Alamance County, NC Board of Commissioners Facing 3rd 287(g) Resolution

Alamance County, NC Board of Commissioners Facing 3rd 287(g) Resolution

Rossi Rides Again

If you've read my previous post: Alamance: 287g Battleground. Burlington, NC you know that we're having kind of a showdown here about illegal immigration and the top-notch enforcement of the 287(g) program by our Sheriff, Terry Johnson.

After the Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to support Sheriff Terry Johnson's 287(g) illegal immigration enforcement program, a local attorney, Ebher Rossi ask the board if they would consider a resolution supporting the equal protection clause of the United States Constitution.

This clause in Section 1 of the 14th Amendment states that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

According to the Friday, April 24th article in The Times-News about this, Rossi said that he will provide a draft soon and added he wants his resolution to serve as a reminder to the commissioners to uphold their oaths to support the Constitution. (which 4 of them are by supporting 287(g)...)

I hope that the Commissioners read Mr. Rossi's draft very, very carefully and proceed with utmost caution. I feel some slick trickery is about to take place. Or, as my dad used to say: "I'm glad I have by brown shoes on!"

If you've been a follower of my ramblings for long, you'll recognize the name Ebher Rossi from this post: Burlington, North Carolina Paper is Biased towards Illegal Immigration.

Here are some quotes from the April 24th article on Rossi's resolution:

Not true. This study proved nothing. Again, please see my previous post: Alamance: 287g Battleground. Burlington, NC where I talk about this "study".

So? I've been to traffic court for a few speeding tickets and I'm white. But I have a license. I can verify that law enforcement does not pass up stopping me because I'm white. Mr. Rossi is simply trying to stir up and mobilize the local liberal hornets nest with ludicrous statements like this. I believe that as an attorney he should know the difference between fact and fiction. Just because he hasn't noticed any "white folk" in court for driving without a license does not mean that none have been ticketed. Maybe he just didn't notice. Perhaps they took care of it outside of court. The fact is that the majority of tickets for driving without a license probably are given to illegal immigrants because they can't get a license. And another fact is, that in this area, the majority of illegal immigrants are Hispanic in nature. So it stands to reason that Hispanics would show up as being ticketed more for this offense. They can't get a license because they are here illegally - that means breaking the law for those that seem to have forgotten - and they choose to go ahead and drive without a license anyway.

When you add all the facts up, any law enforcement officer worth his or her salt would naturally make sure that everyone they stop has valid identification and a license to drive. They would also treat everyone with respect: which I believe they do. It's not their fault, and it's certainly not racial profiling if the majority of people driving without a license are Hispanic illegal immigrants. The Officers are doing their job and I commend them for it.

It's sad that people like Mr. Rossi infer that our law enforcement officers should look the other way and ignore the obvious.

Again, what Rossi thinks the rest of us think does not matter. He has the same condescending attitude that Laura Roselle (who conducted the study he references in the previous quote), Professor of Political Science at Elon University, NC, and Robert Anderson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Elon University, NC have - they think they know more than everyone else and that anyone not in agreement with them is stupid.

Hey... no need to vote or have an election - just let these guys make the laws: they know everything anyway.

I guess he's talking about people like me! Well, that's what makes this country great. Too bad people like Ebher Rossi want to destroy it. There's not much I have to do to make my point other than just keep quoting him!

Here's a little more about Ebher Rossi taken from the "about" page on his website, Rossi Law Firm.

Ebher Rossi

The Rossi Law Firm is located in Alamance County North Carolina. We have a bi-lingual staff that is fluent in English and Spanish.

Ebher O. Rossi Jr. is a graduate of the Fordham University School of Law and speaks English and Spanish fluently.

Prior to founding the Rossi Law Firm, Mr. Rossi worked for the North Carolina General Assembly as Legal Counsel to the Senate and House Insurance Committees and the Senate State & Local Government Committee. Mr. Rossi also worked for the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

Mr. Rossi was appointed to the North Carolina Courts Commission and the Governor's Advisory Council on Hispanic and Latino Affairs.

