Exploring the Sub-Conscious Mind — FREE CLASS

Join us, Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 6:30 p.m.

I have been having such an intense change in myself this year, that I want to share with you some of the things I am learning.  This is an invitation to a free class that will enlighten your mind, and give you control over your sub-conscious reaction.

We will be discussing the keys to tapping into our subconscious, finding the books that will be the most productive to change our mindset.  We will be looking in to The Karpman Drama Triangle, how to recognize it, how to avoid stepping into it, and how to shift to a more powerful place in your life, with freedom instead of drama.

Come to a comfortable discussion.  I will share with you my experience of my dwindling after my run for Congress, and my story of re-birth into a life I am so grateful to have.

Jen McMurdo will be discussing the heart.  How to step into unconditional love, and make the most of your relationships.  She is my partner in Mentoring For Me, and she has a great calming presence.

We also are pleased to announce that Stephen Miller will be joining us and discussing a powerful concept of NOW that has helped so many people get beyond their past, and have a brighter, happier future.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!  Seating is limited.  Please on HERE for your ticket.

Bring your spouse.  Let’s change the world one person at a time.

Best,

Jacqueline

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Party in Utah? Hardly.

Many believe that Republicans dominate the state of Utah.  Well, that isn’t completely true.  Yes, every elected statewide official has an R behind their name, but that doesn’t mean we are a one party state.  Just look at the party.

Last Saturday at the Republican State Convention, the Count My Vote group (read Buy-my-Vote) wanted to change the Republican system.  This group is headed up by LaVarr Webb (big-money interest), Kirk Jowers (wanna-be candidate for something), former Republican Governor Mike Leavitt (Progressive), Dave Hansen (Former chair, Orrin Hatch and now Mia Love campaign manager), and touted on the air waves by Doug Wright (wanna-be candidate and Progressive).  http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765630111/Why-moderates-lost-the-caucus-vote.html

You see, there really are two parties in Utah, they just all exist under the name Republican.  It is true the Democrat Party is not getting a lot of traction in Utah, so that is not the other party I’m talking about.  However, there is the liberal, almost Democrat-wing of the Republican Party.  Then there is the Republican Party platform group, where most of the actual Republican Party resides.  The first group of Republicans are actually called Progressives.  Delegates, who represent the average Utah voter directly from a neighborhood meeting, would never elect them.  However, their name recognition, and their big special interest money could fool many in a primary.  They would never be elected with D behind their name, so here they are in the Republican Party.

Delegates may have aligned themselves from time to time with what they believed to be Republican values, and found out they were electing “progressive” Republicans.  When Utahns had finally had enough, the “secret” of the caucus was unveiled, and record attendance occurred.  Suddenly neighbors woke up and realized they did not have to wait for a primary, or the general election to “shape” the landscape in choosing candidates.  This is not about delegate power as many have professed, but about neighborhood responsibility.  As any delegate that has served will tell you, the system is different inside than it appears on the outside.  There is so much to learn about the candidates, and the real issues of the day.  The discussions are deep, and the integrity, honesty, and viability of a candidate are more easily accessed one on one, face to face.

The Count My Vote / Buy My Vote alternative is to rush things to a primary where people are elected on how many signs, billboards, radio and TV ads they can get out.  30-second sound bites, little catchy phrases, and worst of all some big name endorsement become the deciding factors in a primary.

Kirk Jowers calls our system antiquated.  While we can always do things to improve upon the system, these neighborhood meetings are vital to maintaining our Republic.  We are a Republic, after all, and NOT a Democracy, as is a common misconception.  He has compared himself to “George Washington” wanting to see delegates give up their power.  George must be rolling in his grave.  George Washington, along with all of the founding fathers recognized that the government closest to the people was the best.  How much closer can you get elections than a neighborhood meeting?

Saying we are not allowing many to participate is not true.  Most people can plan to be there.  Someone will always have SOMETHING that may override their desire to be there.  Yes, there will be young men and women on missions, and in military service.  Their service is valuable to their church, and to our country.  Moreover, they have a vote in the primary and the general election as an absentee ballot when the election is for someone that will actually affect policy.  Their vote is counted for elected governing officials.  Nevertheless, because they cannot attend the meeting, they will not be able to be involved in the discussion; they will not yet know the candidates that are running.  If we open the door in these simple and wonderful meetings to corruption through proxy voting or absentee voting, it will ruin the entire purpose of meeting with your neighbors to discuss the direction YOUR neighborhood would like to see the party move.  The Republican Party is a private organization.  If Count (Buy) My Vote want to control the outcome, they should get elected in their neighborhoods, or start their own organization.

