FROM MY VIEW
A blog by Tiffany Montano
I
have lived my life. These are my views based upon my experience.
Perhaps someone else would feel different. Don't judge me until you walk
a mile in my moccasins. It should be noted
that my sister calls me periodically and checks to see that I am still
alive. She is convinced I will be
assassinated for my views. But like so
many before me I must speak the truth.
In another country I might be imprisoned for my views. If Obama get’s elected, I still may. His policies are socialistic. He has already tried to control free speech
and is now attacking FOX news.
October
26, 2008
Here
is a scary thought. If Obama gets
elected and something happens to him Nancy Pelosi will be next in line for VP. Is
freedom of speech dead?
When
a Barbara West a reporter from WFTV Chanel 9 in Florida
the station received the following regarding any further interviews with Biden
Obama campaign cuts off WFTV after interview with Joe Biden
WFTV-Channel 9's Barbara West conducted a satellite interview with Sen. Joe Biden on Thursday. West asked about Sen. Barack Obama's comment, to Joe the Plumber, about spreading the wealth. She quoted Karl Marx and asked how Obama isn't being a Marxist with the "spreading the wealth" comment.
"Are you joking?" said Biden, who is Obama's running mate. "No," West said.
West later asked Biden about his comments that Obama could be tested early on as president. She wondered if the Delaware senator was saying America's days as the world's leading power were over.
"I don't know who's writing your questions," Biden shot back.
Biden so disliked West's line of questioning that the Obama campaign
canceled a WFTV interview with Jill Biden, the candidate's
wife.
"This cancellation is non-negotiable, and further opportunities for your station to interview with this campaign are unlikely, at best for the duration of the remaining days until the election," wrote Laura K. McGinnis, Central Florida communications director for the Obama campaign.
McGinnis said the Biden cancellation was "a result of her husband's experience yesterday during the satellite interview with Barbara West."
Here's a link to the interview: http://www.wftv.com/video/17790025/index.html.
WFTV news director Bob Jordan said, "When you get a shot to ask these candidates, you want to make the most of it. They usually give you five minutes."
Jordan said political campaigns in general pick and choose the stations they like. And stations often pose softball questions during the satellite interviews.
"Mr. Biden didn't like the questions," Jordan said. "We choose not to ask softball questions."
Jordan added, "I'm crying foul on this one."
What did you think of the interview?
The Obama doesn’t have a problem giving interviews with MSNBC with all their slanted interviews. What is the Obama campaign afraid Joe Biden will tell you, the truth?
October
19, 2008
Why
do we need ACORN when you can pick up a voter registration form at any Post
Office? Wouldn’t a public service
announcement be cheaper than the voter registration campaign and fraud?
Some
important web-links to share with you:
Rally Congress and have your voice heard.
If
you want to hear Obama in his own words. Not the political spin but what he really
said.
I
don’t know how you feel about ACORN but Republican or Democrat you should be up
in arms with what has happened in Ohio, Nevada, Michigan, Texas, Colorado, New
Mexico, Florida, California etc. In all
told there are twelve critical
“swing” states where there are allegations of voter registration
fraud. In Nevada, the FBI has seized
their records. In Ohio there is said
to be 200,000 suspected
questionable forms out of 666,000.
Interesting number. But more than
that they are said to have use strong arm tactics to force bankers to make many
of the loans that led to the mortgage meltdown.
Follow the money trail and it leads back to Obama, Dodd, Franks, Pelosi. Even though we have told Congress we want to Drill Here Drill Now it is said that
a Democratic lead Congress will overturn their recent decision.
Do
you want to compare the record of John McCain to Obama?
Are
you tired of the political calls? You can register to Stop the Political Calls.
Here
is a good one to protect our vote from organizations like ACORN. Sign the petition at Defend My Vote.
And
you might like The Right Change
I
don’t know how you feel about this but I think it’s disgusting. If it were a Republican doing this, the
Democrats would be up in arms. Talk
about a double standard.
Farrakhan on
Obama: "The Messiah is absolutely speaking".
What
about Jeremiah Wright?
Tony Rezko by the way did you see Obama’s House?
Senator
Obama’s Redistribution of wealth sounds familiar..
October
18, 2008
I
supported Senator Clinton but the more I looked into the politics of the
Democratic Party the less I like. I
watched the disparity of mainstream media.
But I listened to Senator Clinton and I investigated myself. What came out in the primary should not be
overlooked. Bill Ayers and the ACORN
connection should not be overlooked the way the mainstream media is doing. Along with the Pelosi, Dodd and Frank, ACORN
and Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae connections.
Ohio is a prime example of the attempt to undermine the Constitution and
fix the race. Will we have the Republic of
Obama a Socialist country? Where is the
millions for his campaign coming from?
It's hard to believe anyone can raise that much money when even the Red
Cross is struggling. I watched Colin
Powell endorse Obama. I heard that on
the news weeks ago. The only news would
be if he supported McCain. He was wrong
on Bush, he was wrong on Chaney, he was wrong on WMDs. That's three for three, why should we believe
he would be right on Obama? Voting for a
man because of his race is as wrong as voting against a man for his race. Or his or her gender. This election should not be about gender or
race. It should be about qualifications. It should be about National Security,
Economic Security and Energy Security not Social Welfare. As a person on a fixed income I could use
another Stimulus Package but I would rather see the economy recover and free
enterprise work. I lived through the
Cold War, and don't want to live in a Socialist Country. I was taught to work for what I got, not
expect my neighbor to support me. Even
Donald Trump said Obama would lead us into a depression. Yes the Donald used the dreaded "D"
word. I hope people wake up, before it
is too late.