No wonder he's opposed to Sheriff Johnson and the 287(g) program!

Until next time,
Fred

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on April 28, 2009

Burlington, NC Newspaper Sends Registered Sex Offender to Schools to Photograph Students

Burlington, NC Newspaper Sends Registered Sex Offender Peter Schumacher to Schools to Photograph Students

If you read much of this blog, you'll know that I have lost a lot of respect for my home town newspaper, The Burlington Times-News. They consistently show bias in their reporting. They are very much in favor of letting the illegal immigrants have run of Alamance County and try every chance they get to make Sheriff Terry Johnson or his organization look bad. They are in cahoots with other liberal people and organizations to make the Sheriff back down on his top-notch enforcement of the 287(g) program.

On Friday, April 24th, 2009, The Burlington Times-News Chief Photographer, Peter Schumacher, was arrested for being at Western Middle School. Why would the Sheriff's department arrest him? Because a very astute and vigilante teacher recognized him from the Registered Sexual Offenders web site. You see, Peter Bruce Schumacher IS a registered Sexual Offender. He was arrested in 2002, tried and convicted in 2003 for (if I have my facts correct) six counts of indecent liberties with a child under the age of 16. Mr. Schumacher is 46. His probation was finished in 2007 and he was required to register as a sex offender for a minimum of 10 years.

The Burlington Times-News has employed Mr. Schumacher since 2001.

Now let me say this. If Sheriff Terry Johnson had sent a Deputy or any member of his organization to a school, and IF this person happened to be a Registered Sex Offender, the Times-News would have had multiple front page stories about it. They would have dogged the person and the Sheriff until they jumped off a cliff. So what did they do with their own Chief Photographer? The story was buried on Saturday's (April 25th, 2009) paper in the "C" or "Region" section with a small article in the Obituary section. Here's the article:

It's also worth noting that at some point a Judge has given Mr. Schumacher some special privileges to go places a registered sex offender is not allowed to go. It's not known if this was the case at Western Middle School. If it was, I would assume he would have told the Deputies and a phone call could have cleared it up.

But. That's not the point.
Why would a Judge grant a convicted sex offender special privileges anyway?

And, why in God's name would a newspaper either not do a background check or simply not care that they're sending a registered, convicted sex offender to schools? It is not an isolated incident either. I simply went to Google and typed in "Peter Schumacher Burlington, NC" and clicked "images" - I found several images of children taken at schools and other events credited to Mr. Schumacher.

I don't know Mr. Schumacher. He may be caught up in a big mistake, but to me, a mistake would maybe get you one count of indecent liberties, not SIX.

By either not knowing or not caring, The Burlington Times-News reveals their lack of concern for right or wrong. Ethics and integrity have long since parted from a lot of newspapers, including this one, but even I was surprised by this event!

Here's his page in the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry:
http://ncfindoffender.com/details.aspx?SRN=008942S2

Until next time,
Fred

P.S. Update 4-28-2009

Mr. Schumacher had his first appearance in court yesterday (4/27/2009). He did not appear himself but was represented by his attorney Rick Champion. Mr. Champion explained that Mr. Schumacher thought he was in the clear because in 2006 Superior Court Judge Henry Frye Jr. approved a motion to modify his probation allowing him to go on school premises in order to do his job as a photographer.

I'd like to know if Judge Frye Jr. has any children or grandchildren and if he would want a registered sex offender at their school.

In December 2008, more stringent state laws were put in effect barring registered sex offenders from getting within 300 feet of any location intended primarily for the use, care or supervision of minors. Alamance County Sheriff's Department Investigator Bobby Baldwin told Judge David LaBarre on Monday that Guildford County authorities (Peter Schumacher lives in Gibsonville in Guildford Country) had presented Schumacher with a document he signed indicating he was aware of the changes. "He was not permitted to go anywhere school children are" Baldwin said.