You have heard the accusation that more involvement is needed.  We have had record turnout at the neighborhood meetings for the last 4 years.   This is a red herring.  Turnout is not the real issue.  Control of the party is.  It is hard to control so many engaged neighbors who are electing someone to represent them, and study out the issues, and the candidates in depth.  It is much easier to control the masses with a primary.  The “old-guard” of the Republican Party is not happy with their results, so they want to change the game.  I would love to see more involved.  And I plan to continue to educate people so they can be more involved in the process.  But, apathy will continue until voters decide to not be apathetic.  Changing the system will not change apathy.

Last point, this has nothing to do with any “tea-party” or any other Washington DC group controlling Utah.  This is about Utah values.  This is about Utahns standing up for those values.  It’s about more Utahns reading the Republican Party platform and recognizing its absolute beauty, and then scratching their head and saying, “Why doesn’t my Republican representative stick to the platform?”  It’s about average Utah Republicans taking back control of their own party from the Progressives.

The system works, for incumbents and challengers alike.  The system produces good candidates.  That is why the Progressives want to change it.

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.

HB76 and You

SIGN THE BILL GOVERNOR HERBERT.

A bill passed the legislature this session, that sadly shouldn’t even need to be passed, but alas, we must tell the government where it’s boundaries lie, over and over again.

This bill now sits on the Governor’s desk waiting for a signature, or a veto.  I have personally called the Governor’s office asking him to sign the bill, but I have heard a few arguments as to why the state government should require a license to carry a firearm concealed. I would like to show you the fallacies of the argument that the government needs to be involved.

A great guy and good conservative sent me an email stating that while he supports the 2^nd amendment, feels that

“…all gun owners need to get a license just as for driving a car. There needs to be a test passed to show you know how to handle a gun safely just like a car. I think the NRA should provide the training and administer the test for a fee.  Then the government would issue the license.”

I really respect other people’s opinions, and I do not fault my friend for his views, however, I want to point out some things, that maybe he hadn’t thought about to the blogosphere, since others may feel the same way, and hadn’t thought about some of these things before.

Driving a car and carrying a gun are not the same at all.  Do I agree that every responsible gun owner should take a class or two (or ten) on gun safety and gun use?  Of course.  That just seems like common sense.  I would never let my teenager just jump behind the wheel of a car without teaching her how to drive, just as I would never allow my child to handle a gun without proper instruction.  But that is about where the similarities end.  Truthfully, I don’t even think a driver’s license should be necessary, but let’s save that for another day.  Let’s just pretend that I do believe a driver’s license is necessary for today’s example.

Driving a car is a privilege.  While you can argue that driving may help you “pursue your happiness”, it does not have the “right to life” attached to it.  On the other hand, your right to life, is enabled by your ability to protect yourself.  This is a right, and not a privilege.  This is fundamental to our living in a free, civilized society. And this right does not come from government, so one cannot be granted that right by government.

Some friends of mine have land up in the mountains.  They keep their animals up there.  Every day their two young daughters travel by four-wheeler up the mountain to feed the animals.  They have chickens and goats, and a few other small animals.  This mountain country, especially in the winter has been known for cougars.  These girls have the RIGHT, to protect themselves, and should carry a gun with them each time they travel there.  Responsible parents, have taught these two daughters how to shoot and handle guns.  Yes, they are dangerous if used improperly, but it is much more dangerous to leave them unarmed.  They are prepared in case there is any danger.  Should they have to get a permit and be 18 years old to protect themselves?

Guns are a part of our heritage.  While society isn’t like it was in the days of the wild west, we still have dangers all around us.  Our society will actually be safer if we are armed.  I feel safer when I see someone carrying a sidearm in public.  I know they understand their responsibility as a member of society to only use it when real danger exists, and I know they would use it if necessary, or they wouldn’t be carrying it.

I met a girl the other day at my Republican Women’s meeting.  She is a rape victim.  She now always carries a gun.  She was attacked again, and she grabbed her gun.  Her would-be attacker said, “Wrong (expletive) girl.”  She replied, “You got that right.”  Should she have to go to a class or pay a fee and get a license to have that right to protect herself?  It’s called “The Bill of Rights” for a reason.

Utah does have open carry laws, but many people stare or are even scared if they see open carry as our gun culture, sadly, is slowly eroding.  Being able to conceal carry, without the government sticking their hand in your wallet or putting you on a list, is a natural right.  You have the right to life.  You have the right to protect yourself and your family. 

It is important that we re-engage the gun culture of our society.  It is important that we not treat guns as something to fear, but as  something that empowers us, and our communities.  I live in a very rural area.  Everyone has a gun.  I love it.

