ICLEI No Longer Welcome in Passaic County

Good news for Agenda 21 fighters: The Wayne Township Council passed a resolution condemning Agenda 21 and calling for the Passaic County Freeholders to withdraw from ICLEI. At the Passaic County Freeholder’s meeting on March 27th, the freeholders formally withdrew from ICLEI.


Members of the North Jersey Regional TEA Party Agenda 21 Review group and other citizens had made multiple presentations at recent Freeholder meetings, urging the County to end its membership in an unnecessary organization whose mission is to implement the U.N.’s Agenda 21.

While we commend the common sense actions of these public officials, it’s not time to ring the Liberty Bell just yet. Being out of ICELI does not mean that any town, county or state is safe from Agenda 21’s radical mission. ICLEI will continue to press forward as Agenda 21’s implementation arm.

Already, they’ve reinvented their community organizing name from Smart Growth to Business Investment Development (BID), taking advantage of struggling small business owners to transform towns into cities. Palisades Park is planning a twin, 47-tower apartment complex that will dwarf that small city and overwhelm its resources.

Any town that wants to increase its business district would do better to dispense with parking meters. It was environmentalists who urged the installation of these money-eating, business-killing contraptions. The suburbanites who moved here to escape crowds, crime, and congestion in the city were all too happy to patronize the shopping malls that opened up here with their spacious, free parking.

We sympathize with the small business owners. But they’re forgetting a basic principle - the customer is always right. If customers want to visit shops in town, then accommodate them. In Pompton Lakes, there happens to be free parking behind the stores. Make access from the parking lots to the stores easier, sell products and services the customers want, and they will come. The A&P shopping mall, right around the bend on Wanaque Avenue, is always packed and the business district is nearby, hardly a far walk for customers, especially on a nice day.

Finally, lower the taxes on the businesses (and the other property owners). Business owners tell me that’s what’s killing them. Business owners who line up with Smart Growth/Business Investment Development are being sold a bill of goods.

Wayne fought back successfully.  Pompton Lakes and other area towns are under siege as well - West Milford, Kinnelon, Bloomingdale.  We must all organize to stop this insidious attempt by the United Nations and its sub-organizations to transform the United States into the United Socialist States of America.  Talk to your neighbors about forming Property Rights Councils and coordinating your strategies.

You can do this, Northern New Jersey.  You must.

A New Hope

Leia: We have no time for our sorrows, Commander.


Obi-Wan Kenobi: They [the droids] must be delivered safely or other star systems will suffer the same fate as Alderaan. Your destiny lies along a different path than mine.

Today was my last day at my old company. I am now officially among the unemployed. This was not one of those quickie, by-the-way-today’s-your-last-day kind of lay-offs. Our department had a good 18 months’ notice to prepare for the inevitable. I began preparing myself right away to go back to school for my graduate degree.

To speak the truth, I’d been chafing at the routine of my job for awhile. I loved my job. I don’t believe there ever be another job where someone could have as much fun for as long as I did, between writing stories and taking photographs. But when you see America falling to pieces, when I read every day the new outrages the Progressives were committing against our freedom, when I was going to lose my own job precisely because the outrageous taxing and spending and entitlement programs were driving my company out of the state, I felt almost guilty having so much fun. I wanted to be part of the fight.

Oh, that we could have all stayed there for the rest of careers. Our business center has the most beautiful pond. Leaving in the Spring was heart-breaking. God is good, though, and in His mercy, he brought Spring on a full three weeks before it was due. We couldn’t believe our good luck. My worries from last Fall that I would not get to see the trees bloom around Mazda Pond were unfounded; I spent every lunchtime last week saying good-bye to my favorite trees and views of the pond, its bridges, its pathway, its birds and little critters.

The weather turned cold again this week. Like Princess Leia, I had no more time for saying goodbye to nature; it was time to pack up and move on out, which I did in orderly fashion. We said good-bye to all the people we know (six of us were “impacted”) that we’ve worked with during the week and this morning we bid farewell to our supervisor and the other remaining supervisor and to one another.