A Big Double Barreled Salute to Judge LaBarre who said: "Regardless of what his employer wants, I don't want him near children".

The Times-News, again covered this story with less publicity than if it had occurred to someone other than their own chief of photography. The report on his first court appearance was on the first pager of the "B" or "Region" section. His name was not in the headline or in the first paragraph.

The article quoted Schumacher's attorney Champion quite extensively. For example: "They make it sound like he was taking pictures with some lewd and lascivious purpose".

Most sane people don't think a newspaper should send a registered sex offender to a school. Period, to take photos, or mop the floor, or teach. Period. Any questions Mr. Champion.

According to the article in the paper, Schumacher is on paid administrative leave.

The Times-News is taking very low-key approach to this whole incident. If it had been any other institution other than their own, especially someone in the Sheriff's Department, or one of us "conservatives", they would have torn this man to shreds.

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on April 27, 2009

Alamance: 287g Battleground. Burlington, NC

Alamance: 287g Battleground. Burlington, NC

There was a famous battle here in 1771 that help define the model for the colonists fighting the British in the American Revolutionary War. Just outside of Burlington, NC you can visit Alamance Battleground where the skirmish took place.

These days, we're fighting another battle in Alamance County, illegal immigration. Starting in 2007, our Sheriff Department started participating in the 287(g) program. The 287(g) program allows the Department of Homeland Security to train and deputize local lawman and jailers as Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents (ICE).

Double Barreled Salute
Sheriff Terry Johnson is doing a fine, outstanding job enforcing our laws and deserves a big Double Barreled Salute!

More Double Barreled Salutes
One of our county commissioners, Ann Vaughan, tried to get a resolution calling for the Government Accountability Office, or another government office, to investigate the Sheriff and how his department is enforcing the 287(g) program. This occurred two meetings ago, and she was blocked from doing so because she had not put it on the agenda. At the last meeting (4/20/09) Commissioner Tim Sutton brought forth a resolution to support Sheriff Terry Johnson's 287(g) illegal immigration enforcement program. The vote was 4 to 1 in favor with Ann Vaughan voting against the resolution.

Double Barreled Salutes to: Tim Sutton, Dan Ingle, Linda Massey, and Eddie Boswell for voting for this resolution supporting the Sheriff and what he's doing. Thank you!

Unfortunately Terry Johnson and the 287(g) program are under attack by:

• Our local newspaper, The Burlington Times-News,


• Deborah Weissman, a law professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,


• Hannah Gill, the assistant director of the Institute for the Study of the Americas at UNC Chapel Hill,


• The ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union),


• Witness for Peace,


• Fairness Alamance,


• Laura Roselle, Professor of Political Science at Elon University, NC,


• Robert Anderson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Elon University, NC,


• and many others.

Here in the real world, I have yet to talk with anyone who understands why these people are against the 287(g) program, Sheriff Terry Johnson, or why anyone would support allowing illegal immigrants to take over our country.

The ACLU has put a drain on the Sheriff's Department demanding paperwork for traffic stops, traffic checkpoints, etc. I would prefer that our tax dollars go towards enforcing our laws rather than mounds of paperwork.

Professor Roselle has conducted a study or studies of traffic stop data trying to prove that the Sheriff's Department racially profiles Hispanics and is over aggressive in enforcing the 287(g) program.

The Times-News, as I've said here before in previous posts, is completely biased towards illegal immigration and open in their distain for our Sheriff. I have yet to read an article in The Times-News that does not try to make the Sheriff or the Sheriff's department look bad. The Times-News star pro-Hispanic and pro-illegal immigration reporter, Karen Rivas is a very talented writer and really pulls the emotional heart strings when reporting these stories.