October
12, 2008
With his entourage Obama looks more like a prize
fighter than a politician. Does he have any white bodyguards?
Perhaps it is Obama himself that engenders racism. I have had people who
told me they would vote for Colin Powel or Condoleezza Rice say they wouldn't
vote for that (fill in the blank), and others who said they would vote for
Obama "to shake things up" but I have never had anybody tell me what
Obama stands for or would do. His surrogates when asked always go on the
defensive rather than explain his policies. I would like to send Obama a
box of Acorns. In this day and age if we don't get this fully resolved,
the election and our whole process will be called into question. If
McCain wins the Obama supporters will claim racism and if Obama wins the McCain
supporters will rightfully call the votes into question. Maybe this is
why we have an
Electoral College.
October 10, 2008
The only real way to stabilize the economy is to
start with energy. OPEC wants to reduce supply. Russia and
Venezuela have aligned. While the mortgage meltdown may have been the
match that lit the fire, fuel prices were the spark that lit the match.
October 9, 2008
No matter what happens in this election, I see
Sarah Palin as the first woman president. I would like to work on her
campaign when She does. John McCain should to bring up ACORN and the
Democratic affiliation to it. He should
return the money he took from Freddie and Fannie and challenge Obama to
do so. McCain only has a few thousand to loose and I am sure this
would bring in more contributions. We must demand observers at all
polling places that ACORN registered and an accurate validation of all new
registered voters in those areas. Even if it means the Registrar of
Voters has to work overtime phone calling every new voter. This is too important
to our country. Polls can be slanted by calling voters predominantly
registered for one party or the other. I have had pollsters who told me I
couldn't be included because I was Native American. I have even had them
hang up when I said I was voting for the Republican candidate. Keep
pushing. People need to know the Democratic connection to Obama and the
economic meltdown. I believe most people would have tried to keep their
homes but when gas prices skyrocketed they could no longer afford food and milk
for their children, gas to get to work or the doctor and their mortgage.
And the first thing to go is the mortgage. Granted, the mortgage mess
began in the 1970s with Fannie and Freddie and was exacerbated by a Democratic
Congress who put their head in the sand and refused to acknowledge what was
going on. In 2001 Bush called it, but Congress refused to do anything
about it. In 2003 Greenspan testified before Congress and Barnie Franks
refused to believe Greenspan preferring instead to listen to his lover.
But energy and particularly gas prices was the spark that ignited the match
that started the forest fire. Americans need to be reminded we have had
9-11, hurricane Katrina and Ike, the bridge collapse in Minnesota, and the
California wildfires during the Bush administration. I don't support Bush
anymore but I do realize these things were all paid for with federal
dollars. And while I don't care who sleeps with who, (Franks) this was an
obvious conflict of interest and I don't want my tax dollars paying for it.
October 9, 2008
John McCain’s Captivity
The MSNBC story which showed John McCain’s captor
claiming he and John McCain were friends and had heated discussions. John
McCain had every bone in his body broke by this man. It would be like
getting the guy who sexually molested David with a cattle prod to say it didn't
happen or David asked him to do it. Or my ex-husband who tortured me for
five and a half years to say we were happily married and we never
argued. By giving this man a platform for his lies, he might as well have
given Hitler or Kim Jung Il a platform. He is validating him and
calling John McCain a liar. Obama has lied throughout the campaign.
His record shows the truth. But his rhetoric, which is all the average
American sees appears believable. Look into Tony Rezco, Bill Ayers,
Jeremiah Wright, Father Pflagger and their views. Then look into ACORN
and it's voter registration fraud. This is an organization that Obama
represented, worked for and even trained employees. He was given
something like $6 Billion to disburse by Ayers. This is his only
executive experience but he has tried to hide it. Money that would
go to ACORN was added to the economic bailout package. Even
some Democrats are up in arms about this and are trying to prevent it. In
one county in Nevada ACORN registered 1800 voters. Only 6 were
valid. The FBI has seized their record. But news programs like
Brian Williams and MSNBC have anointed Obama and they slant their reporting
that way. Like Sean Hannity says "Journalism is dead in
America". I have known about these affiliations for over a year
because I watch FOX news, but mainstream media refuses to cover these
stories. They dismiss the connection to Ayers. Obama said Jeremiah
Wright was his spiritual mentor. I heard it but now he denies that.
He said he sat in his church for twenty years but didn't hear his
rhetoric. I guess he slept through church for twenty years. In 3
years Obama received $185,000 from Freddie and Fannie. He was the second
or third highest recipient. He has taken billions in earmarks. He
proposes $10 Billion in additional spending but has no idea how to pay for
it. As far as things he is willing to give up because of the economic
crisis, none of them. He thinks early childcare is one of his most
important projects for taxpayers to pay for. I think Hillary told the
truth during the primary but is being forced by the party for her political
career to endorse him. He has spent most of his career running for office
and rarely gives an up or down vote except to return to Washington to vote
against funding for armoring vehicles for our troupes. On one interview,
he said he was glad they were not holding his "Muslim religion" and
then he corrected himself and said "I mean my Christian religion against
me." A Freudian slip. Or something more. He said it, I
didn't. I know he was registered in school as a Muslim, but he denied it
until the records were produced. I don't think what his grandmother did,
in registering him in school should be held against him but lying about it
should. To me, he is beginning to come across as I am black, I am
entitled and you owe me. I would rather be labeled racist than vote for
Obama. Obama doesn't support drilling but instead is shoving
solar, bio-fuel, and CNG down our throats. Things that Democrats are
highly invested in. It is like the oil companies supporting oil.
