘secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.’ This starts with reducing the size of government, reining in out-of-control federal spending to control the deficit, holding accountable an overzealous bureaucracy, rolling back Obamacare and other damaging regulations – and returning austerity to the People’s House. While fully aware of the many challenges ahead, I look forward to the honor and responsibility of leading the Appropriations Committee to move our nation forward.”

Throughout his 30-year tenure in Congress, Rogers has served on eight different Appropriations Subcommittees, including leadership roles as Chairman or Ranking Member of three. Rogers was tapped in 2003 to lead the newly established Subcommittee on Homeland Security, where he oversaw the successful integration of 22 disparate agencies during the Department’s inception. Because of his reputation for tough oversight and tenacity in holding federal agencies and departments accountable for their wasteful spending and excessive growth, Rogers was selected as Chairman of the full Appropriations Committee in the 112th Congress. In this role, he aims to scrutinize the federal budget through tough oversight, rein in wasteful government spending, and reduce our country’s deficit for generations to come.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, access to affordable health care, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

Anti-gun Advocates In Senate Seek Rules Changes

2011-01-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

-- Action would clear the way for semi-auto bans, guns show bans, gun licensing, and ammunition bans

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Monday, January 3, 2011

Make no mistake about it: Procedure is power.

The reason we are not stuck with bans on semi-autos, gun shows and ammunition is because the U.S. Senate is structured so that whatever party is in the minority still retains procedural power to protect the rights of the citizenry against the "tyranny of the majority."

But on January 5, 2011, at the beginning of the new Congress, Senate Democrats are hatching a plan to decimate long-standing Senate rules in order to remove those protections.

The linchpin of the plan would be a ruling by Senate President Joe Biden that the Senate is not a "continuing body" and therefore has NO rules -- other than whatever 53 Democrats and Independents might unilaterally adopt.

At the core of their efforts will be an attempt to abolish the "hold letter" -- at least as it currently exists. Pro-gun senators have used "hold letters" in the past to kill proposed gun show bans, semi-auto bans, ammunition bans, gun licensing requirements, registration lists -- any number of anti-freedom initiatives.

Basically, a hold letter allows a single Senator to slow down movement on unconstitutional legislation, so that it can't be rammed through before the American people can voice their concerns.

Gun banners may also try to reduce the number of senators required to shut off filibusters of anti-gun measures. And they will do this in the expectation that the Second Amendment community has been preoccupied during the holidays and, thus, won't mobilize in time to stop the plan.

Again, procedure is power. The rules that currently exist in the Senate have been designed to slow down unconstitutional legislation -- and this is in keeping with our concept of checks and balances. Thus, not all rules changes are automatically bad, since anything that slows down the galloping herd of gun control is a good thing and should be supported.

To this end, Senator Jim DeMint may offer an amendment to the rules that would prohibit anti-gun legislation from being passed in the Senate, unless two-thirds of all senators vote to consider it. Now that's the kind of rules change that we can support!

ACTION: Contact your two senators, and tell them the following:

First, resist efforts by the anti-gun Left to abolish or amend the Senate rules on January 5 in order to make it more difficult to filibuster anti-gun measures.

Second, oppose any attempt to abolish "hold letters," which have been used by pro-gun senators to kill a number of anti-freedom initiatives.

Third, support the amendment to the Senate rules by Senator Jim DeMint that would prohibit anti-gun legislation from being passed in the Senate, unless two-thirds of all senators vote to consider it.

There are two different pre-written letters for this alert -- one for Republicans and one for Democrats.

If you go to GOA's Legislative Action Center to contact your Senators, the correct pre-written letter will AUTOMATICALLY be chosen. If you choose to contact your Senators without going through the GOA website, then please make sure you choose the correct letter below for the correct Senator.

----- Pre-written letter to Republican Senators -----

Dear Senator:

The reason we are not stuck with bans on semi-autos, gun shows and ammunition is because the U.S. Senate is structured so that whatever party is in the minority still retains procedural power to protect the rights of the citizenry against the "tyranny of the majority."

But on January 5, 2011, at the beginning of the new Congress, the Senate Democratic leadership is hatching a plan to decimate the Senate rules.

The linchpin of the plan would be a ruling by Senate President Joe Biden that the Senate is not a "continuing body" and therefore has NO rules -- other than whatever 53 Democrats and Independents might unilaterally adopt.

At the core of these efforts will be an attempt to abolish the "hold letter" -- at least as it currently exists. Pro-gun senators have used hold letters in the past to kill proposed gun show bans, semi-auto bans, ammunition bans, gun licensing requirements, registration lists -- any number of anti-freedom initiatives.

Gun banners may also try to reduce the number of senators required to shut off filibusters of anti-gun measures. And they will do this in the expectation that the Second Amendment community has been preoccupied during the holidays and, thus, won't mobilize in time to stop the plan.

I would ask you for the following:

First, resist efforts by the anti-gun Left to abolish or amend the Senate rules on January 5 in order to make it more difficult to filibuster anti-gun measures.

Second, oppose any attempt to abolish "hold letters," which have been used by pro-gun senators to kill a number of anti-freedom initiatives.

Third, support the amendment to the Senate rules by Senator Jim DeMint that would prohibit anti-gun legislation from being passed in the Senate, unless two-thirds of all senators vote to consider it.

Sincerely,

----- Pre-written letter to Democrat Senators -----

Dear Senator:

On January 5, 2011, at the beginning of the new Congress, there are some in the Senate leadership who are hatching a plan to decimate the Senate rules.

The linchpin of the plan would be a ruling by Senate President Joe Biden that the Senate is not a "continuing body" and therefore has NO rules -- other than whatever 53 Democrats and Independents might unilaterally adopt.

At the core of these efforts will be an attempt to abolish the "hold letter" -- at least as it currently exists. And, they may also try to reduce the number of senators required to shut off filibusters.

Ironically, these are the same senators who were, a half-decade ago, screaming at the prospects of Republicans and Vice President Dick Cheney changing the rules in order to expedite judicial nominations.

Also ironic is the fact that the same Democrats who are so enthusiastic about squashing the rights of the minority might well be in the minority in the Senate after the next election.

I would ask you to resist efforts to abolish or amend any Senate rules that would make it more difficult to filibuster or place holds on legislation. These valuable tools have a history of protecting the rights of all Americans.

Sincerely,

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rogers to be Sworn into 112th Congress Jan. 5th

2011-01-03T17:33:00.000-05:00

House Speaker John Boehner to Conduct Ceremonial Swearing-In

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Rogers (KY-05) will be sworn into the 112th Congress on Wednesday evening, January 5th, by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). Speaker Boehner will conduct an individual ceremonial swearing-in for Rep. Rogers following the en masse oath of office on the floor of the House of Representatives.

A photo opportunity will be available with Speaker Boehner, Rep. Rogers and his family members to mark this historic occasion. Information is as follows:

WHO:
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY)

WHAT:
Ceremonial Swearing-in of the 112th Congress

WHEN:
Wednesday, January 5th at approximately 7:15 p.m.

WHERE:
H-207, The Rayburn Room
U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C.

China Has Seen The Future And It Is Coal!

2010-12-31T13:36:00.002-05:00

This is a great article...

By George F. Will

Thursday, December 30, 2010;

Cowlitz County in Washington state is across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., which promotes mass transit and urban density and is a green reproach to the rest of us. Recently, Cowlitz did something that might make Portland wonder whether shrinking its carbon footprint matters. Cowlitz approved construction of a coal export terminal from which millions of tons of U.S. coal could be shipped to Asia annually.

Both Oregon and Washington are curtailing the coal-fired generation of electricity, but the future looks to greens as black as coal. The future looks a lot like the past.

Historian William Rosen (who wrote "The Most Powerful Idea in the World," about the invention of the steam engine) says coal was Europe's answer to the 12th-century "wood crisis," when Christians leveled much forestation to destroy sanctuaries for pagan worship and to open up farmland. Population increase meant more wooden carts, houses and ships, so wood became an expensive way to heat dwellings or cook. By 1230, England had felled so many trees it was importing most of its timber and was turning to coal.

"It was not until the 1600s," Rosen writes, "that English miners found their way down to the level of the water table and started needing a means to get at the coal below it." In time, steam engines were invented to pump out water and lift out coal. The engines were fired by coal.

Today, about half of America's and the world's electricity is generated by coal, the substance that, since it fueled the Industrial Revolution, has been a crucial source of energy. Over the past eight years, it has been the world's fastest-growing source of fuel. The New York Times recently reported (" Booming China Is Buying Up World's Coal," Nov. 22) about China's ravenous appetite for coal, which is one reason coal's price has doubled in five years.

Half of the 6 billion tons of coal burned globally each year is burned in China. A spokesman for the Sierra Club, which in recent years has helped to block construction of 139 proposed coal-fired plants in America, says, "This is undermining everything we've accomplished." America, say environmentalists, is exporting global warming.

Can something really be exported if it supposedly affects the entire planet? Never mind. America has partners in this crime against nature, if such it is. One Australian company proposes to build the Cowlitz facility; another has signed a $60 billion contract to supply Chinese power plants with Australian coal.

The Times says ships - all burning hydrocarbons - hauled about 690 million tons of thermal coal this year, up from 385 million in 2001. China, which imported about 150 million tons this year, was a net exporter of coal until 2009, sending abroad its low-grade coal and importing higher-grade, low-sulfur coal from, for example, the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana. Because much of China's enormous coal reserves is inland, far from coastal factories, it is sometimes more economical to import American and Australian coal.

Writing in the Atlantic on China's appetite for coal and possible aptitude for using the old fuel in new, cleaner ways, James Fallows quotes a Chinese official saying that the country's transportation system is the only serious limit on how fast power companies increase their use of coal. One reason China is building light-rail systems is to get passenger traffic out of the way of coal trains.

Fallows reports that 15 years from now China expects that 350 million people will be living in cities that do not exist yet. This will require adding to China's electrical system a capacity almost as large as America's current capacity. The United States, China, Russia and India have 40 percent of the world's population and 60 percent of its coal.

A climate scientist told Fallows that stabilizing the carbon-dioxide concentration in the atmosphere would require the world to reduce its emissions to Kenya's level - for America, a 96 percent reduction. Nations with hundreds of millions of people in poverty would, Fallows says, have to "forgo the energy-intensive path toward wealth that the United States has traveled for so many years."

In his new political science treatise (" Don't Vote - It Just Encourages the Bastards"), P.J. O'Rourke says, "There are 1.3 billion people in China, and they all want a Buick." So "go tell 1.3 billion Chinese they can never have a Buick." If the future belongs to electric cars, those in China may run on energy currently stored beneath Wyoming and Montana.

Victory In The House

2010-12-23T10:16:00.001-05:00

-- Congress to read the Constitution!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Thursday, December 23, 2010

You did it!

Gun Owners of America asked you to get behind our effort to push Congress to read the Constitution on the floor of the House and Senate.

