To “Lee” or Not to “Lee,” That is the Question

Mike Lee, Photo courtesy of United Liberty

The attacks on Senator Mike Lee have been steady and well thought out.  This is a tactical strategy put out by those who want to take away his seat.  It all begins with Bob Bennett, Mike Leavitt and his CMV group, Thomas Wright (who is considering a run against Lee), and helped with the backing of the Romney’s, with the Mitt Romney anti-Mike Lee rants put out in his recent tour around the state.  Top that off with a polling company that uses data from a focus group that wants to make YOU feel that this is all real.  We will go down that rabbit hole another time.   (Quinn Monson)

Mike Leavitt, Photo courtesy of Lawrence Jackson / AP

Thomas Wright, Photo courtesy of The Salt Lake Tribune

Now, those are all well-known names.  You trust them, right?

Well, you shouldn’t.

What is in it for you?  Nothing.  What is in it for them?   Power!  Let’s be honest, this isn’t Republican or Democrat either.  After Bob Bennett lost to Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater, we had a primary, and Mike Lee won that.

Then Bob Bennett’s son went on the campaign for the Democrat in the race.  That is funny.

So don’t think the Republican ideals really mean that much to many in the party.  They don’t.  But the power … that means something, and they will do anything to maintain it.  The people can and should take this power back.

Here’s the deal.  Mike Lee is a constitutional scholar.  He isn’t playing the DC game, and all sides of the aisle are frustrated by that.  He was actually elected to end The Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.  Stop it however he could.  Defund it, Repeal it.  That was the message from the people in Utah.  And many others in the nation really appreciate what he has done.  Read this article here.

Or listen to this quote: “Scheffler, Iowa’s GOP National Committeeman, said the group was looking for someone who hadn’t been to Iowa already and who does not “wilt under political pressure and is willing to stand up” for constitutional principles.” Found in the article here.

This government shut down isn’t because of Mike Lee.  It’s because the Democrats won’t even vote on the 9 compromises being offered by the House. This has happened 18 times in our history.  And it usually ends with government being more responsible to it’s citizens.

Now, what is in this for Mike Lee?  Think about it.  He is going to have a huge fight to maintain his seat.  He could sit comfortably back and do nothing, get along with all the Republicans, and have a chance at a long career in politics.  Or, he could actually “Stand for Something.”  That phrase should sound familiar to those who are members of his faith.  They have been admonished by our past prophet Gordan B. Hinckley to stand.  Mike Lee is standing on high moral ground when he stands for the Constitution and the rights of the citizens of these United States.  I hope he keeps standing.

The goal of the people putting out the articles, creating the attacks, and starting an initiative known as Count My Vote, is about power.  That’s it.  The Republican establishment lost power in 2010 when Bob Bennett was systematically removed from power after following the Republican led TARP bailouts.

So many people should have gone to jail on Wall Street, so many people should have paid for their blatant disregard of the free markets and the backroom, government/business deals.  The market was correcting.  That was actually a good thing.  Sometimes the markets need to correct.  We need to be in balance, and that was starting to happen.  However, the scary, dooms-day rhetoric of the Republicans led by Ben Bernanke at the head of the Federal Reserve, said we “HAD TO”, or our way of life would end.  Well maybe for a few people at the top of the food (aristocratic) chain.  Maybe for the people at Goldman Sachs.  They actually had the guts to say that Main Street had to have these bailouts on Wall Street.  I was trading the market when AIG received it’s $80 Billion bailout.  And there were so many more to come.

That’s where is started.  Then Obama was elected President.  Obamacare became a huge issue.  Everyone knew that Bennett had proposed a similar bill and it was distasteful for the Republicans.  We had sat on the sidelines, allowing the powers that be to control our system in Utah.  We stood up.  We took notice.  We wanted to understand how to change the system.  A group known as “Club for Growth” came forward.  They wanted Bob Bennett out, and so they simply taught everyday citizens the Utah system.  The Caucus or the Neighborhood Election.  Brilliant.

So now that the Republican Establishment couldn’t get their way, they needed to figure out how to beat the system.  They flooded the caucuses with their people to elect Orrin Hatch for ANOTHER (too many to count) term.  It worked.  But it was SO expensive.  They felt that a primary would have been so much easier.  It’s easy to fool most of the people in Utah with catchy ads, big name endorsements, and lost of name recognition.

Now, the people of Utah are not fools, but we are busy.  We have lives.  We have soccer games, jobs, stress, grocery shopping, church responsibilities, and frankly most of the time, politics isn’t a fun topic.  It can be negative and draining.

So a brilliant system was put in place.  The Neighborhood elections.  The neighbors get together once every two years and hold a meeting (a caucus), and they decide amongst themselves in like-minded meetings (Democrats, Republicans, Constitution Party etc, each in their own meetings) who they would like to have represent their neighborhood on the ballot.

We are busy.  We trust our neighbors.  So we elect them.  Now, they get to really get to know all of these candidates.  From National offices like Congress and Senate, to state offices like Governor, State Legislator, and State Senator.  Right down to the Sheriffs office.  Some people are elected as county representative’s called county “delegates” and others are elected as state “delegates.”  What a beautiful thing…a Republic.

Now, you get to go on with your busy life, go to soccer games, be the Scout leader, do your job, mow your lawn, etc.  And you have someone in your neighborhood that will “vet” all of these candidates.  Slick ads and endorsements won’t be deciding.  Someone will have a chance to meet with all of these candidates and hear them on multiple occasions.  They will see through the rhetoric right to the heart of a person (most of the time.)