CNG won't work unless we can develop a way to deliver it. Right now the
cars go about 40 miles on a tank of gas and it takes overnight to fill
them. Then you have the environmentalists to contend with. That
could delay any project twenty to thirty years. His energy program is
research and development and would not get us off foreign oil in ten years.
October 2, 2008
Economic Bailout
Not only no, but hell no. Not with all the
crap that has been added on. I fail to see what insurance companies being
required to pay mental health benefits has to do with economic recovery.
Unless it is because we are going to need mental health care because of this
mess. We shouldn't be guaranteeing tax credits to the Wool Research
Center or the manufacture of wooden arrows for children. Children
shouldn't be playing with wooden arrows. These are the few issues that
have been reported in the media. How much more is hidden in the 420 page
text? Tax extenders should be on a separate bill.
Further more shutting down the House or the Senate
for a religious holiday, be it Jewish or Christian or whatever should be
considered a Separation of Church and State issue and should be
abolished. I have never been more disgusted with my government than I am
right now. The only thing worse will be if we elect another predominately
Democratic Congress and Obama as President. If we do that, God help us
all.
September
27, 2008
John McCain says the economy isn't his strong point
but he has a better understanding of the economy than Obama does. As
someone who tried to start a small business I found out that without seed money
you can't get a small business loan. This knocks out most of the people
he wants to give tax breaks to so they can "start small
businesses." I have seen reports that say more than 60% of all small
businesses fail within the first five years. So Obama wants again to give
tax breaks to the people who are more apt to as Jeff Foxworthy says buy lottery
tickets and collector plates than start a business. I might add, these
are the people who are the least likely to understand starting a small business
or the responsibilities of meeting a payroll. I noticed while John McCain
immediately returned to Washington, Obama had to be invited to do his
job. But the Democrats used this against McCain saying it was a political
move. Since when is doing your job
political? What are taxpayers paying him
for? Obviously, if he doesn't want to do the job of Senator, he should
resign. If he were to be elected President, he would start running for
King or God. I also noticed when McCain left the White House, he returned
to his car, he and Obama’s entourage returned to the limousine. McCain
left the debate to return to Washington, Obama to return to his hotel because
he was tired.
McCain understands energy, nuclear and solar and
the drawbacks of solar and battery technology because Arizona uses this
technology. Obama only has a vague understanding of the
theory. There is a big difference between theory and application. I
have watched this economic meltdown and predicted it five years ago. I
don't disregard the corruption in Wall Street, Government and Banking
Industries, but we could have forestalled or averted the meltdown if we would
have taken control of our oil prices and energy. Instead we suckled at
OPEC's teat, subsiding our enemies and draining our wallets and ultimately our
economy. We borrow from countries without basic human rights that
continues to poison its people as well as the environment. No wonder we
didn't boycott the Olympics as we should have.
I know from experience, when you can't afford gas
to get to work, or food due to trickle down price increases, then your mortgage
is the first to go. You think I will catch up next week. But next
week never comes because next week always brings higher gas prices and food
prices. Then you get hit with higher home heating and cooling costs and
you begin to ask when the vortex will stop. Most Americans are a pay
check away from this scenario, or an illness, or an appliance or automobile
repair bill. And then you watch as the USWFS demands California Red Legged
Frog assessments before you can proceed with an electric transmission
extension. My sister tells me of a friend who wanted to put in a wind
generator in the Mojave Desert but was denied permits. The Kennedys' want
to force us to use alternate technology but don't want their view destroyed in
the process. The typical do as I say not as I do, and not in my
neighborhood attitude. Solar energy rebates, like the Bears in Montana,
grape genetic research, alternate uses for tobacco and encouraging more wood
use are earmarks must be stopped. Examining the habitat for every
insect, bird, plant etc. is not an efficient expenditure of tax dollars.
Nor is fighting frivolous lawsuits brought by the Center for Bio-Diversity but
it is better than capitulating on every potential endangered species. The
Endangered Species Act needs to be overturned in order for any of the energy
independent ideas to work. We can't afford ten years of
environmental reports before we begin to drill, built electric plants or hydro-electric
generation facilities. CNG won't work until we have a delivery
infrastructure. As it stands, we can't build the infrastructure until we
get the Environmental Impact Reports. Millions of tax dollars
wasted. Eventually most projects are completed. I have no problem
with making sure nuclear plants are not built on fault lines but other than
something critical to protect the installation, then forget about the
EPA. Who cares if a spider is killed in the process. I agree no
subsidies to ethanol or any other biofuel. We don't need to be butting
food into our gas tanks when there is a better alternative.
And now we have Putin offering nuclear capabilities
to Chavez and replacing weapons in Nicaragua. How much did China and
Russia have to do with the economic meltdown, behind the scenes so Putin could
expand his empire to South America? This may sound paranoid but they are
sure taking advantage of this worldwide distraction.
Unlike the Democrats, I don't believe it is the
government's duty to support me or create jobs. I want my government
first of all to keep me safe. Then to build my infrastructure. Then
to stay out of my business.
It is obvious we need to bail out the banking
industry. But fire Cox, Paulson and Bernanke. They have obviously
been sleeping through this last few years. They should be considered the
Exxon ship captain of the economy. Bring back Greenspan to consult on the
project. This will instill some confidence.
I applaud Senator McCain and his actions.
On a side note, I realize the Senate is part of
Congress, but when Obama said he was elected to Congress, he would have been
better saying he was elected to the Senate. That is why they call him a
Senator and not a Congressman. The news media's disgusting display of
criticism of Governor Palin should be seen for what it is, they can't criticize
on issues so they attack her personally. Governor Palin's photograph in
high heels and a bathing suit is not newsworthy, now Joe Biden in the same
outfit would be. If the voters are foolish enough to elect Obama, they
deserve what they get, but unfortunately it effects those of us who
actually vote the issues.
