When I was thinking about what I could say about those who have given so much for our country and her people, I received this video in an email. I am grateful every day for those who have had the courage to to stand up for our freedom and have done so much. I am also reminded that we have a responsibility to remember and honor those dead and alive. We have to insure that their effort have not been in vane.
Remembering is not enough. We must do our duty as citizens to ensure that freedom rings from coast to coast. We have an obligation to preserve our way of life and defend our nation against enemies foreign and domestic as well. Maybe we will not be required to use a gun, but we have other responsibilities which must be met.
Remember and pray for them and our country today and everyday.
Despite much good news on the economic front, tens of thousands of teachers are being given pink slips nationwide, over 2000 in Detroit alone. Is that worth a front-page story in the New York Times? Detroit’s Emergency Financial Manager, Robert Bob has rooted out tens of millions of dollars in embezzlement, fraud and theft from the Detroit School system. You’d think the Times would find that worthy of reporting.
When I was growing up, funding for public schools was by local property taxes. School districts were able to accurately forecast how much money they’d need to support their programs and how much would be available for the next school year. At that time, the public schools were owned, operated, and controlled locally. The quality of education in the public schools of the United States was second to none.
In many of Michigan’s urban areas and in some of our more remote rural areas the increases in property values (and property taxes) did not keep pace with those in other areas. Progressives decided that it wasn’t fair that rich school districts should spend more on education than their poorer neighbors. Most Americans agreed with that view. Using the state lottery as a funding device, the State decided which schools were under-funded and gave money to districts that were not collecting enough in property taxes to support quality education. The State then demanded an important role in dictating what should be taught, when it should be taught, and how it should be taught. The State’s intrusion into the business of public education now encompasses when school should (or should not) start, when sex education should start (and what it should include), what classes in diversity should be included and how much math is two year’s worth.
Of course, more state funding also meant less certainty of when and how much state money was going to be available, and what strings were going to be attached. Public schools began the annual ritual of pink slipping a fairly large percentage of employees, knowing that many of them would probably be rehired in the fall. Some of them found another line of work. The quality of education in our schools began to drop off.
As the quality of education in our schools deteriorated, education lobbies and our enlightened administration decided that we needed to “invest” more money in education. The Federal government, under the wise counsel of President Jimmy Carter, created the Department of Education, which has now grown to an annual budget of upwards of $20 billion and more than 20,000 federal employees (not including contract personnel). Federal expenditures on education, training employment and social services increased under the previous administration from $57 billion in 2001 to $91 billion in 2008, and are estimated at $135 billion for 2010. The No Child Left Behind Act provided the largest increase ever in federal education funding, yet most of the money that it provided was swallowed up by the bureaucracy created to manage it, with little of it finding its way to failing schools or failing students. Our schools continued to deteriorate.
Despite the infusion of state and federal money into our schools, educational quality continues to fall further behind the Indian, Chinese, and many European countries in all standard educational measurements.
Instead of continuing to transfer wealth from those that produce it to favored constituencies, we need to begin to behave as though we’re truly concerned about the effect of the more than $1.3 trillion federal deficits of 2009 and 2010.
Isn't it wonderful? You can have fun and sign the petition for Healthcare Freedom at the same time. We will be at the Dearborn Heights Spirit Festival and the Livonia Spree collecting signatures and your petitions.
Dearborn Heights Spirit Festival, 1801 Beech Daly, 1/2 block south of Ford Rd.
Wednesday, June 9, 5:00 to 10:00 pm Thursday, June 10, 5:00 to 10:00 pm Friday, June 11, 5:00 to 10:00 pm Saturday, June 12, 2:00 to 10:00 pm Sunday, June 13, 2:00 to 10:00 pm
Please come and enjoy yourself Friday or Saturday at the Livonia Spree event days held at Ford Field at the corner of Farmington Road and Lyndon.A limited amount of parking is available on the Spree grounds. Take Stark Road north off the I-96 service drive. Handicapped Take Stark Road north off the I-96 service drive. The police will provide direction to the handicapped parking area. Handicap permit is required. Ample parking is available at Livonia City Hall. The free Shuttle Service will operate during Spree hours of operation
FRIDAY JUNE 25, 2010 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. SATURDAY JUNE 26, 2010 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Please come and sign the petition and bring your registered family and friends.
At times I identify with Sisyphus, a figure of Greek mythology who was condemned to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a boulder up a mountain, only to see it roll down again.
I think it was 1983 the first time I asked the Attorney General's office to enforce the Uniform Budgeting Act in Wayne County and demand that they abide by the Constitution and balance their budget. At that time they could not because they did not find they were in violation. They were not using standard accounting practices and no one could figure out their budget.
An audit was conducted and they could still not figure out what they were doing. The State developed the five year plan for balancing the budget. This kind of plan has been used over and oveer again. They switched to standard accounting pactices but that was not the last time no one cound figure out what was going on. At what point can we expect Wayne County to be accountable to the law. Poor services, excessive salaries and contracts, corruption, and mismanagement, are not reasons to give them a pass.
