Skip

Co-founder of GraniteGrok, my concern is around Individual Liberty and Freedom and how the Government is taking that away. As an evangelical Christian and Conservative with small "L" libertarian leanings, my fight is with Progressives forcing a collectivized, secular humanistic future upon us. As a TEA Party activist, citizen journalist, and pundit!, my goal is to use the New Media to advance the radical notions of America's Founders back into our culture.

Belknap County Conservative Republicans’ Family Fun Day – interview with Greg Moore

The last interview from the Belknap County Conservative Republicans’ Family Fun Day was with Greg Moore, the Executive Director of the New Hampshire chapter of Americans for Prosperity.  His mission as Exec. Dir., as always, is to reach out to all kinds of groups, current and new (as the BCCR group is) and let them know what AFP is all about and see if there is common ground on which the groups might be able to collaborate.

This is a three part interview (split for time, and at the end, for technical issues (er, bad cable yielding lots of static – and again, apologies to Colette Worseman and Susan Olsen for the time they spent with me graciously doing interviews which will never be heard).

Parts 2 &  3 after the jump:

Read more

Notable Quote – Robert Heinlein

Any government will work if authority and responsibility are equal and coordinate. This does not insure “good” government, it simply insures that it will work. But such governments are rare — most people want to run things, but want no part of the blame. This used to be called the “backseat driver” syndrome. – Robert … Read more

” ‘Is this still America?’ he asked him. ” But that is not the proper question

Grokster Scott had that quote from Congressman Kevin Brady at the IRS hearings:

“Texas Republican congressman Kevin Brady had the harshest criticism for Miller.

‘Is this still America?’ he asked him.

I put up the video of Congressman Mike Kelly voicing a similar tone, albeit different words:

…I am more concerned today than I was before and the fact that you all can do just about anything you want to anybody, you know you can put anybody out of business that you want anytime you want.

You talk about that you are a horribly run organization?  If you’re on the other side of the fence, you are not given that excuse.  When the IRS comes in, you are not allowed to be shoddy, you aren’t allowed to be run horribly, you’re not allowed to make mistakes, you’re not allowed to do one damn thing that doesn’t come in compliance and if you do, you are held responsible right then.”

The proper thought, the proper question is leading from  “Is this still America?” is that we all should be contemplating “is this the America of which we speak of in glowing terms the present, or the one of our past”?  Many on the Left are dumbfounded that the question is actually being asked – their answer is “Look at all the freedoms we have left!” and in comparison to many other countries, we do many more.  But that is not the proper response – the proper response is a more proper question:

“What freedoms have we lost?”

Read more

Belknap County Conservative Republicans’ Family Fun Day – interview with Don Walker

After doing GrokTALK! first thing in the morning in Concord, I headed up to Laconia to Funspot where the Belknap County Conservative Republicans were having their Family Fun Day – under the tent, free food, and opening up their arms to the public at large to talk about the Republican Party Platform, Constitutional values, and conservative values.  One example of their literature contained information on their mission, who they are, where they stand, and an answer to those that disagree that their group should even exist (full info after the jump).  While I was there, I took the opportunity to get a couple of interviews.  This first one with is long time conservative activist and co-founder of the group, Don Walker:

  

Technical note: normally I just use a shotgun mic on the camera but the ambient noise level was just too high for that configuration.  Instead, we were wearing headsets due to the noise level and then trying to pipe that into the camera via a soundboard – something I have seldomly done in the past.  Post-processing, it became clear that one of the cables used to do this went bad – I apologize to Susan Olsen and Colette Worseman as their interviews were too static-y to use, and I had to edit Greg Moore’s near the end as well.

You know, I can’t remember the last time that the “official” Belknap County Republican Committee had such an event – estimates were that between 125 – 175 people came over at some point during the day.

Our Mission:

Read more

Schadenfreude, Mr. Morgan? Or is that just the scales falling off your eyes?

CNN’s Piers Morgan, the Brit Twit who decided that taking on Pro-Second Amendment folks during the run up to the Senate’s attempt to pass stricter gun laws to boost his ratings (er, #FAIL), is seemingly having a change of mind about it all.  You see, after poo-pooing (or screaming, taking your pick) that that these … Read more

Notable Quote – US Senator Mike Lee

“When an agency like the IRS can single out Tea Party groups; or the Department of Justice can monitor reporters’ conversations; or HHS regulators can openly extort the regulated; and there are no consequences — we are no longer citizens but subjects. It would be a mistake for Republicans to view the latest IRS scandal … Read more

The answer, obviously if you had been paying attention, is “Yes!” (shades of SB11)

WMURHe keeps asking, so we keep answering.  This week, Pindell finally gives an UP to the TEA Party movement, along with a question:

Tea Party: The decentralized movement got a new reason for being this week with the news the IRS was targeting them. Since they were proven right on this does it mean everyone needs to take Agenda 21 more seriously?

