By John Fedele

From time to time it is necessary to repeat or update the whys and wherefores concerning the nation’s woes and the upcoming election. I know some of you will say, “we have heard this before.” Good! That means you are paying attention. To those who did not pay attention or missed the first edition, this is for you.

The woes: Poor economy, high unemployment, a congress who has accomplished little or nothing, a president who appears to be on a mission to change the philosophy and purpose of the nation, and a populace who has been brainwashed into believing it is their right to have everything they desire via the rich and government.

The problem: It is not Obama’s Fault! It is the fault of the congress. I cannot believe those who make and pass the laws of the land are so stupid as not to see what is happening when the administration sidesteps the constitution in order to get things done that the congress will not accept or pass. That is evident each time the president/democrats proposes a budget, and it fails. We have not had a budget passed for close to 3 years. Perhaps the congress does understand. Now, it is time for the populace to understand that this election is not about getting Obama out of office (although that should happen) but more important, it is necessary to get the house and senate under the control of the GOP.

Even more important, it is necessary to get rid of the current members of the house and senate, since they have allowed this administration to run roughshod over the constitution and the nation. That is the Big Prize. The presidency is just the icing on the cake.

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of HaysPost.com, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

CARLISLE, PA (WHTM/CNN) – There may have been a lot of partying going on in one Pennsylvania county over the weekend.

Someone took off with thousands of dollars worth of Corona beer.

Police say two tractor trailers, each full with $15,000 worth of Corona were stolen – the same weekend as Cinco de Mayo when the Mexican beer is a hot commodity.

Police say the theft from the Allen Distribution center is being taken seriously.

The first trailer taken is 2009 Great Dane trailer, white in color with a Maine license plate, according to police, and that the trailers could be anywhere.

Each trailer itself is worth about $10,000 and the beer inside of each about $15,000.

“Well, they are both felonies just based on the amount that was stolen. We believe the trailers were probably taken off site very quickly,” said Lt. Mike Dzezinki, of the Carlisle Police Department.

In the past, police say drivers have accidentally taken the wrong load, but in this case, with the thefts happening the same weekend as Cinco de Mayo, this doesn’t appear to be an accident.

In fact, officers think this rig took some planning.

“We think somebody with inside information was probably involved. You also have to have somebody capable of driving these trailers off the lot,” Dzezinki said.

By R.D. Fry

Last week’s passage of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA) was another federal power grab, affront to our privacy and fundamental rights. According to an article in infowars “71% of the Tea Party” legislators vote for the bill and “44 of 66 of the Tea Party Caucus. “This compared to 88% if the GOP who voted overall and 23% of the Demo who voted.

The National Defense Authorization Act, which violates 14 provisions of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, was also support overwhelmingly by the GOP. NDAA was supported by a large majority of the Constitutional Caucus!

Romney, Gingrich and Santorum all indicated multiple times they would have voted for or signed into law the NDAA. This should have been an automatic disqualifier for any real constitutional conservative but if there was even a flinch it was very, very slight.

Fair Tax folks would not vote for any of them that didn’t proclaim allegiance for the Fair Tax. No pro-lifers would support any of them that did fail to support pro-life. But these and other single issue group could care less about the fact they support the gutting of the Bill of Rights. Are we a nation of idiots? There was not one Fair Tax, Pro-Life or Second Amendment group member at the Kansas hearing on the anti NDAA resolution.

The Kansas anti-NDAA resoltuion was killed by GOP not Demos.

And what about the GOP’s approval for debt ceiling raises and super committees? The bottom line is that having a “GOP controlled” House hasn’t meant squat for our Constitution, our Liberty or even less important, but at the top of the list for dumb- dumbs, finances.

I wear an awareness bracelet that says “2010 Resolution”. This was the Kansas and National GOP’s mantra to tea party members leading up to the 2010 election. Remember all that nonsense? Yes the good ole GOP said “We have learned our lesson. Just hang in there with us and everything will change in 2010”. I recall Senator Cook at the end of a Health Care bus tour of Kansas standing between Representatives Landwehr and Mast saying “You don’t want to “sweep them all out” we have some nuggets of gold in the House and Senate and they are on this stage.” Gold? Well fools gold perhaps.

Cook has been denying since June that the Governor had anything to do with bringing the Obama Care grant to Kansas. The evidence proves conclusively otherwise and the Governor has not even denied his involvement nor has his Budget Director.

Landwehr is involved up to her neck in bringing Obama Care to Kansas involving suggesting to the Insurance Commissioner, Sandy Praeger, that Praeger apply for an Obama Care grant that required Kansas to implement Obama Care. Landwehr also served on several committees working to bring Obama Care (now Brownback Care) to Kansas.

Mast has been a “party girl” from a long time back. She has not bothered to speak out about Brownback Care and tried to convenience me I should not speak out about it. She did not support the 2011 budget freeze proposal but rather supported Brownback’s $350+ million spending increase which unconstitutionally took sales tax money from the highway fund.

All three supported a fraud on the citizens of Kansas by making them think the Health Care Act / Resolution would protect Kansans from Obama Care when nothing is farther from the truth and they all knew it.