House Speaker Designate John Boehner announced that the clerk of the House of Representatives will read the Constitution aloud at the start of the new Congress.

"This is a great victory for all Americans who care about limited government, individual liberty and the Constitution," said John Velleco, GOA's Director of Federal Affairs. "Maybe Congress is finally getting the message that the oath they take to support and defend our most important founding document is still relevant in the 21st century. Reading it is a good first step, but now we must get Congress to abide by the real contract with America."

At about 4,400 words, it is one of the shortest written Constitutions in the world and will only take about an hour to read. In contrast, the ObamaCare bill weighs in at around 180,000 words and was never read at all by those voting for its passage.

The overwhelming reponse to GOA's petition, found at www.readtheusconstitution.org, shows that Americans want Congress to follow the Constitution.

"We will enjoy watching Nancy Pelosi's face when the clerk reads the Constitution, since it may be the first time she's ever heard it read. And hopefully the clerk will read it nice and slowly to let the words sink in," said Velleco.

There is no word yet from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid if the Senate will follow the House's lead, so GOA is still urging people to visit the website and sign the petition.

The current oath that all members of Congress take reads:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."

Rogers Welcomes New Chief of Staff

2010-12-17T16:58:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) welcomed Michael R. Higdon as his new Chief of staff as Rogers’ veteran, Will Smith, will be serving in a new role on the Appropriations Committee.

“I am pleased to announce that at the start of the new Congress, Michael Higdon will be serving as my Chief of Staff and Will Smith will be serving as the Deputy Staff Director of the Appropriations Committee,” said Rogers. “Both Michael and Will have worked for many years in my office and I have found them to be trusted advisors who have sacrificed so much to serve the people of Kentucky’s Fifth District. I know that Will will be missed by many in Kentucky, but I am pleased that he will continue to work with me on the Appropriations Committee.”

Will Smith hails from Beattyville, Kentucky and has served Congressman Rogers for over 12 years. Serving as his Chief of Staff for the past 8 years, Smith now joins the Appropriations Committee has Deputy Staff Director.

Michael R. Higdon has served as Rogers’ chief liaison to the Appropriations Committee and Legislative Director overseeing the congressman’s expansive legislative portfolio. Higdon joined the Rogers’ staff in 2002 after serving a series of legislative terms with Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and former Congressman Ron Packard (R-CA). Higdon is an eleven-year veteran of Capitol Hill and a graduate of Lafayette College. He and his wife Jamie, currently residing in the District of Columbia, are active in their local church and will continue to make frequent trips to Kentucky to visit family.

The cost of terrorism

2010-12-15T13:13:00.001-05:00

The 1,924 page Omnibus Bill with 6,000 earmarks involving members of both parties has hidden costs. Not that it needed them coming in at $1.1 Trillion. No, the hidden costs I refer to are the costs of putting the bill together. How long does it take to construct such a thing?

Realizing the great speed and efficiency utilized by federal bureaucrats to do anything makes the cost many times what a private company would have spent to produce the document. Trying to imagine the nonsensical federal method of putting together a document of that size would have caused Einstein to create a new theory, the theory of “Non Relativity.”

How many hours did it take to get the information accumulated prior to the beginning of the assembly process for the first rough draft? How many people from the legislative offices involved did it take to process the requests for the earmarks? How many people from all the different legislative offices had to work on getting their particular earmark worded just right as to satisfy the law? How much in materials was spent bringing the first rough draft together?

Once that first rough draft was assembled, how much time was spent proof reading it to make sure it was right before sending it to be assembled for review by Senator Reid and his staff? Who read the final draft? How long did they spend reading it? How many fact checkers were used in the process from start to finish?

Considering the salary of the average person working on this bill, complete with federal benefits, and you’ve got a sizeable expense, not included in the $1.1 Trillion dollars the bill will cost if passed. This is all at the expense of the American Taxpayer even if the bill is not passed, voted on, or ends up being vetoed by the president in a political move to try to help his chances for a second term.

The above observations would be considered just, “Well, that’s the way things get done in Washington,” were it not for the current sentiment of the nation as was demonstrated in the mid term election. Americans don’t like the way things have been done in Washington, and their vote was resounding.

Still, Senator Reid, the Democrats, and the Republicans who would take advantage of the American Taxpayer, think it acceptable to spend this kind of money just on the construction of the bill. Were it a helpful, much needed bill it would be different. That it has six thousand earmarks tells volumes about its validity as a thoughtful, helpful bill.

Our own outgoing senator, Jim Bunning, a Republican, had a sizeable earmark in this mess himself. Does he still not realize who it was that won the election to fill his seat in the senate, or which group backed that candidate?

It seems to be an attitude of, “We the chosen” instead of “We The People.” This bill had to be in the works for a long while in order to get it ready for the lame duck session. It was most likely in the works as the election results were being made known in the 2010 mid terms. The results that are sending many Democrats home for doing the same thing Senator Reid and his cohorts continue to do.

The money spent on preparing this monstrosity is insult enough to a populous which has expressed its overwhelming desire to end these very practices. The actions of the Democrats and Republicans involved should not be forgiven, nor should they ever be forgotten. They are the actions of those who are “Financial Terrorists” of no less status than an enemy who would steal our liberty by spilling our blood.

Randy Walters

Coal Fed Families

Virginia AG Wins Court Challenge To ObamaCare

2010-12-13T18:29:00.000-05:00

-- Ken Cuccinelli also Supports GOA's "Read the Constitution" Petition

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

December 13, 2010

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli won a major victory today when a federal judge in Richmond ruled ObamaCare's individual mandate unconstitutional.

Of course, this battle over the anti-gun national heath care law -- which could allow the government to disarm many gun owners based on medical records -- is not over. Twenty other states, led by Florida, also have legal challenges to ObamaCare, and this issue is guaranteed to go to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Certainly, the decision in Richmond is good news for the Constitution and good news for all Americans.

Attorney General Cuccinelli also recently backed GOA's effort to get the Congress to read the U.S. Constitution at the start of the new session in January. We could hope that had the 111th Congress read the Constitution, there would have been no ObamaCare.

If you have not already signed the petition, please do so at http://readtheusconstitution.org (and encourage others to so as well). Below is the text of a letter that Ken Cuccinelli released last week:

-----------------------

Dear Friend of Liberty,

My friends at Gun Owners of America (GOA) have a great idea to begin the 112th Congress: Read the Constitution!

Not just read it privately, but have it read out loud on the floor of the U.S. House and Senate.

In January, all Members of Congress will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. Yet every day in Washington, that document is ignored by those same people.

Ours was intended to be a government of limited, enumerated powers. But by disregarding the law of this land, Congress is reaching into the every aspect of American life. This must stop, and the first step is to remind the politicians about that document that they swore to defend.

It is time to restore constitutional fidelity, and to put the federal government back under the restraints laid out for it by the Founding Fathers.

I hope you will join with GOA and hundreds of thousands of like-minded Americans and sign the petition urging the Congress to read the Constitution in January, before it takes up even one piece of legislation.

You can read and sign the petition at www.readtheusconstitution.org.

Sincerely,
Ken Cuccinelli, II
Attorney General of Virginia

GOA Year in Review: 2010

2010-12-10T10:48:00.000-05:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm

"I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment…." -- Erick Erickson of RedState.com, June 14, 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Your membership in -- and activism with -- Gun Owners of America has made a world of difference over the past several months.

The past couple of years were supposed to be the worst on record, as far as gun rights are concerned. With the election of Barack Hussein Obama, Americans went rushing to gun stores and generated a buying spree that created shortages of firearms and ammunition around the country.

Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were in charge of the legislative branch, and with the election of Obama, everyone was bracing themselves for the worst.

But even with the deck stacked against us, Gun Owners of America began working with friendly congressmen to get good legislation passed... and to defeat most of the anti-gun bills that were thrown our way.

What follows here is a record of what ALL OF US were able to accomplish by working together. As you read about the amazing success that gun rights activists achieved, please also consider joining Gun Owners of America if you have not yet renewed your membership for next year.

For your convenience, you can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to update your membership.

We thank you for your support, which makes this e-mail and web service possible.

And now for this year's highlights. The following paragraphs review some of the major achievements that we accomplished together in 2010.

January

* The year begins with GOA taking the offensive in the battle against the anti-gun ObamaCare legislation. While both houses of Congress have passed different versions of the bill, the fight against this legislation is far from over. A conference committee will most likely have to iron out differences between the two bills and then send the finalized version to each chamber for another vote.

* Gun Owners of America gets involved in the Scott Brown race in Massachusetts. Even though a month earlier, Brown was about 30 points down in his run for the U.S. Senate, GOA is hoping that a win in the Bay State will kill ObamaCare for the year.

After all, replacing the late Sen. Ted Kennedy with someone who opposes ObamaCare will give Republicans the exact number of votes to filibuster the health care bill. Amazingly, Brown pulls off a dramatic come-from-behind win, and political pundits are declaring ObamaCare is now on life-support -- if not dead for the year.

* In a case where GOA has submitted an amicus brief, the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of free speech rights in the Citizens United case. The Court ruled unconstitutional huge portions of the McCain-Feingold law, which means that GOA will have greater freedom to hold legislators accountable for their anti-gun voting records.

* GOA begins rallying the grassroots in several different states to pass Firearms Freedom Act legislation. These laws stipulate that a firearm which is made in a state -- and stays in the state -- is immune from federal gun laws that rely on the Interstate Commerce Clause for their justification.

February - March

* GOA continues its campaign to enact good Firearms Freedom Acts (FFAs). Of special note, GOA works with the sponsor of the Wyoming bill to put "teeth" in his bill, thus making it the toughest FFA in the nation. The Wyoming act criminalizes any federal official who attempts to impose a federal gun ban in contravention to The Cowboy State’s law.

* The National Parks gun ban finally expires! GOA worked with Senator John Ensign (R-NV) to get a repeal added as an amendment to a must-pass bill in 2009. This effort succeeded, and the repeal of the Reagan-era gun ban takes effect on February 22.

* The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in a very important gun-related case known as McDonald v. Chicago. As Gun Owners of America submits a hard-hitting amicus brief in this case, USA Today asks Gun Owners to submit the Opposing View editorial taking aim at Chicago’s gun ban.

* House Speaker Nancy Pelosi cajoles enough "Blue Dog" Democrats to walk the political plank and vote for ObamaCare. Because the House voted for an identical version of the legislation that passed in the Senate last year, Congressional leaders can send the anti-gun bill straight to the President's desk, thus avoiding a Senate filibuster (now that Scott Brown is in the Senate).

GOA was able to gain modest protections for gun owners in ObamaCare. Nevertheless, GOA is committed to repealing this law at the federal level.

* In Virginia, GOA works to successfully pass anti-ObamaCare legislation in the state that will prevent citizens in the Old Dominion from being forced to comply with the insidious federal mandates in the new anti-gun health care law. Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) signs the legislation.