You see, Orrin Hatch thought he’d stacked those caucuses so well, and guess what, he did.  But then, those delegates got to know him.  They learned there was a lot more to the picture than what the mainstream media puts out there.  They started looking at his voting record.  Some of them, a lot of them, changed their minds.  He had to go to a primary anyway, even after putting in over $2 million before convention.

CMV sounds good on the surface.  Give the “people” the chance to have their vote heard.  But that’s the amazing thing.  You are heard.  You are heard louder because you have elected someone to represent you from your neighborhood.  You have a true Republic.  Now, I know the LDS church is not getting involved either way on the CMV front, but I would like to quote the LDS church’s official statement from last year.

“Precinct caucuses are the most fundamental grassroots level of political involvement. They are best served by a broad representation of Utah citizens. Those who attend play a critical role in selecting candidates for public office.”

 If you read their statement, they talk about the declining attendance of the caucuses.  We’ve heard all of the rhetoric about how caucus attendance has dwindled.  Funny, nobody had a problem with low caucus attendance when they had their way.  The more people who show up, the more people are heard, and the harder it is to fool some of the people all of the time. I don’t know where their information came from but here are the numbers for you.

Year	Total Attending	Up/Down %
2002	28,207
2004	22,511	-20.19%
2006	34,563	53.54%
2008	23,550	-31.86%
2010	54,841	132.87%
2012	111,944	104.12%

Are you seeing those numbers?  Look at the increase in attendance in 2010 when Lee was elected.  And then again it went up over 100% in 2012.  That is a huge increase since 2002.  That is a 375% increase since 2008.  And I believe it will continue to rise.

The Establishment wants to take the “grassroots” out of the picture.  They know that most people will vote in a primary based on simple sound bites, simple name recognition, catchy slogans, or endorsements.  Principles will be gone, and money will reign.  YOU are the grassroots, and they want to silence that voice.

Read this article about “Big Money Backers.”  That is who wants to take over.  Big Money. 

We have a real issue here, and it isn’t “tea party” or “radical” or anything else. Aligning yourself with our founding documents, our Constitution is not extreme. These are Republicans that are getting educated.  These are Republicans that have watched their country go down the tubes under both sides of the aisle.  These are regular people with jobs, and a mortgage, and kids that need braces, that are tired, and we’ve stood up to our “masters” known as the Federal government, and we’ve said, “Enough!”  And these are Republicans that have begun to see the Democrats eye to eye on civil liberties issues.  Amazing, not radical.

Don’t sign CMV, don’t buy into the trap of the media that are trying to eliminate Mike Lee.  This is the establishment trying to fool you.  Support Mike Lee, because he supports the Constitution.  He isn’t perfect, but everyone who is throwing their hat into the ring has an agenda.  Power.  That’s it.

This is a Fourth Turning.  The time to change things is now.  Leaders stand against all odds.  I was told by a friend that Mike would throw away his political career.  Maybe he has.  But he is a hero.

If you don’t like Mike, show up to caucus.  The caucus system is becoming more and more inclusive all the time.  The SCC (State Central Committee) is working tirelessly on efforts to make everyone feel welcome.  This is your neighborhood.   Make your voice heard.  But do not buy into the garbage of Count My Vote and the media.  They want to take your voice.

To hear how this is happening on a national scale, listen to this.  Glenn Beck fan or not, please realize that the intimidation is real.  We are making a difference, and the establishment is scared.

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” —  Mahatma Gandhi 

 (hashtag) #ILikeMike

 

 

 

 

 

 

Republicans & Democrats Agree

Republicans and Democrats agree.  Even if the caucus system (neighborhood meeting) is not perfect, changing it too much according to many Republicans, and even the Chair of the Utah Democrats, will not be a good thing. Jim Debakis said,

“Maybe the Utah caucus system needs to be changed or revised. Maybe not.  But the recently announced initiative proposal to reconfigure  the way Utah’s political parties pick candidates, is certainly NOT a good idea.”

http://www.utahdemocrats.org/newsletter-letter-from-the-chair

Ask yourself the question, who benefits from the primary?  We can answer that later.

Sure, we need to streamline credentialing and check in.  Knocking an hour or more off the time-frame for the night is seen by a positive for all.  But many of the so-called proposals have not been well-thought out for their long-term consequences.  Gutting the system will be the same as eliminating it.

Why exactly do we have a neighborhood meeting?  Let’s answer the first question, by quoting the LDS Church on this meeting for their answer.  http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/first-presidency-issues-letter-utah-precinct-caucus-meetings

             “Precinct caucuses are the most fundamental grassroots level of political involvement. They are best served by a broad representation of Utah citizens. Those who attend play a critical role in selecting candidates for public office.”

Are many of Utah’s Republican and Democratic voices being heard?  The answer can be seen by the enormous growth of caucus attendance over the last (four) 4 years.  Let’s look at one precinct in one tiny place, mine, in Wanship.  For years when I first moved here, the big secret was the caucus night.  A select few individuals showed up.  They held all of the positions for that precinct; Precinct Chair, Vice Chair, County Delegate and State Delegate were all voted on, or assigned.  You see, only three (3) people ever showed up.  But in 2010 things changed in American politics.  Americans began to wake up, and began to re-energize their ideas of liberty from the days of our founders and beyond.  They started studying the votes of their Senators and Congressman; they started watching their State Legislators with more vigor.  Therefore, in 2010, the people of Utah, came forward, and attended their meetings.  My little precinct had 68 people in attendance.  It mattered, and so, people showed up.  Then in 2012, they did it again.  48 people showed up.  Two years of record-breaking attendance.  And yet, the naysayers of the caucus system cried that no one was participating.