Here's a typical Karen Rivas tactic. This is from an Times-News article that ran on Sunday, April 19th, 2009 about a "panel" held at Elon University to "discuss" the 287(g) program. Rivas' article mentions that the "panel" consisted of four people but does not name them. She says Sheriff Terry Johnson was invited as was ICE but they both declined to attend. I don't blame them - no reason to give any legitimacy to the event. From what I've read about the panel, it was basically a 287(g) and Sheriff Terry Johnson bashing session. Rivas interviewed two Hispanic people who attended the even and who did not what their last names used because they're here illegally. She quotes one of them in her article several times, but this one quote summarizes the whole problem: "He added that people need to see that though many immigrants are here illegally, they are not criminals but simply people who are looking for a better life for their families".

The fact is, if you're here illegally, you ARE a criminal.

In another part of her article, Rivas quotes Professor Hannah Gill of UNC as saying "Many immigrants live in a mixed household where one parent may be a legal resident but the other isn't, where one sibling is foreign-born while the others were born in the United States... At the light of this reality, when a person is deported, an entire family system is affected. By implementing program like 287(g), she said, officials are alienating those who they want to integrate".

Alienating those they want to integrate? WHAT? Why is it, that in some cases, the more education some people have, the dumber they seem to be? So if someone robs a bank, or murders a person, and they have a family, do we not send them to jail because we'd alienate the other members of their family? No. I can see it now, "Well Your Honor, you can't send my client to jail for 20 years because his wife and children will miss him." Doesn't make any sense does it? Nor do the arguments these people make. I agree that there's an emotional side to it, but if I decide to break the law, I know that there will be consequences to pay.

Illegal immigrants want to organize and change our laws, not integrate into this country and become Americans. There are two problems with this: 1) they're getting close to doing it, and 2) there won't be any reason left when they get there because the strain and drain they're putting on our country will destroy it.

As you can imagine, Professor Roselle and the other liberal, pro-criminal-immigrant supporters, who have been very vocal and active on these issues, have taken a lot of heat. The Times-News has worked with her and printed her polls and studies. There have been a lot of letters to the Editor on both sides of the issue, including a few from me! They only allow a person to write one letter in a 30 day period, so I'm counting down the days!

Here's one of mine that ran on Monday, April 13th, 2009:

There were several letters like mine, a few much more aggressive. Professor Robert Anderson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Elon University, NC responded in the April 14th, 2009 Times-News with this letter to the editor:

There's really not much to say about his letter. Notice how he called the Sheriff "Mr. Johnson" and not "Sheriff Johnson" - I think that's pretty juvenile. The minute I want our laws enforced its labeled hate, but what is it he's spewing to his not-as-well-educated-as-me fellow citizens? It shows the arrogance and complete lack of real world experience that a lot of university professors have. It makes me really question where I can send my children to school without having them brainwashed.

In yet another front page article on April 20th, 2009, the Times-News ran a story about Professor Larua Roselle's study. Part of the misunderstanding was caused by a report Sheriff Terry Johnson gave to the county commissions that under reported the number of Hispanics that had been stopped over a five year period. Sheriff Johnson later explained where the errors occurred, why they occurred, and gave numbers that were more or less in line with Professors Roselle's findings. Again, the Times-News, the Professors, and the other aforementioned groups are trying to hang the Sheriff anyway they can. In the article, which give some of the figures Roselle came up with; it says according to the 2007 Census estimate that Hispanics make up 10.9% of the population. It goes on to say, and I can't tell from the way it's written if this is a quote from Professor Roselle or from Robert Boyer who wrote the article, that this 10.9% figure is probably on the low side because of undocumented and illegal Hispanic immigrants. Well Duh - here's your sign! I guess the good professor has not been to our local Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon or to our extremely nice city park on a Sunday afternoon - it's like being south of the border. Sometimes you can walk up and down a few rows before you hear any English. If you're white or black, you're a minority.