If we were leaving the full office building we once knew, filled with laughter and phone conversations, and copy machines running, we might have been sadder. But the building is 4/5ths empty. Practically everyone is already gone, either retired, transferred, or “impacted”.  All you hear now are crickets chirping.

It was just our office’s time. That is the way of business. Some businesses last longer than others, but eventually they fade away. Our first emotional investment should be in our families, then our neighbors and community friends. People come and go so quickly in the business world. Not that you shouldn’t make friends; just that you should be aware that you or they or all of you may find yourselves pushed out of the beehive someday.

Still, all the memories I left behind as I waved one last good-bye to J.D. and left the parking lot for the last time are all good. We’re all on Facebook of course, and the ladies of our department all live near one another, so that they’re neighbors as well as former co-workers and, of course, friends.

The last time I walked the halls, the echoes of all those good times rang in the empty spaces. They won’t be empty for long; a new tenant is already measuring up for space in the building, and good times and busy-ness will fill it up again. Hearing the silence was sad and frankly I was glad the end had finally come. Watching an office close up, I suspect, is somewhat akin to a friend or family member having a terminal illness; even though you were sad, you’re relieved when their suffering is finally over.

So it’s farewell to the good times of my former company. Thank you for 13 wonderful years!

And now, it’s hello to my adversaries, to the enemies of freedom and liberty. Now that I’m free, you Progressives and Liberals, I have all the time in the world to help thwart your plans. Watch out, because I’m on my blog, Facebook, Twitter, and on your case, full-time.

Packing It In

Having been notified at least a year in advance that we would undergo a company “transition”, with no hope of a job in our locality, I began preparing early. I packed up the photo studio at the end of 2011. I threw out all my story files. Sometime in January, I took home my father’s grammar books.


This week was the final pack-up. Tomorrow is our last day. I trundled the last of my personal office belongings out to my SUV this afternoon. I removed all files from computers. There’s nothing left on them but my screen savers. There was no time at all to find out what’s been going on in the world. I’ll have plenty of time for all that after tomorrow.

My one co-worker, who’s been with the company for 24 years, filled up eight wastebaskets with debris. Two of my female co-workers, web designers, had very little to do, as they’re just naturally neat.

But then there’s the other writer and videographer. He said his farewell on Tuesday, saying that he would only be in briefly to hand in his badge. His cubicle is a disaster, though. We don’t know whether he’s in lay-off denial or whether it’s his message to the company.

I’m not a naturally neat person. All the same, I brought in my cleaning supplies and scrubbed my desktop, file drawers and overhead cabinet till they all shone like new. I may be a slob but I don’t believe in leaving others to clean up the mess.

The one thing I had forgotten was the department Christmas tree. I volunteered to put it up. Then completely forgot to take it down. It sat there in our conference room, where our ladies all take their lunch, and every day they wondered when I would take the tree down. Only today, when I went in for our farewell lunch did I notice the thing sitting there. Oops. Nobody wanted to take home their personalized mini-stockings, so I took them and will hang them on my own tree in remembrance of former co-workers.

At noon, Mr. Wastebasket decided to notify his many office contacts that this was it. We had a steady stream of visitors coming to bid us good-bye - at least those who are still left in our office. I’ve been telling them since December that comes the end of March, there’ll be no more photography. I even went to the cafeteria for one last, expensive lunch and went about telling the various groups that I’d be leaving on Friday.

Tomorrow, I’ll walk the corridors one last time.  All that’s left of our once happy office is the echo of the employees’ laughter, especially in the cafeteria. There are a lot of memories and few regrets. We will have one last laugh tomorrow and then it’s on to the future, one way or the other.

The first task I face is incorporating the accumulation of 13 years into my home. A monumental challenge sure to drive away all sorrow.

Boycott the Boycott

When the editor of Berlin’s largest newspaper printed, in 1932 or so, that Hitler intended to exterminate the Jews, the Brown Shirts came to his house in the middle of the night, dragged the editor and his wife into the street and beat them to death.  This was the penalty for telling the truth in German of 1932.  Even though Hitler had said so himself in secret meetings, he didn’t want the German populace to know it – not yet.