Sept 26, 2008
I want my President working on the
economy and believe both candidates should "suspend" their candidacy
until this financial situation is resolved. Regardless of who is elected
they should both be involved. But Obama doesn't seem to think he is
needed. If he doesn't think he is needed in the Senate then he
should resign. Tax payers shouldn't pay the salary of someone who doesn't
want to work. His voting record indicates that he doesn't want to commit
on anything. He should give back the $85 million he got from the mortgage
institutes. I will not vote for Barack Obama, I don't believe he has
the record nor the judgment to be my president. I do not support him on
his economic, social or environmental issues. I have requested I be
removed from your email list, I got on it when I asked a question regarding so
called "clean coal". I never got any answers, only spammed with
political fundraising. As far has his church, and Jeremiah Wright, I
would have had more respect if he would have said he slept through
service. I was leaning toward voting Democrat for the other positions but
I am voting straight Republican especially after what Nancy Pelosi has said and
done. The Democratic Party has become nothing but a bunch of
eco-terrorists, holding the Senate hostage. The word traitor comes to
mind. Drilling and becoming energy independent is a matter of national
security but Obama is too ignorant to realize that. He hasn't lived on
Solar energy so he doesn't know what it is like. You have to have some
experience in what you are talking about and Barack Obama has none.
September 25, 2008
Yesterday
Nicaragua announced that Russia is replacing their weapons including SAM 7, the
hand held surface to air missiles we are trying so desperately to keep out of
the hands of terrorists. It seems like this military buildup is being
done while the world's attention is diverted to the US economy. So very
little attention is being paid to this critical issue. Our troops are
stretched to their limit or at least that is what the media have reported, we
no longer have a draft to draw upon if something happens. Putin has
concerned me ever since he suspended free elections in response to the school
shooting. I thought then that he wanted to rebuild the USSR and he sees
the US as weak. His recent actions lead me to believe he is very dangerous,
and would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons on us just because he doesn't
like what we say. He is ex-KGB. Like First Special Forces, there is
no ex. We need to normalize or improve relations with the South American
countries, stop building a Berlin style wall between Mexico and work with our
southern neighbors including Cuba. For our own National Security.
After all the biggest separation between boarders is the Oceans. We have a
better chance of protecting our continent by working together than protecting
one individual nation.
September
19, 2008
Do
the Obamas really have a clue about the economy? According to Michelle, Barrack’s idea is to
expand paid family leave. She says
parents should have the right (to take time off from work paid) to take their
children trick-or-treating. Or to (I
believe it was) a soccer game, go to PTA meetings or take their child to a
doctor. First of all, the doctor was the
last item mentioned, therefore carries the least importance. When I grew up, it was the employee’s
responsibility to work to get paid. No
one disagrees with the importance of taking care of an ill family member. And this is what paid family leave should be
about, not bonding with a new baby or taking them trick-or-treating. While I don’t dispute the need to raise our
children, every woman should work for her own self respect as well as her
financial security. Too often the
homemaker finds herself middle aged, single and unable to manage their
finances. One friend confided that when
her husband died she didn’t even know how to write a check. However, if a woman chooses to take time from
her job to have an extended vacation with her child then she should not expect
her employer to pay her to do so. Nor
should she expect her employer to hold her job for her. If she (or he) can’t or won’t do the job
preferring instead to take time off at every runny nose, every school activity
or bonding opportunity, she (or he) should resign and allow someone who wants
to work to fill that position. This
benefits employers as well as potential employees. And keeps our economy growing. No one should have a guaranteed job for life
including politicians, judges, postal workers, etc. Employment should be based upon performance
not on guarantees.
I
am a woman who believes we should abolish child support laws. Every woman (or man) has an equal opportunity
to make something of themselves. Child
support too often goes to the custodial parent for vacations and luxuries
including drugs and alcohol while denying the child. Mothers often send their children to their
father’s expecting the father (and sometimes the mother) to buy new clothes in
addition to paying child support. When
illness forces the non-custodial parent to miss payments the custodial parent
turns the issue over to government agencies which take their drivers license
away therefore preventing employment and worsening the situation. I have known several fathers that this has
happened to and now they can’t make a living because if they could get a job
they couldn’t get to work. Some of these
men were truck drivers. The agency took
away their ability to make a living. So
the lazy mother gets welfare and socialized medicine.
At
the tax payers’ expense. And the sad
thing is the mentality perpetuates it’s self.
I saw one news story where a woman said the tax payers should pay her to
stay home and raise her children. The
taxpayers were then sending her to Stanford, on Public Assistance. This is the kind of abuse we need to stop.
Now
Barrack thinks in order to stabilize our economy we should consult with world
leaders. This shows weakness. The world is looking at us to lead and that
is what we must do. Barrack wants to
force an economic stimulus package onto any legislation that stabilizes the
banking industry. The last one didn’t
work, what makes him think this one would?
He wants the changes we make to be temporary and to eventfully turn back
control to the same entities that created the mess we are in. He needs to wake up and realize the oil
industry started the degradation of the housing market. Until we stabilize this segment of the
economy we will never be able to fully stabilize the economy. This is the real basis of trickledown
economics. Barrack wants to increase
taxes and paid leave on the small business.
Most small business fail within the first five years. Under Obama’s plan they won’t make it that
long.
This
is change we can believe in to lead us
in a worse economic mess than we already are.