Pew Report
Last week, the Pew Hispanic Center released a report entitled A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States providing some of the most recent and detailed statistics available about illegal aliens living in the United States. These statistics reveal illegal aliens are straining taxpayers in regards to health care, education, and other social services.

The Pew Hispanic study reveals that illegal immigration is placing a strain on America's education system. Children of illegal aliens now represent 6.8% of the total population of students enrolled in Kindergarten through 12th Grade, up from 5.4% in 2003. In five states -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, and Texas -- 10% of K through 12 students have parents who are illegal aliens.

Pew's data also reveals that illegal aliens are far less educated than the U.S. population as a whole. Pew states that illegal alien adults between the ages of 25 and 64 are disproportionately uneducated and unskilled when compared to U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. Nearly 29% of illegal aliens in the United States possess "less than a ninth-grade education; an additional 18% have some high school education but have not completed high school." This compares to 2% and 6% of U.S. citizens in that age range who, respectively, have not reached the ninth-grade level or the equivalent of a high school degree. Younger illegal aliens (ages 18 to 24) do not fare much better: 40% of illegal aliens in that age group have not completed high school, compared to 15% of legal immigrants and 8% of U.S. citizens in the same age group.

Pew Hispanic states that the fact that illegal aliens tend to be unskilled and uneducated reveals why illegal alien adults are also disproportionately represented among the poor. Pew found that 21% of illegal aliens inside the United States are considered "poor" (compared to 13% of legal immigrant adults and 10% of U.S. citizen adults). Additionally, illegal alien adults and their U.S.-born children account for 11% of the total U.S. population living below the poverty level, "twice their representation in the total population."

The Pew report contained figures concerning the impact of illegal aliens on the American health care system as well. Pew reports that 59% of illegal aliens, 45% of illegal alien children, and 25% of U.S.-born children of illegal aliens lacked health insurance in 2007. This last figure stands in stark contrast to the 8% of children of U.S. citizen parents who were uninsured in 2007. Full Pew Report.

Make Your Views Known
As citizens we must make our view points known. Write your elected officials. Write letters to the editors of your local papers. Don't be racist. Nothing about this issue has to do with hating one race or another. The fact is that the majority of illegal immigrants in this part of the country are Hispanic. Take that and factor in what the Pew report says and we have a population that will show up doing things that gets the attention of law enforcement officers. So the fact is that they will be stopped more.

I'm glad our Sheriff is doing his job and I hate that there are so many elements trying to make him stop. It baffles me, completely baffles me that well educated people don't or can't recognize that we're being invaded and taken over. Like a lobster in a pot, when they finally realize we're being cooked, it will be too late.

The Times-News is even going after Sheriff Johnson for $127.40 he turned in on an expense report for a speaking engagement on January 11th, 2009 in Rock Hill, SC where he spoke about 287(g). Give me a break. In fact, Robert Boyer wrote a pretty long article on it. Commissioner Ann Vaughan questions whether taxpayers should have paid for the trip. I question why we're attacking a good man for doing a good job. I question why we're wasting taxpayer money forcing Sheriff Johnson to defend himself all the time. To quote Commissioner Tim Sutton: "To single out a $127.40 expense out of a $400,000 travel budget, it's quite obvious there's some targeting going on here". Perhaps we should take up a donation to raise the $127.40 and call the dogs off!

Fred

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on April 21, 2009

Jimmy Carter: The Liberal Left and World Chaos: A Carter/Obama Plan That Will Not Work

Jimmy Carter: The Liberal Left and World Chaos: A Carter/Obama Plan That Will Not Work. A new book by Mike Evans

Mike Evans has a new MUST READ book. This will make you sick, but you need to know what's in this book! Order it now!