In Utah, many showed up to their caucus meetings without a full understanding of the process.  They had a strong agenda to see Orrin Hatch re-elected, since the last time it was to see Bob Bennett ousted.  The job of a delegate is bigger than just one office.  There were many good candidates running in a variety of offices, from Auditor, to Governor, to State Legislator and Utah State Senator, as well as the Senate and Congressional candidates. 

The delegates should only choose to run, if indeed they are going to participate.  This is what sets Utah apart from every other state – the caucus system.  Even when a no name, like me, ran for Congress against the well-liked Congressman Rob Bishop, I had a chance.  (Not a big chance, but a chance.)  The caucus system is the only place in the world that can happen.  And winning or losing isn’t always what makes it so great.  It is the fact that the delegates become very educated in the issues of the day.  Let’s look at the issue in my race, specifically.

The NDAA 2012 was a virtual unknown to many delegates until there was a challenge in the Rob Bishop campaign.  Once the dangers of this bill were made public, many people began to understand our liberty is more important than our safety.  This is a basic tenet set out by Benjamin Franklin when he said,

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

This wasn’t a Republican or Democrat issue, but an issue of civil liberty.

The delegates received letters from Rob Bishop explaining his vote.  I explained why he was mistaken.  This became a national issue, and was even the source of the 13-hour filibuster with Rand Paul.  You see, the little clause known as 1022, and 1023 in the NDAA 2012 language gives the president too much power over our citizens.  Rand Paul’s stance was to get clarification from our president that non-combatants who may be deemed by this language as terrorists could not be fired upon on American soil.  These are our liberties and they are at stake.  Thank you Rand Paul, and our own Senator Mike Lee for standing up for our liberty on this day.  It was nice to have this threat under NDAA 2012 and the Patriot Act brought to the forefront of the American people’s minds again.

Other debates began to emerge as campaigns announced.  School trust lands became a hot topic of the Governor’s race in Utah.  Morgan Philpot and Ken Sumsion each giving their ideas on how best to handle our land.

We heard about social security reform, debt ceilings, the war on drugs, the wars overseas, ending of federal departments, etc.  This is what makes the caucus system work.  People that have very little knowledge of government and the “great debate” begin to be involved in that great debate.  They begin to see that the media (the ones that make the money) aren’t always truthful.  They realize that just being a voter at the end of the day isn’t where the real decisions get made.  They also realize that being a delegate (especially a state delegate) requires a lot of focused time, consideration, and effort on their parts to do their precinct justice in being represented.  Not everyone can do this job.  Not everyone has the time to give to it.  Not everyone wants to do it.  Not everyone is educated in government enough to do the job.  But at your neighborhood caucus you can talk to your friends and neighbors and find out who in your neighborhood is qualified, has the time, and will be fair to all the candidates for office.  Each candidate deserves to be taken seriously and treated with real respect.  Even if you love your representative, the ideas that are brought forward for discussion make the system work that much better.  Citizens become informed directly from their representatives as they vie for votes.

Do not water-down the caucus system with proposals that make it possible for coercion at any level.  The votes need to take place in person.  The votes need to be by secret paper ballot.  The only thing that needs to change is check in.  It should be electronic and quick.

So let’s go back to our original question, who benefits from a water-down or elimination of the caucus system?  The media, and the wealthy.  They win, and you lose.  The people that make radio ads, TV commercials, and newspaper ads win.  They want you, the people, to be persuaded by sound bites.  There is big money in campaigns.  People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars before it ever gets to a primary and then millions at the primary level.  Follow the money.  The primary election does not create a more informed voter, just a voter that has been marketed to the most.

In the Lincoln-Douglas debates, it was hours of discussion on a topic to be rebutted for hours.  We must stop asking our society to make important decisions about the future of our state or country,  based on sound bites.  If we are in a primary mentality only, that is all we have left, and the guy with the most money, most of the time, will always come out on top, principles be damned.  This will end our Republic, and we will become a straight democracy.  Ask anyone who has studied history, a democracy is the first step toward socialism.

Save our caucus system, and maintain our republic.

Question answered on Orrin Hatch

Today, a member of my meetup group said she didn’t feel I had done my homework on Orrin Hatch, and wondered why I felt he wasn’t standing up for our Constitution.  I respect her right to disagree, and wrote this quick email back.  Then I decided to just make it public.  I know he has many votes and he believes we are “cherry-picking” but these few votes, put in context of our current situation show a lack of understanding for the free-market, self-government, Federalism, and our Constitution. 

I’ve included a few photos to corroborate my story.

_________________________________________________________________________

For the benefit of the group, I will be happy to share my personal and political experiences with Orrin Hatch.  I have met with Orrin personally now on 4 or 5 occasions over lunch or breakfast.  As you know, he came to Coalville a year ago and did a town hall that I set up for him.  He has called me personally from his cell phone in DC as well, to talk “about things,” and I have flown to DC and met him there as well.   I have expressed to him my frustration, only to be told, “I didn’t understand.”  This is nothing more than DC arrogance, and I’m done with it.  These guys work for us.  This is not second-hand information but direct votes and my personal experience.

If you don’t know much about me, I am a very self-educated individual and consider myself an avid student of government, history, and human nature.

