We Are Seriously Not Having the Right Conversation! It is the Spending Stupid…

money burning origColor me livid.  We have lost before we even get started if we don’t correct this matter.  

Let me see if I can show you  how this game actually works.

Case 1:  I say lets cut taxes 20%  and you come back with how about 10% and we settle on 15%.  You think you won because we cut taxes a little.  Spending wasn’t reduced one iota in this scenario!  The revenue will have to be raised somehow by this generation or the next.

Amount saved 0%

Case 2:  What if the opening gambit had been let’s cut spending 20% and you come back with how about 10% and we settle on 15%.  In this scenario we both won and spending was actually reduced a little right here and now.

Amount saved 15%

Do you see the difference?  Please think about it.  Shift the conversation.  Talking about taxes is a trap and you loose no matter what the compromise position is.  Here’s a sample letter if it helps you get started:

Dear Representative,

I don’t want to hear another word about taxes.

Not one single solitary word.

Don’t even think about raising them – not on me and not on my neighbors either!

Don’t come to any of us asking for more money.  We are united on this matter.

You already have plenty.

You simply have not learned to prioritize correctly.

It is really pretty easy.

Do not spend more money than you have.  Do not ask me for more.

Let’s see how much government we can cut before anyone (not on the payroll actually misses any of it).

Thank you for getting our spending priorities in order and balancing our budget.  It is after all what we elected you to do.

Sincerely,

A Taxpayer

 

For Reference:

By the numbers: Winners and losers of Oklahoma’s proposed budget

Finding Gems & Sharing Them – We Are Seriously Not Having the Right Conversation! It is the Spending Stupid

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A Grand Gala & Real Substance too!

Yes it was a grand gala!

DC has a new team in town.

The federal zone and the rest of the nation are in the process of watching the transition of power occur.  I’ve always loved the balls and the gowns but you always learn by watching people in action.  The Trumps and the Pence family are gracious to all they encounter.  So here are a few shots from the balls and then on to the meat of the day.  Oh yes and Mike Pence and his wife can dance!  The white gown on the far left second pic had the most amazing full skirt and shimmered brilliantly when she moved.  Melanie’s gown was very unique and sculpted perfectly for her.  Ivanka’s gown was bejeweled and very lovely too.  Mrs. Pence’s gown of royal blue was gorgeous as well and the neckline simply elegant.  They were all very special and individually styled.
inaugural-ball-2017

inaugural-ball-gowns2-2017

inaugural-ball-2017-cutting-the-cake

The cake was six plus layers and they cut it very military style with a saber sword.  Hope it was as good as it looked!

Now onto the meat of the day. Here is what Trump said so that you know and don’ t have to rely on fake news and media spin.

Inauguration speech in total:

Chief Justice Roberts, President Carter, President Clinton, President Bush, President Obama, fellow Americans, and people of the world: thank you.

We, the citizens of America, are now joined in a great national effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.

Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done. Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power, and we are grateful to President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama for their gracious aid throughout this transition. They have been magnificent.

Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.  Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.  The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you! It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.
The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.  These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

This American carnage stops RIGHT HERE and stops RIGHT NOW. We are one nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry;  Subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own;  And spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.  One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.  But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.  From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.  America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.  We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.  We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.  When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.  We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

Together, We Will Make America Strong Again. We Will Make America Wealthy Again.

We Will Make America Proud Again.

We Will Make America Safe Again….

and Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again. Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States

Yes, there was real sustance!

However, the substance of the day lies elsewhere.  It was a good start indeed. Here is what he actually implemented on inauguration day.

In his first hours as president Friday, Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to “ease the burden” of ObamaCare while his chief of staff directed an immediate regulatory freeze.

Trump was joined in the Oval Office by Vice President Mike Pence, Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and other top advisers as he signed the executive order on former President Barack Obama’s signature health law, which Trump opposed throughout his campaign.

The order, which noted that Trump intends to seek the law’s “prompt repeal,” directs agencies to “minimize the unwarranted economic and regulatory burdens [of ObamaCare] and prepare to afford the States more flexibility and control to create a more free and open healthcare market.” It also tells agencies to waive, defer or delay imposing any ObamaCare provisions that impose fiscal penalties on states, health care providers, families or individuals.

Trump’s order also ordered agency heads to “encourage the development of a free and open market in interstate commerce for the offering of healthcare services and health insurance,” a key component of Republicans’ ObamaCare replacement plan.  Continue reading and see a video of event here

A good start indeed!  I love it when I hear the word freeze regarding new regulations; now if we could just get that word applied to spending and hiring!

#freezespending #MAGA #alotlessgovernmentwouldbegood #teaparty #InauguralBall

This blog was first carried on Finding Gems & Sharing Them – A Grand Gala & Real Substance too!

John Whitehead – Just Shut Up and Vote: The Futility of Representative Government in an Age of Robber Barons

Just Shut Up and Vote: The Futility of Representative Government in an Age of Robber Barons

Battlefield America by JWWhitehead

John W. Whitehead’s latest book available to buy with click on pic ( + other books)

“That’s the way the ruling class operates in any society. They keep the lower and the middle classes fighting with each other… Anything different—that’s what they’re gonna talk about—race, religion, ethnic and national background, jobs, income, education, social status, sexuality, anything they can do to keep us fighting with each other, so that they can keep going to the bank!”—Comedian George Carlin

“We the people” have been utterly and completely betrayed.

The politicians “we the people” most trusted to look out for our best interests, protect our rights, and ensure that the nation does not slip into tyranny have cheated on us, lied to us, swindled us, deceived us, double-crossed us, and sold us to the highest bidder.