I hope that Governor Herbert will do the right thing and sign this bill.  I can see no reason why he would not.  A free people, an armed people, have nothing to fear.  So unless the Governor is afraid of us, he would sign it.

Freedom can win.

Less Waste Not Fewer Police Officers — Sign the Petition Now!

Thanks to the Park Record for writing two stories  (one here and one here) on our efforts to get the two recent tax increases in the County on the ballot in 2014.  Sometimes “We the People” must show our elected officials who is boss.  As Councilwoman Elliott pointed out, the tax amounts are relatively small on an inexpensive home.  Motivation behind the referendum was the ease at which the Council moved forward to pass the tax increase, for a few to bear, and the fact the money was spent before the tax was even finalized.

Mssrs. Hanrahan, Elliott, Robinson, and McMullen (Dave Ure voted no) fail to understand that increasing taxes has a long-term impact on several aspects of our County development. This tax increase comes on top of a school tax increase, and unless the Council balances the budget, we will likely see more County tax increases in the future. Property values normally go down as tax rates go up, because new buyers are reluctant to purchase homes in areas where taxes are increasing. That will discourage companies from moving to Park City, as it becomes a higher cost place to live.  The people of Summit County have had to tighten their belts.  It’s time the County Council do the same.

Here is a picture of a Summit County Truck that is parked in front of the Boot Barn in Evanston, Wyoming where the County employee drove a heavy-duty vehicle at the expense of the County (translated the tax-payer) to Evanston to go shopping. The picture illustrates that the County Council could do a better job of cracking down on waste in their budget before they start raising taxes.

I got a call from Sheriff Dave Edmunds intimated to me that the County was planning to cut a number of his deputies if the tax increase did not go through. As a County, I hope everyone comes out to sign my petition so we can send the message to our tax-and-spend Council to take care of waste before they fire police officers.  We have plenty of places to cut from non-essential services before we take from the “proper role of government.”

Stay tuned to a bit more on this story in the next few days.  The next story just might make your blood boil.

If you would like to help and cannot take around petitions, you can help by sending a check to a PAC helping with this effort to the address below. (This PAC is registered with the State of Utah.)

Citizens for Fiscally Responsible Government, c/o Jacqueline Smith, 1965 S Hoytsville Road, Coalville, UT  84017

You can also contact me by email and I will get you set up to help.  You might even be able to earn some money.  We have a few weeks left to make this happen.

The Perfect Set-Up for Spending

UPDATE (August 24, 2012):  The STAR Forum has gathered some citizens for an application for a Referendum Vote on this tax increase.  Please contact me to help gather signatures of Summit County Voters, so we can show this county council we are tired of tax and spend policies in this county.

_________________________________________________________________

What would be the best way to get a tax increase through?  Can you imagine setting a budget that includes a tax increase, spending the money, and THEN having a final public hearing?  Well, that’s pretty much how it’s done.  And it’s okay under Utah law.

Wednesday, August 15, a number of residents attended the “public hearing” for the tax rate increase on their municipal taxes in unincorporated Summit County.  This tax increase was a 51.7% increase.  This was the second public hearing.  The first public hearing was not well-attended, because it wasn’t until people got their tax notices and saw the increase that they were up in arms.  Let’s just say, the council sees Summit County homes as their money machine.

The council chambers were packed.  It was standing room only.  Chairs were brought in from other areas of the building.  Residents came from all over Summit County frustrated by the seemingly lackadaisical attitude of the council.

For ½ an hour, the council “sold” us their reasons for the tax increase and how important it was for the roads.  One of the main points I got out of their sale was, we held one public hearing and no one was there, so we moved forward and already spent all the money because it was construction time and we had to fix all the roads.  So, this was nothing more than a “dog and pony show” as one Wanship resident put it, and the public hearing meant absolutely nothing.

I personally stood and asked what items were CUT from the budget in order to make up some of this difference.  Were there non-essential services cut?  Were salaries brought down to a level in line with the private sector?  One gentlemen, Mr. Callahan, lauded the work done by the new machines purchased that save us so much money but cost more man hours to run.  I looked up his salary while I was sitting there.  In 2010 this guy made $147,000 per year.  I doubt he’s taken a pay cut, and I’ll bet he’s seen a pay increase since then.  Our county employees are making much better than the private sector, while the private sector has had to tighten their belts significantly.  Please remember council, it’s those private citizens that are paying those public employees’ salaries.

With blank stares the council looked at me, until John Hanarhan stepped in to say that the budget has been cut year over year because of less tax revenue.  While parts of the budget may have been cut, overall, this is not true according to the counties own records.  Carston Mortensen quoted to the council all of their revenues over the last five (5) years or so and it shows either an increase or a leveling of revenue, not a decrease.