April - May

* One of GOA's top priorities is getting permitless carry passed in states around the country. To this end, GOA helps lobby for new legislation in Arizona (allowing concealed carry on one’s person) and in Virginia (allowing concealed carry in one’s car or boat) -- without having to jump through government hoops. Both bills are signed by the respective governors of each state.

* GOA begins a fierce lobbying campaign against Elena Kagan as the next Justice for the U.S. Supreme Court. Of special note, GOA targets Senator Jon Kyl in his home state of Arizona. Kyl, the Senate Minority Whip, goes on record saying that Republicans will probably not filibuster Kagan's nomination.

* By the end of the state legislative season, several states have passed Firearms Freedom Act laws, including Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

June - July (Part One)

* The Supreme Court hands down the McDonald decision, stating that Fourteenth Amendment applies the right to keep and bear arms (in the Second Amendment) to all 50 states. GOA uses this opportunity to discuss the impact of the McDonald decision in dozens upon dozens of media outlets.

* Gun Owners of America is the only national gun group on Capitol Hill lobbying to defeat the DISCLOSE Act, which would hinder our ability to expose congressmen’s records around election time. As the first battle is fought in the House, DISCLOSE narrowly passes by a mere seven votes.

* Erick Erickson of RedState.com thanks GOA for taking a strong stand against DISCLOSE, stating: "I support Gun Owners of America, which is a consistent and uncompromising defender of the Second Amendment, not a weak little girl of an organization protecting itself while throwing everyone else under the bus."

June - July (Part Two)

* The fight against DISCLOSE moves to the Senate, where GOA marshals the grassroots to inundate Senate offices with opposition to the bill. Thankfully, there are enough votes to filibuster the anti-free speech legislation, as it dies on a party line vote. (Scott Brown's earlier victory is now paying tremendous dividends.)

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA) congratulates GOA for its hard work against the bill, saying that, "Gun Owners of America has been one of the key players in opposing the DISCLOSE Act."

* GOA attorney Bill Olson testifies before Congress against Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan, telling Senators that, "If [Kagan] were to go on the Court, with what we know about her now, she could be the most anti-gun justice on that Court."

August

* The U.S. Senate debates the nomination of Elena Kagan. Senator John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, uses GOA testimony to underscore the problems with Kagan: "After reviewing Ms. Kagan’s record and testimony at her confirmation hearing, the Gun Owners of America concluded that, 'The available evidence portrays her as a forceful advocate of restrictive gun laws and driven by political considerations rather than rule of law.'"

* The Senate votes 63-37 to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court. While this was very disappointing, it is important to note that we got more votes against Kagan than we have ever gotten against a Supreme Court Justice that we've opposed -- more than we garnered against Justices Sotomayor or Ginsburg. (On Justice Gingsburg's nomination, there were only three negative votes.)

Bottom line: we gained tremendous ground in our fight against Kagan. There were Senators who voted against Kagan in August who had never before voted against a Supreme Court Justice. And by the way, Senator Kyl was one of the Senators who supported the filibuster against her (see "April - May").

September - November

* GOA’s Political Victory Fund has been busy all year long, working to get good candidates elected. Some of the more notable highlights include knocking off long-time compromisers such as Sen. Bob Bennett in Utah, while helping many good candidates get their party’s nomination -- like Kentucky's Rand Paul in May and Florida's Marco Rubio in August.

* In October, GOA publishes its biannual Congressional Voter Guide. For 20 years, GOA has been the only gun group publishing an open-source national rating for gun owners to use. Our rating has been so devastating in smoking out the anti-gun bias of phony politicians that the Brady Campaign even took us before an administrative court three years ago to try and silence us. They lost.

* On November 2, scores of candidates backed by Gun Owners of America won tremendous victories. In many cases, GOA was the ONLY national pro-gun organization to actively oppose Nancy Pelosi's "Blue Dogs" Democrats. Our aggressive opposition to these Representatives -- who are mistakenly considered to be somewhat conservative -- was well worth the effort as Pelosi was reduced to minority status.

December

* GOA, having spearheaded the victorious lobbying campaign against the Amtrak gun ban, celebrates its demise this month. The repeal language was authored by Republican Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi. The Wicker language takes effect December 15, 2010, and enforces a policy similar to airlines, so that firearms can be transported in checked bags on the trains so long as they are declared and carried in a prescribed manner.

Stand with Gun Owners of America!

As you can see, your activism helped us to accomplish many great things this year. And this should encourage you and anyone you know who is concerned about Second Amendment rights.

SO PLEASE FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO YOUR PRO-GUN FRIENDS AND FAMILY. We are going to be fighting a lot of battles in the next Congress, and it's good for gun owners all across the country to go into these skirmishes with a reminder that we can accomplish much together (and that we have done so in the past).

As you know, we were able to get two gun bans repealed this past year -- the National Parks ban and the one on Amtrak trains. Now we are going to be lobbying to shut down the BATFE (or to put a straitjacket on them, at a minimum); to liberalize concealed carry (so good people aren't registered like sex offenders before exercising their rights); to block UN gun control; to pass Firearms Freedom Acts (which allow states to imprison any federal official who tries to enforce unconstitutional gun control laws); and much, much more.

Thanks for standing with us. You can go to http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm to make sure that your support remains current.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Still Shopping For Christmas?

If you're like most Americans, you still have a few people left to buy for. Stay tuned... next week we'll tell you about an exciting Gift Membership promotion. You can get your holiday shopping done while defending the Second Amendment!

Rogers’ Radio Actuality on Being Elected Appropriations Chairman

2010-12-09T13:44:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) on the GOP Conference electing him as the incoming Appropriations Chairman for the 112th Congress:

“Hello. This is Congressman Hal Rogers. I am honored by the Republican Conference’s decision to elect me as their Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. It is truly humbling to receive the confidence of my colleagues and I am ready to get to work so that together we can move our country forward. We are facing unprecedented times and the American people are giving us a unique opportunity to start reining in government and getting our economy back on track. My Republican colleagues and I are listening and we will fight to rein in spending, implement rigorous oversight and work together to change the culture on Capitol Hill. There is no room for failure, our nation’s security depends on us getting this right and finding a new way forward.”

Statement by Congressman Hal Rogers

2010-12-08T11:54:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC.— U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) issued the following statement today after the Republican Steering Committee meeting:

“I am humbled and thrilled with the Steering Committee’s decision, and look forward to the honor and responsibility of leading the Appropriations Committee next year if the full GOP Conference approves the recommendation tomorrow. There is no doubt that we have a tough and demanding chore ahead of us. The nation is in a fiscal crisis, and hard decisions are coming. I look forward to working with Leadership and my Republican colleagues in fighting for serious reforms of the Committee, bringing fiscal sanity back to our budgeting process, performing vigorous oversight of the failed job-creation policies of the Obama Administration and moving our nation forward.”

GOA to Congress: Read the Constitution!

2010-12-04T10:43:00.000-05:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Thursday, December 2, 2010

In January, the new Congress will be sworn in, and each member will swear an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Judging by how often Congress operates outside the bounds of the Constitution, one wonders if the members actually ever read our most important founding document.

If there is a mandate for the Congress coming out of the 2010 elections, it is that the Constitution must be made relevant again. And what better way to begin the One Hundred Twelfth Congress than to have read aloud, in both the House and Senate, the Constitution in its entirety.

The House and Senate will waste hours congratulating sports teams, naming post offices, and various other meaningless tasks. Even worse, it will spend much more time doing things for which it has absolutely no constitutional authority.

The purpose of this petition is clear and obvious. The Congress must be reminded that this is a nation of laws, and there is a law that governs what the Congress is empowered to do -- either to justify their actions or to demonstrate when they are unlawfully operating beyond their bounds, no matter how well-intentioned.

If you believe that the Constitution matters in the 21st century, and if you agree that it would be time well spent for the Congress to read the Constitution, then please SIGN THE PETITION.

Obviously, in petitioning our government, the people must speak with numbers on their side. Just like it's only one vote per person at the ballot box, but each vote counts and any vote can make the difference, so it is that every signature on this petition counts. So please help get the word out. Spread the petition effort far and wide -- family, friends, churches, gun clubs, Facebook, e-mail lists, internet forums, your own website or blog, radio shows... whatever you think might result in even one additional signature. Thank you.

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Rogers: Grab a Shovel and Start Digging Out of Debt

2010-12-02T10:40:00.000-05:00

By Rep. Hal Rogers
Special to Roll Call
Dec. 1, 2010, 12:23 p.m.

Any casual analysis of our federal budget picture should raise our financial security threat level to red. We’re borrowing roughly 42 cents out of every dollar, and the future liabilities we’ve shouldered on our children are in the trillions.

Continuing down this path, where debt rapidly subsumes an ever-growing chunk of our economy, is clearly unsustainable — even under the rosiest of budget projections.

Aside from the threat of economic stagnation, many in the national security sphere, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, have suggested that a failure by the U.S. government to tighten its purse strings could have severe implications for our nation’s defense.

While a lot of finger-pointing and revisionist history has surrounded the debate over how we’ve reached this point of no return, the bottom line is that reining in out-of-control spending is our government’s principal financial problem and the most significant challenge before us today. The White House economic team members, save for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, have packed their bags along with their liberal economic theories and thankfully left town.

However, not before they sold America a failed stimulus bill that never delivered on job creation, supported efforts led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to increase energy bills, and throttled through an irresponsible big-government health care package that neither lowers the cost of health care nor reduces the deficit.

If we continue with their economic plan, Congressional Budget Office estimates federal debt will reach a whopping $20 trillion by 2020, nearly 90 percent of the economy. By that point, the United States will be spending more than $1 billion per day just to cover interest payments, crowding out spending for vital programs such as defense and homeland security.

While the average American family would be hard-pressed to justify charging 90 percent of its income on a credit card, why is the administration holding our country to a recklessly lower standard, tossing our coveted AAA credit rating into the balance and threatening to send our economy into a tailspin?

It is painfully clear that folks in Washington need to get their hands dirty. It’s time to grab a big shovel with a sharp blade to start digging ourselves out of this nearly $14 trillion mess.

Through my role on the Appropriations Committee, I’ve already committed to working with the Budget Committee and the authorizing committees to drop our discretionary spending back down to fiscal 2008 levels — before the TARP and stimulus bills outrageously inflated the baseline of government programs. This action alone will result in $100 billion in savings and restore some sanity to annual discretionary budgeting. But a sweeping reduction in spending is the easy part.

We’ve got to go line-by-line and take an ax to programs that we simply can’t afford.

It will take toughness and resolve, but I believe there are savings to be found in every agency or department budget, however sacrosanct they may be perceived to be.

Earlier this year, for example, I proposed a modest, but targeted, $100 million reduction in Department of Homeland Security spending. Many in my own party criticized me for taking this approach. The past 12 months have obviously seen no shortage of serious terrorist activity, from the Fort Hood massacre to the failed Times Square bombing.