Time and again, they have shown in word and deed that their priorities lay elsewhere, that they care nothing about our plight, that they owe us no allegiance, that they are motivated by power and money rather than principle, that they are deaf to our entreaties, that they are part of an elite ruling class that views us as mere cattle, that their partisan bickering is part of an elaborate ruse to keep us divided and distracted, and that their oaths of office to uphold the Constitution mean nothing.

Continue Reading >>>

Washington County Grassroots Meeting – Thursday Dec 11th 6:30PM at the Bartlesville Library

 

Washington County Grassroots Graphic Corrected 2014Dear Friends in Washington County Grassroots,

Recently several people on our prayer team met to discuss a broader meeting this month in preparation for events that will occur in January 2015. We decided to set up a meeting to seek wisdom on matters:

Bartlesville Public Library (meeting room on 2nd floor)
Dec 11th 6:30 PM

Please come if you can and feel free to share with anyone interested in attending. We will share what we know about what lies up ahead and seek the wisdom of the body as we move ahead.

Sandra will share briefly about upcoming Republican party meetings in early 2015 with dates and process and ways to get involved if you are interested in doing so.

Precinct Meetings in January (precinct chair and other officers will be elected this cycle)
County Meeting usually in March (county chair and other officers will be elected this cycle)
State Convention usually in April (state chair and other officers will be elected this cycle)

If you have resolutions to share with everyone, please bring multiple copies to share and circulate!

______________________________

Shelle will share some projects on her heart and set up teams to tackle ongoing projects. Do you have 1 -3 hours a month you can spare for liberty? If so consider these team projects:

Patriots who will attend Local School Board meetings
Patriots who will attend City Council Meetings
Patriots who will attend County Commissioner Meetings
Patriots willing to reach out to local legislators and establish regular meetings with them
Patriots willing to share this information
Patriots who know the constitution is about protecting freedoms
Patriots willing to form Block Prayer teams
Patriots willing to be speakers/topics of interest

______________________________

Randy will share briefly about Oathkeepers and what that might look like on a local level:

[Recently] I woke up with a desire to offer precinct leaders and activists a forum to do more than serve the 2-party system .

A broader concept would be based on security and community – neighborhood watch, preparedness, resource sharing, Civil Preservation Teams like Oathkeepers has planned. (And ultimately, the intended function of a militia would be met—hopefully restored.

Here’s a link to an Oathkeepers page that provides a Documentary film on Martial Law —

http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2014/11/24/oath-keepers-saddle-up-for-midnight-ride/

We need to resist top-down control by Feds and renew local control through the People — an informed and educated grassroots network.

______________________________

Other items to add to agenda? Please let us know in advance of meeting.

We will keep the meeting itself to a 2 hour format to optimize everyone’s time.

Sandra Crosnoe
918.440.6876

LaShelle Griffith
918.876.2083

Randy Barnett
918.440.8000

 

Permalink: https://scrosnoe.wordpress.com/2014/12/06/washington-county-grassroots-meeting

Additional Reference Links:

OKGOP platform

OKGOP Rules

Statement of Republican Principles

Resolution concerning Common Core, passed by the OKGOP State Committee, 18 Jan 2014

Sample Resolutions from 2011 (via OKGrassroots)

The Official Call Oklahoma Republican Party

League of Women Voters of the Bartlesville Area Candidate Forum on June 17th

Washington-County-Grassroots1

Washington County Grassroots Encouraged to Attend & Ask Questions

 — Watch on CableOne Channel 16 if unable to attend in person —

LWV Logo 2014

   LWV to host candidate forum – June 17th

 

To help citizens prepare for the June 24 primary election, the League of Women Voters of the Bartlesville Area will hold a forum featuring area primary election candidates on June 17.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the Council Meeting Room in the Bartlesville City Center Building, 401 S. Johnstone Ave.

Candidates for the Oklahoma House of Representatives District 10 and the Washington County Commission will be speaking and answering written questions from the audience.

Seeking the seat being vacated by Rep. Steve Martin from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, District 10, are Travis Dunlap and Randy Barnett, both Republicans.

The other primary race of local interest is between Pat Evans and Mitchell Antle, both Republican candidates, who will compete for the Washington County Commissioner, District 1, position being vacated by Gary Deckard.

Area residents are invited to attend and will be given an opportunity to write down questions directed to one or all of the candidates. To schedule as many questions and answers as possible, League volunteers will read the questions to avoid duplications and a timekeeper will maintain time limits for the replies.

County commissioner candidates are scheduled first on the program, followed by the candidates for the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

LWV officials remind voters that Oklahoma has closed primary elections in which party candidates are chosen only by voters registered in that party. Although all the candidates speaking at this forum are Republicans, the non-partisan League encourages Democrats and Independents to attend and participate with questions.

The LWV statewide Vote411.org website is now open with statewide information including information from Oklahoma House District 10 Candidates. For more information about the local League of Women Voters, visit http://www.lwvok.org/Bartlesville.html. The local League’s e-mail is lwv__bvilleok@yahoo.com.  

For more information about the forum, call the local LWV contact at 918-333-7007.

Source Article: http://examiner-enterprise.com/news/local-news/lwv-host-candidate-forum#sthash.NnIfXLkX.dpuf

FGST - Finding Gems & Sharing Them

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Posted by Sandra Crosnoe for Finding Gems & Sharing Them

Randy Barnett for HD10 Website

Travis Dunlap Website

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Note:  If the commissioner’s race candidates have websites, I was unable to find them (please provide links in comments section below if you have any additional information).

Side by side comparison of questionnaire answers for HD10 on Vote411 here >>>

Silver Lake Road Extension Eminent Domain Issue – a little history here >>>

Permalink: https://scrosnoe.wordpress.com/2014/06/16//

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