Sally Elliot when on to say they have not wanted to let people go in such a tough economy, and so they have cut budgets by attrition.  WHAT?  This is such a horrible way to handle the public’s money.  No one wants to let people go in their business.  When the construction business took a turn for the worse, that’s what we had to do.  These were people with families, and mortgages.  It eats me up inside to let someone go, but the survival of the company has to be considered, just as the survival of the people of the county must be considered.   Either a few people were let go or the whole thing goes down.  Here is the problem with the “ruling class” thinking of the council:  They think that it’s okay to “keep people” because they can just raise your taxes and mine to make up the difference.  It matters not at all to them if YOU “need” these people to work for YOU.  Or have they forgotten, that YOU are paying the bills?

John Hanarhan and Chris Robinson simply quote Utah code to say they complied by having a public hearing.  I pose a question to my council:  Is it good practice to comply with the law and simply ignore the public, or is it a better practice to be responsible with the public’s money and be sure the public is heard when their money is being taken through legal plunder?  Speaking of roads, Granite did most of the road repair.  The road in front of Chris Robinson’s home was done, even though it wasn’t due for repaving yet.  And imagine that, money found it’s way into Chris’s election fund from none other than Granite.

Then Bob Jasper, the county manager, actually said it was either the roads get fixed with a tax increase, or the roads get fixed and we lose services from our Sherriff’s department.  Really?  These kind of scare tactics are tired, and old, and we simply don’t buy it anymore.  Either you won’t be safe, or it’s for the children.  Can’t the council come up with something new?

I have no respect for Bob Jasper’s position.  I didn’t vote him in, and neither did any of you.  This position is the rubber stamp of the council.  He doesn’t answer to the people, only to the council.  Also, for a guy who’s running our county, I for one would like to be able to vote him out if needed.  The recommendation to “spend the money” during construction season before a final hearing shows me where his allegiance lies, and it isn’t with the people.  Also, I can’t tell you how many times Sally Elliot, looked over to the county manager, or the county attorney for help with her answers.  Sometimes she even verbally said, “help me.”

Cuts can be made everywhere, and in a $47 million budget, I’m pretty sure we could have trimmed more than half of this “needed” money from someplace else.  Friends of Animals, where Claudia McMullen is making quite a chunk of change is supported by our county tax dollars.  Is that necessary, or should the funds be coming from private sources?  If FOA is saving the county money, maybe the county should look at privatizing the Animal Control and get their monies worth.

There is money that can be saved even in the Sherriff’s office.  We (the tax payer) replace vehicles not on time in the field, but on mileage.  All of our officers are taking their vehicles home and many do not live in Summit County.  Summit County has the highest paid wages in the state of Utah, and our prisoners are the highest paid prisoners in the state.  (Don’t even get me started on the prison pay.)  But this is just one department and it is an essential one.

[Since this article was printed I received a call from Summit County Sherrif, Dave Edmonds.  This issue of driving vehicles home, after studies have been done, actually saves the county money when officers are assigned a vehicle, because they tend to take better care of their vehicles.  Also, we need to remember that there are essential services and non-essential services.  Our county is spending WAY TOO MUCH on non-essential services.  We can put this tax on as a referendum, and then help the county council cut non-essential services to balance their budget.]

While I’m sure the people on the county council are well-intentioned, they are misguided, and I believe do not understand the proper role of government, nor the great responsibility that comes with handling the public treasury.  I need to be clear that one council member did NOT vote for this tax increase.  That was Dave Ure.

I bet most of the people that pay taxes in Summit County would be okay with a much more streamlined government in this county.  Fewer so-called perks, and more appropriate government, where government does what it is supposed to do, instead of being everything to everyone.  Then we could ease the tax burden on our county’s citizens.

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

The Constitution Hanging by a Thread?

It has been a long time since I have posted anything.  However, today is the first day of a New Year.  We have so much to be grateful for in this country, but we also have much to be wary of as well.  Today, a bill (HR 1540) goes into effect.  This is the NDAA or National Defense Authorization Act.  This one bill is over 500 pages, and quietly passed into law.  Click here for a link to the bill.

This is anything but an exhaustive article, but I want to hit a few points, so take the time to read this briefly and then dig deep and find your own answers. 

Today, I would dare say, our Constitution hangs by a thread.  I am reminded of the phrase attributed to Martin Niemöller,

“First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist.  Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.  Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.  Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.” 