Our subcommittee receives regular intelligence briefings regarding the growing risk of Islamic terrorism and the sweeping drug violence along our southwest border. But my cost-cutting amendment would have had no substantive impact on our ability to keep the homeland secure.

It would have instead reduced bloated DHS policy shops and redundant public relations offices and cut funds for duplicative programs already flush with unspent stimulus dollars and previous year carryover funds. Not surprisingly, the majority rejected my amendment on a party-line vote.

Five months ago, we couldn’t find 0.23 percent savings in a $44 billion security spending bill for nonsecurity items, but this is about to change. With a new mandate from the American people, simple but disciplined amendments like these will be given top priority. Savings must be found in the unlikeliest of places in order for our country to regain its financial footing.

As I said earlier, this isn’t simply a financial concern, but a very real security threat to our nation. Because of our enormous foreign-held debt, our ability to prepare for and respond to national emergencies, and our ability to equip, empower and maintain a top-notch military are increasingly at risk.

Leaving our children with a more dangerous world and fewer resources to protect themselves is irresponsibility of the highest degree.

To the 112th Congress, I say grab a shovel.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R) represents Kentucky’s 5th district and currently serves as the ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.

The Sad Truth Of Cookie

2010-12-01T13:34:00.000-05:00

He was known in town simply as Cookie, and this is a brief version of why he had to leave town.

Cookie was an African American man that lived in Hazard at the old Hazard Fire Department. He was mentally retarded, could not read or write, and was often the brunt of many jokes.

He carried an old garbage can lid that he used as a steering wheel to drive an imaginary police cruiser. He loved to eat onions like most would eat an apple.

Also he was never around Pick Rose in the 1960's and the man he always referred to as daddy was Fire Chief Shorty Sizemore.

In about 1969 due to a situation involving abuse of Cookie by the son of a former city official. The order was handed to certain firemen to take his B**** A** to the county line,leave him, and make certain he didn't come back.

His family in Letcher County was also sent word, " If you want to keep him alive make sure he stays out of Hazard."

The last reports of Cookie's where abouts was from Lexington Kentucky.... the report has not been confirmed at this time, but supposedly Cookie was killed when hit by a car some years later.

Obama Nominates Rabid Anti-gunner to Head the ATF

2010-11-29T18:18:00.000-05:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Monday, November 29, 2010

It was not a good sign that Barack Obama kept his nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives a secret until after the midterm election --- and then quickly announced that anti-gun zealot Andrew F. Traver would be named to fill the slot.

After being blasted before November 2's election by the liberal New York Times for failing to beef up the ATF by appointing a director --- for fear of the wrath of the "gun lobby" --- Obama gets right past the election and, presto chango, a nominee appears. How 'bout that?

And not just any nominee.

As special agent in charge of Chicago's ATF field division, Traver had taken the lead in calling for a ban on semiautomatic firearms.

And Chicago, of course, has been the epicenter of anti-gun government activism. It is not surprising that Traver has also been active in the virulently anti-gun International Association of Chiefs of Police, which has worked to empower Handgun Control-type activists and has commissioned panels to:

* support one-gun-a-month and lock-up-your-safety laws, as well as "ballistic fingerprinting" files on all firearms;

* espouse an "effective" ban on .50-caliber firearms, and a redefinition of "armor-piercing" ammunition that could effectively ban handgun use;

* mandate gun-destruction policies for law enforcement and enhanced funding to go after guns;

* prohibit all private gun sales and make "prohibited persons" out of a much wider variety of persons committing simple misdemeanors;

* back a repeal of the Tiahrt amendment; and,

* allow federal health and safety oversight of the firearms industry (through agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration).

It is disconcerting that ANY organization espousing these views would be taken seriously. That an activist in such an organization would be put in charge of the ATF is truly troubling.

ACTION: Contact your Senators. Urge them to support a filibuster of the Traver nomination to head the ATF. You can use the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center to send your Senators the pre-written e-mail message below.

----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

It was not a good sign that Barack Obama kept his nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives a secret until after the election -- and then quickly announced that anti-gun zealot Andrew F. Traver would be named to fill the slot.

As special agent in charge of Chicago's ATF field division, Traver had taken the lead in calling for a ban on semiautomatic firearms.

And Chicago, of course, has been the epicenter of anti-gun government activism. It is not surprising that Traver has also been active in the virulently anti-gun International Association of Chiefs of Police, which has worked to empower Handgun Control-type activists and has commissioned panels to:

* support one-gun-a-month and lock-up-your-safety laws, as well as "ballistic fingerprinting" files on all firearms;

* espouse an "effective" ban on .50-caliber firearms, and a redefinition of "armor-piercing" ammunition that could effectively ban handgun use;

* mandate gun-destruction policies for law enforcement and enhanced funding to go after guns;

* prohibit all private gun sales and make "prohibited persons" out of a much wider variety of persons committing simple misdemeanors;

* back a repeal of the Tiahrt amendment; and,

* allow federal health and safety oversight of the firearms industry (through agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, the Consumer Product Safety Commission or the Food and Drug Administration).

It is disconcerting that ANY organization espousing these views would be taken seriously. That an activist in such an organization would be put in charge of the ATF is truly troubling.

Please support a filibuster of the Traver nomination to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Sincerely,

Building collaboration in House

2010-11-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

By: Rep. Hal Rogers
November 24, 2010 10:15 AM EST

There is no doubt that we need to get our financial house in order. With mounting, trillion-dollar deficits; a skyrocketing $13.8 trillion debt, and hemorrhaging entitlement programs, Congress has its work cut out for it.

Facing this firestorm, the Appropriations Committee will be front and center. The committee must immediately end earmarks, scale back discretionary spending, recoup unspent funds and rein in out-of-control Washington bureaucrats. All that is clear.

But beyond these initial steps, the Appropriations Committee must chart a new course that rebuilds the American people's trust in their government. The committee must evolve to meet this challenge and overcome the spending culture of Washington.

It starts with a plan not just for the next six months, but for years to come. Then taxpayers can hold us accountable for delivering on the promise of a more effective, yet more limited and sustainable government.

A Plan of Collaboration for Real Results

It is high time we forge a new era of committee cooperation, openness public participation and prioritization.

The future of the Appropriations Committee should not be built on favoritism and exclusivity, but on profound and genuine collaboration. I'm convinced, now more than ever, that the size of the federal government and the scope of our problems require an entirely new level of robust partnership in the way the Congress authorizes, funds and oversees programs.

For years, committee turf battles and pointless infighting hindered aggressive oversight and real reform with too much focus on which committee gains the limelight, or was first out of the gate. All committees must now to come together to rein in spending and implement long overdue reforms.

The authorizing committees must be our willing partners in uncovering waste to help us determine proper funding levels. Similarly, when the Appropriations Committee discovers structural or management failures within federal agencies, the authorizing committees should address these issues and restructure as necessary.

To that end, inviting authorizers to our planning sessions and conducting joint oversight hearings should become fundamental parts of how we conduct our oversight duties.

In short, no more surprises and no more excuses.

Procedures must be visible and allow all members time to scrutinize the Appropriations Committee's work, participate in bill formulation from beginning to end, prepare amendments where necessary and readily monitor the development of these bills. Personal agendas must be set aside so that members do not hijack the appropriations process.

We must appoint staff dedicated to tirelessly scrutinizing President Barack Obama's budgets for waste and overspending. We should also beef up our own internal investigative staff. And, we must make sure that our first-term members join the conversation, so they can fully participate.

These are the types of tools I will use to transform the committee into a more active mechanism of congressional oversight and for furthering our shared conservative values.

Rebuilding trust through outreach

We must also rebuild this trust outside Congress — particularly in the way we shepherd taxpayer dollars. By building coalitions, working with outside investigators and inviting cost-cutting ideas from the public, we can incorporate ideas from far beyond the Beltway. With a dedicated coalitions coordinator on staff, the Appropriations Committee can provide constant outreach to good government groups to improve our product and bring about the reforms that Americans are clamoring for. With blogs, YouTube, Facebook or other online forums, the Appropriations Committee can proactively convey its stewardship directly to the people.

A return to basic principles

Finally, we must return to our basic principles and concentrate our work on producing lean appropriations bills that not only protect the taxpayers' precious dollars, but also prevent the persistent waste, fraud and abuse in our government.

The Appropriations Committee has all too often bit off more than it could chew, leading to omnibus finales and failed endings. This year, we're on track for yet another haphazard end-game because cutting spending and uncovering waste were never favored by the 111th Congress.

Instead, too many special interests have been appeased and too little work has been accomplished.

By setting priorities and rooting out wasteful programs and job-killing policies, we can achieve results for the American people.

Winning back trust within and outside the Congress won’t happen overnight. But in can be accomplished with steady, proven leadership. My hope is that with renewed collaboration, openness, and honest prioritization, we will not only establish this elusive trust, but also overcome the all-too-real fiscal challenges now gripping our great nation.

Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) serves as the ranking member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

© 2010 Capitol News Company, LLC

Statement From Hal Rogers

2010-11-19T10:56:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC.— U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) issued the following statement today after the Republican Conference passed the earmark moratorium:

“I applaud my Republican colleagues for standing together and passing an earmark moratorium. We are at a crossroads- with the most serious fiscal crisis staring us in the face. Now is the time to fix a broken system and demonstrate to the American people that we are listening- we will rein in spending and get this economy back on track. Make no mistake; this is only the first of many tough decisions that will test our resolve over the coming years. Either we continue the free-spending ways of the past, or we turn back from the edge of fiscal ruin and carry the message of spending reform from the people to the Capitol steps. I am proud of the step we took today and I look forward to championing the measures that we need to take to stop Washington’s spending sprees and start putting the taxpayers first.”

Mc Connell Supports Earmark Legislation

2010-11-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

Sen. Mitch McConnell (KY), the leader of the Senate Republicans, is one of the few Republicans supporting earmark legislation, which cost us over $15,000,000,000 last year.1

Earmark (or pork barrel) legislation is an imprudent and inefficient way to spend tax money. It merely helps politicians satisfy the special interests of certain groups of voters, so as to make it easier for them to be re-elected. BUT, it is to the disadvantage of most taxpayers. It is far better to let local communities decide what is really needed at what cost and to pay for it themselves. Exceptions would be in cases of catastrophe, such as Katrina.1

In addition, some of this tax money goes to very questionable groups. For example, in Long Island, NY, Democratic Congressman Steve Israel last year obtained $500,000 in earmark dollars from U.S. taxpayers for a group called Long Island Gay & Lesbian Youth. The head of this group pays himself over $100,000. Is this group serving young people in a correct manner? Does it monitor them regarding drug use and sexual activity? To the extent it fights "bullying", that's fine. But what other message might it be giving its youth members? Would it not be better to simply have individuals who support their controversial message donate to this group rather than take our tax dollars, when some of us might view its message as very inappropriate?