Description
Can we have peace in the Holy Land? Is there a plan that will work? What if that plan included dividing Jerusalem and was embraced by our new president? What if that plan is seen as surrender and weakness, and emboldens radical Islam? If Jimmy Carter and his Liberal Left friends succeed by sacrificing America s strongest ally in the Middle East, Israel, to appease Arab rage, it will, in fact, make Jerusalem the center of gravity of the war on terror while unifying radical Islam. The results will be catastrophic for the United States, for Israel and for the world, and will leave no doubt that the Liberal Left will do everything in its power to achieve its objectives. Former French President Valery Giscard d Estaing said of Jimmy Carter: He [Carter] was a bastard of conscience, a moralist, who treats with total lightness the fact of abandoning a man [the Shah] that we had supported together. Former Empress of Iran Farah Pahlavi wrote: During the whole of his campaign, Jimmy Carter had proclaimed the theme of human rights, the freedom of the people, which in reality has to be treated with caution, taking the economic and cultural context of each country into account. The Iranian opposition saw an ally in Carter for future struggles... Jimmy Carter: The Liberal Left and World Chaos connects the dots and helps you understand how we have come to this crisis, and more importantly, how it can be resolved. This book contains information that has never been revealed by diplomatic sources worldwide. It divulges the agenda of Jimmy Carter and the Liberal Left: they plan to sell America and the Bible Land to the highest bidder. Why does the life and presidency of Jimmy Carter matter in the twenty-first century? Philosopher George Santayana said, Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The United States paid an exceedingly high price for the years Carter practiced being presidential. It is still not too late to learn from the Carter White House; perhaps we can avoid the plethora of mistakes made by the former President. Should we decide to play ostrich, to forget the past, our reward could very well be the whirlwind of destruction. Jimmy Carter: the Liberal Left and World Chaos is the new expose by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Dr. Mike Evans, who documents these facts that President Jimmy Carter: Provided checks of $150 million each to Khomeini who plotted to kill the Shah of Iran and overthrow his nation. Provided $500 million to the Muslim Brotherhood freedom fighters who became the Taliban and al Qaeda. Wire-transferred $7.9 billion to buy-back the hostages after 444 days of humiliation. On Inauguration day 2009 Jimmy Carter released his Plan for Peace in the Holy Land to persuade President Obama to: Weaken Israel, America's strongest ally in the Middle East, To support terror regimes that have murdered scores of Americans and Israelis, To push to divide Jerusalem, giving East Jerusalem to the Palestinian Authority as its Islamic capital.

About the Mike Evans
Dr. Michael D. Evans is one of America s top experts on Israel and the Middle East. For over two decades he has been a personal confidant to many of Israel s top leaders. Dr. Evans is an award-winning journalist and has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, USA Today, The Washington Times, The Jerusalem Post, and newspapers throughout the world. He is a member of the National Press Club and has been covering events in the Middle East for decades. Michael Evans is the author of eighteen books, including the #1 New York Times bestseller The Final Move Beyond Iraq, and New York Times bestsellers Beyond Iraq: The Next Move and The American Prophecies. Millions around the world have seen his award-winning television documentaries on Israel based on his books. Dr. Evans is a top network analyst and is in constant demand. He has appeared on hundreds of network radio and television programs such as Fox, MSNBC, Nightline, Good Morning America, Crossfire,CNN World News, BBC, the Rush Limbaugh show, and others. Michael D. Evans has spoken to over 4,000 audiences worldwide. In the past decade alone, he has addressed more than one million people per year at public events, from the Kremlin Palace in Moscow to the World Summit on Terrorism in Jerusalem. Mike Evans is a fighter for freedom in a world of darkening and narrowing horizons. In his devotion to Israel, Mike has consistently demonstrated the moral clarity necessary to defend Israel against the lies and distortions of its enemies. (The Honorable Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel) I have known Mike Evans for more than two decades. I consider him to be a great friend of Jerusalem and the State of Israel. He has always been there for us in our time of need, speaking out with courage and compassion. Mike Evans is a true Ambassador to Jerusalem representing millions of Americans. (The Honorable Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister of Israel.)