September
12, 2008
Hillary
and Obama
It ain't going to happen. Ironically, Biden
is more qualified than Obama (even Hillary said that). And Sarah Palin is
equally if not more qualified than Biden. I think Hillary's time has
passed. And quite honestly with the Democratic Party's stance on drilling
McCain should be our next President. If Biden were to step aside it would
appear exactly as it would be, a political move. As I have said before
Hillary stands for everything Obama said he was against. The American
people aren't stupid. This race hinges on energy. Only through
energy independence will we grow the economy and become more secure in our
foreign policy. I don't like the conservative stance on religion, gays
and socialism. Obama in his interview last night sounded like a Socialist.
He wants everybody to volunteer for everything but wants to give everybody a
collage education and healthcare. His only way to pay for it is to
"close tax loopholes. Where is the other 80 billion projected going
to come from? He voted against armoring the Hummers for the military yet
wants to escalate the war in Afghanistan. He says the reduced cost of the
Iraq war will pay the bills, but where is the money going to come from to pay
the billions for the war in Afghanistan he is going to escalate? He has
waffled on Georgia. He does not have the experience to keep our country
safe nor does he have the balls to stand up to our enemies. He is
dangerous to our country. If he wants to make the changes he is proposing
he would be better off in the Senate. He has to realize all bills are
drafted in the House and Senate and the President only signs those bills.
He talks about the retirement issue, in that CEOs receive Golden Parachutes
while people lose their retirements. He says he is going to revamp
Capital Gains to do it. Capital Gains has to do with the tax you pay on
the stocks and real property you sell. It does not have to do with
Retirement Restructuring. He wants to increase taxes on the people who
create the jobs while giving a free ride to those who don't. It is called
redistribution of wealth and is a Socialist Policy. He wants to increase
taxes on small business. That will be a detriment to starting new
business and will bring existing small business to it's knees. I can't
remember who it was, Dick Morris I think, said Obama's policies could bring us
to a full scale depression. I have thought that for a long time. I
watched Sarah Palin's interview with Chris Wallace on Nightline. She can
hold her own. They keep saying she would be a heartbeat away from the
presidency, so could Biden. Obama wants to compare himself to Lincoln and
Kennedy. So that's my take on things.
September 13, 2008
The EPA, Electricity, Mosquitoes and Frogs
You might wonder what one has to do with the other. Read on:
It seems to me that because of the mosquito/West Nile vectoring program that the mosquito is becoming an endangered species or at least a threatened species and therefore should be included in the endangered species list. If this sound as ridiculous to you as it does to me, just think about it and the species that have been added and the end result. The Natural Diversity Data Base currently has over 33,000 site specific records to California’s “rarest plants, animals and natural communities.” Is everything in California to be designated as threatened, endangered or rare? That is except human beings. The EPA has overstepped its charter to protect Americans from environmental contamination metamorphosizing into the all controlling big brother committed to delay development that they have become. Nobody has more power than the EPA and it is power that we by our apathy and ignorance gave them. The California Senate has proposed tying land use to carbon footprint. Every major construction project is forced to expend years determining the environmental impact of the project only to eventually be allowed to complete the project. Most projects aren’t stopped, only delayed. But at what cost to taxpayers? At what cost to society. And at what benefit to the environment?
The average American rarely understands the scope the EPA has on any project. My biggest fear with my electrification project was that somebody would decide there was an endangered species in the area. After four months of opportunity to respond and lack thereof on August 28th I received an email identifying the Red Legged Tree Frog as an issue. The USFWS revised guidelines state the frog can be found in aquatic, riparian and upland habitats. Basically anywhere. But what really strikes me is that one single frog can lay from 2000 to 6000 eggs per breeding. That seems prolific to me and the average American but not to the eco-nuts that have become the mainstay of the environmental movement. I am not for species taking. I can’t even kill a dying field mouse I find in my back yard. I do not use pesticides in my yard. But there must be a reasonable balance between the needs of mankind and the needs of insects, amphibians, fish, spiders, snakes etc.
In June and July I was forced to evacuate because of the wildfires. The air quality with 6 fires surrounding us was unbreathable. My lungs are still and will forever be impacted by the fires. My asthma is worse. If the fire would have burned this area I wouldn’t have to worry about frogs. At this point, I almost wish it would have. During our evacuation, we were forced to stay with friends and spent one horrible night in a motel. Even though we stayed with friends the majority of the time, we had the additional expense of gas to evacuate two vehicles. We were forced to rent a storage space to put the truck and our valuables in to avoid having to drive both vehicles and caravan all over the place. We also had the additional expense of food that was not in our budget. These are for us and the majority of evacuees, unrecoverable expenses. My new (less than three year old) batteries are dying. The time between charges has degraded from 106 hours to 36 hours. They will have to be replaced at an expense in excess of $2000. My solar panels have degraded from 25 amps to 20 amps. And in the mean time I have to spend my time and money on Red Legged Frogs.
June 8, 2008
Today on Face the Nation, one of the news commentators made the statement that "Hillary won the popular vote and the most states." Then I have to ask you why did Barack Obama win the nomination?