After all, there is a difference between being paranoid (which many have place the TEA Party because of our warning of an incipient Tyrannical Government) and being what our Founders instructed us to do: be vigilant.  The problem is that while many Americans are familiar with Hard Tyranny in other countries (e.g., Soviet Union, Iran, third world countries with Strong Man despots masquerading as Democracies) they’re blinkered when it comes to Tyranny in other forms (i.e., the soft despostism of De Tocqueville moving onward to the medium Tyranny exemplified by Atlas Shrugged; good intentions that morph in to “you WILL do it because we know it is good for you”).

Much has happened with this IRS scandal – and it is becoming clear that the IRS has institutionalized an attitude that “we are above the law”.  Combine that with a Big Bureaucracy, a Public Sector Union mentality, and almost unlimited Power, you have seen an extremely

Sidenote:  YES, finally we see a real use for the word EXTREMISTS!

biased hierarchy willing to stomp on those that are perceived as a threat – not merely as a political one, but as an existential one.  One that has to be stomp on and stomped out.

Read more

EMail Doodlings – SB11

SB11 – the bill ostensibly written to allow Exeter and Stratham to cooperate on a water system.  However, as we have written here on the ‘Grok, we have seen a lot of problems with the bill as it is too broadly written.  With the Feds and the NH regional planning commissions pushing the Federal “Sustainable Communities Initiative”, we see that as one of the possible on-ramps for totally losing that which makes NH special without any of us having much of a say so in favor of Planners’ solution to any future ill – a move from local control in towns and cities to ‘regional approaches’ (overseen, of course, by the NH Regional Planning Commissions).  Thus, I wrote to a couple of NH Senators a bit ago:

<redacted>, thanks for writing and letting us know.

To say that when Steve posted the news up on GraniteGrok about SB-11, it took my breath away – I had no idea it was even in the works. It looks just like legislation I would have expected to see coming from the Water Sustainability Comission. Why? They made it quite clear that during their “listening session” (how I HATE that phrase, as having been to some, there is no “listening” going on; only Cass Suntein style “nudging” to a determined outcome) that one of their stated aims was to remove water from being private property (“I BUILT that well”) to a publicly owned “common resource” with a handful of votes and the signature of a pen.

I crossed swords with them earlier this year – and look at the verbiage in the bill:

  • Therefore, the general court declares and determines that the waters of New Hampshire constitute a limited and precious public resource to be protected, conserved, and managed in the interest of present and future generations.
  • This requires careful stewardship and management of water and wastewater within the state
  • To maximize health and safety, ecological and aesthetic values, and the overall well-being of the people, the state of New Hampshire must enable municipalities to protect water supplies
  • In order to foster regional approaches
  • and authorize the establishment of charges to owners and users of property

Read more

EMail Doodlings – SB11 Part 2

During an email conversation, I was emailed the NH Association of Regional Planning Commissions broad legislative support document – what the local RPCs want the towns and NH Legislature to do.  Again, I looked at what SB11 was supposed to do, compared that to what SB11 will allow planners to do, and looked at the agenda of how the RPCs with to “Fundamentally Transform” NH’s lifestyle simple because they know a more “efficient” way to “guide us” – as though New Hampshire hasn’t figured out how to do this over the last 400 years by ourselves.

But, we aren’t trained Planners, are we?  When I read over the bill again, I decided to compare what it was put up to be (to make it easier to allow Exeter and Stratham to do a water system together) with how expansive it seemed on the first read through it.  And then I read the NHARPC legislative document. So, I just casually put down every disparate area down.  Once again, I was floored:

On 5/7/2013 9:20 AM, Skip wrote:
Gee:

  • Lakes
  • recycling
  • water
  • energy
  • agriculture

Read more

Another example of Western culture committing suicide: the Flag of St George is unPC – in ENGLAND???

Flag of St GeorgeThe national flag of England is not the Union Jack but the Flag of St. George (see, left).  In one town in England, the town council has declared that its own national flag is too offensive to fly over the town (emphasis mine, some reformatting):

The flag of St George will not be flying over Radstock any time soon after town councillors decided it was inappropriate.  The town council decided not to buy a St George’s flag after a discussion about repairs to the civic flagpole to ensure a Union Jack could be flown on Armistice Day.  Among the concerns expressed were the offence that could be taken by Muslims.

You know, I look at this kind of stupidness (and yes, it IS stupidity on steriods squared) and just sigh.  A country that cannot be proud of its history, its role in the world, is willing to lay down and roll over?  Making itself a sacrificial lamb just because somebody is guilty for what happened centuries ago?