Let Sen McConnell know your views. Click here now to send him an email.

Also double your efforts by calling and writing him.
McConnell's office telephone numbers are:
202-224-2541 (Wash., DC)
502-582-6304 (Louisville, Ky)

McConnell's Ky. Office Address:
Sen. Mitch McConnell
601 W. Broadway, Rm 630
Louisville, Ky, 40202

Please forward this to all of your friends.

Thanks for taking action.

Frank Simon
American Family Association of KY http://afaofky.com/
Tea Party of KY http://teapartyofky.com/

1 Source = Frank Russo of AFA of NY

A new way forward- Hal Rogers

2010-11-10T19:35:00.000-05:00

4:37 PM 11/10/2010

Last week the American people sent a clear message to Washington — business as usual must end. For years politicians and bureaucrats have spent the taxpayers’ monies as if they had a blank check, going on spending sprees while Main Street suffered. Whether it was the government bailing out Wall Street or big businesses, somehow small businesses and hard-working, middle-class families were always left behind. Distrust in the federal government is at a record high because of the disconnect between Washington and the rest of the country.

My Republican colleagues and I have been given a unique opportunity to change the direction our nation is headed. There is no room for failure. Our debt is over $13 trillion and threatens to rob our future generations and effectively bring an end to the American dream. Reforms must take place immediately and hard decisions must be made in order to restore financial health and vitality to our country. That is why I am running for Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. At this point in time, this critically important committee needs a seasoned veteran who knows how to rein in spending, hold the administration’s feet to the fire with aggressive oversight, and restore regular procedure, open to the world to see. I believe I am that person.

First and foremost we need to cut spending. Since President Obama took office, non-defense discretionary spending has increased 84 percent. At a time when families have to decide between paying the mortgage and buying groceries, it is shameful that Congress has refused to make tough decisions and live within our means. We need to end the record-setting, trillion-dollar budget deficit by first cutting spending to FY2008 levels. We also need to cancel unused TARP funds, return unspent stimulus funds, get rid of duplicative government programs and make sure any new spending bill is in line to help balance the budget.

We also must extend the earmark moratorium. We are facing a fiscal crisis in our nation. We cannot ignore the message the American people sent us last week. Under my leadership, the Committee on Appropriations will demonstrate every day of the new Congress that we are serious about cutting spending and eliminating earmarks. I will gladly be the enforcer of this policy.

In addition to spending, we must get tough on oversight. For the past two years under President Obama, Congress has had almost zero control over the costly programs and job-killing regulations this administration has enacted. Government bureaucrats are not elected by the people and they should not be allowed to unilaterally implement costly regulations without serious congressional scrutiny.

Take for example the EPA. In my own district, communities are on the brink of bankruptcy because the EPA has taken it upon itself, without any congressional authority, to selectively withhold mining permits. This doesn’t just affect the mines and those who work there, this impacts small businesses and families all throughout the region. That is why the Appropriations Committee will lead the charge to defund Obamacare, stop the White House czars, and restore the balance of power between the White House and the people’s House.

Finally, we need to fix the broken appropriations process. Not one of the twelve FY2011 appropriations bills was brought to the House floor under regular order. Amendments were stifled, meetings took place behind closed doors and members of the Appropriations Committee were handed bills written by Speaker Pelosi that included sweetheart deals for her members. Under my leadership, this will end.

It is time we restore trust to the appropriations process by ensuring transparency at every step of the process. Ushering in a new era of collaboration and cooperation, the Appropriations Committee will work hand in hand with the Budget Committee and all the authorizing committees to achieve savings and real results for the taxpayers. Under my watch, the Appropriations Committee will be an instrument of change for the House leadership and the Congress in enforcing the will of the American people.

The task before the Appropriations Committee is not easy. The American people deserve immediate action and they deserve to know that we are listening to their demand for real, substantive reform. As Thomas Jefferson once wrote, “I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” The American people have spoken and they have given us this opportunity to rein in Washington before it is too late.

Congressman Hal Rogers represents Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District and currently serves as the Ranking Member on the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

The Letter Part 2

2010-11-07T13:06:00.004-05:00

Right before the election I posted about a letter that I had wrote, and mailed to myself, and others.

After which I received a death threat!

Here is the letter as was written and mailed:(for investigative reasons names are left blank at this time)

This is the 9th day of February 2010, and I am writing this as proof of corruption in Perry County Kentucky. I have been told by the County ***** ***** **** that I will beat by 2,358 votes in the up coming election final. That would put me in my place for my big mouth. He has informed me that they have the people on the ticket in the primary to beat my opponent Hib Herald. He has stated that Ronald Combs will be my opponent in the final election. **** ******, ***** ****. **** ******* ********( Is who would take care Republican votes), **** **** ****, ****** *****, and ***** *** ***** have this election fixed. I am going to mail three copies of this out. One to myself, one to my friend ***** ***** in ********burg Kentucky, and one to the ********** ******** of Perry County Kentucky. Mine will remain sealed, and I am going to instruct the ones I send this to that they do the same.

I told this, and other information to ***** ******* since that I have been told that he informed these men of my plans concerning this letter, and they would insure that my figures would be off. The prediction as of now is that they will beat me by 358 votes. We will see what they come up with, but seeing that they have no restraint on their ego's I will say they won't drop the numbers that far.

Now since the election on November 2, 2010 reports have slowly filtering out that voters had problems with the machines. They would push the button for one candidate, and the other candidate's button would light up. Several as I have been told reported this problem at the time of voting. These reports are coming from just about every precinct in the county.

I had been told repeatedly that the machines could be fixed, but was reassured by investigators that there was no way that someone could tamper with these machines.

I think that investigators may want to re-think there beliefs.

Keep an eye open for my next posts coming soon: The Tape - concerns the 1998 election, and proves not only that it was fixed, but that authorities knew it had been fixed. Cookie - Tells the brutal story of why an African American man that was liked by many in the town was forced to leave Hazard. The Fixer - which concerns a conversation with one of the men that help to buy the votes.

FAMILY FIRST KENTUCKY PAC ENDORSES ROGER FORD

2010-10-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

OCTOBER 22, 2010
CONTACT: ROGER FORD
TELEPHONE: 606-437-1646
EMAIL: roger.ford@rogerford2010.com

Support for Ultrasound Informed Consent Bill and Bill to Forfeit Legislative Pay;
Opposition to Casino Gambling as ‘State Budget Fix’ Keys to Endorsement
(PIKE COUNTY) Family First Kentucky PAC notified Roger Ford today of their endorsement for 94th District State Representative. Ford is running to replace liberal incumbent State Representative Leslie Combs in the November General Election.
Family First Kentucky PAC supports both Democrat and Republican „values candidates‟ that support protecting the unborn, traditional marriage and family-friendly tax and spending policies, while opposing Obama-style policies and job-killing cap-and-trade laws.

“This is another key endorsement for our campaign that shows more than ever families want a change in who represents them in the 94th District. Clearly, incumbent Leslie Combs‟ liberal voting record against coal miners and families has been exposed as nothing more than the same Obama-style policies that have failed in Washington. My opponent votes for and supports those same failed policies in Frankfort that have created the mess in Washington. It is time for a new direction,” Ford said.
Coal Fed Families, the Kentucky Right to Life Association, Take Back Kentucky, and Freedom‟s Heritage Forum has all endorsed Ford over his opponent in the 94th District State Representative race.

“My opponent campaigns to keep doing more of the same. She wants re-elected to keep voting for more state debt paid for by our children and grandchildren. She wants re-elected to keep increasing taxes on working families and small businesses. She wants re-elected to keep funding anti-coal politicians and to keep supporting anti-coal groups. She wants to be re-elected to keep bailing out the racehorse industry, while doing nothing to protect coal jobs in her district. I agree with thousands of good Democrats and Republicans in Pike, Letcher, and Harlan County, we need to clean house and elect people who will take us in a new direction and who will defend our values and our way of life,” Ford said.

Ford will sponsor a bill that will force legislators to forfeit their pay if they fail to pass a budget in regular session, as well as to require a 48-hour waiting period on any bill that taxes or spends tax dollars. He has pledged to sign a discharge petition to bring pro-life bills to a vote in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

Rogers Calls on Congress to Reform

2010-10-25T16:19:00.001-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC - Last month, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) and his Republican colleagues released A Pledge to America and called on Congress to reform itself so that the trust that has been broken with the American people can be restored.

“It is no surprise that the American people are fed up with business as usual in Washington,” said Rogers. “The time for reform is now. No longer can Congress cram through bills that they haven’t even read. No longer can Congress ignore the will of the people and pass a government take-over of health care or bailout big business with taxpayer money. Congress needs to abide by the Constitution and start listening to the people they represent. Americans shouldn’t have to serve Congress by paying higher taxes and bearing the burden of an astronomical debt; rather, Congress should serve the people and immediately rein in spending and stop making government the answer for every problem.”

In A Pledge to America, Republicans plans to restore trust by transferring power back to the people and making sure they have a say in the laws passed by Congress. The Republican plan will require legislation be made public at least three days prior to any vote. The plan would also require Congress to adhere to the Constitution, make it easier to cut spending, and advance legislative issues one at a time, instead of packaging multiple, unrelated bills together in the dark of the night.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

The Letter .......

2010-10-15T13:59:00.011-04:00

This is my first post in some time concerning the 2010 Election as I am currently a candidate for Magistrate in the Second District of Perry County, and haven't had time to write anything out. I also didn't want to interfere with any on going investigations.

I am back at the blog currently to write a little post about a topic that I have been working on since filing for office. I think of it as a little test of the system in Perry County, and it concerns a letter I wrote.

When I filed for office I was confronted with claims that I had no chance at being Magistrate because it had been decided who county/city officials, and others wanted to be Magistrate in the Second District of Perry County.

I was told at this time that Ronald Combs would be the candidate, and that they would do what was necessary to see that the outcome was just that in the primary. I asked about another candidate that was on the ticket at this time Hib Herald, and it was stated that it would be Ronald Combs I would be facing in the final election.

I asked just how this would be handled, and I quote " no matter what we have to do we will see that this election goes the way we want it to go."

Now these claims came with some slightly booze soaked breath, but the details given really made me curious.... could they actually do as claimed in Perry County? Could they actually fix an election to the point that was stated? They have even stated a number on the votes.

I decided that I would test the claims.... I wrote a complete statement concerning the claims. I then sealed them in an envelope mailing one to myself, and other copies to a friend to remain sealed. This was in February of 2010, and so far it is fairly accurate. We will see if the rest goes as claimed, and this will be a true picture of just how Perry County is run.

Below is a picture of one letter that has the USPS stamped date on the it. Look for more posts concerning the corruption of Perry County to come in the future. I will do more as I have time.