I live in Rural America and although I was always considered white, I am a child of Native American mixed race. My first day of school, I proudly announced I am an Indian, (a term I now disavow). From that moment on I was called a dirty Indian and told the only good Indian is a dead Indian. Ostracized by the other children I was a loner. I went home most days of my early years crying because nobody liked me. And yet my father, who was half Native American hated every race. So I was raised experiencing both sides of racism. Individuals played into my belief structure and reinforced my father's views. It was not until I actually got to know some nice people who happened to be African American, that my views began to change. As a photographer I often traveled with another photographer, photographing the Southwest. He was an African American and we often joked at the ignorance we encountered. This was in the early 80s. I was the only "white" at his wedding and often the only "white" at their parties. Once on the phone he told me "n_____ don't give me that s___." Fill in the blanks. I don't even remember what started the conversation but before the final word was out of his mouth I stopped him and told him "Bill, I have been called a lot of things in my life but that's a first." His response was "Oh, well you got too much soul to be white." I reminded him I was not white but rather Native American. Like Werner Erhardt used to say "there's no difference between f___ and spaghetti." And while some people won't understand this, it simply means that words only have the value you assign to them. est, taught us to think and take responsibility for our actions and to listen and not to judge a person by what a person says. I have been labeled racist because I suggested that some bigotry is brought on by the same people who are claiming racism. I remember two sets of people during what is called the Rodney King Riots. The first beat a white man senselessly because he turned his truck down the road. The second set of people stopped and helped this badly injured man. They didn't care what color he was. After that I heard people who had never uttered a racist comment in their lives, suddenly using the n word. My point is that when people act in an uncivilized manner they bring some of the prejudice upon themselves. My teacher, however, was dating an African American woman and felt this paper, written in English Class was racially motivated. It was not. It was written to show there are different perspectives based upon personal experience. I worked with two women, one white and one African American. They each came from a similar background but were separated by skin color. The white lady's mother had picked cotton for a living so when I found a cotton bail music box in some junk a boyfriend had left, I asked her if she would like it. A short time later, my another friend complained because this woman was playing the music box. The song was Dixie. Now I never thought or realized this song had become a symbol of racism. It wasn't considered racist when Elvis sang it. I told my friend the truth, that I was the one who had made the gift. She was angry and asked me why I would do something like that. When I told her the girls mother had picked cotton, she calmed down immediately and said "Well, then its ok." My point is that by changing the perspective, and looking at the situation from different views people can see that things are not always what they seem.
But getting back to the point, when the DNC threatened that if the Democratic candidates took the election all the way to convention that it would be like the Chicago Convention. Translation "there will be riots." The DNC played into the fears of Americans. What will happen if 2008 becomes another 2000 election? What happens if John Mc Cain wins by a narrow margin and is given the election based upon the Electoral Collage? Will there still be riots? When the Obama campaign labeled the Clintons as racists they angered a lot of Clinton supporters. Contrary to the media's opinion, the Clinton supporters are also well educated. Yes some of cling to our guns, just like we cling to our Constitution that guarantees our right to bear arms. Yes, some of us cling to our Religion, believing the government has let us down. But doesn't Obama also cling to his religion. He said Reverend Write was his "spiritual mentor," (go back and watch his speeches), had brought him into the church, married him and baptized his children, and he didn't disavow Reverend Wright until it became politically expedient to do so. While Obama says he never heard what Reverend Wright had to say, "that's not the man I knew", Reverend Write tells a different story than Obama, in that he advised Barack Obama that at some point he would have to disassociate himself (Obama) with him (Wright). He also says Obama prayed with him "in the basement" before Obama announced his candidacy. I would have had more respect for Obama if he would have said he slept through Reverend Wright's sermons. Instead he is caught in a web of politically motivated and expedient lies.
Father Pfleger's mocking of Senator Clinton to a cheering crowd had all the religion of a circus side show, but it exemplified how racially divided this country is. Parishioners of both churches love these men. And the majority of the parishioners that have been shown in the media are African American. Obama did not disavow his long term relationship with Tony Rezco until Mr. Rezco was convicted. Then he said his catch phrase, "That's not the man I knew." And unless I missed it he has never disavowed William Ayers or what he did and has subsequently been quoted as saying. We all have friends and associates who we may not always agree with. We may not agree with those views but we are aware of them. Are we really to be expected to believe that Barack Obama was totally unaware of these views? If so, how can we expect him to have any better awareness of our enemies views. Hamas has already came out n support of Obama. So has the governments of Syria, Cuba, Venezuela. How is that going to sit with our political allies? Is not the friend of my enemy, also my enemy? I agree we need to talk to our enemies, but not unconditionally and not one on one. If we do it then becomes a matter of he said, she said and no one knows the truth.
This speaks to judgment and inexperience.
We can look at the voting records of both Obama and John Mc Cain and as the Clinton campaign brought out, Obama votes present on most legislation. He doesn't have the conviction to vote for or against much of anything. Yes he voted against the war. At a time when most Americans were suffering from Post 911 related PTSD, and at a time when the intelligence that was presented to Congress, the Senate and the American public was flawed and based upon Whitehouse propaganda. So we are to believe, when Obama couldn't recognize Reverend Wright for what he is, he, (Obama) and only he, could see that the war would be a disaster and was based upon false intelligence? I guess he was not affected by the bombing of the World Trade Center in the same way most of us were. We need to require our politicians vote. Up or Down. Only then can their constituents make decisions based upon accurate information. We need politicians with courage.
On June 6th I was watching the Congressional Session on Washington Today. I was stunned when the Republicans were addressing the issues of the economy and energy independence and the Democrats were concerned with guaranteeing Soap Box Derby racing in the Capitol. It didn't make me want to vote for a Democrat. But that's a different issue.
I have talked to several people who didn't like Obama dressing in what they perceived as Muslim dress. I realize politicians do this all the time. The problem is that the dress made him look like the same people we were at war with. People should take this for what it was. He was showing respect to the people he was with. Personally I think it would have been more respectful to wear a suit and tie. But that's just my opinion. I would be offended if Barack Obama put on a war bonnet and Native American Regalia. It is just not appropriate. What we should be looking at is his multi million dollar home and the Real Estate deal that got him that house. When I first saw it, I thought why are they showing pictures of one of the structures at Buckingham Palace. Then I heard the newscast. I have only seen the picture of the house once, but I find this remarkable when so many Americans are loosing their homes to corrupt Mortgage Brokers, as a result of the Mortgage Meltdown that resulted from exorbitant gas prices, Barack Obama gets a sweetheart deal on his mortgage. We should be looking at all the Real Estate and automobiles that Reverend Wright owns courtesy of the tax exempt status of the church. We have seen how under the tax exempt status of religion hatred and bigotry are preached. It is time to eliminate the tax exempt status of all churches. To me, this is a separation of church and state issue and I should not be forced to pay for a religion I don't agree with.