I don't care if the executive branch, the commission or the unions take the responsibility. I want the law enforced. Not only is the county facing a $105 million deficit in a $558 operating budget out of control but their unfunded liabilities are unsustainable. Their $2.1 billion dollar overall budget is down 6.4% since 2000. The County has also lost population,according to the estimates.
The Ways and Means Committee Chair, Edward Bioke, says they will be taking action soon. Do not include a tax increase in your deliberations commissioners - we are not in the mood and it is beyond our ability.
We have sent out petitions for Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom with our May newsletter. Now it is time to get the signatures and return them. You can drop off or pick up more petitions at our May 26, Wayne County Taxpayers Association meeting at 7:00PM. at Leon's Family Dining on Michigan Ave. just east of Telegraph.
Even if you just want to come in and sign a petition or just have one or two signatures on yours, every signature is important.
Now that what we suspected right along is true, that Obamacare is going to cost much more than originally indicated, we should find it even easier to collect signatures to get this constitutional amendment on the November ballot. It is too important to leave it to someone else to do. It is important to the economy, job creation, our individual access to treatment and the cost to each and every one of us.
Here is a summary of the amendment language: • DECLARES THE RIGHT OF PERSONS TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE WITHOUT BEING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY COMPELLED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. • PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PROHIBITIONS ON THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF HEALTH INSURANCE OR HEALTH COVERAGE IN PRIVATE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS. • PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PENALTIES OR FINES AGAINST PERSON, EMPLOYERS, AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DIRECT PAY ACTIVITIES FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES. • PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM CREATING ANY DISADVANTAGE AGAINST A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FOR PERMITTING A PERSON OR EMPLOYER TO PAY DIRECTLY FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OR FOR PERMITTING A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO ACCEPT DIRECT PAYMENT FROM A PERSON OR EMPLOYER FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES If you want more Information or locations where you may pick up or sign a petition, please contact me at 313-278-8383 or email me at wctaxpayers@comcast.net or, you may also contact Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom at www.MICHIGANHCF.COM .
Please don't just sit back and do nothing. If we all work toward the goal it should be easy.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010 is scheduled for the Grosse Pointe Shores Recall at thier City Municipal Building. We wish then good luck in their efforts.
SPECIAL ELECTION TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2010 POLLS OPEN 7:00 AM TO 8:00 PM GROSSE POINTE SHORES MUNICIPAL BUILDING 795 LAKE SHORE ROAD
According to the Shores Recall Website, if you are a Shores taxpayer and are not outraged by the current fiscal crisis, then you are not paying paying attention to the facts! From what we have read of the situation they have every reason to be upset.
I will be there for another reason. I will be circulating petitions for the Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom. From 1-8:00 PM you can sign, drop off or get petitions. We are attempting to get the amendment on the November ballot and the amendment will do the following if approved:
• DECLARES THE RIGHT OF PERSONS TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR OWN HEALTH CARE WITHOUT BEING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY COMPELLED BY GOVERNMENT ACTION TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. • PROHIBITS THE GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PROHIBITIONS ON THE PURCHASE OR SALE OF HEALTH INSURANCE OR HEALTH COVERAGE IN PRIVATE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS. • PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM IMPOSING PENALTIES OR FINES AGAINST PERSON, EMPLOYERS, AND HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS FOR PARTICIPATING IN DIRECT PAY ACTIVITIES FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES. • PROHIBITS GOVERNMENT FROM CREATING ANY DISADVANTAGE AGAINST A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM FOR PERMITTING A PERSON OR EMPLOYER TO PAY DIRECTLY FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES OR FOR PERMITTING A HEALTH CARE PROVIDER TO ACCEPT DIRECT PAYMENT FROM A PERSON OR EMPLOYER FOR LAWFUL HEALTH CARE SERVICES
If you want more Information or locations where you may pick up or sign a petition, please contact me at 313-278-8383 or email me at wctaxpayers@comcast.net or, you may also contact Michigan Citizens for Healthcare Freedom at www.MICHIGANHCF.COM .
The WCTA was organized in March of 1982 because of a deep concern over rapidly escalating and unjust property tax assessments. We are a non-profit, non-partisan volunteer taxpayer organization dedicated to obtaining fiscal integrity and responsibility from all levels of government.
In July of 1982, we incorporated with the State of Michigan and proceeded to build our membership. We have resolved that our elected officials should be more accountable to their constituents for their actions.
We believe that individuals can be effective but that together we can be even more effective. We hold regular membership meetings and also sponsor special and educational meetings on topics of interest to our members and the general community.
Only through a vigilant watch of the government can taxpayers ensure that our government is operating responsibly and efficiently.
Information is a very important ingredient of the WCTA. Our newsletter is sent to all members and we try to keep them apprised of existing and pending legislation that will directly affect their lives.
Contact us at: http://www.wctaxpayers.org
Some Questions
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Gee ..why did Democrats wait until AFTER the election to put this crap out
there??Got one of Adam’s heads up messages via the in-box a few minutes
ago. He ...