Senate candidate Rand Paul also to appear on Sunday

2010-10-12T18:50:00.001-04:00

Join Gun Owners of America at Huge Louisville Gun ShowGun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Dear Kentucky Friends of the Second Amendment:

Please join Gun Owners of America at the Great Eastern National Gun Day Show and JAG Military Show in Louisville at the Kentucky Fair & Expo Center, October 16 & 17.

Dr. Rand Paul, pro-gun candidate for U.S. Senate, will also be appearing at the gun show at 11:30 on Sunday to address Second Amendment issues. GOA's Director of Federal Affairs, John Velleco, will be at the show on both the 16th and 17th.

National Gun Day hosts the worlds largest Gun and Military Show, with over 2,100 tables of military, antique and modern firearms, in addition to Civil War weapons.
So please join us in Louisville, and come out to meet pro-gun Senate candidate Rand Paul at 11:30 on Sunday, October 17.

For more information and directions, please visit:

www.nationalgunday.com

Impressions of Mayor Gorman

2010-10-12T09:59:00.000-04:00

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families

Kentucky lost a statesman when Hazard Mayor Bill Gorman passed away this past weekend. He was continually a voice for coal, and a conduit of effort to improve the quality of life in the mountains. Top it off with his hospitality towards everyone and you can start to realize our loss.

The aroma of his pipe tobacco always found its way to you as you entered City Hall. It was something you came to expect, and it instilled a sense of security and that everything was as it should be. It meant he was in his office waiting just to see you even though he had no way of knowing you would be visiting.

When you got to the office Beverly would greet you, but before you could take a seat in her office he would call out, “Come on in here. How are you?”

After saying, “Hey, Mayor, I’m doing fine,” he would say, “Now, what’s on your mind today?”

It was always pleasant to visit with Mayor Gorman even if you didn’t have something on your mind. In that case he would say, “Let me show you something,” and he would pull out some article he had read that usually upset him. He never bragged about anything good written about him, but he sure got fired up when somebody wrote something with which he disagreed, or anything negative about coal or mountain top removal.

The progress the City of Hazard has enjoyed since the mayor took office in 1978 has been tremendous. The pride in the community he provoked has been of equal magnitude. The support he showed the Hazard School System and his attitude towards the future generations are evident to all who live here and would be almost impossible to list due to the quantity.

The image he projected to the rest of Kentucky and to the nation was one which created interest in Hazard, Perry County, and the rest of the eastern Kentucky mountains. He demonstrated a pioneer type initiative that attracted business with a desire to promote progress.

Mayor Gorman’s spirit to get things done and make life better will live on in Hazard because it is Hazard. The people of Hazard were more than satisfied with his performance, and they will be equally as demanding on those who follow in his footsteps.

No, there will never be a replacement for the character that was Bill Gorman, but Hazard will never accept a substitute for the love he gave it.

TAKE BACK KENTUCKY ENDORSES ROGER FORD

2010-10-11T11:21:00.000-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 9, 2010
CONTACT: ROGER FORD
TELEPHONE: 606-437-1646
EMAIL: roger.ford@rogerford2010.com

State Rep Candidate Earns General Election Endorsement
from Pro-Gun/Pro-Life Grassroots Organization

(PIKE COUNTY) Roger Ford announced another endorsement today in the race for 94th District State Representative. Take Back Kentucky endorsed Ford in the November General Election over his opponent.

According to the organization’s website, Take Back Kentucky is a group of citizen activists that are God-oriented, constitutional, pro-family, pro-life, pro-gun, pro-veteran, and pro-military. Take Back Kentucky endorses both conservative Democrats and Republicans.

The Kentucky Right to Life Association and Coal Fed Families also has endorsed Ford over his opponent in the 94th District State Representative race.

“I am honored to receive the endorsement of the thousands of citizens who are members of Take Back Kentucky. Our message to stop the failed policies in Frankfort, such as more debt, more taxes, and more bailouts, is the same thing we need to stop in Washington. These failed policies take our coal severance tax, attack our values, and bailout big corporations. Whether it is AIG, Wall Street, or rich Arab Oil Sheiks who own race horses, we need to stop both the federal and state government’s out-of-control tax, spend, and bailout attitude. Take Back Kentucky fights daily to restore common sense values to government. We must unite and bring a new direction to Washington and Frankfort,” Ford said.

Ford has proposed a plan to return 100% of the coal severance tax to coal counties, require the General Assembly to forfeit legislative pay if they fail to pass a budget in Regular Session, while also requiring a 48-hour waiting period before voting on any bill that taxes or spends money. His proposed plan would also require posting all state contracts and agreements online and close loopholes on all state elected officials’ pensions to cut waste, fraud, and abuse.

“I signed the ‘Commitment with the Commonwealth’ pledge along with dozens of other legislators to bring a new direction and a new day to state government. We will work to clean up the mess in Frankfort and will restore government that responds to the needs of all the people,” Ford said.

STATE REP CANDIDATE QUESTIONS OPPONENT

2010-10-06T17:09:00.003-04:00

*******MEDIA RELEASE*******

Ford Says Opponent’s Timing on Pre-Filed Bill is ‘Smoke-and-Mirrors’
to Avoid Discussion of her Vote to ‘Bailout’ Racetracks with Casino Gambling

PIKE COUNTY, KY) State Representative candidate Roger Ford questioned his opponent’s timing on her sponsorship of a pre-filed bill to protect hunting and fishing that she announced last week, calling it ‘smoke-and-mirrors’ to divert attention away from her vote on the casino gambling bailout bill and her failure to sponsor and support the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act.

“My opponent’s timing on this bill is questionable. Let us call it what it truly is, and that is nothing but ‘smoke-and-mirrors’ to divert attention away from her vote on casino gambling and failure to sponsor the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act. As a NRA Life Member, I think a bill deserving my opponent’s support went unsponsored and unsupported by her during the 2010 Regular Session. My opponent did not sponsor the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act, but voted for a casino bill to bailout the racehorse industry. Why is it just now that she finds her voice when questions have been raised about her votes on casino gambling and her failure to sponsor the KFFA?” Ford said.

Legislative Research Commission Roll Call records show Leslie Adams Combs was the only state representative from Harlan, Letcher, or Pike County who voted for the casino-gambling bill to bailout the racehorse industry and failed to sponsor House Bill 87, the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act.

CASINO GAMBLING
SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

“It really does not come as much of a surprise that my opponent supports casino gambling, a bailout for the racehorse industry. As people should know, she is from central Kentucky, where all those racetracks and horse farms are. She obviously wants to take care of her childhood hometown in central Kentucky. We all draw on our roots to guide us and, on this vote, she drew on her "Golden Triangle" roots when she voted for the casino gambling bailout,” Ford said.

Public policymakers, such as those at The Family Foundation, have said that House Bill 2 was unconstitutional because it sought to interpret the 1989 state lottery constitutional amendment as including casino gambling, which it does not. Casino corporations and the racehorse industry have tried over the past 10 or 15 years to bring casino gambling into Kentucky to bailout the racehorse industry. During the 2010 Regular Session, casino supporters attempted to pass House Bill 2 to force casino gambling without a constitutional amendment.

Ford said he opposes any bailout bill and that he would oppose a bill, such as House Bill 2, because it is both a bailout bill and an unconstitutional attempt to circumvent the Kentucky Constitution.

“Leslie Combs was wrong to vote for what simply amounts to a bailout for the racehorse industry and a violation of the Kentucky Constitution. People are tired of all government bailouts. Whether it is AIG, General Motors, and Wall Street or Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and rich Arab oil sheiks who own huge numbers of racehorses, people are tired of government bailouts, paid for by working families. It would appear by her vote on casino gambling that Mrs. Combs supports government bailouts,” Ford said.

In addition, Ford pointed out when comparing House Bill 2 and House Bill 87 it should give people an idea of his opponent’s views on job creation. Ford said the casino bailout bill, HB 2, would create low-wage, dead-end jobs while the Kentucky Firearms Freedom Act, HB 87, would create good-paying firearms manufacturing jobs.

CASINO GAMBLING
SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

“Montana and Tennessee passed bills similar to HB 87, which are now laws in those states. I believe the Tenth Amendment gives Kentucky the right to protect gun owners through legislation such as HB 87. We should embrace and protect our heritage and, while doing so, create good-paying firearms manufacturing jobs. In order to do that, we must elect legislators who want our people to have good-paying jobs, not low-wage casino bailout jobs, and are unafraid to stand-up to the racehorse industry, casino bosses, and government bureaucrats in Washington. The way I see it, Leslie Adams Combs’ idea of job creation is to hand our kids a deck of cards, teach them to count to 21, and train them to deal cards. That is not my idea of job creation,” Ford said.

Roger Ford was born and raised in Eastern Kentucky. Take Back Kentucky and Coal-Fed Families have endorsed him. He has signed the Taxpayers Protection Pledge against higher taxes and wasteful spending. He has challenged his opponent to sign it but, for over 120 days, she has refused to sign the Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayers Protection Pledge.

Links to LRC resource information:
1. Full Text of House Bill 2 (2009 Extraordinary Session): http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/09ss/HB2.htm
2. Copy of Roll Call Vote on House Bill 2: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/09ss/HB2/vote_history.pdf
3. Full text of House Bill 87 (2010 Regular Session): http://www.lrc.ky.gov/record/10RS/HB87.htm
4. Montana Legislative Information on Montana Firearms Freedom Act: http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HB0246.htm
5. The Family Foundation: http://www.kentuckyfamily.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=77&Itemid=199

Roger Ford
P.O. Box 3791
Pikeville, Kentucky 41502-3791
Harlan County: (606) 589-9250
Letcher County: (606) 633-2291
Pike County: (606) 437-1646
Fax: (606) 437-0187 Online: www.rogerford2010.com

Kentucky Ranked Worst Run State In America...

2010-10-05T12:13:00.003-04:00

This truly is a sad day for the people of Kentucky, and for both political parties.

We have hit rock bottom, and it is time for real change in the way Kentucky is run!

We need new leadership that can bring this state back to life!

Stop tryin to shut down every industry in Kentucky!!

Stop trying to tax everyone to death, and cut the spending on your own little perks!!

We need people that will give this state back to the people, and work for them!!

Honest people that will give the people back hope,a chance to improve...How can anyone rise above, and better themselves when the state Government has become so corrupt, and screwed up. We need people that will serve the people not there own ambition, or bank account....

What has brought me to write this little rant?? Well read for yourself below:

"Kentucky is ranked the worst run state in America in a new article by U.S. News and World Report.

The story says the Bluegrass State doesn't rank worst in any one category, but low scores in several areas put Kentucky at the bottom overall.

The factors include a huge percentage of people living in poverty, low education levels, and a bad credit rating from Standard & Poor's.

California is ranked just above Kentucky at 49th. Wyoming is ranked the best run state in the country" - WKYT News...