• I was frustrated over TARP in 2008. HATCH VOTED YES!  I believed that vote under Bush (and I am a Republican) could eventually create the downfall of our economic system.  I was trading the stock market that day and AIG was getting the $80 Billion bailout.  I knew this was a direct violation of free-market principles, and I also understood history.  Anytime a government tries to artificially manipulate the free-market system it either creates a deeper recession or depression, or complete collapse of an economy.  It rarely if ever turns out good.  That was a Pandora’s Box.
• I began looking into Hatch’s record.  There is a website where you can see many of his votes that have been in direct violation with smaller government, or the constitution in and of itself.  www.hatchrecord.com This is a page with accurate information.
• Medicare Part D was THE BIGGEST entitlement before Obamacare occurred in this country.
• NDAA 2012 is another huge violation of our civil liberties. (See post)
• SCHIP — bad legislation
• In May he voted against an amendment put forward by Senator Rand Paul that would STOP allowing the FDA to do armed raids against people who drink raw milk, and sell goat cheese without a warrant.  Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Mike Crapo (the guy who will be the finance chair from Idaho if Hatch does not return.) all voted in favor of this amendment.  This amendment would have put back in place our 4th amendment rights that we are not to be improperly searched or seized without a written warrant from a judge.
• He has voted to raise the debt ceiling $7.6 Trillion dollars (almost 1/2 of our current national debt)
• He has been in office longer than a dictator. 
• He is using the same tactics that got us into the mess to try to get us out.  It won’t work.
• His son works as a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company and much of his donation money comes from that industry.
• I’ve heard him publicly say the FDA deserves more money and more power.
• He approved Cass Sunstein as regulatory czar.
• He approved Ruth Bader Ginsberg to the supreme court.
• The Senate Finance Chair should not be someone who has been fiscally irresponsible over the last 36 years.
• Dan Liljenquist worked at Bain Capitol (Mitt Romney‘s company) and I’m sure he’ll get along just fine if he is the president.
• Hill AFB is not in danger.  BRAC determines which bases close and which don’t.  Hill is getting tons of money dumped into it right now, and we are building the NSA right here in Utah, so it will need close defense of that BILLION dollar building.
• Voted for the Federal Department of Education (and took away the ability for states to have control over education)

I hope all of you will do your own homework.  This is just a short list of my reasons. 

(I haven’t blogged in a long time … sorry)

Friendship & Miracles – A Night We Will Not Ever Forget

by Jacqueline Smith

(I wanted to post some pictures but that will have to be later.)

Yesterday, the campaign trail was loaded with stops.  Many had three stops to make.  It started with a nice breakfast at the Wasatch County Lincoln Day breakfast.  Aaron Gabrielson did a great job putting on a fabulous event.  I did not attend this event, because I wanted some shuteye, and it is not in the 1^st District.

We all met up in Duchesne for a nice meet and greet for a few hours.  Brooks Snow and his team, again, fed us lunch and we had a chance to get to know the good people in Roosevelt.

Then it was off to Vernal for the Uintah County Lincoln Day Dinner and VIP reception.  We were all following each other around the state.  Sean Reyes and I have been together for the last 4 days in a row.  You really get to know the other candidates when you are running for office.  Joni Crane put on a fabulous event.  The décor was beautiful, and you really could tell a woman’s touch was involved.  It was well organized and very well attended.  There were just too many people to meet.  I had been in heels all day, and I was wishing I could just put on my cowboy boots by that time.  Nevertheless, it was fun.

We were able to here from Senator Mike Lee, Governor Gary Herbert, Senator Orrin Hatch, and Representative Rob Bishop.  Then all of the candidates had an opportunity for a short 3-minute speech.  I had not prepared one before today, so this was a new adventure.  Everyone articulated their ideas and thoughts well.  It is amazing how much you can get out in 3 minutes, and how much is left untouched.  Hard to make a lasting first impression in 3 minutes, but it was a generous thing to do since there were so many candidates.

After the dinner, they had a great auction and Mike Lee did a little dance while holding up on the items for auction.  It was a fun time.

We mingled for a while after dinner, and then decided it was getting late.  We all had long drives home.  There were nine of us that decided to head over to a legendary spot in Uintah County known as “Skinwalker Ranch.”  It is one of those mythical places were people say paranormal activity occurs, and many are frightened by the stories surrounding the area.  We talked to a few locals, and they were fully convinced it was not a place they wanted to be.

So three cars, full of tired campaign staff and candidates headed to Skinwalker Ranch.  We loaded up on some caffeine and snacks at a gas station, and I felt like I was in high school on a dare.  It was fun.  Morgan Philpot, Toby Emory, and Keith Kudor were in one car.  Kara Harrison and Cindie Quintana were in another.  Cleve Smith (my husband), Kim Weis, and her daughter Cheyanne and I were in another car.

We stopped at the overlook to Skinwalker Ranch.  It was peaceful and absolutely beautiful.  The stars filled the sky with the blackness that surrounded this rural area of Utah.  It was breathtaking.

One of the rumors is that if you are caught on or near the ranch you will be chased off by dogs, or cars, or police will show up.  Sure enough, Officer Luecerno (I hope I remembered his name right.) came by.  We took him off guard because three cars in the middle of nowhere had stopped, and the people he pulls up to see are men and women in suits.  The officer mistook my husband for an FBI agent that works in the area.  He was great.  Talked to us about the rumors, and showed us where the boundaries to the ranch were.

It was a fairly uneventful trek, but we were so close we wanted to experience this part of the Uintah basin.  On the way home we did a three-way call so we could all chat for the hours we would spend driving.  Each of us shared different experiences we had in our lives, and we all grew closer as a group, laughing and talking.  We told them the tires were pretty bald on our vehicle, and since the snow was getting heavier, we were planning on going pretty slow.  No one said we were going to stick together, but we did, and I believe that was providential.