Until next time,
Fred

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on February 10, 2009

Say No to Auto Bailout!

The Nancy Pelosi proposed auto industry bailout must be stopped. It's time for tough love. Sometimes you have say no.

I think the financial bailout package was wrong and should not have been passed. I think it would be better to take a hard hit and get it over with rather than drawing it out and unfairly bailing out this or that business and not others. I think the people who had their hands all over the roots of the financial crisis such as Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, and Nancy Pelosi and a host of others should be held accountable. Read more about how and why they contributed to this crisis here: What Caused the Current Financial Crisis (Part 2).

Now, Pelosi and others want to divert some of the bailout package funds to bail out the big three automakers. This is wrong. Not only are our elected officials, once again, acting like dictators instead of representatives, most people, some 80% did not want the bailout anyway. There are fundamental reasons that the big three need life support. Throwing money at them will not solve those fundamental problems; it will only prolong their eventual bankruptcy.

The big three automakers are being sucked dry by outrageous salaries at the top level and union salaries at the bottom level. How can the board of a company justify paying its top executives millions and millions of dollars when they loose money on every car sold. Executive salaries should be tied to profit and long term profitability, not quarter to quarter.

How can the big three make money when the average union worker makes $75 per hour and a non-union worker averages $25 per hour? How can they be expected to turn a profit when unions require them to pay for full benefits for retired workers? It's not right. Unions had their time and place, but it's over. The unions are bleeding their hosts dry and they are in effect, through their gluttonous and selfish behavior, committing suicide.

What will happen if Pelosi has her way and we bailout the automakers? It will only prolong eventual bankruptcy. It's better for them to go into bankruptcy now and get it over with, break the hold of the unions, and create a business model that is profitable. Either way we'll go through a painful period, so way waste the bailout money and give false hope?

Contact Our Elected Officials
It's time to barrage our elected officials with emails, calls, and letters saying DO NOT BAILOUT ANY MORE INDUSTRIES. DO NOT BAILOUT THE AUTOINDUSTRY.
You can use this web site to contact your elected officials: USA.gov.

We CAN Do It
Look at these two companies. Both are located in the USA. We do have the ability to have an auto industry in this country, but it takes ingenuity and loosing the unions....

These are high-end examples but the technology they're using could be applied to lower priced cars...

Ronn Motor Company:
These guys are making a hydrogen fuel injection sports car called the Scorpion: 450 horsepower! and they're made in Texas using an Acura engine...
Ronn Motor Company

Panoz Auto:
These guys use Ford gasoline engines, but their fabrication processes are amazing and have been copied by other manufacturers... and they're made in GA outside of Atlanta.
Panoz Auto

Until next time,
Fred (aka Recoil)

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on November 13, 2008

Veterans Day - 2008

My maternal Grandfather: Clyde W. Kirkman (1915 - 1989). This photo is from WWII, 1945; my Grandfather is on the left and his buddy Joe Melka is on the right. The photo was made in April 1945, in Germany, with a simple box camera just before the meeting or link up at the Elbe River between the U.S. and Russian troops.

My son Walker placing a flag on my Grandfather's grave on Memorial Day 2007

John McCain in Hanoi, North Vietnam: prisoner of war.

This Veterans Day sees the country still at war. A huge Double Barreled Salute to all those men and women who are serving and have served in our armed forces. It's because of them that I have the right to write this blog and live in this great country.

As I've probably hinted elsewhere on this blog, I'm also a songwriter and musician. Below are the lyrics to a song I wrote in 2003 called "Forgotten Heroes".

This song is for all the men and women who have served and are serving in our military. You can pick up books and magazines and read about some of the heroes of our country, however, this song is also for the heroes whose story was never told. From the fox holes and trenches of WWII to the jungles and POWs camps of Vietnam, to the current war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond.

Until next time,
Fred (aka Recoil)

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Posted by Fred (aka Recoil) on November 11, 2008