Fox News Sunday Part 2 - The Debate Rand Paul And Jack Conway 10/3/2010

2010-10-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

JACK CONWAY vs RAND PAUL pt.1

2010-10-03T16:49:00.000-04:00

GOA Congressional Ratings are Now Posted on the Web

2010-10-01T09:22:00.004-04:00

-- Time for fall cleaning of House and Senate!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Thursday, September 30, 2010

With one of the biggest elections of our lifetimes only a month away, Gun Owners of America has now released its Congressional Ratings for the House and Senate.

Democrats have taken a radical turn to the left under the leadership of liberal anti-gunners like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama, and the electorate is ready to make a correction.

There is no doubt that the country is at a crossroads, with America's Constitutional Republic hanging in the balance.

So the GOA Rating Guide is your tool for cutting through the bull that candidates are throwing at you during this election season.

Candidates who have established a voting record, either in the office for which they are running or in another elected office, are evaluated primarily on the basis of that voting record.

If an incumbent or challenger has not established a voting record or demonstrated his or her position in some other way, that candidate is evaluated on the basis of his or her responses to the GOA 2010 Federal Candidate Questionnaire.

You can go to http://gunowners.org/2010-candidate-ratings-guide.htm to see the ratings of every candidate on Second Amendment issues.

For 20 years, GOA has been the only gun group publishing an open-source national rating for gun owners to use. Our rating has been so devastating in smoking out the anti-gun bias of phony politicians that the Brady Campaign even took us before an administrative court three years ago to try and silence us. They lost.

Current GOA members will be receiving a printed version of this rating, and they are encouraged to photocopy it and distribute it around to their pro-gun family, friends and clubs. This newsletter not only contains ratings for every House and Senate race in the country, it includes explosive evidence that more and more government shrinks are using the Veterans Disarmament Act to disarm our military veterans.

The November elections are an exciting, if not anxious, time for millions of concerned Americans. Again, GOA encourages all members and supporters to go online and look up their candidates in the GOA Rating Guide to see where they stand on the Second Amendment. Then, make sure you pass this link along on to fellow gun owners, shooting ranges and gun clubs.

We have been to the marches, rallies, and town hall meetings. Now, it is time for millions and millions of concerned gun rights supporters to make their way to the polls and make their voices heard on Election Day.

To learn more about candidates endorsed by Gun Owners of American Political Victory Fund, please visit www.goapvf.org.

Rogers Votes to Stop Chinese Currency Manipulation, Help American Industries

2010-09-30T16:15:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) announced that the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act. As a co-sponsor of this bill, Rogers joined his colleagues in the House in supporting a pro-job, pro-business, pro-investment, and pro-growth U.S. economic and trade policy.

“For far too long our American businesses have suffered because the Chinese government has manipulated the value of its currency at the expense of U.S. made goods,” said Rogers. “This bill will help level the playing field so that our small and medium-sized businesses no longer have to compete against Chinese products purposely devalued by up to 35%. While not a complete solution to our trade woes with China , for several years I have voiced strong concerns regarding China’s deliberate undervalued currency policy. H.R. 2378 marks a step in the right direction so that we can end some of the unfair practices and give U.S. businesses a leg up and a chance to compete.”

The Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act would help to neutralize the effects of this trade imbalance by allowing American industries to appeal for remedies under current international trade law. The legislation would clarify the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Commerce and allow them to investigate alleged currency undervaluation on a case-by-case basis. This legislation favorably passed out of the House of Representative on September 29, 2010 and awaits Senate consideration.

Rogers has served Kentucky’s 5th Congressional District since 1981. With a focus on economic development, job creation, fighting illegal drugs and preserving Appalachia’s natural treasures, he has a reputation for listening to his constituents and fighting for the region he represents. For more information visit www.halrogers.house.gov.

George Will Really Gets It.............

2010-09-26T16:04:00.001-04:00

A short history of presidential primaries

Independents, locked out of most primaries, hold the power in our Republic. The parties rule on ballots and control the legislatures who make the districts that apportion the House. We need at least a Federal primary system for all Federal offices that is regional and rotates from first to last. We need something better than the states legislatures to make the districts. Not perfect but better than what we have, and open the Federal primaries to Independents, give Independents a voice in the balloting and the state or regional rules. Let Independents in on redistricting, in making the Congressional district boundaries. Probably would have to be state to be constitutional. We stagger the elections for Senators by the three classes with a third of the Senate up every six years. The House up every two. Not a reach to find some way for Independents to have a voice, to make it a Republic as it was meant and not a democracy or worse a partisan, partiocracy. More than a third of the nation doesn't pick a party, but the parties pick our inevitable candidates. Nevadans can vote none of the above. The franchise shouldn't be multiple choice. You get off your ass to vote, then pick, don't take a pass how ever pissed off you are.

By George F. Will
Sunday, September 26, 2010; A25

Although a Niagara of vitriol is drenching politics, the two parties are acting sensibly and in tandem about something once considered a matter of constitutional significance -- the process by which presidential nominations are won.

The 2012 process will begin 17 months from now -- in February rather than January. Under rules adopted by both parties' national committees, no delegates to the national conventions shall be selected before the first Tuesday in March -- except for delegates from New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. Iowa may still conduct its caucuses, which do not select delegates, in February.

It is not graven on the heart of man by the finger of God that the Entitled Four shall go first, but it might as well be. Although they have just 3.8 percent of the nation's population, they do represent four regions. Anyway, they shall have the spotlight to themselves until the deluge of delegate selections begin -- perhaps in March but preferably in April.

Any Republican delegate-selection event held before the first day of April shall be penalized: The result cannot be, as many Republicans prefer, a winner-take-all allocation of delegates. March events "shall provide for the allocation of delegates on a proportional basis." This means only that some of the delegates must be allocated proportional to the total vote.

Because Democrats are severe democrats, they have no winner-take-all events, so they do not have this stick with which to discipline disobedient states. Instead, they brandish -- they are, after all, liberals -- a carrot: States will be offered bonus delegates for moving their nominating events deeper into the nominating season, and for clustering their contests with those of neighboring states.

Each party wants to maximize its chance of nominating a strong candidate and -- this is sometimes an afterthought -- one who would not embarrass it as president. So both parties have equal interests in lengthening the nominating process to reduce the likelihood that a cascade of early victories will settle nomination contests before they have performed their proper testing-and-winnowing function.

With states jockeying for early positions, the danger has been that the process will become compressed into something similar to an early national primary. This would heavily favor well-known and well-funded candidates and would virtually exclude everyone else.

There have been other proposals. One would divide the nation into four regions voting on monthly intervals, with the order of voting rotating every four years. Another would spread voting over 10 two-week intervals, with the largest states voting last, thereby giving lesser-known candidates a chance to build strength.

Such plans, however, require cooperation approaching altruism among the states, which should not be counted on. Instead, the two parties are in a Madisonian mood, understanding that incentives are more reliable than moral exhortations in changing behavior.

Speaking of the sainted Madison, the parties' reforms are a small step back toward what the Constitution envisioned: settled rules for something important. The nation's Founders considered the selection of presidential candidates so crucial that they wanted the process to be controlled by the Constitution. So they devised a system under which the nomination of presidential candidates and the election of a president occurred simultaneously:

Electors meeting in their respective states, in numbers equal to their states' senators and representatives, would vote for two candidates for president. When Congress counted the votes, the one with the most would become president, the runner-up vice president.

This did not survive the quick emergence of parties. After the presidential election of 1800, which was settled in the House after 36 votes, the 12th Amendment was adopted, and suddenly the nation had what it has had ever since -- a process of paramount importance but without settled rules. The process has been a political version of the "tragedy of the commons" -- by everyone acting self-interestedly, everyone's interests are injured.

In 1952, Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee won every Democratic primary he entered except Florida's, which was won by Sen. Richard Russell of Georgia. So the nominee was . . . Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson. Party bosses, a species as dead as the dinosaurs, disliked Kefauver.

Today, the parties' modest reforms -- the best kind -- have somewhat reduced the risks inherent in thorough democratization of the nomination process. Certainly the democratization has not correlated with dramatic improvements in the caliber of nominees. And the current president, whose campaign was his qualification for the office, is proof that even a protracted and shrewd campaign is not an infallible predictor of skillful governance.

georgewill@washpost.com

University of Kentucky Designated as Center of Excellence for Watershed Management

2010-09-24T15:15:00.000-04:00

Contact Information: James Pinkney, (404) 562-9183, pinkney.james@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – Sept. 24, 2010) Today, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated the University of Kentucky (UK) as a Center of Excellence for Watershed Management. UK is the managing entity of the Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) for the entire University of Kentucky system. This is the first Center of Excellence to be designated in Kentucky and the seventh in the Southeast.

EPA Deputy Regional Administrator Stanley A. Meiburg, UK Executive Vice President for Research, Jim Tracy, WRRI Director, Lindell Ormsbee and Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection Commissioner, R. Bruce Scott signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help communities identify watershed based problems and develop and implement locally sustainable solutions.

To become a recognized Center of Excellence, the institution must demonstrate technical expertise in identifying and addressing watershed needs; involvement of students, staff and faculty in watershed research; capability to involve the full suite of disciplines needed for all aspects of watershed management; financial ability to become self-sustaining; ability to deliver and account for results; willingness to partner with other institutions; and support from the highest levels of the organization.

Some of the benefits of being a recognized Center of Excellence include receipt of EPA technical assistance where needed (instructors, speakers, etc); promotion of the Center of Excellence to stakeholders; EPA letters of support for grant opportunities; and identification of opportunities for Center of Excellence involvement in local and regional watershed issues.

For decades, EPA and KDEP have protected Kentucky’s lakes, rivers and wetlands by regulating specific points of pollution; the most common of these being sewage treatment plants and factories. Although this approach led to the successful cleanup of many waterways, others still remain polluted from sources not as easily regulated. These more subtle sources include farms, streets, parking lots, lawns, rooftops or any other surfaces that come in contact with rainwater. Today, EPA and KDEP take a broader approach to water protection, looking at both the individual waterway and the watershed in which it is located.

Started in 2007, the EPA Region 4 Centers of Excellence for Watershed Management Program works with colleges and universities from across the Southeast to provide hands-on, practical products and services for communities to identify watershed problems and solve them. Each EPA designated Center actively seeks out watershed-based stakeholder groups and local governments that need cost effective tools for watershed scientific studies, engineering designs and computer mapping, as well as assistance with legal issues, project management, public education and planning.

More information about priority watersheds in the Southeast is available online at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/water/watersheds/index.html

DISCLOSE Act Defeated in Senate

2010-09-23T17:48:00.000-04:00

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://gunowners.org

Thursday, September 23, 2010

The U.S. Senate today defeated the so-called DISCLOSE Act when it failed to garner the 60 votes necessary to overcome Republican objections to the bill. The final vote was 59-39.