Now the GOP once again plays the siren’s song “Things will be different in 2012….suckers.”

Folks it’s time to get the manure shovel and clean out the barn…well the Capitol.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of HaysPost.com, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

By John Fedele

If you do not believe in God, but still want to read this, just substitute a word or person in place of the word God.

God? I do not believe I am important enough to have my faith tested, therefore, I guess what is happening to me is happening to everyone who have been around for 3 quarters of a century. Today I walked through the grocery store before all departments were opened, and before the shoppers arrived. I noticed two things. First, the prices were outrageous. Has the country become so successful over the years, that prices have risen so much, or is it that all involved in making products have become so greedy that the cost of production has gotten out of control?

Or have the government regulations involving, farming, manufacturing and processing become so strict and numerous, that the production cost has resulted in higher prices?

Perhaps it’s the unions who have forced the rise in wages and benefits which are then passed on to the grocer, and hence, the buyer.

Second, I looked at the empty coolers, shelves, and freezers, and I realized this could become a normal thing if conditions in the country do not change, rather than the fact those who stock the shelves,freezers, and coolers had not started work.

Then, as I was leaving, I saw the first shoppers arriving. I noticed a young man and woman walking towards the entrance. I held the door open for them and noticed they had matching T shirts and shorts. I thought that was just neat. Then I noticed they also had matching arm and leg tattoos. I hope they stay married, if they are. Is this a test?

Back home I tried to find some good news in the paper.

The Royals lost again. Oh well, there’s always next year. Is this a test? The entire National Championship University of Kentucky’s starting 5 basketball team is opting for the NBA instead of any type of MBA or just a BA. Is this a test? The GOP is accused of planning to take away the poor’s food stamps. I must be honest, I think too many people have been classified as poor who really are not.

When I was a kid, we just had enough money to get by from payday to payday. We seemed to move every time the rent was due because we didn’t have it. There were no food stamps. There were ration stamps for food and gas, but it still took money to buy what little the government allowed. Many of today’s poor were made so because of the government. It has become more beneficial not to work since unemployment pays more than available jobs. The problem is, unemployment puts you in the poverty range, as social security does for those who depend on that program. Is this a test?

I am too old to flee to another country. Even if I did, I would be running to another land that has the same problems. There is no place for a three quarter century old person. The massive changes in government and society is becoming more than I can handle. This may not be a test. It might be a question….can you continue to live like this?

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of HaysPost.com, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

By U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom

Fifty years ago America was just waking up to the reality of environmental pollution: Rachel Carson had published Silent Spring, heralding the modern environmental movement and raising America’s consciousness about the impact of DDT pesticide use on the environment and public health. Then in 1969 Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River caught fire due to the oil-soaked debris consuming it and the country’s then-largest oil spill occurred in Santa Barbara, California. The culmination of these events inspired the call for a national day promoting environmental education and lead to the creation of the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970.

That year millions of Americans spanning social, political, and economic spectrums joined together in service and to protest that oil spills, air pollution, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides and wildlife extinction were ruining the American landscapes, waterways and skies. This movement led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts enacted by Congress and signed into law by President Richard Nixon. Further legislation soon followed to address the nation’s drinking water supply, hazardous waste management and toxic waste cleanups.

Enforcement of these laws has transformed rivers like the Cuyahoga from oily waste streams into waterways teeming with fish and wildlife habitats and has made the air we breathe and the water we drink cleaner. In conjunction with industries’ many voluntary efforts, enforcement has also jumpstarted innovation, providing greater economic benefits with fewer environmental costs.

Still, there are a staggering number of hazardous sites determined to present

the highest risk to human health or the environment. There are 17 of these EPA designated ‘Superfund Sites’ right here in Kansas, the direct result of an industrial period with no environmental laws, regulations, or enforcement.

They’re hiding in plain sight. We drive past them nearly every day. The list includes:

• 29th and Mead in Wichita
• 57th and North Broadway in Wichita
• Ace Services in Colby
• Arkansas City Dump in Cowley County
• Big River Sand Company in Wichita
• Chemical Commodities, Inc. in Olathe
• Cherokee County, including Galena, Baxter Springs, Treece and other towns.
• Doepke Disposal in Johnson County Fort Riley near Junction City Hydro-Flex, Inc., in Topeka
• John’s Sludge Pond in Wichita
• Obee Road in Reno County
• Plating, Inc. in Great Bend
• Pester Refinery Company in El Dorado
• Strother Field Industrial Park near Winfield and Arkansas City Tri-County Public Airport in Morris County
• Wright Ground Water Contamination in Ford County

If the environmental laws some take for granted today had existed 100 years ago, perhaps Kansas wouldn’t be in this economic and environmental predicament.

What occurs here in Kansas is only a small part of what the Department of Justice (DOJ) is doing. The Kansas U.S. Attorney’s Office and DOJ’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) are working to protect the environment and enhance the quality of life of those adversely affected by the daily air, water and soil pollution by corporations and individuals who fail to comply with environmental regulations.