Then the calls began to drop frequently as our reception weakened about 20 miles before Daniels Summit.  Cleve and I talked about how so many of us believe we have been given a call to proclaim and protect liberty.

Then the unthinkable happened.  The car in front of us, holding Morgan Philpot, Keith Kudor and Toby Emory lost control and was gone from the side of the road.  Cleve said,  “They just wrecked.  They’ve gone over the edge.”

We pulled our car off the side of the road where we thought they had gone off.  Cleve said that his first thought was, “I just lost three friends.”  We could not see their lights anywhere.  I saw the cliff off to my left, and I immediately began praying aloud for God’s protection of these men.  I did not know how they could have survived the drop off.  Cleve and I were running as fast as we could.  We must have run about 100 yards before we got to where their vehicle was on its side down a 70-100 foot very steep decline.   Kara Harrison mentioned she had never seen a woman run so fast in the snow in a skirt. We shouted to them.  They shouted back that they were all okay.  It was an absolute miracle.  Divine Providence had definitely intervened.  They climbed the side with help of straps from someone who had stopped.  Another woman stopped and gave us a sleeping bag out of her car to wrap the guys in.  We were on the side of the road for hours waiting for police and an ambulence.  Keith seemed like he was in shock.  A few cuts.  Toby had a small cut on his head, and Morgan had bumped his shin and there was a huge knot on it.  But they walked away.  It was amazing.

I had silently thanked the Lord when Morgan Philpot gathered everyone together and we formally thanked God for our protection.

Today I remembered a blog post I had done years ago.  Boyd K. Packer was speaking in Provo, and I remembered the words he spoke after receiving the Lifetime Freedom Award.  Here is an excerpt from this blog post…

…After receiving the award, President Packer spoke of the freedoms the nation enjoys today — freedoms that came at a price.

He reflected upon James Madison’s record of the Constitutional Convention, referencing the weeks of time and effort that had been exhausted creating the U.S. Constitution allowing the freedoms enjoyed today.

He then told a story about the day that the men were individually signing the Constitution. During the convention, President George Washington was sitting in a high-back chair that had a picture of a rising sun on the back. Benjamin Franklin said that he had been looking at the sun all during the convention. He said he was never sure if it was a rising sun or a setting sun. But, as the men came forward one by one to sign the document, Franklin said that day he had the confidence to know it was a rising sun.

“Now 12 wars later and all that has gone on, that sun is now obscured,” President Packer said. “We know that war can’t destroy it, but if it is destroyed it will be from within. And now we face a danger greater than any of the wars we have faced. To honor the Constitution and to honor freedom is a sacred duty for all of us.

“I invoke the blessing on you who are doing this sacred work that you will keep it up, and that in due time the challenges that we face now from within can be conquered so that this nation may remain free.”

Last night I experienced that blessing, and I believe this is a sacred work.  I believe this is much more than a political position for either Morgan Philpot or myself.  We were witnesses to yet another miracle of God in our lives.

http://www.jacquelinesmith2012.com

HB116 – Will it divide or unite?

HB116 – Will it divide or unite?

After watching the overwhelming division of the Republican Party on HB 116, I wondered if this division can make our party stronger?  I believe the answer is yes.  While I voted my conscience on the repeal of HB116, it does not mean that I do not understand or sympathize with the other side.  In fact, I probably land more on the side of those that support HB 116 than most would think.

I think the vote would have come out much differently had delegates stayed to do their duty.  I watched most of my county leave immediately following the elections of the party officers, including some of the county leadership.  That was unfortunate.  I do not know which side of the issue they fell on, but their voice was unheard.

 

What did the Repeal of HB116 resolution do?  Actually, nothing.  Having the delegates stand and say they want something doesn’t mean it will actually happen.  However, it does put pressure on our legislators to do something, but in the end, they can do what they want.  But, they have heard the voice of the delegates.  While some delegates were adamant about the repeal, others, like myself, felt this was not something that really should have taken up so much of our energy.  This is just one issue, although I believed the reason I chose to repeal was valid.  Those who act like anyone that voted for this legislation should be thrown out, need to calm down.  You paint yourselves as an angry mob instead of acting like statesmen.  I have deliberately held my tongue on this issue because the frenzy that surrounded it seemed so out-of-place.

The 10^th Amendment:  Clearly our state must put forward legislation that sends a strong message to our federal government.  We do need to take matters into our own hands.  We must continue to fight the battle for state sovereignty.  But in order to make these battles work, we need to be able to win.

Constitutional?  Yes and no.  Yes it’s Constitutional when you look at the original intent of the Constitution, but under current views, it will not be held as constitutional because the Federal government has stripped away state sovereignty in today’s America.  It is my hope that this extra pressure from the delegates will push the legislature to make the necessary changes to HB116 to bring it into full compliance, next session.   A letter sent to delegates by The Salt Lake Chamber stated,  “We may not be able to achieve a federal waiver.  It may be deemed unconstitutional.  The penalty for being here illegally and for businesses that break the law may not be high enough.”   One person, in public office in my county, that is highly in favor of HB116, testified before the legislature that HB116 was unconstitutional.  What we are trying to achieve with this legislation is probably a good thing in theory, however, the ramifications of passing laws that will be deemed unconstitutional will eventually come back and haunt us.  Yes, almost all of the Republican party wants to see immigration laws change.  The Republican party wants to bring illegal immigrants out of the shadows.  The Republican party wants to follow the rule of law.  On this we agree.  Therefore, we must find a way to construct a bill, or amend the current legislation to bring this bill into compliance.