My
final point today is that both the DNC and the Electoral Collage have proved to
us how little our vote really counts. In 2000 I supported Bush, what a
mistake that was, still don't like Al Gore, but everything that has been
revealed indicates that Bush stole the election and that Gore won the popular
vote. Now Senator Clinton has won the most states, and the popular
vote. After revelations of Reverend Wright, Obama's ratings significantly
decreased, yet he was anointed the Democratic Candidate. When the DNC
assigned votes to Obama in Michigan, a state where Senator Obama knew he
couldn't win so he pulled his name off the ballot. He didn't think enough
of the voters even to run. And the voters didn't think enough of him to
write him in on the ballot. He should not have received one vote from
Michigan. Period. If Florida and Michigan were counted from the
beginning we would be looking at an entirely different race and probably a
different outcome. But the point is they deserved to be counted and not
discounted as the DNC did. There is one way to send a clear message to
the DNC as well as the RNC and the Electoral Collage that we are not going to
take it any more. I am asking anyone who feels this is wrong, no matter
who you support, to write in Senator Clinton. We probably can't get her
elected but since our vote obviously doesn't count anyway, it won't make a
difference to the election but could change voting policies. We need one
primary election, a Super Tuesday as such, where all votes count. One
ballot (no caucus) where voters can select the best candidate from each
party. We all have a stake in America. We all should have a say in
the candidates we will choose regardless of party. It would save millions
in election costs as well as campaign costs for the candidates. But most
of all it would give every American a say. Only then will we have a true
democracy.
June 5th, 2008
With Senator Clinton's decision to withdraw and throw her support to Obama, I am giving my support to John Mc Cain. I was unable to work directly on Senator Clinton's campaign but did work behind the scene. We can not afford to have a president as naive, inexperienced and ignorant as Senator Obama. We can't afford a man whose judgment can be called into question with each revelation of radical affiliation. Each time he has says "that's not the man I knew" reminds me of the Bush Whitehouse statement “I can’t recall that” and should be shown in an ad for John Mc Cain after each radical comment. I can’t recall a political party with such bad memories and often wondered what kind of pharmaceuticals they were on that they had such bad memories. After the conviction of Obama's fund raising Real Estate partner, Obama again states "that's not the man I knew", his judgment has to be questioned. He has never disavowed any of these people until it becomes politically expedient. The true American people do care. We are not swayed by the rock star status that the media anointed upon Obama. Obama is afraid to meet John Mc Cain in open forum but more than that when Obama said John Mc Cain refuses to acknowledge his accomplishments. Other than unfortunately becoming the Democratic Parties candidate, what other accomplishments has he achieved. Just look at his voting record. He can’t make a commitment so how can he be qualified to be Commander and Chief?
It's time to put John Mc Cain in the Whitehouse. It is better to be safe than stupid.
April 11, 2008
Urgent to all consumers. We cannot support a $0.50 increase in gasoline taxes. We must stop this.
Below is a copy of an email I received from Senator Feinstein. I have highlighted the offending and upsetting issue. I am starting a grassroots campaign to recall any politician who proposes or supports such an unbelievable proposal. This will put the economy in a worse tailspin than it already is and would put us into a full scale depression. This effects everybody. Please help us. And pass this on.
From:
senator@feinstein.senate.gov [mailto:senator@feinstein.senate.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, April 09, 2008 2:14 PM
To: tiffany@tiffanysart.com
Subject: U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein responding to your message
Dear Mrs. Montano:
Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to increasing in the Federal gasoline tax. I appreciate the time you took to write and welcome the opportunity to respond.
The Federal government first imposed a gasoline excise tax in 1932. In 1956, Congress created the Highway Trust Fund, which receives revenue from the gasoline excise tax to fund highway programs. Due to budget deficits between 1990 and 1997, Congress diverted a portion of gasoline excise taxes to general revenue accounts. Since then, all gasoline excise taxes have been dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund, serving as a user fee that funds road construction that amounts to more than $20 billion per year. The Federal gasoline excise tax rate is currently 18.4 cents per gallon.
As you may know, Representative John Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced a proposal to establish fees on carbon emissions that includes an increase of the Federal gasoline excise tax by 50 cents per gallon for petroleum-based gasoline, phased in over five years. Representative Dingell has not introduced his proposal as a formal bill. Please know that I appreciate hearing your concerns and will keep your letter in mind should legislation to increase the Federal gasoline tax come before me in the Senate.
Again, thank you for writing. If you have any further questions or comments, please or contact my office in Washington, D.C. at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne
Feinstein
United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at my website http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ENewsletterSignup.Signup.
February 4, 2008
Few Americans are prepared for a disaster. See how you can become prepared.