During the past three years, ENRD has secured nearly $21.1 billion in corrective measures through court orders and settlements in civil enforcement cases; and more than $1.9 billion in civil and stipulated penalties, cost recoveries, natural resource damages, and other civil monetary relief. The criminal and civil enforcement of environmental regulations has significantly reduced the emission and discharge of pollutants and, as a result, promoted and protected the public health and the environment.

Today, Kansas is at a crossroad. Over the past four decades, environmental laws and enforcement have improved the state of our nation, its health and environment, and made the United States a leader in the world. The call for responsible and rational regulation is a legitimate debate we can have, but there is no reason Kansans must choose between a healthy environment and a healthy economy.

As a country we’ve come a long way in the past 50 years and the Kansas U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice are committed to the continued enforcement of environmental laws which protect our citizens and our Earth.

Submitted by Ron Long

No law enforcement organization, Federal or State, currently have a warrant for the arrest of George Zimmerman but the New Black Panthers, who have no law enforcement authority, has issued a $20,000 dollar plus bounty and deputized a vigilante mob of thousands to find and kidnap him.

Movie direcor Spike Lee, Nation of Islams Louis Farrakahn, Revs Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are out there fanning the flames of this vigilante mob.

I ask you President Obama, US AG Holder, Florida Gov Scott, Florida AG Bondi and all the various news media organizations, when will the adults in authority call for restoring the rule of law and order to this vigilante environment.

So far your SILENCE HAS BEEN DEAFENING.

 

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. These views and opinions do not represent those of HaysPost.com, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

As then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously said about health care reform, “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it.”

Friday marks the second anniversary of the new law’s enactment. In two years, we’ve found out the law cuts Medicare and raises billions in new taxes.

We’ve found out many employers are dropping, and still more are planning to drop, the coverage they provide so if you like what you have now you may not be able to keep it. We’ve found out the law is so unpopular that the government has granted more than 1,700 waivers to exempt labor unions and others from participation.

And, we’ve found out the law’s mandates may be unconstitutional. Kansas and other states are challenging them before the Supreme Court later this month.

That’s why I am working to repeal health care reform. It’s one anniversary I don’t want to observe again.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)

Dodge City, Kan.

The Kansas Public Employee Retirement System (KPERS) has been a major topic of discussion for the last several years. As your State Treasurer, I am a member of the KPERS Board. The Board has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the assets for the benefits of the members, and not to make positions on the legal structure. But as State Treasurer (and a Tier 1 KPERS member), I encourage the Legislature and the Governor to pass some necessary changes this year.

KPERS is a valuable benefit for state employees, local school employees, and most local government employees. It serves over 260,000 active and inactive members and retirees. As you have heard, KPERS is projected to be $8.3 Billion short in paying promised benefits to all current employees and retirees. But let me reassure you that KPERS has $13.5 Billion in assets (approximately 62% of what is needed) today – enough to pay benefits for all current retirees and most employees that will retire in the next 10-15 years. KPERS needs a solution that addresses two critical issues: (1) makes the system solvent for all current employees and (2) provides a stable plan for all future employees. If we don’t take action now, we are at risk of having our bond rating lowered and KPERS will consume even more of our state budget at the expense of other vital state services to Kansans in the future.

Several things have caused our retirement system to get in this condition, but the primary reason is the Legislature was given some bad advice in 1993. They were told the benefits could be raised and the contributions held low for the employers and the employees (at 4% of salary). By the late 1990’s the Legislature saw contribution levels were not high enough, and began to raise them. In order to not impact the state and local budgets too harshly they limited the annual increases. Finally, in 2009 they were forced to raise the employee contributions and created the Tier 2 level.

Even though the KPERS investments have achieved the 8% investment rate of return over the last 30 years, these changes have not been enough to adequately fund the plan.

I have followed the process in the legislature and the Study Commission very closely and provided input as the process has moved forward. Recently, the House of Representatives passed a bill that addresses these critical issues. House Substitute for Senate Bill 259 increases the contribution amount for the state and local government employers. It also sets requirements for Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees to be equal. Tier 1 employees will contribute at a 6% rate in exchange for an increase in benefits to 1.85% times each year worked. Tier 2 employees will continue to contribute 6% and will receive an increase in benefits to 1.85% times each year worked in exchange for the cost of living adjustment.

In addition, the bill creates a Tier 3 for new employees hired after 2014. These new employees would have a choice to pick a Defined Contribution (DC) Option similar to a 401(k) in private industry or a Cash Balance Option. The DC Option would allow employees to contribute 6% to their own account and make their own investment decisions. In today’s world it is imperative that we give state employees the freedom and flexibility to control their retirement future.

In the Cash Balance Option, an employee contributes 6% and the employer adds up to 4%. The employee is guaranteed a 5% return as their benefit. This is an option for employees who plan a long term career with a state or local government employer.

I encourage the Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign a bill like 259. It is not the exact solution I would have preferred and I expect further changes as this process moves forward, but it provides choices for future employees and continues benefits promised to existing employees. It addresses both critical issues by not digging the hole any deeper for future employees, empowers those employees who wish to take control of their own retirement by giving them the flexibility to do so, and begins to close the existing funding gap. Significant structural KPERS reform must happen this year. Our state cannot afford to put this off yet again.

Ron Estes
Kansas State Treasurer