Why is Constitutionality such a sticking point?  I’ve heard the argument that a message bill is fine if it fits your agenda.  While this is a message bill, what exactly is the message?  After many, like Mike Lee, have said that a waiver will most likely not be granted by the federal government, and the bill does not go into effect, there are many that claim it sends a message to Washington.  Maybe the message we are sending is the wrong one.  Let’s take the immigration issue out of the equation for a moment, and talk about the theory.  What happens when a state (even ours) puts forward a bill that we highly disagree would be good for our state or any other state for that matter.  What happens when we discover that the highly unprincipled idea is also unconstitutional?  Are we going to scream and cry and raise our voices and decry, “This is unconstitutional?”  If we do not ask for repeal, or correction to HB 116, then we will become hypocrites, when the situation is something with which we disagree.  We will have set a very dangerous precedent.

We all know our Federal government is completely failing in regard to immigration.  The doors are not open wide enough for legal immigrants, the red-tape is far to cumbersome, and the delays are devastating to renewal of visas creating illegal status.  I disagree with those that claim HB116 creates cheap labor.  I disagree with many of my colleagues that claim HB116 is amnesty.  The point is, if this bill is unconstitutional and goes against our party platform, we as Republicans have no business even bringing it to the table until it complies.  If, we as states, want to bring the idea of immigration back to the states, then we must amend the Constitution, or get a coalition of states to join us in repealing the federal government’s authority on immigration. 

 

Here’s what we can do in the mean time. 

 

Rights vs. Entitlements:  We can look at legislation that cuts any and all entitlements to non-citizens.  This is the root of the problem.  This is what has most people up in arms.  We can call on private citizens, churches, and non-profit organizations to help pick-up to the slack for any individuals truly needing help, while they either begin the process of becoming a citizen or help them return to their own countries.  We can remember that all people on this earth are here as God’s children, and deserve to be treated that way.  We can remember that rights come from God, not our government.  Whether people are here legally or not, they still have rights.  They do not have rights to entitlements, but they are still people with human rights. 

 

English vs. anything else:  We need to call upon citizens, and non-profit organizations to teach English to immigrants and their children before they enter grade school, at low or no cost.  This helps the schools, this helps employment, and this helps continue with the great melting-pot of our nation.  No one is asking people to give up their culture, but we are asking that you do what you can to learn ours. 

 

American vs. hyphenated-American:  We need to teach immigrants the beauty of being an American.  Help individuals understand our history, our diversity, our language, and how American opportunities will help them.  multiculturalism doesn’t work.  American Exceptionalism does.  Teach people how to be owners (Georgics) again.

 

Enforce current laws vs. creating new ones:  Enforce current laws on the books regarding identity theft, and other crimes.  We do not need to have a separate set of rules for illegal immigrants.  Laws should be enforced when an individual aggresses against another regardless of their status.  If ICE will pick them up, that is their decision.  If ICE will not get involved, prosecute them just as you would anyone else.

 

Free Market Labor vs. Minimum Wage Laws:  Work to repeal minimum wage laws.  This may not seem like a good argument for the “cheap labor” crowd, but labor is a mans’ to give at whatever price he or she deems is acceptable.  This is your property.  I am not told what price I must sell my home.  But I get a price the market will bear.  In the same token, I should not be told at what price I should sell my labor.  I will get the price the market will bear.  The artificial wage control by the federal government is a crime on it’s own.  Everyone has different needs.  Prices would probably go down, and most people would have their basic needs met even if wages dropped in the process.  We would not need government subsidies for the dairy industry and other agriculture industries if men set their own wage.

People vs. status:  Let’s all remember that people are at the very heart of this discussion.  Everyone has dreams, hopes, and aspirations.  Let’s make it easier to be here, easier to be an American, and welcome immigrants with open arms.  Remember our individual rights come from God, not government, and so they belong to all people, from all nations.  We are just lucky enough to live in a country where we still enjoy some of those individual rights.

Utah Resident vs. U.S. Citizens:  This one is fuzzy to me, because I don’t hold a degree in Constitutional Law, but I have heard it said you can be a resident of the sovereign state of Utah, and be considered a foreign national and not a U.S. Citizen, sometimes referred to as a Permanent Resident Alien.  If that is the case, then let’s use current law on the books to create that status for people who live here already, but have not aggressed beyond infractions.  We all know “round ‘em up and ship ‘em out” is not only a horrible idea, but a very unpractical (and impossible) one as well.  We must find a way to comply with our current Constitution.   They can pay taxes, but being a documented resident of Utah does not necessarily give them rights to vote, if they are only a resident alien.  But they will be documented and legally here.  I could be way off, but, I hope this at least gets the discussion going.

 

TIME TO UNITE: This bill, while seemingly able to divide the party can actually create great strength in the party as we pull together to fix or repeal bad legislation and thoughtfully put forward legislation that cannot be argued by the Democrats as unconstitutional.  Because the day will come when the other side will pull some huge shenanigans and if we are on the wrong side on this argument, we will have no ability to cry “unconstitutional” to their legislation.  Republicans have always stood for their constitution and their platform.  This is an inconvenient time, but it is the right thing to do.  Being the party that leads on principle is not easy, but this is the party that can do it.  To paraphrase the key-note speaker at Saturday’s convention, when you find a rat in a bottle of Coke, it sours you from buying Coke for a long time.  As Republicans, we need to stick to our platform and principles, so our Republican base is not soured on future Republicans.