Councillor Eleanor Jackson (Lab, Radstock), a university lecturer and teacher, said its use during the Crusades of the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries could mean the English national flag could be seen by some as offensive.

She added: “My big problem is that it is offensive to some Muslims but even more so that it has been hijacked by the far right. My thoughts are we ought to drop it for 20 years.”

The question is, would there be a nation in 20 years with this attitude?  There is that phrase ‘if you aren’t proud of your country, why would you be willing to fight for it“?  Even if it just a fight in the cultural arena?  Could it be a Britain that goes forward is but a mere hollow stalk of a once proud country that could endure anything with a “stiff upper lip”?  I look at this next part and go “Wussies – just make it all white to show your true colors and attitude are!”:

Read more

Data Point – Nowadays, it seems that Crony Capitalism pays

“In 2009, Strategas Group realized there was going to be a lot more government intervention into the economy, and stocks of companies that exhibited “the greatest lobbying intensity” might outperform the broad market. So the firm created a 50-stock “lobbying index.” …My take: Two ways to make money in 2013 America: add value or have … Read more

” The slogan is not ‘The Few, the Proud, the Umbrella Stands.’ ”

obama-turkey

“Why don’t we get a couple of Marines [to hold umbrellas],” the President said. “They’re gonna look good next to us.”

Better and better every time I look at this picture or watch the video.  Far better than Obama.  Yes, Obama asked for them for “assistance” and of course, they obeyed his command.  I do believe, however, the White House staff should have taken care of this “duty”.  Shades of that rumor that during the Clinton presidency, uniformed members of the armed forces were used as waiters.

Sidenote: When I downloaded the image from the NY Daily Post site, I did get a chuckle from the name they put on it: Obama-turkey

Update: changed the title – Hot Air had a better line

Read more

”no controlling legal authority”

Get Out Of Jail Free CardThat was the line Al Gore used back when he was campaigning against George W Bush back in 2000 in raising money at a Buddhist temple (where the monks has a vow of poverty).   As I used to hear in Sunday school, and then say myself – an object lesson!  By that, he just didn’t see any applicable law that applied to the situation – there was nothing there to stop him.  There was no gate, if breached, that would cause a negative consequence to him.  It was as if someone gave him a “Get Out Of Jail Free” card.

And that is the lesson.  As a Conservative, I believe in the phrase “self-governance”.  A two-fer: both meant that citizens should be able to govern themselves in a limited government – there is no monarchy or unaccountable entity to which to be responsible for regulations and laws set for them to merely obey.  We, the citizens, elect our representatives in the law-making process.  It is also is complementary to another phrase: self-responsibility.  Combine them and one will have a sense of morality that says “I need to do the right thing – regardless if there is a law about this or not”.  It is internal governance – that little guy that sits on your shoulder that says “you REALLY should think about NOT doing that” when you know you are wrong before you start.  Right from wrong becomes a personal responsibility – even when no one is looking.  Especially when no one else is there.

Being the Progressive that he is, Gore took advantage of the fact there there was not an “external governor” stuck in the ground in front of him that said “no, this is not right”.  No flag, no cop, no bars, no signs – nothing.  In the Progressive mindset, it seems that they depend on externalities to govern their behavior.  Seeing nothing?  Go ahead and do it!  And he did.  And then blamed the fact that there was no law there to stop him.  Effectively, Progressives outsource that internal governance to others who have made the laws they must follow.

Like Gore, it seems that AG Eric Holder and his partisan crew at the Federal Dept of Justice are now claiming “hey, if there had JUST been another law in place”:

Read more

Congressman Mike Kelly (R-PA) outlines every American’s fear of the Tyrannical IRS

Note: be sure to listen to the resounding applause he got at this Congressional hearing concerning the IRS scandal of “punish your enemies” [Obama] in presenting actual Tyranny to those groups and individuals that expressed a political thought against the ruling regime of President Obama and the Progressives he represents.

Listen to the description of the IRS that is given by Kelly and ask yourself:

“This reconfirms everything that the American public believes. This is a HUGE blow to the faith and trust the American people have in their government.

Is there ANY limit to the scope of where you folks can go?….Is there anything at all?  Is there anyway that we can ask you, is there any question that you shouldn’t have asked, Mike?  Goodness, how much money do you have in your wallet?  Who do you get emails from? Whose sign do you put up in your front yard?

This is a tax question?  You don’t think that’s intimidating? it’s sure as hell intimidating!”

Read more

Share to...
BufferCopyFlipboardHacker NewsLineLinkedInMastodonMessengerMixPinterestPrintRedditSMSTelegramTumblrVKWhatsAppXingYummly