At that same time, many German Jews left the country forever, including Albert Einstein.  The refugees came to America.

Where will those who speak the truth flee should America fall?  When you hear that Media Matters, under the guise of Stop Rush@stoprush, are organizing a blackmail campaign against radio host Rush Limbaugh, you must know that the Brown Shirts can’t be far behind.  In fact, in the case of Trayvon Martin, the thugs were standing right behind their leaders, vowing vengeance for a crime that has yet to be solved.  They’ve warned that the crime had better be solved in favor of Martin or blood will be spilt.

Media Matters is urging companies big and small (big, as in Coca Cola, for instance) to remove their advertising from Rush’s program.  Rush brushes it off, saying that it’s no problem.  No sense in giving Media Matters even more publicity.  That’s one way of looking at it.  They use a most unscientific, but very effective approach in targeting these advertisers.  ‘Just listen to what he says,’ they urge the companies.  They want the companies to listen to Rush with biased ears, with no facts, no perspective (other than that of liberal Media Matters), and no tolerance.

What do you do with a baby throwing a temper tantrum?  In the old days, you’d haul the kid out of the store (and make his bottom sore).  Today, parents don’t dare discipline their children.  In fact, they negotiate with them.  With a country polarized, companies fear for half their advertising dollars, figuring the silent half are too polite to boycott.

If MM can target Rush – they’ve already pushed Glenn Beck into his own realm, where happily, he’s thriving – they can target anyone.  Most companies had already established a no-advertising on (right-wing) political programs.  They’ll happily advertise on CNN, but not Fox.  They’ll tout their wares on Comedy Central, but not GBTV.

Contact your favorite companies and let them know you have no problem with Rush Limbaugh.  By the way, MM had begun targeting Rush (and Glenn) long before Sandra Fluke became active.  Let them know that you support the company’s right to do business and that the company should support Rush’s right to do business and to speak the truth.  Ask them if they know the last time Rush Limbaugh – or any other Conservative pundit - ever called for a boycott on their company.

Karaoke Night in Seoul

Obama was singing like a canary in Seoul, South Korea.  He thought he was being so smart and smug; that covering the hot mic with his hands would prevent his secret from being betrayed.  The open, or hot, mic is the bane of politicians all over the country.  Pres. Bush got caught by it.  And now Obama stumbled over the hot mic.  The bane of politicians may a blessing to a public who don’t even know they don’t know the real truth – and will never learn it from the Media.

Obama was attending the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul, South Korean.  The leaders were just greeting one another when Obama saw Russian President Medvedev.  Placing his hands over the mic in front of him (just in case it was “hot”), he gave the Russian president a big smile.

“On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him (Putin, the next Russian President-elect) to give me space.”

Medvedev responds in English, "Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you... I understand.  I will transmit this information to Vladimir.”  Medvedev replies further that building up missile defense in Europe, which the U.S. is for, and Russia is against, has been an issue of contention between the two countries.

Obama then adds, "This is my last election. After my election, I’ll have more flexibility."

He was asked about the “flexibility” statement later while making remarks to the press about a nuclear safety agreement, and said, “Arms control is extraordinarily complex, very technical, and the only way it gets done is if you can consult and build a strong basis of understanding both between countries as well as within countries.”

Isn’t he just Mr. Smooth?  Arms control is “complex” and “technical” and it takes time to brainwash – er, “build a strong basis of understanding”.  Open mics are very technical, too, not to mention sensitive.  Covering them with your hands just won’t do the job.  We understood him perfectly; every word rang out loud and clear.

While later trying to explain the hot mic remarks, Obama remarked that it took two years to get the START treaty ratified.

“I don't think it's any surprise that you can't start that a few months before a presidential and congressional elections in the United States and at a time when they just completed elections in Russia, and they're in the process of a presidential transition where a new president's going to be coming in a little less than two months," he added.