Even though the exact same bill, sponsored by Chuck Schumer (D-NY), had been defeated just two months ago and was unlikely to pass, anti-gun Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) brought it up for another vote to "stir up" his left-wing base.

Instead of protecting the most important type of speech protected by the First Amendment -- political speech -- with this bill Congress attempted to force groups like GOA to "disclose" the names of donors in certain political advertisements.

Since Gun Owners of America will never disclose its membership lists to the federal government, it could be prohibited from running radio or TV ads exposing a federal candidate's voting record in the weeks leading up to an election.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) aptly summed up the bill when it came to the floor in July:

"This DISCLOSE Act is not about reform, it's nothing more than Democrats sitting behind closed doors [choosing] which favored groups they want to speak in the 2010 elections -- all in an attempt to protect themselves from criticism of their government takeovers, record deficits and massive unpaid-for expansions of the federal government into the lives of the American people."

With a lame-duck session of Congress looming after the election, anything is possible -- including another attempt to push through DISCLOSE. So please stay tuned.

Swing time in Pennsylvania's 8th Congressional District?

2010-09-23T16:03:00.002-04:00

Here is another great article.....

By George F. Will
Thursday, September 23, 2010; A27

LANGHORNE, PA.

From the 1930s through the 1950s, Bucks County northeast of Philadelphia acquired a glamorous reputation as a retreat for Manhattan celebrities, including Oscar Hammerstein, who, according to local legend, was inspired by the view from his Doylestown front porch to write "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin', " the opening song of "Oklahoma!" Today the county, which is 93 percent of Pennsylvania's 8th congressional District, figures in Republicans' plans to sing that song on the morning of Nov. 3.

The district has about 209,000 Democrats, 189,000 Republicans and 66,000 independents. The seat is held by a Democrat, Patrick Murphy, 36, the first Iraq war veteran to serve in Congress. He was elected in 2006 when he defeated the one-term Republican incumbent, Mike Fitzpatrick, a 47-year-old attorney who is Murphy's opponent again this year.

More than half of the 7 percent of the district that is not in Bucks County is in northeast Philadelphia, where a lot of the city's police and firefighters live -- they are required to reside in the city -- and many conservative Democrats, too. The remainder of the district is in suburban Montgomery County. Lower Bucks County is primarily blue collar, the upper county is agricultural and the central portion is an upper-income bedroom community for Philadelphia.

Fitzpatrick, who had been a Bucks County commissioner for 10 years, won in 2004, a good Republican year. He lost in the Republicans' annus horribilis of 2006, when they suffered the first of two consecutive wave elections. (In a wave, a party gains or loses a net of at least 20 seats in the House of Representatives.) The Democrats' 2006 candidate for governor was Ed Rendell, the former Philadelphia mayor who was much loved in the suburbs for making the central city -- he was called the "mayor from Pine to Vine," two downtown streets -- safe to visit for meals and entertainment. Rendell defeated his Republican opponent in the 8th District by 40 points. So, 2006 was a Republican nightmare: Incumbent Sen. Rick Santorum lost the district by 20 percent.

Still, Fitzpatrick lost by just 1,518 votes out of 249,817 cast, and he carried the Bucks County portion of the district. He did not attempt a comeback in 2008 because he was receiving chemotherapy and radiation for colon cancer. He is now well.

Although Bill Clinton campaigned for Murphy in 2006, perhaps with his wife's 2008 presidential candidacy in mind, Murphy became the first Pennsylvanian holding federal office to endorse Barack Obama's candidacy. Today, the Clinton-Obama contest still reverberates.

Political analyst Charles Cook doesn't hire dummies, and one of his talented associates, David Wasserman, has this theory: Democratic members of Congress who are in peril are disproportionately from districts where Democrats preferred Hillary Clinton over Obama in 2008. She decisively beat Obama in the 8th District with 63 percent, and in November 2008 her voters were not Obama swooners: They simply hired him to fix the economy.

Murphy has voted with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi 97 percent of the time, including on the stimulus, health care, "cash for clunkers," the cap-and-trade climate legislation and organized labor's priority, "card check," which would abolish workers' rights to secret-ballot elections in workplace unionization decisions. Fitzpatrick is a centrist in a Republican Party where the center is migrating to the right. He favors extending all the Bush tax cuts and rescinding to the Treasury all unspent TARP and stimulus funds.

The 8th is a swing district that should swing in a year like this. Polls indicate, however, that the race is not settled.

Fitzpatrick says that although he was his family's first Republican, his seven siblings have all seen the light. He and they grew up in the 8th District, in Levittown, one of the instant suburbs (the first, also called Levittown, is on Long Island) that were mass-produced after World War II by William Levitt. They were incubators of the postwar middle class, many of whose members' bought their first homes from Levitt for $7,990.

Bucks County is emblematic of not only 20th-century America but 18th-century America, too. It was from the Bucks County bank of the Delaware River that George Washington, on Christmas night, 1776, launched the boats that carried the attackers that surprised the Hessians in Trenton. Republicans hope that on Nov. 2 a piece of another, if rather less momentous, moment in America's political evolution will occur.

georgewill@washpost.com

Hal Rogers Honored With "Tax Fighters Award"

2010-09-23T13:04:00.002-04:00

The National Tax Limitation Committee (NTLC) has honored Congressman Harold Rogers with its 111th Congress “Tax Fighter Award.” NTLC President Lewis K. Uhler presented the award to Congressman Rogers in Washington, D.C. saying “Congressman Rogers’s votes on tax and spending issues in the 111th Congress earned him an ‘A’ grade and the Tax Fighter Award.

“Congressman Rogers has led the battle on behalf of taxpayers to stop the passage of ObamaCare and cap-and-trade legislation, to make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent, to eliminate the death tax, to kill the Alternative Minimum Tax, to provide incentives for private savings, investment and job creation and to control the growth of federal spending.

“Congressman Rogers has been a major asset to taxpayers across America during his congressional service, having earned the Tax Fighter Award consistently in every session of Congress. He has had the courage to challenge the orthodoxy of Washington spending and earmarks,” concluded Uhler.

Background information: Since 1975 the National Tax Limitation Committee, a 501(c)(4) grass roots taxpayer activist organization, has worked to limit taxes and spending and to reduce the size and scope of government at all levels. NTLC has led the national movement for constitutional tax and spending limits at the stat and federal levels. NTLC publishes a congressional scorecard at the conclusion of each Congress, as it has for more than a quarter-century.

Update From Hal

2010-09-23T13:03:00.001-04:00

Dear Friend,

I wanted to take a moment and update you on my travels throughout the region and events back in Washington.

Congressional District Work Period

From Wayne County to Lawrence County, I have had the opportunity to listen to so many people throughout Southern and Eastern Kentucky the past few weeks. Whether I visited with local Chambers of Commerce, talked to hard working men and women working in the factory, or announced new jobs that are coming to our region, I was able to hear your concerns and gather new ideas to take back to Washington.

I know that many families are concerned about putting food on their table and sending their kids to college; that is why I took the time to go from community to community and listen to concerns and answer questions. I also think it’s important that in these challenging economic times, we recognize those who are making a difference. That is why I recognized so many local leaders who are working hard to make their community a brighter place.

God Bless Our Troops

Earlier in the month I traveled to Afghanistan and visited with soldiers from Kentucky. I am proud of these young men and women who are working hard to defend our American values in a harsh part of the world. While in Afghanistan, I met Jeff Casada, Josh Hancock, Jason Joseph and Derek Dennis, all of whom hail from our beautiful region. Our troops and their families are in my prayers.

Stopping the EPA’s War on Coal

Last week I joined hundreds of people in support of coal on Capitol Hill. Coal creates jobs and it powers our nation. That is why I announced that I introduced a bill that would stop the EPA dead in its tracks and stop the Administration from regulating coal mining out of business.

Ending the Epidemic of Drug Abuse

This week, I, along with Representatives Mary Bono Mack and Bill Delahunt, hosted a forum on the epidemic of prescription drug abuse. The forum brought together policy-makers from all levels of government and stake-holders from all walks of life to share ideas on just how we can prevent drug abuse, provide treatment options for the addicted and ensure that the law enforcement community has the tools necessary to stop drug dealers and unscrupulous doctors. While the facts are daunting and we face an uphill battle, it is refreshing to hear from experts in this field who are working every day to win the war against drug abuse.

I want to encourage you to continue sending me your ideas and sharing your concerns. Please feel free to contact one of my local offices, send me a message on Facebook or email me through my website. I’ll be seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

Hal

Obama has banned nearly a million American made rifles?

2010-09-21T13:47:00.008-04:00

Did you know that Barack Obama has banned nearly a million American made rifles?

Nearly a million rifles.

Banned by Barack Obama and his anti-gun cronies.

In an executive order the Obama Administration has secretly blocked the re-importation of American made M-1 Garand and Carbine rifles being stored in South Korea.

These rifles were used by the US military during the Korean War and left there after the war was over.

With one stroke of his pen, he by-passed the legislative process and banned nearly a million American made rifles by executive fiat.

Click on the title go to the GunRights.org site, and sign the petition to President Obama and congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid stating your opposition to the Historic Rifle Ban.

Make no mistake, these rifles were made in America, by Americans and used by American soldiers to defend freedom on foreign shores and are greatly sought after by American shooters and collectors.

Now State Department officials claim these antique, collector rifles could be used to commit crimes.

While the radical anti-gun crowd is giddy with praise for Obama’s latest back-door gun ban, law-abiding citizens across the United States are crying foul.

These outrageous claims are a thinly veiled attempt to distract from Obama’s special interest payback to the radical anti-gun crowd. This desperate pandering must not be allowed to continue.

That’s why we’ve prepared a petition and video against Obama’s Historic Rifle Ban.

It has been common practice since the end of World War II to re-import these American made rifles from the foreign allies they were lent to after the war.

During the Reagan Administration a similar import request for 200,000 Garand rifles was approved.

State Department officials say they are working with South Korea to “dispose” of these American made rifles.

You and I both know that is bureaucratic code for the melting down and destruction of these iconic American made rifles.

On top of banning American citizens from owning these rifles, Obama’s State Department is arranging for the destruction of nearly one million historic, American rifles.

Let me be clear: at no time in U.S. history has the ownership of any part of this gun been restricted or banned.

These firearms -- truly pieces of American history -- rightly belong in the hands of U.S. citizens, and Obama has banned nearly one million of them without cause.

The National Association for Gun Rights’ staff will compile your petitions and forward them to President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

Also, please chip in $15 or $25 to help the National Association for Gun Rights continue to fight the Obama Historic Rifle Ban.

Thank you, in advance for joining me in standing up against this outrageous anti-gun action.

For liberty,

Dudley Brown
Executive Director

P.S. In a secret executive order, President Barack Obama has secretly blocked the re-import of nearly a million American made rifles.

That’s nearly a million historic rifles that Obama doesn’t want in the hands of American citizens like you and me.

Click on the title to go to GunRights.org