This statement was first published in 1955 in a book called, They Thought They Were Free.  How many Americans watched the ball drop, celebrated with friends, played games and got drunk last night, and thought they were free?  I know that I enjoyed the night with family and friends alike.  However, I have no illusion that I am as free today as I was yesterday.  I still live in the greatest country on earth.  I still have more freedoms than most people have ever had, but they are dwindling quickly, and I am watching.

Image via Wikipedia

I belong to many different “groups” on Facebook.  There are many disccusions…usually trivial and meaningless, but sometimes the debates are very interesting.  I am saddened by the educational dead zone that exists.  Yes, many know some facts, and many know the rhetoric on the left and on the right, but many are blind to the duplication of history that is being performed right before their eyes.  At least, some of them.  They trust their government.  They trust that human nature “could never” do something like happened to the Jews during WWII.  But it has begun, in the same manner as it did then, and many other times in history.  You remember the saying, those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.  One of our Utah Representatives, Rob Bishop, was a history teacher.  Has he forgotten the lessons he taught?  Because it appears he saw no problem with this bill. 

Let’s not repeat history, let’s make history.  Let’s be the first nation in the history of the world to not fall into tyranny, but liberate ourselves once again the individuals in America from a tyrannical Federal Government, that believe our rights as American citizens can be tossed aside for a little safety.  We do this not by violent measures, but by a strong state government that is unwilling to allow the Federal government to overreach its jurisdiction within our state.

I am not a Rachel Maddow fan, but this clip illustrates that this is not a left / right issue, but an issue of civil liberties that should alarm all of us.  It is not R’s vs. D’s.  It is us (the people) against the tyranny of a much-too-large Federal government and it’s overreaching powers and authority.  The blame I place is not on the Democrats, because the Republicans control the House.  It does not sit entirely on Obama’s shoulders, however, he signed it without a veto as he should have. 

 

You can see how your House representatives voted click HERE.  Three of Utah’s representatives (Jim Mattheson –D , Rob Bishop –R , and Orrin Hatch of the Senate – R) decided your rights as an American citizen no longer deserved the protection granted in the Bill of Rights.  What does the Oath of Office mean to people?  Does it mean anything?  Do they understand they are not there to protect us from would-be crimes, but to protect our rights and liberties?  How long will the people of Utah allow their representatives to disregard their oath?   We have many Republicans running against Jim Mattheson in the 4th district including two of my favorites, Carl Wimmer and Mia Love.  We have a few candidates considering Orrin Hatch be “called home” namely Dan Liljenquist and Chris Herrod.  Also, Tim Aalders has talked about running, but is not official as of late.  But who is challenging Rob Bishop?  No one!  Really?  He goes unchallenged, and that causes me to believe Utah is fast asleep at the wheel, or they think Rob unbeatable.

Montana is doing something about this, and I hope Utah will join in the fight with them.  It’s time to re-call these men for violating their oath.  See the Montana article HERE.  But in order to be like Montana, we will need a very strong governor that will push hard against the Federal government. So far, Gary Herbert hasn’t been that guy.  Our individual liberty demands that our state sovereignty be strengthened.  We have a few candidates that have stepped up to run against Utah’s governor, namely Morgan Philpot and Ken Sumsion.

I’ve had people say to me, “Come on this will never affect YOU.”  Well, this bill, hasn’t had time yet, but it’s predecessor, The Patriot Act already has.  Rachel Maddow brings up the movie “The Minority Report.”  Please read my post on that subject here called Guilty until Proven Innocent.  For I have felt the sting of The Patriot Act myself, and wonder what would possess my Federal Government to suddenly see me, a mother of five, as a terrorist?  And yet, I was questioned because of the Patriot Act as if I was one.  If I have no right to trial, no right to a lawyer, no right to even know my charges, then what hope would I ever have of liberty or freedom in this once great country? 

Do you see how slippery the slope is when we trade essential liberty for a little temporary safety?  In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “we will have neither, and deserve neither.”

Other articles you may like peruse from Forbes and the ACLU and a few that talk about why this is a very real threat: 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2011/12/05/the-national-defense-authorization-act-is-the-greatest-threat-to-civil-liberties-americans-face/?mid=569

http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security/president-obama-signs-indefinite-detention-law

http://theintelhub.com/2011/12/17/crushing-the-disinformation-surrounding-indefinite-detention-of-americans-under-the-ndaa/

http://www.infowars.com/president-obamas-ndaa-signing-statement-i-have-the-power-to-detain-americans-but-i-wont/

http://www.naturalnews.com/034538_NDAA_American_citizens_indefinite_detainment.html?mid=56

Since this was published, Ron Paul has asked for section 1021 to be repealed….