He downplayed that he was making any new revelation, which he certainly wasn’t.  His speeches have been all about reducing nuclear stockpiles.   You can’t build trust and cooperation on missile defense if your constituents know ahead of time that you’re about to destroy the country’s defenses.  It tends to make them wonder whose side you’re on, especially when you’re whispering to the president of Russia that you’ll try to do better after the next election.

“[T]he only way I get this stuff done is if I'm consulting with the Pentagon, if I'm consulting with Congress, if I've got bipartisan support, and frankly the current environment is not conducive” to bipartisan support.”

“Since 2012 is an election year in both countries,” the White House said, “with an election and leadership transition in Russia and an election in the United States, it is clearly not a year in which we are going to achieve a breakthrough."

2012 is clearly going to be a year in which Obama is not going to be carried to his throne by Liberal handmaidens, who’ll place a laurel wreath on his head.

There’s never an etch-a-sketch around when you need one.

The ACA Laughtrack

Starting today and for the next two days, we will witness the legal showdown of our times over the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

According Fox News, the 90-minute argument today has nothing to do with the government’s in regulating how health care is administered.  Today, the justices will decide whether an obscure, Reconstruction-Era tax law – the 1867 Anti-Injunction Act – prohibits challenges to the ACA.

“That statute says now lawsuit can be filed challenging a tax provision – in this case, the individual mandate requiring Americans to buy health insurance – until after it’s been implemented.  All parties in the cases before the Court agree the act isn’t applicable to health care law.  Still, at least one lower appellate court ruled that current lawsuits against the controversial law must wait until someone has actually been forced to pay a penalty for non-compliance, which can’t happen until 2015.”

What is at issue right now is whether ACA is constitutional.  Nothing in the Constitution requires individuals to purchase especially at exorbitant rates.  The only remedy for the potential costs is to enroll in a government wellness program, at which point the government will basically rule your life.

The text of the Affordable Care Act is available online in PDF form:

 http://housedocs.house.gov/energycommerce/ppacacon.pdf

The document has been pared down from its original, nearly 2,000 page heft to the length of a really long novel at 874 pages.  Be prepared for a good deal of boring legalese and bureaucratese with some crucial threats to your freedom sandwich into the morass.

In regard to sex education:

YOUTH.—The term ‘youth’ means an individual who has attained age 10 but has not attained age 20.  The definition of childhood used to be as high as 12.The government considers your 10 year-old old enough to comprehend such things as condoms.  The ostensible object is to prevent teenage pregnancies.  The result of sexual education since the 1960s has been that teenagers were impregnated with ideas they hadn’t yet thought of. 

TITLE III—IMPROVING THE QUALITY

AND EFFICIENCY OF HEALTH CARE

Subtitle A—Transforming the Health Care

Delivery System

REQUIREMENT OF CAMPAIGN.—The campaign implemented

under paragraph (1)—

(A) shall be designed to address proper nutrition, regular exercise, smoking cessation, obesity reduction, the 5 leading disease killers in the United States, and secondary prevention through disease screening promotion;

(B) shall be carried out through competitively bid contracts awarded to entities providing for the professional production and design of such campaign;

(C) may include the use of television, radio, Internet, and other commercial marketing venues and may be targeted to specific age groups based on peer-reviewed social research;

(D) shall not be duplicative of any other Federal efforts relating to health promotion and disease prevention; and

(E) may include the use of humor and nationally recognized positive role models.

This last item is truly risible.  The government has given itself permission to be funny and will give certain nationally-recognized “positive role models” that same license.  If we are to take this legislation seriously, you now must have a license, government approval, to be funny.

Thou must not joke.  What will happen to those who are not government jokers?  Will they be sent to the Funny Farm?  What will happen to those who laugh at an unapproved joke?  Will they be sent to re-education centers to learn what is deemed to be funny and what isn’t?  Will kids be taught what to laugh at and when?  Will youthful offenders be ordered to run 20 laps around the laugh track?

We’d heard that there were some unbelievable regulations in the Affordable Care Act (what happened to the word “Health”?).  The ACA is a serious threat to our freedom.  This ridiculous presumption of power to regulate humor notwithstanding, the ACA is no joke.