The World is Run by Those Who Show Up

A Message to Unaffiliated Voters

 

Are you a stay-at-home-Republican during the Primary voting, or an unaffiliated voter that ends up voting Republican most of the time?  Then, this article is for you.

Who is really in charge in this world?  Is there any difference if I participate?  If you believe that your vote does not matter, think again.  Here are just two stories from this year’s Republican convention on May 8, 2010.

Morgan just as they announced his win at Convention

Morgan Philpot —  Morgan avoided a primary by getting his 60% of delegates by … yes … just one vote.

Jon at his Convention Speech

Jon Hellander – Jon missed avoiding a primary by … just one vote.

Both of these candidates were supported by a wonderful grassroots effort.

The convention system is closed to only those who are allowed to vote as delegates.  Those delegates were elected in their neighborhood meetings, sometimes called mass meetings and caucus meetings.  The people that showed up made all the difference in who was elected to represent their neighborhood at the convention.

Now the primary is here.  Tuesday, June 22, we have a choice in Utah between Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater.  Are you going to sit on the sidelines and let others decide who will get that seat?  In addition, statewide there are many other races, including the race between Jon Hellander and Mel Brown for the House Seat in District 53.

Primary races usually have low voter turnout.  This is crazy.  This is where the real decisions are made.  You can choose the candidate that most reflects your values, or just wait, and hold your nose in November and end up voting for the lesser of two evils.  This year will be different in the Senate race, because the aristocracy has ended with Bennett being eliminated by the delegates.  However, not every race had eight people running. 

Who decides this?  The Republicans.  Who does this affect?  Everyone.  Republicans typically win many races in rural areas, and historically throughout Utah.  Jim Matheson (D) has been an anomaly for this state.  I think that seat will end up Republican this year… GO MORGAN!

Here is my challenge.  Let your voice be heard.  You can sit back and choose between a Democrat and a Republican on the November ballot, or you can get out there, vote in the primary, and help determine WHICH Republican is actually on the ballot in November.

If you are Democrat, vote in the Democrat primary.  If you are a Republican or Conservative that is Unaffiliated, COME JOIN US.  You don’t have to live for the party.  You don’t have to be married to it.  I will always vote my conscience, as I hope you will as well.  Study the candidates.  See how they have voted if they have been in office before.  Get their report cards from the conservative groups that put them out, and make an educated decision.  Utah Grass Roots 2010 Report Card and Utah Tax Payers Association,    

You can vote easily at the polls, by changing affiliation.  Is it fair to have the Republicans continue to put forward someone who does not reflect YOUR VIEWS, because you are unaffiliated.  HELP US!

Choose a great candidate.  Your voice matters.  It is critical to our cause of liberty, and it’s not fair that you have been left high and dry by only having the candidate the few Republicans wanted.  Your right to be unaffiliated is wonderful, and I respect that.  However, the world is run by those that show up, and waiting until November just will not be enough anymore.

For more information on the Jon Hellander vs. Mel Brown campaign (click link to see previous article), please visit their websites.  www.hellander.com  or www.voteformelbrown.com. 

For more information on the Mike Lee vs. Tim Bridgewater campaign, please visit their websites at www.mikelee2010.com or www.timbridgewater.com.

Utah Senate Race Down to the Wire

Mike Lee with his wife Sharon

 

 

The Utah Senate race is down to the wire.  The top contenders appear to be Mike Lee and Tim Bridgewater.  An amazing thing has happened in this race.  For the first time ever in my lifetime, I am hearing Republicans speak out against a businessman in favor of an attorney.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not endorsing Tim Bridgewater or Mike Lee with this article, because I already said I would not be endorsing anyone in the Senate race, but this has been an interesting turn of events.

Tim Bridgewater with The Tea Party Express

My father is a businessman.  He makes his living in the plumbing business.  There are times when he will go after government contracts because the money is so good.  It is obvious government “anything” whether it is a job or a project has more money involved then the private sector.  He hates having to wade through all the extra paperwork and extra strings that are always attached to this type of work, but if it benefits his company, and benefits his employees, as long as he is honest in his work there is no conflict.  What’s more, because he is a generous man, he then feeds this money back into the private sector through charitable donations, purchases, and raising the standard of living for his employees who also put money back into the economy.  He pays union wages even though his company is non-union.  More good happens when government money is put back into the hands of the private sector.  It would be great if the government never did most of these projects and spent our money to begin with, but it does happen.

So, here we are in the middle of a U.S. Senate race, and many people are blasting Tim Bridgewater for being a businessman.  Now, I would expect that from the left because, “If you haven’t been to Columbia, well, then what business do you have even thinking of taking office.”  However, from the Republican Party this has been quite a shock.  I have never seen such an attack on someone from the business sector ever before.

Republicans usually take great pride in saying, we are the working man, that understands business, that have run businesses, and we can bring Washington back to it’s knees by running it like a business, rather than with an open tap with no end in sight to funding.  Businesses and households cannot be run indefinitely in the red, and businessmen have a tendency to look at the ridiculous spending in Washington and want to cut the waste.  This has been one reason most of the administrations of the Republican Party are filled with working men that have been successful in their businesses, not just lawyers and professors.

Tim Bridgewater comes to this race with much business experience, and I have been surprised by the dismissal given him for his experience that in other races would put him in the top position.  Tim Bridgewater should not be removed in anyone’s mind for his business associations.  Many of the allegations on Tim’s business practices can be easily refuted with very little effort.  He is a good candidate and he is someone who gets things done.