January 26, 2008
The Compacts Propositions 94, 95, 96 and 97
The reason I support the compacts is simply a recognition of the sovereignty of each Indian (Native American) Nation to negotiate their own contracts with the government of the United or Individual States. While Americans seem to for the most part believe that the Reservations are part of America that isn't the truth. When you are on a Reservation you are governed by the laws of the Tribe, not the United States. Some of the larger Indian Nations (I hate that word), even issue their own passports. And yes these are legal documents that are recognized worldwide. Recognize that the tribes are not obligated to give one dime to the states. It is not a matter of pay their own share, it is a matter of the tribes being willing to contribute for the good of the people. This should be viewed as a gift rather than obligation. Most of our land was seized. Our population was decimated and we were forced to assimilate. Our culture was denied and our languages as well as our religions were forcibly taken from us. Much of our population denied our culture as well as our heritage just to survive. We were forced into slavery by the people who came to civilize us. When we ran away they killed us. Murder of the Native American continued well into the 20th century. My own grandmother denied her heritage from fear for her life. David's father told him "Learn Spanish and tell everyone you are Mexican so we can get work." This is my culture. As a child I was told that my paternal grandmother was Native American but this was the only thing I was told about my culture. I used to root for the Native American in the westerns because I new I wasn't a savage so why should I believe these people are savage. When I went to kindergarten, on the first day the teacher told everyone to go around the room and introduce and tell everyone about themselves. When it was my turn I said I was Indian. The other children said "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." The teacher did not discourage this and taught me my first lesson in inequity and trusting the establishment.
I use the term Native American because we are not Indian. We are Chiricauha, Mescalero, Black Feet, Maidu, Piute, Comanche, etc. but unless we are mixed, none of us came from India. People are sensitive to other cultures but we are still referred to as redskins. Another double standard that needs to be corrected.
January 22, 2008
Caucus
How fair is the Caucus to the American voter? While the news media reports the percentage of the vote, rarely do we get a real count of what is really going on. How many potential voters are disenfranchised by the whole caucus process? As a disabled American I know I would not be able to vote in a Caucus. People who are seniors or live in remote locations are often unable to get transportation or are afraid to drive at night or in bad weather. And don't think about taking a trip or vacation and voting n a caucus. People who work the hours of the Caucus are left out and there are no absentee Caucus votes. If I lived in a state with a Caucus I would challenge the process in the courts under the American's With Disability Act. It is a blatantly unfair political process and should be changed.
Another unfair process is the inability to cross political lines in a primary. My husband and I voted absentee for Hillary Clinton but our votes will not count because we are registered American Independent. I now find out the only way our votes would nave counted is if we registered Decline to State. I shouldn't have to reregister or change political parties to vote for the best candidate. We should have one ballot with a selection of Democratic, Republican, Independent or whatever party. This would eliminate the need for hand counted ballots because of write in candidates. It would also better reflect the political views of the voters.
January 20, 2008
Separation of Church and State
When Mike Huckabee said "What we need to do is to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards, rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view of how we treat each other and how we treat the family." He confirmed my worst fears. Our founding fathers included a separation of Church and State in the Constitution just for this very reason. In theory a "Man of God" answers to a higher authority and therefore can put his personal religious beliefs above the will of the people. I cannot in good conscience vote for someone who I believe will do just that.
I have spent my life as a Republican but now an American Independent. A political party which (if you can believe the California Ballot information), is based upon Religious Faith. As I said I have spent my life as a Republican but the Republican platform and particularly the Bush Administration no longer reflect my views. I have seen so many lies coming out of the Republican politicians and Bush appointees that I no longer trust the government. What I particularly like (not) is the convenient amnesia that happens every time one of them testifies before Congress. As a child I used "I forgot." As a child's way to try to get away with lying. If these people truly have the degree of forgetfulness that they seem to have then they don't need to be running our government.
I have listened to Barack Hussein Obama but I have yet to figure out what change he is talking about. What I don't like is his stance on coal as a "Clean" alternative to oil. I don't know about the emissions from burning coal but I do know about Black Lung Disease and Coal Mine cave-ins. We only have to look at Utah to realize the dangers. But Utah was not the only coal mine collapse. It happened all over the world. Obama claims to have seen the war in Iraq as an unjust war at a time when the Nation and the World were suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome from the September 11 attack and the World Trade Center. I guess he was the only one who was so unaffected that he opposed the war. October 2002, the House voted 296 to 133 and the Senate voted 77 to 23 to authorize President Bush to attack Iraq if Saddam Hussein refuses to give up weapons of mass destruction as required by U.N. resolutions. Support for Bush was an unprecedented 63%. I guess Barack has a crystal ball. Barack's statements indicate that he thinks he knows more than the American people and therefore we should trust him. Isn't this the same rhetoric Bush gave us?
When Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke testified before Congress he said that although there were short-term problems that the American economy has always exhibited a long-term resiliency and he thought the long-term prospect for the economy was "excellent," despite the short-term problems the nation needed to address. what I noticed is the tears in his eyes and his voice cracking. The same things that Hillary Clinton was just recently berated for. While news reports say that this helped Hillary with the women voters I can't help thinking it played into the fears of some people who believe that women are too emotional to run the country. To them I say Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Queen Elizabeth, Evita Peron, Indira Gandhi, Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Through out history there have been many powerful and successful world leaders who happened to be women. Gender, like race and religion should not be a prerequisite for the White House. Unfortunately, if your skin is other than black and you support someone other than Barack you are labeled a racist. I support Hillary Clinton. She is the best person for the job. She comes with the most experience and has the best advisor possible. When people belittle her for "standing by" Bill Clinton and preserving the sanctity of her marriage it is inappropriate for them to judge. 60% of all marriages end in divorce and 85% of married people are unfaithful. These are statistics. How can anyone say what they would have done under the same circumstances? I have a lot of respect for her. She held her head high under the shroud of public humiliation. This speaks for her courage and commitment. What more could you want from the President of the United States than to have a person who is committed to family values, the preservation of marriage and committed to the protection of the Consti