Misc.

They came from Hopkinton, Derry, Windham, Sandown, Freemont, Plaistow, Kingston, Exeter and Florida to join Hampstead‘s residents for the American Solutions Day workshops at the Hampstead Middle School.

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Forty-six attendees—42 registered and 4 who chose not to register—were in the room when the meeting convened at 12:55 PM.  What we lacked in numbers was more than made up by the enthusiasm and stimulating discussions of the participants.

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After welcoming remarks and some administrative details by host Jorge Mesa-Tejada, moderator Peter Bearse opened the meeting at 1:00 PM with Newt’s introduction.  The attendees raptly listened and utterances of “YES!!” and “Right on!!” were heard during Newt’s 30-minute introductory remarks.

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The group overwhelmingly chose illegal Immigration as the first topic of discussion.  The common feeling was that Washington had surrendered border and immigration control to world politics because there are existing laws and tools to handle the situation. What is lacking is the will to use and enforce them.

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The consensus to fix the problem was that we should 1) enforce the existing laws, 2) close the border, 3) develop a secure Social Security Card with photo [NOT a national ID card] and 3) hold employers directly accountable for hiring illegal immigrants with concomitant severe penalties leading to closing the business after three convictions.

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The topic for the second session led to a spirited discussion because some were in favor of the flat tax and others favored the fair tax.  After an explanation of the differences, the fair tax won.  Even then, the subsequent brainstorming showed certain reticence about imposing a fair tax and not some kind of income tax. The main argument was that it would really affect the poor. In the end, there was overwhelming support for the institution of a fair tax over a flat tax.  The concern then turned as to doubts that the powers that be would allow it to become law.  It was pointed out that that was precisely where we, activists, came in—one here, one there until there was a veritable army behind it.

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Tourists on bicycles stop at Hauptplatz to admire Alter Dom in Linz, Austria

The church in the background is the Alter Dom, where Anton Bruckner played the organ from 1855 to 1868. After the Anschluss of Germany and Austria in March 1938, the Hauptplatz was renamed Adolf-Hitler-Platz.

Have you ever experienced something seemingly coincidental that brought you back to another time in your life where a similiar thread intertwined? It’s a kinda strange feeling as though maybe we’re all a little more connected then we think, and the world is getting smaller every day.

I’ve had a few of those moments. I graduated from high school in Oklahoma City. Four or so years later, I was walking down the hallway at the University of Alaska and passed a guy who looked familiar. We both stopped and turned around and started talking and comparing notes to try to figure out where we knew each other from. Well, it seems we both were from Okie City. In fact, he had been a basketball player and we realized that we had had one of each of our legs tied to the other to play basketball for some silly fund raiser at school. We hadn’t really known each other well at all, and this was the closest we ever got. He was a mediocre basketball player and I was one of many from the pep club who had their names drawn to pair up and play b-ball.

I’ve had several moments like that that seem almost like de’ja vu but not really. Just that intertwined string not the feeing that you lived something before kinda feeling.

Saturday one of those things happened again that seemed even more remote and coincidental.

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Right Wing News emailed more than 240 right-of-center bloggers and asked them to answer 8 questions.

1) Do you think the surge should go forward?

2) Do you think that a majority of Democrats in Congress would like to
see us lose in Iraq for political reasons?

3) Do you believe that the wall on the border will ever actually be completed?

4) Do you think mankind is the primary cause of global warming?

 

5) Illegal Immigration.

A) Would you prefer an illegal immigration bill that tackled border security and enforcement issues only?

B) Would you prefer a comprehensive bill that tackled border security and enforcement issues, created a legal status for the people who are here illegally, created a guest worker program, and increased the number of foreigners allowed to become American citizens?

6) Which of the following Democratic candidates do you think would be
the toughest opponent for a Republican candidate in 2008?

A) Hillary Clinton

B) John Edwards

C) Barack Obama

7) If you were grading George Bush on his foreign policy for his
presidency so far, would you give him an:

A or B
C
D, E, or F

8) If you were grading George Bush on his domestic policy for his
presidency so far, would you give him an:

A or B
C
D, E, or F

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