Because of the nature of the problems in this country, Mike Lee, with his Constitutional law background gives a unique perspective to this race as well.   Let’s face it, few are excited about another lawyer in DC, but if there is going to be a lawyer back there, you would want it to be one that understands the Constitution from a Judeo / Christian worldview.  Mike Lee is a good candidate, too.  Some people say he will get nothing done.  Sometimes that sounds pretty good to me, as Washington getting nothing done, would mean they weren’t messing in my affairs either.

All will be decided on May 8^th, unless of course, the people must choose between one of these two in a primary, which is not completely out of the question.

A Great Video on Utah’s Candidates

This video, by KBYU covers the intent of caucus meetings, held tonight, March 23, 2010, and interviews many different candidates running for different offices.  Utah’s Governor race is covered as is the U.S. Senate Seat.  You will be interested in hearing the answers of the different candidates to make sure you are supporting a Constitutionally-minded candidate that adheres to the 28 Principles of Liberty, as found in The 5,000 Year Leap. 

There is a bit of commentary from KBYU, and I don’t necessarily agree with everything they say, but if you listen to the candidates directly and make up your own mind, you will be an informed citizen. (Hopefully delegate.)

Utah Politics – Meet the Candidates (Well….most of them)

 

Independence Caucus on, January 15, 2010, held an event where all candidates officially running for the U.S. Senate Seat, currently held by Bob Bennett, would have an opportunity to speak to the grassroots movement in Utah.  They had to answer 80 questions to become vetted by Independence Caucus.  Unfortunately two of the candidates did not.  One was the Democrat, Sam Granato, and the other was Republican incumbent, Bob Bennett.

 

We had a wonderful time hearing from Bob Basso, who you all know and love from the YouTube videos, as Thomas Paine.  He spoke as expected about common sense.  We are Americans first and foremost.  In addition, although there is a political Left and Right, we must recognize that the people are moving closer to the moral Right, regardless of party. 

He chastened the “non-representing representatives” who would not answer to the people with a simple 80 question vetting process.

He also gave us hope with a wonderful story of 150 senior citizens in Brooklyn, New York called TOBFCS.  That stands for Tough Old Broads for Common Sense.  They are making a difference.  They have recalled two (2) city council members in Brooklyn, just to point out one difference they have made.

There is great hope in our country.  Even if the news ignores the 1.7 million people who marched in Washington DC, and the hundreds of thousands who gathered around the nation on their state capitols, we know who we are.  We were there.  I was there.  Do not wait to have the media take notice.  They report the news (or their supposed to), they do not create it.  WE DO!

I went into the meeting with my favorites and came out with great respect for all four (4) candidates.  In no particular order, I want to share my thoughts on each of them.  Remember, these are my notes, and my take on their words.

Tim Bridgewater:  Well, out of the bunch, he is the capitalist.  You can feel and hear his business experience.  He understands that growth occurs when businesses and people are left alone and entrepreneurs can succeed.  He is definitely a free-market advocate.  He talked about auditing the Federal Reserve.  He believes in a Balanced Budget Amendment.  He wants to see our spending cut over the next 10 years.  He recognizes that Wall Street was never really the problem, but government interference especially through Fannie and Freddie created the current housing mess.  To read more about Tim visit www.timbridgewater.com

James Williams:  Of all the candidates, I felt he is like most Americans.  He is just fed up and he is willing to put himself out there to change things.  I found him to be a humble man with strong opinions.  He discussed changing the way the budget is created.  If a new item needs federal spending 105% of that amount must be cut from some other place.  This will have a two-fold effect.  One, people will not want to create new spending without thinking about the cuts, and each new program actually cuts the budget overall.  He spoke of asking himself three questions when confronted with a decision. “Is it Constitutional?  Is it moral? Will this better the people of Utah and the U.S population?”  James is also for Auditing the Federal Reserve, cutting capital gains tax and corporate taxes.  For more on James visit www.voteforjameswilliams.com

Cherilyn Eager:  You can tell Cherilyn has been in debates before.  She moved quickly to her points and was focused on getting information out there.  She referred often to the founding fathers, and it is obvious she knows the documents.  She believes in the fair tax as proposed by www.fairtax.org and promoted by Joe the Plumber.  She believes in repealing the 16^th and 17^th amendments.  She wants the Dept of Education gone from our Federal system.  She also believes in Auditing the Federal Reserve.  She does not believe in a Balanced Budget Amendment because she believes that it will be misused to create times of war or crisis in our country so the amendment could possibly be ignored.  She agrees with George Wythe University in that they called Glenn Beck the “Cicero” of our time.  For more info on Cherilyn visit www.Eagarforsenate.com

Mike Lee:  Mike was impressive with his legal knowledge on the Constitution and talked about what his job is not.  He reminded us how far the government has moved from its original purpose.  He recognizes that money needs to be spent on a local level rather than on a national level or dictated by a national government.  He believes in Auditing the Federal Reserve, and recognizes that by printing money they are violating our 5th amendment rights because they are making our property (money) worthless.  He would like to repeal the 16^th and 17^th amendment.  He knows that Congress cannot (should not) legislate beyond the ground rules of the Constitution.  The Federal government needs to stop doing what it should not be doing.  We do not need Federal tax collectors either, because that should be the job of the states.  For more info on Mike visit www.mikelee2010.com

The biggest decision for the conservative movement is choosing which candidate to support.  All four of these candidates appear to have Constitutionally based principles.  I recommend you visit their websites, ask them questions, and vote your conscience.  Remember the only way you will get to vote for them is to become a delegate in your precinct.  To get more information on delegate training you can go to www.UtahRising.com find a representative in your county, and coordinate our efforts.  Utah Rising is not associated with the Republican party.